Jhereg (Book 1) | Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust Review

Overall rating: 4

The book was fun to read, fast-paced, and action-packed. A little fantasy-noir-style book with elements of urban fantasy rather than a traditional fantasy story. Overall, the story feels like a high-stakes heist with the end goal being an assassination rather than a robbery.

The story is told from the perspective of Vlad Taltos (a badass name if I say so myself), who works as a problem-solver (hired assassin) for the criminal/underground organization House of Jhereg. He has been tasked with a new target to be killed: the target who stole millions from the organization and who happens to be an ex-mafia council member. This task is assigned/pushed onto him by the same organization's council's remaining leaders, who want the target to be eliminated without chances of revival (Oh, I forgot to mention people could be revived after death unless they are killed in a way that revivification is not possible), and within a time limit. And so, we follow Vlad as he goes about this task, which was supposed to be a simple elimination; it has now turned into a convoluted one due to the political situation between the different Houses(clans) in the world where this story is set.

Emotional Impact: 3

The overall story had little emotional impact, as it was fast-paced and didn't give readers time to feel them. But there are great comedic elements in the book that many readers might enjoy, especially comedic banter between Vlad and his familiar Loiosh. Our protagonist himself has a dry sense of humor which pervades every single page. His snarky descriptions of situations and characters make you grin even without you realizing it.

" She smiled at me. We were all friends here. Morrolan carried Blackwand, which slew a thousand at the Wall of Barrit’s Tomb. Aliera carried Pathfinder, which they say served a power higher than the Empire. Sethra carried Iceflame, which embodied within it the power of the Dzur Mountain. I carried myself rather well, thank you."

Characters: 3.5

There are many characters other than the protagonist in the book, and readers will enjoy every one of them. Though the whole story is told from the protagonist's perspective, and descriptions of other characters come with a biased perspective, the other characters have enough depth and variations that they provide the story good credence.

Plot: 4.5

I really liked the overall plot of the story. It is fast-paced, action-packed, fantasy-noir, heist-type adventure with assassination as an end goal.

!Vlad, being an assassin, has to eliminate a target who has taken sanctuary at the home of one of his friends/close acquaintances. This friend is quite a prominent figure in the world of the story, and he honors/protects his guests while they reside in his home. Now, our protagonists have the task of eliminating the target without causing damage to the honor of his friend!<

World-building: 2

There isn't much world-building in this book. I assume that much of the world-building will be done in the subsequent books in the series set in the world of Dragaera. The story and world are built in a way that reminds me of urban fantasy books like The Dresden Files. And instead of the story being set in our modern world of planet Earth, it is set in the imaginary world of Dragaera

There isn't a magic system in this book. Whatever Vlad is using is described as Witchcraft and sorcery, with names or descriptions for what he is doing or what other characters in the book are doing in a way of magic.

There are fantastic creatures in the book, though only one clearly described and with which readers have interaction is jhereg(a miny dragon-type reptilian creature).

Prose: 3.5

The prose is excellent—written in a fluid style that keeps the narrative moving without getting bogged down in tiresome descriptions or wordiness. The author keeps the reader engaged throughout, offering a writing style that feels refreshing and acts as a palate cleanser.

Although the first few chapters make readers feel as if they've been dropped into the sea without swimming lessons, it becomes clear that the author isn't going to hold their hand. Terms and details introduced early on may feel daunting at first, but readers will adjust as the story unfolds.

Edit:

Extra afterthoughts:

It's been more than a day or two since I read the book, but I'm still thinking about the plot and characters, especially the banter between Vlad and his familiar Loiosh. By sitting on it and letting my thoughts on the story marinate, I came to realize I really liked the book with a combination of fantasy, mystery, and assassin-heist more than I initially thought when I wrote this review.