What do you think?
Rate this book
Maijstral #2
House of Shards
One obsessed cop. Two master thieves. A very small island in space. And The Greatest Treasure in the Empire.
Silverside Station is a small asteroid resort catering to the rich, the famous, and the celebrated— but is it big enough for both Drake Maijstral (the devious hero of The Crown Jewels) and Geoff Fu George (rated the galaxy’s top burglar by the Imperial Sporting Commission), both of whom have set their sights on the Eltdown Shard, a fabulous jewel that captures the light of a dying sun, a jewel that dangles around the comely throat of the Duchess Roberta, a beautiful and dashing heiress who clearly has plans of her own.
Mayhem and hilarity at the only possible result. House of Shards continues the droll adventures of Drake Maijstral— thief, devout coward, and reluctant hero— as he schemes his way to the top of the ratings.
Silverside Station is a small asteroid resort catering to the rich, the famous, and the celebrated— but is it big enough for both Drake Maijstral (the devious hero of The Crown Jewels) and Geoff Fu George (rated the galaxy’s top burglar by the Imperial Sporting Commission), both of whom have set their sights on the Eltdown Shard, a fabulous jewel that captures the light of a dying sun, a jewel that dangles around the comely throat of the Duchess Roberta, a beautiful and dashing heiress who clearly has plans of her own.
Mayhem and hilarity at the only possible result. House of Shards continues the droll adventures of Drake Maijstral— thief, devout coward, and reluctant hero— as he schemes his way to the top of the ratings.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 1988
About the author
Walter Jon Williams
243 books854 followersWalter Jon Williams has published twenty novels and short fiction collections. Most are science fiction or fantasy -Hardwired, Voice of the Whirlwind, Aristoi, Metropolitan, City on Fire to name just a few - a few are historical adventures, and the most recent, The Rift, is a disaster novel in which "I just basically pound a part of the planet down to bedrock." And that's just the opening chapters. Walter holds a fourth-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, and also enjoys sailing and scuba diving. He lives in New Mexico with his wife, Kathy Hedges.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 13, 2018
This is my favorite of the three Maijstral books. It's a crime caper set on a space station with a definite Douglas Adams/Doctor Who flare. The characters are all larger-than-life personages like a good Agatha Christie puzzler. It never gets overly silly, and it kept me turning pages compulsively all the way through.
May 29, 2012
One of my top ten sci-fi books, it's inventive, funny, charming, and a great hoot to read. Having finally read the whole series, this is still my fav of the bunch but the series as a whole is fun and satisfying. Wish WJW had written more books in this style.
July 4, 2016
Far future SF set in a decadent society. Maijstral is an Allowed Burglar. In this, book two, he's pitted against Fu George the top-ranked burglar and Mr. Sun the overzealous head of security on a fabulous asteroid resort. Hijinks ensue. A fun heist.
January 29, 2008
This book was a hoot. I really wish Walter Jon Williams had been willing to do more books than just the sequels. It is a very funny book, and quite different from his other work.
November 23, 2019
Great fun!
Great fun! I've just finished the second of this three book series, and have greatly enjoyed the plot arch so far. Can't wait to see if my assumptions on the final resolution are correct
Great fun! I've just finished the second of this three book series, and have greatly enjoyed the plot arch so far. Can't wait to see if my assumptions on the final resolution are correct
November 16, 2015
Amusing book. I really like Roman, wish there was more of him.
July 11, 2018
I like W. J. Williams' work in general, but Drake Majistral does not do it for me. You cannot transplant Bertie Wooster to be a Space-Opera Jewel Thief. Well, maybe you can, but it sets my teeth on edge. I didn't finish it. You might like it. Sorry, Walter!
April 25, 2023
such an absurdly entertaining piece of fiction, I'm unsure if its my lack of exposure to fiction of this variety or if its truly this impactful but I genuinely loved the experience.
February 3, 2016
Drake Maijstral is in the proximity of the top-rated "Allowed Burglar", and people seem to want a contest. Drake just wants to steal an item to advance his rating and make some money.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews