A review by darylnash
Brokedown Palace by Steven Brust

3.0

Prior to my planned re-reading of the Vlad Taltos series and reading of the Khaavren romances next year, I thought I'd get my feet wet with a book that has sat on my shelves unread for nearly twenty years. What a strange little book. It's like a fairy tale through the lens of Dragaeran mythology. Knowing Brust's political leanings, it's hard not to see this as sort of a Marxist fable, but the pieces don't line up just right, so perhaps I'm missing something and the Hungarian (and Greatful Dead!) influence is more important. I can't imagine coming to this as a reader without some familiarity with the Vlad novels. As a stand-alone novel, Brokedown Palace is somewhat lacking, but as a satellite to the Dragaeran novels, it's fascinating.