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aleffert's review against another edition
4.0
It's worth talking about what this book is and what it is not.
What it is is a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of The Count of Monte Christo set in the fantasy world that Brust has written like, I dunno, twenty books in, something like half a dozen of which are in this sort of self-aware deliberately overwrought Dumas style. I grew up on Dumas and this is basically catnip for me, There aren't that many books I laugh out loud multiple times while reading, while still being a snappy adventure yarn.
What it is not is basically a giant saga of revenge. One of the interesting things about the Count of Monte Christo is that he spends like 700 pages just revenging over and over again. I haven't read Monte Christo in many years (it's very very long) and most of the well known parts pop culturewise happen toward the beginning, the rest is just like endless revenge melodrama.
This book is a lot tighter both to its benefit and its detriment. On the one hand, it doesn't drag and it's very enjoyable, on the other hand, the revenge is not very satisfying, it mostly happens relatively quickly all at once, and the whole thing is pretty predictable, though Brust does put in a few curve balls in the middle so it's not just a Monte Christo ripoff.
Anyway, this probably isn't a good place to start (see The Phoenix Guards) so if you're looking at this you kind of know if it's your thing, but I had a great time reading this and I thought it was a lot stronger than a lot of the later Paarfi books, which I found pretty forgettable.
What it is is a tongue-in-cheek pastiche of The Count of Monte Christo set in the fantasy world that Brust has written like, I dunno, twenty books in, something like half a dozen of which are in this sort of self-aware deliberately overwrought Dumas style. I grew up on Dumas and this is basically catnip for me, There aren't that many books I laugh out loud multiple times while reading, while still being a snappy adventure yarn.
What it is not is basically a giant saga of revenge. One of the interesting things about the Count of Monte Christo is that he spends like 700 pages just revenging over and over again. I haven't read Monte Christo in many years (it's very very long) and most of the well known parts pop culturewise happen toward the beginning, the rest is just like endless revenge melodrama.
This book is a lot tighter both to its benefit and its detriment. On the one hand, it doesn't drag and it's very enjoyable, on the other hand, the revenge is not very satisfying, it mostly happens relatively quickly all at once, and the whole thing is pretty predictable, though Brust does put in a few curve balls in the middle so it's not just a Monte Christo ripoff.
Anyway, this probably isn't a good place to start (see The Phoenix Guards) so if you're looking at this you kind of know if it's your thing, but I had a great time reading this and I thought it was a lot stronger than a lot of the later Paarfi books, which I found pretty forgettable.
tasharobinson's review against another edition
4.0
Can't help but think this stand-alone Dragaera novel, based on The Count of Monte Cristo, should have moved faster at the beginning, when it's glacially establishing who the protagonists are and what crimes were committed against them, and taken more time with the ending, where they get their revenge in a flurry of friction-free plots that whiz by with virtually no time to enjoy them. Part of reading any of Steven Brust's Dragaera romances, based on the style of Alexandre Dumas, is necessarily getting into the rhythms of the ridiculous authorial voice of Paarfi, the pompous yet self-effacing historian "writing" these books, who keeps pausing for self-important discourses on the work of a good historian, and circling around the thoroughly unimportant minutiae of his story while apologizing at length for not knowing other minutiae, and taking time off to slag a rival historian through huffy asides.
The dialogue is a lot more compact than in the early Khaavren books, when the characters could spend two pages at a stretch on "What time is it?" "How, you wish to know the time?" "I do, and the proof is that I asked." "And did you ask because you wish to know?" "And was it unclear that I wish to know?" "And do you then believe that I know the time?" and on and on until someone offers to actually answer the original question, and someone else inevitably says "It is an hour since I asked for anything else!" But there's still a flavor of that kind of arch formality to it. Mostly, though, the barrier to forward movement here is Paarfi, who is an acquired taste that some people won't acquire.
It's hard for me to judge this book on its own rather than as an artifact — another Paarfi book that gets some payoff for his endless vendetta, a Vlad series book with a payoff that really startled and pleased me because I'd forgotten who a particular character is and didn't see the reveal coming, yet another Count of Monte Cristo take. I feel like I spent more time focused on the style of this book than on the story — maybe a natural response to such a familiar story, where style is so foregrounded. I'm glad I read it, it frequently frustrated me, I'm glad I'm done with it.
The dialogue is a lot more compact than in the early Khaavren books, when the characters could spend two pages at a stretch on "What time is it?" "How, you wish to know the time?" "I do, and the proof is that I asked." "And did you ask because you wish to know?" "And was it unclear that I wish to know?" "And do you then believe that I know the time?" and on and on until someone offers to actually answer the original question, and someone else inevitably says "It is an hour since I asked for anything else!" But there's still a flavor of that kind of arch formality to it. Mostly, though, the barrier to forward movement here is Paarfi, who is an acquired taste that some people won't acquire.
It's hard for me to judge this book on its own rather than as an artifact — another Paarfi book that gets some payoff for his endless vendetta, a Vlad series book with a payoff that really startled and pleased me because I'd forgotten who a particular character is and didn't see the reveal coming, yet another Count of Monte Cristo take. I feel like I spent more time focused on the style of this book than on the story — maybe a natural response to such a familiar story, where style is so foregrounded. I'm glad I read it, it frequently frustrated me, I'm glad I'm done with it.
cheezvshcrvst's review against another edition
5.0
This was Number One on my list of Most Anticipated Novels of 2020, and it did not disappoint! I’ll be brief, if only because Paarfi certainly was not, and say that, surprisingly, he was! Those familiar with the Khaavren Romances will happily find the style intact, but, delightfully, the pacing and bravado of the Vlad Taltos novels are a strong influence here. This faithful adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo is full of thrills and powerful observations, imagery and incredibly well-wrought world-building, memorable and strong characters that will surprise you at every turn of the page. Steven Brust has truly outdone himself with this work of fantasy, and puts on a masterclass of how you defy genre restrictions and expectations by telling a damn fun story in a really cool way that is never once predictable nor tedious. When I wasn’t guffawing, I was intent upon the plot and the dear main characters, and while those familiar with Brust’s impressive career’s repertoire won’t be shocked to discover the world he has built is charming, dangerous, inviting, and appetizing (yeah, you want that kethna) it bears mentioning that it is completely immersive and Brust really shows off here with that. This novel is self-contained, and satisfying, but it definitely makes you want more. And with at least a few more Dragaera/Vlad novels remaining, this incredible work of fantastic fiction proves that Brust is without a doubt peerless in crafting fun, funny, thoughtful, and epic genre fiction.
jandi's review
3.0
This was my introduction to Steven Brust, and I will be reading more of his books in the future - I enjoyed the world building and the sense of humour. This is a retelling of [b:The Count of Montecristo|12512180|The Count of Montecristo|Alexandre Dumas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|391568] in a fantasy setting (and is even more blatant about it than [b:La reina del sur|1673987|La reina del sur|Arturo Pérez-Reverte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349035944l/1673987._SY75_.jpg|2302976]). The book is written in a very flowery language by a fictional historian, Paarfi of Roundwoog, with an introduction by a fictional poet, and a prologue by a fictional critic. I don't mind the overly flowery language and lengthy dialog, but Paarfi frequently deviates from the narration to grumble against lack of professional recognition for himself and flaws in the study of history and storytelling from other more favored historians. The first few intrusions were funny, but they got quite grating after a while. I am interested in reading the musketeer series too (I like my Dumas!)
The story itself is a blast. Edmond and Mercedes, I mean, Emerit and Livosha, are a young hopeful couple with a bright future ahead, until some sinister plotting results in his imprisonment (jailing?), and later on, revenge. Livosha was quite a treat - she did not just fade into the background and quietly accepted the injustice against her beloved one, like Mercedes, and instead plays a major role in the story. There is plenty of adventure, including sword fights, pirates, and narrow escapes, when not interrupted by Paarfi's rambling.
The story itself is a blast. Edmond and Mercedes, I mean, Emerit and Livosha, are a young hopeful couple with a bright future ahead, until some sinister plotting results in his imprisonment (jailing?), and later on, revenge. Livosha was quite a treat - she did not just fade into the background and quietly accepted the injustice against her beloved one, like Mercedes, and instead plays a major role in the story. There is plenty of adventure, including sword fights, pirates, and narrow escapes, when not interrupted by Paarfi's rambling.
Spoiler
Unfortunately, I did not find the ending as satisfying as I hoped for. Dantes' revenge is epic, Emerit's seem to fall short. But I guess that is tempered by Emerit and Livosha still retaining hopes of living a life (not together, but a life nevertheless) after all is done. I think I still prefer Dumas' version.chukg's review against another edition
5.0
So great. Brust is always good but I have a bit of a soft spot for the Paarfi books and this one seems to be mostly self-contained. (I mean, it's set in Dragaera and has historical references and all, but no other main characters appear in on-screen roles. ) Tons of long digressions and a deeply intrusive narrator decrying authorial mistakes of others that he would certainly never make (often in the middle of actually making those same mistakes), plus some cool magic and a revenge tale. (I still prefer the Vlad books a bit but these are really fun and Vlad is usually a bit darker overall.)
krayfish1's review against another edition
4.0
I was delighted to see this because "Count of Monte Cristo, but by Paarfi of Roundwood" was a good hook. My memory of the original book was heavy on the convoluted revenge plans and light on the set-up, whereas this book was very heavy on the set-up and light on the revenge plans, which were a bit less convoluted. I was, however, delighted that
The book is really good as a tribute to 19th century authors who go on digressions and write in really long sentences. It gets meta about the craft of story-telling, and the narrator keeps making asides/comparisons about his colleague he's really mad at.
It's a tad style over substance, but I enjoy the style, and I like having the style without the 19th century assumptions that women aren't involved in public life, and are doomed to stay home and suffer and get married to some random guy after their fiance gets arrested.
Spoiler
writing the book was Paarfi's way of getting revenge on a colleague who stole the title of chair of the history department from him. The revenge part being that he dug up that colleagues dirty past history and wrote a book (this book) about it.The book is really good as a tribute to 19th century authors who go on digressions and write in really long sentences. It gets meta about the craft of story-telling, and the narrator keeps making asides/comparisons about his colleague he's really mad at.
It's a tad style over substance, but I enjoy the style, and I like having the style without the 19th century assumptions that women aren't involved in public life, and are doomed to stay home and suffer and get married to some random guy after their fiance gets arrested.
curgoth's review against another edition
4.0
Paarfi of Roundwood rides again! Like all of Brust's Paarfi books, this is written in stylized language by a fictional writer. I find this delightful, some find it maddening. If that bugged you about Phoenix Guards or Five Hundred Years after, it will bug you here.
While Phoenix Guards was a pastiche of Dumas' Three Musketeers, this is Paarfi's spin on The Count of Monte Cristo. Knowing that going in was interesting, because having at least seen the play and movie, I had certain expectations, and hence was surprised by where Brust and Paarfi take different approaches.
We still have the basic outline of a wrongly imprisoned (or, to be precise, jailed) man locked up for a long time, learning how to be badass and plotting revenge. In the Dumas original, though, the female love interest is sort of a Mac Guffin. Here, she gets a fully developed story on her own that carries the story through the time the male hero is locked up.
I quite enjoyed this, and it left me wanting to re-read all of the Dragaera books again, since there's details that pop up about the world in bits and pieces scattered all over, and I am curious to see how many link in with this book, even if I know we can trust neither Paarfi nor Vlad.
While Phoenix Guards was a pastiche of Dumas' Three Musketeers, this is Paarfi's spin on The Count of Monte Cristo. Knowing that going in was interesting, because having at least seen the play and movie, I had certain expectations, and hence was surprised by where Brust and Paarfi take different approaches.
We still have the basic outline of a wrongly imprisoned (or, to be precise, jailed) man locked up for a long time, learning how to be badass and plotting revenge. In the Dumas original, though, the female love interest is sort of a Mac Guffin. Here, she gets a fully developed story on her own that carries the story through the time the male hero is locked up.
I quite enjoyed this, and it left me wanting to re-read all of the Dragaera books again, since there's details that pop up about the world in bits and pieces scattered all over, and I am curious to see how many link in with this book, even if I know we can trust neither Paarfi nor Vlad.
cheezvshcrvst's review against another edition
5.0
This was Number One on my list of Most Anticipated Novels of 2020, and it did not disappoint! I’ll be brief, if only because Paarfi certainly was not, and say that, surprisingly, he was! Those familiar with the Khaavren Romances will happily find the style intact, but, delightfully, the pacing and bravado of the Vlad Taltos novels are a strong influence here. This faithful adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo is full of thrills and powerful observations, imagery and incredibly well-wrought world-building, memorable and strong characters that will surprise you at every turn of the page. Steven Brust has truly outdone himself with this work of fantasy, and puts on a masterclass of how you defy genre restrictions and expectations by telling a damn fun story in a really cool way that is never once predictable nor tedious. When I wasn’t guffawing, I was intent upon the plot and the dear main characters, and while those familiar with Brust’s impressive career’s repertoire won’t be shocked to discover the world he has built is charming, dangerous, inviting, and appetizing (yeah, you want that kethna) it bears mentioning that it is completely immersive and Brust really shows off here with that. This novel is self-contained, and satisfying, but it definitely makes you want more. And with at least a few more Dragaera/Vlad novels remaining, this incredible work of fantastic fiction proves that Brust is without a doubt peerless in crafting fun, funny, thoughtful, and epic genre fiction.
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.