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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brust as Paarfi: The Last Chapter, April 19, 2004
With "Sethra Lavode," Brust brings the "Viscount of Adrilankha" series to a conclusion. And, perhaps, the larger Khaavren stories begun with "The Phoenix Guards" as well. But before turning to "Sethra" some background is probably appropriate. The entire Khaavren trilogy, of course, was written by Paarfi, who redefines the word "prolix" with each page he writes. Brust is merely something like a translator. There were times when his translations were stretched in "Viscount" and especially "Castle Black," the two earlier books, but in "Sethra" there is a return to the wonderful style of "Phoenix Guards" and "500 Years." This book moves along, without ever giving up the narrative conceit and tone. As for the plot, in "Viscount," the Empress Zerika recovered the Imperial Orb; in "500 Years" she fought to claim the throne; in "Sethra" she must fight to keep it against a Pretender and the deadly machinations of his fellow plotters. Our heros have managed to accumulate considerable number of enemies across the four earlier books. And those enemies have all allied together in a final effort to defeat Empress Zerika, Khaavren, Aerich, Pel and Tazendra. I'm unsure whether to call these books a pastiche or homage to Alexander Dumas; perhaps they are something of both. Brust . . . er, Paarfi, pokes immense fun at himself. Brust has written elsewhere that writing as Paarfi is great fun, and Brust's enjoyment and delight is apparent. Where Dumas verbosity was a consequence being paid by the word, Brust. . . er, Paarfi writes for his own pleasure and the pleasure of an attentive reader. And for the sly knife in the ribs. For example, in "500 Years" Paarfi notes that the decadent Phoenix Emperor, Tortaalik, changes his clothes 8-10 times a day, but that since there were already several books written on the Emperor's dress, he wouldn't write another. So much for Robert Jordan. As others have noted, the narrative is delightfully infuriating. Paarfi thinks nothing of interrupting the story at a critical pound to expound - at length - on whatever has crossed his mind or his path. I caution that if you think "irony" describes rusty water, much of these tales will be lost on you. One other nice touch: many of the events of the "Viscount" trilogy have been foreshadowed in the "Taltos" series, which is itself some ten books long now. Brust manages to keep these stories consistent with those books, which are slightly later in time, without ever sacrificing excitement or consistency. Kudos to Brust. . . er. Paarfi, on a story well told and well concluded. Kudos to Tor on having the courage to publish these tales, which in several senses are well outside the normal fantasy/science fiction genre. Strongly recommended.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a satisfying conclusion, June 14, 2004
While this is sold as the third book in a trilogy, it is really the third part of a single novel. Past Kaavhren Romances have started slowly, introducing a lot of characters and plot threads, then picked up in the middle, and finally come together in a definitive ending. This story (The Viscount Of Adrilankha) is exactly the same, except those three portions of the novel are split between three books. The first (Paths Of The Dead) therefore suffered greatly, because it was slow and had no payoff. The second (Lord Of Castle Black) was more entertaining, but also had no payoff. That was because the payoff comes in the third book. Much is learned regarding the relationship between Love, Duty, Honor, and Friendship. A father learns that he can love his son without necessarily understanding or approving of everything he does. An empress learns the value of subjects who respect her enough to fail to show her respect. And a dragonlord learns much about his sword, as well as interior decorating and the science of throwing a party. The reader, however, learns very little about Sethra Lavode, even though she is the lynchpin around which the rest of the plot revolves. These three books would probably rate five stars if they were published together as a single volume, but individually none of them quite reaches that level. Neither Lord Of Castle Black nor Sethra Lavode can really be read on their own, and Paths Of The Dead really isn't worth reading on its own.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Defense of the Orb, October 24, 2004
One of the few problems a reader might perceive with this epic of the re-establishment of the Dragaeran Empire is that Brust's alter-ego, Sir Paarfi of Roundwood, writes in a most circumlocutory style. For people who like their prose swift and to the point, this may be an irritant. For me, addicted to work that stretches the frame of grammer and language the result is often infectious. No surprise that, after reading a few chapters at lunch, the memos I write at work become three times longer and never quite get to the point. Of course, this is one of the most likeable things about the series as well, if you like playing with language, and I do.
This volume brings to a head the various threads that began in Paths of the Dead, when Zerika, as the last Phoenix received the Orb back from the Gods and went about rebuilding the empire that had collapse as the result of Adron's disaster. The first complication was that someone else (Kava) was also intent on becoming emperor, and a grand conflict was the inevitable result. Now Zerika, with the aid of a host of intriguing and quirky characters, must prepare for the last confrontation with Kava before the walls of Adrilankha.
Sethra Lavode, warlord, vampire, and enchantress is the brains behind Zerika's hopes, but others, such as Khaavran, the captain of the guard, and his son Piro (who has chosen to make his living as a highwayman), sparkle throughout the narrative. Brust has the knack of creating characters who have the charm of creativity, even when they are doing their best to be despicable.
Everyone who has been a fan of Brust knows how this book will turn out, since it is the prequel to many of his novels, thus the voyage is more important than the conclusion. Unlike many writers, Burst focuses on the interaction of the players, rather than ad infinitum detail or excesses of action. Most of this takes place in a wry style of dialogue that is difficult to describe.
However, don't be misled into thinking that there is a lack if activity here. After all, we have highwaymen, court politics, marching armies, gods, various magicks, and a whopping big battle at the end. Even a bit of romance when the characters think no one else is looking. Be warned that this is not a volume to start out with. You are best off starting with The Phoenix Guards and working forward.
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