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Shadowrun Novels #9
Shadowplay
Sly is a veteran. She's run more shadows than she cares to remember, and has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. But no matter how violent it became, it had always been business as usual. Until now.
Falcon is a kid. He thinks he hears the call of magic, and the voice of one of the Great Spirits seems to whisper in his ears. He's gone to Seattle, to the urban jungle, to seek his calling.
Thrown together, veteran and novice, Sly and Falcon find themselves embroiled in a deadly confrontation between the world's most powerful corporations. If this confrontation is not stopped, it could turn to all-out warfare, spilling out of the shadows and onto the streets themselves.
Falcon is a kid. He thinks he hears the call of magic, and the voice of one of the Great Spirits seems to whisper in his ears. He's gone to Seattle, to the urban jungle, to seek his calling.
Thrown together, veteran and novice, Sly and Falcon find themselves embroiled in a deadly confrontation between the world's most powerful corporations. If this confrontation is not stopped, it could turn to all-out warfare, spilling out of the shadows and onto the streets themselves.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
11 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Findley
68 books44 followersNigel D Findley (July 22, 1959 – February 19, 1995[1]) was a game designer, editor, and an author of science fiction and fantasy novels and role-playing games (RPGs). Findley died suddenly on February 19, 1995, at his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. He suffered a heart attack at the age of 35.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 19, 2025
The maximalist aesthetic of Shadowrun continues to fascinate me, and this gloriously pulpy novel is a perfect encapsulation. Total adolescent wish-fulfilment, some 90s stuff that absolutely wouldn't fly today, but reading sent me back to being 12 years old like nothing has in a very long time. And the writing was better than I had expected, too.
May 9, 2025
Another solid addition to the Shadowrun cannon. Like that it had quiet ties to his previous book. Enjoying this series a lot more than I thought I would.
October 9, 2022
This is the literary equivalent to a b-series low budget movie you catch on TV on a lazy Sunday and up watching whole...
Not as good as SX, the previous Nigel Findley shadowrun book, though.
Not as good as SX, the previous Nigel Findley shadowrun book, though.
July 9, 2019
I won’t lie, I only spent so long reading this book because I got hit with a reading slump before I picked up Shadowplay. I really enjoyed 2XS and had been recommended Shadowplay to follow it up and so I decided why not? I’m really glad I did because this book was just what I needed to kick me out of that slump!
I loved the little hints towards what had happened in 2XS, it made the story feel like it was following an actual world that had consequences, really dire ones at that, which was welcomed. This moved a lot quicker than 2XS, but I feel as if that worked in its favour. Once I really got into it, I was hooked and had to finish reading. The action was intense, the characters were as likeable as career criminals could be and I loved the whole tone of the novel.
I loved the little hints towards what had happened in 2XS, it made the story feel like it was following an actual world that had consequences, really dire ones at that, which was welcomed. This moved a lot quicker than 2XS, but I feel as if that worked in its favour. Once I really got into it, I was hooked and had to finish reading. The action was intense, the characters were as likeable as career criminals could be and I loved the whole tone of the novel.
January 10, 2025
This was an easy introduction to both the world of Shadowrun and the cyberpunk genre, and I enjoyed many aspects of it. However, by the end, I found myself feeling frustrated and eager to finish. I can only give it two stars.
One big issue for me was the overuse of certain slang words like drek, frag, and chummer. They were fun at first but quickly became repetitive and tiresome. On the positive side, I appreciated the boldness in how the story handled its characters - it wasn’t afraid to kill them off, which kept me on edge and guessing who would survive.
It was also fascinating to read this in 2025 and see how technology was imagined back in 1993. That said, the detailed descriptions of weapons and car specs were a bit much for my taste, though I realize that’s a matter of personal preference.
The characters weren’t especially deep or complex, but I liked them all the same - each had their own little quirks that made them memorable. Unfortunately, the appearance of a deus ex machina character who conveniently solved all the problems felt unforgivable to me, as did the anticlimactic ending.
The pacing was also uneven - the beginning was slow and dragged, while the ending felt rushed and underdeveloped.
Despite all this, I don’t regret reading it. It had its moments, and I enjoyed it in parts. Two stars, because while it didn’t fully win me over, I’m still glad I gave it a shot.
Favourite name: Modal
Favourite words: plastisheet, ferroconcrete
Favourite sentences:
"One of the trolls howled in torment, a soprano whistling cry that made Falcon's thighs tense in unconscious sympathy."
Favourite thought:
"Some technopsychologists were pointing at the phenomenon of virtual meetings as one of the most significant changes in human society since agriculture replaced early mankind's hunter- gatherer existence. These psychs believed that the Matrix would eventually spawn "electronic tribes" and "virtual nations." Membership in a particular social group would no longer depend on physical location, but more on channels of communication."
One big issue for me was the overuse of certain slang words like drek, frag, and chummer. They were fun at first but quickly became repetitive and tiresome. On the positive side, I appreciated the boldness in how the story handled its characters - it wasn’t afraid to kill them off, which kept me on edge and guessing who would survive.
It was also fascinating to read this in 2025 and see how technology was imagined back in 1993. That said, the detailed descriptions of weapons and car specs were a bit much for my taste, though I realize that’s a matter of personal preference.
The characters weren’t especially deep or complex, but I liked them all the same - each had their own little quirks that made them memorable. Unfortunately, the appearance of a deus ex machina character who conveniently solved all the problems felt unforgivable to me, as did the anticlimactic ending.
The pacing was also uneven - the beginning was slow and dragged, while the ending felt rushed and underdeveloped.
Despite all this, I don’t regret reading it. It had its moments, and I enjoyed it in parts. Two stars, because while it didn’t fully win me over, I’m still glad I gave it a shot.
Favourite name: Modal
Favourite words: plastisheet, ferroconcrete
Favourite sentences:
"One of the trolls howled in torment, a soprano whistling cry that made Falcon's thighs tense in unconscious sympathy."
Favourite thought:
"Some technopsychologists were pointing at the phenomenon of virtual meetings as one of the most significant changes in human society since agriculture replaced early mankind's hunter- gatherer existence. These psychs believed that the Matrix would eventually spawn "electronic tribes" and "virtual nations." Membership in a particular social group would no longer depend on physical location, but more on channels of communication."
December 2, 2020
Pretty average to boring read. Coming from having read 2XS and House of the Sun, I expected better from N. Findley. Maybe the 3rd person narrative didn't hold for me, but the whole story was unconvincing. I've never been gaga over the descriptions of chrome and wiz-bang magic of SR, even though I love their presence. But there's too much yammering detail cars and cyberdecks, too little "face" legwork, too much gaming crunch turned narrative. I did, however, love the exposition of the whole "prize" that every megacorp wanted to get their hands on and reasons for the corporate intrigues spilling over and leading out to corporate war. But I think this story deserves to be split into two books. The story felt truncated and could have done with perspectives from two or three executives from the megacorps to hammer home the value of the "prize".
September 12, 2025
Shadowplay by Nigel Findley is the ninth book in the Shadowrun series. This book is part of a series that is written by several different authors. These books, and this one in particular, can be read as a stand-alone. In this one, Sly is a veteran who has run more shadows than she cares to remember and has the physical and emotional scars to prove it. Falcon is a kid who thinks he hears the call of magic. Thrown together, veteran and novice, Sly and Falcon find themselves embroiled in a deadly confrontation.
Although magic is a part of this book, it is mostly based around computer technology and the Matrix (internet). The Matrix is controlled by the major corporations and is regularly hacked by deckers(Shadowrunners). This book was a fun read.
Although magic is a part of this book, it is mostly based around computer technology and the Matrix (internet). The Matrix is controlled by the major corporations and is regularly hacked by deckers(Shadowrunners). This book was a fun read.
September 10, 2021
I’m a sucker for the Shadowrun setting. So far of ROC books I’ve read Nigel FIndley’s 2XS has been my favorite. So, I eagerly wanted to check out the others he’s written.
Shadowplay starts very strong. It’s an enjoyable hard-boiled romp. I think the final third, especially the ending fall a bit flat compared to the rest of it, but overall it’s a good time.
If you liked 2XS or House of the Sun you’ll like this.
I haven’t read Lone Wolf yet.
It’s a pity he died so young. So far he’s been my favorite Shadowrun author.
Shadowplay starts very strong. It’s an enjoyable hard-boiled romp. I think the final third, especially the ending fall a bit flat compared to the rest of it, but overall it’s a good time.
If you liked 2XS or House of the Sun you’ll like this.
I haven’t read Lone Wolf yet.
It’s a pity he died so young. So far he’s been my favorite Shadowrun author.
September 4, 2017
old school Shadowrun. I read it in my youth while RPG'ing Shadowrun (one of the early versions of the game) and loved picking up immersive novels for the setting. It's a different experience picking up the novels again as an adult when many years have passed since I last read the books. Still a fun read.
August 15, 2022
A great time in a great universe. Good book mechanics.
Thanks for the great time reading this adventure!
Thanks for the great time reading this adventure!
February 5, 2024
Really love this one. Didn't give it 5 stars just because a chapter or 2 that got slow. The theme is engaging, good matrix descriptions. From the author of 2XS, but I think I liked this one more.
July 29, 2025
A good book. Good Characters. I like how magic was incorporated later on in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
November 14, 2024Nice plod (yes, that's not a typo). The plot is pretty straight forward, the tempo of writing is a tad off (a bit too descriptive during action scenes). Overall not bad, but not very good either.
Almost tempted to give it 4 stars, but that would only have been for nostalgic purposes (do you remember radios in cars where you could take the front off of to prevent theft? No? Well, that's how old I am), and musings on online Avatars written waaaay before the Internet even got out of its diapers. But then I figured that's probably part of the ShadowRun setting.
Almost tempted to give it 4 stars, but that would only have been for nostalgic purposes (do you remember radios in cars where you could take the front off of to prevent theft? No? Well, that's how old I am), and musings on online Avatars written waaaay before the Internet even got out of its diapers. But then I figured that's probably part of the ShadowRun setting.
November 17, 2015
Сюжет незамысловато-киберпанковский, но техномагический сеттинг Shadowrun придает ему дополнительный интерес. Герои шаблонные, но симпатичные, читается легко - любителям вселенной или киберпанка будет по вкусу.
October 6, 2013
I'd read more of his stories about these protagonists.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews