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geofisch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't particularly care for the last two in this series. Which is bad since I enjoyed them very much up until that point. But I had bought the last two, along with Dragon and Isola in the omnibus editions, so I had it lying around. It's near the end of the series, so I feel like I've got to finish it. So, I gave Dragon a shot.
Guys. I kept looking ahead to mark the end of the chapter to kind of urge myself on. The constant change of time period confused the hell out of me. I don't really like battle scenes. You'd think that would be a detriment since most of this takes place in a war, but the actual battle scenes were, surprisingly, very short. I was just BORED with the one. SO MUCH. I'm putting it back on the shelf. Maybe I'll check out Isola at some point in the future, but it won't be any time soon. Blah.
Guys. I kept looking ahead to mark the end of the chapter to kind of urge myself on. The constant change of time period confused the hell out of me. I don't really like battle scenes. You'd think that would be a detriment since most of this takes place in a war, but the actual battle scenes were, surprisingly, very short. I was just BORED with the one. SO MUCH. I'm putting it back on the shelf. Maybe I'll check out Isola at some point in the future, but it won't be any time soon. Blah.
krakentamer's review against another edition
4.0
Taking a step back in Vlad's history, this story weaves 3 separate timelines together to flesh out that time that Vlad Taltos went to war. It was better than i was expecting a war/military-based story to be.
nlord's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
arthurbdd's review against another edition
2.0
Abandons the previous style of the books in favour of drab military fantasy of a flavour I'm just not keen on. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/the-reading-canary-vlad-taltos-falls-over/
katmarhan's review against another edition
4.0
9/10
Although this book is the 8th in the Vlad Taltos series, it does not follow chronologically, which was disconcerting for me. But if I set that issue aside, the book is excellent. Vlad learns that life as a common soldier in the light infantry, although still related to killing, is not at all like being an assassin. Brust's narrative style, his voice as Vlad, remains one of my favorites to read.
Although this book is the 8th in the Vlad Taltos series, it does not follow chronologically, which was disconcerting for me. But if I set that issue aside, the book is excellent. Vlad learns that life as a common soldier in the light infantry, although still related to killing, is not at all like being an assassin. Brust's narrative style, his voice as Vlad, remains one of my favorites to read.
lottpoet's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
frogggirl2's review against another edition
4.0
A return to humorous form for the series. Although you wouldn't think his time as a soldier would be amusing, the backwards time jump to happier times allows for more amusing tone throughout.
mayastone's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I’m reading these books in publication order not chronological order. The events of this book take place before Vlad and Cawti were married. The strange timeline that I’m reading these books on is reflected in the book as well. We are following Vlad during, before, after battle and at random intervals in his life. This format is disorienting, I’m not sure the effect that Brust was originally going for.
“I’m used to cold, but battle is hot; I’m used to precision, but war is chaos; I’m used to trying to kill, but this kind of fighting involved trying to stay alive.”
A war between Dragonlords over the theft of a Morganti blade. Vlad’s involvement turns personal when one of the Dragonlords decide to try to kill him at his home. What is the secret behind the seemingly plain blade (plain for a Morganti)? Will Vlad bugg out as planned or will he stick to battle?
“Proving once again that happiness is minor misery where before was extreme misery”
After a while the battles ran into each other. The extra stuff is extra stuff. I liked Daymar the most. He is the super powerful but vague character that’s fun to read about.