At 10:44 -0500 07.6.2002, Melissa Fitzgerald wrote: > Ok, I can't agree with all the Cawti slamming. Since we're all stating our positions on Teckla, I'll chime in. I have to admit to being pretty severely disappointed when I read it for the very first time (in what, 1987?). But I was 15, and I'll admit that I really just wanted more ironic-assassin Vlad, not political activism and relationship pain. As the years went by and I started rereading the series, however, I found that not only is Teckla completely necessary for Vlad's further development, it's actually a really well-written book. The problem that I still have with it is that it's so well-written that it's *painful* to read, because it's too heart-wrenchingly realistic and the outcome is so unavoidable. I don't find it *fun* to read, but I sincerely doubt that Vlad found it fun to live through, so I don't fault it for that. So, although I'd never call it my favorite Vlad book (I think Orca ranks up there, along with Jhereg itself), I certainly don't dislike it. I had a similar reaction to Athyra, though less intense: the lack of Vlad's narration really threw me on a first read, but subsequent appraisals have placed it up near the top of my list, and I do very much appreciate the different viewpoint now. But then, every time I reread a Brust book it rises to the top of my list, to be displaced by the next one I reread. Sigh, such a problem. But yeah, I do want to slap Cawti for most of Teckla. At the same time, parts of her behavior and the relationship issues hit too close to home, so I can't totally hate her. - Nancy.