Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Excellent Brust Novel Back in Print
Brokedown Palace is more than just a Brust's Dragaeran novel from the point of view of Humans (Easterners). It's also a wonderful pastiche of Hungarian myth, Grateful Dead lyrics and folklore. And it's a delightful read.

Fenario is a Human (Easterner) kingdom on the borders of Faerie (Dragaera). The Palace, in the town of Fenario, is a 400 year old, crumbling ruin, but at peril of your life, don't mention that to King Laszlò, the oldest of the four brothers who live in the Palace. Prince Andor, the second oldest, is a man of many brief hobbies. Prince Vilmos - a giant, but the line of Fenarr throws out a giant every now and then - is strong, but may not know his own strength. And Miklòs, who has seriously annoyed King Laszlò, and suffered the consequences. This is their story, told much as a Hungarian folk tale might have been told 200 years ago. There are interludes where apparent folk tales are told, but this is a Brust novel, so pay close attention; details may be important later.

Somewhat famously, the place names in Brokedown Palace are all references to Grateful Dead songs and lyrics, translated into Hungarian. The town of Cukros Elofa, for example, translates as "Sugar Magnolia." And "Brokedown Palace" is itself a Grateful Dead song. But the names, puns and allusions are incidental. This is a very good story, with the pieces of the plot laid out masterfully, so that when the denouement arrives, it is a surprise but still almost inescapable. The plot and the characterization carry the reader along; only on re-reading will you find the allusions.

And those allusions include mysteries from the main Dragaeran series - Cawti's mother, for example - and, of course, Devera, the 8-9 year old child who appears in almost all of Brust's novels. Brust later gave us another view of Fenarr, the founder of Fenario, in The Phoenix Guards, where we see him from the Faerie/Dragaeran side of things, and encounter the sword, Àllam. Like all of Brust's Dragaeran books, it fits very nicely into the evolving story line.

One of Brust's many charms is that he enjoys experimenting with different writing forms. The Dumas pastiche in the Khaavren Romances is only the most obvious example. He's perfectly willing to bend the Hungarian folk tale form to his purposes as well.

A fine book, with memorable characters, a great plot and and ending that mixes triumph and loss at many levels. Very highly recommended, along with the rest of Brust's Dragaeran tales.

Excellent Dragaera novel, as always.
Brust is the master of experimental voice and vernacular, even in this earliest Dragaera work.

nice but no cigar
i have been a Fan of Mr. Brust's work for quite some time now, and i have read all the Dragaeran novels.
however, this book is notably different, it looks like a first book (although it is not), it does not involve any of the charachters of the other novels, it does happen in the same world, but it could also be hapenning in a totally different place, as almost nothing of the unique Dragaeran universe is used.
aside from all that the plot is quite weak, and quite slow.

all in all, i would not recomend it..

Seems I'm the only one who really like this book
Am I the only one who saw this book as an allegory for a communist uprising?The brothers are each a different social class struggling to either uphold the current regime (the palace being a symbol of the government of the kingdom) or to support the change that seems to be growing from the ruins of it.

In general I find allegorical stories to be boring and usually really obvious.The fact that many reviews of the book call it good without finding any allegorical meaning in it speaks to the quality of the writing and the seamlessness with which the story and the message are woven together.I can't help but wish I had been made to read this instead of Animal Farm back in High School.

Caveat:I interpreted the book as being about communism, but at its core it's about the struggle between new and old ideas (and telling a good tale).

Don't expect another Vlad novel, but enjoy the story and maybe exercise your brain a bit while trying to see what meanings you can pull out of it.

Excellent book
Steven Brust shows his quality as a writer again in this exciting book.Set in the East, but the same world as his Taltos books, we get a view of how the Easterners live, and what magic is like outside the Empire.Definitely worth buying and reading many times over. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not Free SF Reader
Vlad gets himself into quite a lot of poo owing to his desire to keep his estranged wife Cawti from being executed as a revolutionary.

Before that, though, he makes a deal with his patron goddess of witchcraft, and the two end up being related via the kingdom of Greenaere, some 'work' and possible war.

Vlad ends up on the lam from the Jhereg because he testifies about their goings on to the Empress.

Yup - Brust does it again.
Each time I get a new installment of the Vlad Taltos series, I can hardly wait to get started, anticipating a fast-paced, clever and completely irreverent ride through a world very like our own, and yet so different from anything we know. _Phoenix_ did not let me down; in fact, this may just be the best book thus far the in series.

Cornered and fighting for his life, Vlad half-heartedly calls upon his goddess, Verra, to save him. Much to his astonishment, she does, and in exchange for the rescue, asked him to perform a task for her. That singular task leads to catastrophe for the entire Empire, which in itself would be bad enough, but events revolving around the Teckla/Easterner revolution seem to have Vlad's life hanging by an unravelling thread. Brust skillfully reveals just enough of the plot to answer one question, while bringing several others to light.

He also allows us a more intimate view of Vlad's inner life, as Vlad more seriously begins to question his profession and its associated ethics. He realizes that he may not, in fact, loathe the Dragaerans as much as he thinks he does, largely because every time he's in trouble, he turns to two of his closest friends, Morrolan and Aliera. These two Dragonlords are such interesting characters, and are always there to back up their short-lived, human friend for reasons that have yet to be fully revealed, I think.

While all of this internal and external chaos is going on, Vlad must also cope with his marriage crashing down all around him, as he tries to save the woman he so desperately loves, but seems to have no use for him anymore. Fortunately, he has Loiosh and Rocza by his side for comfort, and we see a bit more of their respective personalities in this installment, as well as Vlad's Noish-pa, who is a delightful and welcome co-star in the story, rather than a brief cameo as he has been in the past.

It's my understanding that this was intended to be the last Taltos book, and the ending would indicate this as well; however, I am greatly relieved that there are many books after this one, as I would hate to see this series end. There are so many questions to answer, and so many hugely varied directions Brust could take the characters, that it would seem to stave off the boredom some authors have set in after a few books in the same universe. I sincerely hope he continues to produce the series for many years; I would miss his detailed descriptions of flavors, aromas, actions and feelings as he weaves his clever tales. I would miss the subtle (and often overt) cynicism through which Vlad experiences the world that so closely mirrors my own. I would hate not knowing "what happened" to these characters who have become virtual companions in my brain - no no, I'm honestly not insane or completely pathetic, I swear! Brust simply does such a good job of bringing them to life, that they occasionally pop into my head to comment on one thing or another.

[arching eyebrow]

Ok, I can hear you out there, saying "Ooooooh boy, this chick's totally lost it. She needs a big, hot steaming mug of reality, and fast." No really! They're just exceptionally vivid characters! I...hey...wait a minute! What're you doing with that funny white coat? I ... HEY! [struggle, struggle, struggle]

Alright, before these four large men haul me away, just let me say - read this book! Read the series! You won't be disappointed. :-)

An outstanding novel
Brust really puts what he's capable of in "Phoenix".He incorporates the suspense of Teckla minus the depressing overtone and the more on unbelievable aspects found in Taltos. And of course you get Loiosh's usual comic relief.It starts off with Vlad being saved by his demon-goddess, Verra (Example of the far-out stuff), and has to shine someone for her.It picks up from there.Brust really took his time on the descriptions and Vlad's thoughtshots, esp. in the segment when he is on Greeanare and hides in the tree.Many parts in the island scenes make you want to read on and on until the unexpected happens.You will be surprised at some of this stuff.It all comes down to an unprecedented climax in which Vlad must make a choice that could cost him his life.I'd call it the best in the series.
*note: this takes place between Teckla and Athyra

The series really picks up here.
There's something about this book that puts it above the first four in theseries.I don't know if it was the fact that Brust's writing became better(I didn't really notice anything different) or that Vlad becomes more of adynamic character, but it was more enjoyable than the others.

We finallyget to see Vlad doing some real soul searching about what he does for aliving.We also see more of the agony he is experiencing due to the factthat his marriage is falling apart.This makes Vlad a much more threedimensional character and more enjoyable to read.I also liked the factthat, towards the end of the book, we get to know his grandfather a littlebetter.I'd love to see him get a bigger part in a future book.

Theadventure and suspense in this book have been turned up since the last one. I found myself unable to put the book down at night.I always wanted tosee what happened next.As far as I'm concerned, this is the best book inthe series so far.

Phoenix: Vlad Taltos Reborn?
In Steven Brust's sixth novel of the Vlad Taltos series, our "hero" (Vlad Taltos) attempts to come to terms with his role as an assassin, his "racism" and his job as a crime-lord.Vladbegins to realize that, perhaps, what he does for a living is wrong.Hethen confronts his weaknesses head on.Add to this the fact that everyonein the book is trying to kill him and you are in for the ride of yourlife.

If you want to try something new and you are tired of all theJ.R.R. Tolkien clones that make up epic fantasy today, give Steven Brustand the Vlad Taltos novels a shot.This is irreverent "epic"fantasy.And thank goodness for it.

Note: I would start with the firstVlad Taltos novel, Taltos, and continue with Dragon, Yendi, Jhereg, Teckla,Phoenix, Athyra and Orca.That wasn't the order they were written in butit's the order in which they take place. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Here you go....
You are a Dzurlord, a Hero, a Warrior, you never back down, you never give up.But you may need the help of an Eastern.One who works for the Jhereg of all things.Shocking I know, but if you don't you may never finish your mission.
This is one of those books, like Combat Command, in which a fictional setting has been choosen for a choose-your-own-adventure type of game.It is fun but only for those of you who know who Vlad Taltos, Loiosh or Steven Brust is.And even if you don't, enough information is given in the beginning to help you along.
So, go forth and adventure! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Truly One of My Favorite Books Ever
I am shocked, SHOCKED, I say that there are negative reviews on this book - which just points out the huge variety of readers out there.This is one of the handful of books that I must re-read every few years: every sentence feels like it is plunging me into a different world, and feels real and promising, sliding ne into this eery and dangerous place where The Gypsy lives.I would say this may not bean appealing book for the quest-fantasy reader: this is a book for the Peter S. Beagle or Peter Straub reader.For me, it is a perfect story: I keep wanting to come back again.

It worked for me.
To date this is my only 5 star review.

This is one of only a handfull of books that I have purchased just to give away. I have put my money behind this book at least five times.

The work blends "film noir" overtones with fantasy and the small tragedies of mens lives in way that moved me more than any work by a modern writer.

Will this book work for everyone? I doubt it, but it is books like this that keep me purchasing each new book that he authors or co-authors.

I also very much enjoyed the references to music and the small bits of poetry throughout the book.

So Good I had to give it away
I'm pretty protective of the books I own, but this one is so good I had to give it away.I guess I'll have to buy another copy as I always read books I really like more than once.

I Read The Reviews AFTER Reading It.......
Thank God!I picked this up 15 years ago in a Public Library and was entranced by the mystique of gritty cop show and the otherworldliness which shrouds the characters and intricately interwoven plot.This time I bought and reread it afresh and despite a few typos and hard cop cliche notes I loved it.It is an incredibly unique and suspenseful read, but then I have a tendency to feel that magical worlds exist within our mundane world anyway.I just read the disappointed reviews and can only say this must be one of those works you either love or hate.However, now I'm intrigued enough to read more from these authors.

not just boring, but worse ... not funny
I really like everything I've read by Brust.Up until now that is.Where did the dark humor go?Is the Gypsy supposed to be the hero or "Step" or ... doesn't matter, I found them all unimpressive characters.I like to read authors I know and like, and when they go nuts writing something completely uncharacteristic it's like picking up a random book in hopes It'll amuse me when I wanted a sure thing.I consider my time wasted in the reading of this novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Lord Vlad Taltos returns in the prequel to Jhereg, Yendi and Teckla in a fantastic adventure in which readers learn what really happened when Vlad found himself walking the Paths of the Dead. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

4.5 stars
Fourth in the series. It's an odd series--it's all out of chronological order. In fact, this one, if I'm not mistaken, takes place before any of the previous books in the series. Yet, if I'd read it before the others, I probably wouldn't have liked it.

As it is, I liked it a little less, because the rapid bouncing back and forth between 3 timelines kept me from really getting involved in any of the stories. Still, since I'd already met Vlad and the other characters, I did find it interesting to find out how he met and hired his right-hand man, Kragar; how he met Morrolan and Aliera and Sethra Lavode; and what really happened in the Paths of the Dead.

Not Free SF Reader
A novel in three parts, or streams.Vlad is involved in some heavy duty witchcraft, is looking back at his earlier life in some greater detail than in earlier books, and is also showing us how he met Morrolan.

As far as the latter goes, a complicated sorcerous plot leads Vlad and Morrolan on a decidedly dangerous mission to Deathsgate Falls and the Paths of the Dead.

A couple of the important magical artificats appear : Spellbreaker, for Vlad, and Aliera's Great Weapon.

A Dragon A Day

While Yendi examines Vlad's life shortly following the time when he had begun to establish himself as a serious player in the Jehreg mini-Empire, Taltos reaches even further back, weaving three separate plots - the beginning of his come to power, his expedition with Morrolan, and one mysterious spellweaving heading each chapter - into the fullest picture yet of his early life.

Beginning innoculously with a delivery theft by one of Vlad's henchmen, the story quickly involves Dzur Mountain - and its infamous undead inhabitant Sethra Lavode - along with Morrolan in Castle Black. It shortly becomes apparent this was a setup to get him to Sethra's quarters, to ask him to steal a very important crystal from a high wizard. Insane as it sounds, he has little choice, and when things go wrong at the last second, only a serendipitous find and Morrolan's quick entrance save him. But the ordeal is far from over, when an even more important ordeal awaits Vlad: A perilous journey with Morrolan into the Paths of the Dead to wake the soul trapped in the staff he took.

This is undoubtedly Burst's most mature work in the series to this point, giving up some of the manic energy and cockiness of the first in exchange for a much deeper look into the lives and souls of his heroes. Vlad never loses his snide sarcasm, but he does start to tone it down and put more thought into his dealings with powerful Dragaerans. Most of all, he finally begins to grudginly respect a few. The transition is both bumpy and natural, never plainly stated but obvious again his otherwise cavalier attitudes.

The book is also his finest technically, for while Yendi was an editorial mess, this continues Teckla's themes of emotional confict and redevelopment, in a more subtle way, while simultaneously mixing in a complicated and potentially disastrous device of interleaving two distinct yet connected stories, and a third above them all. And the last is how he succeeds, by leaving them independant yet somehow with relevance to each other; many passages will serve to shed an otherwise unseen corner of light on the other story immediately behind or following, and sometimes farther back, leading the reader to page back or ponder some old assumptions, some deliberately encouraged by the author.

The layers are what make the book memorable after its pages have been turned, thoughtful and roundaboutly organic just as Vlad's witchcraft is. As each chapter opens, a few paragraphs are excepted from the meticulously chaotic preparation casting of one final spell, the final climax that pulls threads from throughout the book into a single whole. The portions of the backstory that handle ground already trod in another book are often skimmed to concentrate on exposing more relevant details.

The book is most certainly a worthwhile read as long as a character-driven story with smooth pacing and imaginative action appeals to you.

A Light and Enjoyable Series So Far...
This is one of those series that are far from perfect, but are really fun and quick to read. Brust has become a favorite author of mine because of his entertaining plot style, and Vlad has become a favorite character because of his entertaining methods.

What really helped in drawing me into this series is the way that Brust jumps around in the timeline of Vlad's life... The second book takes place before the first book, and third book takes place after books one, two and four etc... Much in the style of Pulp Fiction, Brust jumps back and forth in time, fleshing out these interesting stories that were only hinted at previously, leaving us with plenty of mysteries, and no clue where we will be taken to next. If he had told the whole story in chronological order, it probably would have been much less interesting.

My one problem with Vlad's character is that he is too much like a human-Swiss-army-knife. He is an assassin. He is a detective. He is a thief. He is a mob captain. He knows witchcraft. He knows sorcery. He is a master knife-thrower. He is an ace with a rapier. Perhaps its just my nit-picking nature showing through, but its a bit much to swallow even for a fantasy novel. Still, you'll probably find that Brust holds all this mud together quite well!

Taltos, is book four in the Vlad Taltos Series, and it was thankfully much better than the third book, which was a bit of a dud. I recommend reading Jhereg, then Yendi, and then this book. Its a good ride!

Fantastic prequel to _Jhereg_
In _Taltos_, Brust takes us farther back into Vlad Taltos's history, before he met Morrolan, and before Aliera came back from the dead. We learn a great deal of Vlad's past, and witness how he came to be the person he is in the following books. Brust uses flashbacks interspersed with current action both to build suspense, and to keep the reader's attention, and it works; so often, authors use this method unskillfully, and it just sucks all of the life out of a plot. Here, though, it served its purpose brilliantly.

The book gets underway as Vlad is preparing for some unknown magical ritual, and each chapter begins with a short paragraph about that spell; however, we don't learn what the spell is or why he's performing it until the very end of the book. It does keep the reader's curiosity piqued, though, wondering in the backs of our minds what he is doing, and why he would have to attempt it.

The main plot moves quickly and easily; one of Vlad's buttonmen has stolen a large sum of money from him, and Vlad must get it back. Sounds simple enough, but the thief has retreated to Dzur Mountain, a place of much rumor and mystery, alleged home of Sethra Lavode - an undead woman thousands upon thousands of years old, and by all accounts, not terribly friendly. Still, Vlad is determined to find the man and get his money back. Thus, he appeals to Morrolan for assistance, and finds out that both Morrolan and Sethra knew more about the theft than he could have guessed.

He ends up accompanying Morrolan (who holds him in utter contempt at this point) to the Paths of the Dead - the place where Dragaerans' souls spend the afterlife, and where the gods reside. Brust does a wonderful job depicting the surreal, otherworldly Paths, as well as the ever-morphing Hall of Judgment. Inside its walls, our party meets several gods, the founder of the Empire,and manages to have Aliera brought back to life (who promptly relieves the founder of the Empire of his Great Weapon.) But at what cost has all of this come? No living Dragaeran may enter the Paths of the Dead and leave alive; therefore, Morrolan must stay behind eternally, never to return. Needless to say, Vlad and Aliera aren't terribly happy with this idea, and try to figure out how to save their companion.

This is a very quick, entertaining read, and brings back a lot of the cynicism and energy the books before _Teckla_ had. I had hoped this would be the case, as I found _Teckla_ somewhat tedious. This is a funny, interesting tale, though, and I'm looking forward to _Phoenix_. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good background on Vlad
For readers who have been through others of Brust's series revolving around the central character Vlad Taltos, this is a definte must read. It fills in a lot of the gaps in terms of his personal background and history, and also explains how he came to become closely involved with some of the series' other driving characters. Brust seems not to ever want to write a direct A to B narrative (at least in this series), and this book is no exception. Unlike in some others of the series, though, here the author provides fairly smooth flashback sequences punctuating the primary story without really breaking the flow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a treatise on art
The Sun, the Moon and the Stars wasn't at all what I expected. I expected a fairy tale, and there is a Hungarian folk tale woven through the book. There's also a plot: five artists, sharing a studio, and not selling any of their work, because it isn't trendy enough. But what fascinated me was the third thread of the story. The narrator, one of the studio artists, talking about how he did art, what he thought was or wasn't art, and what art meant to him. The three threads aren't well connected, but I was so fascinated that I stopped caring. The book is charming, and left me with a lot to think about.

If, however, you want a lot of plot, or a lot of action, you will not love this book as much as I did.

Art story and Life
This older edition has a different cover and some believe the painting in question in the book.

Returning once again to Steven Brust, I am now choosing to review not one of his Vlad Toltos or Dragaera books going on to a much deeper book by this very creative writer. There are two editions of this book that I know of. The current Orb edition and a much older Ace edition.

Quoting from the back's of the books:


Once Upon A Time

there was a kingdom, that
lived in darkness, for the Sun, the
Moon, and the Stars were hidden in a box ...
which was hidden in a sow's belly ...
which was hidden I a troll's cave ...
which was surely hidden at the end of the world.
And ...

Once Upon A Time

there was a struggling young painter
who also lived in darkness, and - like
the hero of that Hungarian folktale - was
beginning his most perilous quest.
shooting for the Moon. And the Sun.
And the Stars ...

Once Upon A Time

there was a studio of artists who feared
they were doomed to obscurity, for though
they worked and they worked,
no one was interested in the paintings
that stood in racks along their studio walls.

The Sun, the Moon
& The Stars

is a tale of two quests, of two young men
who are reaching for the moon. And the sun.
And the stars.



This is a story that I read every few years. Each time I read it I get more from it. The story is of a artist telling his friends a fairy tale he was told in his youth. In telling them the story he is living a fairy tale in that he is attacking the biggest canvas he has ever painted. One he bought after selling a painting that has sat blank for a long time. Now before giving up on being artists living in community he tries to tackle that canvas.

As both a write and a painter this story draws me in. Each time I read it, I hope to become better at both my crafts. This story is a modern day fairy tale told with compassion, conviction and daring. It dares us to learn to dream again, to hope to wish, and maybe if we are lucky the magic of the story will rub off on us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Pain I Love You For
Reading Teckla was agony the first time, seeing our hero brought so low in his own eyes with very little in the way of redemption granted him, other than survival. I was furious with Cawti for her betrayal, and wanted to see Kelly, that Jacobin-in-embryo, made to eat the garbage that he was flinging around. At the same time, I gave Brust huge bonus points for having the courage to write it. Now, with Phoenix, Athyra, and Issola under my belt, I am inclined to be more charitable to the original story. In these books, Vlad seems to be dying to be reborn as something greater, which the end of Issola leads us to believe will happen. I still loathe Kelly and the guillotines he would doubtless build and doubtless justify (they always do), but I admire Brust all the more for taking an easily written franchise and taking it on the road less travelled. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun Fantasy Story
This is the first in a series of fantasy books.It introduces the hero, Vlad Taltos, a professional assassin and enforcer in town.He doesn't really fit in, because of his race and his small size, but he is respected now that he is an adult and has some power.Other powerful people in the royal houses of the government come to him to help him solve their problems, and he is as successful at solving problems as he is at being an assassin.

This book explains how Vlad grew into his adulthood.As a youngster he was an outcast.His grandfather taught him fencing and witchcraft, and from his father he received a bought title of nobility and training in sorcery.When he had enough magic to protect himself from the poisonous jhereg dragons, he called one to him and asked her for one of her eggs.From this egg hatched a jhereg Vlad named Loiosh.This dragon rides on his shoulder, flies around to scout for trouble, and makes sarcastic comments directly into Vlad's mind through telepathy.

After this history of Vlad, the book goes on to tell the story of a theif who stole a great deal of money from one of the royal houses and now claimed sanctuary in one of the other houses, where politics forbids his host from turning him in.Vlad is hired to get this man out of hiding so he can be killed for stealing the money.Vlad and Loiosh are on the job, trying to solve the problem without getting themselves killed in the process.

This is a good bit of fantasy, full of likable characters and a well developed political structure.I liked the banter between Vlad and Loiosh and the ways they managed to get themselves out of trouble.

Fun Read
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.

(First published in Imprint 2005-11-11 as `Aliens and Inspiration') ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Boring
I really like the whole Vlad Taltos series by Brust - but this one was horrible, there's no other way to say it. It was all about the revolution of Easterners and the Teckla in South Adrilankha, it read like some revolutionary pamphlet. Vlad and Cawti were fighting the whole time and she behaved in such an uppity way, she looked at him like he was some kind of filth on her shoes, that I couldn't understand what he saw in her, why he still loved her and kept running after her like a lost puppy. And even Vlad's usual "victory" smacked of defeat this time, he didn't really get his revenge. So yeah, too philosophical, too revolutionary, too boring.

Not Free SF Reader
Vlad's marriage is becoming strained, and Cawti has fallen in with a revolutionary group, who, basically, want a better deal for the working classes.This leaves her husband in political opposition to his wife, and struggling with what to do.

Cawti has put herself in danger from both the Jhereg and others because of her new connections, and Vlad has to decide what to do, which side he is on, and who to act against.A very different tone than the first two books, perhaps dealing with Brust's own personal state.

Definitely a different sort of story than the first two
"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 disappointed by this book. My mind 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.

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." Loiosh actually offers opinions that go beyond snide one-liners, and we can see more affection between them.

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 - or at least it was for me. 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.

Good, but tough read
I don't like "Teckla"; i can't imagine witnessing anyone's relationship selfdestruct could be considered a pleasant activity. So, i don't like it -- but i do respect it. It is a well-written book, and it is important as far as setting the stage for the rest of the series. "Teckla" and "Phoenix" should be read in succession for best effect.

Vlad's life takes a darker turn
I've been rereading the Vlad Taltos books lately, in no particular order.I had never read "Teckla," and was a bit leery of it, after reading the reviews which all seem to call it depressing.Well, it is depressing.Very depressing, actually.However, that doesn't necessarily make it bad.In fact, I think it may be one of the better books in the series, in terms of human drama.If you follow this series chronologically, Vlad becomes more complex and human with each book, and "Teckla" is an important step on his journey.

In "Teckla," Vlad discovers that his wife, Cawti, has joined a revolutionary organization, composed of Easterners and Teckla, and based in South Adrilankha.Vlad can't understand why Cawti cares about revolution and social justice; they argue throughout the book, and their marriage is under serious strain.

The plot is complicated, as usual, involving numerous assassination attempts, Jhereg internal wars, and the three-way clash of the revolutionaries, the Jhereg, and the Phoenix Guards.However, it isn't nearly as fun as the chronologically "earlier" books; Brust poses serious questions about the social and political organization of the Dragaeran Empire, and the costs and true effects of revolution.Along the way, he finally manages to make Vlad question the morality of his lifestyle.Vlad, who had previously accepted organized crime and assassination now has to face Cawti's disapproval, and realize that maybe, when he looks very closely, he doesn't like himself that much.

This was the third Vlad book Brust wrote, but at the moment, it is chronologically fifth in the series.However you count, this is NOT the place to start reading; without knowing Vlad's past, "Teckla" is a bit confusing.It's also a lot darker than the earlier novels, and less fun, but it builds logically on everything we know about Vlad.Brust, interestingly, makes Vlad a real, changing, growing person, not just an entertaining but utterly unrealistic assassin. ... Read more