Book Note: Steven Brust, The Lord of Castle Black

This note contains spoilers for the book.

Just out. And although the manuscript passed through my editor on the way to Glorious Mountain Press, I didn't take advantage of the opportunity to read it then. Book Two of The Viscount of Adrilankha.

I will say that it looks like Steven's cover luck has finally run out. The jacket illo on this is well enough thought out, but the draftsmanship isn't that good. The drape of the material isn't convincing, and the whole thing looks a bit sketchy.

Morrolan meeting Sethra isn't as good, I don't think, as Aliera meeting Sethra a few books earlier. But it's still interesting.

Hmmm. Well, I'm through. I think we're in the middle of too many things to have a clear opinion; not unexpected since this is the middle of one large work by any reasonable definition, despite it being published in three volumes. Piro has broken with his family and turned bandit, which seems likely to have repercussions along the way. The fake emperor has approached the gods and been roundly ignored. However, the gods are getting a bit tetchy about the Jenoine protections not being back in place yet. All in all, there seems to be room for considerable trouble to start any second yet.