Teckla (original 1987; edition 1987)

This picks up right after the first book Jhereg, I believe. After pulling off a successful assassination job, Vlad finds himself rolling in money, so he seeks to build his wife Cawti a castle...which sounds like a joke, but really isn't.

Anyway, recall how the second book Yendi took a break to go back in the past to the time where Vlad and Cawti first met. So though my time with this series has been quite brief so far, I've already come to feel connected and attached to these two characters. Which is probably why it was hard for me to read this book, seeing trouble brewing between Vlad and his wife.

In this world where Easterners (humans) and the servant class Teckla are treated as second-class citizens by the lordly Dragaeron houses, a grassroots resistance movement starts to grow and Vlad is shocked when he discovers Cawti is involved in it. That she kept it a secret from him becomes a wedge driven into their marriage, along with the fact she doesn't seem to care that she's putting herself in danger because of it. Vlad then decides to handle matters his own way, which makes the conflict worse. The two of them begin to drift further apart, both emotionally and physically. So much for that castle.

I like Cawti, I really do. Which is why it annoyed me to see her react so flippantly to Vlad's concerns for her safety. I can understand her passion for a good cause, but the way she reacted towards him just came off as overly insensitive. Vlad's methods aren't always the most subtle or the best, I admit, but she could at least stop thinking only of herself just a second and try to understand. I confess my opinion of her fell a couple notches after this book.

Anyway, this was still pretty good, but even though it's told in a very easygoing style like the last couple of books, its subject matter and themes felt a lot heavier to me. The story just wasn't as light-hearted as the previous two, and deals with some ethical matters and subjects that in a couple of dialogue sequences bordered on the philosophical. Definitely the most subdued of the three books in the series I've read so far. ( )

The third book in the continuing story of Vlad Taltos. This is intended to be a long (19?) book cycle representing the same cycle as the Dragaeran Houses, one book for each house, plus one for Vlad. Because these books are 'relatively' short, this will still end up being shorter than The Wheel of Time.
This book does not drop off much, if at all, from the first two. Vlad and his tale are still interesting, its well written, and the plot is always good. ( )

I simply could not relate to Taltos' unwillingness to adapt his personal code of honour to his wife's political and personal interests: as far as I could suspend my disbelief, it made him a deeply unattractive character whose fate I could barely bring myself to care about. ( )

Definitely a different sort of story than the first two: "Teckla" is almost a complete 180-degree turn from the sort of books the first two in this series were; it is a dark, introspective, thoroughly angst-ridden journey through very personal areas of Vlad's soul. I was expecting a light-hearted romp much like the first two stories, and was thusly surprised and disappointed by this book. My mind wandered as I plodded through the paragraphs, and I found myself thinking of other subjects; my attention just refused to be held by this story.Vlad and Cawti are completely at odds through most of the book, and Vlad is forced to confront his deepest fears, insecurities, and questions, right down to whether or not he can live with himself and with Cawti. He must face the huge question of being an assassin, or doing what might be The Right Thing...or not. There is quite a deep examination of social inequities, politics, and grass roots movement vs. The Way Things Have Always Been, which isn't my favorite sort of story, but if you like a political/social study, then you may love it. It's a very dark journey that's rather uncomfortable, and Brust puts us right there in the center of Vlad's soul, pressed up close to the discomfort itself - Vlad's inner turmoil is our constant companion, and it's not pleasant company. It's darned depressing, in fact, which is perhaps why I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two. There are, of course, the usual intra-organizational intrigues, multiple assassination attemps, and Vlad is naturally right smack in the middle. Still, there is very little spark to this story, no inner glow, no feel-good bits to keep us going; it almost felt to me like Brust had lost his enthusiasm for the series, or had run out of steam, or perhaps he was just trying something new that I wasn't as wild about. One thing, however, is developed more thoroughly here, and that is the relationship between Loiosh and Vlad, which had been fairly superficial in the first two. They gain depth and dimension, and we understand the bond between them more clearly after reading "Teckla." Loiosh actually offers opinions that go beyond snide one-liners, and we can see more affection between them. Still, honestly? I didn't enjoy this book a great deal. It's not a bad book, and it's well-written, but it was an uncomfortable, fidgety read - or at least it was for me. I looked forward to it ending, whereas with the first two, I wanted them to go on and on. Hopefully with the next installment (which I'll pick up straightaway,) Brust will take us back to a happier time for Vlad.

The Vlad Taltos series takes a more serious turn here, as Vlad the assassin finds his loving wife in the middle of an unlikely revolutionary movement that he fears will mean her death. His various efforts to solve this problem have little success, and create a serious estrangement between the two of them. In the end, Grandfather has to intervene.

I found this the least satisfying of the series to date. The dark humor which marked earlier books was largely absent, and the actions of Vlad and Cawti and indeed all of the significant characters seemed to vary from random to idiotic. Brust is not an author I look to for either political philosophy or marriage counseling; this book would have been better with less of both.

If you’re looking for lighthearted dark fantasy (if that’s not an oxymoron), I’d recommend other books in this series, but not particularly this one. ( )