Rating: 
Summary: Brust fumbles
Review: I like most of the books in this series, but Dragon is utter Poo. The timeline jumps literally every 3 pages. As far as I could tell there were 4 of them. Maybe more, but after a few chapters I didn't really care.
I also the notion of Vlad being in the army totally uninteresting and mostly unbelievable.
Rating: 
Summary: Why can't I give it 6 stars?
Review: I loved this book, and all the other Vlad Taltos books. I read this, and the others over and over, scanning for some highly creative wittisism that I missed the 1st-9th time! Vlad Taltos is the Anti-hero all fantasy fans love to love!
Rating:
Summary: lovely
Review: I must say, I was a bit confused at certain points in this book, as I'd never read anything in the Vlad Taltos series before. What possessed me to start with this one, I don't know. Anyway. Back to my review. I thought the plot was very interesting, and I found I could not, for the life of me, put this book down. I attempted, really. Many times. It's rather frowned upon if you're reading such filth in class while your supposed to be learning about wind pressure and such. Fascinating stuff, that. I think Vlad Taltos is an interesting character and will look forward to reading the rest of the series(in order, this time ;).
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as some others in the series, but still great!
Review: I read it in under 24 hours, Brust's books are always hard to put down. Certainly read Jhereg and the rest of the series before attempting this book, but fans won't be disappointed by this installment. My only complaint is that the book tells three stories at once, which are all taking place at different times in Vlad Taltos' life. This can get a bit confusing, and frustrating, when you find yourself wanting to know more about what was happening in one story, but being forced to read about something that happened before that event, or after the event. Still, a great book, and I can't wait for the next one in the series, which the author himself told me will be called "Issola".
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good book, sort of...
Review: I'm a fan of this series from way back, but must agree with prior reviews stating that Brust gets a little confused in terms of character development, presenting a Vlad Taltos with the maturity of the later books into the chronology of the earlier efforts. Fair enough, and I understand that it must be a difficult task to "roll-back" the evolution of one's character in order to fit the needs of a non-linear publishing schedule (Lois Bujold undergoes similar difficluties with Mile Vorkosigan). But that wasn't my problem with the book. My problem with the book was that I didn't find the portrayal of Vlad's adventures in the army particularly compelling or convincing. Brust has never been a overly verbose writer (with the exception of Five Hundred Years After and the Phoenix Guards), a fact that I appreciate, but in the past I found his off-hand sketches of the city atmosphere to be quite illuminating in terms of creating a scene for the action. I never really got that sense from his descriptives of the various battlefields, camp life, etc...Perhaps he meant to indicate the confusion of war with this scarcity of language, but it didn't have that effect for me. I felt like he failed to fully imagine his backdrop. Much of the book struck me as taking place in a sort of colorless, generic battlefield context. I didn't get the sense of place that i've come to expect from his work. That said, I found many of the characters quite enjoyable, most notable Vlad's squadmate dragons. And it is refreshing to see him return to the 1st person.
Rating:
Summary: Vlad is sounding at once older and younger at Barritt's Tomb
Review: If you're new to Steven Brust's series of adventures of Vlad Taltos, the sword-and-sorcery mob capo (anti-)hero of Adrilankha, County Whitecrest in the Dragaeran Empire, this one isn't the best place to start. But lovers of this healthy mix of James Bond, Goodfellas and the occasionally gritty fantasy of Roger Zelazny will enjoy Vlad's return to the narrative voice, from which Brust departed in his last two efforts. Vlad Taltos is definitely back, self-deprecating humor and all. Reptilian familiar Loiosh's sense of humor hasn't much changed either, much to Vlad's chagrin and this reader's delight. Vlad sounds older and wearier in this one despite its fitting in the chronology before all but ~Taltos~ in the series, perhaps because the intrigues that wind the plot around itself are those of the Dragonlords and not his own. Or maybe it's the inevitable effect of finding oneself an infantryman. Yes, that's right, the master assassin is down with the foot-sloggers in Morrolan e'Drien's army, and hating almost every second of it. Strike that almost. Make no mistake, this is not the delightfully wild ride that fans will expect from a tale of Vlad's early career. It is, however, a well-crafted story with some moments of pure brilliance that bridges the character's youth with the matured style that has made Steven Brust's more recent work an ongoing discovery.
Rating:
Summary: Vlad's in the army now
Review: In this, the most recent addition to the Taltos series, Brust takes us back to Vlad's youth to reveal the story of the battle of Baritt's Tomb, which is mentioned in many of the other books. It is set after the events of Taltos, with occasional segues into the time just after Yendi. Vlad accepts a commission from his new friend Duke Morrolan, which is ostensibly to defend the wizard Baritt's hoard of sorcerous weapons. As so often happens, he finds himself dragged into an affair that is far too big for him to handle, involving a feudal dispute (read:war) between arrogant Dragonlords and the foundations of a plan by the mysterious Serioli that may shake the foundations of Dragaera itself. The action is intense, with vividly and beautifully rendered battle scenes. Dragon's dialogue is easily the wittiest and most amusing of the entire series, especially in the interchanges between Vlad and his jhereg familiar Loiosh. In summary, this is the finest of Brust's recent entries in the Taltos saga, and should not be missed under any circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: A critical piece of Taltos history, but not a great puzzle.
Review: Long time Brust readers will value the missing pieces of Taltos history filled in by the story, and cry out loud at the couple of NEW references to tales yet untold. Nevertheless, the deductive and intellectual brilliance of Vlad Taltos is not here. Other than a one-level-deep ploy by Morrolan and battle planning by Sethra (greatest general alive?? Ha, that's hilarious) not much cleverness is involved. Well, you can see that if I had to chose between great character development (not that a whole lot of Vlad's character was developed in this story either) and a great mystery I'd go with the mystery (see Jhereg, Yendi, Orca, Teckla, and Phoenix in that order for great puzzles). I suppose I just don't understand what Brust intended with this story. In my opinion, it was neither a great Taltos-the-person story nor a good Taltos-the-twisted-brilliant-assassin (or protector) story. That said Brust did his usual great work giving Vlad snappy, wise cracking, and irreverent dialog, and the occasional nuggets of information will fill in some gaps for long time fans with good memories. Overall, I would let any Brust fan know about the existence of the book and simply assume they would have to buy it (as I did). I would NOT recommend anyone start reading the Taltos story here. By the way, if you want to sample Roger Zelazny, I would suggest any of the Chronicles of Amber (Nine Princes in Amber is the first in the series) as a good Brust to Zelazny transition.
Rating: 
Summary: Self-indulgent
Review: More and more, Steven Brust's books seem to be about Steven Brust's books. Endless recursive references and in-jokes do not a fiction make.
Rating:
Summary: Another entertaining Taltos novel
Review: On the surface, the Taltos series offers a wise-cracking mobster meets magic feel that makes for some good escapist reading, much like other fantasy fare. What sets the Taltos series apart is protagonist Vlad Taltos' unique and colorful observations on Brust's fantasy world, and the introspection provided by the conversation between Taltos and his familiar. Brust has really nailed down the Taltos character, and continues to examine facets of life in a way that is entertaining and interesting, without being condescending. "Dragon" is a return of sorts to the first few Taltos novels, and proves to be very entertaining. The observations of a social and racial minority joining an army as a foot soldier, and his comments thereon keep the pages turning and the reader laughing. Unlike "Jhereg" or "Yendi," this story is much more straightforward, and the only criticism I have is that the mental hopscotch analysis by Taltos in other novels was lacking in "Dragon." But overall, I'd recommend this book (even in hardcover!) as a welcomed bright spot in an otherwise generic fantasy field.
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