Customer Reviews

Athyra

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the most complex exercise in writing of all the Vlad Taltos books. Instead of Vlad's own wisecracking, hard-boiled, street-smart voice, this book is written from the point of view of one of the alien Dragaerans. But this Dragaeran is a simple kid, and a humble Teckla peasant - a very sympathetic character. The Dragaeran, Savn, turns out to be a very necessary help to Vlad, and saves his life in a twisted ending, forcing Vlad to see him as a peer and a friend, making Vlad re-evaluate some of the nastier aspects of his own personality. Like all the other Vlad books, this one is loaded with action and mystery, with, ultimately, a more mature Vlad emerging as a result of the blood debt. Very satisfying

Authors of a successful series often tire of their Hero. Arthur Conan Doyle ran Holmes off Reichenbach Falls in hopes of ending that series, only to be dragged back kicking and screaming. Yet, as someone once said, Holmes was never quite the same after he went over the falls. In Athyra, one gets the sense that Steven Brust is looking for a Reichenbach Falls of his own to throw Vlad off. (Ironically, much of the action takes place in caves on a cliff above a river. Hmmm.)

For those who joined us late, Athyra is the 6th novel in a fantasy series revolving around Vlad Taltos. Vlad is a human living in Dragaera, an empire of elves who live to 3,000+ years. Dragaeran society is divided into 17 "houses" or clans. Vlad belongs to the Jhereg, the house of thieves, assassins, and assorted other miscreants. Vlad is one of the Jhereg's best assassins. The early books in the series were exceptionally well-written light fantasy with a deft humorous touch, if perhaps a touch formulaic. I would rate them 4-5 stars.

Unfortunately, Athyra is not successful. Brust has said that Phoenix (the 5th novel) was supposed to be Vlad's last appearance. Yet, Vlad's enduring popularity seemingly prompted Brust to return to the Vlad-ian well. In Athyra, Brust shifts narrarators. The first 5 were narrarated by Vlad, whose sardonic humor was one of the books' best features. Athyra is narrarated by a Dragaeran teenager (of 50 years), whose "voice" is nowhere near as interesting as Vlad's. Worse yet, Athyra marks a far darker tone. The deft humor of the earlier books is missing, while Brust seems to be working through some "issues" of his own. The tone strives to be philosophical, but manages only to be dense and depressing, yet sophomoric at the same time.

I would recommend skipping Athyra, but the next book in the series (Orca) is far superior. And the most recent book, Dragon, is quite good. Fans of the series will slog through Athyra, but it is NOT recommended as your first introduction to the series. You'll never read another if you start here and that would be too bad--because by starting out with the ringer in the bunch you'd miss out on a wonderful series. Start with Jhereg and then work through the series either in publication order (Jhereg>Yendi>Teckla>Taltos>Phoenix) or in "chronological" order (which one of the other reviews lists). (Actually, you could skip both Athyra and Orca. The most recent book, Dragon, takes place earlier in Vlad's life.)

A lot of people don't like this installment in the series because it is such a departure from the others. It is written in third-person style and it features the new, conscience-wracked, green- and brown-clad Vlad trying to run from his past through the bucolic countryside of Smallcliff. While completely out of keeping with its fellows, it is all the stronger for it. Stylistically it is the strongest and most cohesive of the books, with a totally new flavor to the language lent by the change of perspective. It also provides a needed glimpse into the daily life of the Teckla, whom we had only seen as filthy ignoramuses or fiery revolutionaries until now. It does not, however, receive the same exemplary ratings as some of its bedfellows due to its plot, which, while tremendously entertaining, is in fact Brust going back to a meal he'd already finished. Still, I'm tremendously fond of it, and like it better with each subsequent rereading.

Sure, the sixth installment (the seventh chronologically) of the Vlad Taltos novels is different. We get a look at Vlad from an outsider's point of view. Some readers haven't liked this different approach but I think it's a fascinating way at giving us an alternate perspective of Vlad, warts and all. Athyra ends up being a strong novel, just as good as any of author Steven Brust's previous Taltos novels. I do wonder if, like Vlad, Steven Brust is having a difficult time deciding on which direction to take Vlad next. That's fine, though. I'm just as happy to read about Vald Taltos the Wanderer as I am to read about Vlad Taltos the Assassin. The progression and growth of this character still fascinates me. Where will Vlad end up next? Who will he end up becoming? This is a fun ride!

Note: Chronologically, the Vlad Taltos novels go in this order: Taltos, Dragon, Yendi, Jhereg, Teckla, Phoenix, Athyra, Orca. I'd start with Taltos even though Jhereg was written first.

When the (seventeen?) books of the Vlad Taltos series are done, Athyra will likely rank as the keystone, the turning point in Vlad's development. Events in previous books have made his way of life untenable, and Vlad finds in Athyra that he *must* change, or die. The tone is much darker than in previous novels, the danger more real, the moral weight of every character's actions more pronounced. This may be what puts some people off it -- it's certainly more bitter than the light-hearted stuff that preceded it. But that's *good*; Vlad matures, fleshes out, gains dimension. Vlad is a person first, a witch/assassin second, and Athyra showcases Brust's hard-earned characterization skills.

In Athyra, Brust continues the adventures of Vlad Taltos, sorcerer and (ex-)assassin. This book is written in a different style that the others(jhereg,yendi,teckla,taltos,and pheonix), and Vlad is no longer the principal narrator.As a result, this book is not quite as enjoyable as the others, but it is still a definate read if you read the others.

I also did not like this book as much as others... at first.
I am re-reading the series, and I find that Athyra is much
better than I gave it credit for.

I agree with previous reviewers on three major points.
One, Vlad grows up in book. This growth continues in Orca,
and Issola, but it's in Athyra that Vlad becomes more real, and a more complex character, and thus a better protagonist.

The swashbuckling assassin/mafia boss, who was almost a
charicature becomes a wanderer, a vagabond. While he
was forced on this path by an event described at the end
of the previous installment in the series, Phoenix, a reader
can sense that Vlad was ready for this journey for some time.

His meeting with Savn brings his wondering more in focus,
and forces him (and the writer) to re-examine Vlad's former
attitude; however, masterfully Brust does not give Vlad a
complete turnaround - Vlad uses Savn for his own purposes,
and Vlad's uncompromising drive is also present.

Vlad and Savn's conversations ring true. Savn feels like
a young adolescent Brust is trying to portray, and Brust's
characterisations are on target as always. In many ways
his characters are more real than other fantasy/sci-fi
I have read.

I would not start reading this series with Athyra, as I would
not recommend starting any series in the middle. Otherwise,
it's an excellent book, and urge others to give it a try.
In fact, if you read it already, try it again. It will
grow on you.

Added on 12/01/06 - I have reread the book and I find it even
better than before. Definitely my favorite book in the Dragaera
Universe.

Fans of the somewhat self-mocking, ironic Vlad Taltos, his mental gymnastics and impossible feats of working his way out of tight corners, will, I'm afraid, be somewhat disappointed with this book. Unlike all the previous books in this series, this one is not told from Vlad's viewpoint, but rather instead is done in third person and mainly from the viewpoint of Savn, a young (70+ year old) Teckla lad. Savn, apprenticed to the local physicker, gets caught up into Vlad's orbit by a chance meeting on the road, and is soon called upon to determine the cause of death of a traveling distributor that Vlad knows. This section is interesting, showing how much can be learned about such things merely by close observation and careful thinking, somewhat in the mode of Sherlock Holmes. But it also points up a major failing of Brust's imagined world - although the various denizens of this world (except for the Easteners like Vlad) live for a very long time, I found it very hard to believe that someone who has already lived for 70 years would display the level of naivete and ignorance of basic human interactions displayed by Savn.

Savn later gets a chance to use his medical skills to save the life of Vlad - and once more there are some interesting points brought forward about how knowledge is accumulated in this world. Use the scientific method? That might be difficult in a world where sorcery, witchcraft, telepathy, and walking undead are real - how can you believe your results? An older method is assumed here - if a particular procedure works once, that result is passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, although it is quite possible that the method may have extra steps that have no relevance to its actual success.

Beyond these interesting side-lights, the story itself is a pretty straight-forward tale of Vlad planning and executing a revenge against the local undead sorcerer lord. But since we don't get to see inside Vlad's head, the picture of the action is fuzzy, and worse yet, lacking in the humor that suffuses the earlier books in this series, most especially the ironic back-and-forth between Vald and his jhereg familiar Loiosh. Instead we get some looks inside the thought processes of Loiosh's mate Rocza. As she is basically a wild jhereg, not familiar with the ways of man, this view of the happenings is also fuzzy. We do get to see, to a degree, just how Vlad appears to the average person of this world, but it is not a very illuminating view.

Thus, other than some interesting background material about this world and its ways, I found none of the things that made the earlier books an engrossing and entertaining read. As this story is not important to later books, other than the introduction of Savn, who plays a minor role in the next book, Orca, this one can safely be skipped.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Brust takes a chance with Athyra by moving Vlad Taltos away from a familiar urban setting, and series fans may be disappointed at the slower pace. The book does develop Vlad's character and, most important, sets the series off in a positive new direction. And, the ending still has another assassin, an undead wizard, and a morganti knife.

If you haven't read Phoenix and Teckla, you probably won't get much out of this book. If you have read Phoenix and Teckla, then I'm sure you'll love Athyra! Athyra is a stark contrast to Brust's earlier novels. Instead of being a story of epic proportions, Athyra is instead the story of Vlad's visit to a small farming village. Instead of changing the outcome of the succession of the Imperial Orb, Vlad manages to make a change for for the town. The change of pace is great, and I recommend Athyra to any avid Taltos fan!