Rhialto the Marvellous

Rhialto the Marvellous plunges readers into the whimsical and perilous realm of the 21st Aeon, where a conclave of two dozen eccentric and powerful magicians from Ascolais and Almery navigate arcane politics and personal rivalries. Rhialto, known for his refined tastes and occasional mishaps, finds his world upended by the sudden, shocking arrival of Llorio the Murtha. This formidable female entity from an earlier aeon unleashes a bizarre and terrifying threat: the "ensqualming," a process that feminizes the male magicians, jeopardizing the very balance of nature and society. As his fellow mages, fearing this radical shift, turn against him, Rhialto embarks on a desperate quest to restore his honor and the cosmic order. His journey takes him across various aeons, seeking the lost Perciplex, a device crucial for projecting the Mostrament, the foundational constitution of their magical association. Ultimately, Rhialto's path leads him to the very extremities of time and space, forcing him to confront an ancient adversary and commit further morally ambiguous acts to avert chaos and secure his rightful, if precarious, place among the stars. This tale is a quintessential example of Vance's unique blend of picaresque adventure, baroque language, and darkly humorous fantasy.