Now that's more like it. I haven't had so much fun with a Vlad Taltos book since Jhereg, Steven Brust's first book in the Draegaran Empire. The last one I read was Athyra, and shortly after that I put down Orca after it failed to excite my attention. But Taltos returned me to the free-wheeling fun that characterized Brust's first book.

There were several reasons why I liked Taltos so much. First, Taltos preserved much of the sense of mystery that was lost in Brust's later books. Vlad's visit to the Land of the Dead, and Aliera's various conversations with different people--including Verra, the Demon Goddess, and Kieron--hinted at mysteries too deep for Vlad (and, by extension, the reader) to understand. Although the lack of answers to these hints was aggravating, I felt that Brust gave just enough background to entice without giving it all away.

Unlike some of the other books, the plot in Taltos is also great. There are two parallel storylines: one, which recounts Vlad's development as an assassin, is interesting only insofar as it presents background that previously was hidden in Brust's other books. The other storyline, which recounts Vlad and Morrolan's journey on the Paths of the Dead, is great. For some reason Brust's descriptions of what the pair discover on their journey are awe-inspiring despite Brust's simple writing style.

But in the end, what really makes the book noteworthy is its atmosphere. Both the sense of history and the plot contribute to the atmosphere, but Brust also gets in little details that almost made me laugh out loud: the gods bickering at one another ("Tough cookies" is surprisingly funny coming from the Demon Goddess's mouth), Vlad egging on an eternal guardian, the blood of a goddess, and so on.

For those who have enjoyed the previous Vlad Taltos books, this slim volume is a welcome addition. The ideas fly fast and thick here, but not enough to be confusing; and in the end the book serves its purposes as a fascinating (if light) entertainment.

Copyright © 2002 Steven Wu