Issola by Steven Brust
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't expect this book to go where it went. Seriously. Wow.

It takes place as the latest, chronologically, with Vlad in the wilds in exile, but it just goes to show, you never know where you'll wind up. Do you think he's going home? hahahahaha wow.

As fantasy, we get to join in a war between gods, but as science fiction, I've just been titillated more about the deep SFal past in this book than all the rest, combined. I mean, there's tons of reveals here and none of them are enough to satisfy me. I'd be perfectly content to read 400-500 pages of straight exposition on this. Seriously. But no, we only get concise and quick reveals that only make me ask more questions and get even more impressed with the world-building even as we get to dive into a much, much larger conflict with nothing but guts, magic, and the beginnings of a legendary weapon. Note that the legendary is only partially complete. Even the gods and the demigods and the necromancers and the demon gods and the Others don't know everything. :) Apparently.

Do you want some answers? Oh yes, there ARE a few wonderful answers here, and some tragedy, too, which rather got to me. It hit me pretty hard. I might have to take a few moments to recover.

Here's the best part, folks. We get to go back to Castle Black. :) Excited? Yup. Me too. :)

And I'm entirely back in the swing of the series. I couldn't stop now even if I tried. :) YAY!




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