Myth-ion Improbable [Paperback]

Robert Asprin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Myth | Publication Date: July 30, 2002

Apprentice magician Skeeve, his scaly mentor Aahz and beautiful ex-assassin Tanda are back-and this time they're treasure hunting in a dimension that combines the Wild West with the vampire-cursed hills of Transylvania-where gold is common as dirt, and danger lurks behind every sagebrush.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he has written some stand alone novels such as Cold Cash War, Tambu, The Bug Wars and also the Duncan and Mallory Illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series: The Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve; the Phule novels; and, more recently, the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves’ World anthologies with Lynn Abbey. His most recent collaboration is License Invoked written with Jody Lynn Nye. It is set in the French Quarter, New Orleans where he currently lives. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Ace (July 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044100962X
• ISBN-13: 978-0441009626
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #448,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A welcome return to form, January 14, 2002

By 

Victor Catano (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Myth-Ion Improbable (Paperback)

I have been disappointed with the last few books in this series - and especially with the last one, Sweet Myth-tery of Life which hit the lowest point in the saga. It was bad enough that that book was poorly written and not at all funny, but to make things worse, the book ended on a clifhanger and then Mr Asprin didn't continue the series for about seven years. I, for one, was convinced that Mr. Asprin had finished with these characters and their stories and was moving on.

So, I was very happy to see this book listed on Amazon. However, it DOESN'T pick up where the cliffhanger of the last volume left off. In an introduction, Mr. Asprin explains that it has so long since he wrote a Myth-Adventure, he had really lost the feel for the characters. So, before he tackled the complex story he had planned, he decided to do a "prequel." If you were numbering in order, this book would be Number 3.5 in the series.

For the most part, Mr. Asprin's experiment is successful. Skeeve and Tanda are in fine form, and Aahz, while a lot grumpier than in past volumes, still shows flashes of his old self. The adventure is fun and (mostly) quite exciting, aside from a few gaping plot holes that I won't go into here because they'd spoil the ending.

(And the ending is pretty anti-climactic. There's a build up for a big showdown and the showdown never happens, which is a shame.)

I did have a few problems, though, with the book itself. The illustrations are not very attractive. The B&W drawings in the book are kind of ugly, and the cover design looks like something a home-publisher would do on an old graphics program. (I sure do miss Phil Folgio's art!) And I'm a little grumpy that Meshia Merlin Publishing sees fit to charge $... for a 180 page book that fans will tear through in an afternoon.

All in all, it's a fun book and a welcome return by Robert Asprin and a much beloved series.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Come-Back, April 11, 2002

By 

Daniel J. Reitz, Sr. (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Myth-Ion Improbable (Paperback)

First I was delighted to see a new installment for the MYTH series after such a long wait. I, like others, had given up on the cliffhanger in the last book ever being solved.

Then, after reading several of the reviews here at Amazon on this book, I was worried that it was going to be on par with the last two "Phule" books, that is, someone else (with not much talent) wrote them and Asprin only edited them and added his name to the cover. They were not nearly the quality of the first two Phules.

Well, I just had to get the book and read it anyway. In his authors note, Asprin explains many of the personal problems he had and why the long delay. I understood his wanting to do a (middle) prequel to get back into the feel of the series.

That said, I read the book and I am flabbergasted by some of the reviews here. Did these people read the same book? Gosh people, try to read for enjoyment sometime!

I thought this book was a grand addition to the Myth series, and like someone else pointed out, it returned Skeeve to a more innocent, less experienced time. Sure Aahz is grumpy, but show me a book where he is not. We got to see as little deeper into Tanda's character, and learned a lot more about dimension hopping and its limitations (and dangers). The only dings I could find were spelling "Deveels" as "Deevels" and "Possiltum" as "Posseltum." Not a real big deal. I also found no place where Skeeve knew something that he had not learned yet as one other reviewer mentioned.

All in all, the story was great. Very imaginative and kept you guessing throughout as to what was going to happen next. I need not have worried that this was not up to Asprin's former writing prowess as it felt just like all the other books, if not a lot more fun than some of the last ones. I highly recommend this book for the fans of the Myth series, and I can't wait for "Something M.Y.T.H. Inc." coming in September 2002.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A rusty return to Skeeve, March 12, 2002

By 

J. Martin "Water Chemist" (Toledo, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Myth-Ion Improbable (Paperback)

After nearly a decade, Asprin has FINALLY returned to the Myth series. I greatly enjoyed the other books and was over joyed to see he was returning to finish the series. I presumed he simply burned out on ideas and switched to the Phule and Time Scout series to break the monotony. In his preface he explains the delay and attributes it to tax problems. He then tells us that the book is something like a warm up exercise to get back into the flow and style of the Myth books that made them so enjoyable.
The pace is slow, almost dogged. Instead of reading like a light farce, it carries like a mediocre detective novel. The are numerous "goofs" where the characters are knowing or doing something they didn't do when placed in the Myth timeline between books 3 and 4.
I still recommend the book to those who want a complete set of the series, but as a first look into Skeeve's world it lacks the spring and liveliness of the rest of the series. If this your first look into Myth, I'd recommend Myth Adventures One, then Two and Three and read this last.