Rating: 
Summary: Dumas with Dragaerans
Review: There are those who are disturbed by Brust's practice of twisting classic works through several alternate dimensions; I am always amazed at how well he does it. The rhythms of the dialogue, the descriptions, the characters -- they are similar but not the same, as though viewed through a glass that distorts and reveals simultaneously. It is a walk along a very cunning tightrope -- not alienating those who love the classic while satisfying those who love the fantasy. As one who has adored the unabridged Dumas since childhood, I confess myself well satisfied. As a reader of fantasy for several decades, I find myself, again, amazed.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worthy of Stephen Brust
Review: This book is set in the Dragaeran world that Vlad Taltos moves in; the same setting as in "Jhereg", "Taltos", "Orca", "Phoenix", "Teckla", "Athyra", have I missed any?
All of which books I loved. But this is a slightly strained attempt to parody "The Three Musketeers" by Alexander Dumas, an old favorite of mine.
Well, I don't think it worked. Brust's characters act far more outrageously than
the originals, and I think the attempt to bend the story to match the original too closely ruined its believability. It doesn't quite work.
Still, it is a well-written piece, and an ambitious attempt
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT a Dumas imitation
Review: This book takes place a long time before the Vlad novels, before the Interregnum. The main characters are four young nobles who serve in the Phoenix Guard: Khaavren, the resourceful Tiassa; Aerich, the righteous Lyorn; Tazendra, a typical Dzurlord whose sword is rather brighter than her wits; and Pel, the sly, elegant Yendi. These four try to uncover a plot at the court. The only thing that is similar to Dumas is the main characters, who definitely resemble d'Artagnan & Co. Many people don't like the wordy style these books are written in, but personally I love it. It's really funny, more Dickens than Dumas. The characters are also likeable, especially the swashbuckling Tazendra, who quickly became my favourite.
Rating:
Summary: An homage to Dumas
Review: This is a great read. It is loosly based on the Three Musketeers by Dumas, but based in his fantasy world of Dragaera. It has a sly sense of humor, and amazing dialogue. I actually caught myself laughing out loud while reading it at times.
Rating:
Summary: An homage to Dumas
Review: This is a great read. It is loosly based on the Three Musketeers by Dumas, but based in his fantasy world of Dragaera. It has a sly sense of humor, and amazing dialogue. I actually caught myself laughing out loud while reading it at times.
Rating:
Summary: Get to The Point!
Review: This is my first book I have read of Steven Brust. Some people say he is good, others think he is not. I am one of those people that think he is just an ok author. This book was bad and good in diffrent ways. The good points are the story was interesting. I liked the end especialy because it had a great suprise to me. The bad points were Steven Brust would be just going fine along in the story and all of sudden he would start talking about nothing forever and you wish he would just back to the story. The characters dialogue was frustrating too. But in the end I wasn't to upset reading this book. It actualy was a great story. But unless you can put up with Steven Brust continuing talking about nothing for awhile that has nothing to do with the story in some parts I advise you not to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Brust at his best
Review: This is, in my humble opinion, one of Brust's two best works. The other being the sequel to this book 500 YEARS AFTER. If you like the 3 Musketeers and appreciate ironic humor to boot, this is the book for you. I don't normally re-read books once I have read them, but I have RE-read this book twice! If you like the Vlad Taltos series, but got a little bummed by how much of a downer Vlad can be sometimes, these books are great.The characters are very well written, although a little 1 dimensional at times, and very entertaining. I love how Brust will sprinkle little tidbits throughout the stories that show up later/earlier in the Vlad Taltos series. Keep an eye out for the painting the Dragonlord beheads the critic about. It shows up later, the first time Vlad enters Castle Black. Little stuff like that and the attention to detail is what makes this book a very enjoyable read. It's the best blending of high fantasy and high brow humor I have ever come across. A good read!
Rating:
Summary: Taltos + Dumas
Review: Unlike some previous reviewers, I thought this book was totally fantastic. I read all 512 pages in two days (it would usually take about 4 for me) of marathon reading, and it was well worth it. I would recommend you read at least some of Dumas, though. I read the Three Musketeers a few years after reading the Phoenix Guards and appreciated it much better after knowing just what Brust was doing. Even the writing style was similar to each other. In conclusion, I would heartily recommend this one and 500 Years After to anyone who enjoys adventure or fantasy fiction(with a difference - if you need "a band of adventurers on a quest to defeat the evil wizard" fantasy look elsewhere)
Rating: 
Summary: Grab a Taltos novel first if you're new to Brust.
Review: We all know and love Brust, right? He's well known for his Vlad Taltos series, which are set in the Dragaeran empire, an extremely well constructed fantasy world featuring 17 races of Dragaerans and 1 race of Easterners (or humans). "The Phoenix Guards" is set in the same empire but about 1000 years before the birth of Vlad Taltos. In my opinion, this novel is interesting for fans of the Taltos series for two main reasons: 1. It shows some of the earlier history of the Dragaeran empire, but from the point of view of a Dragaeran, not from the human point of view of Vlad Taltos. Not only is the main character, Khaavren, a Dragaeran (a Tiassa to be more precise), but the fictional narrator of the story, Paarfi, is a also a Dragaeran. 2. The writing style, which echoes the style of Alexandre Dumas. Imagine long, very intricately constructed sentences, and a focus on very formal, over-polite conversation. (The title of the sequel to this novel, "Five Hundred Years After", is a very obvious reference to "Twenty Years After" by Dumas.) The style is about as far removed from the laconical, witty tone of the Taltos novels. I enjoyed reading this one more for the curiosity factor than for the actual quality of the novel. The plot is full of intrigue and action, and the characters are likeable enough, but the prose style simply becomes grating after a while. Recommended for Brust fans only.
Rating:
Summary: Grab a Taltos novel first if you're new to Brust.
Review: We all know and love Brust, right? He's well known for his Vlad Taltos series, which are set in the Dragaeran empire, an extremely well constructed fantasy world featuring 17 races of Dragaerans and 1 race of Easterners (or humans). "The Phoenix Guards" is set in the same empire but about 1000 years before the birth of Vlad Taltos. In my opinion, this novel is interesting for fans of the Taltos series for two main reasons: 1. It shows some of the earlier history of the Dragaeran empire, but from the point of view of a Dragaeran, not from the human point of view of Vlad Taltos. Not only is the main character, Khaavren, a Dragaeran (a Tiassa to be more precise), but the fictional narrator of the story, Paarfi, is a also a Dragaeran. 2. The writing style, which echoes the style of Alexandre Dumas. Imagine long, very intricately constructed sentences, and a focus on very formal, over-polite conversation. (The title of the sequel to this novel, "Five Hundred Years After", is a very obvious reference to "Twenty Years After" by Dumas.) The style is about as far removed from the laconical, witty tone of the Taltos novels. I enjoyed reading this one more for the curiosity factor than for the actual quality of the novel. The plot is full of intrigue and action, and the characters are likeable enough, but the prose style simply becomes grating after a while. Recommended for Brust fans only.
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