| Author: Steven Brust | Series: The Khaavren Romances |
| Rating: 7 | Reviewer: Tyler |
| Genre: Fantasy | Publisher:Tor |
| Binding: Paperback |
Taking place some thousand years before the Vlad Taltos tales begin, four friends travel a dangerous adventure to preserve the Empire they love. With court full of intrigue, deceit, and powers fighting for the ear of the Emperor, four Phoenix Gaurds traverse the lands to win a name for themselves. With unknown forces working against them, Khaavren a Tiassa with an excellent talent with a sword, Pel, Aerich, and Tazandra must meet with unforeseen dangers to foil a plot that they don’t even know exists. With the Emporer so newly placed on the throne, political advisors are worried about their positions in court. Some willingly pass their standing with the Empire on to new people, yet others will do anything they can to retain their influence. With danger and corruption going deep into the controlling forces of the Empire, the four friends must fight against assassins, brigands, armies, and ambushes.
Having always loved Steven Brust’s work, I decided to read this novel due to the past pleasure I have receive from the Vlad Taltos novels. I wasn’t disappointed in any way with this, yet there was an indefinite difference between the Vlad Taltos novels and The Phoenix Guard. Brust wrote the Phoenix Guard as a romantic historian of the time of Vlad Taltos, a Paarfi of Roundwood. The Phoenix Guard was not in any way a beginner’s novel, with the extensive vocabulary used by “Paarfi of Roundwood”. Though an excellent story, there were many slow points, due to the relation of the story as a historical romance. Not written as a historical text book, but instead the author relates the story in a very explanatory manner. There are many pauses in the tale where Paarfi of Roundwood takes time to explain what is going on, or why he may leave something of the history out of the story. Though this can make the story slow at many points, it not only adds a feeling of suspense, but also lets the read feel more in touch with the story. Even though I sometimes was annoyed by the slow spots in the story where Paarfi was explaining things, once I had finished the novel I realized that it was one of the best books I had read ever. Without the little interludes of Paarfi’s there would have been much information missing from the story. Personally I would recommend you read the Vlad Taltos series before picking up this novel, only because a lot of the places, names, and other vocabulary will then be easier to understand and relate to.
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