Iorich

I've been just a little bit in love with Vlad Taltos for more than 20 years, when a coworker pressed a copy of Yendi in my hands and said, "Oh, you will *love* this novel." I immediately found myself under the spell of the sardonic, funny assassin/witch and his familiar in Steven Brust's world, where being an "Easterner" (what you and I would call human) means you are smaller, weaker, and shorter-lived than the Draegaerans. For decades now I have followed along as Vlad grew and changed (largely unwillingly)... and I have laughed. Out loud. In the middle of a doctor's waiting room, or on an airplane, or wherever I have taken his books. Because whenever I have a Vlad book, it goes with me wherever I am until I have read it from stem to stern. Er, can you tell that I love this series? Because Vlad is a brilliant, bittersweet character, and Brust has the most devious sense of intrigue that I have ever encountered. In Iorich, Vlad learns that the Empress has imprisoned a friend on a bizarre, sort-of-trumped up charge. Nobody else seems to be doing anything to help her, so naturally Vlad comes back to Adrilankha, where there's been a price on his head for several years. And just as naturally, the situation is far more complicated than it initially appears.... If you have followed Vlad on his journeys too, then you already know the major and minor mysteries that glue us to the series, such as "Will he ever get himself OUT of trouble with you-know-who?" and "Will true love ever be requited?" and "Is it possible to get a reservation at Valabar's?" If you are hoping for the answers, you may be disappointed, because this is only another installment in "Vlad gets in and out of trouble." But that's like saying, "It's only great chocolate." Uh, like there's something wrong with that? This is one of the best Vlad books that Steven Brust has written. And that's saying something.

In which Vlad Taltos meets his son, tries to clear a friend who has been arrested on capital charges, and encounters lawyers who, to his surprise, believe in Justice ... This highly entertaining comic fantasy novel is the twelfth published book in the story of Vladimir Taltos. Currently (March 2010) it is also the twelfth in chronological sequence (The two things are not always congruent in this series as the author often jumps foward or back in time.) Since Vlad's son is eight years old at the time of this book, it is set eight or nine years after Vlad goes on the run from the Jhereg "organisation" (Mafia) in the book "Phoenix". And as Vlad is carrying a very special sword called "Lady Teldra" we can deduce that it is set some time after the books "Issola" and "Dzur (Vlad)". At the start of this book, Vlad Taltos learns that his friend Aliera has been arrested on capital charges. None of her other friends, from the Empress down, appear to be doing anything about it. So despite the fact that "The Orgaisation" has put a huge price on his head, Vlad returns to the Imperial capital, Adrilankha city at the start of this book. As he mentions to one of the other characters, when you have survived being caught up in battles between Gods, it is difficult to be as scared as you should be of mortal gangsters. This may be a mistake ... In trying to clear Aliera, Vlad meets some of the lawyers of the House of the Iorich, and to his surprise finds that some of them genuinely believe in justice. He also discovers a web of intrigue and corruption, and meets his young son. (This book contains a flashback to Vlad's first meeting with his young son, who was then four: during the main timeframe of the book they meet again, and the boy is now eight.) The chronological sequence of these books jumps about all over the place, which can be a problem because there are all sorts of little nuggets buried in these stories which don't fully make sense if you have not read previously published books. I personally think it is best to read these stories in the order they were published. You can also make an argument for reading them in chronological sequence: this has never been published in any of the books but I am about to tell you what it is. Here is a list of the books in publication order, with the chronological place of the main action of each book in brackets after: 1) Jhereg (4th) 2) Yendi (3rd) 3) Tecla (5th) 4) Taltos (1st) 5) Phoenix (6th) 6) Athyra (8th) 7) Orca (9th) 8) Dragon (2nd) 9) Issola (10th) 10) Dzur (11th) 11) Jhegaala (7th) 12) Iorich (12th). So in other words, the chronological sequence is: a) Taltos. b) Dragon c) Yendi d) Jhereg e) Tecla f) Phoenix g) Jhegaala h) Athyra i) Orca j) Issola k) Dzur l) Iorich To give an example of the sort of detail you will miss if you read these books out of sequence: two important characters in the series are actually the same person. One of Vlad's oldest friends is really a

I don't understand how Brust hasn't become as popular as Jordan, Rowling, or Martin. Iorich is yet another interesting, exciting tale in a world that is unique and intriguing. Yes, the book isn't 850 pages like the popular epic fantasy, but instead of bloated adventures Brust keeps his story fast paced with hints of humor and touches of danger. In this story, I was glad Vlad is back with his friends despite still being on the run. He had to return his old stomping grounds to help a friend who has been arrested. Of course, to help her, he has to unravel what is "really" happening, figure out a way to stop it, and keep from being assassinated. This book wraps up nicely and sets up a precarious scenario for the sequel - I can't wait to read it! This isn't the book to pick up if you are a new reader, but if you haven't checked out this series, start reading Jhereg and enjoy a great, well written series.

Vlad Taltos, ex-mob boss, former assassin, and now a target of assassins himself, is one of the most complex and intriguing characters in fantasy. A human in a land that is mostly Draegerean, he betrayed the mob, the Jhereg, to save his wife. The friend of some of the most powerful of the Draegereans, he now chooses to risk his life and his soul to come to the aid of a Draegerean noblewoman who is refusing all help. More than ever before, he must draw on the web of relationships he has: his acquaintance of the Empress, his tense relationship with his wife and her ex-partner, now the Empire's Warlord, the mythical Sethra Lavode, the legendary Kiera the thief and more. Where in Jhegaala (Vlad), the last novel, he was on his own in a foreign country, the land of his ancestors, now he is back on his old turf in Adrilankha, where the Jhereg are waiting to assassinate him, where the woman he is trying to help refuses to cooperate, and no one will tell him - or us - what is going on. He must pry facts out of friends and enemies, and try to protect both the Empire he despises and his friends. Very nearly a typical day at the office for our hero. This is Steven Brust writing at his best. Action, tension, humor, plot twists, and more pieces of the puzzle that is Vlad Taltos. This is not the place for newcomers to Vlad Taltos to start; there are too many references to events in the past, and the sheer fun will be lost if you don't know the back story. Readers who have read Five Hundred Years After (The Khaavren Romances) will likely figure out what's happening first, but the story is as tightly crafted as you could want, and the denouement is as just as you could wish. Along the way, Brust gets in some sly observations on the nature of justice, lawyers and judges. Again, this is one of a linked series of novels, and is not the place for new readers to start. That's probably Jhereg., or maybe Taltos (Vlad Taltos). But those who have read some of the earlier books in the series, this is a delightful part, if with a slightly depressing ending. Don't skip the "Deleted Scenes" at the end. My highest recommendation.