Issola

Rating:
Summary: Vlad finally comes of age?
Review: Issola is possibly the best book to advance the storyline of Vlad Taltos yet. Through these pages we finaly catch a glimpse of what awaits our wise-cracking hero in the future. Brust takes the time to introduce us to a character that we haven't had the chance to know previously.

The plot remains the same, Vlad is thrown into some outrageous situation, that the reader cannot understand until the final chapters when the Deus ex Machina save the day.

It's the Deus ex Machina that are different, and leave the lasting impact this time. And after so many books in this series, we are left wondering what changes will be effected in our intrepid hero.

The best one yet. I reccomend you read the other books in the series before Issola, that way it has the best impact.

Rating:
Summary: Not Bad...
Review: ISSOLA is very readable, with the simple first-person narration of Vlad keeping things moving, and familiar characters in fine form

Lady Teldra is a good choice as a new character, as her mannerisms are quite distinct from most of the individuals we've seen in the past. The revelations about her flow naturally, although I felt Vlad's banter with her Kirk teasing Spock; substitute "courtesy" for "logic" and you get the idea.

Unfortunately, the plot is not exactly a roller coaster ride. Since ATHYRA, Brust has been narrowing the focus of his stories. The action for much of the book is confined to a few extradimensional prisons and rooms in Dzur mountain, with the protagonists spending much of their time discussing the plot and rescuing each other, with mixed success. The feel of this section reminded me of the stodgy second and third Merlin books in Zelazny's second chronicles of Amber. Not a good sign.

The book's greatest appeal will be to long-term fans of the series, as Brust does not stint on revelations about the nature of his world, especially elements that have hitherto been enigmatic. Unfortuantely, most of these parts are mainly presented through conversation rather than demonstration, but Brust does write entertaining conversations, and having Sethra and the demon goddess Verra along keeps it from getting boring.

I'd recommend ISSOLA to Vlad fans for the extra glimpses it gives of Vlad's world and his ever-evolving character. But it's a shame that Brust has still not recaptured the magic of the first three books in the series, the way the PHOENIX GUARDS did.
I think Vlad's own rootlessness is the problem: Adrilanka and in particular the region that Vlad lived and loved in was a character in its own right, and with Vlad in exile, the rich sense of place the books used to have has gone. Perhaps it's time for him to return home... so I guess there's hope after all.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best
Review: Issola picks up in the present time, unlike Dragon which takes place near the beginning of the series. Vlad is still on the run from the Jhereg as he has been happening in the last couple novels (Athyra and Orca). It all starts out normal and then he gets a bombshell from Teldra, who has somehow tracked him down. Morrolan and Aliera have vanished without a single trace. It picks up from there into a really weird story. This one is in Vlad's person again, finally and is one of the most far-fetched out of the series. It's more like Taltos than any other. It includes the Jenoine as well as the Lords of Judgement, or gods, from Taltos. If you liked Athyra or Orca, this isn't what you'd expect. There's no wandering or Vlad trying to find himself in this one. You got more comedy in this one like in Yendi, but one of this its few flaws is that it answers too little of what people have been wondering about and adds a whole bunch of new things that make you go "What the?" All in all, this book gives you a helping of all the good stuff in the series. If you like Vlad, you'll like this.

Rating:
Summary: Thanks, Mr. Brust
Review: Issola, as every Vlad book does, continues the traditions while breaking down old assumptions. Vlad's trademark cynicism remains as hilarious and subversive as ever, but through the course of the novel we come to understand the moustached fellow's wry humour as never before.

Brust keeps producing novels that, even as they swashbuckle better than anyone else's, undercut all the commonalities of fantasy tales.

And if you, like me, were craving some more Morrolan/Aliera/Vlad exchanges, there's plenty of that here.

Mr. Brust, you are one of the finest living writers in the English language. Thank you.

Now write faster!

Rating:
Summary: Vlad is back!!!
Review: It's good to see Brust expanding on our favorite (ex)assassin once again. After a few slower books that seemed to mirror the main character's apathy, we are treated to a triumphant return. I am anxious to see what new adventures await our intrepid hero; the new influence in the life of Lord Taltos should yield some interesting conflicts and resolutions. (We may even be treated to a reintroduction of some beloved characters of earlier books.) This book will be truly pivotal to the series. Bravo, Maestro Brust.

Rating:
Summary: Vlad is back!!!
Review: It's good to see Brust expanding on our favorite (ex)assassin once again. After a few slower books that seemed to mirror the main character's apathy, we are treated to a triumphant return. I am anxious to see what new adventures await our intrepid hero; the new influence in the life of Lord Taltos should yield some interesting conflicts and resolutions. (We may even be treated to a reintroduction of some beloved characters of earlier books.) This book will be truly pivotal to the series. Bravo, Maestro Brust.

Rating:
Summary: Issola is a tour of Vlad cosmology. Good, but not the best
Review: Like almost all of Brust's books, this one kept me up way too late two nights in a row. It is a very exciting read and it answers some of the mysteries that were hinted at in earlier books (such as who are the Serioli). The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I felt as if Vlad wasn't really there, even though the book was written around him. This wasn't so much a Vlad book as a background into the Vlad universe. Sort of like what David Eddings did with "Belgarath the Sorcerer" for the Belgarion books (though I found that book more enjoyable since I knew going in that it was a "background book"). Also, I had just finished (re-)reading Phoenix Guards and 500 Years Later (both of which I prefer to Issola). Issola is a page turner, but there is not as much thought put into its construction. I really don't want this review to be too negative. Issola is a very good book, not Brust's best, but certainly worth buying and enjoying. The view of the Vlad cosmos alone is worth it.

Rating:
Summary: An important installment
Review: Make no mistakes, this is clearly a pivotal installment. By the end of chapter two, no less than six (more, depending on what you would consider major) of the series major mysteries are unambiguously revealed, neatly setting up a whole new set of quandries, and the ending represents a definite (and surprising, even to those of us who read a certain short story) transition for Vlad's mysterious device, Spellbreaker.

It's a very short novel, but it packs one hell of a punch. Don't pass this one over if you have any interest in the series, what so ever. Just don't make it your first book unless you want a significant fraction of the series spoiled.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Once again Steven Brust clears the high bar, with his latest release in the Vlad Taltos series, "Issola." The great thing about this series is that Brust allows his characters to grow and change, almost like real people. In the hands of most other writers, Vlad would still be stuck in the city, happily married and killing people for a living. Not so with Brust.

Here we see Vlad coming back to his home for many years, still marked for death by the Jhereg, still separated from his wife, and accompanied, as always, by a smart-mouthed jhereg. I absolutely loved this book. With this ending, I'm even more eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Once again Steven Brust clears the high bar, with his latest release in the Vlad Taltos series, "Issola." The great thing about this series is that Brust allows his characters to grow and change, almost like real people. In the hands of most other writers, Vlad would still be stuck in the city, happily married and killing people for a living. Not so with Brust.

Here we see Vlad coming back to his home for many years, still marked for death by the Jhereg, still separated from his wife, and accompanied, as always, by a smart-mouthed jhereg. I absolutely loved this book. With this ending, I'm even more eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.