> Rachel Louise Ruhlen wrote: > > I personally like reading the Khaavren romances more frequently than > > Vlad (particularly the depressing stories...Teckla...) > > I just re-read the first 4 Vlad novels last week. I remember being torn up > over Vlad and Cawti when I read it for the first time. Now, in close > succession and knowing a bit more of the 'lay of the land', I would argue > that Teckla is _not_ depressing. It is an integral piece of Vlad's story > that shows how he got to the point in his life where the events of Orca and > Issola could happen. Oh sure, in the context of the more recent books, it isn't that depressing, but to read Teckla by itself and be left dangling... Heh, actually I found it depressing AND I rubbed my hands with glee as Vlad 'gifted' her with authority over his Teckla area. Quite the conundrum for social activist Cawti. After all, she can't just ignore his 'gift' as another Jhereg would take over the area... so, she'd be stuck operating it... trying to be a 'politically correct' gangster, all the while knowing that if she didn't have brothels or gambling dens, all the Teckla whom she was trying to save from themselves, would just go elsewhere... Man, I really didn't like her by the end of the book. I can't wait to see how St. Brust portrays her now. -Scott