Theodora Elucubrare

So this is a total love post. There are not all that many things that can make me turn off the analytic part of my mind. Steven Brust is one of them.

I first read The Phoenix Guards a while ago. Not ten years, for sure, but close. Since then I've read it multiple times; let's call it five. It was the first of his books I read, which, if you, the putative and likely non-extant reader know anything about his world, is a bad plan. If you don't, his world is populated mainly by "elves," who live thousands of years and look down on "humans." I was very confused when his main character was said to be "barely a hundred," to say the least. But even unaware of his world, the book drew me in and made me seek out the rest.

So. Things he does well: Female characters, oh my god. And not just main characters - yeah, Tazendra's awesome, but if you've got one female character in a world that supposedly has gender equality, it doesn't mean much. But there's multiple supporting characters, a mixture of evil and non-evil. Tazendra herself sleeps around and doesn't get shamed for it, has an attitude of unmitigated braggadocio, and just generally kicks ass. Jenicor e'Terics is concerned with her appearance - and a fine blade, which rarely happens. Seodra and Lytra are terrible scheming people in a way that has nothing to do with their gender.

He builds a history for his world without doing infodumps. My favorite historical character is the Empress Undauntra I, who is snarky and smart. Further, there are references to works of art and legendary figures; his world feels real, like there are people and a history in it who aren't directly connected to our main characters.

He has a bad king who is a good person. Well, for the most part. Poor Tortaalik is really just trying to do his best, at least in Phoenix Guards. He's sort of more of a disaster in Five Hundred Years After. But he really is trying to be a good king, but doesn't know how - which is unusual in a genre dominated by wonderful or awful rulers.

Also I love his style. It's been said that people talk too much, but I really like it when people talk, so I'm hardly an impartial judge.

(Also I read Iorich over the weekend as well and it was AWESOME. While I'm sure Vlad wandering around the east finding out about his history is wonderful, we need to get back to the heart of the series - Aliera being cooler than you.

OH GOD what does it say about me that my favorites are Orca, the banking drama, and Iorich, the courtroom drama?)

(Also also I have determined that I probably belong in either the House of the Tiassa or the Lyorn. Although I am a bit of a Dzur when I play rugby.)

I totally love this production of Serse. I'm not even kidding, and it's only partly for the WTF effect. (Which, it must be said, is very strong. As in, WTF is going on in "Io le diro"? A carrying chair, awesome long coats... no idea. Ditto for "Si, la voglio" - Sword fighting, with a guy in an awesome coat? Girls in sequined hats laughing at this? We're in some odd dictatorship? Indoor tree in "Ombra mai fu"? What?)

In any case, I do like it. It's odd, but it has an aesthetic of its own - it's not just throwing random elements together, and there's a nice stylization of sorts. It's also helpful that the singing is very strong.



(also everyone has awesome coats.)



(what, I like coats, OK?)