Dzur

June 19, 2006
After a detour with the Viscount of Adrilankha trilogy (Sethra Lavode
, etc.), Brust returns to sometime assassin and popular protagonist Vlad Taltos in the 10th installment of his famously disordered series. Beginning where Issola
(2001) left off, this novel follows Vlad simultaneously through a complicated scheme to disrupt the political maneuvering of a shady association known as the Left Hand of the Jhereg and an exquisite dinner at the renowned restaurant Valabar's. (Each chapter, like a course in a literary feast, opens with descriptions of the fare at Valabar's.) Brust brings the grimy streets of Adrilankha to life in swift, vivid strokes and keeps the narrative skipping with wisecracking conversations amongVlad, his companion Loiosh and friends old and new. Though the in-jokes fly thick and fast and the line between familiar and recycled sometimes blurs, new readers won't notice and fans will be too happy at the prospect of another Taltos book to mind.

August 1, 2006
Vlad Taltos' latest adventure starts where " Issola" (2002) left off. For many years, he was a contented boss in the Jhereg, which ran the rackets in the imperial capital, Adrilankha. But after his wife got in trouble, and he got her out, he had a price on his head that kept him running for some time. Now he is sitting down to a meal at Valabar's, and Valabar's has the best food in the Dragarean Empire. But his ex needs help again. The Left Hand, a cabal of sorceresses without a boss, is taking over the Jhereg, which doesn't affect the reward for Vlad but does induce some erstwhile colleagues to want him to help them before they claim it. Also, a goddess is manipulating his memory, and the great weapon he carries is acting independently. It's adventure time again. Brust adds a charming twist this time" ." Vlad gets his meal, and each chapter's title and heading describe one delicacy at Valabar's. A must-read for series fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)