Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment
Review: I'm a huge fan of Steven Brust. I have read and re-read the Vlad Taltos books, and the Khaavren books. Steven Brust has a lot of talent and has demonstrated his ability to write from various points of view and in various styles (read "Freedom and Necessity" and "To Reign in Hell" to see exactly how talented a writer he is).However, "The Paths of the Dead" was an incredible let-down. Brust persists in the Paarfi narrative style, which is quite entertaining in "The Phoenix Guards" and "Five Hundred Years After." However, in this book the style fails. We are introduced to a multitude of characters who vaguely interact in an underdeveloped and unengaging plot. Two of the characters are so underdeveloped that Brust himself accidentally interchanges their names during the narrative. The book is a lot of dull filler that takes up pages. The other Paarfi narratives have a tendency to wander, but that is part of their charm; whereas much of "The Paths of the Dead" is trite. My guess is that Brust came up with an interesting concept for a sequel to "Five Hundred Years After," but was compelled to turn it into a trilogy. However, it seems that this book turned out too short on its own, and thus had to be packed full of filler. Unfortunately, I do not plan on picking up the sequels to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Paarfi jumps the shark
Review: I've been a devoted fan of Brust's work since about 1984, and I loved the first two Khaavren romances (The Phoenix Guards, and 500 Years After). But this volume stretches the Paarfi-device too thin, because so *little* actually happens in the plot. As another reviewer pointed out, this story could have been charmingly told by Brust in 50 pages. Even Brust-as-Paarfi could have told it in 200 pages! But in fact, Paarfi tells this story in about 400 pages. The diversions and circumlocutions that were so enjoyable in previous volumes have overwhelmed the story. There's too much filler, too much padding. A cooking metaphor might resonate with Brust and his readers. Suppose a novel were a bowl of Hungarian goulash. In previous volumes, Paarfi's style was like a generous measure of paprika; it colored the whole dish, and added a layer of depth and flavor. But in *this* volume, the chef seems to have dumped a pound of paprika into a single bowl of goulash. What would Mr. Valabar say?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't start here! But do work your way up to it.
Review: If you haven't read The Pheonix Guard and 500 Years After, don't read this one. Brust writes these books in an authorial voice which is, to say the very least, unusual. Paarfi, the narrator, is an overeducated windbag with literary pretentions. He can turn a single sentence into a 500 word treatise, sometimes in a single sentence, and he frequenty starts out such exercises with a disclaimer about brevity or his desire to spare the reader a tedious explaination of the thing he is about to explain. That said, his writing is full of ironic wry humor for the reader willing to dig for it and inclined to appreciate it. If you have read the previous two books in the series, I don't really have to do too much reviewing here. There's more Paarfi, and it's still just as much fun to read him as it was in the last two books. I could give you the entire plot of the book in two paragraphs, but where's the fun in that? In short, Khaavren is depressed about how well he protected the Emperor in the last book, Khaavren's son seeks adventure, Pel and Tazendra are still having adventures, and Aerich awaits. It may be beneath the notice of a gentleman, however, prudence dictates that we mention Mica's continued presence, not to mention that of his beloved barstool. Brust gives us a little insight into the origins of Morrolan, Teldra, and the Necromancer. Sethra the Younger and the Sorceress in Green show up as well. The suggestion is that we will see a lot more of these two in the next two books. In fact, this whole book seems like an extended set up for the next one. But that's all fine. I enjoyed it, and I'm sure that doing all this set up will allow for a more complext storyline in the next book. If I may be permitted two more words, I found the re-emergence of the grudge bearing nemisis to be predictable, and I enjoyed the guide to how to write like Paarfi at the end of the book.
Rating: 
Summary: On the Pursuit of Narrative Delights
Review: It is a rare moment in all but the experience of the most fortuitous of readers that one comes upon a book were the patient mastery of the vagaries and opportunities of the written language yield prose that has that addition sparkle of self awareness with renders the vessel, if you will, as magical as its contents. We have experienced other of Brust's deliveries of the narratives of Sir Paarfi of Roundwood, all of which have had the sparkling charm of one who not only loves the story he tells, but loves equally the telling of the story. However, this first tale in the adventures of Piro, the young Viscount of Adrilankha, surpasses (as a great, mature wine over-reaches the palate of the merest table vintage) all previous efforts. "What!" you say, "All previous efforts! Pray tells how this could come to pass." And so I shall, given time to rest and share what is a story about both the satisfaction of the youthful vigor of the more courageous clans who, lacking of much that engenders excitement in the somewhat humdrum life of the Dragaera in the period most often called, and wisely, the Interregnum. That time following a mistaken effort at the direst sorcery which inadvertently rendered the capital city of these upstanding people into a sea of chaos, taking with it people, empire, and wizardry, in addition to a demonstrably large part of the surrounding landscape. Now, with half an elf's life passed in the details of recovery and re-establishment of habits of life most likely to engender continued existence comes an opportunity that, for most young Dragaerans, might best be described as well beyond the mundane concerns of parents and acquaintances, perhaps even as something best described as an 'adventure.' Thus, at the urging of Sethra Lavode, the sorceress whose mysteries can never quite be plumbed, Young Piro, his friends Tazendra, Kytraan, and the most surprising Zivra, whom this same Sethra reveals as Zerika, the last Phoenix heir, set out to come to the Paths of the Dead and aid Zerika in regaining the Orb itself, and thus, her having sufficient courage and will, reinstate the Empire and allow the reign of the Phoenix to continue to its proper conclusion. Of course, there are others who feel that, whether by reason of past events or present opportunities, this outcome would leave something to be desired. Thus providing all the tension and conflict necessary to prevent even the most distracted of readers from resting the book any more than might be necessary. And now, this humble writer hopes that by accident or purpose he has communicated what is special about this volume, and will hopefully persist to make those that follow it just as enjoyable. For it is truly said that the greatest of writing is that which takes the opportunity to smile at itself, and thus beguile the innocent and entertain those whose knowledge is deeper but in no way less desirous of great adventure and wry good humor. Thus, if I may quote the noblest Zerika, fourth of that name, "It is done."
Rating:
Summary: Go back to Vlad
Review: It was all in all a good book, but the characters lack the vibrancy and humor that makes his Taltos series so fantastic. Brust is at his best working with fewer characters and really involving us with them. It makes his work interesting, the kind of book I read over and over again, wearing out pages until I need to buy another copy. This is good, and I am going to keep reading the series - I do like including Morrolan and learning more about his history, but I would much prefer to see another Taltos book.
Rating:
Summary: Slow Developing But Ends Well
Review: It was bound to happen: A Stephen Brust book that was not a bullseye. Just as Robert Jordan's saga of Rand Al Thor, lost steam, so has the usually entertaining banter between the inhabitants of Dragaera in the period toward the end of the Interregnum.
I love this stuff. And I love Vlad Taltos as well. But this one took me a long time to finish. In fact I almost gave up on it.
But.. I finally forced myself to read it. And the truth is that the last four to five chapters were as good as anything Brust has delivered before.
The sequence where the Empress-to-be enterss the Paths of the Dead, and actually delivers on her potential, is very entertaining. The pace of the book picks up considerably and makes up for the plodding that precedes it.
Although it was a disappointing exercise at the beginning, the book does end with a flourish, and was not a waste of time...at least for true fans.
Read it with low expectations and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to the Interregnum
Review: Many people might detract from Paths of the Dead for the reason that it is introductory and not as action packed as The Phoenix Guards and 500 Years after. However, this book is the introduction to a three book series...much like Star Wars, and it is a parody of Alexandre Dumas Three Muskateer's saga. The new characters needed an introduction. Even though we may have met Zerika and Morrolan in the Taltos series, we still don't have a clear understanding of who they are. We have heard snippets throughout that series alluding to what takes place in the Khaavren Romances, but these allow Brust to shine these relevant historical facts about his world through to the reader.
A reader should not read this book as the first Brust novel they read (my recommendation is Jhereg or the Phoenix Guards) and they should not read this book without reading the other Khaavren romances.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing to a Brust fan
Review: Ok, I'm a Brust fan. I still think "Jhereg" is one of the best of the genre ever done, and many of his other Draegaeran have provided me with a lot of enjoyment over and over. However, this was extremely disappointing. Whoever said this story could fit in 50 pages (it's actually 376 pages in hardcover from the Prelude to just before the Appendix) was pretty close to the mark. The Paarfi speak has gone from amusing in "The Phoenix Guards," to a bit tedious in "500 Years After," to grit-your-teeth in this book. And what is with the revisionist history? Morrolan told Vlad who told us what happened in the events surrounding Adron's Disaster. Neither of them are the type to get it wrong and they have no motivation to lie. And, quite frankly, it was a much better subplot! Ok, you forgot your own story line...just ignore the discrepancy and drive on...we don't need [an] excuse about how it's all a misunderstanding. As for Morrolan's presence in this book...well, why bother? Hopefully, the next will be better. If not, I'll just stick with the Vlad Taltos series. If you're new to this author, go buy "Jhereg" and "Yendi." You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: In the Spirit and Style of Dumas
Review: Stephen Brust has two quite different sets of stories set in his Dragaerean world. The first and older set involves the tales of Vlad Taltos, assassin, crimelord and human - well, Easterner. He lives in a society dominated by tall, very long-lived, sorcerous Elves - well, Humans. Think of Raymond Chandler, but more imaginative and much better written. The second and more recent series is written as a conscious, deliberate homage to Alexander Dumas, most famously the author of "The Three Musketeers." This novel is the third book in that series, and is very much a sequel to "The Phoenix Guards" and "Five Hundred Years After." In this book, those two sets of stories finally begin to merge. The novel opens with the Drageara and the Elves' empire in chaos. The events at the end of "Five Hundred Years After" have destroyed the empire, and in its place brought plagues, squabbling warlords, scheming sorcerors and invading Easterners. Into this stew Brust brings the story of the restoration of sorcery and the Empire, the end of the Interregnum and the prolix writing style of Paarfi of Roundwood, the fictional author of each of these historic romances. Paarfi should be a Hungarian translation of Dumas. Except that Brust is more ironic and sometimes hysterically funny in his "translation" of Paarfi. Between the hyperformal courtesy of the characters and their circumlocutions, the narrative sometimes takes some wild tangents. But the narrative thread is never lost, and if you appreciate sheer elegance in writing and wildly imaginative plotting, you will like this book. Old friends from both narrative lines appear, and a selection of new and equally wonderful characters. This is the first book of a trilogy, and as is the case in any first book of a trilogy a fair amount of time is spent in introducing characters and laying out plot threads. Presumably the second and third books will tell us why Morrolan (well known to readers of the Taltos books) is involved, and the role Ibronka will play. One of Brust's finest characteristics is his willingness to experiment. In some of the Taltos books, the experiments involved the narrative voice or view, for example. Combining the Dumas-themed romances with a trilogy is another such experiment. Brust is deft and delightful in this first book. I look forward to the next two. Don't neglect the essay at the end on how to write like Paarfi. On each re-reading, it is more amusing. The essay, like the hysterical "interview" of Paarfi by Brust at the end of "Five Hundred Years After," is very nearly perfectly written. If you love good writing, even if you have never heard of Duams, you will like this novel.
Rating:
Summary: Inconsistent Fluff
Review: The best thing I can say about _The Paths of the Dead_ is that it made me want to go back and read _Taltos_, which I did. Man, that _Taltos_ sure was a good book. Most of the problems with this book could be summed up by saying "Paarfi", but can we blame an imaginary construct? Okay, there are the two styles of the Dragaera books, the hard-boiled (mainly) first-person Vlad books and the historical, Dumas-inspired Khaavren romances. The later of which is attributed to a Dragearan author named Paarfi, and Brust lists himself as the translator and puts any blame on style, content, etc. on Paarfi. I can accept these differences and feel that they give two distinct flavors to the seperate series in the same universe. "Paarfi's" first two excursions _The Phoenix Guards_ and _500 Years After_ were wonderful, especially _500 Years After_ which gave us an account of one of the most mentioned historical figures from the Vlad books, as well as allowing us to meet the oft-mentioned Adron and Mario. If only _Paths of the Dead_ were anywhere near as good as it's predecessors. If this book had been a Vlad book, without the flowery writing, it would have been about 50 pages. The writing style, while pleasant in the first two Khaavren, it seemed too much for too little in this one. Secondly, there was too much build up for too little pay off. There were characters who "warranted" their own chapters who were just being introduced in the third-to-last chapter. Zerika's trip in the Paths of the Dead was much less interesting than Vlad and Morollan's and much more poorly written. It seemed like her whole trip was written as it came to mind and went on long enough to fill up a chapter. Granted, this is supposed to be part of one book broken up into three parts, but it should be able to stand on its own. The biggest problem I had with this book was the inconsistencies. This book contradicts what Morollan told Vlad in _Taltos_ about events regarding Zerika's regaining the orb. Since _Taltos_ is from Vlad's point of view, there is no reason for Vlad to lie about what Morollan said happened, and no reason for Morollan to lie to Vlad. Therefore, one can chalk it up to "Paarfi". However, if Paarfi has done the interviews that are mentioned in the book, then there should be no reason for this dicrepancy. Since the book was "written" during the reign of Norathar, the only assumption that can be made is that key players, about whom events are incorrect, are dead. That presents some interesting questions, but I don't think they were intentional. I would say, without question, that this is the worst of the Dragaeran books. If you haven't read ANY of the others, it may stand on its own, I don't know. But the biggest let down for someone who has read all of the others is that it is nowhere-as-good as its predecessors.
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