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A review by mafiabadgers
Issola by Steven Brust
1.0
First read 07/2024. I've only just realised how much Vlad Taltos owes to Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Snark, urban fantasy, divine patrons... it should not have taken me that long to make that connection.
Previous books have either concerned themselves with crime shenanigans, or the gods have meddled in mortal affairs. This time, mortals are dragged into divine affairs. It doesn't really work, particularly to begin with, which mostly seems to involve people trapped in strange, empty places with no idea what to do. Before we even get to that, there are pages and pages of loredumps. In addition, Vlad has developed a habit of falling unconscious as soon as fights break out, so the pacing is all over the place. A few parts are deliberately confusing, which I wouldn't mind if the rest of the book hadn't felt so unsure of itself. Unquestionably the least enjoyable thus far.
My Vlad Taltos reviews
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Jhegaala
Iorich
Tiassa
Hawk
Vallista
Tsalmoth
Lyorn
Previous books have either concerned themselves with crime shenanigans, or the gods have meddled in mortal affairs. This time, mortals are dragged into divine affairs. It doesn't really work, particularly to begin with, which mostly seems to involve people trapped in strange, empty places with no idea what to do. Before we even get to that, there are pages and pages of loredumps. In addition, Vlad has developed a habit of falling unconscious as soon as fights break out, so the pacing is all over the place. A few parts are deliberately confusing, which I wouldn't mind if the rest of the book hadn't felt so unsure of itself. Unquestionably the least enjoyable thus far.
My Vlad Taltos reviews
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Jhegaala
Iorich
Tiassa
Hawk
Vallista
Tsalmoth
Lyorn