[Dragaera] Vallista, Phoenix, and Mario (minor Dzur spoilers)

[Jerry Friedman]

--- On Sun, 10/26/08, Scott Crain <s_thomas_crain at yahoo.com> wrote:
> In regards to Vallista (tearing down and building up), well
> -- I miss Vlad being a member-in-good-standing of the Right
> Hand of the Jhereg.  Since we're halfway through the
> Taltos Cycle (my new term for the series -- works on
> multiple levels), and since we've seen in Dzur that
> honestly, Vlad enjoys the work (and at least the Demon still
> thinks it'd be great to have Vlad working for him), I
> think or at least hope that in Vallista Vlad finds a way to
> get things straightened out with the Jhereg.

I hope not.  In fact, I was disappointed to see Vlad
having so much to do with the Jhereg in /Dzur/.  He's
done that.

> Maybe he rends and then rebuilds the Council...
> 
> With my wife (not a passionate fan is she) re-reading the
> Taltos Cycle, and in some instances reading later-published
> books for the first time, I find myself doing some reading
> as well.  Having done so with Phoenix, I found an
> interesting parallel.  Both Vlad and Cawti are imprisoned
> during the course of the book; Vlad by the Greenacreans,

I will now always imagine King Olithervold played by
Eddie Albert.

> Cawti by the Empire.  Vlad, of course, very willingly takes
> the opportunity to escape; Cawti, when given the option,
> refuses on principle.  I found this to be curious in
> regards to a prison-egg metaphor.

I like that.  Aibynn escapes too, and is "reborn" as a
resident of the Empire, but neither he nor Cawti goes
through big changes.

Jerry Friedman