of interest to persons interested in Steven Brust only

So after years of effort, I have finally gotten my wife to start reading the Dragaera books, and I gave them to her in a somewhat unorthodox order, as I wanted to see whether it would work: so far she's gone Dragon, Taltos, Yendi, Jhereg, Teckla, and is now starting The Phoenix Guards.

Results to date: she likes the books a lot, and appreciates Teckla a lot more than most people of my acquaintance, as events contained within it turn out to have been adequately foreshadowed, and its principal relationship is way, way more fleshed out than if one goes in publication order. (Which was one of my goals.) She said the tonal switch from Dragon to books written a lot earlier was a little jarring, but doesn't seem to have had trouble assimilating the chronologically-later bits of Dragon as flash-forward worldbuilding details. (Which was my major question-- whether that would work, or would end in Confusion Forever.)

The thing I'm not as invested in, and would therefore like to crowdsource, is that I feel The Phoenix Guards is necessary before Phoenix, but should I suggest

a) The Phoenix Guards, Phoenix, Jhegaala, Athyra, Orca, Issola, Five Hundred Years After, all three parts of The Viscount of Adrilanka, Dzur, Iorich, Tiassa

or

b) The Phoenix Guards, Five Hundred Years After, Phoenix, The Paths of the Dead, Jhegaala, Athyra, The Lord of Castle Black, Orca, Sethra Lavode, Issola, Dzur, Iorich, Tiassa

or

c) just read all the Khaavren books now and then go to Phoenix

or

d) same as b) except put Sethra Lavode between Iorich and Tiassa?

I can see advantages and disadvantages to all of these. Thoughts?

ETA: No spoilers in comments, please! Or ROT13 or something. She reads this journal.

of interest to persons interested in Steven Brust only

So after years of effort, I have finally gotten my wife to start reading the Dragaera books, and I gave them to her in a somewhat unorthodox order, as I wanted to see whether it would work: so far she's gone Dragon, Taltos, Yendi, Jhereg, Teckla, and is now starting The Phoenix Guards.

Results to date: she likes the books a lot, and appreciates Teckla a lot more than most people of my acquaintance, as events contained within it turn out to have been adequately foreshadowed, and its principal relationship is way, way more fleshed out than if one goes in publication order. (Which was one of my goals.) She said the tonal switch from Dragon to books written a lot earlier was a little jarring, but doesn't seem to have had trouble assimilating the chronologically-later bits of Dragon as flash-forward worldbuilding details. (Which was my major question-- whether that would work, or would end in Confusion Forever.)

The thing I'm not as invested in, and would therefore like to crowdsource, is that I feel The Phoenix Guards is necessary before Phoenix, but should I suggest

a) The Phoenix Guards, Phoenix, Jhegaala, Athyra, Orca, Issola, Five Hundred Years After, all three parts of The Viscount of Adrilanka, Dzur, Iorich, Tiassa

or

b) The Phoenix Guards, Five Hundred Years After, Phoenix, The Paths of the Dead, Jhegaala, Athyra, The Lord of Castle Black, Orca, Sethra Lavode, Issola, Dzur, Iorich, Tiassa

or

c) just read all the Khaavren books now and then go to Phoenix

or

d) same as b) except put Sethra Lavode between Iorich and Tiassa?

I can see advantages and disadvantages to all of these. Thoughts?

ETA: No spoilers in comments, please! Or ROT13 or something. She reads this journal.

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