Book Of Jhereg [Paperback]

The world in this series started much like ours. But long long ago the Jenoine, powerful aliens, came to this planet. They split the population in two; the Easterners were much like us, lived to 50 or 60 years and used witchcraft. Then there were the Dragaera Empire, with people much taller and much longer-lived. Yet we find out that these people were altered by the Jenoine mixing their genetic material with those of the animals native to the planet: seventeen animals to be specific. These people broke into houses named after the animals. And each house takes a turn in ruling the empire.

Vlad, our lonely easterner, is living in the Dragaera Empire. But he has become muscle for the mob, the house Jhereg. Now he is getting paid to beat up and eventually kill those who always picked on him and put him down.

The book is humorous, witty and fun, reminiscent of Neil Gaiman or Roger Zelazny. Vlad zings one-liners at us that will make you laugh and smile and cheer for the underdog: "Success leads to stagnation; stagnation leads to failure." Or "No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style."

If you want some light, fun, humorous reading, this is the series for you

This book is very much in the genre of "Reimaging Eleves". The Elves, in this noval called Draegreans, are not immortal, but extremely long-lived. Humans, as we know them, are treated as second class citizens in the Draegrean Empire. The anti-hero, Vlad is an assassin who is purchasing his way into empire society through organized crime. The short novels detail his adventures as an assasin and his evolution into a class conscious being.

The plots are laid out in a labrinyth of political intregue. Sorcery, witchcraft, and sword duals abound. The world is layered and intricate, complete with a pronunciation guide. This is a must read.

Jhereg introduces us to Vlad Taltos, assassin, easterner (read: human), and witch. It also introduces us to his winged familiar, Loiosh, Morrolan, Aliera, and a myriad of other memorable characters.

These first three are told from the first person perspective (which is unusual in fantasy not only because it's rarely done but because it's almost never done so *well*).

The books are like a key turning in a lock: as you read, you can almost hear tumblers falling in place and then click-click-click, the book surges forward. They are part mystery, part adventure, part sardonic humor, very touching, with well-developed characters and a very interesting fantasy setting. Dragaera is a superb example of what a fantasy world *can* be, in terms of the city layout, the government, the people, its histories, and its organizations. Even the recipes and meals intruige: you'll wish you could eat or drink some of what Brust describes.

Each of the books (Jhereg, Yendi, Teckla) is a complete tale, though they build off one another, and should be read in order. No waiting for 10 years to see a tale told, as has become the fashion.

If you are looking for light-hearted fantasy, look elsewhere, possibly "Blue Moon Rising" by Green or another of Brust's works, "The Phoenix Guards" which is written in a swashbuckling style a-la Dumas. The third book, Teckla, is a wee bit dark.

I have to quote one of the authors who recommended this book, which was one of the reasons I initially looked at this series and which I never regretted: "Watch Steven Brust. He's good. He moves fast. He surprises you." -Roger Zelazny

None of these books disappoint.