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Vlad Taltos #15
Vallista
Vlad Taltos is an Easterner an underprivileged human in an Empire of tall, powerful, long-lived Dragaerans. He made a career for himself in House Jhereg, the Dragaeran clan in charge of the Empire s organized crime. But the day came when the Jhereg wanted Vlad dead, and he s been on the run ever since. He has plenty of friends among the Dragaeran highborn, including an undead wizard and a god or two. But as long as the Jhereg have a price on his head, Vlad s life is messy.
Meanwhile, for years, Vlad s path has been repeatedly crossed by Devera, a small Dragaeran girl of indeterminate powers who turns up at the oddest moments in his life.
Now Devera has appeared again to lead Vlad into a mysterious, seemingly empty manor overlooking the Great Sea. Inside this structure are corridors that double back on themselves, rooms that look out over other worlds, and just maybe answers to some of Vlad s long-asked questions about his world and his place in it. If only Devera can be persuaded to stop disappearing in the middle of his conversations with her
Praise for Vallista
Delightful, exciting, and sometimes brilliant. Neil Gaiman on Steven Brust
Full of swordplay, peril, and swashbuckling flair, Steven Brust's Vallista is a treat for longtime fans of this popular fantasy series, a deep dive into the mysteries of Dragaera and all within it.
Vlad Taltos Series
1. Jhereg
2. Yendi
3. Teckla
4. Taltos
5. Phoenix
6. Athyra
7. Orca
8. Dragon
9. Issola
10. Dzur
11. Jhegaala
12. Iorich
13. Tiassa
14. Hawk
15. Vallista
"
Meanwhile, for years, Vlad s path has been repeatedly crossed by Devera, a small Dragaeran girl of indeterminate powers who turns up at the oddest moments in his life.
Now Devera has appeared again to lead Vlad into a mysterious, seemingly empty manor overlooking the Great Sea. Inside this structure are corridors that double back on themselves, rooms that look out over other worlds, and just maybe answers to some of Vlad s long-asked questions about his world and his place in it. If only Devera can be persuaded to stop disappearing in the middle of his conversations with her
Praise for Vallista
Delightful, exciting, and sometimes brilliant. Neil Gaiman on Steven Brust
Full of swordplay, peril, and swashbuckling flair, Steven Brust's Vallista is a treat for longtime fans of this popular fantasy series, a deep dive into the mysteries of Dragaera and all within it.
Vlad Taltos Series
1. Jhereg
2. Yendi
3. Teckla
4. Taltos
5. Phoenix
6. Athyra
7. Orca
8. Dragon
9. Issola
10. Dzur
11. Jhegaala
12. Iorich
13. Tiassa
14. Hawk
15. Vallista
"
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2017
257 people are currently reading
1238 people want to read
About the author
Steven Brust
99 books2,303 followersSteven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede, and also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
May 9, 2023
I've been a fan of Brust's Draegera books since 1988 or so, and all have a spot on my physical bookshelves. So clearly, I am a fan, and just as clearly, as a series that's been around for thirty years, you probably shouldn't start at the most recent book. Go back to the beginning and read Jhereg (ha! A little joke for those of us in the in-group--like Star Wars the series was written with book-timeline #4, Taltos).
Vallista begins somewhat awkwardly, with Vlad talking to the reader a bit about where he is, mentioning that Vlad is 'a human assassin in possession of an important mission.' It's intentionally misleading, perhaps as an in-joke for old readers, so thatBrust Vlad can pull a narrative twist. There isn't much more background in the way of the Draegeran society or Vlad's background to date.
Shenanigans over, it gets into the meat of the story quite quickly when Devera asks him for help and leads him to an immense building near the cliffs of Kieron's Watch. Vlad goes inside, in short order meets a ghost and becomes trapped in the oddest escape-room I've ever read. In total Vlad fashion, it's a completely twisty story that has trademarks of his head-first approach, closed-mouth problem-solving, and sarcastic commentary with his familiar, Liosh (Think Hearne's Iron Druid series, without the characterization problems).
First person point of view works fine here, as Vlad is an astute observer of his surroundings. He is also a human, known as an 'Easterner,' in a society of elf-like, long-lived Dragaerans (who call themselves 'human,' but don't let that confuse you), giving him an outsider perspective on the mechanisms of the elaborate characteristics of Dragaeran society. The society has an elaborate, highly formalized social structure based on seventeen Houses that seem to have both genetic and cultural traits. Each book to date has been named after one of the houses, and this building at the center of this story was built by two very clever Vallistas.
Vlad is, on his better days, a generally intelligent and humorous narrator, although he is well aware that he is generally the one who finds his jokes funniest (much like Elvis Cole in the mystery series). I did find myself chuckling quite a bit, which was nice.
"Are we going after it, Boss? [said Liosh]
'After it? Are you nuts? What if we caught it?'
'I love it when you break out in common sense.'
I kept walking.
'Boss, you said--'
'We aren't going after it. We're just going in the same direction.'"
While the plot focuses on helping Devera and escaping the Vallista complex, the larger picture fits into an ongoing issue of the Taltos books, so I'm not sure it would be an appropriate place to start. Except for Hawk, the most series books have had an underlying plot building about the formation of the Dragaeran Empire came about, and a mysterious race called the Jenoine. It does provide some significant information about questions that arose in Tiassa.
I hope that Brust will be able to finish what should be a seventeen book series and give the Dragaeran Cycle it's full due. However, should he not, at least he didn't only get into the first couple books of a linear, multi-book tale and leave the reader hanging. For that, he deserves kudos.
****************************
Re-reading May 2023 and completely demolishing my own review. I don't know what was going on in my head. This is absolutely not the place to begin the series. This is not even the place to re-visit the series. Brust has the old Vlad here, which means a lot of cryptic narrative talk, meaning that explanations and conclusions are few. At least 50% of the book is Vlad wandering around a mirror un-fun house--literally. So, as a reader, you have to be in the mood for both uncanny and explorative. Will definitely not work for new readers, and barely worked for this fan of the series. Down-rating to two and a half fuzzy stars.
Vallista begins somewhat awkwardly, with Vlad talking to the reader a bit about where he is, mentioning that Vlad is 'a human assassin in possession of an important mission.' It's intentionally misleading, perhaps as an in-joke for old readers, so that
Shenanigans over, it gets into the meat of the story quite quickly when Devera asks him for help and leads him to an immense building near the cliffs of Kieron's Watch. Vlad goes inside, in short order meets a ghost and becomes trapped in the oddest escape-room I've ever read. In total Vlad fashion, it's a completely twisty story that has trademarks of his head-first approach, closed-mouth problem-solving, and sarcastic commentary with his familiar, Liosh (Think Hearne's Iron Druid series, without the characterization problems).
First person point of view works fine here, as Vlad is an astute observer of his surroundings. He is also a human, known as an 'Easterner,' in a society of elf-like, long-lived Dragaerans (who call themselves 'human,' but don't let that confuse you), giving him an outsider perspective on the mechanisms of the elaborate characteristics of Dragaeran society. The society has an elaborate, highly formalized social structure based on seventeen Houses that seem to have both genetic and cultural traits. Each book to date has been named after one of the houses, and this building at the center of this story was built by two very clever Vallistas.
Vlad is, on his better days, a generally intelligent and humorous narrator, although he is well aware that he is generally the one who finds his jokes funniest (much like Elvis Cole in the mystery series). I did find myself chuckling quite a bit, which was nice.
"Are we going after it, Boss? [said Liosh]
'After it? Are you nuts? What if we caught it?'
'I love it when you break out in common sense.'
I kept walking.
'Boss, you said--'
'We aren't going after it. We're just going in the same direction.'"
While the plot focuses on helping Devera and escaping the Vallista complex, the larger picture fits into an ongoing issue of the Taltos books, so I'm not sure it would be an appropriate place to start. Except for Hawk, the most series books have had an underlying plot building about the formation of the Dragaeran Empire came about, and a mysterious race called the Jenoine. It does provide some significant information about questions that arose in Tiassa.
I hope that Brust will be able to finish what should be a seventeen book series and give the Dragaeran Cycle it's full due. However, should he not, at least he didn't only get into the first couple books of a linear, multi-book tale and leave the reader hanging. For that, he deserves kudos.
****************************
Re-reading May 2023 and completely demolishing my own review. I don't know what was going on in my head. This is absolutely not the place to begin the series. This is not even the place to re-visit the series. Brust has the old Vlad here, which means a lot of cryptic narrative talk, meaning that explanations and conclusions are few. At least 50% of the book is Vlad wandering around a mirror un-fun house--literally. So, as a reader, you have to be in the mood for both uncanny and explorative. Will definitely not work for new readers, and barely worked for this fan of the series. Down-rating to two and a half fuzzy stars.
November 17, 2017
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Vallista is the fifteenth installment of Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos series, and while these books are in a downward trajectory after so many decades, Brust continues to challenge himself as a writer, turning what could have easily been just another typical Vlad adventure into an original tale filled with new themes and different flavors.
For those unfamiliar with Vlad Taltos, he is an Easterner (i.e. human) who grew up as a member of an underprivileged minority group in the empire of the long-lived Dragaerans (i.e. elves), who tend to tolerate humanity but that is all. Thankfully, Vlad’s father bought a minor patent of nobility from the Dragaeran House of Jhereg, where Vlad became a well-known member of that house’s criminal syndicate before pissing off the wrong people and having a price put on his head. Ever since Vlad has been on the run, in hiding, with few friends and only limited contact with his former companions among the Dragaeran highborn.
As Vallista begins, Vlad is still on the run. Unexpectedly, the tedium of his life is interrupted by the appearance of Devera, a Dragaeran girl and daughter of one of Vlad’s powerful Dragaeran friends, who asks for Vlad’s help, leading him to a seemingly abandoned manor. Once inside the strange house, Devera disappears, leaving Vlad to decipher where she is, how to find her, and why they hell she brought him here.
Finding himself trapped in this mystery house with strange corridors, rooms which are in different times, and mysterious riddles galore, Vlad quickly finds he must use all his wits, skills, and his daggers to decipher the riddles of his prison and find a means to save himself and Devera!
Without a doubt, this book is far different from the early adventures of Vlad Taltos, which I recall pouring over endlessly as a teenager and college student. Those initial trips to the Dragaeran Empire were filled with mafia-like themes and always included a mystery or puzzle requiring our hero to use his detective skills to avoid disaster. While there is still quit a lot of the later in this novel (Vallista is a locked-room mystery.), its main theme really is an introspective look back at Vlad’s past (I mean, WAY back in his past. Like thousands of years in the past!) and as a vehicle to deliver tons of information on this world and its actors rather than on any extensive action or adventure, though there is still a bit of both in limited quantities here.
No doubt, lovers of Vlad Taltos will thoroughly enjoy this novel, finding the time travel, tidbits of new information about the title character and the world insightful, as well as giving Steven Brust much kudos for stretching himself as a writer and having the creative self-assurance to take this aging series in a different direction. But even with that acknowledged, I feel confident that fans of the series would admit that the plot here is fairly negligible, the pacing is rather slow at times, and this is not a good entry point for readers new to the series. I personally would only recommend this novel to dedicated followers of Vlad Taltos and advice anyone else wishing to begin this series to start with the first book and work their way forward from there, understanding that only by having knowledge of Vlad’s recorded past will this newest novel have any real meaning.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Vallista is the fifteenth installment of Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos series, and while these books are in a downward trajectory after so many decades, Brust continues to challenge himself as a writer, turning what could have easily been just another typical Vlad adventure into an original tale filled with new themes and different flavors.
For those unfamiliar with Vlad Taltos, he is an Easterner (i.e. human) who grew up as a member of an underprivileged minority group in the empire of the long-lived Dragaerans (i.e. elves), who tend to tolerate humanity but that is all. Thankfully, Vlad’s father bought a minor patent of nobility from the Dragaeran House of Jhereg, where Vlad became a well-known member of that house’s criminal syndicate before pissing off the wrong people and having a price put on his head. Ever since Vlad has been on the run, in hiding, with few friends and only limited contact with his former companions among the Dragaeran highborn.
As Vallista begins, Vlad is still on the run. Unexpectedly, the tedium of his life is interrupted by the appearance of Devera, a Dragaeran girl and daughter of one of Vlad’s powerful Dragaeran friends, who asks for Vlad’s help, leading him to a seemingly abandoned manor. Once inside the strange house, Devera disappears, leaving Vlad to decipher where she is, how to find her, and why they hell she brought him here.
Finding himself trapped in this mystery house with strange corridors, rooms which are in different times, and mysterious riddles galore, Vlad quickly finds he must use all his wits, skills, and his daggers to decipher the riddles of his prison and find a means to save himself and Devera!
Without a doubt, this book is far different from the early adventures of Vlad Taltos, which I recall pouring over endlessly as a teenager and college student. Those initial trips to the Dragaeran Empire were filled with mafia-like themes and always included a mystery or puzzle requiring our hero to use his detective skills to avoid disaster. While there is still quit a lot of the later in this novel (Vallista is a locked-room mystery.), its main theme really is an introspective look back at Vlad’s past (I mean, WAY back in his past. Like thousands of years in the past!) and as a vehicle to deliver tons of information on this world and its actors rather than on any extensive action or adventure, though there is still a bit of both in limited quantities here.
No doubt, lovers of Vlad Taltos will thoroughly enjoy this novel, finding the time travel, tidbits of new information about the title character and the world insightful, as well as giving Steven Brust much kudos for stretching himself as a writer and having the creative self-assurance to take this aging series in a different direction. But even with that acknowledged, I feel confident that fans of the series would admit that the plot here is fairly negligible, the pacing is rather slow at times, and this is not a good entry point for readers new to the series. I personally would only recommend this novel to dedicated followers of Vlad Taltos and advice anyone else wishing to begin this series to start with the first book and work their way forward from there, understanding that only by having knowledge of Vlad’s recorded past will this newest novel have any real meaning.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
January 24, 2020
*** 4.44 ***
This is a very different book than the rest of them, with the exception of Isolla... And those two feel somewhat connected to me... I loved the puzzle Vlad had to deal with, having no clue what he was really involved in. I think I just love the character of Vlad and the world as a whole, so I get very excited every time I get to spend some time with him and his familiars. There is only one thing I have an issue with - now we have to wait for the next book to be written 😐! I really hope Mr. Brust finds it in his heart to not keep us waiting for too long... I need my periodical dose of Vlad, for my mental health 😃!
This is a very different book than the rest of them, with the exception of Isolla... And those two feel somewhat connected to me... I loved the puzzle Vlad had to deal with, having no clue what he was really involved in. I think I just love the character of Vlad and the world as a whole, so I get very excited every time I get to spend some time with him and his familiars. There is only one thing I have an issue with - now we have to wait for the next book to be written 😐! I really hope Mr. Brust finds it in his heart to not keep us waiting for too long... I need my periodical dose of Vlad, for my mental health 😃!
August 31, 2018
I won't say this is my favorite of the Vlad Taltos series, but when it comes to my ongoing need to re-immerse myself in the world that Brust has made, it's a solid addition... maybe not so much in the earlier bits, but when the mystery-fantasy begins unfolding, I really got into it.
That being said, Vlad goes time-hopping.
No, he's not becoming a god. He's still on the run and he has his friend-turned-into-a-sword and his two dragons within him. He just happens to have his mysterious disappearing friend send him on a mission to a mansion that happens to be WONKY as hell. You know, big magics, big mysteries, and a chance for Vlad to hop around all his old stomping grounds and other places he'd never been.
Fun? Sure! Resolved very well? Yep!
Somewhat a light adventure that kinda wraps up in a single sitting and we can promptly forget about it despite a number of BIG themes that have already been developed in the previous 14 novels? Yes.
Let me make this clear. Vlad, for me, has always been about a beautifully drawn worldbuilding experience with many races and many places, a funny assassin with an even funnier pet psychic dragon who joins him on every quest, and the magic. Lots of magic.
This is kinda light on the worldbuilding this time. The new places are fun tho. :)
Still gonna keep up with this series and see where it leads. Should be a full 17 book cycle, each focusing on a single theme on the fun pictorial wheel provided in the text. :)
That being said, Vlad goes time-hopping.
No, he's not becoming a god. He's still on the run and he has his friend-turned-into-a-sword and his two dragons within him. He just happens to have his mysterious disappearing friend send him on a mission to a mansion that happens to be WONKY as hell. You know, big magics, big mysteries, and a chance for Vlad to hop around all his old stomping grounds and other places he'd never been.
Fun? Sure! Resolved very well? Yep!
Somewhat a light adventure that kinda wraps up in a single sitting and we can promptly forget about it despite a number of BIG themes that have already been developed in the previous 14 novels? Yes.
Let me make this clear. Vlad, for me, has always been about a beautifully drawn worldbuilding experience with many races and many places, a funny assassin with an even funnier pet psychic dragon who joins him on every quest, and the magic. Lots of magic.
This is kinda light on the worldbuilding this time. The new places are fun tho. :)
Still gonna keep up with this series and see where it leads. Should be a full 17 book cycle, each focusing on a single theme on the fun pictorial wheel provided in the text. :)
August 5, 2022
Book 15 in the Vlad Taltos series. Another re-read. And I am officially caught up and ready for the new release next year!
This takes place at some point prior to Hawk since Vlad is still in hiding from the Jhereg Organization. Vlad is approached by the goddess Verra's granddaughter, Devera, the little girl that pops up willy-nilly throughout the series. She needs his help, and she leads him into a mysterious manor house that apparently manifested out of the blue. The manor and its occupants are pretty bizarre, and the house layout is constantly changing. Not just the house is screwed up, but time itself is unstable. Vlad and his two familiars, (Loiosh and Rocza), try to figure out what the heck is going on. Devera's no help because she tends to speak in incomprehensible circles. As usual! Every time Uncle Vlad tries to question her he is more confused by her answers than he had been to begin with.
A really interesting section occurs along the Paths of the Dead, particularly with the memory fountain. There were also some significant plot revelations that explained quite a bit of the up-until-now unanswered questions and mysteries throughout the series. This definitely wouldn't be the book to start with, but for those that have read the series from book one, this shouldn't be skipped.
This takes place at some point prior to Hawk since Vlad is still in hiding from the Jhereg Organization. Vlad is approached by the goddess Verra's granddaughter, Devera, the little girl that pops up willy-nilly throughout the series. She needs his help, and she leads him into a mysterious manor house that apparently manifested out of the blue. The manor and its occupants are pretty bizarre, and the house layout is constantly changing. Not just the house is screwed up, but time itself is unstable. Vlad and his two familiars, (Loiosh and Rocza), try to figure out what the heck is going on. Devera's no help because she tends to speak in incomprehensible circles. As usual! Every time Uncle Vlad tries to question her he is more confused by her answers than he had been to begin with.
A really interesting section occurs along the Paths of the Dead, particularly with the memory fountain. There were also some significant plot revelations that explained quite a bit of the up-until-now unanswered questions and mysteries throughout the series. This definitely wouldn't be the book to start with, but for those that have read the series from book one, this shouldn't be skipped.
November 13, 2017
The ending was great, but getting there was a little slow. This story jumps back in time before Hawk and explains Vlad's history with Precipice Manor, which is a key setting in Hawk. Much of it is Vlad wandering around trapped in a building, the rooms of which exist in different times and places. Why and how does it exist? Why is the elusive Devera trapped there, and can Vlad get them both out?
I think the humor and one-liners have been particularly strong in Vallista and Hawk, or maybe I'm just finally getting to know the world and Vlad enough to get the punch lines :-)
I do think this was a bit of a filler story. It does however explain much more about the world Vlad lives in, and other worlds, and what the Jenoine are up to. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a direct sequel to Hawk, because so much happened there to progress the story. But there are probably 2 or more books yet to come to cover the remaining Houses.
(I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher)
I think the humor and one-liners have been particularly strong in Vallista and Hawk, or maybe I'm just finally getting to know the world and Vlad enough to get the punch lines :-)
I do think this was a bit of a filler story. It does however explain much more about the world Vlad lives in, and other worlds, and what the Jenoine are up to. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't a direct sequel to Hawk, because so much happened there to progress the story. But there are probably 2 or more books yet to come to cover the remaining Houses.
(I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher)
October 28, 2017
Vlad comes to a haunted house plagued by necromancy, at the behest of Devera, who will have been trapped there...
I enjoyed this far too much to be rational about this - I love "mystery house" books, and this hearkened back to Diana Wynne Jones and Gene Wolfe books for me especially. The plot doesn't move the forward action of the overarching plot forward, but I could feel the philosophical underpinnings and upcoming techniques of battle against the Jenoine pinging into place.
I enjoyed this far too much to be rational about this - I love "mystery house" books, and this hearkened back to Diana Wynne Jones and Gene Wolfe books for me especially. The plot doesn't move the forward action of the overarching plot forward, but I could feel the philosophical underpinnings and upcoming techniques of battle against the Jenoine pinging into place.
August 23, 2022
2.5/5
July 4, 2025
Book number 536 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
Brust takes a very basic idea and somehow builds a novel around it. Vlad is entreated by the youthful Devera, “Please help me, Uncle Vlad.” There's something odd going on, so Vlad follows her into a large building, where she promptly disappears. Now the doors where he entered will no longer open, the house is huge, and nothing makes any sense. Vlad is basically in a magical escape room.
People show up occasionally or Vlad stumbles upon them during his exploration of Precipice Manor. Devera appears from time to time, assuring him that “future Devera" recruited him to help her escape from the structure. I have to give it to Brust, my description sounds dull as dust, but he manages to make it intriguing.
Precipice Manor is like a circus fun house. Hallways run all over the place but often lead nowhere. The rooms seem to move and change. There are mirrors everywhere. Whenever Vlad finds an exit to the outside, he will mysteriously find himself back indoors. He encounters many people and asks as many questions as he can, despite receiving confusing answers. It appears that he is not only walking through the space of the manor, but also through time. It’s confusing, but this is Vlad Taltos and he doesn't give up.
Vlad doesn't get as much time to make smart alec remarks and his familiar, Loiosh, doesn't have much to do in this book. If you're into sword play and exotic travel, this novel may frustrate you. It is more of a thought experiment. However Vlad Taltos is rarely boring and I found that I followed the answers that he arrived at and felt a sense of satisfaction when the puzzle was solved.
Brust takes a very basic idea and somehow builds a novel around it. Vlad is entreated by the youthful Devera, “Please help me, Uncle Vlad.” There's something odd going on, so Vlad follows her into a large building, where she promptly disappears. Now the doors where he entered will no longer open, the house is huge, and nothing makes any sense. Vlad is basically in a magical escape room.
People show up occasionally or Vlad stumbles upon them during his exploration of Precipice Manor. Devera appears from time to time, assuring him that “future Devera" recruited him to help her escape from the structure. I have to give it to Brust, my description sounds dull as dust, but he manages to make it intriguing.
Precipice Manor is like a circus fun house. Hallways run all over the place but often lead nowhere. The rooms seem to move and change. There are mirrors everywhere. Whenever Vlad finds an exit to the outside, he will mysteriously find himself back indoors. He encounters many people and asks as many questions as he can, despite receiving confusing answers. It appears that he is not only walking through the space of the manor, but also through time. It’s confusing, but this is Vlad Taltos and he doesn't give up.
Vlad doesn't get as much time to make smart alec remarks and his familiar, Loiosh, doesn't have much to do in this book. If you're into sword play and exotic travel, this novel may frustrate you. It is more of a thought experiment. However Vlad Taltos is rarely boring and I found that I followed the answers that he arrived at and felt a sense of satisfaction when the puzzle was solved.
October 31, 2017
I have been reading the Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust since they first started appearing. I started keeping track of what I read in the fall of 1995, since that time I have read or reread a book by Brust 36 times. With each new work I appreciate the series, the author and especially Vlad more. Whenever a Vlad Taltos book appears it is like a visit with an old friend. In Fact Brust is one of the few authors I read 30 plus years ago in high school that I still read now. That speaks to his staying power as a story teller, and the charm and wit of Vlad. I gave up on Xanth by Piers Anthony by the 6th book and Wild Cards by George R.R. Martin by the 10th book. The only series I started reading in the mid 80’s that I finished was The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison and it ended a while ago.
But this book is a different kettle of longfish all together. Our cast has been widowed down to basically Vlad, his familiars Loiosh and Rocza, and Devera. And every time Devera enters the picture things get interesting. This time she appears and asks Vlad to follow her, once they enter what appears to be an empty manor she disappears asking Vlad to help her. From there it sort of becomes a locked room mystery. Vlad needs to figure out the manor, and find a way to free himself and Devera. It this is no ordinary manor house, food and food smells appear but the kitchen has never been used. People seem to come and go but now they do it. Vlad narrows it down to some clues, necromancy, and just old fashioned problem solving. And as we know from the 15 previous books Vlad is an excellent problem solver, he uses his intuition, research, and occasionally a dagger and depending on his mood which end of the dagger varies.
During this story Vlad’s thoughts and ruminations go back and forth in time, over different parts of his life and career. We get some interesting insights into him, and especially his relationship with his great weapon. We also see dome new developments in his relationship with Loiosh, as the manor effects them both but in different ways. So between the trips down past memories, a new visit to the Paths of The Dead, and a bit of travel in time there is a lot happening considering Vlad cannot leave the regions of a manor house.
This book is a lot less action and adventure than some of the Vlad novels, but a series that has reached 15 volumes hopefully they are not all the same formula. We receive a lot of information that we can only assume will be pertinent in future volumes as the series progresses. If this were a TV series this would be a part flash back episode loaded with new information. And a number of tangents that information can lead in the next book.
Another great read from one of my all-time favorite authors. A great novel in an incredible series! Well done Brust, well done.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Steven Brust.
But this book is a different kettle of longfish all together. Our cast has been widowed down to basically Vlad, his familiars Loiosh and Rocza, and Devera. And every time Devera enters the picture things get interesting. This time she appears and asks Vlad to follow her, once they enter what appears to be an empty manor she disappears asking Vlad to help her. From there it sort of becomes a locked room mystery. Vlad needs to figure out the manor, and find a way to free himself and Devera. It this is no ordinary manor house, food and food smells appear but the kitchen has never been used. People seem to come and go but now they do it. Vlad narrows it down to some clues, necromancy, and just old fashioned problem solving. And as we know from the 15 previous books Vlad is an excellent problem solver, he uses his intuition, research, and occasionally a dagger and depending on his mood which end of the dagger varies.
During this story Vlad’s thoughts and ruminations go back and forth in time, over different parts of his life and career. We get some interesting insights into him, and especially his relationship with his great weapon. We also see dome new developments in his relationship with Loiosh, as the manor effects them both but in different ways. So between the trips down past memories, a new visit to the Paths of The Dead, and a bit of travel in time there is a lot happening considering Vlad cannot leave the regions of a manor house.
This book is a lot less action and adventure than some of the Vlad novels, but a series that has reached 15 volumes hopefully they are not all the same formula. We receive a lot of information that we can only assume will be pertinent in future volumes as the series progresses. If this were a TV series this would be a part flash back episode loaded with new information. And a number of tangents that information can lead in the next book.
Another great read from one of my all-time favorite authors. A great novel in an incredible series! Well done Brust, well done.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Steven Brust.
October 23, 2017
As this is the 15th book in the series, I (like many of you reading this) will continue to read these books until Brust either completes the story, or expires. Whenever a new book appears on the horizon, I always await it's delivery with great anticipation.
I found this to be a different take on the series, with the author attempting a Agatha Christie-style episode set in a spooky castle. The regular cast is largely stripped down to Vlad, his familiars, and Devera, with the occasional flashback with some of the larger cast.
Brust definitely expressed the mystery well, but somehow the character moments suffered in the story for me. I only truly loved two exchanges in the book; Vlad's discussion with a Dancer and his meal in a local Teckla Pub. Both of these allowed for some of that signature Brustian dialog greatness I find is the reason I come back again and again.
The rest of the tale is a bit of Upstairs/Downstairs business that failed to land somehow, and the reveal towards the end with the Goddess wasn't surprising nor out of line with the theme of the series as a whole. I'll put this down and give it a reread in a year to see if I was in the wrong mood for this at the time or not.
I found this to be a different take on the series, with the author attempting a Agatha Christie-style episode set in a spooky castle. The regular cast is largely stripped down to Vlad, his familiars, and Devera, with the occasional flashback with some of the larger cast.
Brust definitely expressed the mystery well, but somehow the character moments suffered in the story for me. I only truly loved two exchanges in the book; Vlad's discussion with a Dancer and his meal in a local Teckla Pub. Both of these allowed for some of that signature Brustian dialog greatness I find is the reason I come back again and again.
The rest of the tale is a bit of Upstairs/Downstairs business that failed to land somehow, and the reveal towards the end with the Goddess wasn't surprising nor out of line with the theme of the series as a whole. I'll put this down and give it a reread in a year to see if I was in the wrong mood for this at the time or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
Reading this was kind of like sitting down to play a LucasArts computer game and finding yourself playing Myst instead. Rather than encountering the thriving, well-constructed, well-POPULATED world I'm used to in this series, for most of the book Vlad wanders around empty rooms in a house and describes them. Occasionally he encounters another character and very occasionally he says something snarky and Vlad-ish to them or about them, but for the most part NOTHING HAPPENS.
I love Steven Brust, I love love LOVE the Taltos books, so I don't mean this as a dig. But with all the stuff Vlad needs to figure out -- how's he going to resolve things once and for all with the Jhereg? With Cawti? What's this meta business with the Jenoine and Verra? What's his role in all this cosmic stuff? What is happening with KRAGAR, I love Kragar, has he been shadowing Vlad unseen for several books, HE COULD -- it's maddening to spend an entire book watching Vlad more or less ignore these problems. I hope so much that he gets back to the city and back to his problems in the next book. I miss Vlad the assassin and master of snark!
I love Steven Brust, I love love LOVE the Taltos books, so I don't mean this as a dig. But with all the stuff Vlad needs to figure out -- how's he going to resolve things once and for all with the Jhereg? With Cawti? What's this meta business with the Jenoine and Verra? What's his role in all this cosmic stuff? What is happening with KRAGAR, I love Kragar, has he been shadowing Vlad unseen for several books, HE COULD -- it's maddening to spend an entire book watching Vlad more or less ignore these problems. I hope so much that he gets back to the city and back to his problems in the next book. I miss Vlad the assassin and master of snark!
October 27, 2017
I think the Taltos books, unfortunately, are going downhill (although I will continue to read them). Simply not as interesting or, perhaps more fundamentally, FUN, as they used to be. I think Brust is trying to stretch himself and do new things as writer (e.g., the Khaavren Romances (the bloated writing style of which I truly hated), and the Incrementalists), which I appreciate - but I think to the detriment of the Taltos tales. (And, frankly, in a direction I just don't care for - in contrast to some of his earlier non-Taltos books - Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grill, The Gypsy, Agyar, Brokedown Palace, etc. - all of which, although read long ago, I recall that I liked).
November 16, 2017
will review soon at www.fantasyliterature.com
January 21, 2020
Mini-Review:
4.7 Stars for Narration by Bernard Setaro Clark
4 Stars for Suspense/Mystery/Plot
5 Stars for Vlad + Gang
4.5 Stars for Progression
Everything that I love about the series was in this book except a couple of people, but they were mentioned and that's good enough. Usually, I would not call any of the stories in the series a solid caper/mystery/etc because the actual events are more of a mashup of many things.
At the most basic, Vallista is a story about Vlad helping Devera. However, this one was a heck of a lot more than meets the eye and I loved the slow lift of a long, perilous ride that left me laughing in screaming delight. I love the way the story never feels like it's doing anything huge. Then you get enough to connect the dots and it's amazing in scope.
Tons of series relevant topics were brought up and addressed in this one volume: politics, history, different races, love & regret, family, betrayal, pride, Gods/Goddesses-- I could talk about the many aspects all day and have a blast!
Excellent Vlad adventure with a juicy mystery. A real one! Not a frame to wrap a story but a mystery that's part of the overall plot. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one to come out. Hopefully sooner vs later. =P
4.7 Stars for Narration by Bernard Setaro Clark
4 Stars for Suspense/Mystery/Plot
5 Stars for Vlad + Gang
4.5 Stars for Progression
Everything that I love about the series was in this book except a couple of people, but they were mentioned and that's good enough. Usually, I would not call any of the stories in the series a solid caper/mystery/etc because the actual events are more of a mashup of many things.
At the most basic, Vallista is a story about Vlad helping Devera. However, this one was a heck of a lot more than meets the eye and I loved the slow lift of a long, perilous ride that left me laughing in screaming delight. I love the way the story never feels like it's doing anything huge. Then you get enough to connect the dots and it's amazing in scope.
Tons of series relevant topics were brought up and addressed in this one volume: politics, history, different races, love & regret, family, betrayal, pride, Gods/Goddesses-- I could talk about the many aspects all day and have a blast!
Excellent Vlad adventure with a juicy mystery. A real one! Not a frame to wrap a story but a mystery that's part of the overall plot. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one to come out. Hopefully sooner vs later. =P
October 18, 2017
You've all heard of locked-room mysteries. VALLISTA, the 15th Vlad Taltos novel, is a locked-house mystery. It places Vlad in the now familiar role of "detective who may kill a few people along the way," as Devera gets him to help her out of a problem.
There's time travel, a visit to the halls of the dead, and a trip down memory lane. Like, super far down memory lane. Thousands of years back in the memory of Vlad's soul.
It's a fun book, and it has a BUNCH of information that's relevant to the interests of any fan of the series. The plot's a bit thin, though, and while revelations here may play a big part in the eventual endgame of the series, there's not much here for people who aren't already fans.
Still, it's the 15th book in a series. It is not an entry point, but not every novel in a long series needs to be. I certainly enjoyed it.
There's time travel, a visit to the halls of the dead, and a trip down memory lane. Like, super far down memory lane. Thousands of years back in the memory of Vlad's soul.
It's a fun book, and it has a BUNCH of information that's relevant to the interests of any fan of the series. The plot's a bit thin, though, and while revelations here may play a big part in the eventual endgame of the series, there's not much here for people who aren't already fans.
Still, it's the 15th book in a series. It is not an entry point, but not every novel in a long series needs to be. I certainly enjoyed it.
October 19, 2017
What if Agatha Christie wrote fantasy?
Perhaps I have it easy. I've been following Vlad's journey for almost 20 years now. I am intensly familiar with the lead character and sometimes I can almost feel what the author is trying to do. But don't let that detract from your enjoyment, because you don't need a crutch of familiarity to appreciate Vlad's journey. This is a detective story, in a classy and classic style, and the lead character has the familiar internal monologue of Colombo or Perot. Complete with unrequited love, a sinister butler and a heap of sarcasm, the story weaves nicely and while completely satisfying, just makes you want more adventure.
The Cycle Turns!
Perhaps I have it easy. I've been following Vlad's journey for almost 20 years now. I am intensly familiar with the lead character and sometimes I can almost feel what the author is trying to do. But don't let that detract from your enjoyment, because you don't need a crutch of familiarity to appreciate Vlad's journey. This is a detective story, in a classy and classic style, and the lead character has the familiar internal monologue of Colombo or Perot. Complete with unrequited love, a sinister butler and a heap of sarcasm, the story weaves nicely and while completely satisfying, just makes you want more adventure.
The Cycle Turns!
November 25, 2017
I'm a big fan of Brust in general and Vlad in particular, so it was a foregone conclusion that I would love the latest installment. And I did, more or less.
It won't be spoiling anything to say that the book starts with Devera finding Uncle Vlad and asking him for help; she takes him to a strange manor house where Vlad becomes trapped, and where Devera was already trapped. It's a mystery Vlad has to figure out.
It felt in some ways like a computer game from my childhood, wandering around from room to room trying to figure out the puzzles, meeting a handful of characters who will help or hinder in solving the mystery.
Now, since Vlad has been on the run from the Jhereg for so long, we've had a lot of Vlad tales that have isolated him from his friends and associates, but the ones where Vlad is interacting with them are--without doubt--the best ones. So this isn't one of those, unfortunately. But it's still a delight to read: clever, intriguing, and loads of fun. And we also get some more perspective on the broader picture of what's going on with the Empire, the gods, the Jenoine, the Serioli, etc. I mean, not a lot of real answers, but plenty more grist for the speculation.
It won't be spoiling anything to say that the book starts with Devera finding Uncle Vlad and asking him for help; she takes him to a strange manor house where Vlad becomes trapped, and where Devera was already trapped. It's a mystery Vlad has to figure out.
It felt in some ways like a computer game from my childhood, wandering around from room to room trying to figure out the puzzles, meeting a handful of characters who will help or hinder in solving the mystery.
Now, since Vlad has been on the run from the Jhereg for so long, we've had a lot of Vlad tales that have isolated him from his friends and associates, but the ones where Vlad is interacting with them are--without doubt--the best ones. So this isn't one of those, unfortunately. But it's still a delight to read: clever, intriguing, and loads of fun. And we also get some more perspective on the broader picture of what's going on with the Empire, the gods, the Jenoine, the Serioli, etc. I mean, not a lot of real answers, but plenty more grist for the speculation.
October 25, 2017
I've read the entire Vlad Taltos series, and I'm a big fan, but this one was just too confusing for me.
I think I would have gotten along much better with this if I had done a recent reread of at least the most recent two or three books in the series before tackling this one. As it was, though, it seemed very disorganized and jumbled, a series of random vignettes more than a plot -- and I neither understood nor believed the denouement well enough to be satisfied. I still love the narrative voice, but give me a plot, people! This seemed like mostly an excuse to throw out a bazillion bits of random info that we'll be expected to remember in the concluding volumes of the series.
As for the narration: Bernard Setaro Clark has done the entire series so far, and for the most part he does an excellent job. His delivery is relaxed and sardonic, and he does good accents and voices. Unfortunately I have never liked his voicing for Loiosh, because it sounds waaaay too much like Peter Lorre, but otherwise he's a very enjoyable narrator.
I think I would have gotten along much better with this if I had done a recent reread of at least the most recent two or three books in the series before tackling this one. As it was, though, it seemed very disorganized and jumbled, a series of random vignettes more than a plot -- and I neither understood nor believed the denouement well enough to be satisfied. I still love the narrative voice, but give me a plot, people! This seemed like mostly an excuse to throw out a bazillion bits of random info that we'll be expected to remember in the concluding volumes of the series.
As for the narration: Bernard Setaro Clark has done the entire series so far, and for the most part he does an excellent job. His delivery is relaxed and sardonic, and he does good accents and voices. Unfortunately I have never liked his voicing for Loiosh, because it sounds waaaay too much like Peter Lorre, but otherwise he's a very enjoyable narrator.
October 26, 2017
Damn that was good. I’ve been reading these books for ten or fifteen years and even though it’s ostensibly in a series, you could probably read this book separately. I wouldn’t recommend that though because there’s stuff you would miss. There’s probably stuff I miss; will have to do a re-read of the whole series when it’s completed.
This book is about this guy who gets stuck in a mysterious house and has to figure out how to get out. But it’s also about the pursuit of knowledge and how some people make the wrong choices.
This book is about this guy who gets stuck in a mysterious house and has to figure out how to get out. But it’s also about the pursuit of knowledge and how some people make the wrong choices.
May 2, 2020
This time Vald is tackling the "single location" or hunted house genre and it is enjoyable as always, although it doesn't move the larger plot much.
Can't believe there is no new Taltos book in the horizon.
Can't believe there is no new Taltos book in the horizon.
May 29, 2018
After all these years still enjoying this series
June 4, 2019
It's so good I couldn't put it down once I picked it up - literally, read the whole thing in a single evening.
And not just a great read in its own right - in the context of the overall series, this has some payoffs set up back in Issola and even in the original Jhereg, and it's likely that even more will pop out after a series re-read.
And not just a great read in its own right - in the context of the overall series, this has some payoffs set up back in Issola and even in the original Jhereg, and it's likely that even more will pop out after a series re-read.
April 27, 2023
Excellent new Vlad adventure
September 21, 2022
I'm pretty sure I've read this before, or at least started it some years ago, and maybe just didn't finish it. In any case, in preparation for Book 16, I picked it up again to read for well and good, and rather enjoyed it. It's not the best of the series (that's "Orca" or "Issola"), but I still love the cast, I was smiling through a good part of it, and it made me chuckle several times. It's been a long time since I read about Vlad, Loiosh, Rocza, and their friends, and this was a nice return to the world. It's a bit confusing near the end, and drags a little here and there, but overall it's a pretty great story in the universe. I do have some criticisms with the child, and there's... some ableism that the narrative doesn't really handle very well at all. Hopefully that doesn't make a comeback in "Tsalmoth".
But overall, it was an enjoyable book. Looking forward to the next.
But overall, it was an enjoyable book. Looking forward to the next.
June 6, 2023
When you have a series that has reached its sixteenth book, with at least one more to go, there are going to be ups and downs, placeholders, and chapters that really advance the action. This book is one of those that advance the action, in that Vlad finds himself caught in a house built by dark wizardry that messes with time, and it's going to take a lot of hard thinking to get out of these circumstances. One is also given more of a sense of just what is going on with the whole world of the Dragaerans, and how an ending might be near. I've greatly enjoyed these books over the years, and the sense I get of a worthy climax to the series gives me a lot of pleasure.
April 29, 2018
Another gold outing from Brust, who you read for the fun of his style first. I’m not smart enough to figure out his plots until he explains it. There are two types of books in this series: the main narrative and the digressions. This is one of the latter, and though not as jarring as some like the one written from a different character’s POV for which I haven’t yet forgive him, it’s pretty different. But I found it delightful. Lots of peppering of major points that might be behind the whole series.
September 27, 2020
Still working out how I feel about this. I felt dizzy the whole time I was reading it. I greatly enjoyed the lore tidbits sprinkled throughout, but the (purposefully) wandering, disorienting plot wasn't my favorite. Definitely worth a read! I just wouldn't start with it if I were reading the Taltos novels for the first time, haha.
November 13, 2017
Not my least favorite, and not my favorite, but absolutely terrific. Also, the second book I read around space-time in the last week. That's always a bit of a thing to get my head around.
Anyways, book 15. If you haven't started book 1 yet- do.
Anyways, book 15. If you haven't started book 1 yet- do.
January 21, 2018
I appreciate that Brust likes to experiment with structure, this basically was Vlad wandering around a magic house unraveling a mystery. But the mystery wasn't that interesting and it felt like not much happened. It did fill in a few meta plot bits, but I didn't need to read the book to do that.
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