Paths of the Dead FROM THE PUBLISHER
Two hundred years after Adron's Disaster in which Dragaera City was accidentally reduced to an ocean of chaos by an experiment in wizardry gone wrong, the Empire isn't what it used to be. Deprived at a single blow of their Emperor, of the Orb that is the focus of the Empire's power, of their capital city with its Imperial bureaucracy, and of a great many of their late fellow citizens, the surviving Dragaerans have been limping through a long Interregnum, bereft even of the simple magic and sorcery they were accustomed to use in everyday life.
Now the descendants and successors of the great adventurers Khaavren, Pel, Aerich, and Tazendra are growing up in this seemingly diminished world, convinced, like their elders, that the age of adventures is over and nothing interesting will ever happen to them. They are, of course, wrong.
For even deprived of magic, Dragaerans fight, plot, and conspire as they breathe and so do their still-powerful gods. The enemies of the Empire prowl at its edges, inscrutable doings are up at Dzur Mountain...and, unexpectedly, a surviving Phoenix Heir, young Zerika, is discovered - setting off a chain of swashbuckling events that will remake the world yet again.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In his latest chronicle of the Dragaeran Empire, Brust (Issola) conjures the spirit of Dumas (the subtitle evokes the Viscount trilogy that includes The Three Musketeers), though he less successfully captures the panache of those classic swashbucklers. The mock historic narrative follows Khaavren and other heroes from the author's earlier books (The Phoenix Guards; Five Hundred Years After; the Vlad Taltos series) and gives the origins of later ones in the course of the epic restoration of the Dragaeran Empire. Piro, son of Khaavren and heir to his father's role of protector of the Emperor, seeks to help a childhood friend achieve her destiny. With polished manners and courteous speech, he must maneuver his way amid a number of similarly equipped folk to escort his friend to the Paths of the Dead, entryway to the Halls of Judgment (where sit the gods), so that she may retrieve the Imperial Orb, linchpin of empire. After that, the real work begins. Brust strives hard to recreate Dumas's charm, including a mix of humorous and tragic elements, a romantic tone, intersecting plot lines, themes of vengeance and return, slightly effete nobles and somewhat clownish (if sensible) commoners. The author might have done better to ascribe comic verbal ticks to only a few characters. Also, since much of the character interaction depends on knowledge of previous books, casual readers will be occasionally puzzled. (Dec. 23)
VOYA - Donna Scanlon
Brust's latest book concerning the world of the Dragaeran Empire is the first book of the Viscount of Adrilankha trilogy and is also one of the so-called "Khaavren romances," purported to be written by Sir Paarfi of Roundwood and translated by Brust. These books, which include The Phoenix Guards (Tor, 1991/VOYA April 1992) and Five Hundred Years After (1994/VOYA August 1994), are written in a mannered style intended as a tribute to Alexandre Dumas. Several convoluted plots run parallel to each other, the defining story line being the one in which Zerika, Heir to the Empire, walks the Paths of the Dead to regain the Orb and renew the Empire. For the most part, the other plot lines are set up for future volumes, but not fulfilled. Readers familiar with Brust's Vlad Taltos books will recognize many of the characters and events, but newcomers will find it tough going, especially because there is nothing in the manner of a time line or a map. The narrative style is consistent and well done, but not all teens will have the patience for the arch mannerisms or long dialogues where most of the conversation consists of how Speaker A is going to tell something to Speaker B. Readers will either love this book or feel the urge to throw it against the wall. This title is a good choice if you have the earlier books in your collection or Brust fans among your clientele. VOYA Codes: 4Q 2P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2002, Tor, 399p,
Library Journal
Two centuries after the event known as Adron's Disaster deprived the Dragaeran Empire of its emperor and its stability, the descendants of the Empire's greatest heroes set off on their own voyage of discovery, despite the fact that their diminished world contains little in the way of adventure. Their fortunes change when they encounter Zerika, a young woman who carries the lineage of the Phoenix within her and who provides the impetus for a revival of the old days of glory-provided she survives her journey along the Paths of the Dead. Continuing his swashbuckling epic fantasy (begun with The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After) with a new series and a new generation of heroes, Brust, with his arch humor and quasi-archaic narrative style, pays homage to Dumas, Zola, and other masters of swashbuckling adventure. A good choice for most fantasy collections. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
First of a new series set in Brust's fantasy world of the Dragaeran Empire (Issola, 2001, etc.). Two centuries after the action of Five Hundred Years After (1994), in which a magical disaster reduced the capital city Dragaera to a sea of chaos, various ambitious warlords contend over the fragments of the collapsed Phoenix Empire. The most powerful, Skinter, the Dragonlord Duke of K�na, dreams of establishing a new empire. Skinter, however, is a Dragon, and the current cycle, that of the Phoenix, remains unbroken while a Phoenix heir survives. The Gods will not allow the cycle to be broken, so they must help Zerika, the heir, become Empress-and also because the fear the intervention of mysterious entities known as the Jenoine. To claim her title, Zerika must brave the Paths of the Dead, win over the by-no-means unanimous Gods, and claim the magical Orb that is the foundation of all-powerful wizardry. To complete such a quest, Zerika naturally will need helpers, these organized by Sethra Lavode, the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain: Piro, the warrior-noble of the subtitle, Tazendra the Dzurlord wizard, Kytraan the warrior, and sundry lackeys. To reach the Paths of the Dead, they must contend with the evil sorceress Orlaan and her band of robbers. Numerous other subplots spice the mixture, though none of them directly affect the action of this inaugural volume. Charmingly circumstantial or annoyingly discursive-frequently both at once-but ingenious, refreshingly unfettered by convention, and cast in an agreeably wry mode.
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