While this wasn't a bad book, it does mark a pretty big change in format. Our intrepid con-man wizard and his trusty Prevect demon have taken the back seat for the sake of the side characters.

It's kinda obvious why this is necessary. They had gotten too big, too powerful. The side characters, however, have their own little projects in the organization.

While it doesn't quite make the level of satire, these episodes are still light and funny. Theft, graft, and casinos are the name of the game, after all. And in a demon dimension, it's always pretty fun to see the weaklings pull the wool over their eyes. :)2020-shelf fantasy humor15 s Gavin934 411

This latest installment in the Myth series was as fast paced, witty, and fun as we have come to expect from the series. However is did bring a notable change in direction. The previous books have all been told from Skeeve's POV, but this one branched out and gave some time to characters Chumly, Guido, and Masha. I d the change as we got to see things from a few different perspectives and the new POV characters got a chance to develop even more.

There was even a shock POV character to finish the book with! I'm hoping that this mulit-POV narration continues for the rest of the series. It adds a fresh perspective to things and opens up more new stories.

I was not all happy as it seems Skeeve himself is developing in a negative direction. He seems to be picking up some of the bad habits of Aahz! Hopefully we will get the nice guy Skeeve we all love back in the next book.

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: Noah Michael Levine performed this very well. He gets the humor and had a clearly distinctive voice for each character POV. fantasy12 s Just a Girl Fighting Censorship1,914 116

Very unsatisfying.

This book is more episodic with the structure focused around Skeeve being the president of MYTH INC and assigning jobs to other characters. We then see those characters carry out their missions with narration that is from their perspective.

The most interesting story featrured Tananda with narration from Chumley, at least in this story we enter into a mysterious dimension. The only other story that was really worth a read was narrated by Gleep, Skeeve's pet dragon who we learn is very intellegent just unable to speak.

The rest of the book is really just filler giving the reader the feeling that this book is just setting the stage for the next one.5 s Desinka301 60

This was another fun installment in the Myth series. I really enjoyed the new POVs, all of characters I love. It was a bit strange that there were several small cases resolved instead of a single huge one but it was not at the expense of the overall quality of the book.

4 s East Bay J596 22

M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link is a departure from previous Myth books in that it features narrative from the points of view of Skeeve’s team members. That is, the members of Skeeve’s team (M.Y.T.H. Inc., as it were) get to narrate their own portions of the story. That’s an interesting departure and probably was real groovy for Asprin but it makes the story a little disjointed. Asprin made it work with narratives from Skeeve interspersed with the team’s contribution but it’s not the smooth flowing diatribes of Aahz and Skeeve. All the same, it’s definitely interesting to see things from other folks’ points of view and it does work. The author’s introduction makes the motivation for the change clear and it’s understandable Asprin would want a new challenge, though there are a lot of bands who did quite well until they decided to change their sound. Bands who thought they’d spice things up a bit only to lose their core audience. I’m just sayin’.novels2 s Robert1,785 150

A pretty bold change from the tried and true formula Asprin had used up until now, and one that really worked to tell the story he wanted to tell, i.e. the Great Skeeve has become a pretty insufferable venture capitalist-style bro and it takes seeing him and his actions from outside perspectives to help drive it home.
If memory serves correct this is as far as I made it reading this series as a youngster so it’ll be virgin territory henceforth for me!audio-reads fantasy-fundamentals hoopla1 Jordan623 6

Still fun, but the anthology format wasn't quite as enjoyable as previous tales.1 Abe175

My favorite was Guido's tale. I'd love more from his povaudiobook comedy fantasy1 Hidekisohma309 7

Welp, another Myth book finished. And once again, it was an insanely fast read. i basically read the entire thing in one day. But that's not a bad thing as i usually use these to refresh my brain since they're such a simple and fast read. The only problem is, this was by no means one of the better ones.

The biggest issue i had with this one was the format. The author decided to do a different kind of story format thing time around. the past 6 books have been from Skeeve's POV, but this time, he did it from some of the side characters, POV and it became more of a collection of short stories. I can't say i'm really into this idea and it took a while to get used to.

To that end, it's hard to review it as a whole, so i have to do it in parts.

Guido's tale: this one was pretty boring. one of the bodyguards goes and figures out when items are missing from a warehouse. it's dull and i didn't really care about it.

Chumley's tale: he has to help his sister tananda get some money back from a guy who runs a bank. Also, boring and uninteresting.

Massha's tale: probably the only interesting on in the group. she and the vampire guy get a job of changing a washed up hotel into a happening hot spot tourist attraction. I actually had fun with this one where they figured out what to put where and the theme. it sounds dull, but it was pretty fun IMO.

Aahz's tale: it's Skeeve being a jerk for 15 pages as Aahz realizes he's losing his humanitarianness. i didn't it.

Gleep's tale: the worst one BY FAR. from the dragon's point of view. The dragon comes across as a pompous jerk. i didn't the dragon before when he only said "GLEEP!" but now i can't stand him.

Overall, the stories were decent at best and bad at worst. This is by far the weakest in the series and i'm very thankful there's only 3 of these mini-collection formats in the 21 book series. Its saving grace is that i already know all the characters and with the exception of the last one it didn't make me HATE any of the characters.

Even 3 out of 5. Here's hoping with the next one going back to the old format it will be better. fantasy fiction1 Thomas2,012 78

The One About Everyone Else

Back when I first read this book, I was buying the books individually as they were released (the first six having been collected in two volumes for the Science Fiction Book Club). This was the first book in the series I read that included Phil Foglio's illustrations, and since then, his portrayal of the characters has been how I see them in my head.

M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link is the first book where Asprin wrote outside of Skeeve's point of view, and it was also the first book in the series that disappointed me. Skeeve was always the heart of the gang, and it made sense that he would narrate the stories. While it was nice to see him from his co-workers' eyes, it didn't have the same kind of narrative impact to read stories that didn't feature him. Sure, the crew deserved stories of their own, but I always felt the approach to the stories here felt less interesting, and disjointed. That feeling holds true in my re-read, as well.

As I mentioned in my last review, Skeeve is the heart of the group, the one who holds them all together, and the stories are just more interesting when told from his perspective. He portrays his own exploits honestly, even when he comes across as cold and arrogant, so there's not much sense in having the other characters fill in when he's not around. Skeeve doesn't feature in the four stories that comprise this book, so there's not much he could have told, but the other books talk of other adventures that took place in between, so why not take the same approach here? Other than getting more insight into Gleep, I didn't see that the stories were necessary enough to feature their central characters.

In the foreword to this book, Asprin mentions that he intended to make this style a regular occurrence, but it looks he only kept it going for three books. I'm not sure if it was in response to the general opinion of non-Skeeve books, but from what I've read in other and in talking with other folks who've read the series, there's not a lot of love for the M.Y.T.H. Inc. books. The best that can be said of this one is that it sets up the events for the next one.2016 fantasy humor ...more1 An EyeYii3,634 62

"M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link" #7 bridges early team funny quests to a larger canvas. Boy magician Skeeve mentored by demon Ahz, inspired by Crosby-Hope Road comedy movies, have grown up, gained allies, and gone pro. Con: Robert Asprin will scatter open-ended threads, cliff-hangers, and tangle plot lines over more books for more income. Pro: The accumulated company of Magical Young Trouble-shooting Heroes, aliens from alter dimensions, narrate in turn with distinct voices on each new case.
Classics-loving mobster Guido instigates a union while bodacious Bunny uncovers accounting fraud. Ancient dragon foils robberies while humans incorrectly devalue his worth because he can only say his name, Gleep. Within silly fantasy, we learn to value goodness even when appearances can disguise.
Remember when, How you've changed, ending on a cliff, hooks intended to addict us to the series, instead distract and annoy me. Is there never a final conclusion? Doyle couldn't kill Holmes. I the Myth world; I dis coercion. Soap operas in every country are the most popular, longest-running TV shows. Just as Doyle never intended Sherlock Holmes to be forced into a troublesome time-line, I prefer to enjoy each MYTH case on their own merits.fan fantasy fun1 Neil543 52

This book was a bit of a departure away from the previous 6 books in the series. Normally the reader sees and learns things from Skeeve's point of view. With this book it now comes from multiple points of view, from the various different characters we have met in the other books. The slight downside to that is that they all get their own mini stories, within the main book. Whilst there is still humour, it seems to have been diluted due to this, and these stories individually are not as good as the previous books which are each dedicated to a separate adventure.
The different points of view do work however, as the reader gets to see more of the individual characters. Anyone who is unfamiliar with the series, and who tries this book first will be somewhat disappointed. To those who have read the series in order, it does all make sense though. There are further developments to the character of Skeeve, but rather than me tell you about them I will let you discover them for yourself.
The good news is that I am still enjoying the series, even though the books seem to be getting shorter.1 John Kirk410 14

Having a set of short stories works quite well: if you don't one of them, there will be another one along in a minute. It's also interesting to get different perspectives on the same events.

That said, it seems odd for all the missions to be sequential: if you're splitting up the team, why not have them working on different jobs at the same time? Also, Guido and Nunzio were assigned to Skeeve by the Mob as his bodyguards, but how can they do that job if they're nowhere near him?

The main theme of this book is that Skeeve has changed, and I agree with the other characters (notably Aahz) that this isn't a change for the better. However, it all seems to have come out of nowhere, so it doesn't quite ring true.1 Stephen367

Whereas I appreciate the direction telling stories from different characters' eyes (especially Guido and Gleep) I didn't find this one as engaging as some of Asprin's other stories.

Also, I'm not completely sure that if I started this one back in the day that I finished it, which does mean all future books are going to be new experiences for yours truly.

Fun fact, I picked the moniker "Guido" back when I was a librarian at South Quad Library, and that stuck before I later became known as "Mule" for different reasons. A little bit of trivia for y'all, but it was based off of Robert Asprin's character.20181 Will Waller1 review2

In a series with, now, so many characters and so much characterization and worldbuilding left relatively unfinished, Asprin makes a clever move in pausing with what initially looks a simple collections of shorts from the perspectives of his side characters, placed within the frame of Skeeve-as-MYTH-INC-president. The many narratives do, in fact, eventually form one, and although this is not remotely Asprin's most tidy narrative, it establishes a much-needed new-normal before moving on to business-as-usual storytelling.1 Kevin FindleyAuthor 12 books11

Just as funny now as when I read it the first time.

Aspirin pretty much poked the fantasy genre in the eye and then poured in a bottle of Acme bleach he stole from Wile E. Coyote with this series. For me, this is the literary equivalent of biscuits and gravy, the ultimate in comfort food.

I'm not going to risk spoiling even a single joke or event, so jump into the series and go have some fun!

Find It! Buy It! READ IT!robert-asprin science-fiction1 Shannon AppelclineAuthor 25 books145

The variant points of view are interesting, and there's some good character growth. However, the short stories just aren't that interesting, and I feel the Gleep story really undercuts his characterization in the rest of the series.fantasy humor1 Tyrannosaurus regina1,035 25

Moving onto other POVs was a good move for the series, but breaking it into several separate stories left it unsatisfying for me. And I'm a broken record, but it's still terrible with women; in this case, I've noted the gross and unnecessary catfighting.fantasy humour reread1 Amber715

I accurately remembered the self-indulgence of the puns, and the flimsiness of the plots... I'd forgotten the puerile and thoughtless sexism. Sadly, the author just doesn't consider the internality or psychology of female characters. It's really a pity.dnf-did-not-finish-abandoned1 Strawberry Witch249 4

So there’s not a lot to say about this one. I hate the way Bunny is so head over heels for Skeeve. Guido’s “voice” becomes obnoxious pretty quickly; ditto Chumley’s forced English Gentlemen thing. Skeeve starts turning into a major dickbag; all the ridiculous ass kissing and hero worship has gone to his head.

The best story was Massha; aside from the fact that Asprin has her walk around half naked for some reason she seems fun. Asprin doesn’t know how clothes work; he has Tananda wearing a “tunic” at one point. Oh, also Tananda…who by this point is no longer affectionately known as “Tanda…” apparently knows who Dr. Suess is? Is that the type of thing an editor should catch and be “hey Bob how do they know who this real world author is?” I mean is that an editor’s job? I’m asking. Also it’s been mentioned that Massha has “dyed orange hair” but in her “tale” she says it’s natural? Also it’s kind of funny that “mauve eyeshadow with violet lipstick accentuated by screaming yellow nail polish” is , soo horrible. I mean, look around. Chicks are wearing fake eyelashes to the grocery store these days and it’s actually weird to NOT have crayon colored hair. We’re bored. We’re just so, so bored. Anyway. The book.

Why does Tananda hate Bunny? Why are all the female characters always at each other’s throats? I genuinely don’t understand all the cat fighting. It comes out of nowhere.

Skeeve the Great’s Magical Abilities Update:
Ten something years with Aahz and he can…levitate a pencil? Wow. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewmyth Mike Forster Rothbart67 1 follower

The Myth books are a light and entertaining fantasy series about a magician's apprentice who doesn't really know what he's doing, and his mentor, a demon who lost his magic powers due to a practical joke. I read them as a teen and just started to reread them.

The early books in the series are my favorites, funny and engaging stories that parody traditional fantasy novels, with adventures in multiple interesting worlds. The later books are disappointing, as the young protagonist becomes a bureaucrat and more and more elements of the real world get added in — mafia, graduate school, business development.

This volume tries a new format, with multiple narrators, but falls flat because the character's different perspectives mostly sound the same except for changes in diction. All are a quick read — I reread this one in a few days.2023 Robbie569 5

I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars. I remembered loving this one but this time around it felt a little flat to me compared to all of the other books so far. It was still very enjoyable and I d the characters perspectives, but there was a lot more telling than showing going on. None of the stories were bad, but I think that I d Massha's tale the best followed by Guido's. Though I d the general story in each of the others, none of them really stood out to me. This was so much more about character and relationship – which is something that I generally and is ly why I d it so much when I was younger – but I just wanted slightly better storytelling out of it than what I got. Phil Leader215 18

The first six books of the series follow apprentice wizard Skeeve and his mentor Aahz as they have misadventures across different worlds and dimensions. With that formula running out of steam this book marks the move towards a more group-based approached where the other characters that have been introduced during the series can step up and have their own adventures.

The format then is a series of short stories, each outlining a different job narrated by a different member of the team. This allows for some good changes of pace, and seeing the other characters as being capable in their own right is a breath of fresh air.

As such this book provides provides momentum to the series just before it starts to become stale, and gives range and substance to all of the charactersreviewed Stephanie Schmitt115 18

The style of writing drastically changes in this book. It’s more of a collection of short stories written from the point of view of the character taking the lead. And with the backgrounds of the characters, it reads very weird. Each had such a unique voice; it’s rather impressive of the author. But I’m only giving three stars because it just didn’t grip me as much. The stories didn’t really make me care, in fact it almost the opposite. I don’t Skeeve at all in this. And the relationship between him and Aahz is unrecognizable. It’s not the same. Arinniti9

In this book, author changed his way of writing. Story was more divided, and story was told not only from Skeeves perspective, but also his companions.
There were two great parts: one about Tananda and second about Gleep. I always took Gleep for a dog- creature. I really impressed me, when I found out how intelligent and capable he is.
I finished this book in a day (mostly same as other Myth books) and right away started another one. Allison Ray11

Okay, I did enjoy this new perspective in the Myth series, but, I have to admit, I really can't stand reading some of the character's accents. Sometimes, it is hard to follow in that regard. I will say that this book did give me a new love for some of the characters I didn't quite connect with before, Guido. And who knew Gleep had so much going on? It is fun to switch it up in such a long series, but I did appreciate switching back to the only-Skeeve POV in the following book. Charity Fairman96

I enjoy seeing from all the different perspectives in this one. I also found it interesting that there were several more serious idea brought out, not just cleverly amongst the humor, but in a more straightforward way. Lots of character development. Stephanie1,282 1 follower

I'm lukewarm on the book. The focus was on Guido, one of the gangster heavies that is part of Skeeve's entourage, but there seemed to be several plots going on that became really confusing. Still, it was enjoyable.fantasy Kate H1,682 1 follower

I have always enjoyed fantasy novels and I have a fond place in my heart for campy pun filled fantasy and Robert Asprin definitely writes books that fit the bill. His books remain good although they do not quite stand up to the test of time.goodreads-fiction Deborah Fassel497 5

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