I have enjoyed Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series from its beginning in Jhereg. This story, 16 episodes in, shows us the time when Vlad is deeply in love and planning a wedding to assassin Cawti.

They're distracted from wedding planning by Vlad's attempts to recover a debt - from a dead Tsalmoth. Things quickly get very complicated, with mounting costs. Vlad is hit by a spell that leaves him susceptible to demon summoning.

A series of adventures follow for Vlad, Cawti and jhereg Loiosh, where the dialogue is at least as entertaining as the action.

Loved everything about this. Obvious warning: This is so far into the series that I can't recommend reading it first (even if it's set reasonably early, timeline-wise).

If you're a fan of the early "Vlad is a crime lord" days, this is a great one, with a HUGE focus on Vlad and Cawti as newly-in-love people (really the only book that gives us that), lots of criminal shenanigans, and characters like Sticks and Toronnan who haven't really been on-screen (or in some cases alive) for a while.

While it's set early, this is one of the last novels in the series, and it's clearly laying out some plans for the endgame. As with so many of the books, the House with the focus is important, but also not the focus. Even now, I'm not sure I could really describe Tsalmoth in the way I could Jhereg or Dzur or some of the other major houses. Which, of course, should be the point (since any House should have more general traits beyond those foisted on them).

As to the plot, it's essentially a crime novel, with Vlad as the criminal forced to investigate his own organization to ensure that they're not getting cheated out of their ill-gotten gains. Anything more feels like it's getting too spoilery.

tl;dr If you like the Taltos books, you should read this one.

Tsalmoth is the sixteenth (of a purported nineteen) novel in the Vlad Taltos and returns the reader back to a happier time when Vlad is soon to marry his love, Cawti - who long time readers will remember as Vlad’s wife and ex-wife in term. Spoilers, I suppose, but this is the sort of series where we don’t really know when a particular book is going to be set in the chronology until we get there and put the pieces together. This one is earlier, from what I can sort out.

I wonder, is this the first time we really get to learn who Vlad is telling these stories to? I’m not sure if that’s been a point of contention or not, but it’s been at least a point of curiosity. Every book has a narrator but Vlad is actively telling these stories and he is telling them to *someone*. Now we know who. We perhaps still don’t know why.

Right. The book. Tsalmoth starts with the idea that someone owes Vlad money (he’s a low level crime boss and assassin, you see) and his attempt to collect gets Vlad more and more involved in something really big and beyond the scope of where Vlad should be operating - except it’s not unusual for Vlad to operate above his station in life. It’s part of his charm, and the charm of the series.

Listen, you can probably start with Tsalmoth just fine. So many of the events of the series haven’t happened yet so new readers aren’t going to miss anything - and I’ve already told you that Vlad and Cawti do get married (the wedding planning is an interstitial for this book) and then get unmarried of sorts, so the main thing that would be missed is the heart of the emotional resonance - which is a loss, to be sure. The series has a lot of ups and downs and the relationship is perhaps never the main story of a particular book but it is one of the most important developments that runs through the whole thing.

Steven Brust is generally firing on all cylinders with his Vlad Taltos series and we are inching our way towards a conclusion that we can’t see - because this isn’t that sort of series - but each step of the way, whether backwards or forwards, is absolutely worth taking. That happier time (minus a gut punch late in the book) is refreshing for the long time reader.

Full disclosure, I've been a fan of Steven Brust's work for a long time. Especially his "Vlad" series, centred on the eponymous Vlad Taltos, one-time assassin, one time husband, now on the run and dealing with what we might charitably call "relationship issues". Tsalmoth is the latest in that sequence, which has hop-skip-and-jumped throughout Vlad's personal timeline over the years, showing us a young man trying to make a name for himself, through to an older, possibly wiser one trying to deal with the consequences of that reputation. Tsalmoth is mostly focused on the former, following a younger Vlad as he investigates a mystery, trying to recover a small amount of money owed, which snowballs until it becomes something else entirely. Something with wider ramifications.
I will say that this story works beause of its protagonist Because Vlad is smart until he isn't, and because he is, largely, honest with himself while we sit alongside his inner dialogue. He can be a lover, a killer, a man searching for redemption or a quiet life, a hero of sorts and a villain of same. And wearing all of those many hats, he's thoughtful, interesting, wry, slyly funny, and very human. There's a sense of immediccy, of energy, of reaching out toward a future he imagines as a bright one, shrotly before it explodes in his hand. Because if Vlad is the star of the show, Cawti, his soon to be wife, is a close second. I rather like Cawti. She's no-nonsense, witty, a little bit romantic, and as willing to comment on the quality of a restaurant dish or the politics of equality for workers as she is to put a knife through someones eye. WHich is to say, very. It's interesting to compare this pair of young lvoers, as they take their first steps of marital bliss, to what we know comes later in their lives - the joy and tragedy of knowing a little of how things will shake out before they do themselves. In any event, they're a vivacious pair, and one that captures every page they appear on. Brust's dialogue is a strong point, always able to raise a chuckle, or a gasp, or a tear - and his characters enable that by being fast talking, hard-feeling rogues, with hearts on their sleeves as well as swords at their belts.

And we're back in seaside Adrilahnka again. Over double-digits of books, Brust has managed to make the city as much of a character as the people which inhabit it, from the bustling nighbourhoods whose propserity is seemingly linkd to their place on the rotating caste-wheel that is Dragaeran life, to the glowering orange cloud that blocks out much of the light of the sun, to the sneeing, matter-of-fact prejudice by Dragaerans against "Easterners" like Vlad, there's texture and flavour in every morsel of description. When they sit down at a restaurant to hash out a business proposition, or skirt the edges of an abandoned house looking for trouble, or stand on the cloffs, looking at a sea which, in this case, isn't an amorphous murder-blob crated by runaway sorcery...well, you can feel the place, the years pressing in around, the drifting scents on the air and mutter of background dialogue. Adrilahnka lives, and in its life and depth and weight, it helps keep us grounded, and gives the characters a solid stage on which to set themselves against the forces that oppose them.

And what forces they are. I won't spoil it, but you know what, this one is a lot of fun. There's the snowball, the way that Vlad's injecting hoimself into a situation in a relatively minor way just propels him further and further through a chain of consequences until things are, perhaps, a little out of hand. And there's the way that each step in that chain has real stakes, has drama and passion in it, sure, but also consequences, which make sense to all parties. And then there's the way that there's also other stakes, hidden hands pushing thigns around, trying to serve an agenda which Vlad is, at least initially, ignorant of. Quite what's going on and how Vlad ends up in as much trouble as he does, well, you'll have to Read And Find Out. But I will say that this is a fun journey. In a sense it's a tragedy, seeing the younger Vlad again, before life...happened with him. But at the same time, it's a joy, and an absolute firecracker of a story, one I don't hesitate to recommend to all you long term Taltos fans. Brust remains on top form here, and you'll have a lot of fun coming back to Dragaera, and to Vlad.

The short of it: Tsalmoth is an exciting new addition to the perennial urban fantasy series Vlad Taltos. Vlad, owed money by a dead man, tries to get his eight hundred imperials back--and things get infinitely more complicated than he's signed up for. A captivating mystery, a few murders, including Vlad's own, and a support cast to kill for--all of these brought to live by Steven Brust's witty and dynamic dialogue and characterization.

The long of it:

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series has left an indelible mark on me as a human being.

It has failed at turning me into an assassin or a mob boss, and I can't even strut around with a purchased title in the House of Jhereg. What it has done is shape my sense of humour and my tendency towards quips that are too clever by far for my continued health. I read and reread these books religiously as a child--and there are quite a few of them. Fifteen published to date, with today's title, Tsalmoth, marking the sixteenth release. Three more to go until we reach the promised land.

Tsalmoth is published forty years after the first book, Jhereg. However, it takes place before the events of that first book. These are the golden years of Vlad, portraying him as the grumpy, likeable crime boss working his territory, trying to get back the eight hundred he's owed by a dead man. Eight hundred might not be a lot for anyone who's anyone in the Dragaeran Empire, but it's a lot for Vlad. Besides, it's a matter of principle…and he's getting married, soon, too. Can't well be a fiscally conscious marriage partner if you don't walk that extra mile to collect what you're owed by a dead guy, can you?

Little does Vlad realise, everything gets real complicated real quick. Lucky for the reader, as every time Vlad's life turns miserable, he'll come calling out to his posse of ridiculous and high-powered friends: Morrolan, lord of Black Castle; his cousin Aliera, as short as her fuse; the Necromancer, whose lack of social graces is equalled only by her knowledge of dead and bizarre things; Lady Teldra, the kindest, most decorous Dragaeran you'll ever meet; and Sethra, undead sorceress, general, and owner of a significant chunk of real estate. Add to these Vlad's right-hand man Kragar and his murderous fiancee Cawty, and you've got a cast to kill for.

This might be the most involved Cawty's been in one of Vlad's novels in terms of sheer size; as newlyweds-to-be, the two are inseperable. Vlad's introduction of her is too funny:

I met her on a warm, pleasant day with a nice breeze flowing in from the ocean-sea when she killed me. Nothing personal, she'd been paid. And I got better, didn't I? Death is only permanent if you're unlucky, which makes it the opposite of marriage.

As this is a prequel, we all know--readers and author alike--where these characters are going and so it's a joy to see future character development seeded here, in small, subtle ways. A great nod to knowing fans, but also a hint at what's to come for anyone picking up a Vlad Taltos novel for the first time. An example that caught my eye is the following passage:

We passed a small group of Easterners and Teckla marching and holding up signs I didn't bother reading. I was going to make a remark about them, but the way Cawti was looking at them made me change my mind.

If you're familiar with Cawti and Vlad's relationship, you know how well these three sentences forecast the series of arguments, accusations, and recriminations that come to pass a ways into the series, at catastrophic personal cost. Small elements like these put on display Steven Brust's mastery like little else does.

One of the elements I've always loved about the series is, each novel reflects the make-up of the fantastical Dragaeran House whose name it carries. Each House signifies its own characteristics, and each member exhibits them in some way: for Tsalmoth, these are unpredictability and tenacity. Tsalmoths are "usually craftsmen of some kind, maybe merchants--they do the sorts of things anyone else would get tired of, but they have a reputation for finding different ways to do the same thing, which I guess keeps them from getting bored. Kragar once told me a joke about a Tsalmoth taking twenty years to get from Little Deathgate to the Hook because he had to take every path to decide which one was best." Another way to look at those born in Tsalmoth is as people capable of great perseverance. That, like the traits of every other House in the series, plays a key part in unlocking the puzzle Brust sets up and peels away.

One of the funniest elements to this one is, it's framed as a story Vlad is telling Sethra. At numerous points, he'll pause his narrative of the events described and have conversations with her. The catch is, the reader never sees her responses, so we have a one-sided conversation, and are forced to piece together whatever Sethra's telling Vlad based on his responses. It's entertaining most of the time, and the rest, it's hilarious and might make you mouth foul-mouthed words at an author whose merciless teasing demands as much. As in here:

Every time I was [in the hallways of Castle Black], something different caught my eye; this time it was a sculpture off to the right below the top of the stairway that seemed to be two people joined together, one with arms raised, the other holding a two-handed sword, facing in opposite directions. I decided I'd try to remember to ask Morrolan about it. Of course, I forgot. Maybe next time I see him.
Huh, really, Sethra? Then how did Morrolan end up with it?
Oh, that's funny! Good story. You should be talking instead of me.
No, no. I don't mind the interruptions.

You see what I mean? Such a tease!

I wish I could read to you every quote that made me grin, chuckle, and cackle through Tsalmoth, but we don't want this video to drag on endlessly--which it probably should, because this is a fantastic novel and one of my favourite fantasy works of the year. I could talk about it for days, but the point is, you should experience a Vlad Taltos novel for yourselves and this is a great place to start.

You should read Tsalmoth if:

Someone has owed you money and you've gone to extraordinary lengths to get it back;

No, really, at some point it's just not worth it--but, okay, I get it;

You're looking for a how-to guide on prepping for married life;

You find a period of your life absent from memory, are looking for answers, have a cool moustache and an even cooler pet, and are named Vlad;

And more! Prob'ly.

I've reread the first ten-twelve books in the Vlad Taltos series no less than four times--thrice or more in Bulgarian, and a few years back, in English for the very first time. If you're worried that this might be one of those cases where an author goes back to the "golden years" of a favourite character and writes them in such a way they read a little like a parody of themselves--don't be! Brust's work is magisterial. Tsalmoth slots wonderfully between the earliest Taltos novels and I already can't wait to reread it a few months from now, while sipping cocktails and taking over my own local crime area.

Tsalmoth came out at the end of April, with the next Vlad Taltos book said to be coming out April 2024--if you can trust Wikipedia about that kind of thing. The plan? I'm going to try and write a little something about every single Dragaerean book Brust has written by the time the next one comes out.

I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

Vlad is back, and to my delight he's back in his early days, as this takes place just before the first novel in the series, Jhereg.

It's not my favorite in the series, but it's a welcome return nonetheless. The best parts to me are the little introductory segments that begin each chapter and form a part of the story on their own.

Steven Brust has been telling early tales of Vlad Taltos fro the time before he married Cawti, and was a minor gangster in the Dragaeran Empire. Vlad’s business involves minor crime like loansharking, gambling, abd prostitution houses When a Tsalmoth (hard from Tor) is assassinated owing him 800 imperials. Vlad can’t stop trying to get his money back which leads him to odd plans, mostly involving an ex-princess of the Tsalmoth clan. This is a sold example of the gangster fantasy that Mr. Bruist excels. It’s a good entry to the series, taking place before other tales. Warning. It’s impossible not to get hooked.

Book 16 in the tales of Vlad Taltos, Steven Brust brings his trademark wit to this new novel, Tsalmoth, offering readers a novel of swashbuckling adventure. Even having been several years since I read a Taltos novel, I fell right back into the rhythm of Brust’s voice and words. The character of Vlad Taltos is well developed and more importantly, he is engaging and charismatic. The secondary characters are likable and with a light touch, Brust develops the complexity and depth of all the characters.

Part of what makes this novel so delightful are the twists and turns, the intrigue of as Vlad attempts to solve the mystery of how to get his money and save his soul. Does he get a happy ending? You’ll have to read the novel to find out, no spoilers here. But I will say there were plenty of familiar characters but also surprises along the way in this thrilling ride of intrigue and mystery. 

If you love drama, intrigue and mystery or just a great swashbuckling adventure story, I suggest checking out the Vlad Taltos series. While you can read book 16 without being completely lost and there is enough information sprinkled throughout so you will be able to understand the world, you might still want to read the other novels to enjoy it better. It is a great continuation of the series.

Some authors are fine wines, and some age like’em, and Steven Brust is both of those things. Tsalmoth is my new favorite Vlad novel since my last new favorite Vlad novel. It succeeds at being a standalone novel while putting a significant corner piece in place in the Vlad Taltos puzzle.

A wedding, a wedding, there was going to be a wedding! Vlad and Cawti are getting married, but being a minor boss in the Elf Mafia means that things will happen when the stuff is going on. As they plan their wedding day, someone who owes Vlad a significant investment sum has taken a shine (he’s dead) and Vlad is displeased. He does, after all, have his wedding to Cawti to consider. But when Vlad’s soul is convinced to go take a walk on the wild side, things have to get a bit more intense than that. Can Vlad teleport, walk, be sarcastic, eat enough meals, and genuinely be threatening enough as he unravels plots within plots alongside plots? Can he do all of this and reorient his projection to this non-astral plane? Find out in Tsalmoth: the steady and often-hilarious inbetweenquel sequel we’ve waited 6 years since Vallista for (but a couple of decades for, in actuality.)

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Books, for the ARC of my most anticipated read of 2023, of the latest entry in my favorite book series by one of my all-time favorite writers, and yet another different adventure in a genre that is not typically this exciting, subtle, or funny.

Lots of love and good cheer to Steven Brust for pulling off another successful Vlad caper that is somehow more mature and measured than even the last without dulling any of the previous entries in the hands of his readers, nor Vlad’s hands in Cawti’s. Non-spoilers: thanks for making me laugh way too loud at that bit in chapter 13 about yendis.

Ooh, friends, I had SUCH a great time with Steven Brust's 16th Vlad Taltos novel. It's full of mysterious happenings, criminality, magic that's both down to earth and satisfyingly weird, relationships that shine, and a wealth of little MOMENTS that enrich the wider series.

Basically, it's a Vlad book, and a durned good one at that.

This time around, I got a particular kick out of seeing Vlad back at a relatively youthful, happy point in his life. Despite the dark stuff that goes down here, he has a lot of fun being in love with Cawti, navigating problems with her, and expanding his vocabulary along the way. His usual colloquial narration takes on a new dimension with one of his friends in the room for the recitation, too. It's a game-changer both for what it says about the context in which his story comes to us and for-

Well, you're gonna have to read it to find out what for. Trust me when I say it's worth it.

The big question, now: can you start the series here, given the books are published out of chronological order? (This one’s both #16 and #4 [sorta].) (Oh, and it’ll be out 25 April 2023.)

I'm gonna say yes if you're after a fantasy mystery, a glimpse of an intriguing world, and a sense of Vlad's voice--but because of how certain bits impact the wider series, I think you'll find it cooler if you read the first 15 first.

Or hey, maybe you'll find the other 15 books cooler if you read TSALMOTH first.
Everything is possible! Start with whichever book sounds coolest to you and proceed in any order you please!

Me, I'm gonna have to do a full-series reread soon, with this book in mind. It's been a while since I read the earliest-published books and I know I've forgotten a lot.

2 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Vlad and Cawti are working through the planning for their wedding ceremony. But, wouldn't you know it, a dead debtor turns out to be part of a far more complicated plot than it first appears.

Review
If there were ever a book that screamed, “low effort”, this is it. Having just read two of its prequels recently, in the early quarter or so of Tsalmoth I honestly wondered whether this was a) a bad early draft, b) ghost written, or c) a backup or trunk story that Brust dug out because he was out of ideas. The story gets somewhat better after that, but it still feels very much like an author taking his audience for granted and just going through the motions.

For one thing (supporting option c above), virtually all of the story takes place well in Vlad’s past – his wedding with Cawti, pre-Rocza – with just a stub of framing at the end to tie it to the present. There’s nothing at all about the big mystery that was (laboriously) hinted at in Vallista. Book 17, which I assume will be the last (and will be the last I buy) had better be a blockbuster.

In this book, Vlad finally loses his charm. He’s just downright mean sometimes, and not in a cute way. That’s particularly notable, because he and Cawti spend so much time fawning over each other. The humor is still there, but frankly a lot of it is pretty tired – it’s the same jokes we’ve seen in the 15 prior books, but sometimes with less subtlety.

The plot is, as so often with recent Vlad novels, well, let’s say ‘hard to follow’, because ‘nonsensical’ sounds mean. It’s basically an excuse to get Vlad in trouble, make snarky remarks, and have him contact his powerful friends to help him out. The one really interesting element (a change in Vlad that I thought would tie in to the book 17 resolution), goes away without ever having much impact.

If you’re this far into the series, you’re likely to get this book too, and the next one. I will, despite this disappointment. But know that if you decide to skip this one, you’re not missing much. It feels strongly like filler that finally found a slot.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This wasn't a bad book, not by a longshot, but it didn't quite hold up to the previous books in the series. In the first few chapters of the book it felt like the protagonist's (Vlad's) speech patterns were less educated than what I'd become used to in the other books. It also got a bit old hearing in most chapters how much in love and besmitten Vlad is with his fiancee. All that said, the book did settle down into the enjoyable adventure and banter that we've come to expect from this series.

Marriage and business!

Vlad Taltos is a boss with the House of Jhegala. It’s taken him some time, major capers and quite a few books to get to the being a boss let me tell you. He’s an Easterner and human. He’s an assassin in the Dragaeran world, involved in gang run gambling establishments, sometimes killing and a lot of other simple but nefarious doings. I just plain enjoy him. A laconic, wise cracking thief. A thief with powerful friends, an assassin for a fiancé and his familiar Loioish who sits on his shoulder. He’s sort of like a hard boiled gum shoe detective though he’s no goody two shoes, he does solve mysteries, he has his own standards, and a soft heart. But don’t tell anyone.
I’ve read all of Brust novels in and out of the Dragaeran series, and when a new one makes its way onto the shelves, I’m there. This is the 16th in the series, although chronologically a flashback happening in previous times.
Vlad gives us a discourse on the arrangements for his upcoming wedding to Cawti as part of the chapter introductions. Food features rather dramatically, because food is very important to Vlad.
Anyway Vlad gets involved with a guy who owes him money, eight hundred imperials. When the guy dies all Vlad wants back is his investment. Not too much to ask!? Unfortunately that enquiry has Vlad becoming involved in Necromancers, Left Hand sorceresses doings, a black stone called Vera’s tears that along with dark water took him somewhere else. A demon gets half planted on Vlad and Oh Yes, at some stage Vlad’s killed.
Of course Morrolan and Aliera at Castle Black and all the other inhabitants including Sethra become involved.
Vlad of course keeps up a wonderfully ironic running conversation throughout the novel that had me smiling and going Nice One Vlad! Along of course with Cawti who has his back.
As always Vlad novels are a treat. Vlad sense of humor is both wicked and sometimes his undoing. Still he manages to prevail (survive) with the help of his friends, particularly those in high places who are practised in magic and sorcery.

A Tor ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Tsalmoth by Steven Brust is a classic Vlad Taltos story at its finest. We get to see him back in his days with the Jhereg making plans and investigating. And of course kicking up dust in his wake. We get to see some pieces of the puzzle from previous books starting to fit together. All around it's a fun read surely to delight anyone who has been with the series for any length of time. As always it just leaves you wanting more.

Okay, Vlad is back! And in a fun tale! Brust begins with a discussion on marriage and debt collection. Yes, in Tsalmoth, Vlad and Cawti are in the process of planning their marriage ceremony. You know, where to have the ceremony, where to have the reception. What to have at the reception. Who all to invite, etc. At the same time Vlad is trying to collect 800 gold from a dead guy's estate which turns out to be even more complicated than Vlad ever imagined. So complicated that Morrolan, Aliera, the Necromancer, and Sethra getting involved. All this is framed as Vlad recording the tale for Sethra which leads to some interesting side conversations. And then Brust tosses a twist into the ending which helps explain some events. If you have been following this series, you will need to read this book!

Just a note - this tale occurs between Yendi and Jhereg.

Thanks Netgalley and Tor for the chance to read this tale!

I have enjoyed the Vlad Taltos series since book one and I am still here after so many books later. This one was even better than the first and it's just so amazing how these never get boring. I loved them all and can not wait to have a chance to read them again. This is humorous and an amazing adventure that I could not put down.

I've had many people tell me I would like this series, and they were right. I think what impressed me most on this book is that the dramatic climax was centered in an emotional realization. Even tho the premise of this book is very mafia-esque, it never loses sight of its protagonist's heart.

The story is about Vlad, who is owed some money. He's just trying to get that money back, he swears. But maybe along the way he gets involved with some magical and grand plots and gets a little too invested in seeing it thru to the end.

At its center, this is also a book about Vlad preparing for his wedding, and generally being very cute with his tough betrothed.

As my starting place in the series, book 16 is admittedly not the best one to begin with. But, it added its own charm when the protagonist would say things like, "I'm not going to tell you about myself. That's boring. You'll figure it out." I'm sure long-time readers of the series will appreciate not wasting time with onboarding.

A video review including this book will appear on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks at youtube.com/@ChloeFrizzle

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

This is the 16th book in the Vlad Taltos series and is actually a flashback story taking place between Jhereg (#1) and Yendi (#2). If you are new to the series, I highly recommend that you read Jhereg first as an intro to the wisecracking and irreverent main character … Baronet Vladimir Taltos of the House of Jhereg, nefarious crime boss and sometimes assassin. Here is a quick glimpse at the humor Vlad brings to the story:

[Vlad introduces the reader to his soon to be wife Cawti] “I met her on a warm, pleasant day with a nice breeze flowing in from the the ocean-sea when she killed me. Nothing personal, she’d been paid. And I got better didn’t I?”

[Vlad talking to his Capo] “Find someone to watch this guy. I don’t want to watch this guy. I’m the boss. The boss doesn’t have to watch guys. That’s why we become the boss.”

And the world building is one of my favorites (which, combined with the MC is why the first of this series in on my favorites shelf). Seriously … this is one of the few fantasy series that both wife and I buy on sight; so if you haven’t started it, you should.

Now … if you are, like me, picking up the next of the series that you have already been reading, I can hopefully assure you that you will not be disappointing. Publication wise, this book follows Vallista … which was a bit weird and something of a disappointment if I am honest. This 1st person PoV flash back harkens back to the beginning of the series where most fans fall in love with the character … the setup appears to be Vlad reminiscing with Sethra for some reason that is either not revealed or I do not recall. The time period is the period just prior to Vlad getting married to Cawti (who is primarily a foil to Vlad just so that there appears always be an adult in the room). Each chapter opens with a brief segue into a commentary on various marriage customs amongst Easterners (humans) and Dragaerans (elfish) houses. The plot revolves around a mark getting “shined” before paying back the 800 Imperials owed to Vlad at a time when Vlad’s “business” would have a hard time absorbing such a loss. Vlad being Vlad … pours good money after bad until he uncovers a much bigger plot involving criminal/family factions and self interest within the House of Jhereg, as well as the sorcerous (and very dangerous) Left Hand … it’s enough to get someone very dead.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#Tsalmoth #VladTaltos #NetGalley

Steven Brust is one of my favorite authors and I was super excited to get to read Tsalmoth. This installment in the fantastic Vlad Taltos series was a solid entry and moved the series closer to it's seemingly soon conclusion. This one reintroduces some characters we haven't seen in a minute (Cawti) and does the necessary reintroducing us to a lot of the lore that has grown over the series, since it's been nearly five years since Vallista. I'm super excited for Lyorn (supposedly next year Tor?) and this book is definitely going to be one of my favorite books of the year.