Customer Reviews

The Book of Jhereg

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

A few things kept me from truly enjoying this compendium, which comprises the first three books in Seven Brust's series featuring the assassin Vladimir Taltos. The 3 books included in this compilation are "Jhereg", "Yendi", and "Teckla". Vlad is not your typical assassin. He's more like a modern-day mafia boss, but gets his hands dirty more often than his comtemporary counterparts. Throw in a bit of private investigator work, and you have a nice summation of Taltos the character. The problem with him is he's a bit of a wuss at times and relies too much on the help of the seemingly godlike abilities of the Dragonlords in the first two books. The third book thankfully digresses from this reliance on deus ex machina to pull Vlad from the fire. Also, the reasons the Dragonlords are helping him at all are not very well expressed.

The second thing I didn't like about the book was Vlad's familiar, Loiosh. He appears to be included in the book soley for comic relief, although he does keep an eye out for Vlad and occasionally mixes it up in some of the fight scenes. Unfortunately, Loiosh's constant smart-aleck remarks reminded me of how I felt about Jar Jar Binks in Episode 1.

The third thing that bothered me is the supoporting cast. All the Dragonlords and hired thugs are completely one dimensional. Vlad's wife is more complex, but what the heck is an assassin doing with a wife? His assistant, Kragar, is completely subservient for some unspecified reason.

My last complaint deals with the stories themselves. These are more mystery novels than Fantasy. The plots are sometimes overly complicated - to the point where some of the connections and discoveries made seem contrived. This is especially true in the second book.

So what did I like about the book? Mainly the world Brust has built. It's an intermingling of races where humans are not the dominant force. There's a cyclical caste system at work that, while not very well explained, is at least original and interesting. One gets a sense of a vast history that will hopefully be explored in greater depth in the other books.

Overall, it's an entertaining read, but lacks the depth necessary to acheive the status of greatness.

This is book One in the adventures of Vlad Taltos, an unlikely of heroes. The book begins with: "There is a similarity, if I may be permitted an excursion into the tenuous metaphor, between the feel of a chilly breeze and the feel of a knife's blade, as either is laid across the back of your neck. I can call up memories of both, if I work at it. The chilly breeze is invariably going to be the more pleasant memory."

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

When I first saw this book, I knew it would be either very good or very bad. I am very pleased that I made the decision to purchase.

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.

The first three books of the Dragaeran Cycle, The Book of Jhereg includes in one volume what were three paperback books whose spines I systematically destroyed with reads and re-reads.

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.

This volume contains the second, third and fourth books (chronological order in the series, not publishing date) in the continuing series of Vladimir Taltos adventures by Steven Brust. Taltos is all of the following: a sometime assassin, mobster, witch, philosopher, swordsman, noble, and detective who lives a stranger-in-a-strange-land scenario as what we would consider a normal human in a nation of 6.5 or 7-foot tall humanoids (Draegerans) who often have numerous magical abilities. The books, other than "Taltos" are named for the houses of the 16 noble classes and one peasant class in the society Taltos lives in. Here are the books in chronological order, not publishing order, with the books in the "Jhereg" compendium in CAPS:

Taltos 4.5* -- Brust's funniest of the series, loaded with deadpan humor. This is a simple tale that establishes the beginnings of Taltos' relationships with many of the recurring characters of the other books. Well-paced, good resolution of the three plotlines

YENDI 4* -- complex and satisfying for a short book with a lot of strange twists. This is a rare book in any field because the lead character in a first person book dies and lives to tell about it. Fairly humorous but less so than Taltos and Jhereg.

JHEREG 5* -- the first-published and best of the bunch, gives useful background, especially of how Vlad found his first Dragaeran friend and performed the witchcraft spell that netted him a familiar. This is the real starting point of the series. By this point, Vlad has become more established in his little mob-capo niche but that position is threatened by the Jhereg House bosses and he has to work his way out of being a target for the hit squads.

TECKLA 2* -- maudlin and introspective without much context or reason for the tone. In this installment, Vlad's wife becomes part of a peasant rebellion and marital strife ensues. The ending isn't happy, nor satisfying (and those can be mutually exclusive).

Dragon 4* -- published 8th, returns to form of witty banter, smart introspection and twisty plotting of earlier books. Takes place between Teckla and Phoenix, I think, but timeline is unclear.

Phoenix 4* -- picks up the pace after Teckla and re-establishes some of Taltos' business arrangements (he's an assassin and a small-time mob capo), has a complex and twisting plotline and has more of the humor of the first three books. Nonetheless, it still has some of the pall from the Teckla woven throughout the story.

Athyra 1* -- meandering and depressing; only book not told from Vlad Taltos' first-person point of view, actionless and largely themeless

Orca 4* -- better plotting and pacing for this Athyra follow-up, plus intricate mob-financing issues explored by Taltos in unmasking Orca-house mob syndicate

Issola 4* -- Newest entry is a philosophical stemwinder about the history of Vlad-world and the purposes of the g*ds. Therefore, Issola is not the place to start but it is a solid addition to the series if you've read some of the others.

Overall the Jhereg 3-in-1 is a good place to start, but you should think about getting it with the Taltos 2-in-1 compendium (Taltos & Phoenix) because the five stories together have a continuous narrative arc.

I have been reading fantasy novels all of my life and this author is in my top three. Brust's non-formulaic writing style is extremely intelligent and witty with a unique panache and flair. His novels have a much greater share of dialogue than usual - and what great dialog it is! He is not afraid to spend many pages on a lengthy debate or an inconsequential funny moment.
Once you have graduated by reading the Taltos series, take on the Phoenix Guard series which is a pleasant interlude from standard fantasy fare. It takes flowery speech to a wonderfully hysterical level but still has his usual underlying mystery/investigative theme. :)

_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 two of the land's best assassins, is killed by one of them, falls wildly in love, and of course hatches a plot so clever you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.

A very entertaining next step in what will hopefully prove to be a great series. I'm tackling "Teckla" immediately!

_Teckla_:
_Teckla_ is almost a complete 180-degree turn from the sort of books the first two in this series were; it is a dark, introspective, thoroughly angst-ridden journey through very personal areas of Vlad's soul. I was expecting a light-hearted romp much like the first two stories, and was thusly surprised and a bit disappointed by this book. My mind sometimes wandered as I plodded through the paragraphs, and I found myself thinking of other subjects; my attention just refused to be held by this story, until I came to terms with it being Different.

Vlad and Cawti are completely at odds through most of the book, and Vlad is forced to confront his deepest fears, insecurities, and questions, right down to whether or not he can live with himself and with Cawti. He must face the huge question of being an assassin, or doing what might be The Right Thing...or not.

There is quite a deep examination of social inequities, politics, and grass roots movement vs. The Way Things Have Always Been, which isn't my favorite sort of story, but if you like a political/social study, then you may love it. It's a very dark journey that's rather uncomfortable, and Brust puts us right there in the center of Vlad's soul, pressed up close to the discomfort itself - Vlad's inner turmoil is our constant companion, and it's not pleasant company. It's darned depressing, in fact, which is perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two.

There are, of course, the usual intra-organizational intrigues, multiple assassination attemps, and Vlad is naturally right smack in the middle. Still, there is very little spark to this story, no inner glow, no feel-good bits to keep us going; it almost felt to me like Brust had lost his enthusiasm for the series, or had run out of steam, or perhaps he was just trying something new that I wasn't as wild about. One thing, however, is developed more thoroughly here, and that is the relationship between Loiosh and Vlad, which had been fairly superficial in the first two. They gain depth and dimension, and we understand the bond between them more clearly after reading _Teckla._

Still, honestly? I didn't enjoy this book a great deal. It's not a bad book, and it's well-written, but it was an uncomfortable, fidgety read. I looked forward to it ending, whereas with the first two, I wanted them to go on and on. Hopefully with the next installment (which I'll pick up straightaway,) Brust will take us back to a happier time for Vlad.

This is a story of an assassin who gets mixed up in a plot with the wrong people...people who are very powerfully magically.

I'm sure some of you are going to disagree, but I was sorely disappointed with this especially after two acquaintences so highly recommended the book.

The book had so much potential but the author just dropped the ball for the following reasons:

1) For an assassin as the main character, the book had very little action. I'd say 95% of the book has to do with characters meeting in dark alleys to figure out what is going on. We never see how good of an assassin our protagonist is.

2) The protagonist I really felt is the only character we get to know BUT we only get to know him in a two-dimensional sort of way. All the other characters were dressing to the scenery and I never cared about any of them.

3) This is a HIGH magic type of book. The magic was so powerful that it leaves very little or no room for characters to use their skills and inginuity when trying to resolve challenges.

4) The main character (for an assassian) only succeeded because he had SUPER powerful friends. He didn't succeed because he has any brains or other strengths to get him out of situations.

For example: If our protagonist would have found himself imprisoned, needing to escape, and thwart the people who put him there. . . this story would have our protagonist yell over at his buddy the caster and whine that he was mistreatd. Then the caster would just blow up everything within a 20mile radius and say to himself, "See, killing the bad guys and freeing you from prison wasn't so hard."

OVERALL: I was very disappointed in where this book could have gone but didn't. I liked the Dragonlance novels much better than this and that isn't saying much. Please don't waste your time, especially since there are so many better books out there. My two cents worth.

This is not your typical high-fantasy. In fact, it's close to low fantasy. Brust writes realistic characters. The differences between the two races, Easterners and Dragaeran's is delved into and becomes an intrinsic element in this world. Vlad seems real as a fantasy character. It's refreshing to read a story where the 'hero' has limits, and must rely on a little help from his friends. The world feels fully realized, although the reader does not get more than a glimpse into its geography. Highly reccomended read for anybody looking for a fun read that's outside the norm for the genre. My only problem is the lack of maps, or better explained geography. The city of Adrilankha seems too complex to not have that reference.

What I like most about Brust at his best is his ability to draw you into the story. Vlad has a tough-guy attitude, but you still feel for him as a person.

The setting is unique, which is hard to find in modern fantasy. The characters have real depth, and as you read the series, you find out Vlad is a truly significant part of the world.

Also, each of these books stand on their own. It's not like the endless (e.g. Jordan) series that never seem to provide closure.

A great read.