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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
The dashing Lord Vlad Taltos returns in this ninth installment of the Taltos series (after 1998's popular Dragon, which some would consider a stand-alone story), in which the hero engages in more philosophical musing than muscle work. Still a renegade, Jheregan outcast and witch, Taltos must rescue, once again, his Dragonlord friends, Morrolan e'Drien and Aliera e'Kieron, this time from the powerful creators of Dragaera, the Jenoine. Accompanied by his faithful familiar, the funny pocket dragon, Loiosh, Taltos as usual relies on his psychic and magical strengths as well as his dazzling swordplay. But what sets this adventure apart from his others is the tone. The author starts off slowly, concentrating on setting up the relationship Taltos develops with Teldra, the Issolian chatelaine of Castle Black, whose gentle manners captivate Taltos and teach him new ways to deal with problems. The dangerous Jenoine utilize sleight of hand and massive illusions that Taltos and his friends have to crack in order to save Dragaera's source of amorphia (aka chaos) from the Jenoine and themselves. Fans will enjoy all the inside jokes and references to earlier books, but newcomers may feel a bit lost until Brust cranks up the volume midway and the story begins to crackle with easily understood tension. It stops just short of becoming a romance between Teldra and Taltos, leaving lingering doubts as to whether their "relationship" will ever end. Though not as meaty as some fans might wish, the novel provides more than adequate fantasy fare.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.From Booklist
Vlad Taltos' latest adventures take place after the conclusion of Orca (1996). Still on the run from the Jhereg, Vlad is tracked down by Lady Teldra of Castle Black. Both Morrolan and Aliera have disappeared, and sorcery, telepathy, and even Sethra Lavode can't find them. It is feared that they are captives of neither the dead nor the gods but of the Jenoine, the ancient creators of Dragaera and its gods. So what is an ex-assassin (Vlad) to do? Rescue his friends, of course, though not without smart-mouthing every other inch of the way and exercising the same derring-do that has kept Brust's stalwarts turning the pages for years. Be it noted that this novel sheds a great deal of light on the history of Dragaera, the primary setting of Brust's imaginings, and yet it absolutely isn't the place to start an acquaintance with either the series or Brust. Hardened fans will rally to the book, but start newbies on an earlier bit of Brustwork. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Just because they really are out to get you doesn't mean you aren't paranoid. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Just because they really are out to get you doesn't mean you aren't paranoid. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping,
By A Customer
This review is from: Issola (Mass Market Paperback)
How can I recommend Steven Brust enough? One of the best writers of all time, and definitely underappreciated. Newcomers would be well advised to start at the beginning of the series; but for those already familiar with his work, Issola is one of the best.
4.0 out of 5 stars
We talk until a climactic battle is reached,
By
This review is from: Issola (Mass Market Paperback)
In the same vein as Orca, we have another Taltos talks tale. However this is much superior in that things actually happen and there is a major event at the end of the book.Vlad, Aliera, Morrolan, Sethra Lavode, the Goddess Verra, and Lady Teldra spend much of the book either in a cell, or at castle Black talking amongst themselves on how to escape, and after escaping, how to defeat the Jenoin who have battled the Dragaerans for ages and are making a major offensive to gain a link to the raw power of sorcery. I fully expect the next Vlad adventure to be Vlad having a meal and talking for the whole book about his food. Despite all the talking though, it is a superior entry in the series. Much new is revealed and we get to see a major battle at the end as well as some further characterization of all the major players. Vlad's journey is becoming a long one, and a slower paced one than at the start. It is still a worthwhile journey though.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vlad is back,
By
This review is from: Issola (Mass Market Paperback)
I have read all of the books in this series and I really enjoy them. Issola is a good example of what attracted me. Vlad is narrating the story again which i seem to enjoy more than the others. I have to agree with other reviewers in the observation that this might not be a good "stand-alone" book, you need to have some of the background of the previous books. If you like a good, wise-cracking, first person fantasy novel, this series is hard to beat.
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