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| Jhegaala (Vlad) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 30 reviews)
Sales Rank: 12245
Category: Book
Author: Steven Brust
Publisher: Tor Books
Studio: Tor Books
Manufacturer: Tor Books
Label: Tor Books
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2
ISBN: 0765301474
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780765301475
ASIN: 0765301474
Publication Date: July 8, 2008
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Fresh from the collapse of his marriage, and with the criminal Jhereg organization out to eliminate him, Vlad decides to hide out among his relatives in faraway Fenario. All he knows about them is that their family name is Merss and that they live in a papermaking industrial town called Burz. At first Burz isn?t such a bad place, though the paper mill reeks to high heaven. But the longer he stays there, the stranger it becomes. No one will tell him where to find his relatives. Even stranger, when he mentions the name Merss, people think he?s threatening them. The witches? coven that every Fenarian town and city should have is nowhere in evidence. And the Guild, which should be protecting the city?s craftsmen and traders, is an oppressive, all-powerful organization, into which no tradesman would ever be admitted. Then a terrible thing happens. In its wake, far from Draegara, without his usual organization working for him, Vlad is going to have to do his sleuthing amidst an alien people: his own.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Oh Steve, what happened to you? November 27, 2008
Steve Brust once described his writing style as:
"Putting as much fun stuff in each page as I can" (paraphrasing)
Please, none of you can tell me that's what he did here!
Lets not be false, obviously we respect Vlad as a human with human weaknesses etc. BUT we also enjoy the fun of fights to the death, magic and duels and gods and exciting things. These aren't just 'who did it' novels, these are adventures! Sad to say, since Issola, Steve has written weak books that seem to do more talking than fun. In Dzur there is no actual point to the story and the book is filled with the descriptions of food (we get it steve you like talking about food, well guess what your readers don't pay to read whole pages of it, get a cook book published if that's what you want).
In THIS book? Are you kidding me? Can you honestly compare this to Taltos? To Jhereg? To Teckla or Pheonix or ANY OF HIS BOOKS???
HOW? this could have been so good, we were all waiting for him to wow
his fellow humans with his magic and skills, so they go : "who the hell ARE you?" kinda thing. And yes, so what if that the predictable thing to do? Steve, remember fun?? I can't find it in this book, it was a chore, it cared nothing for the voyage and only for the conclusion, which was so weak I almost cried. Vlad didn't even do anything that smart, didn't even take care of business. Call me simplistic, but I don't read these books just for Vlad's thoughts, the books need two things: Vlad's thoughts/personality and fun fun fun!!!
Steve, bring back the fun - write the next book after Dzur, get vlad to battle some overwhelming odds that involve magic, gods, and duels. Bring back Sethra and the others, make us read every word of every page, because you are going to lose your biggest fans this way, you have set up Vlad in such a wonderful way in Issola, carry it forwards, fill every page with as much fun stuff as you can, stop being so bloody serious.
All this is said with great love and admiration and hope
 A Trip to the Homeland November 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Jhegaala (2008) is the eleventh fantasy novel of the Vlad Taltos series, following Dzur. Still, the internal chronology puts this novel before the last book. This work fills in some of Vlad's backstory.
In the previous volume, Vlad had problems with women. The Left Hand of the Jhereg was moving into South Adrilankha and Vlad put a stop to it. But Cawti was not pleased.
In this novel, Vlad crosses over the eastern mountains into Fenario fleeing from the Jhereg and searching for his mother's people. His grandfather has taught him many things to smooth his way: customs, politics and culture. And particularly about Guilds and Covens.
As he comes down from the mountain into the forest and finds a road, Vlad goes away from the mountains. He finds it strange to have clear sky and the Furnace overhead. After he walks a while, everything suddenly becomes dark. Only pinpoints of light remain in the sky and they don't shed any light on the terrain.
Vlad is night blind, so he goes off the road, spreads his blanket and sleeps. The next morning, he encounters a young man driving a hay wagon and asks the way to Burz. When the man points along the same way he is walking, Vlad gives him a few coppers and continues down the road.
In this story, Vlad arrives in Burz and asks about his mother's family. Many claim to have no knowledge of the family, but he finally finds a man who tells him where to find their home. He follows the directions and discovers only a recently burned house and bodies.
Vlad has problems with the guildsmen from his first day in Burz. He also cannot find anyone who will direct him to the local coven. The town seems to be filled with very ignorant people.
But Vlad is resourceful and has a Jhereg familiar, who is capable of scouting and following people without being seen. Besides, Vlad can see through the eyes of his familiar and view these people and their actions. Loiosh and his mate Rocza help Vlad ferret out the people who can provide him with the information that he lacks.
Yet, the presence of Loiosh and Rocza on his shoulders proclaims to the townspeople that he is a witch. Some people won't talk to him because of his witchery. And others won't talk to him because his sword shows that he is a noble. These Fenarians are very strange people.
This tale puts Vlad squarely in the middle of a longstanding conflict between the Guild, the Coven and the Count. His own ignorance brings him pain and sorrow. Several somebodies are going to pay for all the harm that they have done.
The story relates misunderstandings and violence from the beginning of Vlad's visit to his maternal homeland. Everybody fears that he is working for their enemy and takes measures against him. Then there are the Jhereg assassins who are stalking him. Enjoy!
Highly recommended for Brust fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of unfamiliar cultures, conflicting interests, and a highly ignorant stranger. Anyone who has not read prior books in this series should start with Jhereg.
-Arthur W. Jordin
An Assassin on Vacation October 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
(No spoilers.)
Steven Brust set Jhegaala in an "in between" time in Vlad's life. This book takes place several weeks after Vlad and Cawti have split up, and when -- like many people raw from a divorce -- Vlad is trying to get his head screwed back on straight. Granted, most newly divorced people don't have the Jhereg sending assassins to kill them, nor do they have a smartass telepathic familiar, but *still.* Same thing, really; it's time to reconnect with one's roots.
So when his grandfather shows him a letter left by Vlad's mother (who died young), Vlad decides it might be nice to visit the relatives. Besides, it's an excuse to leave the Empire for a while and visit the old homeland of Fenario. The sword-toting menacing assassin takes off -- with his jherig familiars Loiosh and Rocza -- to the small town of Burz for a quiet time. Naturally, he doesn't get it.
The result is the typical funny/cynical/heartwarming/adventure storytelling that I have come to expect from Steven Brust, in the 20 (!) years I have been following Vlad's story. It's hard to tell you anything about the plot without giving something away, particularly since Vlad himself is so bewildered through most of it. But I can assure you that the various threads do tie themselves together in a neat bow at the end, and that the time you spend reading this book is absolutely worth it.
Brust is in fine form here, continuing to move the story (and character development) along. For example, in one scene: "Coffeed, cleaned, dressed, and armed, I went down the stairs, ready to face anything the world threw at me. . . . Loiosh was on my left shoulder, Rocza on my right, and they both scanned the room, fully alert for assassins, hostile citizens, or pieces of sausage that had been left on the floor. It was a reasonably dramatic entrance; too bad the room was empty."
The Vlad tale has been going on for quite some time, and with most of the books in the series I would firmly warn you that it's best to start at the beginning. This may be an exception, though. Although it's obvious that plenty has Gone Before (such as why Vlad's on anybody's hit list, or why his marriage failed), you don't need to know the details to enjoy this book. It's completely self contained. Mind you, I fully expect that after reading Jhegaala you will _want_ to read every other book in the series; don't say I didn't warn you.
The Perils of Exploring Your Roots October 3, 2008
Vlad Taltos, after the events of Phoenix, is on the lam. The former low-level crime lord and assassin is being chased by his former organization, the Jhereg, who want him dead and his soul destroyed. His marriage has failed. He hates Dragaerans, but all of his friends are Dragaerans. It seems like the ideal time to visit the distant East, where most of the humans live, and avoid the powerful Dragaerans for a while. Besides, he traces his roots to the East, his mother's family is from the village of Burz. Vlad never knew his mother. Maybe he can connect with her family.
But Vlad has lived his whole life among Dragaerans, "Elfs" to humans/easterners. He's an alien among his own people. While he understands Dragaerans all too well, he doesn't understand Easterners - his people - at all. Perceived as a threat by a power structure he doesn't understand, things go horribly wrong. For the folks who may have been his relatives, and for Vlad himself. All that is left to him is revenge.
Brust enjoys experimenting; it's part of what makes him a delightful, continuously surprising author. For example, he enjoys playing with the sequence of the books; the events here occurred between Phoenix and Athyra, far earlier than the last novel written, Dzur (Vlad). In Dzur, Vlad had come into considerable power. Here, he cannot even stand up, a hero forced to act solely through others. Vlad is very nearly helpless. Or perhaps not.
This novel is an important piece of the puzzle that is Vlad Taltos. An Easterner, his soul may be that of a Dragaeran out of legend. Witch, assassin, crime lord, gourmand, husband, sorceror; he is the friend of the most powerful Dragaerans, creatures out of legend, but in this novel he is nearly alone. He can trust only his familiar and familiar's mate. He must develop new skills and strengths, or die.
Brust has developed Vlad Taltos as a character through eleven novels. He has created one of the marvelous characters in fantasy fiction. Brust writes with a skill and assurance that other would-be world builders can only envy. If you are looking for "sword and fur jockstrap" fantasy, in giant-bug killing sized volumes, look elsewhere. Verra knows, there is no shortage of that cookie cutter genre. If you are looking for intricate plotting, meticulous world building, and superb character development, look no further. Highly recommended.
 Brust pushes the easy button October 1, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a big fan of the Vlad Taltos series. However, I must admit that I was really disappointed with this book.
The last two books in the "Vlad" series were eventful, meaningful, full of action, and kept you up past your bed time. Jhegaala was just the opposite... a safe diversion into "old" Vlad [who seems really off his game -- did he draw more than a welt in this one? -- he's too **** introspective for someone who should be looking to share some pain especially over his divorce and for what happens to his kin folk in this novel]. Anyway, this novel was of no great importance to the story line and did little towards character development of Vlad or his many friends. It's too bad Brust could not continue the incredible momentum of the previous two gems Issola and Dzur and move the series forward.
Don't get me wrong, this is still Vlad and his wise-cracking sidekick Loiosh and on many levels is enjoyable. If you're a long time Vlad fan, you have to get it, read it, and put it on the shelf with the other books. If you are new to the series, read the books in chronological order from the characters perspective (google it :D) and by the time you get to this book, you'll be a fan, too, and take this book in stride.
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