A review by bentgaidin
The Baron of Magister Valley by Steven Brust

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.