12 May, 2004
Dragon, Steven Brust (288 pp, MMPB, 1998)
After three chronologically-successive books in a row (Phoenix, Athyra, and Orca), the series was due for a backwards step. Dragon is about the oft-mentioned Battle at Baritt's Tomb, and about how Aliera came into possession of the Great Weapon Pathfinder (a.k.a. "Artifact in sword form that searches for an object of desire when the path is true"). Most of it takes place shortly after Taltos, and a few parts occur in the wake of Yendi. Brust never makes it easy, does he?
So, anyway, Morollan is having a war (Dragons do that every so often, it appears), and Vlad has volunteered to help out by running sabotage operations against the opposing army. (Vlad has a grudge against Morollan's opponent.) As part of this, Vlad has to join an ordinary infantry unit in Morollan's army.
Like Athyra, Dragon gives Vlad (and the reader) an insider's view of a certain segment of Dragaeran society. In the Athyra it was the peasantry; in Dragon, we get a portrait of the professional soldiers who serve in the armies of high-ranking Dragonlords like Aliera and Morollan.
This one is more enjoyable than the last couple, IMO. Partly because it's a trip back to a more cheerful time in Vlad's life. Partly because we get to see more of the good old supporting characters like Morollan, Aliera, and Kragar, and they always liven things up. Furthermore, the narrative is also a lot easier to follow than Orca's. It's all 'round good stuff.