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Myth Adventures #12
Something M.Y.T.H. Inc.
Things are not well in the kingdom... While Skeeve and Aahz are preoccupied with the aftermath of Gleep's shooting, the M.Y.T.H. Inc. crew faces its biggest challenge yet-not one, but multiple challenges to the king and his court sorcerer! Word on the street is that the kingdom is under the control of a mighty sorcerer. It's obvious that this magician dabbles in the black He consorts with demons. He has a dragon for a pet. He's connected to the criminal underground, trading political influence for their assistance in keeping the populace under control. And for most citizens, all this could be overlooked, except that this villain has committed the greatest crime he's raised taxes! Clearly something has to be done! The citizens are beginning to ponder and mutter, both individually and in groups, about how this tyrant can be brought down. And while they vary greatly in skill and intelligence, certainly the sheer volume of them virtually ensures the eventual downfall of the scoundrel that's currently growing fat off the kingdom...the man called Skeeve the Great. Can the M.Y.T.H. Inc. gang protect Skeeve from these attacks and still convince him that everything is business as usual? **New!** In a last-minute change in plans, Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. will now also include a brand new short story by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye! <!-- ul.linkBullets { 0; } ul.linkBullets li { none; 1em; 1em; } ul.noteBullets { 0; } ul.noteBullets li { none; } span.darkRedWarning { #990000; } -->
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2002
12 people are currently reading
1222 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lynn Asprin
224 books1,067 followersRobert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he wrote some stand alone novels such as The Cold Cash War, Tambu, and The Bug Wars and also the Duncan & Mallory Illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series fantasy, such as the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve, the Phule's Company novels, and the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves' World anthology series with Lynn Abbey. Other collaborations include License Invoked (set in the French Quarter of New Orleans) and several Myth Adventures novels, all written with Jody Lynn Nye.
Bob's final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.
Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.
Bob's final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.
Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
January 30, 2021
While I don't really hold this series at much of a standard - or any - it still remains light, easy fun that doesn't require any kind of effort. The mob jokes and the hapless wizard who had risen to great heights storyline is *very* lightly amusing.
It's why I keep going. It's cute.
This one is pretty much the same thing, only it shores up some of the behind-the-scenes action that had happened in the previous novel, making me think that both should have been shuffled together as a full novel, but publishing considerations (or whatever) made him split it up.
Not bad, but the two should have stayed together. Alas.
It's why I keep going. It's cute.
This one is pretty much the same thing, only it shores up some of the behind-the-scenes action that had happened in the previous novel, making me think that both should have been shuffled together as a full novel, but publishing considerations (or whatever) made him split it up.
Not bad, but the two should have stayed together. Alas.
December 20, 2022
Nice to finally get some closure on Who Shot J.R. Gleep, though rehashing scenes from the uninspired Sweet Myth-Tery of Life from Guido's perspective didn't really add much lustre for me, nor the Merry Middle-Managers of Sherwood Heights. The short story re-telling Massha's wedding was a nice addition and has me hopeful for the coming collaborations with Jody Nye.
Some of the jokes, like the name of new mafioso "Don Don Don Don", worked particularly well in the audiobook format.
Some of the jokes, like the name of new mafioso "Don Don Don Don", worked particularly well in the audiobook format.
November 28, 2016
The One That Concludes the Previous Two Books (Not Counting Myth-ion Improbable)
A couple of years ago, I embarked on a reading project to finish all my unfinished series. I didn't include the Myth Adventure books, because (a) I didn't count the ones that were co-written, and (b) I thought I had read this book. The thing is, as I was working my way through the series, I realized that I had read Myth-ion Improbable the year it was released, and then never read anything else by Asprin. I'm not sure it was a choice based on how bad that book was (I really wanted to know what happened to Gleep), but here we are.
I didn't like the previous M.Y.T.H. Inc. books, so wasn't holding out a lot of hope for this one, but I was still disappointed. The book is narrated by Guido and Skeeve, with Guido taking the lion's share of the narrative. There are also sections of the book that are written in the third-person omniscient point of view, which was about as jarring as one would expect for a series told almost entirely from Skeeve's perspective. It also suffers because Asprin lifted entire sections of dialogue from previous books to fill out his page count. This book takes place simultaneously with M.Y.T.H. Inc in Action and Sweet Myth-tery of Life, so I understand some overlap, but I'd say at least ten pages were pure repetition. The only difference is that we see events from Guido's perspective when before we only saw them from Skeeve's.
The story enters new territory only in the last ten or fifteen pages of the book, when we finally learn what happened to Gleep. Like previous books, it's anticlimactic, and hardly as moving as I thought it should have been. The ending did touch me in an unexpected way, so it helped lift the book above being a complete disappointment, but really, what carried me through this book was the nostalgia for the series and finally seeing how it ended.
Included in this book is a short story about Massha's wedding to General Badaxe, written by Jody Lynn Nye, who co-wrote additional books with Asprin. I originally hadn't planned on reading those, but the style felt close enough to Asprin's to make me consider it, and when I figured that a new author adding her perspective to the characters might bring new life to the series (and hearing other fans say they weren't that bad), I wound up getting the rest of them. I hope that doesn't prove to be as much of a disappointment as this novel was.
A couple of years ago, I embarked on a reading project to finish all my unfinished series. I didn't include the Myth Adventure books, because (a) I didn't count the ones that were co-written, and (b) I thought I had read this book. The thing is, as I was working my way through the series, I realized that I had read Myth-ion Improbable the year it was released, and then never read anything else by Asprin. I'm not sure it was a choice based on how bad that book was (I really wanted to know what happened to Gleep), but here we are.
I didn't like the previous M.Y.T.H. Inc. books, so wasn't holding out a lot of hope for this one, but I was still disappointed. The book is narrated by Guido and Skeeve, with Guido taking the lion's share of the narrative. There are also sections of the book that are written in the third-person omniscient point of view, which was about as jarring as one would expect for a series told almost entirely from Skeeve's perspective. It also suffers because Asprin lifted entire sections of dialogue from previous books to fill out his page count. This book takes place simultaneously with M.Y.T.H. Inc in Action and Sweet Myth-tery of Life, so I understand some overlap, but I'd say at least ten pages were pure repetition. The only difference is that we see events from Guido's perspective when before we only saw them from Skeeve's.
The story enters new territory only in the last ten or fifteen pages of the book, when we finally learn what happened to Gleep. Like previous books, it's anticlimactic, and hardly as moving as I thought it should have been. The ending did touch me in an unexpected way, so it helped lift the book above being a complete disappointment, but really, what carried me through this book was the nostalgia for the series and finally seeing how it ended.
Included in this book is a short story about Massha's wedding to General Badaxe, written by Jody Lynn Nye, who co-wrote additional books with Asprin. I originally hadn't planned on reading those, but the style felt close enough to Asprin's to make me consider it, and when I figured that a new author adding her perspective to the characters might bring new life to the series (and hearing other fans say they weren't that bad), I wound up getting the rest of them. I hope that doesn't prove to be as much of a disappointment as this novel was.
November 21, 2015
While this book was an improvement on 'Mythion Improbable', and did tie up some threads left hanging from 'Sweet Mythtery of Life', it was still a paler imitation of the original series. The book is meant to run almost parallel to SMoL, and fair amounts were repeated. The main characters were all there, but for the first half of the book Skeeve and Aahz hardly featured. Instead we got to follow Guido round, and try to decypher his Guys and Dolls accent.
There was a threat against Skeeve, in view of the tax collection within the kingdom of Possiltum. It seemed to come from 3 different groups, but only one group lasted until the end, another was dealt with, but the third seemed forgotten about.
It was worth reading though, and there is an unexpected climax at the end.
There was a threat against Skeeve, in view of the tax collection within the kingdom of Possiltum. It seemed to come from 3 different groups, but only one group lasted until the end, another was dealt with, but the third seemed forgotten about.
It was worth reading though, and there is an unexpected climax at the end.
December 21, 2011
Only knocked down a star because of the absence of Skeeve and Aahz during the first half or so - no offense, Nunzio and Guido! And the unnamed-as-such (copyright!) LOTR role players were a nice touch.
July 27, 2021
Guido is back in charge with another fun meanwhile story. I've been reading these books back to back so there were some chapters that were entirely recap which made it a quicker read. I really liked the end where the whole team gets together to figure out their future. Big feels.
January 4, 2013
While Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. was a step up from The M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link, it still wasn't a large enough step to be a worthwhile read.
To begin with, making Guido the narrator again was utterly dissatisfying when he had been the narrator and focus of the previous M.Y.T.H. Inc. book. A different choice such as Chumly would have been far preferable.
In addition, the prologue and book jacket summary set up conflicts that the text did not even begin to match. There was never any sense of danger or real conflict. It never felt like there was really any problem to be dealt with, just a nuisance or two.
More, Asprin changed the setting of the dimension of Klah in significant ways. What was once a medieval setting suddenly had elements of the contemporary era. Perhaps this had been done in previous books, but only in very minor, subtle points, never so blatantly. That this was done for comedic effect didn't really mollify the fact that it made the setting feel wrong.
Another change that didn't work was the shifting of perspectives. Myth books have always been in first person, yet Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. shifted from first to third and back a few times. The first person narrator even changed a few times, and while M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action did this, that was intentional to tell different stories from different perspectives. These felt like more arbitrary choices that were more distracting than useful.
Like in Myth-ion Improbable, the characters also felt as if their personalities were altered, particularly Aahz, though not quite to the same extent.
As others have noted, parts of the book are also just a rehash of Sweet Myth-tery of Life. The biggest issue with this is that it failed to resolve questions from that book in satisfying ways. It felt more slapdash than anything else.
And finally, the ending felt like Asprin just quit. It was apparent that he no longer was interested in writing, and this was merely to finish a contract, but how he finished was a travesty. Not because of the choices he made, though they didn't really fit the characters as I understood them, but rather because of the lack of detailing that went into it. He skipped over some time periods that might have been worth exploring, but worse, he never explored any emotional responses or ramifications for critical events. He set off bombs that all the M.Y.T.H. Inc. personnel should have had powerful, individual responses to, and not one was even mentioned, let alone explored. I frankly do not understand why the editors let this book go to press for this reason in particular.
I journey on with these books only because co-writers may have something worth adding to the series, but I almost wish I hadn't bothered with this one.
To begin with, making Guido the narrator again was utterly dissatisfying when he had been the narrator and focus of the previous M.Y.T.H. Inc. book. A different choice such as Chumly would have been far preferable.
In addition, the prologue and book jacket summary set up conflicts that the text did not even begin to match. There was never any sense of danger or real conflict. It never felt like there was really any problem to be dealt with, just a nuisance or two.
More, Asprin changed the setting of the dimension of Klah in significant ways. What was once a medieval setting suddenly had elements of the contemporary era. Perhaps this had been done in previous books, but only in very minor, subtle points, never so blatantly. That this was done for comedic effect didn't really mollify the fact that it made the setting feel wrong.
Another change that didn't work was the shifting of perspectives. Myth books have always been in first person, yet Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. shifted from first to third and back a few times. The first person narrator even changed a few times, and while M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action did this, that was intentional to tell different stories from different perspectives. These felt like more arbitrary choices that were more distracting than useful.
Like in Myth-ion Improbable, the characters also felt as if their personalities were altered, particularly Aahz, though not quite to the same extent.
As others have noted, parts of the book are also just a rehash of Sweet Myth-tery of Life. The biggest issue with this is that it failed to resolve questions from that book in satisfying ways. It felt more slapdash than anything else.
And finally, the ending felt like Asprin just quit. It was apparent that he no longer was interested in writing, and this was merely to finish a contract, but how he finished was a travesty. Not because of the choices he made, though they didn't really fit the characters as I understood them, but rather because of the lack of detailing that went into it. He skipped over some time periods that might have been worth exploring, but worse, he never explored any emotional responses or ramifications for critical events. He set off bombs that all the M.Y.T.H. Inc. personnel should have had powerful, individual responses to, and not one was even mentioned, let alone explored. I frankly do not understand why the editors let this book go to press for this reason in particular.
I journey on with these books only because co-writers may have something worth adding to the series, but I almost wish I hadn't bothered with this one.
August 3, 2022
MYTH INC and Me
A million years back, my older brother picked up a fantasy comedy novel, one that he heard was pretty good, and in typical fashion right after he finished it, I picked it up, and then our younger brother. Our parents loved when we did this, and then discussed and debated the books endlessly. This kept on with this one series until years later, when the writer kinda went into more depressing territory and the books became less fun, more of a chore.
So I stopped reading them, while my brothers kept going, and I had no clue how many books were coming out. But a year or so back I grabbed most of the rest of the series from them and plunged back in.
Now this was an experience.
So what I am babbling about is The Myth Inc Series by the late author Robert Asprin, a fantasy comedy which starts off a medieval place called Klahd, which is pronounced Clod, and a young man named Skeeve who is being trained as a magician. His master pulls a trick, and is then promptly assassinated, and suddenly Skeeve is left to deal with a green scaly demon man his master conjured up. Turns out, he is an old friend of the wizard, and has been left powerless by the trick. Aahz, which is pronounced Oz and is no relation, agrees to team up as Master and Apprentice with Skeeve.
Thus begins an interesting partnership, as Skeeve and Aahz get a pet dragon, fight a war for a kingdom, join the mob but do no moblike stuff, hop from dimension to dimension, meet vampires, play dragon poker, and meet a ton of new allies who fast become friends. We get the sexy Tanda the assassin, her brother Chumley the troll, Guido and Nunzio Skeeve’s mob bodyguards, and even more and more as the series progresses. And we get pun filled titles like Myth Conceptions and Little Myth Marker. By the time we reach M.Y.T.H. Inc Link, Asprin decides to switch the narrator from Skeeve to all sorts of the rest of the cast. It is a nice switch up for the series, but could not stop the mountains of subplots spinning everywhere and how stuff had become depressing in some places.
However one thread that was a bright spot all along was the occasional cartoon, showing scenes from the story, in the trade paperbacks by Phil Foglio, who also did the comics adaptation of the first book.
Where I exactly left off from decades ago was my first challenge, and a reread of M.Y.T.H. Inc In Action reveals I left this one two chapters short of finishing. The re-invasion of the kingdom has been settled, largely thanks to Guido and Nunzio joining the army and sabotaging it from the inside.
With a whole bunch of subplots resolved, we move into my first completely new read of the series this century, Sweet Myth-tery of Life, where Skeeve has brought Aahz back from his dimension of Perv after they had a big falling out. Now Skeeve has received a marriage proposal from Queen Hemlock and goes back to wondering about love. Oh, and he needs to fix the kingdoms finances. And more subplots get resolved. But it is also gets kinda repetitive.
Which leads to Something M.Y.T.H. Inc, where the multiple narrator shtick is back as the kingdom is in rebellion against the tyrant who raised taxes, that evil one time Court Magician Skeeve! The Myth gang set out to quell the insurrections, who are remarkedly like Zorro and Robin Hood, and not let Skeeve know what is going on. This one takes place at the same time as the last one. And this one starts off really really good, then falls apart. And all the subplots get figured out and Skeeve moves into a new place in life, so that the series can rebuild, which leads to….
Myth-Ion Improbable, a flashback tale to Skeeve and Aahz and Tanda going on a treasure hunt in a far off dimension. It is cute at best. And the big relaunch happens with….
Myth-Told Tales. Or not. Asprin gets an official co-writer here with Jody Lynn Nye, and the many narrators idea is back, but it is really just short stories. It is a mixed bag, like any collection, and still like treading water until whatever the new reality is. Methinks Asprin and Nye may not have hit it off right away, and this format was a compromise just to keep the Myth series going. Nye has a track record as a writer before this book, and I believe a real affection for these characters, so I kinda wish Asprin would just hand the series over to her, since he seems not so into it.
Myth Alliances is a Skeeve without Aahz book, where Skeeve and Bunny, his sexy and super smart assistant, have to free the dimension of Wuhses from a group of Perv business women who have become dictators. Or have they? This one starts very promising, then keeps going on and on, but still gives a pretty spectacular ending.
This leads to the Aahz centered book Myth-Taken Identity, where he finds out someone has stolen Skeeve’s id and is wrecking his good name in the mall dimension. No one does that to his former apprentice and good friend! This one is just like the last one, starts off well, meanders quite abit, then finishes strong.
It feels like Nye takes over more with Class Dis-Mythed, where Skeeve is asked by various people to teach a whole bunch of apprentices in magic. It is a learning curve for Skeeve, and one for the students, and we get a whole bunch of cameos from other characters from the series, some being very very surprising. Their is a secret the students are keeping through, which leads to the surprise ending chapters. I really dig the new characters and hope they make reappearances in future books.
So it seems like whatever Asprin and Nye got working, is really working, and Myth-Gotten Gains is proof of that. Aahz finds a magic talking sword in a bazaar and is promised money AND getting his powers back if he helps find his family of magical objects. Turns out they are The Golden Hoard, an ancient and all powerful group who don’t really get along. Aahz and Tanda travel all over, find the Flute and the Purse and the Book and the Crystal Ball. And Aahz and Tanda are completely driven crazy by the Hoard’s constant bickering and insults and attitude. I loved these new additions and their banter read in my head like a Monty Python skit.
This new groove moves us into Myth-Chief, where Skeeve comes back to adventuring and his Myth Inc aren’t all happy. So eventually Skeeve and Aahz have a contest with two competing but not so competing goals, to save a kingdom from financial ruin. Unfortunately, this one backslides to being too long, unfocused, and only one part of the ending making sense. Their is hope, since the new dynamic of Myth n Inc is finally in place here.
This is also the last one my brothers got, but Asprin and Nye gave us one more with Myth-Fortunes, and then suddenly Asprin passed away. Nye continued on with Myth-Quoted and Myth-Fits. I have no idea what happens in these volumes, or how these go generally with Nye fully in charge.
Even with the mixed results of this catchup, I am still glad I did it. It was nice to see how these old friends were doing, and seeing that they were in good hands with Nye. I think Asprin would be happy. And my brothers and I can debate this endlessly as well.
Scoopriches
A million years back, my older brother picked up a fantasy comedy novel, one that he heard was pretty good, and in typical fashion right after he finished it, I picked it up, and then our younger brother. Our parents loved when we did this, and then discussed and debated the books endlessly. This kept on with this one series until years later, when the writer kinda went into more depressing territory and the books became less fun, more of a chore.
So I stopped reading them, while my brothers kept going, and I had no clue how many books were coming out. But a year or so back I grabbed most of the rest of the series from them and plunged back in.
Now this was an experience.
So what I am babbling about is The Myth Inc Series by the late author Robert Asprin, a fantasy comedy which starts off a medieval place called Klahd, which is pronounced Clod, and a young man named Skeeve who is being trained as a magician. His master pulls a trick, and is then promptly assassinated, and suddenly Skeeve is left to deal with a green scaly demon man his master conjured up. Turns out, he is an old friend of the wizard, and has been left powerless by the trick. Aahz, which is pronounced Oz and is no relation, agrees to team up as Master and Apprentice with Skeeve.
Thus begins an interesting partnership, as Skeeve and Aahz get a pet dragon, fight a war for a kingdom, join the mob but do no moblike stuff, hop from dimension to dimension, meet vampires, play dragon poker, and meet a ton of new allies who fast become friends. We get the sexy Tanda the assassin, her brother Chumley the troll, Guido and Nunzio Skeeve’s mob bodyguards, and even more and more as the series progresses. And we get pun filled titles like Myth Conceptions and Little Myth Marker. By the time we reach M.Y.T.H. Inc Link, Asprin decides to switch the narrator from Skeeve to all sorts of the rest of the cast. It is a nice switch up for the series, but could not stop the mountains of subplots spinning everywhere and how stuff had become depressing in some places.
However one thread that was a bright spot all along was the occasional cartoon, showing scenes from the story, in the trade paperbacks by Phil Foglio, who also did the comics adaptation of the first book.
Where I exactly left off from decades ago was my first challenge, and a reread of M.Y.T.H. Inc In Action reveals I left this one two chapters short of finishing. The re-invasion of the kingdom has been settled, largely thanks to Guido and Nunzio joining the army and sabotaging it from the inside.
With a whole bunch of subplots resolved, we move into my first completely new read of the series this century, Sweet Myth-tery of Life, where Skeeve has brought Aahz back from his dimension of Perv after they had a big falling out. Now Skeeve has received a marriage proposal from Queen Hemlock and goes back to wondering about love. Oh, and he needs to fix the kingdoms finances. And more subplots get resolved. But it is also gets kinda repetitive.
Which leads to Something M.Y.T.H. Inc, where the multiple narrator shtick is back as the kingdom is in rebellion against the tyrant who raised taxes, that evil one time Court Magician Skeeve! The Myth gang set out to quell the insurrections, who are remarkedly like Zorro and Robin Hood, and not let Skeeve know what is going on. This one takes place at the same time as the last one. And this one starts off really really good, then falls apart. And all the subplots get figured out and Skeeve moves into a new place in life, so that the series can rebuild, which leads to….
Myth-Ion Improbable, a flashback tale to Skeeve and Aahz and Tanda going on a treasure hunt in a far off dimension. It is cute at best. And the big relaunch happens with….
Myth-Told Tales. Or not. Asprin gets an official co-writer here with Jody Lynn Nye, and the many narrators idea is back, but it is really just short stories. It is a mixed bag, like any collection, and still like treading water until whatever the new reality is. Methinks Asprin and Nye may not have hit it off right away, and this format was a compromise just to keep the Myth series going. Nye has a track record as a writer before this book, and I believe a real affection for these characters, so I kinda wish Asprin would just hand the series over to her, since he seems not so into it.
Myth Alliances is a Skeeve without Aahz book, where Skeeve and Bunny, his sexy and super smart assistant, have to free the dimension of Wuhses from a group of Perv business women who have become dictators. Or have they? This one starts very promising, then keeps going on and on, but still gives a pretty spectacular ending.
This leads to the Aahz centered book Myth-Taken Identity, where he finds out someone has stolen Skeeve’s id and is wrecking his good name in the mall dimension. No one does that to his former apprentice and good friend! This one is just like the last one, starts off well, meanders quite abit, then finishes strong.
It feels like Nye takes over more with Class Dis-Mythed, where Skeeve is asked by various people to teach a whole bunch of apprentices in magic. It is a learning curve for Skeeve, and one for the students, and we get a whole bunch of cameos from other characters from the series, some being very very surprising. Their is a secret the students are keeping through, which leads to the surprise ending chapters. I really dig the new characters and hope they make reappearances in future books.
So it seems like whatever Asprin and Nye got working, is really working, and Myth-Gotten Gains is proof of that. Aahz finds a magic talking sword in a bazaar and is promised money AND getting his powers back if he helps find his family of magical objects. Turns out they are The Golden Hoard, an ancient and all powerful group who don’t really get along. Aahz and Tanda travel all over, find the Flute and the Purse and the Book and the Crystal Ball. And Aahz and Tanda are completely driven crazy by the Hoard’s constant bickering and insults and attitude. I loved these new additions and their banter read in my head like a Monty Python skit.
This new groove moves us into Myth-Chief, where Skeeve comes back to adventuring and his Myth Inc aren’t all happy. So eventually Skeeve and Aahz have a contest with two competing but not so competing goals, to save a kingdom from financial ruin. Unfortunately, this one backslides to being too long, unfocused, and only one part of the ending making sense. Their is hope, since the new dynamic of Myth n Inc is finally in place here.
This is also the last one my brothers got, but Asprin and Nye gave us one more with Myth-Fortunes, and then suddenly Asprin passed away. Nye continued on with Myth-Quoted and Myth-Fits. I have no idea what happens in these volumes, or how these go generally with Nye fully in charge.
Even with the mixed results of this catchup, I am still glad I did it. It was nice to see how these old friends were doing, and seeing that they were in good hands with Nye. I think Asprin would be happy. And my brothers and I can debate this endlessly as well.
Scoopriches
April 10, 2019
I've been re-reading this series because it's fun, and fun doesn't seem to be one of the things editors often look for when choosing what to publish. This is unfortunate, at least for me, because fun is probably my number one consideration for choosing what to read (when it comes to fiction, anyway). As I normally read well over 100 books a year, I tend to run out of new books, and I end up re-reading ones I've kept on my shelf. Funny thing about this one. I found the original sales receipt tucked between a couple back pages. It seems I bought it in 2003 at a Borders at some airport. I was probably on a business trip, which I doubt was much fun, but I picked up a book that was.
But I digress. This space is supposed to be for a book review. Okay. This is the 12th MYTH book. Skeeve returns to his home dimension, resumes his role as court magician and is trying to find a way out of marrying the queen. These events where chronicled in previous books, although from different POVs, and some sections of dialogue will be familiar to readers of those. It's not great literature. The prose isn't stunning. The characters lack much depth. In short, this isn't Pratchett. But it is fun, which is why I kept it on my shelf for over 15 years and why I picked it up again.
But I digress. This space is supposed to be for a book review. Okay. This is the 12th MYTH book. Skeeve returns to his home dimension, resumes his role as court magician and is trying to find a way out of marrying the queen. These events where chronicled in previous books, although from different POVs, and some sections of dialogue will be familiar to readers of those. It's not great literature. The prose isn't stunning. The characters lack much depth. In short, this isn't Pratchett. But it is fun, which is why I kept it on my shelf for over 15 years and why I picked it up again.
June 9, 2012
Robert Asprin writes brilliant humor in his MYTH series. He creates an odd assortment of characters that are fun to read about. I would read the books to my family and we laughed our way through all the books. If you like humor, magic, mobsters, demons, dragons, and other such characters, read Robert's MYTH books. If you don't like those kinds of characters, read the books and you will come away with some crazy new friends.
September 3, 2021
A little slow to start, but a decent Myth Inc. Book, which are generally not my favorites. I general like Guido and Nunzio, but I really hate the way he makes them speak. I get it, why he does it, but it still grates on me.
I prefer the standalone Aahz and Skeeve novels.
But this one was pretty good. I did like that Gleep final got to speak.
I prefer the standalone Aahz and Skeeve novels.
But this one was pretty good. I did like that Gleep final got to speak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2012
Loved this entire series. a nice mix of comedy and science fantasy.
September 22, 2022
I hated this one. I can’t stand Guido’s POV but if you’re gonna do that, then do it; don’t switch sometimes to Skeeve’s and then, confusingly and unamusingly, to a 3rd person narration. I mean, either switch it up evenly or don’t do it at all.
Why is there a glossary? Is that really necessary? Since when does Chumley have TUSKS??? In Gleep’s entry it says “size seems to vary with cover artist and (admittedly) the needs of the storyteller.” Dude, this is the 12th damn book. You haven’t figured out the characters yet?? Be consistent.
At this point it just seems like Asprin doesn’t even like them anymore. Maybe it’s the pressure.
Asprin attempts to explain the anachronistic references in a parenthetical aside by lampshading them and blaming it on the Deveels’ being “merchants extraordinaire” and bringing in things from other dimensions. Sooo…there’s a dimension exactly like ours somewhere, apparently? That…that doesn’t work for me.
The world building is practically non existent. It’s super clear at this point that Asprin didn’t put a ton of thought into this before he started it. Which is fine and I get that but what about once it started selling? Or once he got a contract for more books? It seems like, once he was under a deadline, he just snapped and resented having to write these books. There’s no longer any sense of the fun, carefree style of the first few. It slogs.
So there’s a stupid plot that’s concurrent with the last book where Skeeve just walked around whining for a month. The team has to go behind his back to try and stop some people that are trying to kill him or something but not really, but of course they can’t tell him this bc he’s the Great Skeeve and he’s just so wonderful and we must protect his little blond self at all costs. Then of course it comes out that there was never really anything to worry about and Skeeve decides to leave MYTH Inc to go find himself. With Bunny in tow. Bc when you’re going off on your own to try and get your shit together, you’re gonna want to bring the girl who’s obviously in love with you so you can keep getting your hero worship fix, right? Ugh.
Why is there a glossary? Is that really necessary? Since when does Chumley have TUSKS??? In Gleep’s entry it says “size seems to vary with cover artist and (admittedly) the needs of the storyteller.” Dude, this is the 12th damn book. You haven’t figured out the characters yet?? Be consistent.
At this point it just seems like Asprin doesn’t even like them anymore. Maybe it’s the pressure.
Asprin attempts to explain the anachronistic references in a parenthetical aside by lampshading them and blaming it on the Deveels’ being “merchants extraordinaire” and bringing in things from other dimensions. Sooo…there’s a dimension exactly like ours somewhere, apparently? That…that doesn’t work for me.
The world building is practically non existent. It’s super clear at this point that Asprin didn’t put a ton of thought into this before he started it. Which is fine and I get that but what about once it started selling? Or once he got a contract for more books? It seems like, once he was under a deadline, he just snapped and resented having to write these books. There’s no longer any sense of the fun, carefree style of the first few. It slogs.
So there’s a stupid plot that’s concurrent with the last book where Skeeve just walked around whining for a month. The team has to go behind his back to try and stop some people that are trying to kill him or something but not really, but of course they can’t tell him this bc he’s the Great Skeeve and he’s just so wonderful and we must protect his little blond self at all costs. Then of course it comes out that there was never really anything to worry about and Skeeve decides to leave MYTH Inc to go find himself. With Bunny in tow. Bc when you’re going off on your own to try and get your shit together, you’re gonna want to bring the girl who’s obviously in love with you so you can keep getting your hero worship fix, right? Ugh.
July 22, 2025
Better than the previous book for sure. This one picks up immediately after that one ended on a cliffhanger and shows multiple characters stories picking up from the previous ending each with a different point of view. At this point it was clear that Robert had run out of ideas and had lost the spark of the series. There was a nine year gap between the cliffhanger and this conclusion so it is clear that the author had no clue where the story was goin, what he was trying to accomplish or how the characters would act in a given situation. Even the puns are stretched to the point of breaking and that is not good.
Skeeve has turned into one of the most annoying main characters in fantasy by this point in the series. I think the author projected himself onto the character a bit too much. Every female thinks he is so attractive, his solutions to problems are hailed as brilliant (even though they are grade school level obvious ideas), he is racked with self doubt about his abilities (even though everyone thinks way to highly of him), and he is endlessly self centered with no consideration given to his friends. The number of times Skeeve says something silly while the other characters react as if he was blowing their minds with his insight are too many to count.
I am determined to finish this series but I am hoping that the next book will get us back on track with Skeeve again focusing on magic (instead of running a business) and featuring a co-writer who may introduce some much needed female point of view into the series. Every female character Skeeve has meet is instantly objectified in blistering detail which feels like your weird uncle who still has a Farrah Fawcett poster hanging in their living room.
Skeeve has turned into one of the most annoying main characters in fantasy by this point in the series. I think the author projected himself onto the character a bit too much. Every female thinks he is so attractive, his solutions to problems are hailed as brilliant (even though they are grade school level obvious ideas), he is racked with self doubt about his abilities (even though everyone thinks way to highly of him), and he is endlessly self centered with no consideration given to his friends. The number of times Skeeve says something silly while the other characters react as if he was blowing their minds with his insight are too many to count.
I am determined to finish this series but I am hoping that the next book will get us back on track with Skeeve again focusing on magic (instead of running a business) and featuring a co-writer who may introduce some much needed female point of view into the series. Every female character Skeeve has meet is instantly objectified in blistering detail which feels like your weird uncle who still has a Farrah Fawcett poster hanging in their living room.
June 28, 2019
Another fine story in the world of Klah and Possiltum.
Although this story had an interesting mix of characters (new/old) and wrapped up a few storylines, it did feel like M.Y.T.H. Inc. might also be coming to close of some kind. However, there are more stories to read ahead, so perhaps not.
Good character expansion/development as well which continues to endear these heroes to readers.
This novel also had an additional short story (Yay for Massha and Hugh) and interesting index of characters involved with M.Y.T.H Inc. and the fantasy story world. (well worth reading, I recommend it)
This continues to be an enjoyable series and holds up well against time, as most quality stories do.
Although this story had an interesting mix of characters (new/old) and wrapped up a few storylines, it did feel like M.Y.T.H. Inc. might also be coming to close of some kind. However, there are more stories to read ahead, so perhaps not.
Good character expansion/development as well which continues to endear these heroes to readers.
This novel also had an additional short story (Yay for Massha and Hugh) and interesting index of characters involved with M.Y.T.H Inc. and the fantasy story world. (well worth reading, I recommend it)
This continues to be an enjoyable series and holds up well against time, as most quality stories do.
February 3, 2024
This book in some ways was bizarre (no relation to the one in Deva, and that may have been preferable). I think Asprin was suffering from senioritis when trying to complete a twelfth book for the end of his contract, and this one seemed like he was phoning it in. The format was weird - the first sixteen chapters where mostly written from the vantage point of Guido, lacking the usual humorous quotes at the start of each chapter. Then the story starts being told from the vantage point of Skeeve, and the quotes resume. A certain number of things get wrapped up from previous books, but overall it was anticlimactic. Disappointing, to the point where it has me wondering if I want to at all continue with the series, especially when the co-authoring starts.
October 2, 2023
The Myth books are a light and entertaining fantasy series about a magician's apprentice who doesn't really know what he's doing, and his mentor, a demon who lost his magic powers due to a practical joke. I read them as a teen and just started to reread them.
The early books in the series are my favorites, funny and engaging stories that parody traditional fantasy novels, with adventures in multiple interesting worlds. The later books are disappointing, as the young protagonist becomes a bureaucrat and more and more elements of the real world get added in — mafia, graduate school, business development. All are a quick read — I reread this one in a few days.
The early books in the series are my favorites, funny and engaging stories that parody traditional fantasy novels, with adventures in multiple interesting worlds. The later books are disappointing, as the young protagonist becomes a bureaucrat and more and more elements of the real world get added in — mafia, graduate school, business development. All are a quick read — I reread this one in a few days.
June 21, 2024
Book 12 of Myth Adventures. This latest installment completely changes our status quo. I loved this one and the idea that not knowing what we want makes it impossible for others to help us achieve our goals. I love that even through the humorous lighthearted adventure there is so much deeper a lesson to learn. Yet another great fun read. Highly recommend this series.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
July 8, 2025
I wanted to give this a 4 but we’re finally getting to find out who shot Gleep which doesn’t happen until 100+ pages. I don’t like the mob guys adventures and it was annoying that it suddenly switches to Skeeve after the shooting. And then we get a short story tagged in to make the book longer but it could have easily fit into the narrative . As a finale to the series this works but alas I have all the others in my library to read next
February 27, 2023
Story feels like a bit of a cop out after a 9 year cliffhanger but not terrible. This story feels like a link between the old myth books and the new co-written part of the series and mostly exists to tie loose ends. Still it’s more satisfying than the preceding book set in earlier times. Hoping this is the start of an upswing in the storytelling.
January 26, 2025
I pretty much just read this volume to find out what happened to Gleep. Just like too many parts of too many volumes in a row, the big reveal was a total no-bang burger. Much as I loved the early volumes, this is where I part ways with Skeeve. The sad part is that the series went off the rails so badly, I am not sure I will even miss him.
April 15, 2019
This one buttons up the series nicely and provides an actual satisfying conclusion. I jumped from Book 10 to this one (Book 12) since they run concurrently, and since 10 ended on a cliffhanger about Gleep. After this, I will go back to #11, which apparently happens sometime between books 3 and 4.
April 13, 2023
I really liked this one. The references to Robin Hood, Zorro, and LoTR were delightful, but the general warmth and humor endemic to the books carried it. The short story, "Instructions", was also enjoyable.
November 14, 2023
Asprin was coming to the end of this story, and it shows. It's not as fun or as interesting as the first books. He's wrapping things up and I'm taking a break from them too. It's a fun world and he's a good writer, but it's getting repetitive.
March 15, 2024
Even though there were seven more books in the Myth series, this was definitely an ending to the adventures of Skeeve et al from the previous few books (ignoring the side adventure in 'Myth-ion Improbable').
April 6, 2024
This was basically a repeat of #10 told from a different POV, and I really only was interested by the last 3 chapters.
I'm looking forward to the next ones in the series but I was kind of disappointed in #11 and #12
I'm looking forward to the next ones in the series but I was kind of disappointed in #11 and #12
March 23, 2018
К концу серия сдает, а эта книга вроде как планировалась последней, но после неё есть ещё, если верить вики.
И всё же доброта, веселье и глип на месте и тут.
И всё же доброта, веселье и глип на месте и тут.
November 26, 2020
It was OK. Unexpectedly nothing fascinating or adventurous though.
January 16, 2021
"Sometimes, you just need to move on."
N. Ryan
N. Ryan
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