Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Tor Books (2006), Edition: First Edition, 285 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: In which Vlad Taltos confronts the Left Hand of the Jhereg...and discovers the game has more players than he thought Vlad Taltos, short-statured, short-lived human in an Empire of tall, long-lived Dragaerans, has always had to keep his wits about him. Long ago, he made a place for himself as a captain of the Jhereg, the noble house that runs the rackets in the great imperial city of Adrilankha. But love, revolution, betrayal, and revenge ensued, and for years now Vlad has been a man on the run, struggling to stay a step ahead of the Jhereg who would kill him without hesitation. Now Vlad's back in Adrilankha. The rackets he used to run are now under the control of the mysterious "Left Hand of the Jhereg"�a secretive cabal of women who report to no man. His ex-wife needs his help. His old enemies aren't sure whether they want to kill him, or talk to him and then kill him. A goddess may be playing tricks with his memory. And the Great Weapon he's carrying seems to have plans of its own... Picking up directly where Issola left off, Dzur gives us Vlad Taltos at his best�swashbuckling storytelling with a wry and gritty edge. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TadAD
It appears that Brust has recovered from the Athyra nadir and we're back to a Vlad that's fun to read about. The last few books have seemed a bit light, maybe only half the "meat" of the first books, and this is no exception. Still, I'm looking forward to them again, so I'll give this a tentative
Just fix the Cawti thing, though, OK?
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recommendation.Just fix the Cawti thing, though, OK?
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LibraryThing member dafydd
One sentence book review: Now I really want to try an exquisite seven-course meal.
LibraryThing member Ishpeck
This book hinges entirely around the events that transpire in Phoenix, Teckla, Orca, and Issola. Don't read this book before you read those. . . if you don't, this book will bore and confuse you. If you _have_ read those novels, this one is rife with amusing subtext and Vlad's dry sense of humor.
LibraryThing member Shrike58
After a few so-so outings this is pretty much a return to Vlad Taltos "classic," as our hero finds that old business always has a way of asserting itself and that just because you've become something of a paladin it doesn't mean that your life gets any easier. One is also reminded of how much the
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nuts and bolts of the given caper in question contributes to the charm of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
Another book in the series about Vlad the assassin. Not one of Brust's better books in the series, and it's starting to feel like he's phoning it in, but the book is still a nice distraction for a summer afternoon.
LibraryThing member lewispike
This is a story in two parts. The start of each chapter is the story of a meal. The bulk of it is a story of Vlad trying to sort out a problem for Cawti, and of him getting used to Godslayer/Lady Teldra.
Unlike some of these books, for this one you really need to be up on the events of Issola at
The story telling is in an unusually terse, sparse style, except in the sections on the meal, and that takes a slight adjustment, but it is in keeping with the story that is being told, where Vlad is horribly out of touch with everything and everyone and trying frantically to work out what the hell is going on without being killed, Morganti, but the Right Hand and the Left Hand.
The final stand off feels like an anticlimax for a few minutes, but I think it bodes well for future books in the series having said that, and there is an interesting series of insights in the mind of a "normal" (well moderately normal) Dzur as well.
Unlike some of these books, for this one you really need to be up on the events of Issola at
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least, and probably to have a pretty good grasp of Teckla as well, as the characters aren't introduced, the society isn't explained and so on. That said, there are a few reminders for those of us close to the books, and if, like me you're a fan, you'll swim through it all happily.The story telling is in an unusually terse, sparse style, except in the sections on the meal, and that takes a slight adjustment, but it is in keeping with the story that is being told, where Vlad is horribly out of touch with everything and everyone and trying frantically to work out what the hell is going on without being killed, Morganti, but the Right Hand and the Left Hand.
The final stand off feels like an anticlimax for a few minutes, but I think it bodes well for future books in the series having said that, and there is an interesting series of insights in the mind of a "normal" (well moderately normal) Dzur as well.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
Vlad returns to his roots in Adrilankha, and to some extent, his old ways of running things there. It is paced around the courses of a dinner at Valabar's and his companion there, and many musings about the relation of a fine dinner to life in general. Very well done if you are a fan of Vlad and
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Brust. Show Less
LibraryThing member hannah.aviva
This was my first Brust book. Maybe starting on number 10 in a series isn't the best idea.. I had quite a few questions that I'm sure were answered in the earlier novels. However, I think I understood most of it.This was also my first fantasy book in a long time. I enjoyed the action and fast pace.
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I also really liked the main character Vlad. I'll definitely read more of the series as I am a true sucker for books involving dragon familiars. :) Show Less
LibraryThing member iayork
Don't waste your money...: That's right, this latest book is just what the title says...A waste of money. If you want to follow the series, then go to your local library and waste that small portion of your life that this book will fill...I've been a loyal fan, I tolerated the poor character
I'll try not to spoil much for those of you who plan to read this book, but lets just say that one of the biggest secrets that has been hinted at since Vlad left town is barely covered in the last chapter with very little fanfare.
Can the author write? Without a doubt...Do I care to have THAT much detail over one meal that occurs during the book? Not really. I'd prefer more plot, some time spent with characters we haven't experienced in a while...Dare I say? A little more effort on the author's part to entertain with actual characters? A unique idea, I know, but one with merit.
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development, the deviation from Vlad's normal territory for the sake of following the story and waiting for it to come full circle, I was disappointed. I'll try not to spoil much for those of you who plan to read this book, but lets just say that one of the biggest secrets that has been hinted at since Vlad left town is barely covered in the last chapter with very little fanfare.
Can the author write? Without a doubt...Do I care to have THAT much detail over one meal that occurs during the book? Not really. I'd prefer more plot, some time spent with characters we haven't experienced in a while...Dare I say? A little more effort on the author's part to entertain with actual characters? A unique idea, I know, but one with merit.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
A stunning good read from Brust. One of the best in a series that has few weaknesses. In addition to the continuing story of Vlad and a deeper understanding of the Empire the book left this reviewer with a great desire to eat even one meal at Valabar & Sons.
LibraryThing member Gkarlives
I was disappointed with this book. While the writing style is still fast paced, there are no new developements in the overall plot. In addition, Vlad seems to be falling back into his old ways. All the time spent in the wilds and lesser cities seems to have been for not. The life changing events
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started in Phoenix and carried through Athyra, Orca, and even Issola just evaporate. Don't get me wrong, I love the series, but I really liked the growth of Vlad from the early books until Dzur. Now we seem to have stopped dead. Another missing aspect is unique story telling. Burst seems to have dropped the multiple level story methods that I came to love, like the three story lines that ended in the same place in Taltos. All in all, a passable read, but no eye opening revelations. Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
Dzur is set immediately after Issola, and sees Vlad - finally - return to Adrilankha.
Vlad goes to great lengths and risks his own life to help someone who would really prefer not to need Vlad's help, thank you very much, for reasons that are more emotional than rational. (That last statement could
At the time, I suppose I wasn't so aware of being happy; but then, spending your time asking yourself if you're happy is as good a way to be miserable as I know. If you want to be happy, don't ask yourself difficult questions, just sit in a quiet, peaceful place and enjoy your solitary klava.
Vlad goes to great lengths and risks his own life to help someone who would really prefer not to need Vlad's help, thank you very much, for reasons that are more emotional than rational. (That last statement could
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apply to either of them.) It's a gripping novel, but… sort of bleak, and hard to talk about without discussing spoilers.At the time, I suppose I wasn't so aware of being happy; but then, spending your time asking yourself if you're happy is as good a way to be miserable as I know. If you want to be happy, don't ask yourself difficult questions, just sit in a quiet, peaceful place and enjoy your solitary klava.
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LibraryThing member jrg1316
Good addition to the series. I'm not a big fan of any story involving Cawti anymore, but Dzur still manages to be an interesting read.
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This is not my favorite book in the Vlad Taltos series, but it does have a charm all its own. Here we meet Telnan, the newest (and only) recruit of Sethra Lavode's Army. Told through a meal at Valabars, each course a new chapter. Basically, this a book about how Vlad manages to get the left hand of
As always, the writing is on par, but theres a bit too much chance in this story, and maybe that part of what be Dzur is about. Also bloodthirsty-ness,
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Jhereg off his back. As always, the writing is on par, but theres a bit too much chance in this story, and maybe that part of what be Dzur is about. Also bloodthirsty-ness,
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Original language
English
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
285 p.; 5.72 inches
ISBN
0765301482 / 9780765301482