Issola

June 11, 2001
The dashing Lord Vlad Taltos returns in this ninth installment of the Taltos series (after 1998's popular Dragon, which some would consider a stand-alone story), in which the hero engages in more philosophical musing than muscle work. Still a renegade, Jheregan outcast and witch, Taltos must rescue, once again, his Dragonlord friends, Morrolan e'Drien and Aliera e'Kieron, this time from the powerful creators of Dragaera, the Jenoine. Accompanied by his faithful familiar, the funny pocket dragon, Loiosh, Taltos as usual relies on his psychic and magical strengths as well as his dazzling swordplay. But what sets this adventure apart from his others is the tone. The author starts off slowly, concentrating on setting up the relationship Taltos develops with Teldra, the Issolian chatelaine of Castle Black, whose gentle manners captivate Taltos and teach him new ways to deal with problems. The dangerous Jenoine utilize sleight of hand and massive illusions that Taltos and his friends have to crack in order to save Dragaera's source of amorphia (aka chaos) from the Jenoine and themselves. Fans will enjoy all the inside jokes and references to earlier books, but newcomers may feel a bit lost until Brust cranks up the volume midway and the story begins to crackle with easily understood tension. It stops just short of becoming a romance between Teldra and Taltos, leaving lingering doubts as to whether their "relationship" will ever end. Though not as meaty as some fans might wish, the novel provides more than adequate fantasy fare.

June 1, 2001
Vlad Taltos' latest adventures take place after the conclusion of " Orca" (1996). Still on the run from the Jhereg, Vlad is tracked down by Lady Teldra of Castle Black. Both Morrolan and Aliera have disappeared, and sorcery, telepathy, and even Sethra Lavode can't find them. It is feared that they are captives of neither the dead nor the gods but of the Jenoine, the ancient creators of Dragaera and its gods. So what is an ex-assassin (Vlad) to do? Rescue his friends, of course, though not without smart-mouthing every other inch of the way and exercising the same derring-do that has kept Brust's stalwarts turning the pages for years. Be it noted that this novel sheds a great deal of light on the history of Dragaera, the primary setting of Brust's imaginings, and yet it absolutely isn't the place to start an acquaintance with either the series or Brust. Hardened fans will rally to the book, but start newbies on an earlier bit of Brustwork.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)