Not Exactly the Three Musketeers

I really enjoyed this book.This is more of a companion story with less about our first group of heroes than to the previous 6 books in the series .Joel really lets us see the world through the soldiers eyes instead of the gallant heroes in the earlier Guardians of the Flame novels..There is plenty of action and a truly unique comraderie with these 3 guys..They get into trouble,get out of it,and right back in..By the time you get halfway through this book you'll love these misfits.I found myself laughing while reading this book & at some points wanting to cry..Never a dull moment & a must read for any Rosenberg fan,Guardians of the Flame fan,or fantasy lover...

I'm not sure I buy the notion that Rosenberg's three heroes are intended to reprise Dumas' -- Durine and Pirojil could maybe both lay claim to being Porthos, while Kethol is much more D'Artagnan than Aramis, but none of them parallel terribly well -- but that's more than okay. What I absolutely love about this one is the interplay between the three characters, much moreso than in the Dumas books. Their three-way partnership, while rarely overtly discussed in the book, is the heart of the story. It sort of reminded me of a really, really good buddy movie, except that there isn't just one pair of buddies, but three, and half the fun is watching them not quite get along.A terrific book.

I have to admit when I started this book I was upset that it did not delve into his past characters from the Gaudian's series more. By the time chapter two rolled around I was eagerly turning the pages and regretting the fact that I had to work the next day and needed sleep.What can I say.....Rosenberg has style. His characters are likeable and real. He has a way of turning a phrase that shows his intelligence. Rosenberg comes up with surprises when you need them and his dialogue sizzles. What more can you ask for?Another book by Joel Rosenberg please :)

Joel Rosenberg returns to my favorite ongoing fantasy world with "Not Exactly the Three Musketeers" It is both a departure and a return for the author. The departure is that the characters that we have read about for seven previous novels are background material in this novel. Previous backround characters are now the focus.The return is in that the authors incredible flair for heroic fantasy is back. His descriptions of battle and the warriors that fight in it are exemplary. He shows the motivations behind all these "heroes", and that is what truly makes this, and all the Guardians books, wonderfull.I was a bit disappointed not seeing Ahira, Ricetti or Andrea at all. Walters role, while prevalent was smaller than we have come to expect. None of the lingering questions from previous books were addressed in this novel.I for one look forward to the next addition to this series. Anyone that wants to chat, comment or speculate with me on the series, please mail to [email protected]

I skipped work to gobble this one upyesterday and then reread it today. Rosenberg keeps surprising me with the Guardians of the Flame series. The first books were well-done swashbuckling [sp?] fantasy series, with well-above-average characters, the best damn fight scenes in modern fantasy, and a quirky bloodymindedness that kept me wondering if Karl Cullinane could still be alive. Then the second series, the two Walter Slovotsky books, turned things inside out and made it all close and personal. Now, with the (eighth?) latest book in the series, Rosenberg seems to be reinventing heroic fantasy with almost casual ease. No, they're not exactly the three musketeers. If you want a Dumas pastiche, read Steve Brust's Parfi (sp?) books. This one is something else, as though Rosenberg is trying to reinvent what Dumas and ERBurroughs and Sabatini were getting at in their time. My only question for "Jayar" (I caught the cameo appearance by Rosenberg in his own book -- very sneaky, Mr. R!) is: When's the next one?