Customer Reviews

Jhereg

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first of Brust's Vlad Taltos books. Vlad is a human assassin in a world of giant long-lived elves. He uses his wit and skill to escape unscathed from a silly series of scrapes. Brust lures you into rooting for and liking a man who makes his living killing people. It's a fun take on the genre. This book brushes against some serious topics, such as racism and the effects of childhood brutality on the adult the child becomes, but it stays mostly in frivolous territory.

The series that follows this book fills in Vlad's past and describes many events alluded to by this book. It gradually becomes more serious in tone and finally confronts the racism and Vlad's profession directly. Some readers will find the later books more satisfying because they're so much meatier.

I found the series worth reading as setup for two other Brust books set much earlier in the same universe: The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After. Now these are real delights, and the Vlad Taltos books are your required introduction for them.

Jhereg is the first book in the "Vladimir Taltos" series, and introduces the character and his world. It is a highly entertaining comic fantasy.

The first part of the book includes a brief account of Vlad's boyhood, and the story of how he acquires the live Jhereg egg which hatches into his familiar and constant companion Loiosh. That's Loiosh on the front cover of this book hatching from his egg, he's a small intelligent flying reptile something like a miniature dragon, and he also appears on the cover of the great majority of the other books of the series. He has a telepathic link to Vlad, and one of the hallmarks of the series is the constant mental exchange of banter and insults between Vlad and Loiosh.

All the Vlad Taltos stories jump around in time a lot, and and after the introduction "Jhereg" jumps ahead approximately seven years to the main action of the book, leapfrogging three of the subsequently written books and making this first book in the series also the fourth in chronological sequence.

The "Vlad Taltos" novels, and the same author's or "Khaavren" romances (see below), are all set in a world of magic, where there are several intelligent species, including two types of men and women. Humans like ourselves, and Vlad, are usually referred to as "Easterners," the other type of men and women call themselves humans but are usually referred to in the books as "Dragaerans" or occasionally as Elves.

Dragaerans are taller than humans, live 2,000 years or so, and then after death are eligible for reincarnation provided they have not annoyed a God too much or had their soul destroyed by a "Morganti" weapon or a "Great Weapon."

Morganti weapons are used between mortals when they are really angry with someone because they don't just kill you, but destroy your soul. "Great Weapons," are rare and especially powerful Morganti weapons, of which legend has it there are exactly seventeen, and which can even kill Gods.

All Dragaerans and some humans/Easterners belong to one of seventeen "Great Houses" named after animals of the fantasy world in which the novels are set. Nine of the ten novels to date featuring Vlad Taltos, including "Jhereg" have the same name as one of these great houses, usually also featuring a member of that house in a prominent role: if Steven Brust is planning to write a novel for each house we are about half way through the series.

Most of the great houses also have a preferred occupation. For examples: "Dragons" and "Dzurlords" are soldiers, "Tecla" are peasants, "Chreotha" are merchants, "Orcas" are sailors, pirates or bankers, and "Jhereg" are gangsters or assassins.

Most members of House Jhereg are also involved in "the organisation" which controls organised crime. The hero, Baronet Vladimir Taltos, is an assassin and minor sorcerer, a member of House Jhereg, and at the time of this book, a crimelord running an area for "the organisation." Vlad's late father spent most of the family fortune buying a minor title in House Jhereg, which is almost the only way a human (Easterner) can advance in the empire, and Vlad has inherited the title.

Taltos narrates these stories with a wonderful dry wit which is one of the best aspects of the novels.

The books are not written in a regular chronological sequence: for example, the fourth novel, "Taltos" is a prequel set before the main action of any of the others. And most of the books contain either flashbacks to much earlier events, references to much later events, or both. In my opinion you will get most out of these books if you read them in something close to the "official" order, but there is an alternative view which says that they are best read in chronological sequence.

If you are interested in the Vlad Taltos series, my recommendation would be to start with either this first book written, "Jhereg" or the chronologically first book, "Taltos."

Here is a list of the books in publication order, with the chronological place of the main action of each book in brackets after:

1) Jhereg (4th)
2) Yendi (3rd)
3) Tecla (5th)
4) Taltos (1st)
5) Phoenix (6th)
6) Athyra (7th)
7) Orca (8th)
8) Dragon (2nd)
9) Issola (9th)
10) Dzur (10th).

If you enjoy the Taltos novels, you might be interested in another sequence of books which Steven Brust has set a few centuries earlier. These are something between a parody and a homage to the novels of Alexandre Dumas. He's called them the "Khaavren Romances" after the central character of the first two novels, who corresponds very closely to D'Artagnan. Obviously none of the human characters overlap, but some of the Dragaerans do: Khaavren himself and Vlad briefly meet in the book "Tecla" and Khaavren also has a sort of offstage cameo in the Vlad Taltos book "Orca." Two of the major characters in the Taltos novels, Sethra Lavode and Lord Morrolan of Castle Black, are also important enough in the Khaavren novels to have books named after them.

The five Khaavren romances, in sequence, are

1) "The Phoenix Guards" (equivalent to "The Three Musketeers")
2) "Five Hundred Years After" (equivalent to "Twenty years after")

Then a trilogy "The Viscount of Adrilankha" (e.g. "The Count of Monte Cristo") which comprises

3) The Paths of the Dead
4) The Lord of Castle Black
5) Sethra Lavode

Overall I found both the "Taltos" novels and the "Khaavren Romances" very entertaining: I recommend both series and this book.

From the very first passage, I was completely enchanted with this book. It's been several years since I've read any fantasy books, but this one quickly & skillfully drew me in, heart and soul. Brust writes with wit, humor and charm, colorfully describing characters, scenes, weapons, animals, thoughts, simply everything about the world he's created. It's obvious that a great deal of thought went into this creation; he passes along casual details that hint of greater stories to come, including histories, myths, and rumors.

The central figure is Vlad Taltos, one of the top assassins in the land. The other important figures are his assistants, his wife, a few antagonists, assorted friends and colleagues, but most importantly, his familiar, Loiosh. In addition to being a highly-skilled assassin, Vlad is also a very powerful witch. As a boy, he called a small, dragon-like creature to him, and asked her to give him one of her eggs. He would raise her baby as his own, teaching him, befriending him, and protecting him. Naturally, she agrees, and Loiosh is perhaps his strongest ally, being able to communicate with Vlad telepathically. Several characters are able to communicate this way, and it's a very handy method to advance the story more quickly, without intrusive time delays and journeys back and forth. But the bond between Vlad and Loiosh is very deep, and is something I would like to see developed more in the coming books; in this story, the dialogue was mostly superficial, with only rare exception.

In all honesty, I think Brust made Loiosh a little too..."Jersey" may be the right word for it; he's got a lot of attitude, which is obviously part of his charm, but the constant "yes, boss" and sarcastic comments kept making me grimace. That being said, however, part of what makes this story so easy to read is Brust's use of common language - he doesn't try to take us back into Olde Tyme, using overly-flowery, excessively eloquent language; he makes use of language as many of us do today, with only a few quirks thrown in to keep things interesting.

The world he has created here is rich and vast, teeming with widely-varying people and places, each with distinct traits and histories. I sincerely hope that Brust manages to keep the magic alive throughout this series without going campy or formulaic. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series, and in fact, as soon as I save this review, I plan to start reading it, despite the fact that it is now 2:30am.

I really, truly recommend this book - it's an encompassing experience that will bring you into a new world almost completely, if you have any affinity for the genre whatsoever. I honestly can't wait to see what's around the next corner. :-) It takes a lot to charm me this thoroughly, and I can't think of the words to describe how happy I am with this book, and everything about it - the characters, the dialogue, the quick pace, the story line, the plot twists, the detail, the simple elegance, the vivacity of it all. It is, in other words, amazing. Give it a shot, and you won't be disappointed.

I am writing to review the book Jhereg, by Steven Brust. I was pulled into the book by my dads referral, and one of the things I first noticed is that the book is FUNNY! There is always a sarcastic undertone, even throughout the book. The hero (or anti-hero) of the book is an assassin named Vladimir Taltos. One of the high points for some people is that there isnt too much romance in this novel, mainly just action. Taltos lives in a world where there are very tall, long-lived elves called Dragereans as the dominant race. Taltos is an Easterner or a human.
One thing that Brust succeeds in doing is that you actually want Taltos to succeed in completing his jobs! You may not side with an assassin in your everyday life, but Jhereg is something that will make you feel for the bad guy! This book is the first book in the series, but it is the fourth chronologically. The novel makes you ask who, what, and where all of the good questions to have in a fantasy novel. Once you pick up the book, you cant put it down! A few other things that I like abut this book: a good storyline, characters you can relate to, and humor.
In case you were wondering, a Jhereg is a small, flying reptile with leathery wings and poisonous teeth. Taltos made a pact with the beasts mother, saying that I offer your egg long life and fresh, red meat without struggle, and I offer my friendship. I ask for aid in my endeavors. I ask for its wisdom, and I ask for its friendship.
If you are a fan of fantasy in general, or are just looking for something refreshingly different, Id recommend Jhereg. However, if you dislike humor, a good story line or any of the things described in the above article, dont pick this book up. Otherwise, enjoy!

Remember when fantasy used to be fun? The genre wasn't full of these door-stopper, epic fantasies that go on for thousands of pages with just a little bit of a point. Sure, those can be good now and then, and I actually like a few series, but I miss the times when you could pick up a fairly short novel and have a laugh or two. Yes, Discworld is still out there, and I believe Robert Asprin is still writing the "Myth" books, but what about something new?

Back in 1983, Steven Brust introduced us to Vlad Taltos, an assassin, a "mob" boss (or the Dragaeran equivalent of one), and a human fish out of water. He's the man with the dragon-like creature (called a Jhereg) on his shoulder, and he's good at what he does. The first book of the series was called Jhereg, and gave us our first peek at Vlad's world. Having finally read this book, I can truly say that it is great. Brust's characterizations shine through and his wit is infectious. I've had this series recommended to me many times, and I regret waiting so long to start it.

Vlad is a human in a Dragaeran world, a citizen of the Empire whose father came from the East. In fact, his father spent most of the family's money so that he could buy a title in the Empire so Vlad would have a standing in it. The House, Jhereg, is more "mob"-like than the rest of the houses, and Vlad quickly moves up the ranks to have his own territory. He's also made himself one of the best assassins out there, but he's quite surprised when another boss, called "The Demon," hires him to kill one of the Jhereg's higher-ups who has absconded with a great deal of the House's money. One condition: Vlad must do it quickly, before word gets out that somebody has done this to the Jheregs. There's also one hitch: the target in question has taken refuge in Castle Black, as a guest of Morrolan the Dragonlord. Morrolan's honour is strong enough that, once he has welcomed somebody as a guest, the guest is under his protection, no matter what. Vlad also finds that the case is even more complicated, reaching all the way back to the beginning of the Dragaeran Houses. Can Vlad succeed in time, without getting killed in the process?

The world Brust has created is very imaginative, and he doles out the information pieces at a time. Jhereg begins with a little about Vlad's childhood and then how he earned his Jhereg side-kick, Loiosh, and then gets right into the action. We slowly learn about Dragaeran society, how the Houses work, and how they interact. All of Vlad's relationships are already established, including his wife Cawti (the next book, Yendi, details how they met), so Brust takes us along for the ride, and we have to absorb everything as we go. I liked that, as Brust is always clear enough that I was never really lost (though how the honour system works sometimes eluded me).

Vlad is the narrator of the series, and thus his characterization is the most important. Thankfully, Brust nails him beautifully, giving us a likable protagonist (who, occasionally, kills people for either money or because they crossed him, but that's neither here nor there). The dialogue, especially between Vlad and Loiosh, is wonderful. I did get a bit tired of him telling Loiosh to "shut up" after a sarcastic comment, but it seems to be their shtick so I'd better get used to it. I also loved Kragar, Vlad's henchman, and would really like to know more about his story. He has a good relationship with his boss, but the funniest part about him is how he's so unnoticeable. The running gag in this series is how somebody's looking for Kragar and he's right there sitting in front of them, without anybody having seen him come in. That joke may get old after a while, but I still find it hilarious each time it happens.

Jhereg's plot is very lean, with no extraneous material taking up space and filling up the page count. Vlad's dilemma is interesting, as he has to try and find a way to get Mellar out of Morrolan's house without using magic, and without killing him in Castle Black. When the plot expands even more and the risk of a great war between the Jheregs and the Dragons because of this killing rears its ugly head, the plot gets even more intense. Vlad's loyalties are tested as he is good friends with (and works for) Morrolan, so he will not carry out any assassination that will hurt Morrolan's honour, which unfortunately makes Vlad a target for assassination as well. The twists and turns in the story make it unpredictable, and the way sorcery and witchcraft (in this world, there is a difference), along with some of the magical Great Weapons that are about, makes the ending unpredictable. Thankfully, Brust doesn't pull the ending out of left field, though, setting it up nicely beforehand.

My only fault with this book, and it's my own preference more than anything else, is that I'm getting tired of the "let's create an intricate plan that involves lots of people, sit down and be briefed on what everybody needs to do, then carry it out" sequences. They just annoy me. I call it the "Let's have a meeting and then execute the plan" formula. Always, one thing (maybe two) goes wrong, they have to improvise, and they end up succeeding anyway. It's so predictable as to be maddening. Then again, this book is over 20 years old, so I'll grant it a waiver in this case.

Jhereg is an excellent beginning to the Vlad Taltos series. If you like your fantasy a little fun, this would be a great one to pick up.

David Roy

Brust's storytelling style is unique and enjoyable. His wit is quick, his story simple but well told, and his characters completely engaging. The protagonist is of all things, an assassin who enjoys beating and killing the ruling race - a tall, elf-like people called Dragarians. Yet like Richard Stark's Parker character, Brust's lead Vladimir Taltos and his flying reptile familiar have an allure that makes the story compelling. Brust draws from a variety of classic literary themes and cultural nuances to create a world that is rich and full.

In a sea of formula fantasy writers, Brust stands out as a real gem. Jhereg is the first of an exceptional class of stories that should definitely be compared with the best in the field.

A different kind of hero Vlad Taltos is.

A different kind ofwriter Steven Brust most certainly is. No epic fantasy cliches arefound here and author Steven Brust ain't no Tolkien wannabe. What we get with Jhereg, Brust's first Vlad Taltos novel but the fourth chronologically, is a story of deceit, politics and assassination -- all with a sarcastic wit. Brust is a unique fantasy writer with fascinating stories to tell. Vlad Taltos is a unique fantasy "hero" and you'll love him.

What more could a fan of fantasy ask for?

There are eight Vlad Taltos novels thus far. They weren't written in order but I'll list them in chronological order for you because I'm a nice guy: Taltos (I'd start here), Dragon, Yendi, Jhereg, Teckla, Phoenix, Athyra and Orca.

I told you I was nice.

The first book in the Vlad Taltos series, this languished on my bookshelf for years before I opened it - and the minute I did, I was swept in, not content to stop until finished.

The short novel begins with an overview of Vlad's upbrining, then turns years later to 'work' he is offered. 'Work' the code for 'assassination', Taltos's specialty. Unlike any other he's accepted, this comes with time constraints, but it is also the highest-paying he's ever had. When almost killed for refusing, he takes it, and with the help of his friends, Dragerean and human, Vlad gathers the evidence he needs and tracks down the target, only to find that he's under the protection of a friend and powerful Dragonlord. As the days tick down closer and closer, the friends' machinations become more cohesive and build to a final tense and extremely dangerous finale.

What first drew me in was sharp writing, reminiscent of Raymond Chandler. Though hardly deep, the language seems to have a life of its own, living to capture unwary readers... Told as narration, as soon as the story gets off track Vlad will stop, shrug mentally, and resume his tale. Extra points just for being willing to run a tight story that just keeps MOVING, while keeping a good deal of backstory and warmth to it. As a narrator, Vlad is frequently deadpan and wry, especially against his secratary Kragar, with a quietly morbid humor that you sense would grant soft chuckles while calculating eyes held to yours. The history of the world is tantalizingly dropped in paragraph-long summaries, and my only issue was that they often left little open to be pieced together.

And even while Vlad is on great terms with several of the most powerful members of one House, he's little more than a middle-manager in his own Mafia-like organization, content to run his business and side profession. Many of his associations are not well-told, but there are promises of prequels while this delivers enough character and story to do justice to the short-novel form. Action is sudden and surprising while the suspense moves the story inexorably ahead, and while this may not be fantasy, noir, mystery, or sf, it is more than a little of all. Enjoyable, light, and short, a worthwhile read without a great deal of depth.

I couldn't put this book down once I got a hold of it. From start to finish, Prologue to Epilogue, I was interested in what Brust, or rather Vlad, had to say next. Steven Brust succeeeds in writing in one of the best manners of first-person perspective I've ever read. He doesn't bore you with too many details right away, but lets things sink in slowly so you can read on and learn more of the plot as you go. Vlad, Loiosh, and Kragar succeeded in making me laugh when I wouldn't expect it. If you've read anything by Steven Brust, or are looking to start, pick this one up first. I guarentee you won't be dissapointed.

To me, Jhereg was an excellent and refreshing twist on a genre which tends to repeat the same themes over and over again. I am an avid reader of Forgotten Realms books, and when someone recommended this book to me, I felt it was a very fresh and enjoyable pause from that particular fantasy style.
Though some people may criticize the book for borrowing themes present in so many other fantasy books, which Brust tends to do - you must keep in mind that this is a common occurance with most novels. However, I think that focusing on this takes away from the enjoyablility of this novel.
The book contains a good mix of enoyable anti-heroes and very cunning villans, without having to bog down the novel with incredibly long and intricate fight scenes that many readers idly skip over. Instead, Brusts scenes are clear, and to the point, leaving more time for the more enjoyable storyline and character developement. Unlike many novels, his characters aren't clear cut and static, but rather can be identified with and have their own personalities.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this novel was its style. The novel is written as a first person account from the main character's viewpoint. This was really the first novel I have read in a long time that was written in first person and was any good. In short, I would recommend to any fan of fantasy to pick up this book.