The Phoenix Guards - Steven Brust

Khaavren of the House of Tiassa arrives in the heart of the Draegaran Empire with only his good breeding and his tolerable swordsmanship to protect. But when he joins the rambunctious Phoenix Guards, he and his rowdy comrades must save the Empire from collapse . . . and invasion. \n \nSet in the same world as Stephen Brust's beloved Vlad Taltos books, The Phoenix Guards is a fantasy rewrite of The Three Musketeers--a swashbuckling tale of adventure. \n \nA thousand years before the birth of Vlad Taltos, the Dragaeran Empire is a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, intrigue, wild adventure, and intrigue. For those who would be heroes, it is a delightful time to be alive--and an easy place to die. \n \nKhaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and tolerably well-acquainted with its use. Along with three loyal friends, he enthusiastically seeks out danger and excitement. But in a realm renowned for repartee and betrayals, where power is as mutable as magic, a young man like Khaavren, newly come from the countryside, had best be wary. His life depends on it. And so does the future of Draegara. \n \nThe Khaavren Romances, set in the world of Vlad Taltos's Dragaera: \n1. The Phoenix Guards \n2. Five Hundred Years After \n3. The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 1) \n4. The Lord of Castle Black (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 2) \n5. Sethra Lavode (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 3) \nThe Baron of Magister Valley [standalone]\n