This is a good place to explain that The Viscount of Adrilankha is not a trilogy, it is a three volume novel. That is, it should be thought of as a single book. The Khaavren Romances are, in fact, a trilogy, of which Viscout is the third novel. Therefore, these five books are clearly seen to be a triolgy consisting two one-part novels and one three-part novel. Each part consists of two “books.” Therefore, chapter four of book two of part three of the third book is easily seen to be chapter fifty two of the third novel, or chapter one hundred and twenty of….
Okay, to hell with it. Call it a trilogy. I don’t care.
I have just finished this wonderful volume, The Viscount of Adrilankha.
To be honest, I had trouble with The Phoenix Guards and 500 Years After. I tried reading them before the Vladimir series originally, and I had no idea what was going on, and just couldn’t “get” it. Because I couldn’t feel emerged in the setting, I didn’t get much out of it. Then. after reading the Vladimir books, I gave them another shot (after originally giving up around Chapter 6 of 500 Years After).
The second time around I enjoyed Paarfi a lot more just because I knew who Sethra, Morrolon, Adron, etc, were. All the dramatic chapter endings made sense all of the sudden. And so I stuck with the long-winded writing style even though I much prefer the style you use with Vladimir.
But! BUT!
The Viscount of Adrilankha is excellent! I didn’t get bored like I did a little in the Khaavren Romances before. In fact, I was completely hooked, especially because I was finally discovering how the empire formed, where Morrolan comes from, who Zerika really is…! So MUCH to discover after the Vladimir books.
I’m so glad I took the time to read them before reading Tiassa. I just knew I shouldn’t read Tiassa without finishing Khaavren’s books first. Well, good thing, because otherwise I’d have no idea who Ibronka or the “Blue Fox” were and that’d be no fun.
Anyway, I guess you can take this comment as two things:
1. Mighty praise for The Viscount of Adrilankha!
2. A suggestion that readers should read Vladimir, Taltos through Dzur or Issola perhaps, then read Paarfi’s books, then go back to Vladimir. Not sure where Brokedown Palace comes in… But it seemed like one of those side stores was what happened to Tazendra’s place….? Because when Aerich found it, there was the Teckla who claimed that he was the master there. Or maybe that side-story appeared in a Vladimir book somewhere….?
Oh, and 3. I love Dragaera! Even if I can’t recall how to spell everything at the moment…!
Much love to you! I hope I make it to a convention that you attend some time. I keep kicking myself that you were at Eerie Con once and I have a friend who helped put Eerie Con together, and my mom has been involved with the Con several times… Bummer…!
Thank you for being one of the best authors ever. :)
Thanks. I remember Erie Con. It was a blast. I hope we’re at the same convention sometime.
Wow, funny to stumble upon this comment of mine here from 2013. And here I am now re-reading The Paths of the Dead to one of my husbands here in 2020. Any good book I read, I get around to reading it again some time. I’ve now read most of the Vladimir novels at least three times, and some of them I read aloud (which causes one to notice a lot more details because of the slower pace required and the conversations which break the narrative – that is, between myself and my husband – where we ask questions and decide to go online and look at maps and diagrams of the wheel/cycle).
I appreciate, by the way, that your writing is generally so much less graphic/gory than the common fantasy today. It is sad that authors feel the need to include so much of it in order to hold the attention of their readers, and also sad that it seems to be working since so many internationally best-sellers seem to be simply a long series of profoundly depressing and violent events with little enjoyment or profundity to be found anywhere.
In each of your books there is always a fascinating reflection to be found. For example, one of your books was what got to me to finally understand the economic bubble around housing . . . Which was that? Whatever book came after Athyra, because I recall the old woman looking after Savvn. Perhaps it was Orca, since the book was so economically-related. And the grand realization that the empire was simply doing what it was designed to do really struck me.
So, thanks again for being an incredible author. If you ever want to commission and artist to bring forth any specific visions/scenes from any of your books, I am available for hire. :)
Thank you! You’ve made me smile.