A friend of mine's little brother bought Phoenix at random in the book store (about the time it was published, I presume) because he thought the cover looked cool. My friend read it and lent it to me, then he bought the four books published earlier and we both enjoyed them a lot. Shortly after that, The Phoenix Guards came out, and I've followed the series ever since (although it took me a long time to pick up Brokedown Palace--at first I didn't quite get that it was in Dragaera, and then it was hard to locate for a long time afterwards. Really, what got me back into reading Brust after several years away from him was running across a copy of Brokedown Palace unexpectedly in the store, reading the introduciton, and saying 'this sounds a lot like Khaavren in the Phoenix Guards,' and which I then had to re-read to check. After that I started re-reading them all fairly often because they reward re-reading so well). Anyway, cool cover art paid off once again. Dusty Mia McDavid wrote: > Late here with my $.02. It would have been one of the earlier Taltos > novels. I have no idea when; it seems like forever ago. I'm sure it > was the cover art that made me pick it up and the kick-ass writing > that made me buy it. > Bato001 at aol.com wrote: > >> In a message dated 12/29/2004 10:53:50 AM Eastern Standard Time, >> johne.cook at gmail.com writes: >> >> >>>> My brother bought me _The Chronicles of Amber_...all 10 books in >>>> one! >>> >> -Zelazny (?sp) The book is huge! I am reaaly quite enjoying it. _Nine >> Princes in Amber_ starts off very confusing and you wonder how NYC is >> fantasy, but by the 4th or 5th chapter... >> >> >>> -C ^..^ >>> >> >> >> >> >>> I have that book - it's a monster, and yet it moves very fast. I >>> >> >> wouldn't call it my favorite Zelazny, but it's a fun read and played >> like the sort of good, episodic fiction that we don't see as much >> anymore. >> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . >> . . . . >> johne cook >> wisconsin, usa >> >> >>> johne.cook at gmail.com / jcook at apostate.com >>> >> >> http://www.phywriter.com >> Absolutely some my favorite books. >> Regarding when I discovered Steve's books: >> >> I discovered Steve's books back in the late eighty's while in >> college. My favorite is the Phoenix Guards. I discovered the mailing >> list about the same time that it started, May or June a couple of >> years ago. I had e-mailed Steve with a question or something and he >> told me about the mailing list when he replied. >> John D. Barbato, OD >> >> >> > > > -- J A Dusty Sayers 'Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man's opinion, even if he is our father.' --Edmund Burke