Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Was Brust looking for Reichenbacg Falls?, August 19, 2000
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.)
|
|
|
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brust gives us an outside view of Vlad Taltos, April 11, 1997
By A Customer
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
|
|
|
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vlad runs into a little unfinished business, September 12, 1999
By A Customer
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.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Steven Brust
by Steven Brust
by Steven Brust
by Steven Brust
by Steven Brust
