Rock of Ages

I've been looking forward to reading this book, & I'm happy to report that it's great fun - a marvelous concoction of foam & froth. If you've missed the first two DM books (Crown Jewels & House of Shards, both worth seeking out) - Maijstral is an impoverished aristo turned Allowed Burglar in the Khosali Empire, a mannered society ruled - or at least with standards set - by faintly canine aliens. A plot summary won't help much here - let's see if I can find an episode that can be yanked out of context: Drake has bested Duke Joseph Bob of Tejas in a duel, scared off a challenge from Capt. Milo Hay, and put off yet another challenge by Prince Hunac of Yucatan. He's planning the media spin for all this with Duchess Roberta Altunin, his second and inamorata: "Excellent. Then you must tell the media of your plans for a religious retreat." "I will. I'm a hereditary prince-bishop after all - I'll spend the whole night praying for peace." "I keep forgetting you're a bishop. You're not very ecclesiastical." Maijstral composed his face into an expression of piety. "I prefer to keep my devotions private, thank you." "Well, I'm a hereditary abbess, so I suppose I should not criticize." "Really? Which order?" "The Reformed Traditional Hospice Order of the Blessed Spatula." "Oh. The Spatulates. . . I wondered why they worshipped a bit of kitchen equipment." "They take it out of the vault once a year and make a holy omelette with it . . . The ceremony is quite moving." "I'm sure." "My piece was a bit leathery when I tasted it, though." -- and on and on, skipping lightly from one silly episode to another, never losing momentum or control. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud. Other reviewers compare the Maijstral books to Wodehouse or Panshin's Anthony Villiers books. I liked this one more than the Panshins; I found it comparable to Wodehouse at his best - high praise indeed. Note that this book is also available in the omnibus "Ten Points for Style", with all three Maijstral novels, classics all. Happy reading-- Peter D. Tillman review copyright 1997 by Peter D. Tillman

_____________________________________________ I've been looking forward to reading this book, & I'm happy to report that it's great fun - a marvelous concoction of foam & froth. If you've missed the first two DM books (Crown Jewels & House of Shards, both worth seeking out) - Maijstral is an impoverished aristo turned Allowed Burglar in the Khosali Empire, a mannered society ruled - or at least with standards set - by faintly canine aliens. A plot summary won't help much here - let's see if I can find an episode that can be yanked out of context: Drake has bested Duke Joseph Bob of Tejas in a duel, scared off a challenge from Capt. Milo Hay, and put off yet another challenge by Prince Hunac of Yucatan. He's planning the media spin for all this with Duchess Roberta Altunin, his second and inamorata: "Excellent. Then you must tell the media of your plans for a religious retreat." "I will. I'm a hereditary prince-bishop after all - I'll spend the whole night praying for peace." "I keep forgetting you're a bishop. You're not very ecclesiastical." Maijstral composed his face into an expression of piety. "I prefer to keep my devotions private, thank you." "Well, I'm a hereditary abbess, so I suppose I should not criticize." "Really? Which order?" "The Reformed Traditional Hospice Order of the Blessed Spatula." "Oh. The Spatulates. . . I wondered why they worshipped a bit of kitchen equipment." "They take it out of the vault once a year and make a holy omelette with it . . . The ceremony is quite moving." "I'm sure." "My piece was a bit leathery when I tasted it, though." --and on and on, skipping lightly from one silly episode to another, never losing momentum or control. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud. Other reviewers compare the Maijstral books to Wodehouse or Panshin's Anthony Villiers books. I liked this one more than the Panshins; I found it comparable to Wodehouse at his best - high praise indeed. Happy reading! Peter D. Tillman

I've been looking forward to reading this book, & I'm happy to report that it's great fun - a marvelous concoction of foam & froth, skipping lightly from one silly episode to another, never losing momentum or control. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud...

I picked up this book on the sale rack.... I'll admit it was the price and not the cover art that snared my attention. The story does start a little slow, and I had to force myself to keep reading. However, once the author got things rolling, I couldn't put it down! Filled with a cast of wonderfully charming characters, (especially Roman, Maijstral's Khosali servant), and unbelievable situations, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book. I'd recommend this book to any reader of sci-fi, as Mr. Williams has created a character and a style of writing fit for all ages. Truly a good book, and if you have not read it, order it today. You won't be disappointed!

Screwball comedy. Drake is framed for various dispicable acts and must find the culprit. Throw in the Elvis religion, deranged aliens, insane dead people, a Jim Bob who is a Texan's Texan, etc. I laughed until my sides hurt.