Reviews

The Baron of Magister Valley by Steven Brust

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bentgaidin's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

'The Baron of Magister Valley' is a fantasy version of The Count of Monte Cristo, set in Brust's expansive world; there are ties to his other books, but this one also stands alone quite well. I find myself so delighted by the combination of the two things that I love that I don't know how this reads to someone who hasn't been enjoying the snarky political fantasy of assassins and empire since childhood, but I suspect that the appeal of this tale of revenge would delight anyone who takes the time to get into it - the framing narrative (of an exceptionally verbose and opinionated historian) is charming but intrusive, and I would worry that someone who doesn't recognize it as a parody and homage to Dumas's own writing might bounce off if they were expecting a more contemporary fantasy style. That said, if you enjoy the original classic, or just want a well-laid plan of revenge for unjust wrongs, it's a great book, and there's several pleasant revelations for fans if you're more familiar with Brust's other novels. This is definitely worth spending some time with.

jon63f07's review

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

emperord's review

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Parfi of Roundwood is back, and his critics are saying that this one might even be... good? Shocking, I know. The fourth in Steven Brust's Viscount of Adrilankha series provides more points of connection with the Vlad Taltos series through a take-off of the Count of Monte Cristo that plays off in an extended fashion to account for Dragaeran lifespans. The story plays off through multiple alternating viewpoints and switches deftly between them, and the story gives more agency and development to some characters than Dumas's original did.