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Shadowrun Novels #44
Drops of Corruption
The year is 2063. Earth has been reborn, unleashing long-dormant magical forces across the globe. Megacorporations rule from on high, while organized crime syndicates rule the underworld. Sliding through the cracks are the shadowrunners -- professionals who will do anything for a profit...and anything it takes to get the job done.Bannickburn is a burned-out Scottish mage with little power and fewer prospects when he falls into fast company. A notorious crime boss, Bigio family caporegime Quinn Bailey, offers him a job that could turn his life around. Soon Bannickburn is living once again in the style he s accustomed to.But when Bannickburn tries to leave the family, Bailey calls in his markers, and Bannickburn must aid the Bigios as they pit themselves against a rival mob in a power struggle that moves from the Seattle sprawl to the elven enclave of Portland. Leading a handpicked crew of shadowrunners, Bannickburn is about to hit the jackpot -- and learn that in every game, winners can turn into losers with the squeeze of a trigger....
Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 10, 2025
Someday -- and that day may never come -- I'll call upon you to do a service for me.
-- Don Corleone
As a fan of the Shadowrun ouvre, from the tabletop roleplaying game, the aesthetic, the fiction, the computer games, the vibes, one of the worst things to ever happen to it -- to the intellectual property itself -- is Jason M. Hardy. Hardy took over as Line Developer for Shadowrun sometime during the 4th Edition run of the RPG (2011-ish) and has presided over the worst period of releases in the game's history, from the shovelware garbage of the tail end of the 4th edition, through the thoughtless trainwreck of the 5th and on through today's forgettable 6th edition.
So it's a little surprising that this novel, one ofif not the first of Hardy's efforts, was pretty good. I liked reading it. It explores some areas of Shadowrun's lore that I haven't seen handled much in the fiction (not that I've read every title!) -- the mob.
Through Bannickburn, a burnt-out mage (meaning a magician who has lost the ability to practice magic, often traumatically), we experience the world of the Made Man in Shadowrun's Cyberpunk-meets-Tolkien future dystopian vision of Seattle. The guy makes friends in a new city but they turn out to be involved in some , let's say "shady business." Which isn't nothing to a Shadowrunner -- a black market criminal mercenary who sells his skills to the highest bidder -- except the mob never forgets a favor. Or a slight.
This is a story that unfolds in a more or less predictable way. Bannickburn needs work, so he takes the tasks on offer from his new friends. One, two jobs of increasing risk and complexity -- not to mention pay -- down, he's talked out of the third by his partner and romantic interest, Jackie (a decker, or keyboard cowboy, or computer whiz). No, Bannickburn's gonna stop while he's ahead and tell these mob guys "Thanks, but no thanks," to the third big score.
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
-- Michael Corleone
Not so fast. Bannickburn's gotta do the third job after all. Big Macguffin hunt. All the cards drop. You know how it goes.
Like I said, I liked reading it. It didn't feel very Shadowrunny or Cyberpunky most of the time because of all the Mob stuff, but Hardy hits on a lot of tropes along the way: metahumans (mostly Orks and Elves), Magic talisma, cyberware, the Matrix/cyberspace, etc. The Macguffin would have been better off undefined and the denouement wasn't all that satisfying but still a solid piece of genre trash in a role playing gameworld.
-- Don Corleone
As a fan of the Shadowrun ouvre, from the tabletop roleplaying game, the aesthetic, the fiction, the computer games, the vibes, one of the worst things to ever happen to it -- to the intellectual property itself -- is Jason M. Hardy. Hardy took over as Line Developer for Shadowrun sometime during the 4th Edition run of the RPG (2011-ish) and has presided over the worst period of releases in the game's history, from the shovelware garbage of the tail end of the 4th edition, through the thoughtless trainwreck of the 5th and on through today's forgettable 6th edition.
So it's a little surprising that this novel, one ofif not the first of Hardy's efforts, was pretty good. I liked reading it. It explores some areas of Shadowrun's lore that I haven't seen handled much in the fiction (not that I've read every title!) -- the mob.
Through Bannickburn, a burnt-out mage (meaning a magician who has lost the ability to practice magic, often traumatically), we experience the world of the Made Man in Shadowrun's Cyberpunk-meets-Tolkien future dystopian vision of Seattle. The guy makes friends in a new city but they turn out to be involved in some , let's say "shady business." Which isn't nothing to a Shadowrunner -- a black market criminal mercenary who sells his skills to the highest bidder -- except the mob never forgets a favor. Or a slight.
This is a story that unfolds in a more or less predictable way. Bannickburn needs work, so he takes the tasks on offer from his new friends. One, two jobs of increasing risk and complexity -- not to mention pay -- down, he's talked out of the third by his partner and romantic interest, Jackie (a decker, or keyboard cowboy, or computer whiz). No, Bannickburn's gonna stop while he's ahead and tell these mob guys "Thanks, but no thanks," to the third big score.
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
-- Michael Corleone
Not so fast. Bannickburn's gotta do the third job after all. Big Macguffin hunt. All the cards drop. You know how it goes.
Like I said, I liked reading it. It didn't feel very Shadowrunny or Cyberpunky most of the time because of all the Mob stuff, but Hardy hits on a lot of tropes along the way: metahumans (mostly Orks and Elves), Magic talisma, cyberware, the Matrix/cyberspace, etc. The Macguffin would have been better off undefined and the denouement wasn't all that satisfying but still a solid piece of genre trash in a role playing gameworld.
August 29, 2018
Drops of Corruption was a tough book to find at a reasonable price. It's the 4th in a series of 6 books on what is known as the "Wizkids" line of Shadowrun books. The first three were a trilogy that I've read and touched on before in my Goodreads Reviews. The other three are written by various Shadowrun alumni and hopefully will meet or exceed or the quality of the ones written by Kenson.
Drops of Corruption is written by Jason Hardy, and describes the story of Bannickburn, a burnout mage (one who doesn't have the "stuff" anymore) who is desperate for a little power back in his swing. He gets involved with Quinn Bailey, a crime boss who scouts and recruits him for a job. Of course Bannickburn takes it and does it reasonably well. Basically he doesn't get killed.
However, completing one job for the mob means you usually have to complete another (an offer you can't refuse). Typical mob shenanigans arise with a Shadowrun feel and we have the rest of our book. I do appreciate how much of this book feels exactly the same as Kenson's books right down to using some of the familiar characters in the background.
I very much appreciate that Hardy tends to take a colder, harsher tone to his writing. Shadowrun is a pretty ruthless world to write in. People die, bad things happen, people stumble along look for their next fix. Hardy never loses sight of this. Bannickburn is no hero, but he's not a bad guy either. He operates on his own whims and gets by on his street smarts.
The only negatives that I can really find is that the story does feel like its been done before. Maybe I've read too much Shadowrun, but it has all of the trappings and familiar ideas central to the universe. I will say though if Bannickburn is brought back as a character in Shadowrun ever again, it would be a worthwhile read. Hence, I give this book a hearty recommendation and hope this hard to find book does find more readers, because it is incredibly worthwhile. Enjoy.
Drops of Corruption is written by Jason Hardy, and describes the story of Bannickburn, a burnout mage (one who doesn't have the "stuff" anymore) who is desperate for a little power back in his swing. He gets involved with Quinn Bailey, a crime boss who scouts and recruits him for a job. Of course Bannickburn takes it and does it reasonably well. Basically he doesn't get killed.
However, completing one job for the mob means you usually have to complete another (an offer you can't refuse). Typical mob shenanigans arise with a Shadowrun feel and we have the rest of our book. I do appreciate how much of this book feels exactly the same as Kenson's books right down to using some of the familiar characters in the background.
I very much appreciate that Hardy tends to take a colder, harsher tone to his writing. Shadowrun is a pretty ruthless world to write in. People die, bad things happen, people stumble along look for their next fix. Hardy never loses sight of this. Bannickburn is no hero, but he's not a bad guy either. He operates on his own whims and gets by on his street smarts.
The only negatives that I can really find is that the story does feel like its been done before. Maybe I've read too much Shadowrun, but it has all of the trappings and familiar ideas central to the universe. I will say though if Bannickburn is brought back as a character in Shadowrun ever again, it would be a worthwhile read. Hence, I give this book a hearty recommendation and hope this hard to find book does find more readers, because it is incredibly worthwhile. Enjoy.
August 31, 2020
As far as plots go, this story is a bit generic. The setting is certainly unique but it generally hits on the notes of cyberpunk and organized crime stories. However it was still a rather enjoyable read.
August 5, 2013
I thought this was decent - enough for me to keep reading to the end - but not particularly noteworthy. I picked it up to get a bit of a feel for Shadowrun, which I suppose it gave me, but it was only marginally interesting.
None of the protagonists are very interesting - all the "villains" were better drawn. The main character could have used a little more definition, and I think the whole book should have been done noir style. A bitter, limited perspective and personally narrated story would have worked well with the subject matter.
Not sure I'll pick up another of these.
None of the protagonists are very interesting - all the "villains" were better drawn. The main character could have used a little more definition, and I think the whole book should have been done noir style. A bitter, limited perspective and personally narrated story would have worked well with the subject matter.
Not sure I'll pick up another of these.
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June 21, 2009Science Fiction
January 19, 2013
Hardy did a good job with this novel. He had me right up until the ending. I predict good things for this writer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews