The Book of Jhereg

This is a compilation volume which contains the first three books in the Vladimir Taltos series by publication order - Jhereg, Yendi, and Tecla. However, the time sequence of the books jumps about a lot: in chronological order these are the 4th, 3rd, and 5th books. Jhereg, the first published book, introduces the character and his world. Like all the other stories, it is a highly entertaining comic fantasy. The first part of "Jhereg" includes a brief account of Vlad's boyhood, and the story of how he acquires the live Jhereg egg which hatches into his familiar and constant companion Loiosh. Jhereg the species, like Loiosh, are small intelligent flying reptile something like a miniature dragon, and their pictures appear on the cover of most of the books in this series. Loiosh has a telepathic link to Vlad, and one of the hallmarks of the series is the constant mental exchange of banter and insults between Vlad and Loiosh. As mentioned, all the Vlad Taltos stories jump around in time a lot, and and after the introduction "Jhereg" the book jumps ahead approximately seven years to the main action of the book, leapfrogging three of the subsequently written books including "Yendi," and making Jhereg the fourth volume in chronological sequence. "Yendi" starts a while before the main action of "Jhereg" and tells the story of how Vlad meets a human (Easterner) woman called Cawti and her Dragaeran partner Norathar. Vlad and Cawti don't exactly get off to a good start - in fact she kills him ... "Tecla" follows on from "Jhereg" - Cawti gets involved in an insurrection in the southern region of the Imperial capital Adrilankha, and then Vlad gets caught up in it as well. For those who are also interested in Brust's "Khaavren" Romances, (see below) this book includes the one scene where Vlad Taltos and Khaavren briefly meet. Both the "Vlad Taltos" novels, and "Khaavren" romances, are set in a world of magic, where there are several intelligent species, including two types of men and women. Humans like ourselves, and Vlad, are usually referred to as "Easterners," the other type of men and women call themselves humans but are usually referred to in the books as "Dragaerans" or occasionally as Elves. Dragaerans are taller than humans, live 2,000 to 3,000 years or so, and then after death are eligible for reincarnation provided they have not annoyed a God too much or had their soul destroyed by a "Morganti" weapon or a "Great Weapon." Morganti weapons are used between mortals when they are really angry ith someone because they don't just kill you, but destroy your soul. "Great Weapons," are rare and especially powerful Morganti weapons, of which legend has it there are exactly seventeen, and which can even kill Gods. All Dragaerans and some humans/Easterners belong to one of seventeen "Great Houses" named after animals of the fantasy world in which the novels are set. Nine of the ten novels to date featuring Vlad Taltos, including "Jhereg," "Yendi"

Steven Brust's killer assassain series starring Vlad Taltos (pronounce it Tal-tosh, unless you want to get on Vlad's bad side) is truly an experiment in progress, which for Vlad-fans makes each book thouroughly enjoyable. Vlad is one of a minority of humans living in a world populated by long-living, powerful elves who tend to treat humans like dirt. So Vlad takes up work killing the elves for a living. Good premise, huh? Each book covers a different story from Vlad's life, but the stories are not revealed chronologically and the writing style for each book typically has a hook to distinguish it from the rest. For instance, one begins with a laundry list, and in each chapter Vlad ruins another item of clothing - a wine stain here, a tear there, next some blood -- you get the idea. The books do have some things in common -- like they all have 17 chapters and a little girl named Deverra always makes a cameo. Why? Who knows? But the author isn't afraid to challenge the reader in this series, and that's what Brust fans tend to enjoy. Jhereg and Yendi are funny, action and intrigue-packed reads, but unlike most reviewers here, I think Teckla is the best of the lot in this compendium. It's different from anything else I've read in the fantasy genre, and forces you to deal with the fact that Vlad has real problems like marital distress to go along with the fantastic problems like saving the empire or finding the magic sword. And Vlad, to the reader's delight, just refuses to do anything the world expects him to. Highly recommended.

Had to acquire hardbound copy as I had read all the series in paperback. Good series, some what confusing due to time shifts in story line. Humorous adventure series; good quality adult/mature teen entertainment!

_Jhereg_: From the very first passage, I was completely enchanted; it quickly & skillfully drew me in, heart and soul. Brust writes with wit, humor and charm, colorfully describing characters, scenes, thoughts, simply everything about the world he's created. It's obvious that a great deal of thought went into this creation; he passes along casual details that hint of greater stories to come, including histories, myths, and rumors.The central figure is Vlad Taltos, one of the top assassins in the land. The other important figures are his assistants, his wife, a few antagonists, assorted friends and colleagues, but most importantly, his familiar, Loiosh. In addition to being a highly-skilled assassin, Vlad is also a very powerful witch. Loiosh is perhaps his strongest ally, being able to communicate with Vlad telepathically. Several characters are able to communicate this way, and it's a handy method to advance the story more quickly, without intrusive time delays and journeys back and forth. Part of what makes this story so easy to read is Brust's use of common language - he doesn't try to take us back into Olde Tyme, using overly-flowery, excessively eloquent language; he makes use of language as many of us do today, with only a few quirks thrown in to keep things interesting. It takes a lot to charm me this thoroughly, and I can't think of the words to describe how happy I am with this book, and everything about it - the characters, the dialogue, the quick pace, the story line, the plot twists, the detail, the simple elegance, the vivacity of it all. It is, in other words, amazing. I'll bet you won't be disappointed._Yendi_:I was enthralled with _Jhereg,_ and eagerly began _Yendi_ immediately upon finishing it, looking forward to once again being thoroughly immersed in the world Brust adeptly weaves around the reader. I was definitely not disappointed. I was a bit confused for the first few paragraphs, until I realized that _Yendi_ is actually a prequel to _Jhereg_.Vlad's voice flows easily, and the words just kind of glide through the reader's head - as the pages turned, pictures and scenes formed in my head without my really being aware of having read the sentences. This is the mark of a truly gifted yarn-spinner. Brust doesn't go to extreme lengths to try to justify everything and explain all of the rules, holding our hands through his thought processes; rather, he drops hints, and uses context to convey items of import. Sometimes, he flat out tells us "it's none of your business," or "that is a story for another time." He gives small nods to current culture icons such as Monty Python in places, and uses modern language instead of pained, stilted "Hie thee hence, lass!" "Evermore, milady" and other such stuffs, making it a much easier, more believable story and setting.A conflict within the House of Jhereg has Vlad being tossed hither and yon, caught right up in the heart of things - would you expect anything less? In the process, he meets

Let me start by saying I like Steven Brust very much, and that I think the Vlad Taltos series is outstanding. The three stories in this volume are among the best of the early books, and show Brust's writing at its best. But any thoughtful reader needs to consider the subject.Here we have a hero in Vladimir Taltos who makes his living assassinating people, selling illicit - well, untaxed - drugs, running whorehouses and operating a numbers racket. He's not a nice guy. It's true that he had a rough childhood, lives as a member of minority in a culture that's even less nice, and tried work as a restaurateur first, but even so...How can we like this guy? How can we recommend books about this guy to anybody?The Dragarean culture is deeply dysfunctional. It is based on sorcery in fundamental ways, and upon the failure of sorcery a few hundred years before Taltos was born, the society essentially collapsed into chaos (sorry). Crime, including assassination, is an accepted line of work. The empress herself recognizes its necessity. Nor are all assassinations necessarily fatal, although a lamentable number of those that Taltos commits seem to be. Sorcery is very powerful, and revivification is often possible. And so many of the targets richly deserve it.And there is an afterlife. At least for Dragearans. And sometimes Taltos feels bad about it afterwards. After the torture and murder of one sorceress, who was guilty of nothing more than what Taltos does for a living, he tells us that years later it still bothers him. Brust is a good enough writer that he makes you like Vlad Taltos, and care about him, despite his vocation. Brust presents the picture of a deeply complex man who wants to deny those complexities, in the tradition of the best mystery writers. Characters are well-developed, plot lines imaginative and tight, and the dialog is very good. The novels are themselves are each very much pieces of the puzzle that is Vlad Taltos. While there are a few inconsistencies across the books, they are relatively minor. There is a sense that Vlad Taltos is much more important than he knows, and that he will have a critical, even indispensable, role in the society in which he finds himself. There are mysteries that span several books, some still unanswered. Who is Vlad's mother, for example? Why does the very oldest Dragearan foster and protect him? Why does a goddess take such a interest in him? The mysteries and shadows, some revealed in later books and some still dark, make Taltos more compelling.These are entertaining, even compelling yarns in a richly imagined world. In the end, you don't care that Vlad Taltos is a multiple-murderer; you just want Steven Brust to write another book.