Issola is a satisfying entry in the Vlad Taltos series. The novel reveals some of the mysteries of the deep background of the series universe, with the main the arriving from the machinations of the Jenoine, the alien species whose experimentation with humans and animals created the variety of Dragaera. As perhaps a throw-away line, we also learn that there were originally more varieties.
Vlad assists his friends and, notably, Lady Teldra, the seneschal of Castle Black in thwarting the inscrutable goals of the Jenoine. The middle drags a bit, but that’s okay as the interplay between Vlad and Teldra is the core of the book, the theme of which is courtesy. Vlad, by the end, begins to hold his reflexive sarcasm more in check. I don’t recall if that character…growth…persists through the later volumes. I hope not, as snarky Vlad is best Vlad.
The book ends with a pitched battle between the most powerful of the Dragaera and the gods on one side versus the Jenoine on the other, along a coastline of raw chaos. So, the action does rather pick up, leading to a melancholic, bitter-sweet end.
Issola is a good one. While it lacks the clever playing around with narrative structure that Steven Brust often employs, it seems to possess a relaxed maturity, a comfortable mastery of the characters and world.
Have I mentioned that I have a story in Arcane Intelligence, out from the good people of Raconteur Press? I expect to have other announcements in the coming weeks. Keep reading.
