Dzur

It is hard to believe that a series of books has kept my attention through 10 books. Yet that is exactly what Brust has done. Every time a new book comes out I go back and reread the entire series up to that point. I read the first ones back in the 80's in high school as they came out, and I thought that the Character of Vlad Taltos was the coolest. He is a member of House Jehreg and a sometime assassin. Vlad once read quickly becomes an immensely popular protagonist. I have introduced these books to numerous friends and all have loved him and the books. Issola, in the book before Dzur Vlad, is wandering around the countryside with a price on his head, and lamenting about how his life got so turned upside down. Vlad in Dzur, gets to do what he likes best- he starts stirring things up and seeing where the pieces fall. One of my favorite elements of this series is that you never know how Brust will start chapters off. Each book has had chapter headings in a new and unique way. In the one book it was quick wit "No matter how subtle the wizard a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style." In another it is a list of cleaning and repairs to an outfit. In this one it is a recollection of a meal at Valabar's - a restaurant that makes appearances throughout the series. If Brust is able to create the meal described in these snippets he is not only a master wordsmith but must be close to a master chef. Brust had Vlad come back to the capitol city because his estranged wife is in trouble. He rushes in where angels would fear to tread. He steps into the middle of a power struggle with organized crimes' two sides of the family. He fears getting friends killed or injured, but is more than willing to risk his own neck. However, as Vlad is getting older, he is also mellowing some and maturing. Vlad realizes that he cannot do it himself. He challenges his patron Goddess to help as much as she can. He also enlists the help of some of those who have offered, but warns them not to take too many risks. Vlad is a little more subdued and subtle in this book compared to some of the earlier ones. However he is just as enjoyable as a character and the journey with him through the adventure in Dzur is as exciting and thrilling as the previous books. Like the meal described at the beginning of the chapters, Brust's books need to be savored and enjoyed at the pace they come at us. Just as Vlad describes the meal step by step and makes comparisons between preparing a meal and preparing a hit, Brust leads us to discover more and more about Vlad as we go through the courses in this book. Like each of the previous 9 books in this series, Jhereg (1983), Yendi (1984), Teckla (1987), Taltos (1988), Phoenix (1990), Athyra (1993), Orca (1996), Dragon (1998), Issola (2001), and I'm sure, the forthcoming Jhegaala (2008) this book is a great read. The series is planned to be a total of 19 books, making this one the middle point as far as volumes. It leaves a

I'm addicted. I admit it and I was absolutely delighted that Vlad returned. To really appreciate it first go back and reread the series, I'd be surprised if you didn't pick up on loads of things you'd missed the first time. It makes it even better. I've just reread it for the third time and enjoyed it very much. Brust is a weaver, he has threads in this that go way back and he somehow knows how all those threads come together in the future. He is working on another Vlad too, perhaps next we will discover who is the goddess that is Vlad's Mom? Hmmmm? Or who exactly is Kragar? Will Vlad end up running the Organization after all? A great series and highly recommended.

Fans of Steven Brust will once again enjoy the wit and violence of Vlad Taltos. Clearly, as it comes in a long series of books that follow Taltos' rise and fall within the Jhereg, then his exile from his home city, this is not a book for first-time readers of the Jhereg series. The format of starting each chapter with a course of a meal at Valabar's is clever, and reminds the avid reader of Brust's work of _Freedom and Necessity_, one of his best works (in collaboration with Emma Bull). If anything, Brust makes Vlad both more human and vulnerable, yet also shows how he fits in and identifies more with his Dragearan collegues and friends than he does with other Easterners. He's also cleaned and sharpened his wit to an even finer level than in any other Taltos book. This book also contains so many spoilers of secrets revealed in prior books, plus plenty of twists on its own, that it should by no means be read out-of-order. Dzur is a must-read for anyone who's enjoyed the escapades of Vlad Taltos before.

The first couple of chapters affected me in much the same way that Phoenix and Teckla did, by offering extreme empathy for Vlad. What he went through in seeing Cawti was necessary, but very painful, even (or especially) for the reader... If you didn't understand that paragraph, this is not the book to start on. Go look at Jhereg, if you've read nothing. I recommend reading them in publication order, myself; but chronological works too.

Thank Goodness! Everything's OK now. Vlad Taltos is finally back for some good, old-fashioned derring-do, as only Steven Brust could write it. With Vlad are his constant companions and bodyguards, Loiosh and Rocza, Vlad's invaluable, wiseacre familiar and his mate. You just can't help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement when opening a new Steven Brust novel - and it's even twice as electric when the novel's about Vlad. Here's some background for those unfamiliar with the series: In a world where 7-foot-tall elves (Dragaerans) are considered civilized "humans" and actual humans are dismissively called Easterners, Vlad Taltos has actually done well for himself. In his former vocations as assassin and minor crime lord, Vlad had risen to a dubious position of power and had even befriended "humans" of vast influence, such as Sethra Lavode, Aliera, and Morrolan of Castle Black. But, some years ago, an annoying burst of conscience, as well as several misadventures proving detrimental to the Jhereg and the Dragaeran Empire, combined to alienate him from the Jhereg Organization. For the past several years, Vlad had been constantly on the run, with a price on his head. This book opens up only an hour or so removed from Vlad's recent escapades narrated in Issola (2001). Dzur has him at last returning to his old stomping grounds, seedy Adrilankha, where he truly belongs. Before Vlad's hasty departure all those years ago, he left his estranged wife Cawti the running of his criminal empire in South Adrilankha. Now, it seems that Cawti has lost control of said empire and is in deep doodoo, as a faction called the Left Hand Of the Jhereg, consisting of deadly female sorcerers, seeks to take over. And because Cawti used to be partnered with the current Dragon Heir to the throne, who may have gotten herself involved, there are grave empirical ramifications to consider. So, of course, it's Vlad to the rescue. Steven Brust took 5 looooong years off from the Taltos series, instead choosing to spend time crafting the Viscount of Adrilankha trilogy, which was interesting stuff (especially if you like Alexander Dumas) but not nearly as much fun as the exploits of our sneering, sarcastic ex-assassin. Vlad Taltos is one of the most complex, most romantic, and most fully realized characters in literary fantasy. Vlad, in the early books, was corrupt and self-serving, yet endowed with a saving grace of humor, a steadfast sense of loyalty to his friends, and an occasional penchant for doing the right thing. Then, as chronicled in Phoenix, he had a change of heart about his questionable profession. Oh, he hasn't stopped killing - there are too many bounty hunters and revenge-seekers out there looking to take him down with Morganti weaponry. But what we have now is a decidedly "kinder" Taltos. It was interesting to see Vlad frolic in new environments, as recounted in Athyra, Orca, and Issola. But, now, he's come home. Longtime readers will know what that e