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After an extended time away from M.Y.T.H. Inc. to focus on his studies, Skeeve's decided that it's time to get back in the groove of things. But rather than rejoin his friends, he's going to start his own consulting agency. Of course, even the best-intentioned plans tend to go askew, and before Skeeve can even blink, he's somehow managed to talk himself into a competition with his best friend and former mentor/partner, Aahz. Both Skeeve and Aahz will take a case selected by the others. Whoever makes the most money as a result, will be the new head of M.Y.T.H. Inc. To the victor, go the spoils.

Skeeve takes on the dashing duty of restoring the deposed Princess Hermalaya of Foxe-Swampburg to her rightful throne, while Aahz tackles the challenging task of financial stability to the impoverished, troubled kingdom of... you guessed it, Foxe-Swampburg, on behalf of prime minister who showed Hermalaya the door in the first place. Now, working opposite sides of the same case, Skeeve and Aahz will unleash every dirty trick and clever plan in the book as they try to solve their problems and outdo one another. When best friends become ruthless competitors, it's bound to get messy. Who will come out ahead? Who will take control of M.Y.T.H. Inc once and for all? The answer may not be what anyone expects, and the road to success is a bumpy one, infested by all sorts of unexpected problems. This may be it for M.Y.T.H. Inc.

Myth-Chief is the latest in the long-running, highly popular comic fantasy series, and it continues to deliver a charming blend of sly humor and clever characterization as it reunites the various parts of the cast with one another after a time of separation. As always, the emphasis is more on amusing twists on familiar situations than on establishing any real sense of danger. There's a sense of warm fuzziness I get whenever I read the books of this series, understanding that they don't take themselves too seriously and neither should I. Skeeve, Aahz, Nunzio and Guido, Chumley, Tananda, Gleep, and Bunny are like old friends, and it's nice to spend time in their company. It's not the most sophisticated of series, and it often feels like the authors purposefully keep things from getting too deep, save where genuine character emotions and interactions are concerned. The humor is pretty broad and in your face, one cream pie away from slapstick in some cases, but it has a knack for catching the reader off guard every now and again. It's nice and relaxing, and I often read books from this series when I need to recover from the latest epic du jour.

With Robert Asprin's recent passing, the future of this series is naturally up in the air. One more -- Myth-Fortunes -- has been announced, but after that, it's anyone's guess, to the best of my knowledge. I will say that the outcome of this book, and the status quo of Skeeve, Aahz, and the rest of M.Y.T.H. Inc as a result, is a satisfying, enjoyable one, and can either be looked at as an appropriate end, or a new beginning. Regardless, it's always nice to see new entries into this series, and Myth-Chief is bound to please fans.

Michael M Jones enjoys an addiction to books, for which he's glad there is no cure. He lives with his very patient wife (who doesn't complain about books taking over the house... much), eight cats, and a large plaster penguin that once tasted blood and enjoyed it. A prophecy states that when Michael finishes reading everything on his list, he'll finally die. He aims to be immortal.