The Griffin or the Agate

     A new entry in a long-running fantasy series is always a dicey proposition. Not for the true fan, which takes comfort with the familiar and often well loved characters, nor for the publishers, who can count of the loyal readership base to sell copies of the book. The one in danger, if it can be called that, is the reader. Will the work be a step forward, a solid piece that would do just as well as a stand-alone, or will it be just another worn rehash of the same old story, with tired, labored characters "finding' themselves as they quash the looming big bad (cough cough - Sword of Truth)? It's a fine line to walk, and far too many authors find themselves on the wrong side of the fence. But what about Steven Brust and Issola, the ninth in a series?
    Brust's tightrope is even narrower than most, because his Vlad Taltos novels focus directly on the protagonist and his point of view. A somewhat retired assassin, Taltos and his Jhereg familiar Loiosh (and Loiosh's semi-tamed mate Rocza) are living a life of exile in the wooded lands of Dragaera, hiding out from the House which Taltos was forced to doublecross in an early adventure. The sudden appearance of Lady Teldra, seneschal of the Dragonlord Morrolan, does not bode well. It seems that her boss, along with his cousin, the Dragonlord Aliera, have vanished. Since they are two of the more powerful individuals in the world, this serves as a call to alarm. And Vlad, sometimes friend, is going to be asked to find them. Issola follows along as Vlad and company meets with Dragaera's earth-shakers - then move on to confront their foes, the Jenione, who might well be the earth-makers. Things become so serious that the gods themselves come out to play, while Vlad tags along and wonders just what he did to get himself dragged into all of this.
    Vlad has always been a strong, interesting persona to read, a cynical yet romantic sort. His playfulness and insolence brighten the darkest of scenes, and the tale is one well told. At times, the mental interplay between Vlad and Loiosh is way too cutesy, like a couple of snickering schoolboys in the back of Sister Mary's fourth grade math class, but while this can prove distracting it doesn't go so far as to make the text unreadable. Folks new to the series will probably be able to pick up the storyline as they go along, but this is certainly aimed at the reader well versed in Vlad's exploits. Brust manages to avoid most of the cliches and gimmicks associated with long-running series and offers up a story well worth reading.   §

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