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Myth-ion Improbable (Myth)
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - If you are a Myth fan, skip this book
This book, as admitted in the foreward, was a simple tale to get Mr. Asprin "back into the swing of things" after a long hiatus of not working with teh Myth characters.
It shows.
It is simple.
And simple is not what attracts most readers to the Myth series.
As far as I can tell, the last solo installment of Myth did not lean on Myth-Ion Improbable in any way nor did the Myth Inc book that followed.
It is thorough unnecessary for enjoyment of later, better books.
I can't say why I finished this book, but I'm sorry I spent so much time slogging through it. It was slow paced, monotonous and VERY poorly integrated into the series seriously mucking with continuity in both a failure to respect known character limitations and history of the series.
This book made me like the series less because it pretended to be part of it.
I've read worse books (I was tempted to give it one star just to help others avoid the same mistake I made), but not many; and never one this bad by an author I liked.
Rating:  - I waited for this?
I got this book when it first came out and have finally muscled my way through it after putting it down several times. I have to say, it makes me sad. First I had to wonder about the editing, or even if it was edited at all. I mean a lot of there were what seemed to be a lot of typos. Tananda was replaced with Tanda and Klah for Klahd etc. But looking at reviews for the new books it seems that it was on purpose. I will spare people the gory details but this story falls flat on its face in a kiddie pool of tripe. Sorry Mr. Asprin but sometimes the truth hurts.
While it is the authors prerogative the change cannon or continuity when he feels like, it is also the prerogative of the reader to simply stop reading. So that is what I am going to do. The original series (Myth #1-10) are in inspiration and really give other authors such as Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett a run for their literary money. But now they are quite safe.
So if you are new to the series stick with the original ace books minus this one and Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. (Though you may have to read SMI to get closure from Sweet Myth-tery of Life but stop there.)
Rating:  - A return to the past but not quite jelling yet
As Robert Asprin notes in his Forward, this book came about because of the long hiatus in the series. Apparently the author was distracted by other concerns and let eight years lapse before he was ready to tackle Skeeve, Aahz and the crew again; So, to shake off the dust, he created a new novel as a throwback in time to earlier in the career of the crew. That is why we see Skeeve back in his role as the gangly, uncoordinated, and apologetic apprentice rather than the successful CEO of M.Y.T.H. Inc.
Given that background, it is understandable that this volume does not quite measure up to the rest of the series. It is clear to me that Robert Asprin struggled mightily to recreate the bright, funny, witty, and amusing world that was the origins of this successful series. Even the quotes that grace the beginning of each chapter seemed rather strained in this volume - unlike the droll and witty ones that we were accustomed to seeing. Also, there are many slight mistakes in this book that show that Asprin was not quite where he needed to be (for instance, some of the character types in this book are also in the other volumes, but in a very different way)
So, is this book bad? No! It is not a bad book and it is not hard to read. On the other hand, it is not a "customary" MYTH book either. Clearly the author had a difficult time getting back in to the swing of things here, but that does not mean that there are no successes in this book, and it certainly does not mean that you should not pick it up and read it!
In this volume, Skeeve reveals that he purchased a magical treasure map during the ramp up to the Big Game. Aahz is immediately drawn to the thought of a treasure hunt that would yield a golden cow giving off gold-flecked milk and so Aahz, Skeeve, and Tananda are off to the races. The romping adventure leads the crew to a strange dimension where there are only cows, horses, and people. Oh, by the way, the cowboys are all vegetarians.
As is true in this world, one strange thing leads to another and the crew finds out that there are some really nasty vampires on this world (unlike the friendlier vampires that are discovered later on in their careers) who do suck the blood out of people. There is also a huge castle with all kinds of rooms and secret passages that must be traversed. Finally, Skeeve solves the various puzzles and puzzling events that occur in the book and brings everyone happily back home ... albeit with a different treasure than what they were expecting.
So that leaves one in a quandary: Is it really necessary to read this book for the enjoyment of the Skeeve saga? Yes and no. If you are interested in an orderly development of the story and the characters, then you do not need to read this book. On the other hand, if you are a collector who wants the whole series, or if you are interested in the struggles of the writer as he tries to recreate himself, then this book provides for interesting insights into the craft of writing.
Rating: - Skip This One
I am a die-hard Myth series fan, but I advise you to avoid this one like the plague. The originial Myth series was great because of its characters and its humor. This book is suppose to take place during the same timeframe, but it is jarringly out of place with the originials.
Reasons to avoid this book:
1. The Skeeve, Aahz, and Tananda that appear in this book are not their old selves. They lack the freshness and energy that made the old books a joy to read and re-read. Here, they're just kind of...flat. It's like going from the characters in the original Star Wars trilogy to the ones in the new one. Something is greatly diminished and it only left me feeling disappointed.
2. The plot is terrible. I found it bizarre and creepy. It's kind of macabre and very unlike the heart-warming tone of the earlier books.
3. The storyline does not feed into any other Myth books, so you don't miss anything if you skip this one. Some of the later Myth books are not that great, but are still must-reads if you want to find out what happens to the characters. Not so with this one.
In short, I wish I had those hours of my life back that I spent reading this book. I recommend skipping this one and re-reading one of the old ones instead.
Rating: - I would rather have not ever read it
Yes, it really IS that bad! It's a total aberration amongst a group of great books that I really love.
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