Peter David is one of my favorite writers, usually. In this case, the book is written as a farce - after the initial humor of the scenerio, it becomes a trifle fatiguing. At 650 pages, there's a lot of hammering you over the head with the 'joke'. I do not recall typical knights tales restating their code of ethics over and over and over again, so the need to restate the lack of one seems like overkill. It's not a terrible book, but it's no classic, either. If you like the author, or tales of knights or Arthurian legend, it's worth a read. I am glad that I read it, but I think I'll skip book two.
Helpful Score: 6
Very entertaining if you have a slightly twisted sense of humor. This is a satirical fantasy story that plays with the ideas of chivalry and heroism. Apropos is a perfect anti-hero--every time you start to like him, he does something despicable.
Helpful Score: 2
Very entertaining and I laughed out loud at times. Worth a read.
Helpful Score: 2
A truely twisted tale about a twist in fate.
Tiffany B. (tabeckemeyer) reviewed Sir Apropos of Nothing (Sir Apropos, Bk 1) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is a really entertaining book, along with its sequel, "Woad to Wuin." It's like a parody really.
Helpful Score: 2
This very interesting book is about an anti-hero and how he accidentally gets acclaim and glory for being a knave who is only concerned with his own skin....
Good book. Not a particularly easy read.
Good book. Not a particularly easy read.
Helpful Score: 1
Amusing fantasy by famed author Peter David.
Noelle (noellecrisafulli) -
Helpful Score: 1
I know that there are quite a few people who loved this book and its anti-hero - I found it depressing and mostly miserable, with a little bit of funny. I am very happy to have gotten it here for almost free and NOT paid for it new.
Helpful Score: 1
A thoroughly enjoyable and fun fantasy! Peter David is one of the funniest writers I've come across, and he strikes a nice balance between the satirical and philosophical in this amusing tale. Apropos of Nothing, born of a tavern wench's gang rape by drunken knights, has been told all his life he has a destiny despite his lowly origins. When his mother is killed by a knight of an enemy king, Apropos appeals to his own king for justice, and is made a squire to the senile Sir Umbrage. His journey to his destiny is an entertaining one, with an interesting twist at the end which makes me look forward to the sequel.
Helpful Score: 1
Hilarious dark humor and shadenfreude, Apropos goes through his miserable life running into awful thing after awful thing. Every ray of sunshine is quickly covered by a storm cloud.
It could end up being depressing if it wasn't so damned funny.
It could end up being depressing if it wasn't so damned funny.
Kind of hard to get into, but funny and worth it once the story is rolling. :)
How can a novel be a major slapstick, but also grim, even stark? I'm not sure, but Peter David manages it very well. A good read
From back cover: They were dark and stormy knights...and when they had their way with a helpless tavern wench one terrible evening, they didn't know the product of that twilight brutality would be the rogue Apropos of Nothing.
Through happenstance, Apropos becomes a squire in the court of the good King Runcible. Matters deteriorate when a routine mission to escort the King's daughter home after a long absence goes horribly awry, and Apropos must survive a berserk phoenix, murderous unicorns, mutated harpies, homicidal warrior kings, and -- most problematic of all -- a princess who may or may not be a psychotic arsonist.
From back cover: They were dark and stormy knights...and when they had their way with a helpless tavern wench one terrible evening, they didn't know the product of that twilight brutality would be the rogue Apropos of Nothing.
Through happenstance, Apropos becomes a squire in the court of the good King Runcible. Matters deteriorate when a routine mission to escort the King's daughter home after a long absence goes horribly awry, and Apropos must survive a berserk phoenix, murderous unicorns, mutated harpies, homicidal warrior kings, and -- most problematic of all -- a princess who may or may not be a psychotic arsonist.
