From Publishers Weekly
This sequel to Brust's The Phoenix Guard comes close to crossing the line into self-indulgence but is saved by ultimately becoming a rollicking good read. Initially, however, the narrative is buried in such a flow of periphrasis that the reader begins to suspect the dialogue is a metaphor for the Dragaeran Empire's decadence. The suspicion is belied, however, when even Khaavren--the supposedly terse guard captain, who with companions Pel, Aerich and Tazendra is a main protagonist--rambles on. The action accelerates when the Emperor Tortaalik I becomes more imperial and several characters fall in love with Aliera, daughter of Lord Adron (who has his eyes on Tortaalik's throne). The dialogue picks up to keep pace with mounting tension. The author's delight in his creation is ultimately contagious and there is certainly enough adventure to satisfy most readers. If these characters often seem more cautious and world-weary than they did in the first volume (excepting the delightful Tazendra), and the novel is occasionally trying, it is nevertheless a first-rank addition to Brust's works. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Intrigue in the emperor's palace and revolution in the streets of the underside drive Phoenix guard Khaavren and his longtime companions to action in defense of an empire that may be near the end of its cycle. Full of flamboyant action and arch dialog, this latest adventure in Brust's popular "Dragaeran" novels pits sword against sorcery in classic swashbuckling style. Deliberately reminiscent of the romantic adventures of Dumas, this lush tale of conspiracy, love, magic, and swordplay should enjoy a wide readership.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The sequel to The Phoenix Guards (1991) follows closely the model of Dumas' Twenty Years After; in fact, it helps to be familiar with Dumas's Musketeers to fully appreciate Brust's romance. Five centuries after the close of the earlier work--Phoenix Guards, that is--Brust's D'Artagnan, Khaavren, is still serving in the guards. Unfortunately, the emperor has begun to lose his grip and mortally insults Adron the Dragonlord. Add Adron's ambitious daughter and several other influences, magical and human, to that beginning, and you have a complex plot to which Brust does full justice. A versatile writer, Brust is not equally adept at all the stories he has tried to tell; but he is an indubitable master of swashbuckling high fantasy, and this book is an undoubted treat. Highly recommended, even for those who have not been following the saga of the Dragaeran Empire, of which the books about Khaavren are the second multivolume helping since 1984. Roland Green


From Kirkus Reviews
Another of Brust's fantasy novels set in the Dragaeran Empire (the Vlad Taltos yarns, etc.), this takes place (per the title) 500 years after the events of The Phoenix Guards (1991). Whether imitation, pastiche, or tribute, Brust's swashbucklers are consciously modeled on the Dumas/Sabatini/Errol Flynn school of drama, and they come complete with irritatingly intrusive author, thudding bodies, waving swords, and a modicum of sorcery. The four Empire loyalist heroes of the previous book--Khaavren, Aerich, Tazendra, Pel--again take center stage, required to uncover and frustrate a plot to destroy the Orb of the Empire and thus overthrow the Emperor. While overlong and dense, Brust's yarns have many pleasing features, not least the snappy dialogue and the intriguing and well-thought-out scenario. Overall, more charming than annoying. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Review
"A rollicking good read....A first-rank addition to Brust's works!"--Publishers Weekly

"Steven Brust might just be America's best fantasy writer!"--Tad Williams, New York Times bestselling author if To Green Angel Tower

"Brust is an indubitable master of swashbuckling high fantasy...Highly recommended, even for those who have not been following the saga of the Dragaeran Empire."--Booklist



Review
"A rollicking good read....A first-rank addition to Brust's works!"--Publishers Weekly

"Steven Brust might just be America's best fantasy writer!"--Tad Williams, New York Times bestselling author if To Green Angel Tower

"Brust is an indubitable master of swashbuckling high fantasy...Highly recommended, even for those who have not been following the saga of the Dragaeran Empire."--Booklist



Book Description
In which our Heroes--Khaavren, Pel, Aerich and Tazendra--are reunited again a mere five centuries later...just in time for an uprising that threatens to destroy the Imperial Orb itself!

This is the story of the conspiracy against the Empire that begins in the mean streets of Underside and flourishes in the courtly politics of the Palace where Khaavren has loyally served in the Guards this past half-millennium.

It is the tale of the Dragonlord Adron's overweening schemes, of his brilliant daughter Aliers, and the eldritch Sethra Lavode.

And it is the tale of four boon companions, of love, and of revenge...a tale from the history of Dragaera, of the events that changed the world!



About the Author
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in a family of Hungarian labor organizers, Steven Brust worked as a musician and a computer programmer before coming to prominence as a writer in 1983 with Jhereg, the first of his novels about Vlad Taltos, a human professional assassin in a world dominated by long-lived, magically-empowered human-like "Dragaerans."

Over the next several years, several more "Taltos" novels followed, interspersed with other work, including To Reign in Hell, a fantasy re-working of Milton's war in Heaven; The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, a contemporary fantasy based on Hungarian folktales; and a science fiction novel, Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. The most recent "Taltos" novels are Dragon and Issola. In 1991, with The Phoenix Guards, Brust began another series, set a thousand years earlier than the Taltos books; its sequels are Five Hundred Years After and the three volumes of "The Viscount of Adrilankha": The Paths of the Dead, The Lord of Castle Black, and Sethra Lavode.

While writing, Brust has continued to work as a musician, playing drums for the legendary band Cats Laughing and recording an album of his own work, A Rose for Iconoclastes. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where he pursues an ongoing interest in stochastics.

ANNOTATION

This sequel to The Phoenix Guards sees the reuniting of Heroes Khaavren, Pel, Aerich and Tazendra 500 years later. . . just in time for an uprising that threatens to destroy the Imperial Orb itself. "A complex plot to which Brust does full justice . . . Highly recommended."--Booklist.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

At last, the sequel to Brust's glittering besteller, The Phoenix Guards: Five Hundred Years After.

In which our heroes—Khaavren, Pel, Aerich and Tazendra—are reunited again a mere five centuries later...just in time for an uprising that threatens to destroy the Imperial Orb itself!

This is the story of the conspiracy against the Empire that begins in the mean streets of Underside and flourishes in the courtly politics of the Palace where Khaavren has loyally served in the Guards this past half-millennium.

It is the tale of the Dragonlord Adron's overweening schemes, of his brilliant daughter Aliera, and of the eldritch Sethra Lavode.

And it is the tale of four boon companions, of love, and of revenge...a tale from the history of Dragaera, of the events taht changed the world.

FROM THE CRITICS

Science Fiction Chronicle

Easily Brust's most mature and entertaining work to date. It's rare for a book over 400 pages to seem as short as this one. It's even rarer to find one that seems likely to satisfy such a broad range of reader expectations: humor, adventure, intrigue, and wit all in the same package.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING