Not Exactly The Three Musketeers [Mass Market Paperback]

Joel Rosenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2000

Kethol--The pretty fellow, a long and lanky redhead with an easy smile and an easygoing attitude that his clever eyes deny. He is quick with a quick...and quicker with a sword.

Durine--The big man, a head taller than most and twice as wide, built like a barrel, with a loyal heart and hands too thick to use anything more delicate than an ax handle.

Pirojil--The ugly one, his face heavy-jawed, with an eye ridge that would mark him as a Neanderthal only to the most gracious. But looks deceive, and his might be the rarest gift of all.

Athos, Porthos, and Aramis they're not.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rosenberg's intrepid retainers of the Castle Cullinane return in this jaunty addition to his popular Guardians of the Flame series. Doughty men-at-arms Pirojil, Durine and Kethol are stuck with the dirty work when sneaky outworlder Walter Slovotsky avoids accepting a commission from the Dowager Empress to investigate claims that Lady Leria Vor'sen is being pressured to marry Lord Miron, the son of ambitious Elanee, baroness of nearby Keranahan. Along the way they're joined by the wizard Erenor, whose arcane powers may be rivaled by his theatrical ability, and whose background is as colorful as those of the Cullinane retainers. Though Lady Leria denies feeling any pressure under the watchful eye of Elanee, the three decide it's best to escort the young woman back to speak directly with the Dowager Empress?a plan that sets in motion a dangerous chain of events, all designed to keep Leria from reaching Cullinane safely. Fortunately Pirojil, Durine and Kethol, ably assisted by Erenor, are equal to the task of protecting Leria under almost any circumstances, given a little help from Slovotsky and Cullinane's dragon, Ellegon. Rosenberg writes his usual competent mix of earthy characters and gritty action, including a surprising climax that will irrevocably change the trio of friends and soldiers.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Picaresque."--Kirkus Reviews

"A rollicking saga of swordmanship and intrigue, spiced up with dragons, damsels, and droll wizards."--SF site

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 1st edition (February 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812550463
• ISBN-13: 978-0812550467
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Companion to the "Guardians of the Flame" Series, March 20, 2000

By 

Allan Bradley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not Exactly The Three Musketeers (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book.This is more of a companion story with less about our first group of heroes than to the previous 6 books in the series .Joel really lets us see the world through the soldiers eyes instead of the gallant heroes in the earlier Guardians of the Flame novels..There is plenty of action and a truly unique comraderie with these 3 guys..They get into trouble,get out of it,and right back in..By the time you get halfway through this book you'll love these misfits.I found myself laughing while reading this book & at some points wanting to cry..Never a dull moment & a must read for any Rosenberg fan,Guardians of the Flame fan,or fantasy lover...

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WWW: Well Worth the Wait, January 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Not Exactly the Three Musketeers (Guardians of the Flame/Joel Rosenberg) (Hardcover)

I skipped work to gobble this one upyesterday and then reread it today.

Rosenberg keeps surprising me with the Guardians of the Flame series. The first books were well-done swashbuckling [sp?] fantasy series, with well-above-average characters, the best damn fight scenes in modern fantasy, and a quirky bloodymindedness that kept me wondering if Karl Cullinane could still be alive.

Then the second series, the two Walter Slovotsky books, turned things inside out and made it all close and personal.

Now, with the (eighth?) latest book in the series, Rosenberg seems to be reinventing heroic fantasy with almost casual ease.

No, they're not exactly the three musketeers. If you want a Dumas pastiche, read Steve Brust's Parfi (sp?) books.

This one is something else, as though Rosenberg is trying to reinvent what Dumas and ERBurroughs and Sabatini were getting at in their time.

My only question for "Jayar" (I caught the cameo appearance by Rosenberg in his own book -- very sneaky, Mr. R!) is:

When's the next one?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dumas should have had it so good, February 24, 2000

By 

Oscar Bartles - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not Exactly The Three Musketeers (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not sure I buy the notion that Rosenberg's three heroes are intended to reprise Dumas' -- Durine and Pirojil could maybe both lay claim to being Porthos, while Kethol is much more D'Artagnan than Aramis, but none of them parallel terribly well -- but that's more than okay.

What I absolutely love about this one is the interplay between the three characters, much moreso than in the Dumas books. Their three-way partnership, while rarely overtly discussed in the book, is the heart of the story.

It sort of reminded me of a really, really good buddy movie, except that there isn't just one pair of buddies, but three, and half the fun is watching them not quite get along.

A terrific book.