Well, they've done it again. Ace has released another Myth omnibus, this one with the novels Myth Directions and Hit or Myth, continuing the stories of the Great Skeeve and his demon friends.

Myth Directions opens with Skeeve taking off on a little trip with the fetching demon girl Tanda. It seems that it will soon be Aahz's birthday, and Tanda wants to find him a special present. So, with Skeeve in tow, she takes off on a whirlwind tour of dimensions, looking for just the right item. And then she finds it, the Trophy, an object of veneration in its home dimension, highly desired by the denizens thereof, and the ugliest thing that Skeeve has ever seen. But when Tanda's plan goes awry, Skeeve must recruit a team of demon friends, including Aahz, to rescue Tanda, win the Big Game and get the Trophy.

Hit or Myth finds Skeeve and Aahz back in Klah, where Aahz's nephew demands that the demon return to his own home for some family business. Aahz complies, leaving Skeeve alone as Court Magician. When King Roderick asks Skeeve to step in for him to allow him a little holiday, he thinks it harmless enough to agree, until he realizes that Roderick has no intention of ever returning! Add to that the arrival of Queen Hemlock, Roderick's rather homicidal betrothed, and the representatives of the Mob in search of their missing army, and Skeeve suddenly finds himself with quite a headache.

These books are almost like a sitcom in print. Misdirection, pratfalls and humor abound, but like sitcoms, these stories do deal with deeper issues, such as friendship and responsibility. Don't expect to get hit over the head with a Message, though. Mostly, you'll just have a good time and a few chuckles.

- Rambles
written by Laurie Thayer
published 1 March 2003