Brokedown Palace is a standalone fantasy set in the world of Steven Brust's bestselling Vlad Taltos novels. The story follows four brothers ruling in Fenario - King Laszlo, Prince Andor, Prince Vilmos, and Prince Miklos - each with their unique traits and struggles. The narrative weaves together elements of old legend and modern storytelling, creating a lyrical and fascinating tale that delves into complex relationships, evolving characters, and a crumbling palace with underlying conflicts. The writing style leans towards a fairy tale, with humor and clean prose shining through, while the plot unfolds in a mysterious and surrealistic manner, keeping readers engaged till the end.

Characters:

Characters display depth and complexity, each with unique motivations that add to the narrative's richness despite some being perceived as uninteresting.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style combines lyrical fairy tale elements with humor, though it may appear clumsy or disjointed to some readers.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around four brothers and their interactions with magical elements, creating a complex, fairy tale-like story that raises more questions than it answers.

Setting:

The setting is a magical, decaying palace in Fenario that creates a fairy tale ambiance, with surreal elements enhancing the atmosphere.

Pacing:

The pacing tends to be fast and engaging, though some sections may be perceived as slower or more laborious.

LONG AGO THERE LIVED A MIGHTY LORD NAMED FENARR. Some say he came from the lands around the North Sea, where the cold winds had frozen his sinews until they were like fine steel. Others say the Great ...

Notes:

Brokedown Palace is set in the same world as Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos novels.

The story features four brothers with distinct personalities: King Laszlo, Prince Andor, Prince Vilmos, and Prince Miklos.

The narrative has a fairy tale or fable style, focusing on morality and character development.

Action is limited, mainly involving a dragon hunt and King Laszlo's obsession with a decaying palace.

The book has a unique, disjointed storytelling style that some may find dreamy and compelling.

Characters evolve through differing motivations rather than through clear-cut good versus evil conflicts.

The prose is filled with creative joy, making each sentence enjoyable to read.

While it’s set in Fenario, it’s unclear if it connects directly to the main Dragaera stories.

Lack of explicit sexual content leads to respectful depictions of women.

The story blends elements of Hungarian fables with Brust's fantasy universe, creating a surreal experience.

Though it may feel disjointed at times, the writing showcases Brust's humor and unique style.

Themes in the book include familial relationships and personal growth amidst chaos.

From The Publisher:

Back in print after a decade, Brokedown Palace is a stand-alone fantasy in the world of Steven Brust's bestselling Vlad Taltos novels.

Once upon a time…far to the East of the Dragaeran Empire, four brothers ruled in Fenario:

King Laszlo, a good man-though perhaps a little mad; Prince Andor, a clever man-though perhaps a little shallow; Prince Vilmos, a strong man-though perhaps a little stupid; and Prince Miklos, the youngest brother, perhaps a little-no, a lot-stubborn.

Once upon a time there were four brothers-and a goddess, a wizard, an enigmatic talking stallion, a very hungry dragon-and a crumbling, broken-down palace with hungry jhereg circling overhead. And then…

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Brokedown Palace

Steven Brust

Book 1 in the series:Dragaera