Lyorn by Steven Brust

 

Lyorn is the 17th entry in the Vlad Taltos series. This is important because it is a very interconnected series and if you haven't read any of the previous installments, most readers will be swimming in this one. I've dipped in and out of the series and found it a struggle to juggle everything.

Vlad, having just extracted himself from trouble with the Right Hand of the Jhereg finds himself hunted by the Left Hand of the Jhereg. Needing a place to hide out while he plans to solve his latest life-threatening problem, he takes refuge in a theatre. Theatres are magically protected against spying, to prevent theft of intellectual property mostly. 

The theatre group is putting on a play musical about a play about a historical situation that got several people imprisoned, killed, and threatened an empire. Vlad is given a copy of the musical and a book about the subject it's based on. Vlad is mostly bored by musicals and only reads the book out of boredom. Brust shares excerpts from the book and begins each chapter with lyrics from the musical. Unfortunately, what they mostly convey is why it's boring. They are dry and only very tangentially advance the story. The lyrics are takes on songs from famous Broadway tunes. I was able to recognize many of them but even if you do, it doesn't make them more interesting. A lot depends on your appetite and appreciation for song parody.

While Vlad is working on a plan to solve his problem with the Left Hand, and partly to earn his keep, he agrees to help the theatre group with some of their problems. These include threats from investors, protection schemes, a lawsuit to stop the play, and a kidnapping. This is the best part of the book. Vlad's dry wit, scheming, and barely restrained violence is a lot of fun. The story has the pacing and the structure of an elaborate caper, complete with wrenches being thrown into the works along the way. Vlad's own growth comes in the form of his attempting to come to terms with who he is and his unasked-for role in world events. 

Brust's writing is very good, the caper elaborate and delicious in execution. The pacing is uneven and grinds to a halt with the musical interludes and excerpts from the history of the play. Fans of the series will find a lot to enjoy here. I would not recommend it as an entry point for new readers. If you like this type of world and story, checking out the series from the beginning is the way to go.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.