Dragon

Swashbuckling assassin Vlad Taltos and his smart-mouthed reptile familiar Loiosh find themselves in over their heads when they become caught in the middle of a war between two rival Dragonlords, in a witty fantasy adventure. 35,000 first printing.

"So there I was, in a full-scale battle; that is, in a place where no self-respecting assassin ought to be." Dashing Vlad Taltos, the swashbuckling hero of Brust's popular Taltos fantasy series, makes his hardcover debut after seven mass market appearances (Athyra, etc.), with an early episode in his adventures. Vlad's cleverness and skill as an assassin have earned him a place in House Jhereg. They've also drawn to him some interesting friends and enemies, as well as acquaintances who can be called a little of both. At the request of Lord Morrolan, a powerful figure in House of the Dragon, Vlad traces the theft of an ancient artifact, a Morganti greatsword, to a rival Dragonlord, the Count of Fornia. Although Fornia's motivation in the crime seems transparent?he wants to start a war over the accusation of theft?Morrolan obligingly agrees to fight. And when Fornia sends a couple of bruisers to tell Vlad to stay out of the matter, the assassin's outrage leads him to join Morrolan's forces. While Morrolan and his military strategist coolly plan each phase of the conflict, Vlad gets a close-up look at the ugliness of war. It doesn't take him long to decide that the physical fighting is a cover for a more subtle battle, and that the Morganti greatsword is the key. As always, Brust invests Vlad with the panache of a Dumas musketeer and the colloquial voice of one of Roger Zelazny's Amber heroes. This is a rousing adventure with enough humor, action and sneaky plot twists to please newcomers as well as longtime series fans.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First hardcover appearance for Brust's established paperback fantasy series featuring the assassin Vlad Taltos, although several of his other yarns are set in the same fantasy world (Five Hundred Years After, 1994, etc.). Assassin Vlad works for House Jhereg, where he runs rackets and brothels and walks to the office every morning; his companion and familiar is Loiosh, a small dragon-like jhereg with whom he shares a telepathic bond. Vlad is an Easterner, one of a few clans of humans in a world dominated by all-but-immortal ``elfs''; he commands some magic, but his chief advantage is his ability to become invisible. One of his business associates is the Dragonlord Morrolan of Castle Black; Vlad must be teleported there since the castle hangs high in the air. It seems that a certain sword of great magical power has gone missing from Morrolan's treasury; the chief suspect is another Dragonlord, Count Fornia, who, becoming aware of Vlad's involvement, immediately threatens him. Vlad takes this personally and goes along with Morrolan's intricate plot to recover the sword and teach Fornia a lesson by invading his territory - especially when Vlad learns that Morrolan has hired Sethra Lavode, the finest general alive. So Vlad finds himself serving in Morrolan's army as a foot soldier (despite his assassin's skills, he has little idea of practical soldiering) with no clear idea of what's really going on (Morrolan is deliberately closemouthed), while awaiting an opportunity to revenge himself upon Fornia, or grab the sword, or do something useful without getting himself killed in the process. Structured on several interlocking levels so as to keep the reader both fascinated and off-balance, full of wit and wisecracks, with a self-deprecating hero who manages to come out on top: a splendid caper that welcomes newcomers, while existing fans will pounce. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

The large readership Brust won with his best-known fantasy creation, professional assassin Vlad Taltos, should greet Vlad's promotion to hardcovers, some years after his last appearance, enthusiastically. This book is set early in Vlad's career, between the first, Jhereg, and the second, Yendi, installments of his saga, and details some events hinted at in previous volumes. Although an elite criminal and fond of his comforts, Vlad somehow is one of the poor, bloody Infantry in a deadly struggle between two dragon lords. Explaining how he got in this situation, how he survives many bloody, well-choreographed battles and intrigues, and how he finally gets out with a reasonably whole skin makes for an engrossing story. Brust's writing style has changed noticeably since the last Vlad yarn, but Vlad's devotees will not be put off by anything so petty as stylistic dissonance. Roland Green