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70th out of 1,611 books
—
10,836 voters
Jhereg (Vlad Taltos #1)
by
Steven Brust (Goodreads Author),
Olaf Schenk
Vlad Taltos ist ein Hexer, freiberuflicher Attentäter, lebt als Ostländer (also Mensch) unter Dragaeranern und nennt einen reptilischen Vertrauten mit beissendem Humor sein Eigen. Und er ist in Schwierigkeiten, denn er muss einen Krieg verhindern, in dem sich seine besten Freunde und daneben auch die großen Familien von Dragaera gegenseitig auslöschen würden...
Broschiert, 307 pages
Published
2005
by Klett-Cotta
(first published 1983)
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Jan 15, 2011
Brad
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Amber
Recommended to Brad by:
Sherri Murphy-Jacobs & D.
Immediate Reaction: This was a blast. A little fantasy-noir fun for anyone who likes bad men behaving with honour. Vlad Taltos is an anti-hero extraordinaire, and all the minor characters and relationships he's surrounded with are equally cool.
Later: This is only the second book I've read by Steven Brust, and the first I've read that he wrote alone. I read his collaboration with Emma Bull, Freedom and Necessity a couple of months ago, and loved their book so much I knew I had to hunt down their...more
Later: This is only the second book I've read by Steven Brust, and the first I've read that he wrote alone. I read his collaboration with Emma Bull, Freedom and Necessity a couple of months ago, and loved their book so much I knew I had to hunt down their...more
16 likes · like · see review
view all 18 comments
Mar 21, 2012
Carol
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fantasy fans
Iorich sent me down the path of re-reading the Taltos series. While Iorich was enjoyable and engrossing, memories sent me back to the inaugural Vlad. Sophisticated writing, interesting characters and one seriously convoluted plot. It's interesting, because this is the fourth book in the timeline of the series and Vlad's history, but actually the first published (echoes of Lucas). I'd recommend reading Jhereg first, as it's told in a largely linear fashion with only a few flashbacks, and as such...more
8 likes · like · see review
Mar 13, 2010
Monk
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy fans, intrigue lovers
Shelves:
fantasy,
world_builders
This book took me a while to get around to, but was well worth the ride.
It covers a rather grim society of Dragerans (more like particularly evil, seven-foot elves) and humans-beneath-notice, neither of which seem to view death as much more than an inconvenience. One of the key elements of the story is that death is not permanent - provided you can pay to be revived. Their society is based around twelve noble houses, one of which is House Jhereg. The Jhereg do 'work' for the right price (everyth...more
It covers a rather grim society of Dragerans (more like particularly evil, seven-foot elves) and humans-beneath-notice, neither of which seem to view death as much more than an inconvenience. One of the key elements of the story is that death is not permanent - provided you can pay to be revived. Their society is based around twelve noble houses, one of which is House Jhereg. The Jhereg do 'work' for the right price (everyth...more
Hoy me he levantado con el pie izquierdo y lo ha pagado esta novela. Aunque eso me pasa por leer antigüedades sabiendo a priori que a algunos libros les sienta mal el paso de los años, como ya descubrí con Rey Kull y alguna más.
Pero claro, en el blog donde leí la reseña (encontrada via google) lo ponían como una de esas series que no te puedes perder si te consideras adict@ a la fantasía (amos, alguien como yo).
Y no pintaba nada mal. Una sociedad basada en casas, recordándome a la infame Menzobe...more
Pero claro, en el blog donde leí la reseña (encontrada via google) lo ponían como una de esas series que no te puedes perder si te consideras adict@ a la fantasía (amos, alguien como yo).
Y no pintaba nada mal. Una sociedad basada en casas, recordándome a la infame Menzobe...more
1 like · like · see review
This is the first written Vlad Taltos-book and the fourth in the current internal chronological order. After reading the previous ones I have to admit that this is the one to start the series with. It’s full of background information which isn’t told either extensively or at all about Vlad, his job and family, the world, the Great Weapons, and everything.
The book is short, quick to read, fast paced, and full of plot twists and witty banter. Vlad owns his own small sector of the city of Adrilankh...more
The book is short, quick to read, fast paced, and full of plot twists and witty banter. Vlad owns his own small sector of the city of Adrilankh...more
I've always been a fan of the anti-hero type character, and I do believe that Vlad Taltos may just be a new favorite. Born a lowly human in a world ruled by long-lived elves (Dragaerans) Vlad becomes a sort of low-level crimelord for his "family" the Jhereg who are just one of seventeen Great Houses. He is an exemplary hired killer, a minor sorcerer, and a witch. It is through his witchcraft that he gains his wisecracking telepathic familiar Loiosh a small winged dragonlike lizard called a jhere...more
Oct 04, 2012
Jen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of the Locke Lamora books
Initially, I was sad that I'd finished all the Locke Lamora books that had been written, to date. Despite its weird name, I was thrilled when I chanced to open and start reading Jhereg (Vlad Taltos #1) because it had a lot of elements in common with our dear friend Locke Lamora. And I was further thrilled that this is a series in which there are many books, so I do not have to say goodbye to series that feature:
- a single male starring character
- that has a seemingly mind-reading best friend/fam...more
- a single male starring character
- that has a seemingly mind-reading best friend/fam...more
I was quite impressed with how much I liked this book, considering how often some books from the 70's and 80's don't hold up well!
To start off with, I really loved the way the author built the world. There wasn't a "straight man" to explain everything to, but with the story being told from the recollection of the main character, there are plenty of places to explain something that's been mentioned a time or two, to flesh out the idea.
The book is pretty short for what I normally like to read, and...more
To start off with, I really loved the way the author built the world. There wasn't a "straight man" to explain everything to, but with the story being told from the recollection of the main character, there are plenty of places to explain something that's been mentioned a time or two, to flesh out the idea.
The book is pretty short for what I normally like to read, and...more
4 Stars
This was a really good beginning to the first book in the Vlad Taltos series. This was my first time reading a Steven Brust novel even though he has been in my queue for as long as I can remember. This is a novel that was first published nearly 30 years ago. It is written in a fashion that keeps it fresh and relative to todays fantasy scene.
The combination of magic(sorcery)and witchcraft is very unique. The book gives some creative back story that explains the difference between the two s...more
This was a really good beginning to the first book in the Vlad Taltos series. This was my first time reading a Steven Brust novel even though he has been in my queue for as long as I can remember. This is a novel that was first published nearly 30 years ago. It is written in a fashion that keeps it fresh and relative to todays fantasy scene.
The combination of magic(sorcery)and witchcraft is very unique. The book gives some creative back story that explains the difference between the two s...more
My reading was starting to slow down, and I realized that the stuff I was reading was too downer and artsy. I needed a good rollickin' adventure for a change. Terran has recommended the Vlad Taltos series repeatedly as fun fantasy adventure from his youth. We own that series, and it is not in boxes waiting for us to finish building bookcases, so I decided to give it a try.
The first book, while it reads like a rookie effort in some ways, really is brilliant. Vlad is a great narrator with a great...more
The first book, while it reads like a rookie effort in some ways, really is brilliant. Vlad is a great narrator with a great...more
I've been looking for a long, satisfying fantasy series to dig into, so I really wanted to love Jhereg, but sadly it was only competent, not awesome.
Brust has a lot of things going for him. The mythology seems original, and well-constructed that I'd guess it unfolds slowly as the series goes on. The worldbuilding is excellent, too; Brust parcels it out in little chunks. The story is well-paced. What I like best, though, is that Brust is refreshingly unpretentious. As far as I can tell, Jhereg is...more
Brust has a lot of things going for him. The mythology seems original, and well-constructed that I'd guess it unfolds slowly as the series goes on. The worldbuilding is excellent, too; Brust parcels it out in little chunks. The story is well-paced. What I like best, though, is that Brust is refreshingly unpretentious. As far as I can tell, Jhereg is...more
This book begins the series about the adventures of Vlad the assassin. The series is wildly uneven, with a few really weak entries, but the best novels in the group are some of the most original fantasy out there. The best of the series are fast, funny, irreverent, and wildly creative.
The books take place on another world, where humans co-exist with Draegarans, a race of tall, aggressive and extremely long-lived humanoids - basically "elves," but not like you've ever seen them before. The world...more
The books take place on another world, where humans co-exist with Draegarans, a race of tall, aggressive and extremely long-lived humanoids - basically "elves," but not like you've ever seen them before. The world...more
Dans ce roman, on suit un assassin, Vlad Tatlos, auquel on a confié une mission d'assassinat des plus dangereuses, à la fois pour lui et pour la ville dans laquelle il travaille(1). Comme un assassinat, c'est avant tout un plan bien fichu, je ne vais pas vous en parler, histoire d'éviter de déflorer cette intrigue rudement bien fichue. Je vais donc plutôt vous parler de ce que j'en ai pensé.
Pour moi, ce bouquin fait partie d'une longue tradition, comme le dit justement la quatrième de couverture...more
Pour moi, ce bouquin fait partie d'une longue tradition, comme le dit justement la quatrième de couverture...more
I fell in love with Steven Brust's world. I love how the humans are second class citizens which is a turn about in fantasy, sci-fi, etc. Who can't love a thief/witch with a pet dragon-like reptile that calls him "Boss" telepathically but with much sarcasm?
The characters are more than a bit interesting in these books.
Another interesting thing is how easily Brust changes "styles" of writing. The Vlad Taltos series tends to border on modern language and culture while the books in the Phoenix Guar...more
The characters are more than a bit interesting in these books.
Another interesting thing is how easily Brust changes "styles" of writing. The Vlad Taltos series tends to border on modern language and culture while the books in the Phoenix Guar...more
This book is really clever. Like the central character it proves itself nimble and clever, a fantasy version of the 'heist movie' in a way, in which the protagonist has to come up with an overly elaborate cunning plan to get his objective... in this case to assassinate some-one.
I found alot of elements of the world-building fascinating actually. Humans who live as a persecuted minority in an empire of super-long-lived beings. What assassination 'means' in a world where magical resurrection is co...more
I found alot of elements of the world-building fascinating actually. Humans who live as a persecuted minority in an empire of super-long-lived beings. What assassination 'means' in a world where magical resurrection is co...more
Steven Brust is by far my favorite author. I have read every one of his books, some of them several times. I truly enjoy the worlds he has created in his novels. Jhereg was the first one to capture me and it was one of his first books. It tells the story of a young assassin trying to make his way in the world. From the very first passage, I was completely enchanted; it quickly & skillfully drew me in, heart and soul. Brust writes with wit, humor and charm, colorfully describing characters, s...more
Guess this is what you'd call an oldie but a goodie. I can't believe I hadn't heard of Steven Brust until a few weeks ago, but he was recommended to me by a gaming friend of mine, and then another good friend jumped into the Twitter conversation to second the recommendation. So, that's two shoutouts from a couple of people whose opinions I highly value, and that's when I knew I had to get my hands on this book, posthaste!
Jhereg is the beginning of a whole bunch of books set in Brust's Dragaera w...more
Jhereg is the beginning of a whole bunch of books set in Brust's Dragaera w...more
I've had this (and I believe 2 of the novels that follow it) on my shelves waiting to be read for years. I think I picked them up after I read Phoenix Guard...but, whatever prompted me to buy them they, like Dracula when he's staked but still a whole skeleton in his coffin, they were there... condemned to endless waiting. Happily this one was selected as the subject of a group read here on Goodreads, and I had a reason (excuse ?)to move it ahead of the huge pile of library books that are always...more
In General
You should really read this book xD I'm pretty sure it's a YA book, by the way.
Regarding the Plot
The plot was really cool :D Vlad was hired to assassinate Mellar (look at description) but basically he runs into a bunch of really interesting (to me) obstacles, such as the fact that Mellar is holed up inside of a castle who's guests are protected. You are not allowed to kill them permanently (you can revive people from the dead if their soul isn't removed) but Vlad needs to do that in o...more
You should really read this book xD I'm pretty sure it's a YA book, by the way.
Regarding the Plot
The plot was really cool :D Vlad was hired to assassinate Mellar (look at description) but basically he runs into a bunch of really interesting (to me) obstacles, such as the fact that Mellar is holed up inside of a castle who's guests are protected. You are not allowed to kill them permanently (you can revive people from the dead if their soul isn't removed) but Vlad needs to do that in o...more
Nov 01, 2012
Alexis
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Pretty much everyone
Recommended to Alexis by:
Cole
This is, I think, one of the best dragon-related books I've ever read, and the second-best assassin book I've ever read. It's also hopping up pretty darn close to my very exclusive "favorites" shelf. A few things I loved about it were:
The humor. Vlad and Loiosh both have incredible senses of humor. They know just the time and place to drop it in, without lessening the tension elsewhere in any given scene. Amazingly well done on the author's part.
The cleverness. I hate it when assassin books invo...more
The humor. Vlad and Loiosh both have incredible senses of humor. They know just the time and place to drop it in, without lessening the tension elsewhere in any given scene. Amazingly well done on the author's part.
The cleverness. I hate it when assassin books invo...more
Righto, so I started with the “first” book of the series (at least, the first book that the publisher thinks comes first, not the one that chronologically comes first). I enjoyed it. It’s a fun, light read, with little seriousness, a bit of campy here and there, fun, roller-coaster type plot, and entertaining, interesting characters that I cared about.
Vlad is a fun narrator and keeps the pace of the book very fast and the tone very modern. Things move briskly from page one and don’t stop until t...more
Vlad is a fun narrator and keeps the pace of the book very fast and the tone very modern. Things move briskly from page one and don’t stop until t...more
I have heard a lot of hype about this novel. It is allegedly "quick with both sword and wit," and the protagonist is supposed to be "archly sophisticated and wryly humorous" as well as selflessly heroic.
I found myself disappointed. There were maybe two whole lines that made me laugh out loud, and on the whole the humor was forced and flat (unless you like repeatedly reading "Shut up, Loiosh."). The setting was vague, and although society seems intriguingly complicated, so much of its structure i...more
I found myself disappointed. There were maybe two whole lines that made me laugh out loud, and on the whole the humor was forced and flat (unless you like repeatedly reading "Shut up, Loiosh."). The setting was vague, and although society seems intriguingly complicated, so much of its structure i...more
Assassin nonsense in a fantasy land where death is generally not final and humans are the minority.
Yeah, I know everyone loves these books, but did you love the first one? Because I thought this was inoffensive but also uninteresting, and there was this overbaked convolution to the whole thing that made me think I ought to be reading it out of the super sekrit writing notebooks of a high school kid who plays a lot of D&D. Not like there’s anything wrong with D&D, just, you know. Random r...more
Yeah, I know everyone loves these books, but did you love the first one? Because I thought this was inoffensive but also uninteresting, and there was this overbaked convolution to the whole thing that made me think I ought to be reading it out of the super sekrit writing notebooks of a high school kid who plays a lot of D&D. Not like there’s anything wrong with D&D, just, you know. Random r...more
An assassin is offerred a job that sounds to good to refuse but soon finds himself in an impossible situation. Can Vladimir find a way out that doesn't besmirch his friend's honour or lead to an all out war between three factions of the empire? Unfortunately, he doesn't have much time, a matter of days before all hell breaks loose...
A light, easy read in an interesting world. A simple narrative structure that that sets up the framework of the impossible situation and then we see how it might be...more
A light, easy read in an interesting world. A simple narrative structure that that sets up the framework of the impossible situation and then we see how it might be...more
Jhereg was given to me by a friend of the family on my 13th birthday. It turned out to be my introduction to mature fantasy and remains my favorite fantasy series to this day. Brust combines snappy no-nonsense dialogue and visceral action scenes with intricately twisting plots, snaking through a deep and complex arc, much of which has yet to surface on the page. Vlad Taltos is a far cry from the invincible two-dimensional killing machines populating most fantasy series. The supporting characters...more
I think that this book together with "Taltos" are the best parts of the "Vlad Taltos" series. Why? This book is set in Adrilankha and it focuses on Vlad and his relationship with the Dragaerans in general and with Morrolan, Aliera, Kiera and Kragar in particular. I just love this, the way his friendship with these Dragaerans boggles Vlad's mind, he hates all Dragaerans after all. But Verra forbid someone hurts Morrolan or Aliera. At least Vlad's friendship with Aliera is explained. I'm still cur...more
This book has first-book-itis. Bad pacing, bad dialogue, bad outtakes, a shift from third person to third person omniscient with abandon. It had sort of an interesting idea about this high level mobster/Baron messing with more high level people and pulling off a heist to kill a guy who couldn't be killed.
It has a nice fight in the end but it spends almost 200 pages trying to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up. The book is mostly "BEHOLD MY WORLD! IS IT NOT WORLDLY?" But in the end,...more
It has a nice fight in the end but it spends almost 200 pages trying to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up. The book is mostly "BEHOLD MY WORLD! IS IT NOT WORLDLY?" But in the end,...more
Just started the audio version- read by a friend of a friend...pretty cool so far...
Liked it well...felt a bit like a mix between Dresden and Locke Lamora, but brisker.
Would have liked me explanation of the world and races/houses ...some characters casually boast thousands of years of age, while the protagonist who vies well with them has only been on the job like 5 years. A bit confusing, but I assume it expands as the series goes on. Also, he musta got really good quick to not get his ass kic...more
Liked it well...felt a bit like a mix between Dresden and Locke Lamora, but brisker.
Would have liked me explanation of the world and races/houses ...some characters casually boast thousands of years of age, while the protagonist who vies well with them has only been on the job like 5 years. A bit confusing, but I assume it expands as the series goes on. Also, he musta got really good quick to not get his ass kic...more
This is the first in the long-running VLAD TALTOS series. It's an interesting mix of politics, crime, and fantasy, all mixed in a blender and topped with a healthy dose of sarcasm.
Vlad Taltos lives in a society where humans are basically second-class citizens. That's okay, though, because he's an assassin, and things are going pretty well for him, especially when he gets a high-paying contract to take out a politician who embezzled a substantial sum from political group. (I'm being very vague he...more
Vlad Taltos lives in a society where humans are basically second-class citizens. That's okay, though, because he's an assassin, and things are going pretty well for him, especially when he gets a high-paying contract to take out a politician who embezzled a substantial sum from political group. (I'm being very vague he...more
Jun 11, 2012
Andria
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
cloak-and-dagger
Couldn't fall asleep last night so at midnight I decided to crack open this book (AGAIN). At 3am I decided to read the last third in the morning, and did. And this is why I don't read books during the school year.
All the novels in the Jhereg series are a quick fun read, combining cloak-and-dagger, fantasy, a little smidge of SF if you read between the lines, and lots of humor. Although these books aren't labeled as YA, they do model healthy relationships (as held by sorcerer-assassins) and are...more
All the novels in the Jhereg series are a quick fun read, combining cloak-and-dagger, fantasy, a little smidge of SF if you read between the lines, and lots of humor. Although these books aren't labeled as YA, they do model healthy relationships (as held by sorcerer-assassins) and are...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodreads Librari...: Wrong language edition listed | 2 | 30 | May 13, 2013 07:08am | |
| Who Wants To Be A...: Jhereg | 10 | 6 | Mar 23, 2013 08:07pm | |
| Dragaera: Jhereg | 9 | 7 | Dec 03, 2012 01:45am | |
| where to buy an ebook version? | 3 | 44 | Mar 31, 2012 03:58am | |
| Beyond Reality: JHEREG: finished reading (*SPOILERS*) | 47 | 48 | Feb 24, 2012 09:12am | |
| Beyond Reality: JHEREG: roll cal and initial impressions (*NO SPOILERS*) | 22 | 41 | Feb 22, 2012 05:06pm | |
| Beyond Reality: JHEREG: discussion for people who have read the entire series (*BIG HONKIN' SPOILERS HERE*) | 16 | 25 | Feb 15, 2012 05:36am |
Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede, and also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
More about Steven Brust...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
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