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debs4jc's review
2.0
Vlad Taltos is the main character of these stories, which jump around to various points in his sordid life as a hired assasin, mob boss, and errand boy for his patron Goddess. Vlad and his familiar--a leathery winged jherig--somehow manage to bluff and wise-crack their way through every dangerous situation the author throws at them. [return]I only mildly enjoyed this adventure, which seemed to jump around a lot. Vlad is a man's man, and his blunt ways were not to my taste, but those who enjoy gritty fantasy stories with snide humor would like this one.
sunscour's review
4.0
Loved the way each story is told with a different writing style. Vlad is such a great character.
glimnore's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I am going to be honest here, I had my doubts about this series. I simply didn't think it could have gotten better. I was so very wrong....
Review for Taltos
Characters 4/5-The only week point, I feel as if all the introductions weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be. Vlad's development, however, out shined them all, which I find absolutely nothing wrong with :D
Plot 5/5 - This was interesting and enchanting. Not so much fighting, but hey, a novel can't always be about fighting all the time right?
Pace 5/5 - Did not know Brust had upped his ante when it came to a novel's pacing. Everything was spaced out perfectly and organized quite well.
Prose 5/5 - Oh dear, Brust's descriptions of the Paths of the Dead is something I would attribute to the one aspect of hell that I would actually consider hell. It was all brilliantly put together and flowed quite nicely!
World 5/5 - And here Brust shines again. The world he has created is so incredibly deep that I fear that I will soon get completely lost in it.
Total: 4+5+5+5+5 = 24/5 = 4.8 which obviously rounds to 5.
Review of Phoenix
^Here is where a shining review should be, but I was too lazy to write. Let it be known, however that this book was absolutely perfect^
Ultimate Total: 4.8 + 5 = 9.8/5 = 4.9 which rounds to 5.
Final words: Damn this was good.
Review for Taltos
Characters 4/5-The only week point, I feel as if all the introductions weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be. Vlad's development, however, out shined them all, which I find absolutely nothing wrong with :D
Plot 5/5 - This was interesting and enchanting. Not so much fighting, but hey, a novel can't always be about fighting all the time right?
Pace 5/5 - Did not know Brust had upped his ante when it came to a novel's pacing. Everything was spaced out perfectly and organized quite well.
Prose 5/5 - Oh dear, Brust's descriptions of the Paths of the Dead is something I would attribute to the one aspect of hell that I would actually consider hell. It was all brilliantly put together and flowed quite nicely!
World 5/5 - And here Brust shines again. The world he has created is so incredibly deep that I fear that I will soon get completely lost in it.
Total: 4+5+5+5+5 = 24/5 = 4.8 which obviously rounds to 5.
Review of Phoenix
^Here is where a shining review should be, but I was too lazy to write. Let it be known, however that this book was absolutely perfect^
Ultimate Total: 4.8 + 5 = 9.8/5 = 4.9 which rounds to 5.
Final words: Damn this was good.
selaana01's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wildflowerz76's review
4.0
Taltos - It's been several months since I read the first three in this series. So it's possibly I'm just forgetting things. But this world is really complicated. I can't keep the race and the...house?...clear in my head. Also, are all these people humanoid? I just found myself really confused with it. It didn't help that there are three basic stories being told simultaneously. Never mind that this book takes place before most (if not all, I can't remember) of the previous 3. There's the ritual at the beginning of every chapter...most of which I could care less about. Then we alternated the book's present and Vlad's past. The past filled in a few details, but a lot of it didn't seem to matter to the present, so it was weird why it was included. Still, even with all this, I definitely enjoyed the book. I'll be reading the next one once I get through the current stack of library books I've got.
Phoenix - I have to say that I enjoyed this one better than Taltos. It didn't have nearly as much of the constant flashbacks. I do continually find myself confused since each of these books hops back and forth in time, but it doesn't bother me too very much.
Phoenix - I have to say that I enjoyed this one better than Taltos. It didn't have nearly as much of the constant flashbacks. I do continually find myself confused since each of these books hops back and forth in time, but it doesn't bother me too very much.
arthurbdd's review
4.0
The second two Vlad Taltos books add a bit more depth and nuance to the ongoing series. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2007/03/26/vlads-first-five/
katmarhan's review
5.0
9.5*
What a wonderful and complex character Vlad Taltos is!
In this collection are the books Taltos and Phoenix and in their pages are the stories of Vlad's trip through the Paths of the Dead,mthe origins of his friendships with Morrolan, Aliera, and Sethra and the events leading to a great change in his life. The wry humor, the slightly sardonic tone--both fit the narrator's voice perfectly, yet we still feel his confusion and anguish, even his fear at times.
Burst weaves tales that are compelling and many-layered. Can't wait to read more!
What a wonderful and complex character Vlad Taltos is!
In this collection are the books Taltos and Phoenix and in their pages are the stories of Vlad's trip through the Paths of the Dead,mthe origins of his friendships with Morrolan, Aliera, and Sethra and the events leading to a great change in his life. The wry humor, the slightly sardonic tone--both fit the narrator's voice perfectly, yet we still feel his confusion and anguish, even his fear at times.
Burst weaves tales that are compelling and many-layered. Can't wait to read more!
wmhenrymorris's review
If you think of the first 5 books as a mini-arc, then Phoenix is a great way to finish the arc. Not great for Vlad, obviously, but the ground covered in the first 5 books is immense and fascinating and every book is an additional, interesting (and kinda heartbreaking) layer.
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