The Book of Taltos by Steven Brust

Steven Brust’s first three novels featuring assassin Vlad Taltos and his jhereg companion were collected in one volume as The Book of Jhereg. The Book of Taltos continues the adventure with books four and five in the series—Taltos and Phoenix. Vlad Taltos is an assassin unlike no other. Not only is he quick with a sword, but he also possesses a gift for witchcraft conjuring. The latest addition to his already formidable arsenal is a leathery-winged jhereg who shares a telepathic link with Vlad—making him twice as deadly… The adventures chronicled in Taltos and Phoenix find Vlad accepting a job in the Land of the Dead, but a living human being cannot walk the paths of the dead and return, alive, to the land of men. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), the Demon Goddess is willing to rescue him—if Vlad is willing to grant her a favor in return…

Thoroughly enjoyable fantasy/caper romp.

This volume includes the 4 and 5 novels in the series, which follow Vlad Taltos. The series reminds me of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series, in that it places a heist/caper story (usually with a bit of political intrigue) in a non-modern setting, Science Fiction for the Stainless Steel Rat and Fantasy for Vlad.

Though, unlike the Stainless Steel Rat books, Vlad is much more tied to a specific place, the City of Adrilankha, and has a more static set of supporting characters. Brust manages to make Vlad Taltos an enjoyable lead, which given that Vlad is a mid-level mob boss, remorseless assassin, human who hates his own people and detests the ruling Dragaerans (Not-Elf, Elves who run things) even though he is nominally a noble of the Dragaeran court. Much of the action in each book revolves around a self-contained caper, that being said, there are themes and subplots that continue to be visited through each of books making them very much a series and not just a bunch of books sharing characters and a setting. (Evidently, there are some people who attempt to read the series in chronological order as opposed to publication order, but the subplots and themes would be rendered incomprehensible by doing this.)

The first book in this volume, Taltos, tells the story of how Vlad Taltos and a number of the other major supporting characters came to know one another. This story takes place before any of the other novels, but details an event that is referenced throughout the first few books. The second, Phoenix, continues on from the end of the 3rd novel, which left off during a human initiated uprising and the possible disintegration of Vlad's marriage.

Not my favorite Vlad novel, but pivotal

This is probably the pivotal novel in the series thus far.

All the characters you've come to know and love are here, but Vlad's life gets completely jumbled and this marks the beginning of his downward spiral. It's all just a little painful to watch.