Teckla [Paperback]

Steven Brust (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Ace; First Edition edition (January 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441799779
• ISBN-13: 978-0441799770
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in a family of Hungarian labor organizers, Steven Brust worked as a musician and a computer programmer before coming to prominence as a writer in 1983 with Jhereg, the first of his novels about Vlad Taltos, a human professional assassin in a world dominated by long-lived, magically-empowered human-like "Dragaerans." Over the next several years, several more "Taltos" novels followed, interspersed with other work, including To Reign in Hell, a fantasy re-working of Milton's war in Heaven; The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, a contemporary fantasy based on Hungarian folktales; and a science fiction novel, Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. The most recent "Taltos" novels are Dragon and Issola. In 1991, with The Phoenix Guards, Brust began another series, set a thousand years earlier than the Taltos books; its sequels are Five Hundred Years After and the three volumes of "The Viscount of Adrilankha": The Paths of the Dead, The Lord of Castle Black, and Sethra Lavode.While writing, Brust has continued to work as a musician, playing drums for the legendary band Cats Laughing and recording an album of his own work, A Rose for Iconoclastes. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where he pursues an ongoing interest in stochastics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vlad's life takes a darker turn, March 6, 2001

By 

Diana Nier (Ithaca, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teckla (Paperback)

I've been rereading the Vlad Taltos books lately, in no particular order. I had never read "Teckla," and was a bit leery of it, after reading the reviews which all seem to call it depressing. Well, it is depressing. Very depressing, actually. However, that doesn't necessarily make it bad. In fact, I think it may be one of the better books in the series, in terms of human drama. If you follow this series chronologically, Vlad becomes more complex and human with each book, and "Teckla" is an important step on his journey.

In "Teckla," Vlad discovers that his wife, Cawti, has joined a revolutionary organization, composed of Easterners and Teckla, and based in South Adrilankha. Vlad can't understand why Cawti cares about revolution and social justice; they argue throughout the book, and their marriage is under serious strain.

The plot is complicated, as usual, involving numerous assassination attempts, Jhereg internal wars, and the three-way clash of the revolutionaries, the Jhereg, and the Phoenix Guards. However, it isn't nearly as fun as the chronologically "earlier" books; Brust poses serious questions about the social and political organization of the Dragaeran Empire, and the costs and true effects of revolution. Along the way, he finally manages to make Vlad question the morality of his lifestyle. Vlad, who had previously accepted organized crime and assassination now has to face Cawti's disapproval, and realize that maybe, when he looks very closely, he doesn't like himself that much.

This was the third Vlad book Brust wrote, but at the moment, it is chronologically fifth in the series. However you count, this is NOT the place to start reading; without knowing Vlad's past, "Teckla" is a bit confusing. It's also a lot darker than the earlier novels, and less fun, but it builds logically on everything we know about Vlad. Brust, interestingly, makes Vlad a real, changing, growing person, not just an entertaining but utterly unrealistic assassin.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a different sort of story than the first two, October 15, 2002

By 

Erin K. Darling "naive cynic" (olympia, wa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teckla (Paperback)

"Teckla" is almost a complete 180-degree turn from the sort of books the first two in this series were; it is a dark, introspective, thoroughly angst-ridden journey through very personal areas of Vlad's soul. I was expecting a light-hearted romp much like the first two stories, and was thusly surprised and disappointed by this book. My mind wandered as I plodded through the paragraphs, and I found myself thinking of other subjects; my attention just refused to be held by this story.

Vlad and Cawti are completely at odds through most of the book, and Vlad is forced to confront his deepest fears, insecurities, and questions, right down to whether or not he can live with himself and with Cawti. He must face the huge question of being an assassin, or doing what might be The Right Thing...or not.

There is quite a deep examination of social inequities, politics, and grass roots movement vs. The Way Things Have Always Been, which isn't my favorite sort of story, but if you like a political/social study, then you may love it. It's a very dark journey that's rather uncomfortable, and Brust puts us right there in the center of Vlad's soul, pressed up close to the discomfort itself - Vlad's inner turmoil is our constant companion, and it's not pleasant company. It's darned depressing, in fact, which is perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two.

There are, of course, the usual intra-organizational intrigues, multiple assassination attemps, and Vlad is naturally right smack in the middle. Still, there is very little spark to this story, no inner glow, no feel-good bits to keep us going; it almost felt to me like Brust had lost his enthusiasm for the series, or had run out of steam, or perhaps he was just trying something new that I wasn't as wild about. One thing, however, is developed more thoroughly here, and that is the relationship between Loiosh and Vlad, which had been fairly superficial in the first two. They gain depth and dimension, and we understand the bond between them more clearly after reading "Teckla." Loiosh actually offers opinions that go beyond snide one-liners, and we can see more affection between them.

Still, honestly? I didn't enjoy this book a great deal. It's not a bad book, and it's well-written, but it was an uncomfortable, fidgety read - or at least it was for me. I looked forward to it ending, whereas with the first two, I wanted them to go on and on. Hopefully with the next installment (which I'll pick up straightaway,) Brust will take us back to a happier time for Vlad.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great Vlad book, but it is depressing, August 12, 2000

By 

"jcjarss" (Shelton, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teckla (Paperback)

This book has plenty of the good stuff that make Vlad books good, but when he and Cawti start to have problems it gets depressing. There is a bit of suspense and excitement that almost makes you jump at some parts. This book doesn't really have the best ending, but it makes you think things are starting to come together again. But as you read more of the series, it doesn't. I'm hoping that Cawti and Vlad can get back together later in the series, maybe even in the upcoming book ISSOLA.