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A review by mafiabadgers
Athyra by Steven Brust
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
First read 06/2024
No longer narrated by Vlad, and thus missing a lot of his distinctive obnoxiousness and paranoia. He's a little older and, possibly, wiser than he used to be. Certainly more meditative. The new narrator is a child, age unspecified, but a Dragaeran (elf), so he has a younger sister in her eighties. I've always been intrigued by the idea that someone would have decades of life experience but still be quintessentially a child—this is not explored in the book in any meaningful way. Since Vlad is no longer the protagonist, Brust can have him get terribly injured halfway through the book. Without his competent friends around, the book is much slower, with comparatively little action. Also very few female characters of note. Mostly it's about the boy grappling with the responsibilities that come with new ideas and dangerous situations. It doesn't quite work, but I appreciate the attempt.
My Vlad Taltos reviews
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Jhegaala
Iorich
Tiassa
Hawk
Vallista
Tsalmoth
Lyorn
No longer narrated by Vlad, and thus missing a lot of his distinctive obnoxiousness and paranoia. He's a little older and, possibly, wiser than he used to be. Certainly more meditative. The new narrator is a child, age unspecified, but a Dragaeran (elf), so he has a younger sister in her eighties. I've always been intrigued by the idea that someone would have decades of life experience but still be quintessentially a child—this is not explored in the book in any meaningful way. Since Vlad is no longer the protagonist, Brust can have him get terribly injured halfway through the book. Without his competent friends around, the book is much slower, with comparatively little action. Also very few female characters of note. Mostly it's about the boy grappling with the responsibilities that come with new ideas and dangerous situations. It doesn't quite work, but I appreciate the attempt.
My Vlad Taltos reviews
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Jhegaala
Iorich
Tiassa
Hawk
Vallista
Tsalmoth
Lyorn