Five Hundred Years After by Steven BrustMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really love this series, this being the second book of several.
There is so much to enjoy. It is a wonderful fantasy novel, but also something of a parody (or homage) that mixes genuine affection for the source material with humor, poking fun at the original. The language is amazing, the authorial intrusions hilarious, the characters great fun, and the story engrossing; it all seems to work well together.
If you're a fan of the Three Musketeers, so much pays off in this fantasy variant. It's so fun to see how the character of Aramis, Athos, Porthos, and D'Artagnan are expressed in this fantasy setting. But I doubt you have to know the sequels or even the original novel to entirely enjoy Steven Brust's take on them.
Khaavren is the main character, the stand-in for D'Artagnan. He is larger than life, energetic, honorable, and loyal. Serving as the head of the king's guard, he's at the center of the story, but all his friends from 500 years before (though it was only 20 years in the original D'Artagnan romance) have rejoined him for this adventure, including some of their lackeys, and all of them have fun scenes. As always, the action is quick, the dialogue witty, and the plot just twisty enough to not be simple.
I laughed out loud many times, but it's not just funny; despite the humor, this is a real fantasy (if such a thing exists!) with real stakes. And it's it's a genuine pleasure.
Recommended.
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