Myth-taken Identity

Here we have another book in the Myth series by Robert Aspirin, this one about credit-card identity theft. I didn't really like it that much because the subject was over-the-top corny and the characters demonstrate a distinct lack of ingenuity and panache over the course of the book. It doesn't help that the three main characters in this book are mostly one-trick ponies: Aahz, the lean mean green Pervect who has a soft spot for two things: his former apprentice Skeeve and cold, hard cash; Massha, the proverbial Fat Lady who dresses like a cross between a Thousand Nights houri and a Drag Queen at a Cher revival; and Chumley, the big purple troll that is smarter than he acts.

I think the writing was sub-par: several elements are introduced that should reasonably become important later, but they prove to be heavy-handed plot devices that vanish just when you might be expecting some kind of payoff. The main adversaries in the story are a pack of Mall Rats (literal rats) that have secret tunnels all through the giant extra-dimensional Mall. One of the tunnels lets them spy on the Mall Administration and the rats make use of it to learn the plans of the three protagonists early in the story. Then, when matters get serious and the rats should either be discovered or foil the last, best plan by getting advance information, Asprin mysteriously forgets about their access entirely. The result is that the entire story seems very contrived.

Rating: 2.0