Tsalmoth: Vlad #16    by Steven Brust Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2023 (2023) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson I have enjoyed Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series from its beginning in Jhereg. This story, sixteen episodes in, shows us the time when Vlad is deeply in love and planning a wedding to assassin Cawti. They get along well in 'kissing, cooking and killing', the perfect match. They're distracted from wedding planning by Vlad's attempts to recover a debt - from a dead Tsalmoth. He starts digging, to find out who killed his debtor. Things quickly get very complicated, with mounting costs. He consults his friends at Castle Black about an enchanted stone, and is hit by a most unusual spell, that leaves him susceptible to demon summoning. A series of adventures follow for Vlad, Cawti and jhereg Loiosh, where the dialogue is at least as entertaining as the action. Finally, Vlad gets tired of being 'slashed, cut, ensorcelled'. Fortunately, his powerful friends all have his back. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews