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Wild Cards #6
Ace in the Hole
George R. R. Martin and science fiction's top authors delve into the adventurous superhero universe, Wild Cards, in the sixth book of this fan favorite series.
Since a strange alien virus created the superhuman beings known as Aces and Jokers four decades ago, they have struggled for respect and recognition. Now they are key players in a presidential convention torn by hatred and dissent. Assassins stalk the halls of the convention and one of the candidates plans to use his secret Wild Card power for evil.
Travel on a journey of intrigue and adventure in this collaborative novel edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin and written by five of science fiction's most imaginative talents: Stephen Leigh, Victor Milan, Walton Simons, Melinda M. Snodgrass, and Walter Jon Williams.
"Delicious. Everything I hoped for. The character interactions and plot twists have exactly the complexity, surprise, and unsentimental realism I'd expect out of a George R. R. Martin project." —Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will be Invincible on Inside Straight
Since a strange alien virus created the superhuman beings known as Aces and Jokers four decades ago, they have struggled for respect and recognition. Now they are key players in a presidential convention torn by hatred and dissent. Assassins stalk the halls of the convention and one of the candidates plans to use his secret Wild Card power for evil.
Travel on a journey of intrigue and adventure in this collaborative novel edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin and written by five of science fiction's most imaginative talents: Stephen Leigh, Victor Milan, Walton Simons, Melinda M. Snodgrass, and Walter Jon Williams.
"Delicious. Everything I hoped for. The character interactions and plot twists have exactly the complexity, surprise, and unsentimental realism I'd expect out of a George R. R. Martin project." —Austin Grossman, author of Soon I Will be Invincible on Inside Straight
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
77 people are currently reading
1613 people want to read
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,505 books119k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
August 28, 2010
This book makes up for volume 5 of the series. It's storyline is like a tragedy, and not everybody gets to live happily ever after. It's set during the Democratic Convention in Atlanta in '88, where Senator Hartmann is trying to win the nomination against the far right candidate Reverend Barnett.
The chickens come home to roost, as the histories of all the biggest players in the series come barrelling down out of history and demand their due, while the aces and jokers desperately try to get the right candidate nominated. Hartmann's secret slowly gets out, and as he rallies his forces the body count - and the tears - mount.
A gripping book that reads almost like a political thriller, this may be the best of the series.
The chickens come home to roost, as the histories of all the biggest players in the series come barrelling down out of history and demand their due, while the aces and jokers desperately try to get the right candidate nominated. Hartmann's secret slowly gets out, and as he rallies his forces the body count - and the tears - mount.
A gripping book that reads almost like a political thriller, this may be the best of the series.
April 29, 2023
Основният ми проблем от предишната книга го няма в тази :).
Броят на писателите е по-малък (5) и си личи, че са работили заедно, за да разкажат ЕДНА история.
На практика, сюжетът е един, няма леки придвижвания в другите линии в този или онзи разказ. Всичко е концентрирано в националната конвенция на партията на демократите в Атланта през 1988-а и какво се случва там.
Джордж Мартин си е свършил работата страхотно, а повествованието се радува и се води от перспективите на 6 персонажа:
- Златното момче (написано от Walter Jon Williams), който дава всичко от себе си Хартман да оживее и спечели.
- Грег Хартман (Stephen Leigh), който се опитва да поставя граници на Кукловода, но и да го използва, за да спечели номинацията.
- Маки Месер (Victor Milan), който обича Хартман по един особено извратен начин и е готов да убие всеки, който му пречи.
- Сара Моргенстерн (Victor Milan), която е загубила журналистическата си репутация, но не се е отказала да отмъсти на Кукловода.
- Demise (не се сещам как го преведоха в бг изданието)(Walton Simons), който е нает да убие Хартман.
- Тахион (Melinda Snodgrass), който също е поддръжник на Хартман и е там, заедно с новооткрития си внук. Наследилият част от способностите му тийнейджър е труден за контролиране, а това е само един от проблемите на Тахион.
Както може да се очаква, положението в Атланта си е*ава капаците, а при токова много аса на едно място и с противоположни цели, има много благи сблъсъци между тях. Разбира се, не всички оживяват и краят не е розов, макари да е оптимистичен, а сблъсъка в края между Demise и Маки Месер е черешката на сладката торта! Има и немалко изненади и обрати, разбира се!
Много доволен 5!
Броят на писателите е по-малък (5) и си личи, че са работили заедно, за да разкажат ЕДНА история.
На практика, сюжетът е един, няма леки придвижвания в другите линии в този или онзи разказ. Всичко е концентрирано в националната конвенция на партията на демократите в Атланта през 1988-а и какво се случва там.
Джордж Мартин си е свършил работата страхотно, а повествованието се радува и се води от перспективите на 6 персонажа:
- Златното момче (написано от Walter Jon Williams), който дава всичко от себе си Хартман да оживее и спечели.
- Грег Хартман (Stephen Leigh), който се опитва да поставя граници на Кукловода, но и да го използва, за да спечели номинацията.
- Маки Месер (Victor Milan), който обича Хартман по един особено извратен начин и е готов да убие всеки, който му пречи.
- Сара Моргенстерн (Victor Milan), която е загубила журналистическата си репутация, но не се е отказала да отмъсти на Кукловода.
- Demise (не се сещам как го преведоха в бг изданието)(Walton Simons), който е нает да убие Хартман.
- Тахион (Melinda Snodgrass), който също е поддръжник на Хартман и е там, заедно с новооткрития си внук. Наследилият част от способностите му тийнейджър е труден за контролиране, а това е само един от проблемите на Тахион.
Както може да се очаква, положението в Атланта си е*ава капаците, а при токова много аса на едно място и с противоположни цели, има много благи сблъсъци между тях. Разбира се, не всички оживяват и краят не е розов, макари да е оптимистичен, а сблъсъка в края между Demise и Маки Месер е черешката на сладката торта! Има и немалко изненади и обрати, разбира се!
Много доволен 5!
December 8, 2021
I did not think I was going to enjoy a book dealing with a political convention. Although, I found I really enjoyed this book, what with the assassins and intrigue. It was more like what is happening behind the scenes at the convention. And who is really pulling the strings.
February 11, 2024
Been a while since I’ve read a Wild Cards, and glad I did. Even if I prefer the anthology ones, it was still great to have a couple of favorites to hang with.
September 8, 2012
I started this book not knowing what to expect. The Puppetman triad up until this point hadn't had the structure and dramatic build-up of the Astronomer/Swarm triad preceding it. Worrying me more was the fact that I had not yet been sold on the mosaic novel format. Jokers Wild (which, to be fair, was the first mosaic novel ever written), while a very good novel when at its best, felt, at its worse, like the novelization of a PBeM roleplaying game.
And so I started reading Ace in the Hole. I was hoping for, though not necessarily expecting, a cracker of a conclusion.
On the first page, a mysterious short joker hires a certain sociopathic ace to kill a certain evil politician. Just a few pages later, and I found out that Jack Braun, aka Golden Boy, was a PoV character.
It just got better from there.
Yeah, this one's a cracker. Unlike Jokers Wild, it's tightly focused, with only 5 authors (to JW's 7), and without the distracting B plot (and C plot) which plagued the first mosaic novel. Jokers Wild was a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Ace in the Hole, by contrast, fools you into thinking htere's only one supercook, and damn is that broth delicious.
As for the plot: it's 1988, and the Democratic National Convention is convening (I watched both the 2012 RNC and the 2012 DNC on TV while I was reading this). In addition to the historical figures who actually ran in that election, there are two fictitious men - Senator Gregg Hartmann, a massively popular (Obama-like) figure who's running on a platform of joker's rights, and Reverend Leo Barnett, a charismatic southern preacher, who wants to lock up jokers "for their own good".
As for the PoV characters:
Puppetman (the secret ace) is campaigning to be president.
Dr. Tachyon and Golden Boy are both campaigning for Senator Hartmann.
Sara Morgenstern is out to expose Puppetman as the secret ace he really is.
Demise has been contracted to kill Puppetman.
Mack the Knife is out to kill whoever Puppetman wants him to kill.
Needless to say, all hell breaks loose. There are some absolutely classic ace vs. ace fight scenes, as we see Golden Boy, Demise, Mack the Knife, Carnifex, and others do what they do best. Then there's the ending. Hooooooo shiiiiit the ending. The ending is beyond screwed up and one of the coolest things I've ever read.
This book is what Wild Cards is all about.
And so I started reading Ace in the Hole. I was hoping for, though not necessarily expecting, a cracker of a conclusion.
On the first page, a mysterious short joker hires a certain sociopathic ace to kill a certain evil politician. Just a few pages later, and I found out that Jack Braun, aka Golden Boy, was a PoV character.
It just got better from there.
Yeah, this one's a cracker. Unlike Jokers Wild, it's tightly focused, with only 5 authors (to JW's 7), and without the distracting B plot (and C plot) which plagued the first mosaic novel. Jokers Wild was a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Ace in the Hole, by contrast, fools you into thinking htere's only one supercook, and damn is that broth delicious.
As for the plot: it's 1988, and the Democratic National Convention is convening (I watched both the 2012 RNC and the 2012 DNC on TV while I was reading this). In addition to the historical figures who actually ran in that election, there are two fictitious men - Senator Gregg Hartmann, a massively popular (Obama-like) figure who's running on a platform of joker's rights, and Reverend Leo Barnett, a charismatic southern preacher, who wants to lock up jokers "for their own good".
As for the PoV characters:
Puppetman (the secret ace) is campaigning to be president.
Dr. Tachyon and Golden Boy are both campaigning for Senator Hartmann.
Sara Morgenstern is out to expose Puppetman as the secret ace he really is.
Demise has been contracted to kill Puppetman.
Mack the Knife is out to kill whoever Puppetman wants him to kill.
Needless to say, all hell breaks loose. There are some absolutely classic ace vs. ace fight scenes, as we see Golden Boy, Demise, Mack the Knife, Carnifex, and others do what they do best. Then there's the ending. Hooooooo shiiiiit the ending. The ending is beyond screwed up and one of the coolest things I've ever read.
This book is what Wild Cards is all about.
March 13, 2017
Will review soon at www.fantasyliterature.com
December 18, 2019
As per usual, I started out very skeptical towards this book. Even now, after the heartwrenching final 50 pages, there are plotpoints that I look back on and wince. But that is only to be expected, I suppose, when the concept of the book is that seven or eight of the series's most unstable and volatile characters have gathered at a conference that will decide the future of the United States. And hey - when the only character with something even remotely resembling a functional moral compass is the trigger-happy, undead assassin, it says something about where the others are at.
That being said, this book is cleverly stitched together, overcoming the usual awkwardness that the Wild Cards mosaic novels present. The characters are all well-written, and incredibly twisted to a man. And even if Tachyon's... Strange relationship with Blythe's daughter, and his apparent inability to talk to Jack and stop the unfolding madness was irritating, it was hardly out of character. And the same is true for the others. Because there are no good people in Wild Cards. They're all messed up, complex, morally gray products of the twisted, callous society that grew in the wake of the Wild Cars virus. And that's reflected in their character arcs - as well as in this story.
The high point of Ace in the Hole is, as the title suggests, the way it explores the character of Gregg Hartmann. Puppetman has been around since the very first book, but in the previous volumes, he's been working from the sidelines, and we've only gotten small hints of his deceptive, manipulative influence spreading across the nation. His story reaches what I assume to be its climax in this novel, and it doesn't disappoint. For a while it seemed as if his character might get lost among the other prominent players present in the story, but his arc reached a beautiful, fitting conclusion at the end of it all, even if the implication that a US presidential candidate might face actual consequences if his crimes were made public is almost laughable in 2018.
As did that of the Four Aces, which is impressive, considering that at least half of them have been dead for a good couple of decades. The irrevocably splintered group is brought back together, after a fashion, in the novel's final pages, and its every bit the heartbreaking, raw, real ending that their story deserves. That's not to say that the individual member's stories are done though: as the novel's very last line states, as a fitting conclusion to a wonderful story - "The elevator, with its cargo of ghosts and survivors, continued its lunge for the sky."
That being said, this book is cleverly stitched together, overcoming the usual awkwardness that the Wild Cards mosaic novels present. The characters are all well-written, and incredibly twisted to a man. And even if Tachyon's... Strange relationship with Blythe's daughter, and his apparent inability to talk to Jack and stop the unfolding madness was irritating, it was hardly out of character. And the same is true for the others. Because there are no good people in Wild Cards. They're all messed up, complex, morally gray products of the twisted, callous society that grew in the wake of the Wild Cars virus. And that's reflected in their character arcs - as well as in this story.
The high point of Ace in the Hole is, as the title suggests, the way it explores the character of Gregg Hartmann. Puppetman has been around since the very first book, but in the previous volumes, he's been working from the sidelines, and we've only gotten small hints of his deceptive, manipulative influence spreading across the nation. His story reaches what I assume to be its climax in this novel, and it doesn't disappoint. For a while it seemed as if his character might get lost among the other prominent players present in the story, but his arc reached a beautiful, fitting conclusion at the end of it all, even if the implication that a US presidential candidate might face actual consequences if his crimes were made public is almost laughable in 2018.
As did that of the Four Aces, which is impressive, considering that at least half of them have been dead for a good couple of decades. The irrevocably splintered group is brought back together, after a fashion, in the novel's final pages, and its every bit the heartbreaking, raw, real ending that their story deserves. That's not to say that the individual member's stories are done though: as the novel's very last line states, as a fitting conclusion to a wonderful story - "The elevator, with its cargo of ghosts and survivors, continued its lunge for the sky."
November 26, 2019
Ace in the Hole completes the second internal trilogy of the Wild Cards, finishing up many of the plotlines of Aces Abroad and Down and Dirty and bringing the Puppetman plotline to the end. The main plot centers around a presidential convention, which is already a bizarre enough system on its own. Bring super powers and assassins--and super powered assassins into the mix--and things go very very sideways.
This book really does show what makes the Wild Cards books shine, with just enough real world (and real world characters) to make it feel like a solid 'what if' while at the same time, bringing in the Wild Card and how it changed the world at every level. It's good to meet a wide variety of previous characters on both sides and, as the stories go on, to see some of those same characters fall.
The fall of Puppetman--while it was almost guaranteed to happen after the events of the last two books; it had to happen if there were any justice in this fictional world--was... intense. Getting final confirmation that was quite a thing.
Unfortunately, so far as I can tell, only Dead Man's Hand seems to be released on audiobook. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to text versions from here. Although who knows how long that will take...
Edit: Dead Man's Hand seems to be a continuation of the stories in Ace in the Hole, so I'll listen to that one before changing instead.
This book really does show what makes the Wild Cards books shine, with just enough real world (and real world characters) to make it feel like a solid 'what if' while at the same time, bringing in the Wild Card and how it changed the world at every level. It's good to meet a wide variety of previous characters on both sides and, as the stories go on, to see some of those same characters fall.
The fall of Puppetman--while it was almost guaranteed to happen after the events of the last two books; it had to happen if there were any justice in this fictional world--was... intense. Getting final confirmation that was quite a thing.
Unfortunately, so far as I can tell, only Dead Man's Hand seems to be released on audiobook. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to text versions from here. Although who knows how long that will take...
Edit: Dead Man's Hand seems to be a continuation of the stories in Ace in the Hole, so I'll listen to that one before changing instead.
August 13, 2021
Ha sido uno de los libros de Wild Cards que más me ha gustado. Al estar escritos como trilogías es normal que cada tres se cierren las tramas que estaban abiertas y se llegue, más o menos, a un final. Aunque en este universo paralelo de los ases y los jokers no hay un final definitivo, la historia sigue avanzando con nuevos personajes ya que mientras que unos mueren otros van apareciendo, de modo que no es correcto hablar de finales. Pero en este libro consigue llegar a una situación en la que durante apenas una semana confluyen muchas tramas, se reúnen muchos personajes principales y está a punto de cambiar la historia de EEUU.
Uno de los defectos de estas historias, la multiplicidad de escritores, no se da aquí ya que es J. R. R. Martin el que escribe la historia, toma los personajes creados por sus colegas y los lleva a través de una serie de giros de guion hasta un remate sorprendente. Toda la maestría que tiene para hacer una historia interesante la utiliza para enganchar al lector hasta la última página. Los recursos tradicionales como hacer aparecer personajes desaparecidos o que las cosas no sean lo que parecen son empleados para conseguir que la historia no decaiga en ningún momento. Cuesta parar de leer.
Uno de los defectos de estas historias, la multiplicidad de escritores, no se da aquí ya que es J. R. R. Martin el que escribe la historia, toma los personajes creados por sus colegas y los lleva a través de una serie de giros de guion hasta un remate sorprendente. Toda la maestría que tiene para hacer una historia interesante la utiliza para enganchar al lector hasta la última página. Los recursos tradicionales como hacer aparecer personajes desaparecidos o que las cosas no sean lo que parecen son empleados para conseguir que la historia no decaiga en ningún momento. Cuesta parar de leer.
June 19, 2017
Kind of a boring entry in the series. When I started reading the wild card books, I never thought "superheroes are OK, but I'd really like a fictionalized account of a nomination process for a presidential candidate." But that's what we got.
Besides the boring plot, we have a number of characters milling around, not really getting anywhere, building to what is supposed to be a climatic scene. But that scene is a bit of a letdown. I will admit that I read the first two books in this particular arc a little while ago, so I might have appreciated this book more if there was less of a gap, but in general, I found that this book spent most of its time on characters that didn't really grab the attention. Spectre was probably the most compelling character.
There were elements of what I love about the Wild Card books, but not enough to hold my attention. A real letdown for what had been until now, an excellent series.
Besides the boring plot, we have a number of characters milling around, not really getting anywhere, building to what is supposed to be a climatic scene. But that scene is a bit of a letdown. I will admit that I read the first two books in this particular arc a little while ago, so I might have appreciated this book more if there was less of a gap, but in general, I found that this book spent most of its time on characters that didn't really grab the attention. Spectre was probably the most compelling character.
There were elements of what I love about the Wild Card books, but not enough to hold my attention. A real letdown for what had been until now, an excellent series.
November 8, 2017
While I honestly can't stand anything Game Of Thrones' related, Georges R.R. Martin manage to be one of my favorite author by the sheer force of being on the cover of :
- one of my all-time favorite book, The Armageddon Rag,
- one of my favorite book cycle: Wild Cards.
I still have a lot to read, but Ace in the Hole has a special place in my heart. We now know the characters and the stakes, we can now thrive with the characters while they try to stop Puppetman from becoming the next president of the US (which seems a losing battle) and they ask themselves quite philosophical and ethical question on life, Aces and their duty.
- one of my all-time favorite book, The Armageddon Rag,
- one of my favorite book cycle: Wild Cards.
I still have a lot to read, but Ace in the Hole has a special place in my heart. We now know the characters and the stakes, we can now thrive with the characters while they try to stop Puppetman from becoming the next president of the US (which seems a losing battle) and they ask themselves quite philosophical and ethical question on life, Aces and their duty.
November 19, 2015
This one started off a bit slow, with lots of details around the campaign for president, some of which I found a bit boring, but then it kicked into high gear about halfway through. Lots of action, and some spectacularly gory violence, with a substantial number of main character deaths. Definitely pulp, and not high-brow, but pretty intense fun.
November 15, 2019
Gregg Hartmann is on the verge of winning the nomination for President of the United States at the 1998 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. He has all the usual political problems to contend with -- Rev. Leo Barnett is a strong challenger with growing support in the Bible Belt southern states, Michael Dukakis and Al Gore want to parlay their minority delegates into a Vice Presidential spot on the ticket, and Jesse Jackson does not want the a jokers' rights plank to supersede his platform focused on improving the lives of African-Americans.
To complicate the situation, Gimli is back, somehow. This old adversary from the 1976 riots and Berlin was thought dead in last year's Typhoid Croyd outbreak, but he has returned with new telepathic powers. Gimli can now block Puppetman from controlling people. Gregg cannot manipulate his opponents or members of the media. Worse, he cannot let Puppetman loose to satiate his lusts for pain and bloodshed. If he does not find an outlet soon, Puppetman will take over the host personality completely and feed on Gregg instead…
This is the third book in the Puppetman quartet, and following the normal Wild Cards pattern, it is a mosaic novel with different authors writing each point of view character.
Several aspects of this novel worked well:
- Hartmann/Puppetman is the series' best villain so far. The scenes written by Stephen Leigh are graphic and engrossing. Hartmann's desperate machinations to save his life and career as Gimli's noose tightens are a lot of fun. Plus, the secret of how Gimli returned is a unique twist.
- The cameos by real-life political and media personalities lend verisimilitude that was lacking in some of the previous books. It helps to be familiar with the Democrat's labyrinthine system of delegates and superdelegates. There's also a little bit of political commentary from the authors: Jesse Jackson comes off as noble, Michael Dukakis as intelligent but dull, and Al Gore as greedy. Having Jesse Jackson become a puppet was a cool twist…
- Two Wild Card assassins--Demise (ace) and Mackie the Knife (joker)-- are back from previous installments, stalking the convention. Walton Simons delivers his best writing with the Demise scenes. Their face-off in the book's climax is perfect.
- Jack Braun takes center stage with his first point of view story, highlighted by the return of Envoy. One of the running themes of Jack's character arc is that, despite having unlimited strength, he almost always manages to fail at life.
- Tachyon makes interesting dubious moral choices. He interferes with a US government election by using his mental projection powers to force delegates to change votes against their will. He seduces the adult daughter of his great love, Blythe van Rensselaer. He chooses not to kill Puppetman even when doing so would surely prevent greater destruction. His pride and arrogance leads him to manipulate people and keep dangerous secrets with devastating consequences to himself.
Unfortunately, a few things in the book were disappointing:
- Several series characters have suddenly abandoned their day jobs to become full time political strategists for the Hartmann campaign. This seems both too convenient and implausible. A twenty-year US senator would certainly choose a more experienced team for a presidential run. Tachyon and Braun never seemed adept or even interested in politics before. Hiram is still in thrall to Ti Malice; he was barely holding on to his restaurant in the last book, so it stretches credulity to portray him as now being an effective campaign leader.
- Pacing is slow, especially the political scenes. It improves in the back half of the novel.
- Ex-KGB operative Polyakov is still hunting Hartmann, but Melissa Snodgrass's story line for him falls flat. Polyakov comes across as incompetent when he tries to use Sara Morgenstern rather than Blaise, even though he has spent a year cultivating a relationship with the already powerful and psychotic young telepath. This just lacks the spy craft of the two previous Polyakov stories, David Levine's "Powers" and Michael Cassutt's "Legends".
- More joker riots… really?
- The climactic fight scenes at the Omni Center cycle swiftly back and forth among all the POV characters. Because each scene is handled by a different author, the sequence feels more choppy than thrilling. Some scenes feel out of order. This would have worked better just to tell the whole chapter from a single character's viewpoint.
- Chrysalis' death is handled awkwardly. It is introduced in the first chapter and then essentially ignored. The investigation of her murder will be the subject of the next book.
In summary, I'd say this book is not one of the highlights of the series, yet it still manages to entertain.
To complicate the situation, Gimli is back, somehow. This old adversary from the 1976 riots and Berlin was thought dead in last year's Typhoid Croyd outbreak, but he has returned with new telepathic powers. Gimli can now block Puppetman from controlling people. Gregg cannot manipulate his opponents or members of the media. Worse, he cannot let Puppetman loose to satiate his lusts for pain and bloodshed. If he does not find an outlet soon, Puppetman will take over the host personality completely and feed on Gregg instead…
This is the third book in the Puppetman quartet, and following the normal Wild Cards pattern, it is a mosaic novel with different authors writing each point of view character.
Several aspects of this novel worked well:
- Hartmann/Puppetman is the series' best villain so far. The scenes written by Stephen Leigh are graphic and engrossing. Hartmann's desperate machinations to save his life and career as Gimli's noose tightens are a lot of fun. Plus, the secret of how Gimli returned is a unique twist.
- The cameos by real-life political and media personalities lend verisimilitude that was lacking in some of the previous books. It helps to be familiar with the Democrat's labyrinthine system of delegates and superdelegates. There's also a little bit of political commentary from the authors: Jesse Jackson comes off as noble, Michael Dukakis as intelligent but dull, and Al Gore as greedy. Having Jesse Jackson become a puppet was a cool twist…
- Two Wild Card assassins--Demise (ace) and Mackie the Knife (joker)-- are back from previous installments, stalking the convention. Walton Simons delivers his best writing with the Demise scenes. Their face-off in the book's climax is perfect.
- Jack Braun takes center stage with his first point of view story, highlighted by the return of Envoy. One of the running themes of Jack's character arc is that, despite having unlimited strength, he almost always manages to fail at life.
- Tachyon makes interesting dubious moral choices. He interferes with a US government election by using his mental projection powers to force delegates to change votes against their will. He seduces the adult daughter of his great love, Blythe van Rensselaer. He chooses not to kill Puppetman even when doing so would surely prevent greater destruction. His pride and arrogance leads him to manipulate people and keep dangerous secrets with devastating consequences to himself.
Unfortunately, a few things in the book were disappointing:
- Several series characters have suddenly abandoned their day jobs to become full time political strategists for the Hartmann campaign. This seems both too convenient and implausible. A twenty-year US senator would certainly choose a more experienced team for a presidential run. Tachyon and Braun never seemed adept or even interested in politics before. Hiram is still in thrall to Ti Malice; he was barely holding on to his restaurant in the last book, so it stretches credulity to portray him as now being an effective campaign leader.
- Pacing is slow, especially the political scenes. It improves in the back half of the novel.
- Ex-KGB operative Polyakov is still hunting Hartmann, but Melissa Snodgrass's story line for him falls flat. Polyakov comes across as incompetent when he tries to use Sara Morgenstern rather than Blaise, even though he has spent a year cultivating a relationship with the already powerful and psychotic young telepath. This just lacks the spy craft of the two previous Polyakov stories, David Levine's "Powers" and Michael Cassutt's "Legends".
- More joker riots… really?
- The climactic fight scenes at the Omni Center cycle swiftly back and forth among all the POV characters. Because each scene is handled by a different author, the sequence feels more choppy than thrilling. Some scenes feel out of order. This would have worked better just to tell the whole chapter from a single character's viewpoint.
- Chrysalis' death is handled awkwardly. It is introduced in the first chapter and then essentially ignored. The investigation of her murder will be the subject of the next book.
In summary, I'd say this book is not one of the highlights of the series, yet it still manages to entertain.
October 20, 2022
"HOUSE OF CARDS" spotyka "WATCHEMNÓW" - takie krótkie podsumowanie ciśnie się na usta po lekturze szóstego tomu "Dzikich kart".
W "Ukrytym asie" następuje kulminacja wydarzeń i zacieśnienie splotów tkanych przez twórców tej serii przez dwa poprzednie tomy, tym razem w spójnej - nie podzielonej już (jak uprzednio) - na odrębne, często autonomiczne i lekko zazębiające się tylko z główną osią wydarzeń sekcje - powieści. Ta spójność zaskakuje tym bardziej, jeśli wziąć pod uwagę, że pod "Ukrytym asem" podpisało się aż pięciu autorów!
Książka ta, udowadnia też, jak doskonale zaplanowane od samego początku zostały wszystkie wątki tej mozaikowej triady - na którą obok niniejszej powieści, składa się "Wyprawa asów" i "Brudne gry". Wszystkie wątki - nawet jeśli delikatnie zarysowane - postępki, decyzje i przyjęte strony bohaterów wybrzmiewają tu na wysokiej nucie! Elementy układanki wskakują na swoje miejsce a kulminacja wydarzeń jest i odpowiednio dramatyczna i - w końcu to powieść trawestująca w pewnym stopniu komiksy super-bohaterskie - spektakularna.
Tak więc z jednej strony jest znakomity thriller polityczny, skoncentrowany - bowiem jest to też literatura z gatunku historii alternatywnej - na wyborach prezydenckich roku 1988, w których George H. W. Bush i Michael Dukakis, stoją w cieniu potężnego kandydata - Grega Hartmanna, tytułowego "ukrytego asa", diabolicznego polityka, który jednocześnie ma drugą osobowość - Lalkarza, psychopatę zdolnego do przejmowania totalnej psychicznej kontroli nad innymi. A jednak tej warstwie mamy bezpardonową walkę przy użyciu wszelkich brudnych zagrań, manipulacji, szantażu, aż po eliminację niewygodnych ludzi, mogących zagrozić wygranej w wyborach. Czyli wszystko to, co w polityce znane jest od dawna...
...z drugiej strony, jako że to już trzecia część, nie wszystkie brudne sprawki Hartmanna udaje się zatuszować, zwłaszcza, że pozostawił on za sobą wyjątkowo długą listę śmierci i krwawy ślad. Stąd też do walki stają bohaterowie, do których z wolna dociera powaga sytuacji, aczkolwiek nie do końca potrafią poskładać pełen obraz, stąd decyzje jakie podejmują i strony, po których świadomie, bądź w efekcie manipulacji, się opowiadają raczej wzmagają lawinę nieszczęść niż im zapobiegają...
I znów, na karty tej serii powracają ulubieni bohaterowie, którzy przez kilka poprzednich tomów zeszli na daleki plan. Jack "Złoty Chłopiec" Braun (odpowiednik Supermana, najsilniejszy człowiek na świecie, który do tego nie starzeje się od czasu zarażenia wirusem, kiedy miał 22 lata), pragnący zmyć z siebie piętno pariasa, po tym, jak w latach pięćdziesiątych złożył niekorzystne dla swoich przyjaciół (pozostałych członków legendarnej "Czwórki Asów") zeznania, przed komisją do spraw działalności antyamerykańskiej... Jest też James "Zgon" Spector - as, który umiera po wielokroć, a potem potrafi przenieść wrażenia i atrybuty związane z jedną ze swoich śmierci na swe ofiary...
I wielu wielu innych bohaterów, którzy z różnych powodów zostają zantagonizowani i biorą aktywny udział w kampanii, ścierają się w walkach poza nią oraz obierają strony, często z dobrych pobudek, nieświadomi zagrożenia, jakie spadnie na cały świat, jeśli w wyborach zwycięży senator Hartmann...
"Ukryty as" to najlepsza do tej pory książka z serii - trzymająca w napięciu do ostatniej strony, oferująca dynamiczną akcję i masę nieoczywistych rozwiązań fabularnych, wliczając w to zaskakujący, ale bardzo satysfakcjonujący finał. Ponownie, polecam wszystkim wielbicielom komiksu, thrillerów politycznych i historii alternatywnej!
W "Ukrytym asie" następuje kulminacja wydarzeń i zacieśnienie splotów tkanych przez twórców tej serii przez dwa poprzednie tomy, tym razem w spójnej - nie podzielonej już (jak uprzednio) - na odrębne, często autonomiczne i lekko zazębiające się tylko z główną osią wydarzeń sekcje - powieści. Ta spójność zaskakuje tym bardziej, jeśli wziąć pod uwagę, że pod "Ukrytym asem" podpisało się aż pięciu autorów!
Książka ta, udowadnia też, jak doskonale zaplanowane od samego początku zostały wszystkie wątki tej mozaikowej triady - na którą obok niniejszej powieści, składa się "Wyprawa asów" i "Brudne gry". Wszystkie wątki - nawet jeśli delikatnie zarysowane - postępki, decyzje i przyjęte strony bohaterów wybrzmiewają tu na wysokiej nucie! Elementy układanki wskakują na swoje miejsce a kulminacja wydarzeń jest i odpowiednio dramatyczna i - w końcu to powieść trawestująca w pewnym stopniu komiksy super-bohaterskie - spektakularna.
Tak więc z jednej strony jest znakomity thriller polityczny, skoncentrowany - bowiem jest to też literatura z gatunku historii alternatywnej - na wyborach prezydenckich roku 1988, w których George H. W. Bush i Michael Dukakis, stoją w cieniu potężnego kandydata - Grega Hartmanna, tytułowego "ukrytego asa", diabolicznego polityka, który jednocześnie ma drugą osobowość - Lalkarza, psychopatę zdolnego do przejmowania totalnej psychicznej kontroli nad innymi. A jednak tej warstwie mamy bezpardonową walkę przy użyciu wszelkich brudnych zagrań, manipulacji, szantażu, aż po eliminację niewygodnych ludzi, mogących zagrozić wygranej w wyborach. Czyli wszystko to, co w polityce znane jest od dawna...
...z drugiej strony, jako że to już trzecia część, nie wszystkie brudne sprawki Hartmanna udaje się zatuszować, zwłaszcza, że pozostawił on za sobą wyjątkowo długą listę śmierci i krwawy ślad. Stąd też do walki stają bohaterowie, do których z wolna dociera powaga sytuacji, aczkolwiek nie do końca potrafią poskładać pełen obraz, stąd decyzje jakie podejmują i strony, po których świadomie, bądź w efekcie manipulacji, się opowiadają raczej wzmagają lawinę nieszczęść niż im zapobiegają...
I znów, na karty tej serii powracają ulubieni bohaterowie, którzy przez kilka poprzednich tomów zeszli na daleki plan. Jack "Złoty Chłopiec" Braun (odpowiednik Supermana, najsilniejszy człowiek na świecie, który do tego nie starzeje się od czasu zarażenia wirusem, kiedy miał 22 lata), pragnący zmyć z siebie piętno pariasa, po tym, jak w latach pięćdziesiątych złożył niekorzystne dla swoich przyjaciół (pozostałych członków legendarnej "Czwórki Asów") zeznania, przed komisją do spraw działalności antyamerykańskiej... Jest też James "Zgon" Spector - as, który umiera po wielokroć, a potem potrafi przenieść wrażenia i atrybuty związane z jedną ze swoich śmierci na swe ofiary...
I wielu wielu innych bohaterów, którzy z różnych powodów zostają zantagonizowani i biorą aktywny udział w kampanii, ścierają się w walkach poza nią oraz obierają strony, często z dobrych pobudek, nieświadomi zagrożenia, jakie spadnie na cały świat, jeśli w wyborach zwycięży senator Hartmann...
"Ukryty as" to najlepsza do tej pory książka z serii - trzymająca w napięciu do ostatniej strony, oferująca dynamiczną akcję i masę nieoczywistych rozwiązań fabularnych, wliczając w to zaskakujący, ale bardzo satysfakcjonujący finał. Ponownie, polecam wszystkim wielbicielom komiksu, thrillerów politycznych i historii alternatywnej!
February 11, 2026
It had been over a decade since I'd read any of the Wild Card books. I only vaguely even remember much other than the basic premise of virus and good or bad abilities. Scouring my local library for books from the series, this was the lowest number book I found. After I finished reading this one, I checked the library again for what was the next number and found for some reason I'd not gotten #1 through 5 in my results when I found this one.
Needless to say, jumping in 6 books in was a little confusing, but eventually I caught on at least with the characters in this entry anyway. What took a lot more to readjust to was the raging sexism, racism, bigotry, and did I mention sexism?? Wow. I was an adult in the 1990s, but it was jolting how casual all of those things were everywhere. The excessive description of erections and twisted things that caused a lot of those was a lot. Many people may not care for all that.
Hell, I had just mentioned when talking about a time traveling tv show how anachronistic the show was at the utter lack of smoking in the 1970s and 1990s. Not so in this book! Everyone constantly smoking. Another thing that kept taking me back was all the political and media people being referenced. Wow, I haven't seen a Connie Chung reference in decades! Not to mention Conkrite and several others I can't think of off the top of my head right now. Oh, and of course Jesse Jackson as even thought of as a viable political candidate. The 1980s were a whole other world.
The number of twists of how Puppetman would or wouldn't get caught eventually got a little tiresome and what happened to him was for me a bit anticlimactic. Not to mention it just made me think how my entire life politicians have been dirty and none of the ones who have made it to the top of a party have been anyone I wanted in power. I didn't want any of these characters to win.
I'm going back to Book #1 and decide if I really want to get back into this series, now nearly 40(!) books in.
Needless to say, jumping in 6 books in was a little confusing, but eventually I caught on at least with the characters in this entry anyway. What took a lot more to readjust to was the raging sexism, racism, bigotry, and did I mention sexism?? Wow. I was an adult in the 1990s, but it was jolting how casual all of those things were everywhere. The excessive description of erections and twisted things that caused a lot of those was a lot. Many people may not care for all that.
Hell, I had just mentioned when talking about a time traveling tv show how anachronistic the show was at the utter lack of smoking in the 1970s and 1990s. Not so in this book! Everyone constantly smoking. Another thing that kept taking me back was all the political and media people being referenced. Wow, I haven't seen a Connie Chung reference in decades! Not to mention Conkrite and several others I can't think of off the top of my head right now. Oh, and of course Jesse Jackson as even thought of as a viable political candidate. The 1980s were a whole other world.
The number of twists of how Puppetman would or wouldn't get caught eventually got a little tiresome and what happened to him was for me a bit anticlimactic. Not to mention it just made me think how my entire life politicians have been dirty and none of the ones who have made it to the top of a party have been anyone I wanted in power. I didn't want any of these characters to win.
I'm going back to Book #1 and decide if I really want to get back into this series, now nearly 40(!) books in.
July 24, 2023
I really hate to review a book that I only got halfway through, but I just couldn't even with this thing.
This is a book where the only female POV character is a rape victim who spends most of the first half of the book in a hysterical panic, where the only actions she can think to take are running, hiding, and literally throwing herself at men for protection. And I mean that "literally" literally: she physically jumps on a male character, hysterically begging him for sex in an effort to protect herself. Oh, and the other major female character seduces a man she despises (who is only sleeping with her because she looks like her mother) in an effort to sabotage a political campaign. Look, I know the book was written in 1989; I'm not expecting it to pass the Bechdel Test, but even for the 80s, this is pretty awful.
Far too many POV characters are irredeemably evil. It feels like half of the of book is viewed through their eyes, as they revel in doing horrible things to people, or contemplating doing horrible things to them, or remembering doing horrible things to people, or imagining them doing horrible things to each other, and there's only so much of that I can take. Perhaps they get their comeuppance in the end, but I don't need a full page of lovingly described details of a character's arousal as they kick a puppy (not to mention another full page about why they think the puppy needs kicking) to make me hate them. It starts to feel like the authors themselves are reveling in the horribleness, and not just the characters.
It's not completely without interest; the overarching plot does have some excitement, but not enough for me to put up with the rest. I just ended up reading the characters' plot arcs on some wiki to figure out what happened in the end, and I don't regret doing so.
This is a book where the only female POV character is a rape victim who spends most of the first half of the book in a hysterical panic, where the only actions she can think to take are running, hiding, and literally throwing herself at men for protection. And I mean that "literally" literally: she physically jumps on a male character, hysterically begging him for sex in an effort to protect herself. Oh, and the other major female character seduces a man she despises (who is only sleeping with her because she looks like her mother) in an effort to sabotage a political campaign. Look, I know the book was written in 1989; I'm not expecting it to pass the Bechdel Test, but even for the 80s, this is pretty awful.
Far too many POV characters are irredeemably evil. It feels like half of the of book is viewed through their eyes, as they revel in doing horrible things to people, or contemplating doing horrible things to them, or remembering doing horrible things to people, or imagining them doing horrible things to each other, and there's only so much of that I can take. Perhaps they get their comeuppance in the end, but I don't need a full page of lovingly described details of a character's arousal as they kick a puppy (not to mention another full page about why they think the puppy needs kicking) to make me hate them. It starts to feel like the authors themselves are reveling in the horribleness, and not just the characters.
It's not completely without interest; the overarching plot does have some excitement, but not enough for me to put up with the rest. I just ended up reading the characters' plot arcs on some wiki to figure out what happened in the end, and I don't regret doing so.
July 19, 2022
I've been reading the entire Wild Cards series and have yet to review a single one of them. My memories of the books are now blended together in my mind in a formless mass, and it will be impossible to individually review them. I don't even know which one I'm currently on. I want to say #9, I think. Not sure of the title, but some sort of pun regarding poker seems a safe bet. ("A Safe Bet" might be the title of a future Wild Cards book, or, for all I know, one I haven't gotten to yet.))
So, the point of all that is to say that I'm probably just going to review this one, because it's the only one I can actually remember. It was more riveting and satisfying than the others. Most of them were pretty good, but this one was the best. You like suspense and action and well developed villains and anti-heroes? Yeah, it's good stuff. Go get it.
This review is probably entirely pointless, at least as a review, because I don't think anyone is going to go out and pick book # 6 from a book series. If you told me that book 6 was the best one, I'd still read 1 through 5, and you probably should too. But if you do, and then you read 7 and 8 and possibly 9, and you conclude that this one is, indeed, the best, please leave a comment to that effect. I just like it when people agree with me.
So, the point of all that is to say that I'm probably just going to review this one, because it's the only one I can actually remember. It was more riveting and satisfying than the others. Most of them were pretty good, but this one was the best. You like suspense and action and well developed villains and anti-heroes? Yeah, it's good stuff. Go get it.
This review is probably entirely pointless, at least as a review, because I don't think anyone is going to go out and pick book # 6 from a book series. If you told me that book 6 was the best one, I'd still read 1 through 5, and you probably should too. But if you do, and then you read 7 and 8 and possibly 9, and you conclude that this one is, indeed, the best, please leave a comment to that effect. I just like it when people agree with me.
February 10, 2018
Enjoyed this better than the last volume (Down and Dirty) because it felt more like a regular novel. It didn't have the string-of-short-stories feel of the previous mosaic novels.
The first half was rough going to a non-American because of how boring the political machinations were. I think that if they explained the politics more, I would have enjoyed the sneaky cut and thrust of it. Or if they glossed over the politics more, it would have taken less space and I wouldn't have been bored. But as it is, it took me a while to even understand the stakes that they were playing for.
I'm also conflicted about the use of sexuality in this volume. As the series goes on, I start to feel more and more like it is used gratuitously to titillate instead of to illuminate the characters.
And Tachyon always grates on me. Unfortunately he is in quite a lot of this volume.
That said, the climax was very well done. The intersection of the plotlines and the rising tension was very, well, climactic.
Also good to see Golden Boy back and possibly starting to pull himself out of his guilt funk.
The first half was rough going to a non-American because of how boring the political machinations were. I think that if they explained the politics more, I would have enjoyed the sneaky cut and thrust of it. Or if they glossed over the politics more, it would have taken less space and I wouldn't have been bored. But as it is, it took me a while to even understand the stakes that they were playing for.
I'm also conflicted about the use of sexuality in this volume. As the series goes on, I start to feel more and more like it is used gratuitously to titillate instead of to illuminate the characters.
And Tachyon always grates on me. Unfortunately he is in quite a lot of this volume.
That said, the climax was very well done. The intersection of the plotlines and the rising tension was very, well, climactic.
Also good to see Golden Boy back and possibly starting to pull himself out of his guilt funk.
March 13, 2019
This really is the strongest of the books since the first, using the same editorial tour de force that worked in book 3 where all of the stories interweave with each other. This time its 5 of the 7 stores, as the other two stories are their own book in the series, which was absolutely the right call. (And the fact that Martin pulled that off so nothing in book 6 feels incomplete is a marvel). Everything about this duology feels like the end of the series, concluding long running plot arcs, concluding tales for the villains who have been POV characters in many stories, bringing emotional closure to several others. It's worth the ups and downs of book 4 and the slog of book 5 to get here.
For me, at least, the Bryant, Harper and Cadigan stories have been the weakest of the series: aside from caring about Sewer Jack in book 3 and being interested by the Hero Twins in book 4, nothing in their tales connects with me or feels like it quite fits. Their strong focus in book 5 and absence on book 6 and 7 makes everything there tighter.
For me, at least, the Bryant, Harper and Cadigan stories have been the weakest of the series: aside from caring about Sewer Jack in book 3 and being interested by the Hero Twins in book 4, nothing in their tales connects with me or feels like it quite fits. Their strong focus in book 5 and absence on book 6 and 7 makes everything there tighter.
January 24, 2018
I think this might be my favourite Wild Cards book so far!
For the first time, this one is written as one long novel rather than a short stories or a collection of stories and I think it worked great.
Ace in the Hole focuses solely on Greg Hart man's (aka Puppetman) nomination campaign and only features a few characters but I think that actually enriches the story and gives us some precious time with some of our favourite characters (Tachyon), some we didn't know much about (Demise), and some returning to action (Golden Boy).
There's great action and twists throughout as the tension builds to a great and unpredictable finale.
Also, big shout out to Mackie Messer who is truly creepy and terrifying!
Can't wait to see where the series goes from here as there will be a massive fallout surely...
For the first time, this one is written as one long novel rather than a short stories or a collection of stories and I think it worked great.
Ace in the Hole focuses solely on Greg Hart man's (aka Puppetman) nomination campaign and only features a few characters but I think that actually enriches the story and gives us some precious time with some of our favourite characters (Tachyon), some we didn't know much about (Demise), and some returning to action (Golden Boy).
There's great action and twists throughout as the tension builds to a great and unpredictable finale.
Also, big shout out to Mackie Messer who is truly creepy and terrifying!
Can't wait to see where the series goes from here as there will be a massive fallout surely...
May 22, 2021
This one stepped up to the plate after a few rather boring books in the series and if it didn't hit it out of the park it put enough on the scoreboard to keep me in the series,
A solid if not really inspired novel that concludes (maybe) several storylines, Problems with this series are that there are lackluster periods where nothing really happens, too many characters to really keep track of and no one to really root for - none of the characters are likeable and you do not really care what happens to them.
George R.R. Martin can be a windbag and I don't really like most of his work (including the, in my opinion, incredible overrated "Game of Thrones") but this series when it clicks is really good probably because there is a team of talented writers including Melinda M. Snodgrass lifting up the standard.
A solid if not really inspired novel that concludes (maybe) several storylines, Problems with this series are that there are lackluster periods where nothing really happens, too many characters to really keep track of and no one to really root for - none of the characters are likeable and you do not really care what happens to them.
George R.R. Martin can be a windbag and I don't really like most of his work (including the, in my opinion, incredible overrated "Game of Thrones") but this series when it clicks is really good probably because there is a team of talented writers including Melinda M. Snodgrass lifting up the standard.
October 10, 2020
Having read through the previous 5 books in this series I thought this volume of the mosaic novel that is Wild Cards would be a suitable book to read as it focuses on a US Presidential election race, just as the actual US tears itself apart in the midst of election fever.
Sadly the characters are just as sleazy and broken as those involved in the 2020 US Presidential election, if not a little tamer. With none I could sympathise with, and no inherent understanding of US election procedure, I have given this up as a bad idea perhaps to return to at another time. There do not seem to be any new ideas or storylines just an incessant amount of sleaze - political, sexual and personal - and nothing positive to alleviate the tedium of the characters.
Sadly the characters are just as sleazy and broken as those involved in the 2020 US Presidential election, if not a little tamer. With none I could sympathise with, and no inherent understanding of US election procedure, I have given this up as a bad idea perhaps to return to at another time. There do not seem to be any new ideas or storylines just an incessant amount of sleaze - political, sexual and personal - and nothing positive to alleviate the tedium of the characters.
November 21, 2023
El sexto volumen de la serie Wild Cards me ha parecido de lejos uno de los mejores pese a ser una novela (de entrada me suelen gustar más las antologías de relatos independientes) y pese a no introducir realmente ningún personaje nuevo sino más bien dedicarse a cerrar una trama que culmina con las primarias del partido Demócrata en las que Greg Hartman (aka Puppet Man) busca finalmente el triunfo como candidato. A pesar de que todo el argumento transcurre en medio de una maraña política muy dependiente de saber cómo funciona el sistema electoral americano, lo cierto es que como novela es sorprendentemente emocionante y con una trama que aprovecha varios personajes de la saga que siempre me han gustado, en concreto la figura de James Spector (aka Demise), uno de mis favoritos. Trepidante hasta el final, sencilla y manejando sus recursos con eficacia y oficio, se ha convertido en una de mis entradas favoritas de la saga. Pensaba aprovechar el cierre del ciclo argumental para hacer una pausa pero ahora creo que más bien voy a seguir. Muy buena y un ejemplo de que a veces estos trabajos corales pueden salir bien, cosa que en otra época no habría pensado.
June 7, 2017
The Wild Card series is quickly becoming my go-to for pleasure reading. The characters are well-fleshed out, the premise is interesting, and it does a good job of keeping the audience on its toes. That being said, there are dozens of books a reader will need to go through to get the full experience and this novel operates under the presumption that the audience knows the ins-and-outs of every character and backstory. The ending is a frantic melee told from multiple perspectives and it kept me engaged until the very end. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the series or to people looking to read a good dozen books (six on the main series with numerous spinoffs).
April 16, 2022
Not going to lie, this book didn't have me in the first half, partially because I wasn't wild about the "one big narrative" structure (as opposed to the shorter vignettes in prior books, and maybe partially because I was lacking some minor context having forgotten to read Down and Dirty before this volume, but when things ramp up about halfway through the book, they REALLY ramp up. A small damper here is the more dated style of writing, as they have to remind us that Mack the Knife is a VERY BAD PERSON but having him drop about 3 or so n-bombs per sequence, but other than this, this is an excellent thriller that brings the Puppetman trilogy to a solid conclusion.
September 22, 2024
Set during the 1988 Democratic National convention, this story focuses on the Presidential campaign of Gregg Hartmann. Several Wild Cards - both Aces and Jokers - figure into the plot to determine the power structure of the most powerful nation on Earth. It's a great political thriller set in the world of super-powers and history. A really good read from start to finish. This book brings in characters from several of the earlier books and resolves some plot lines set up from the very beginning. Fun read for Wild Cards fans to be sure!
April 7, 2020
Told chronologically, with chapters broken up by day for each day of the 1988 Democratic convention, this novel from the Wild Cards universe might be the best in the series yet. One story draws together a dozen or so Aces and other actors on the stage, to end in an extremely satisfying, emotional, resonant, and, it must be said, rather violent conclusion. Recommended, but you have to read the other books in the series to get here.
September 24, 2020
These characters are becoming old friends of mine, and I can’t wait to see what mischief they will stride into next. You never can predict where the story will go next because the writers are pros at knowing what you expect and giving you just the opposite. A thriller in the best sense of that word.
June 21, 2018
The story in this book was amazing. I loved it. Very tight and exciting.
Again I hated the multiple readers. They were all uneven in their presentation. So as I did with the last few I listened to this at 1.25x speed. That helped make some of the readers less agonizing.
Again I hated the multiple readers. They were all uneven in their presentation. So as I did with the last few I listened to this at 1.25x speed. That helped make some of the readers less agonizing.
April 18, 2020
A story lives and died by it's character development, and the Wild Cards have that in spades. (Hahaha unintended card pun.)
Set in the 80s, and it reads very much like a movie of that era. The AU super hero series is absolutely engrossing.
Set in the 80s, and it reads very much like a movie of that era. The AU super hero series is absolutely engrossing.
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