You say you want a revolution

Book Review:  Teckla by Steven Brust

The third book in the Vlad Taltos series immediately follows the events of the first book, Jhereg.  Vlad is contemplating what to do with his new wealth, maybe build Cawti that castle she's been wanting?  Their domestic bliss is interrupted by Cawti's involvement with a determined group of revolutionaries who want better lives for two of the Empire's most downtrodden groups -- the Easterners and the Teckla.

I love the relationship between Vlad and Cawti, so this was a tough read for me.  Cawti is committed to this cause and Vlad is not.  However, he is consumed by the fear that her involvement with this group will get her killed and he does what he can to protect her -- even if it means the end of their marriage.

The nature of this storyline also forces Vlad to examine his life's choices much more closely than he cares to.  It has me wondering what lies next for the snarky assassin.

 

Between love and madness lies obsession . . .

Book Review:  Prized Possessions by L.R. Wright

Two plots collide in the 5th Karl Alberg mystery.  The book begins with a tense scene between Charlie O'Brea and his wife Emma -- and then jumps ahead, one year later.  Emma seems content, Charlie seems . . . haunted.  One stormy night, Charlie doesn't return home and Emma is worried.  When there's still no word from him the next day, Emma contacts his office, only to discover that he no longer works there.  On compassionate leave after the death of his father, Staff Sergeant Karl Alberg agrees to investigate.

Outside of town, a troubled young man loses his temper when he thinks that a pretty college girl has insulted him.  He tries to make amends afterwards but, again feels slighted.  He wants to teach her a lesson.  A devastating series of choices will bring him directly to Emma.

Another excellent story from Wright.  The Charlie/Emma storyline slowly reveals its secrets through reflections on the past, mostly from Emma, whose only goal in life was to be the best wife ever.  Eddie's storyline is simply horrifying.  Karl faces questions about his future and his relationship with Cassandra.

If you like atmospheric, psychological suspense, this is an excellent series to try.  I reviewed the first 4 titles on my wordpress blog if you'd like to check them out.  Here are the links:

Karl Alberg 1:  The Suspect

Karl Alberg 2:  Sleep While I Sing

Karl Alberg 3:  A Chill Rain in January 

Karl Alberg 4: Fall From Grace

Relationship Status: It's Complicated

Book Review:  Yendi by Steven Brust

Sometimes people fall in love, get married, and later wish the other person dead.  Assassins Vlad and Cawti went about things differently.  Cawti was hired to kill Vlad and succeeded -- luckily she didn't make it permanent and he was revived -- they both were.  Impressed with one another, they fall in love.  And they discover that there's more to the turf war that brought them together than it appears. 

The second book in the Vlad Taltos series takes us back before the events of Jhereg, to his early days, when he first began expanding his role from merely assassin to boss of an area.  The Jhereg is known for its criminal activity and it's not a surprise that Vlad is challenged by another area boss.  But it's not good for anyone that their turf war captures the attention of the Empress -- or is it?

As with the first book in this series, there's an intricately plotted mystery at the center of the story.  We learn more about Vlad's complicated relationships with dragaerans Morrolan, Aliera, and Sethra.  We learn what led to him becoming an assassin.  And we learn more about yet another of the 17 Great Houses of the Dragaeran Empire:  the House of Yendi.  Each House has certain characteristics -- while there's nothing distinctive about the appearance of the Yendi, they have a reputation for elaborate schemes, manipulations, and deceptions.  Only a Yendi can unravel a Yendi's schemes . . . . 

I confess, this story started off a bit slow for me.  Early in Jhereg, we saw Vlad trying to prevent another Dragon-Jhereg war, so it was easy to cheer for him despite his profession.  Yendi shows us his early mob boss days and there was nothing for me to like there.  It wasn't until he met Cawti that I began to warm up to him this time.  That's also when it was discovered that there was more to the turf war than one Jhereg's desire to move in on another's territory.  At that point, I fell back in love with the series.  Up next:  Teckla.

I read a book about an assassin and I liked it

Book Review:  Jhereg by Steven Brust

Vlad Taltos is a human on a world dominated by dragaerans.  Human in appearance, dragaerans are different from humans in a few ways -- most notably, dragaerans are much taller and live for centuries rather than decades.  While there's a fair amount of prejudice towards members of different dragaeran Houses, most are united in their disdain for humans.  And yet, Vlad has managed to thrive.  There's a good deal of criminal activity in the Jhereg and when you need someone taken out, he's one of the best assassins money can buy.  Which is why a leading member of the council of House Jhereg, known as the Demon, approaches him to assassinate a former council member, Lord Mellar.  For reasons known only to himself, Mellar has placed the house in a precarious position and to prevent further damage he must be taken out.

Wow.  This is one of the most intricately plotted mysteries I've read -- and, genre-wise, the book is somewhere between fantasy and science fiction.  I loved every page of this book.  I'm amazed at the amount of world-building, mystery, humor, and character development Brust managed to blend into a such a slim volume.  And who knew that I would enjoy a story in which the protagonist is an assassin?  It helps that his target in this story is not an innocent.  It also helps that death isn't always a permanent condition in this world -- resurrection is quite common -- sometimes assassination is merely meant as a warning.  That said, the Demon wants Mellar taken out permanently and Vlad is determined to make it happen.

Vlad is likeable, despite being an assassin -- he's sharp, he's honorable, and he's an entertaining narrator.  In addition to being an assassin, Vlad is also a witch and he has a small flying lizard-like creature as a familiar.  Loiosh is wonderfully snarky and the two spend a fair bit of time exchanging good-natured insults (psionically, of course, because that's how they roll).

Vlad's target, Mellar, is an intriguing character as well.  As I said, he's not an innocent -- far from it.  A dragaeran, he's had centuries to plan the events now in play -- and he's every bit as good a planner as Vlad.  To figure out how to carry out the assassination in a way that won't result in another war among the Houses, Vlad first has to figure out what Mellar's end game is.

This may be one of the more complex fictional worlds I've encountered.  It's definitely one of the most tightly written.  I've already checked out the second book in the series, Yendi.  Do yourself a favor and check out Jhereg for yourself -- I've barely given you a hint of just how awesome it is.

Zombies, politicians, and social media, oh my!

Book Review:  Feed by Mira Grant

In 2014, cures for the common cold and for cancer have been found but together they combine to create something far worse: a viral infection that reanimates the dead.  Believing reports of zombies to be hoaxes, the traditional news media doesn’t follow up; bloggers do.  By the time siblings Georgia and Shaun Mason are ready to launch their own blog, blogs have become the news medium most people trust.  Senator Peter Ryman recognizes this and invites their team to join him as he treks across the country, campaigning for the Presidency.  Zombie attacks follow but when it comes to Zombies Vs. Politicians, the politicians are still scarier.

I could not put this book down—I LOVED it, even when it made me cry.  Grant has done an amazing job creating a believable world that includes zombies but it’s far more than a book about the ravenous, reanimated dead.  The heart of the story revolves around Georgia, Shaun, journalism & politics and Grant explores each facet well.  Exceptional world-building, strong characters and snappy dialogue.  I’m definitely reading the next book in the trilogy, Deadline, and anxiously awaiting the third book, Blackout.

*Originally posted on my wordpress blog, Lighthearted Librarian, on November 1, 2011.  Despite my best intentions, I haven't read Deadline or Blackout yet, but they are still on my To Read list.  There's also a corresponding collection of short fiction, Rise, which is now on my list as well.