Are you tired of the authors that can only write in the 3rd person voice? Are you tired of the Tolkien ripoffs? Are you tired of the enormous epic sagas that describe all the details of every scene?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out Steven Brust.

He's a majorly clever man. Wiseguy dialogue, cool society and magic system, and an author that tantalizes you by not telling everything, but hinting at it.

The Vlad Taltos novels are great. For a change of pace from the assassin Vlad, try out "The Phoenix Guards" (a book which generously provided my screen name); written in the style of Dumas' Three Musketeers with a hilariously verbose and arrogant historian-narrator. There's also further books written in that style. I'd highly recommend anything Brust had a hand in writing; he has a couple of collaborations, as well as a number of standalone novels, in addition to the de facto series mentioned above.

[ 08-11-2004, 05:24 PM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

I've enjoyed every Brust novel I've read. I think his Taltos books are great, and the Phoenix Guard is an enjoyable light read.

For a really wild book read "To Reign in Hell", very imaginative look at the fallout between Satan and the big G.

Just finished reading "Gypsy" tonight, a collaborative effort between Brust and Megan Lindholm. It's certainly different from the other books of his that I've read; an intriguing blend of mystic and modern. Probably draws a lot on Hungarian folktales. A worthy read.

I've really enjoyed the Taltos stories. Always wanted a little Jehreg of my own... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yeah, me too. I'd love to have a telepathic familiar to sit on my shoulder and make sarcastic jokes - I've always thought Loiosh was the best variation on the "familiar" theme. (honourable mention to Boo).

[ 08-28-2004, 02:20 AM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

Question: Was Boo really a miniature Giant Space Hamster?