In case you care, I am usually pretty good at following complex, tangled-up narratives. But Steven Brust's latest Vlad Taltos fantasy, "Tiassa" had me scrambling back to the book's beginning multiple times. It has some deeply fascinating moments, solid action and some deliciously warped humor, but the narrative often feels like we're lost in a maze. 
 Several years in the past, Vlad became involved in a peculiar plot that involved spell-marked coins, a mysterious highwayman known as the Blue Fox, and a silver tiassa with sapphire eyes. And in the present, a reported threat of a Jenoine invasion causes the Empire to desperately seek the tiassa, believing that the gods-forged "device" can save them. 
 At first it seems to be in Vlad's possession -- and he's on the lam from the Jhereg, and nearly unfindable. But Cawti soon discovers that the entire threat is a devious plan of the Jhereg to kill her estranged husband. And soon Khaavren is hot on Vlad's trail... 
 The biggest problem with "Tiassa" is simple: it's all over the place. The narrative flips from first to third-person, the settings jump around, and even the time period shifts unexpectedly. So it's pretty easy to get completely lost just by something as simple as "When are we? Who is in the room? What's going on?" 
 Brust's style even changes from one part to another -- at first we're treated to Vlad Taltos' snarky lean style, but later there are chunks of narrative that are more old-timey and serious. And there are some that have little to do with the overall story at all. It's not BAD, but it's often confusing -- it's like a string of intertwined short stories got squished together into a single story. 
 However, those styles are also the saving grace of this book -- Brust has the rare knack for evoking a complex, intricate world, with all sorts of weird characters and subtle plots. And while the plot takes a few reads to fully understand, it's complex and full of weird twists and odd magic, as well as some answers to long-standing questions. That is what makes it a worthwhile addition to the series. 
 But when you pick up a Vlad Taltos book, you sort of expect... Vlad Taltos. He makes some cameos in this book, and much of the plot revolves around him but most of the time we're following Cawti, Khaavren or one of the supporting characters. They're all vibrant, engaging characters, but the book feels somehow hollow from the lack of Vlad's snarky wit and the absence of Loiosh. 
 "Tiassa" is a confusing muddle of a story with a backbone of intriguing plot -- and only Steven Brust's elaborate worldbuilding and strong writing keep it from being a total disappointment.