- Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Warner Books (20 Sep 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0446609242
- ISBN-13: 978-0446609241
- Product Dimensions: 16.8 x 10.9 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 594,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
No good deed goes unpunished; After returning from his quest to save the world from his uncle, the vaguely all-powerful Archon of Old Earth, Filidor Vesh now bumbles blindly through an attempt to squelch the machinations of a would-be political usurper. As a result, he must contend with an odd assortment of evil agents as well as the discovery of his true love - a ravishing beauty who knocks him down, steals his heart, and dares him to pursue her.
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First Sentence
Since his official investiture as the Archon's apprentice, it had become the morning habit of Filidor Vesh to take a late breakfast on the streetside balcony of a place in the Shamblings district where he was known and well treated. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Since his official investiture as the Archon's apprentice, it had become the morning habit of Filidor Vesh to take a late breakfast on the streetside balcony of a place in the Shamblings district where he was known and well treated. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is the second book by Matt Hughes about the Archonate on Old Earth, with young Filidor the Archon's apprentice. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to « Fools Errant ». Sequels are sometimes disappointing, not so with this one which I find even better, Hughes has definitely found his momentum. Matt Hughes has been compared to many authors, such as Jack Vance (Eyes of the Overworld, The Cugel Saga): he has his scintillating prose, richness and inventiveness of vocabulary, flair for dialogue. He's been compared to Swift: he has his talent for satire. He's been compared to Doug Adams and Terry Pratchett: he has their sense of humour and mastery of the absurd. As to P.G. Wodehouse, one can sense in Filidor some aspects of Bertie Wooster in his more vapid moments.
But like cocktails, the important thing is not so much the analysis of the ingredients, the main point is the overall effect: you'll find "Fool Me Twice" delightfully intoxicating. Matt Hughes has done a successful mix that's more than the sum of its components!
But like cocktails, the important thing is not so much the analysis of the ingredients, the main point is the overall effect: you'll find "Fool Me Twice" delightfully intoxicating. Matt Hughes has done a successful mix that's more than the sum of its components!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
An irreverent book
29 July 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In the very distant future, Earths sun has become orange signifying the aging of the solar system. In fact, the remaining inhabitants of the planet refer to it as Old Earth, which is governed by one man, The Archon Dezendah VII and his heir Filidor Vesh. Last Year (See FOOLS ERRANT) Filidor saved his uncles life and rescued the world from an ancient evil that slithered in from another dimension.
Since then Filidor has reverted to his dandified ways because he feels like hes not understanding anything that an Archon needs to do. When a pretty woman who had a temper tantrum steals two valuable objects of his, he is sent by his uncle to fetch them back. Accompanying him is his tutor Bassariot who tries to kill him at the first opportunity. Although he fails to do the job, Filidor winds up at the mercy of pirates and it takes all his intelligence (along with the uses of his ear) to get him and his fellow prisoners out of their predicament. The adventures arent over for Filidor who must remain in hiding from his would be killer who had declared him an outlaw. While all this is going on the Archon has mysteriously vanished.
FOOL ME Twice is an irreverent book that doesnt take itself seriously yet is nevertheless is very entertaining. MATTHEW HUGHES has a distinctive comedic voice that blends well with the action packed story line. The social structure of Earth in the far distant future is very interesting and is one of the reasons this fantasy novel is going to be as successful as its predecessor was.
Harriet Klausner
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Beautifully insane.
21 Nov 2001
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book was amazing. I had a slight bit of difficulty picking up on the verbose style, but once i'd picked it up, the book was incredible. The book's charm is the author's manner of saying very simple things in a ridiculously complicated way, marking it all the while with nearly slapstick comedy. It's a little bit like the result of the Three Stooges as written by Shakespeare while he was drunk. It's an epic plot, run through with events made funny by how they're presented, along with some parts that are just STRANGE. All in all, a great story, but not for you if you don't like this sort of thing. If you like Douglas Adams, you'll probably like this.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Very diverting read in the mode of Jack Vance
28 Jun 2006
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Matthew Hughes's novels Fools Errant, Fool Me Twice, and Black Brillion are set in the far future of Earth, just prior to the era of Jack Vance's Dying Earth. Hughes has captured Vance's style pretty well, and has done a pretty good job of imagining odd societies in the Vancean manner as well. His first novel, while quite enjoyable, was probably a bit too overtly a Vance pastiche. However his own voice has become increasingly developed in his more recent work.
Fool Me Twice is a direct sequel to Fools Errant. In the first novel, the hero, Filidor Vesh, nephew to the Archon of Old Earth, was brought to some understanding of his potential responsibilities, and his capabilities. In this novel, he has become the Archon's apprentice, but despite some additional duties, he does not really seem to have fully taken up his role. Indeed, he seems all to willing to let his aide direct his actions, saving all the more time for his favored pursuits: eating, drinking, chasing women.
As the novel opens, he more or less simultaneously makes a careless decision to allow exploitation of a remote rural area by some local nobles (named, transparently, Maguffyne); and falls in love with a girl he sees out his window. Not at all surprisingly, upon tracking down the girl he learns that she had come to petition him to protect her land from exploitation by the very nobles he has just supported. Soon he find himself stripped of his seal of office and effectively without an identity.
He ends up chasing the girl in an attempt to make amends (and recover his sigil). He falls in with a travelling acting troupe, and later ends up thrown off a ship in the middle of an ocean. Luckily -- to an extent -- he is rescued by a sea creature -- unluckily the creature tows him to slavery on a remote island. Filidor is once again forced to take real responsibility for his life, and for the good of others as well ...
The end is never in real doubt, but the journey is very enjoyable. The influence of Vance is very much in view -- fortunately Vance is an author well worth being influenced by. Fool Me Twice isn't a great book, but it's a very diverting read.
Fool Me Twice is a direct sequel to Fools Errant. In the first novel, the hero, Filidor Vesh, nephew to the Archon of Old Earth, was brought to some understanding of his potential responsibilities, and his capabilities. In this novel, he has become the Archon's apprentice, but despite some additional duties, he does not really seem to have fully taken up his role. Indeed, he seems all to willing to let his aide direct his actions, saving all the more time for his favored pursuits: eating, drinking, chasing women.
As the novel opens, he more or less simultaneously makes a careless decision to allow exploitation of a remote rural area by some local nobles (named, transparently, Maguffyne); and falls in love with a girl he sees out his window. Not at all surprisingly, upon tracking down the girl he learns that she had come to petition him to protect her land from exploitation by the very nobles he has just supported. Soon he find himself stripped of his seal of office and effectively without an identity.
He ends up chasing the girl in an attempt to make amends (and recover his sigil). He falls in with a travelling acting troupe, and later ends up thrown off a ship in the middle of an ocean. Luckily -- to an extent -- he is rescued by a sea creature -- unluckily the creature tows him to slavery on a remote island. Filidor is once again forced to take real responsibility for his life, and for the good of others as well ...
The end is never in real doubt, but the journey is very enjoyable. The influence of Vance is very much in view -- fortunately Vance is an author well worth being influenced by. Fool Me Twice isn't a great book, but it's a very diverting read.
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