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Twenty Palaces #2
Game of Cages
A SECRET HIGH-STAKES AUCTION As a wealthy few gather to bid on a predator capable of destroying all life on earth, the sorcerers of the Twenty Palace Society mobilize to stop them. Caught up in the scramble is Ray Lilly, the lowest of the low in the society—an ex–car thief and the expendable assistant of a powerful sorcerer. Ray possesses exactly one spell to his name, along with a strong left hook. But when he arrives in the small town in the North Cascades where the bidding is to take place, the predator has escaped and the society’s most powerful enemies are desperate to recapture it. All Ray has to do is survive until help arrives. But it may already be too late.
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First published January 1, 2010
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April 12, 2023
The next in my streak of reading books I’d rather not be reading. Remember when I said, “I don’t know why I do this to myself, I really don’t”? I still don’t know the general answer, but in this particular instance, I suspect the combination of series OCD, a suspicion that the books weren’t nearly as good as GR reviews claim, and Connelly’s strangely successful $50,000 kickstarter despite his publishing house dropping this series.
Second in the “Twenty Palaces” trilogy by Harry Connolly, Game of Cages essentially recycles the first book. If that distilled assessment sounds strangely similar to my review of Caliban’s War (which recycles Leviathan Wakes), that’s because it is. Authors! Something a little different for your sophomore effort, please! Since we’re all just recycling hacks here, I’ll just click over to my other review and cut and paste a bit…
Kidding!
I’d never do that to you. Or to me. Because I don’t ever want to read this again, so I have to remember what I didn’t like: everything but the ghost knife and a blue dog with stars in its eyes, who must have escaped from the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine movie (which was one of the funniest, most trippiest movies I ever saw [finally explaining “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]. Mostly because of being under the influence, which is clearly the only way one is supposed to see it).
Problem number one–seriously clunky plotting. A small instance early on foreshadows future inconsistencies. Stymied by a locked gate, Ray shows off by cutting it with his secret ghost knife instead of simply using the bolt cutters Catherine brought along. Although Catherine is an investigator with a secret magical society, she is confused by the spell knife, so clearly she hasn’t been debriefed on his assets. She asks for it and he refuses. She doesn’t even exert her authority to take possession though he is a ‘wooden man,’ which means disposable asset. Literally. Yet why doesn’t she know everything about him or use her authority? If she’s an investigator, why doesn’t she know more about spells? If he wants to be discreet about his prize possession (as he will continue to state later in the book), why does he flaunt it when an easier solution is available? It’s inconsistencies such as these that prevent me from losing myself in the world. The author tells one thing through overview, dialogue or first person thoughts, then has his characters do another. It makes plotting seem forced, like no matter what characters claim, they will need to do particular actions in order for the plot to move forward.
Plotting is further complicated by the ghost knife’s awesome abilities. The knife is actually a paper spell that can cut through anything inanimate, and when passed through animate beings, normally robs them of strong emotions, leaving them weak and drained. As if Connolly is aware that it is potentially a spell that could make all the difference in these altercations, Ray frequently makes excuses as to why he won’t use it against antagonists. He usually states he “wants to keep it in reserve,” but occasionally varies that justification with “I don’t want it to get taken away” or “I don’t want it to get stuck in the wall (although it goes through walls),” or even “I don’t want it to burn” (there’s a surprising amount of fire in this book). In one particularly incongruous moment, he states “Of course, I also had my ghost knife. It would hit whatever I wanted it to hit, but it was just a piece of paper. Cutting into the edge of a moving tire would probably tear it apart.” Sure, that’s believable. Because he used it on the steel chain at the beginning, and embedded it in a concrete floor earlier. You want magical tools? Fine. Use them consistently.
Problem number two–seriously clunky characters. I can’t decide if Connolly meant for Ray to be a manipulative, craven ass or he is carelessly inconsistent. I happen to hate the “I’m sorry” phrase unless it is actually apologizing for a wrong. When Ray and Catherine disagree over anything (and Ray and Annalise in the prior book), he immediately responds with “I’m sorry.” It appears Ray is aware he is doing it manipulatively, as at one point he complains that although he said ‘I’m sorry,’ Catherine doesn’t open up to him (the ultimate ‘sensitive man’ manipulation). It’s a verbal conversation strategy that Ray frequently uses.
Furthermore, Ray debates the “killing is bad” but “bad guys are bad and are trying to kill me” argument with himself ad nauseam. He agonizes over how to immobilize people that are trying to kill him, and but then, when on the run from a pair shooting at him and Catherine, lures the predator towards them so that it attacks them instead. Unsurprisingly, Catherine is pissed and Ray apologizes. He is also very judging about the Society’s use of lethal force, even as he wishes they would use it: “But still I felt ashamed, because I knew, at the core, the Society was vigilantes. I believed they had good reason to do what they did, but their day-to-day work was finding people and killing them.” I honestly can’t tell if that is meant to be a character trait or sloppy writing, because it seems to me after you’ve killed your first five or so people (all Bad Guys, mind you), you get past the guilt. But I’m guessing.
Clunky characters include the antagonists, who initially consist of a group of Chinese, a group speaking some other foreign language (Russian or German, he can’t tell, although a prisoner earlier told him German), a fat, rich Silicon Valley guy and a bunch of magic-users that call themselves “The Fellows” (no rings are presumed involved). Very stock, right down to the moment the groups of foreigners have multilingual conversations in front of a concealed Ray, in which one of them conveniently speaks English.
Lastly, it’s just sloppy. There’s one page where Ray is speculating about the blue dog, decides he “doesn’t have time for speculation” (which is exactly what investigating needs, bonehead), but then goes back to his speculation two paragraphs later. I seriously don’t understand–was that meant on purpose to show irresolute purpose/weakness of character, or did you not understand the meaning of ‘investigate/find’ or of ‘speculation?’ Why do you not have time for speculation when you are tracking something?
Don’t even get me started on how he’s always rescuing Annalise despite her amazing powers and her willingness to use lethal force.
Fine, so what was redeeming? Why’d I keep reading? Well, if it isn’t clear already, I have a book OCD–I hate not knowing the ending.
But seriously, the ghost knife is a cool idea.
The supernatural metaphysics are also vaguely interesting. The idea of the powers beyond our world trying to get in, but seemingly trapped in a particular metaphysical construct on arrival is an interesting one. I mean, what would choose to be a blue, starry-eyed dog? In this book, it’s a predator that has escaped after 22 years of incarceration. Is it starving? What’s it’s ultimate goal? Why does its behavior change? Unfortunately, while Ray speculates, he never actually gets answers to most of the questions. Even a token debrief at the main office would have provided more resolution.
So, as book compulsive as I might be, I know when to call it quits. I won’t be picking up book three, because there really are too many good books out there. Glad Connolly got his kickstarter funded, and equally glad I’m not involved.
Second in the “Twenty Palaces” trilogy by Harry Connolly, Game of Cages essentially recycles the first book. If that distilled assessment sounds strangely similar to my review of Caliban’s War (which recycles Leviathan Wakes), that’s because it is. Authors! Something a little different for your sophomore effort, please! Since we’re all just recycling hacks here, I’ll just click over to my other review and cut and paste a bit…
Kidding!
I’d never do that to you. Or to me. Because I don’t ever want to read this again, so I have to remember what I didn’t like: everything but the ghost knife and a blue dog with stars in its eyes, who must have escaped from the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine movie (which was one of the funniest, most trippiest movies I ever saw [finally explaining “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]. Mostly because of being under the influence, which is clearly the only way one is supposed to see it).
Problem number one–seriously clunky plotting. A small instance early on foreshadows future inconsistencies. Stymied by a locked gate, Ray shows off by cutting it with his secret ghost knife instead of simply using the bolt cutters Catherine brought along. Although Catherine is an investigator with a secret magical society, she is confused by the spell knife, so clearly she hasn’t been debriefed on his assets. She asks for it and he refuses. She doesn’t even exert her authority to take possession though he is a ‘wooden man,’ which means disposable asset. Literally. Yet why doesn’t she know everything about him or use her authority? If she’s an investigator, why doesn’t she know more about spells? If he wants to be discreet about his prize possession (as he will continue to state later in the book), why does he flaunt it when an easier solution is available? It’s inconsistencies such as these that prevent me from losing myself in the world. The author tells one thing through overview, dialogue or first person thoughts, then has his characters do another. It makes plotting seem forced, like no matter what characters claim, they will need to do particular actions in order for the plot to move forward.
Plotting is further complicated by the ghost knife’s awesome abilities. The knife is actually a paper spell that can cut through anything inanimate, and when passed through animate beings, normally robs them of strong emotions, leaving them weak and drained. As if Connolly is aware that it is potentially a spell that could make all the difference in these altercations, Ray frequently makes excuses as to why he won’t use it against antagonists. He usually states he “wants to keep it in reserve,” but occasionally varies that justification with “I don’t want it to get taken away” or “I don’t want it to get stuck in the wall (although it goes through walls),” or even “I don’t want it to burn” (there’s a surprising amount of fire in this book). In one particularly incongruous moment, he states “Of course, I also had my ghost knife. It would hit whatever I wanted it to hit, but it was just a piece of paper. Cutting into the edge of a moving tire would probably tear it apart.” Sure, that’s believable. Because he used it on the steel chain at the beginning, and embedded it in a concrete floor earlier. You want magical tools? Fine. Use them consistently.
Problem number two–seriously clunky characters. I can’t decide if Connolly meant for Ray to be a manipulative, craven ass or he is carelessly inconsistent. I happen to hate the “I’m sorry” phrase unless it is actually apologizing for a wrong. When Ray and Catherine disagree over anything (and Ray and Annalise in the prior book), he immediately responds with “I’m sorry.” It appears Ray is aware he is doing it manipulatively, as at one point he complains that although he said ‘I’m sorry,’ Catherine doesn’t open up to him (the ultimate ‘sensitive man’ manipulation). It’s a verbal conversation strategy that Ray frequently uses.
Furthermore, Ray debates the “killing is bad” but “bad guys are bad and are trying to kill me” argument with himself ad nauseam. He agonizes over how to immobilize people that are trying to kill him, and but then, when on the run from a pair shooting at him and Catherine, lures the predator towards them so that it attacks them instead. Unsurprisingly, Catherine is pissed and Ray apologizes. He is also very judging about the Society’s use of lethal force, even as he wishes they would use it: “But still I felt ashamed, because I knew, at the core, the Society was vigilantes. I believed they had good reason to do what they did, but their day-to-day work was finding people and killing them.” I honestly can’t tell if that is meant to be a character trait or sloppy writing, because it seems to me after you’ve killed your first five or so people (all Bad Guys, mind you), you get past the guilt. But I’m guessing.
Clunky characters include the antagonists, who initially consist of a group of Chinese, a group speaking some other foreign language (Russian or German, he can’t tell, although a prisoner earlier told him German), a fat, rich Silicon Valley guy and a bunch of magic-users that call themselves “The Fellows” (no rings are presumed involved). Very stock, right down to the moment the groups of foreigners have multilingual conversations in front of a concealed Ray, in which one of them conveniently speaks English.
Lastly, it’s just sloppy. There’s one page where Ray is speculating about the blue dog, decides he “doesn’t have time for speculation” (which is exactly what investigating needs, bonehead), but then goes back to his speculation two paragraphs later. I seriously don’t understand–was that meant on purpose to show irresolute purpose/weakness of character, or did you not understand the meaning of ‘investigate/find’ or of ‘speculation?’ Why do you not have time for speculation when you are tracking something?
Don’t even get me started on how he’s always rescuing Annalise despite her amazing powers and her willingness to use lethal force.
Fine, so what was redeeming? Why’d I keep reading? Well, if it isn’t clear already, I have a book OCD–I hate not knowing the ending.
But seriously, the ghost knife is a cool idea.
The supernatural metaphysics are also vaguely interesting. The idea of the powers beyond our world trying to get in, but seemingly trapped in a particular metaphysical construct on arrival is an interesting one. I mean, what would choose to be a blue, starry-eyed dog? In this book, it’s a predator that has escaped after 22 years of incarceration. Is it starving? What’s it’s ultimate goal? Why does its behavior change? Unfortunately, while Ray speculates, he never actually gets answers to most of the questions. Even a token debrief at the main office would have provided more resolution.
So, as book compulsive as I might be, I know when to call it quits. I won’t be picking up book three, because there really are too many good books out there. Glad Connolly got his kickstarter funded, and equally glad I’m not involved.
November 1, 2019
I'm not sure how to rate this. It's not a particularly great book, but it's non-greatness is exactly what I needed. Just like the two (chronologically) prior installments, I picked this up when I was having a hard time sticking with anything. When I'm in that sort of state, the last thing I want to do is risk my experience of an event book. No, what's called for is serviceable story, with no real pre-attachment or anticipation. Something I'm not going to feel bad about abandoning if I bounce off it for reasons entirely outside of the book.
It's what I think of as a "ball-point pen" book, after something I discovered years ago in an art class. Those days you can't put a satisfactory line down to save your life, the thing that worked for me was to put away all the charcoal and pastels or whatever and pull out a ball point pen. Ball point pen says, f-you, brain damn right it's not going to be a masterpiece, and that's just fine. I'm doing it anyway. You forcibly lower expectations, and often the result turns out better than anticipated.
What I have no explanation for, especially given this is my third book in this series, is why I was somewhat surprised after getting a little ways into this and realizing it's one of those stories that covers a brief period of time, a couple days at most. Somehow my brain seems to default to expecting a more complex plot stretched out over a longer time period with most novels. Basically it's a sort of chase the monster, run from the monster, defeat the monster outing, a la Scooby Doo.
So while this isn't spectacularly original, and not the best of the three I've read so far, I find myself favorably disposed toward the series at this point, it having come through for me at some rough points in my reading history, and I've talked myself into giving it a generous 4.
It's what I think of as a "ball-point pen" book, after something I discovered years ago in an art class. Those days you can't put a satisfactory line down to save your life, the thing that worked for me was to put away all the charcoal and pastels or whatever and pull out a ball point pen. Ball point pen says, f-you, brain damn right it's not going to be a masterpiece, and that's just fine. I'm doing it anyway. You forcibly lower expectations, and often the result turns out better than anticipated.
What I have no explanation for, especially given this is my third book in this series, is why I was somewhat surprised after getting a little ways into this and realizing it's one of those stories that covers a brief period of time, a couple days at most. Somehow my brain seems to default to expecting a more complex plot stretched out over a longer time period with most novels. Basically it's a sort of chase the monster, run from the monster, defeat the monster outing, a la Scooby Doo.
So while this isn't spectacularly original, and not the best of the three I've read so far, I find myself favorably disposed toward the series at this point, it having come through for me at some rough points in my reading history, and I've talked myself into giving it a generous 4.
June 12, 2012
Second in the Twenty Palaces urban fantasy series revolving around Ray Lilly, an ex-car thief striving to just survive.
My Take
Connolly yanks me in right from the start for a story that crosses horror with detective work with amateur black ops. Ray's dilemma of how to keep secrets that are spilling out right and left felt quite real---I do enjoy it when an author gives us these seemingly impossible problems and then slips in the solution. Only, in Game of Cages, the solutions are much more the type we'd stumble over from chance. That is, if we were to be in these situations…!
There's something so hopeful about Ray. He's had a hard start in life. Right up until a short time ago, and, yet, he keeps putting himself out for people, trying to help them even when the change in character of the townspeople is macabre.
Wait a minute...if Catherine is supposed to be an investigator, wouldn't she have more smarts than to go flashing around with her camera? She is such a bitch. Has she considered that the Society thought enough of Ray to have him accompany her? Has she thought that perhaps Ray getting soaked wasn't one of his intentions? Then she keeps being surprised when she's shot at, chased, attacked. Just what kind of investigating does she do for this particular Society that's so safe? She's so clueless… Her idea of sharing a room is pretty archaic, too.
It's a warm small town with individuals who take Ray in, believe him, help him. Even when they turn against him, there's still a collective feeling of protection. It may be on the wrong side and ya just want to skedaddle on outta there...but I can't deny the sense of togetherness. Eek.
It's one strange murder scene after another with dead and living victims. Normal people whose snap to the other side is more horrible because of their normality. Although I feel Connolly left us hanging between the early scenes which ignored pre-pubescents and then pulled 'em in at the end.
I do admire Ray's chutzpah...ordering in a pepperoni pizza at a time like that, but then Connolly lost me on that one turncoat. I don't see what the gain was.
Hmmm, one of the bad guys taunts them about the palaces they're losing…damn, Connolly is such a tease!
The Story
Being summoned to aid Catherine investigate a reported auction of a predator, Ray and Catherine are quickly thrown into the middle of it all when they creep onto a three-car accident with an empty cage, suspicious burns, and a trail that leads to dead bodies.
Yet more bodies pile up as Ray and Catherine fall into traps, escapes, attacks, and betrayals. The peer who does show up from the Society is arrogant and useless, uncaring when Ray informs him that Catherine has been kidnapped. It takes Annalise's curiosity to swing the balance.
The Characters
Ray Lilly is an ex-car thief. Pulled into the world of the Twenty Palace Society, he stays for two reasons: they're keeping the police off his back and he lives to be called to action...even if he does ending up regretting it. His current abode is in the mother-in-law apartment over his Aunt Theresa and Uncle Karl's garage.
Catherine Little has a personality for every situation and is an investigator for the Twenty Palace Society. And she does not like Ray. She likes him even less when she learns he's Annalise's wooden man. Annalise Powliss is a peer for the Society and prit' near unkillable. Talcott Arnold Pratt is the first peer on the scene. He certainly lives up to his last name!
There are four groups of people bidding at the auction: Professor Elisabeta Solorov and her Fellowship; Mr. Yin with Merpati and his troupe of bodyguards; the selfish and self-centered Mr. Kripke from Silicon Valley and his biker friend (yeah, one self- is not enough for this guy!); Herr Zahn is an ancient German with some truly scary powers, Frail seems to be his assistant, and Tattoo, a man with more protective tattoos than Ray. Regina Wilbur is the woman who "owned" Armand the dog all these years. One of the many conditions her niece Stephanie changed when she arrived. Ursula is/was the keeper of the dog.
Steve Cardinal is the head of the neighborhood watch and in charge of law enforcement until the sheriff shows up...if he ever shows up. Actually a pretty level-headed guy.
TheLastKing.
The Twenty Palace Society is a private agency whose sole agenda is to kill predators and people who use magic. Predators are "weird supernatural creatures out of the Empty Spaces". Never a good thing for the world if they show up.
The Cover
The cover makes me feel as though it's the night before Halloween with the orange lightning flashing in the sky behind the old brooding "Victorian" mansion as snow swirls around Ray, looking back over his shoulder.
It is a Game of Cages as Ray tries to corral the sapphire dog.
My Take
Connolly yanks me in right from the start for a story that crosses horror with detective work with amateur black ops. Ray's dilemma of how to keep secrets that are spilling out right and left felt quite real---I do enjoy it when an author gives us these seemingly impossible problems and then slips in the solution. Only, in Game of Cages, the solutions are much more the type we'd stumble over from chance. That is, if we were to be in these situations…!
There's something so hopeful about Ray. He's had a hard start in life. Right up until a short time ago, and, yet, he keeps putting himself out for people, trying to help them even when the change in character of the townspeople is macabre.
Wait a minute...if Catherine is supposed to be an investigator, wouldn't she have more smarts than to go flashing around with her camera? She is such a bitch. Has she considered that the Society thought enough of Ray to have him accompany her? Has she thought that perhaps Ray getting soaked wasn't one of his intentions? Then she keeps being surprised when she's shot at, chased, attacked. Just what kind of investigating does she do for this particular Society that's so safe? She's so clueless… Her idea of sharing a room is pretty archaic, too.
It's a warm small town with individuals who take Ray in, believe him, help him. Even when they turn against him, there's still a collective feeling of protection. It may be on the wrong side and ya just want to skedaddle on outta there...but I can't deny the sense of togetherness. Eek.
It's one strange murder scene after another with dead and living victims. Normal people whose snap to the other side is more horrible because of their normality. Although I feel Connolly left us hanging between the early scenes which ignored pre-pubescents and then pulled 'em in at the end.
I do admire Ray's chutzpah...ordering in a pepperoni pizza at a time like that, but then Connolly lost me on that one turncoat. I don't see what the gain was.
Hmmm, one of the bad guys taunts them about the palaces they're losing…damn, Connolly is such a tease!
The Story
Being summoned to aid Catherine investigate a reported auction of a predator, Ray and Catherine are quickly thrown into the middle of it all when they creep onto a three-car accident with an empty cage, suspicious burns, and a trail that leads to dead bodies.
Yet more bodies pile up as Ray and Catherine fall into traps, escapes, attacks, and betrayals. The peer who does show up from the Society is arrogant and useless, uncaring when Ray informs him that Catherine has been kidnapped. It takes Annalise's curiosity to swing the balance.
The Characters
Ray Lilly is an ex-car thief. Pulled into the world of the Twenty Palace Society, he stays for two reasons: they're keeping the police off his back and he lives to be called to action...even if he does ending up regretting it. His current abode is in the mother-in-law apartment over his Aunt Theresa and Uncle Karl's garage.
Catherine Little has a personality for every situation and is an investigator for the Twenty Palace Society. And she does not like Ray. She likes him even less when she learns he's Annalise's wooden man. Annalise Powliss is a peer for the Society and prit' near unkillable. Talcott Arnold Pratt is the first peer on the scene. He certainly lives up to his last name!
There are four groups of people bidding at the auction: Professor Elisabeta Solorov and her Fellowship; Mr. Yin with Merpati and his troupe of bodyguards; the selfish and self-centered Mr. Kripke from Silicon Valley and his biker friend (yeah, one self- is not enough for this guy!); Herr Zahn is an ancient German with some truly scary powers, Frail seems to be his assistant, and Tattoo, a man with more protective tattoos than Ray. Regina Wilbur is the woman who "owned" Armand the dog all these years. One of the many conditions her niece Stephanie changed when she arrived. Ursula is/was the keeper of the dog.
Steve Cardinal is the head of the neighborhood watch and in charge of law enforcement until the sheriff shows up...if he ever shows up. Actually a pretty level-headed guy.
TheLastKing.
The Twenty Palace Society is a private agency whose sole agenda is to kill predators and people who use magic. Predators are "weird supernatural creatures out of the Empty Spaces". Never a good thing for the world if they show up.
The Cover
The cover makes me feel as though it's the night before Halloween with the orange lightning flashing in the sky behind the old brooding "Victorian" mansion as snow swirls around Ray, looking back over his shoulder.
It is a Game of Cages as Ray tries to corral the sapphire dog.
November 8, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/game-of-...
Game of Cages, the second installment in the Twenty Palaces series by Harry Connolly, returns to the story of ex-convict Ray Lilly months after the events detailed in book one, Child of Fire (see our review here). When a group of wealthy individuals gather to bid on a predator capable of destroying all life on earth, the sorcerers of the Twenty Palaces Society mobilize, and, as assistant to one of the sorcerers, Ray is caught in the scramble. Sent to investigate the auction with only one spell to his name, he finds that the predator has escaped and the society’s most powerful enemies are desperate to recapture it.
Home Improvement: Author Edition
My one main quibble with book one of the series was the sometimes stilted prose of Connolly’s writing. However, I came across no instances of the same within Game of Cages. Instead, I found a tone and style which suits the story content very well, and an impeccable sense of tension and suspense. Connolly’s writing has grown and matured, and it is quite exciting to witness.
Wrestling With Morals—An Ambiguity Exclusive!
Much like in the first novel, Ray faces a number of decisions where his morals come into play. But unlike the first novel, he finds he questions himself a lot more. He knows what’s right and what he should do, but he also knows what he needs to do to ensure his further survival—and the two aren’t always one and the same. One of the things I truly love about Ray Lilly is that he makes mistakes. He’s not a paragon of a protagonist, one who miraculously makes the right decisions every time. No, he’s definitely a learn-as-you-go type, though much of that is forced upon him by the Society—which remains ever-mysterious through most of the novel.
Worldbuilding: The Expansion Pack
Within Game of Cages, Connolly deepens Ray’s world. His originality is brought forth time and time again, from the alien predators to the magic, from the various parties encountered to the political structures of the Society, and beyond. Connolly’s world is a fresh and new one in the urban fantasy genre, and keeps me coming back for more. His creativity with the various predators is engaging, and the magic system is such that it seems to the reader to become simpler and more complex simultaneously. It’s a truly engaging style of writing Connolly has found, and he settles into his pacing in Game of Cages.
Why should you read this book?
If you’re like me, you absolutely need to know more about Ray Lilly and the Twenty Palaces Society after finishing Child of Fire. I’m happy to say that Game of Cages delivers, and does it very well. The ambiguity feels so very realistic in terms of morality, further developing Ray’s character to depths we haven’t seen before. The worldbuilding isn’t too extensive, but there is enough original material introduced to capture a reader’s attention—capture, and hold it. So, if you’ve read Child of Fire, go out, buy this book, read it, love it. If you haven’t read the first novel, then go do the same thing with Child of Fire. This is not a series any urban fantasy enthusiast should miss out on.
Game of Cages, the second installment in the Twenty Palaces series by Harry Connolly, returns to the story of ex-convict Ray Lilly months after the events detailed in book one, Child of Fire (see our review here). When a group of wealthy individuals gather to bid on a predator capable of destroying all life on earth, the sorcerers of the Twenty Palaces Society mobilize, and, as assistant to one of the sorcerers, Ray is caught in the scramble. Sent to investigate the auction with only one spell to his name, he finds that the predator has escaped and the society’s most powerful enemies are desperate to recapture it.
Home Improvement: Author Edition
My one main quibble with book one of the series was the sometimes stilted prose of Connolly’s writing. However, I came across no instances of the same within Game of Cages. Instead, I found a tone and style which suits the story content very well, and an impeccable sense of tension and suspense. Connolly’s writing has grown and matured, and it is quite exciting to witness.
Wrestling With Morals—An Ambiguity Exclusive!
Much like in the first novel, Ray faces a number of decisions where his morals come into play. But unlike the first novel, he finds he questions himself a lot more. He knows what’s right and what he should do, but he also knows what he needs to do to ensure his further survival—and the two aren’t always one and the same. One of the things I truly love about Ray Lilly is that he makes mistakes. He’s not a paragon of a protagonist, one who miraculously makes the right decisions every time. No, he’s definitely a learn-as-you-go type, though much of that is forced upon him by the Society—which remains ever-mysterious through most of the novel.
Worldbuilding: The Expansion Pack
Within Game of Cages, Connolly deepens Ray’s world. His originality is brought forth time and time again, from the alien predators to the magic, from the various parties encountered to the political structures of the Society, and beyond. Connolly’s world is a fresh and new one in the urban fantasy genre, and keeps me coming back for more. His creativity with the various predators is engaging, and the magic system is such that it seems to the reader to become simpler and more complex simultaneously. It’s a truly engaging style of writing Connolly has found, and he settles into his pacing in Game of Cages.
Why should you read this book?
If you’re like me, you absolutely need to know more about Ray Lilly and the Twenty Palaces Society after finishing Child of Fire. I’m happy to say that Game of Cages delivers, and does it very well. The ambiguity feels so very realistic in terms of morality, further developing Ray’s character to depths we haven’t seen before. The worldbuilding isn’t too extensive, but there is enough original material introduced to capture a reader’s attention—capture, and hold it. So, if you’ve read Child of Fire, go out, buy this book, read it, love it. If you haven’t read the first novel, then go do the same thing with Child of Fire. This is not a series any urban fantasy enthusiast should miss out on.
January 7, 2011
Hmmm- well, kind of the same feeling as when I read the Jill Hunter of Lili Saint Crow. I like the charactar, root for him and want to survive.But then I feel kind of queasy about all the death, and destruction and the PTSD it inflicts on the protag, that I wonder- maybe I should be reading some light romantic lit instead.
I love his vulnerability, his mistakes that come out of sheer ignorance. I really liked how he reacts like a normal person. He is afraid most of the time, gets mad at things I'd be angry about, has limits as to what he will do- I like seeing him wrestle with his baser nature to act in ways that are socially acceptable. That he KNOWS he is tired of being alone, and unconnected and he wants to belong. That is major for a man to admit about himself.
Is frequently unsure of himself and feels out of his depth. Admits he is ignorant, but tries to do the right thing. I guess you could say that all protags have this moral code, but Ray just seems really REAL. He has a lot shame issues that he is trying to overcome. It's kind of like he has imposter syndrome- oh wait, he kind of IS an imposter. I don't know. A lot of charactars have shame issues, but I guess since most of them are women; it just doesn't register as much. Felix Castor has a lot of self-blame and self disgust, but I always feel he is too hard on himself. With Ray, I thought it was probably justified in the past, but not relevant today. The diffference is that Ray seems to be reaching to pull himself up and out of his past, while Felix seems to be drowning deeper and deeper in karmic depths and disastrous mischances. He is more immersed in danger, while Ray seems to be getting the skills he needs to stay out of it.
So I guess it's what kind of ride do you want to read about at the time? Ray's voice is so authentic, and I hope the author is able to keep that in future series. I mean, how many blue collar paranormal heroes do we get? Though I see the Big Secret on the horizon- he had no idea he is actually a descendant of X which explains his super powers!- Not sure I am enamored of that take on the charactar, if it comes to pass.
I love his vulnerability, his mistakes that come out of sheer ignorance. I really liked how he reacts like a normal person. He is afraid most of the time, gets mad at things I'd be angry about, has limits as to what he will do- I like seeing him wrestle with his baser nature to act in ways that are socially acceptable. That he KNOWS he is tired of being alone, and unconnected and he wants to belong. That is major for a man to admit about himself.
Is frequently unsure of himself and feels out of his depth. Admits he is ignorant, but tries to do the right thing. I guess you could say that all protags have this moral code, but Ray just seems really REAL. He has a lot shame issues that he is trying to overcome. It's kind of like he has imposter syndrome- oh wait, he kind of IS an imposter. I don't know. A lot of charactars have shame issues, but I guess since most of them are women; it just doesn't register as much. Felix Castor has a lot of self-blame and self disgust, but I always feel he is too hard on himself. With Ray, I thought it was probably justified in the past, but not relevant today. The diffference is that Ray seems to be reaching to pull himself up and out of his past, while Felix seems to be drowning deeper and deeper in karmic depths and disastrous mischances. He is more immersed in danger, while Ray seems to be getting the skills he needs to stay out of it.
So I guess it's what kind of ride do you want to read about at the time? Ray's voice is so authentic, and I hope the author is able to keep that in future series. I mean, how many blue collar paranormal heroes do we get? Though I see the Big Secret on the horizon- he had no idea he is actually a descendant of X which explains his super powers!- Not sure I am enamored of that take on the charactar, if it comes to pass.
March 6, 2017
3.5 stars. Good continuation of this series in which Ray starts out assisting an investigator for Twenty Palaces who's trying to get information about a predator being auctioned off. Things fall apart really fast...
August 7, 2018
I recently started the Twenty Palaces series and I’m liking it. It’s an urban fantasy Mac ‘n Cheese to me, being well within the trope, and with more Lovecraft-like horror than fantasy involved. It is not perfect. The first book was a bit rough prose-wise, but the author is progressing in his craft. This is a middle series book. It adheres to the protagonist’s MO and furthers long-term plot lines. If interested in this series, I
strenuously
recommend reading Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) (my review) first.
Prose was OK. It’s workman-like. Dialog was better than descriptive prose. Although, I can see improvements in the use of detail in his descriptive prose. The author eschews profanity in this story. That’s too bad, I thought its use in the previous book was “tasteful”. Action scenes were well handled. I did not detect any continuity errors.
The author is very sparse with the amount of backstory from the first book. Reading this book without having read Child of Fire (Twenty Palaces, #1) (my review) or Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) would make it difficult to understand.
There is no sex, but ample violence in this story. Violence is moderately detailed. It’s: edged weapons, firearms and physical. Most of the physical violence is horror-related. Lovecraftian horror has an abundance of folks being rent apart. This story also includes cannibalism. Body count is genocidally high. This is an issue I have with the series; the mayhem and slaughter can be OtT. Note there is violence against teenagers and animals in this story.
Major characters include members of the Twenty Palaces; a Magocracy keeping magic out of the hands of Muggles, and their opponents (mostly rogue magicians and demons). Demons are unnecessarily called Predators in the series. (If it looks like a demon, swims like a demon, and quacks like a demon, then it probably is a Predator.) I think the author needs to work on his characterization, particularly secondary characters.
The series only has a single POV. The protagonist (Ray Lilly) is a smarter than average habitual criminal that gets sucked into the magic demimonde. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, the allure of magic has ensnared him. He’s also been ensorcelled to be a Twenty Palaces agent. However, he (like me) has severe reservations over the mayhem and slaughter surrounding his work. In this second book, Ray’s character development is slowing down. Annalise Powliss is a magical Terminator. She continues development as Lilly’s mentor. There is also Catherine (no last name), a Twenty Palaces Investigator. Investigators scout for magic-in-use. She’s an awkwardly rendered character who is more there to educate Lilly (and the reader) on the magic demimonde. I cringed at the author’s eventual, reveal that she’s a black woman. She may or may not appear in future stories. All the bad guys are well within trope for magicly crazed plot impediments: uber-rich Asian, clueless Geeks, 300-year old German sorcerer and numerous brainy, high-status women. All the antagonists have henchmen, but only the German sorcerer's is interesting. I now have a suspicion the author has a thing for high-status women. There are a number of minor characters, but they amount to townsfolk NPCs. The Sapphire Dog demon who was the story’s McGuffin was more interesting than the demons in previous stories.
Plot picks-up several months after the events of Child of Fire. Lilly is living the life of all ex-cons gone straight. He's a demon-killer stocking shelves at a grocery store. Meanwhile he’s craving adventure. Catherine bombs in and conscripts him to be her bodyguard on a somewhat local magic investigation. He goes willingly. Things progress according to the series’ MO: Lilly travels to remote town, demon gets loose, carnage ensues, Lilly and Powliss put down the magical infestation. Long term plot lines are advanced. In the process Lilly learns a lot about the Twenty Palaces and the magical demimonde.
A series criticism is that Lilly is a one trick pony magic-wise. Lilly is the master of one key spell, the Ghost Knife. He’s constantly using it with great effect. It’s getting a little boring. The series would benefit greatly if a chapter went by without Lilly using his Ghost Knife.
I'm very critical of intermediate books in a series. They rarely get more than two stars. This book has all the characteristics common to the Twenty Palaces series. The series is a Jack Reacher-esque urban fantasy mashup. There wasn’t anything exceptional about this story from the previous. However, all the parts of this story were in harmony with the series. It was quick and easy to slip into the read and no great concentration was required. The book was better written than the previous book in the series, but is still not as well written or formulaic as say a Lee Child Jack Reacher story. In summary, it was an OK series read.
I’ll likely be reading the next book in the series: Circle of Enemies.
Readers who are interested in this type of story and haven’t read it already should checkout: The Long Way Down.
Prose was OK. It’s workman-like. Dialog was better than descriptive prose. Although, I can see improvements in the use of detail in his descriptive prose. The author eschews profanity in this story. That’s too bad, I thought its use in the previous book was “tasteful”. Action scenes were well handled. I did not detect any continuity errors.
The author is very sparse with the amount of backstory from the first book. Reading this book without having read Child of Fire (Twenty Palaces, #1) (my review) or Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) would make it difficult to understand.
There is no sex, but ample violence in this story. Violence is moderately detailed. It’s: edged weapons, firearms and physical. Most of the physical violence is horror-related. Lovecraftian horror has an abundance of folks being rent apart. This story also includes cannibalism. Body count is genocidally high. This is an issue I have with the series; the mayhem and slaughter can be OtT. Note there is violence against teenagers and animals in this story.
Major characters include members of the Twenty Palaces; a Magocracy keeping magic out of the hands of Muggles, and their opponents (mostly rogue magicians and demons). Demons are unnecessarily called Predators in the series. (If it looks like a demon, swims like a demon, and quacks like a demon, then it probably is a Predator.) I think the author needs to work on his characterization, particularly secondary characters.
The series only has a single POV. The protagonist (Ray Lilly) is a smarter than average habitual criminal that gets sucked into the magic demimonde. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, the allure of magic has ensnared him. He’s also been ensorcelled to be a Twenty Palaces agent. However, he (like me) has severe reservations over the mayhem and slaughter surrounding his work. In this second book, Ray’s character development is slowing down. Annalise Powliss is a magical Terminator. She continues development as Lilly’s mentor. There is also Catherine (no last name), a Twenty Palaces Investigator. Investigators scout for magic-in-use. She’s an awkwardly rendered character who is more there to educate Lilly (and the reader) on the magic demimonde. I cringed at the author’s eventual, reveal that she’s a black woman. She may or may not appear in future stories. All the bad guys are well within trope for magicly crazed plot impediments: uber-rich Asian, clueless Geeks, 300-year old German sorcerer and numerous brainy, high-status women. All the antagonists have henchmen, but only the German sorcerer's is interesting. I now have a suspicion the author has a thing for high-status women. There are a number of minor characters, but they amount to townsfolk NPCs. The Sapphire Dog demon who was the story’s McGuffin was more interesting than the demons in previous stories.
Plot picks-up several months after the events of Child of Fire. Lilly is living the life of all ex-cons gone straight. He's a demon-killer stocking shelves at a grocery store. Meanwhile he’s craving adventure. Catherine bombs in and conscripts him to be her bodyguard on a somewhat local magic investigation. He goes willingly. Things progress according to the series’ MO: Lilly travels to remote town, demon gets loose, carnage ensues, Lilly and Powliss put down the magical infestation. Long term plot lines are advanced. In the process Lilly learns a lot about the Twenty Palaces and the magical demimonde.
A series criticism is that Lilly is a one trick pony magic-wise. Lilly is the master of one key spell, the Ghost Knife. He’s constantly using it with great effect. It’s getting a little boring. The series would benefit greatly if a chapter went by without Lilly using his Ghost Knife.
I'm very critical of intermediate books in a series. They rarely get more than two stars. This book has all the characteristics common to the Twenty Palaces series. The series is a Jack Reacher-esque urban fantasy mashup. There wasn’t anything exceptional about this story from the previous. However, all the parts of this story were in harmony with the series. It was quick and easy to slip into the read and no great concentration was required. The book was better written than the previous book in the series, but is still not as well written or formulaic as say a Lee Child Jack Reacher story. In summary, it was an OK series read.
I’ll likely be reading the next book in the series: Circle of Enemies.
Readers who are interested in this type of story and haven’t read it already should checkout: The Long Way Down.
June 20, 2012
Another fantastic novel written by Harry Connolly. This book somehow managed to be extremely riveting, even though it only takes place within a few days and in a small town. Game of Cages somehow managed to take all of the shock factor and amount of deaths from the previous book, and amplified it by 100. So much happens in the last half of this book that it makes up for the slowness of the first half. Understandably, it was building up to the ending, and what an ending. After finishing reading a certain chapter in which Harry literally fights with everything he has to survive, you're somehow left feeling utterly exhausted. Connolly's exceptional writing excels in this section of the book. When a couple of pages are devoted to one long stream-of-conscious paragraph, he really manages to suck you into Ray Lily's predicament. You understand what's going on in his head, what he's feeling, and at that moment, you understand it all. Quite possibly my favorite book in this entire series.
April 11, 2011
Confusing at times, but fantastic. Very gritty and even darker than the first book. Not for the faint of heart, indeed. Ray is my hero, even at his thuggiest! I have no qualms against giving this book 4.5/5.0 stars. Reviewed for Bitten by Books: http://bittenbybooks.com.
March 18, 2018
Влезе м�� като малка крачка назад в сравнение с предходната книга от серията. Може би защото отново имаме малък американски град, подложен на влиянието на един от хишниците, а и поразтегленото действие в средата не помогна за асимилирането на книгата. Все пак тук говорим за градско фентъзи, наситено с екшън, дори и да е наблегнато на ноарната атмосфера. Май точно тук забуксуваха нещата – Конъли избърза да покаже главния виновник за ситуацията, а в последствие му се наложи да си разгърне сценария, без да може да задържи читателя в напрежение. Все пак последните петдесет страници успяха доста да компенсират провлачването в средата на книгата.
Рей Лили отново се замесва в невероятното, когато на работата му се появява един следовател от организацията и го хвърля в средата на случай с пуснат на търг хищник. Няколко фракции се борят да притежават ценното Сапфирено куче, но когато далият най-висока цена го изпуска на свобода, едно малко градче ще бъде подложено на кървав терор, едновременно от гадината, опитващите се да я задържат фракции и служителите на Организацията. Само Лили изпитва известна симпатия към жителите и проблемите им, но един Дървен човек е далеч от класата на хищника и преследващите го адепти, освен това нашето момче все още има доста скрупули, което му пречи да свърши работата както трябва. Да не говорим, че все още не знае абсолютно нищо за механизмите на света в който се е забъркал.
Конъли продължава да подава информацията за света си и миналото на главния герой на пестеливи хапки, като дразни въображението на читателя. Успява и да ни приспи вниманието с леко разтегнатата история, за да удари кораво накрая и да ни хвърли в брутален потрес и съчувствие към изборите, които Рей трябва да преживее.
Третата ще се чете със сигурност. Надявам се вече да има отговори на доста въпроси, които да изстрелят симпатичния главен герой нагоре в организацията.
Рей Лили отново се замесва в невероятното, когато на работата му се появява един следовател от организацията и го хвърля в средата на случай с пуснат на търг хищник. Няколко фракции се борят да притежават ценното Сапфирено куче, но когато далият най-висока цена го изпуска на свобода, едно малко градче ще бъде подложено на кървав терор, едновременно от гадината, опитващите се да я задържат фракции и служителите на Организацията. Само Лили изпитва известна симпатия към жителите и проблемите им, но един Дървен човек е далеч от класата на хищника и преследващите го адепти, освен това нашето момче все още има доста скрупули, което му пречи да свърши работата както трябва. Да не говорим, че все още не знае абсолютно нищо за механизмите на света в който се е забъркал.
Конъли продължава да подава информацията за света си и миналото на главния герой на пестеливи хапки, като дразни въображението на читателя. Успява и да ни приспи вниманието с леко разтегнатата история, за да удари кораво накрая и да ни хвърли в брутален потрес и съчувствие към изборите, които Рей трябва да преживее.
Третата ще се чете със сигурност. Надявам се вече да има отговори на доста въпроси, които да изстрелят симпатичния главен герой нагоре в организацията.
December 7, 2011
In my review of the first book in this series, Child of Fire, I said: "I really enjoyed this book! Even though you are left with a few unanswered questions about the main character's past, the action is such that it sweeps you away. Good writing voice, excellent visuals of the world. A good solid, fast read."
Ugh. Really? That's all I wrote? /sigh
Well, that was singularly unhelpful as a refresher for this review.
The "problem" is that I could say the exact same things about book two. The author doesn't let you down. The quality of writing is great. The narrative voice is along the same vein as the first. Ray Lily is the same interesting, conflicted character. The plot moved at a break-neck pace from the beginning to end and putting the book down was hard, just like the first book.
I love this world, what we see of it. I love Ray Lily and I wonder if, despite his criminal past, redemption will bite him on the ass and end up costing him more than just being a criminal. I like Annalise and wonder what her backround is; what has made her so hard and quick to kill? What are her motivations? Is the strange honor code to which Ray holds himself affecting her own personal code? Will Ray wear her down and maybe find a cause for them to really fight for?
While I still have questions about some backstory, I trust the author to dole it out when it will have the most impact. So far, Harry Connolly has yet to steer me wrong.
I can't stress enough that I love this style of writing. You open the book and the story pulls you in and then. . . you hit the ground running. The plot sweeps you away so quickly that even the questions you have about backstory and the relationship between Ray and Annalise is never quite as important as what's clicking along in the plot. The whole world is chock full of possiblity.
Unfortuneately, the next book, Circle of Enemies, and the prequel, Twenty Palaces, are the last installments in this series. You can read about the series cancellationhere.
I'm sad for the author. This is a great series. I hope that he can resurrect it at a later date. Still, I'll be keeping my eye out for anything else this author might publish. I'm interested to see what else he might have in store for me. And, of course, I still have book 3 and the prequel to read.
Ugh. Really? That's all I wrote? /sigh
Well, that was singularly unhelpful as a refresher for this review.
The "problem" is that I could say the exact same things about book two. The author doesn't let you down. The quality of writing is great. The narrative voice is along the same vein as the first. Ray Lily is the same interesting, conflicted character. The plot moved at a break-neck pace from the beginning to end and putting the book down was hard, just like the first book.
I love this world, what we see of it. I love Ray Lily and I wonder if, despite his criminal past, redemption will bite him on the ass and end up costing him more than just being a criminal. I like Annalise and wonder what her backround is; what has made her so hard and quick to kill? What are her motivations? Is the strange honor code to which Ray holds himself affecting her own personal code? Will Ray wear her down and maybe find a cause for them to really fight for?
While I still have questions about some backstory, I trust the author to dole it out when it will have the most impact. So far, Harry Connolly has yet to steer me wrong.
I can't stress enough that I love this style of writing. You open the book and the story pulls you in and then. . . you hit the ground running. The plot sweeps you away so quickly that even the questions you have about backstory and the relationship between Ray and Annalise is never quite as important as what's clicking along in the plot. The whole world is chock full of possiblity.
Unfortuneately, the next book, Circle of Enemies, and the prequel, Twenty Palaces, are the last installments in this series. You can read about the series cancellationhere.
I'm sad for the author. This is a great series. I hope that he can resurrect it at a later date. Still, I'll be keeping my eye out for anything else this author might publish. I'm interested to see what else he might have in store for me. And, of course, I still have book 3 and the prequel to read.
July 23, 2012
In this book, Ray Lilly is picked up at his working class job by Catherine because the twenty palaces society has work for him to do. She is not impressed to drive an hour out of her way to pick a wooden man. A big auction is happening for a predator in the tiny town of Washaway and Ray and Catherine are tasked with finding out the details of what is going on.
As to be expected, the situation quickly escalates and Ray becomes a one man rescuer once again. Someone has to save the town from the sapphire dog who has made pets of most of the town's residents causing them to kill each other so that it can feed on them. The sapphire dog creates feelings of love and adoration in its victim when you look at it and marks you as belonging to it when it licks you. Because of the power the sapphire dog wields a primary - a powerful sorcerer, who has actually been on the hit list of the twenty palace society for quite some time will stop at nothing to possess the sapphire dog and has used magic to make it impossible for anyone to leave town or call for help.
We do briefly see a return of Annalise towards the end of the book. Ray is relieved to see her because he knows that he is in over his head and yet once again, Annalise is not around for the final showdown. Though all he has is his ghost knife and known of her power, Ray is able to defeat the primary that Annalise lost to. Uh huh. I don't understand the point of repeatedly suggesting that Annalise is this all powerful being, only to have Ray save her again. If you don't actually follow through with a display of power, telling us about her power is pointless. It feels at this point more like Annalise is Ray's wooden man than the other way around. This theme is somewhat relieved by Catherine who when kidnapped does manage to rescue herself before Ray can do his prince charming to the rescue routine; however, once again when the action happens, Catherine is nowhere to be seen. Ray sends her away because she is a mother of two small children.
Read More
As to be expected, the situation quickly escalates and Ray becomes a one man rescuer once again. Someone has to save the town from the sapphire dog who has made pets of most of the town's residents causing them to kill each other so that it can feed on them. The sapphire dog creates feelings of love and adoration in its victim when you look at it and marks you as belonging to it when it licks you. Because of the power the sapphire dog wields a primary - a powerful sorcerer, who has actually been on the hit list of the twenty palace society for quite some time will stop at nothing to possess the sapphire dog and has used magic to make it impossible for anyone to leave town or call for help.
We do briefly see a return of Annalise towards the end of the book. Ray is relieved to see her because he knows that he is in over his head and yet once again, Annalise is not around for the final showdown. Though all he has is his ghost knife and known of her power, Ray is able to defeat the primary that Annalise lost to. Uh huh. I don't understand the point of repeatedly suggesting that Annalise is this all powerful being, only to have Ray save her again. If you don't actually follow through with a display of power, telling us about her power is pointless. It feels at this point more like Annalise is Ray's wooden man than the other way around. This theme is somewhat relieved by Catherine who when kidnapped does manage to rescue herself before Ray can do his prince charming to the rescue routine; however, once again when the action happens, Catherine is nowhere to be seen. Ray sends her away because she is a mother of two small children.
Read More
March 22, 2012
This is the follow up to Child of Fire: A Twenty Palaces Novel and as Harry Connoly says in the first line his acknowledgments (in part) --- "This was not an easy book to write" . Well, this was not an easy book to read. More horror than anything else; this fast paced, bloody novel was off and running from the very start. To add to the horror of this book, it takes place at Christmas time. I actually sighed with near relief when I was done.
There is so much death and dismemberment in almost each chapter that you never really have time to drag in a full breath before the next murder or mass murder happens. Blood, guts, death by magic, and a philosophical edge all lend to this book in which Ray is helping an investigator (Catherine) investigate an auction where a predator is supposedly being auctioned off. Naturally the predator escapes and all Hell breaks loose.
And if you expect to see Annalise throughout the whole book you will be in for a disappointment. Ray actually saves the whole day almost by himself.
Ray has really grown as a character and although I'm loathe to jump right into the next novel, I have to find out what happened to him and Annalise. The next uo is Circle of Enemies: A Twenty Palaces Novel and I really need to read the prequel Twenty Palaces, A Prequel
There is so much death and dismemberment in almost each chapter that you never really have time to drag in a full breath before the next murder or mass murder happens. Blood, guts, death by magic, and a philosophical edge all lend to this book in which Ray is helping an investigator (Catherine) investigate an auction where a predator is supposedly being auctioned off. Naturally the predator escapes and all Hell breaks loose.
And if you expect to see Annalise throughout the whole book you will be in for a disappointment. Ray actually saves the whole day almost by himself.
Ray has really grown as a character and although I'm loathe to jump right into the next novel, I have to find out what happened to him and Annalise. The next uo is Circle of Enemies: A Twenty Palaces Novel and I really need to read the prequel Twenty Palaces, A Prequel
September 6, 2012
I really liked the first book in the series; feeling that it had a lot of potential. The second one picks up a little while after, when the aftermath of the first had died down but not disappeared altogether.
The beginning was strong: new mission, new partner, a bit of rescue from the humdrum. Unfortunately the premise is similar despite the attempt to change it up. Instead of knowing a predator is loose in a small town, this time Ray and Catherine are just in the area to investigate. Of course that doesn't last long as the predator gets free and starts wreaking havoc.
It seemed to me while reading, that there was a lot of running from place to place, just missing the predator, and not that much story. There were tantalizing hints of the different orders within the Twenty Palace Society, rogues, and flashes of curious backstory. Because of this, the book seemed a bit thin.
Ray Lilly is still a great protagonist, with character growth, internal conflicts and difficult choices to make. You get a real sense of him trying to best he can and the author does a great job of showing not telling. I would just like to see him in more interesting circumstances.
The beginning was strong: new mission, new partner, a bit of rescue from the humdrum. Unfortunately the premise is similar despite the attempt to change it up. Instead of knowing a predator is loose in a small town, this time Ray and Catherine are just in the area to investigate. Of course that doesn't last long as the predator gets free and starts wreaking havoc.
It seemed to me while reading, that there was a lot of running from place to place, just missing the predator, and not that much story. There were tantalizing hints of the different orders within the Twenty Palace Society, rogues, and flashes of curious backstory. Because of this, the book seemed a bit thin.
Ray Lilly is still a great protagonist, with character growth, internal conflicts and difficult choices to make. You get a real sense of him trying to best he can and the author does a great job of showing not telling. I would just like to see him in more interesting circumstances.
November 25, 2013
Yup, more of the same.
Started out well; a new partner, a little more information on the mysterious 'Twenty Palaces' seemed to be forthcoming but apart from a trickle of never re-addressed tidbits, it ended up being the same-old same-old.
Story once again restricted to a single town, all powerful sorcerers coming in and disappearing in a puff of unexplained smoke, no real purpose for him being there but Ray Lily ends up having to take on the big bad all by himself for no other real reason then he felt like he should but even then, the final way he dealt with the 'predator' was completely at odds with how we've been told the whole book he SHOULD take care of 'predators' and by the end of the book we're no wiser about anything in the world he lives in and we're back to square one but hey, at least Ray has another sorry excuse for an adventure under his belt.
Hard to understand why anyone would care.
A few stupidly tiny but tantalizing hints of new information - the only reason I may masochistically order and read book three which, I have the sinking suspicion I'll feel just the same about.
Started out well; a new partner, a little more information on the mysterious 'Twenty Palaces' seemed to be forthcoming but apart from a trickle of never re-addressed tidbits, it ended up being the same-old same-old.
Story once again restricted to a single town, all powerful sorcerers coming in and disappearing in a puff of unexplained smoke, no real purpose for him being there but Ray Lily ends up having to take on the big bad all by himself for no other real reason then he felt like he should but even then, the final way he dealt with the 'predator' was completely at odds with how we've been told the whole book he SHOULD take care of 'predators' and by the end of the book we're no wiser about anything in the world he lives in and we're back to square one but hey, at least Ray has another sorry excuse for an adventure under his belt.
Hard to understand why anyone would care.
A few stupidly tiny but tantalizing hints of new information - the only reason I may masochistically order and read book three which, I have the sinking suspicion I'll feel just the same about.
February 4, 2021
Nonstop action!!
Give it a try.
Give it a try.
May 25, 2012
After trudging my way through two books of this, I can see why the series was cancelled. Explaining that, however, is harder. There's just...no real excitement in these books. The narrative is good, the plot is good, world building isn't bad, but whatever it is that grabs hold of you and makes you need to finish a book and then need to read the next one is just utterly missing here. It's not a lack of romance - personally I think romance crap brings down a book, it's not a lack of understanding the Twenty Palaces - I think the slow reveal is just right, it's not even the persistent use of the magic knife - if you have a single weapon, you use it. I can't honestly pinpoint exactly what it is that dragged this series down, but whatever it was, it was bad. It left the whole thing feeling heavy and depressing, like a weight hanging around your neck. It was repellent, actually, and I didn't even bother with the third book. I just didn't care. Nothing in the story made me care much about anything, the characters, the mystery, the resolution, it was just...whatever. Meh.
I won't be recommending this to anyone and I'd advise you to give this a miss. There are far better, far more interesting books in this genre to spend your time on.
I won't be recommending this to anyone and I'd advise you to give this a miss. There are far better, far more interesting books in this genre to spend your time on.
November 24, 2010
The formula was exactly the same in this book as the last, but it was still interesting.
June 7, 2019
This book is why this series failed.
I was prepared to give this one star but act 3 didn't so much save the book as it made it tolerable. That's a real shame, because I liked the first book a whole lot.
So here's the major issues:
A) Act 1 problems. The entire auction sequence could have been scrapped or moved later. Having it happen so early in the book warped the narrative in all the wrong ways because I had no connection with disparate voices. None of these people were given space to breathe and grow and the whole sequence was way too crowded as Ray spends much of the time just eavesdropping. The absence of Annalise is really felt, because Ray as a character is best explored in opposition and contrast to Annalise. Catherine is a piss-poor replacement, and much of the 'arc' of act 1 is a retread of the last book. Someone from the Society doesn't trust Ray and he earns their trust over time and they begin to trust him. That's cool and all, but the author's already done that story last book with a much more compelling character in the form of Annalise. Catherine's role is an issue, and I wish the author had figured out a better way to use her.
B) Act 2 problems. Much like Act 1, but I got the sense that there was a story that could have been developed here. The narrator's mom is mentioned and abandoned with no fanfare. This could have helped give the narration some sense of structure or given Ray an internal journey, but it's not there. The story stretches out way past its breaking point and loses narrative cohesion. A series of things happen to Ray, rather than happen because of him. A parade of characters are introduced, abandoned, reintroduced, abandoned again, and the cycle continues. Nothing was really gained or lost. It's like the author forgot to give this part of the book a real point or goal. A Peer shows up and has no impact on the story whatsoever.
C) Serious character issues. Most of the side characters are a forgettable mass of people, barely established. I'd basically count 'the townspeople' as a character, and boil this book down to 6 characters: Ray, Catherine, Annalise, Zahn, The Sapphire Dog, and 'The Townspeople'. Eventually the last 2 characters become the same character and I couldn't be bothered to care that much. More emphasis should have been put on the kid and how the whole Tommyknockers feeling is screwing up everything. More care should have been taken to differentiate people. Oh, and a random Peer showed up and barely merited any fanfare or interaction at all. This is only the second Peer the series has introduced and he's completely and utterly forgettable. This is a serious problem because there's supposedly this auction happening with an impressive cast of characters but you wouldn't really know that and the only one that really matters is Zahn, who's introduced way too late.
D) Prose issues. This is something I overlooked in the first book because I liked the story so much, but they're still present. Too much is laid plain in the text, and the reader barely has to do any work themselves, which leads to skimming over whole paragraphs because everything is so plainly stated. No subtext.
Still though, the real meat of this book starts to take shape once act 3 starts and Annalise shows up, giving the story needed momentum. The problems of act 1 and 2 really drag act 3 down, which is frustrating. There should have been a lot more planted in the earlier acts for act 3 to be able to pay off, but since there isn't, Act 3 revels instead in spectacle, to decent, even good results. I wish they'd planted more of a buildup of the Sapphire Dog starting to take control, rather than backloading all the 'It's learning' stuff into the end of the book. A different book might have taken advantage of Ray's backstory or made better use of Catherine. Maybe if Annalise had shown up or the other Peer whose name I have already forgotten was more a presence, act 3 could have been great, but it merely turns a bad book into a passable one.
So very disappointed right now.
I was prepared to give this one star but act 3 didn't so much save the book as it made it tolerable. That's a real shame, because I liked the first book a whole lot.
So here's the major issues:
A) Act 1 problems. The entire auction sequence could have been scrapped or moved later. Having it happen so early in the book warped the narrative in all the wrong ways because I had no connection with disparate voices. None of these people were given space to breathe and grow and the whole sequence was way too crowded as Ray spends much of the time just eavesdropping. The absence of Annalise is really felt, because Ray as a character is best explored in opposition and contrast to Annalise. Catherine is a piss-poor replacement, and much of the 'arc' of act 1 is a retread of the last book. Someone from the Society doesn't trust Ray and he earns their trust over time and they begin to trust him. That's cool and all, but the author's already done that story last book with a much more compelling character in the form of Annalise. Catherine's role is an issue, and I wish the author had figured out a better way to use her.
B) Act 2 problems. Much like Act 1, but I got the sense that there was a story that could have been developed here. The narrator's mom is mentioned and abandoned with no fanfare. This could have helped give the narration some sense of structure or given Ray an internal journey, but it's not there. The story stretches out way past its breaking point and loses narrative cohesion. A series of things happen to Ray, rather than happen because of him. A parade of characters are introduced, abandoned, reintroduced, abandoned again, and the cycle continues. Nothing was really gained or lost. It's like the author forgot to give this part of the book a real point or goal. A Peer shows up and has no impact on the story whatsoever.
C) Serious character issues. Most of the side characters are a forgettable mass of people, barely established. I'd basically count 'the townspeople' as a character, and boil this book down to 6 characters: Ray, Catherine, Annalise, Zahn, The Sapphire Dog, and 'The Townspeople'. Eventually the last 2 characters become the same character and I couldn't be bothered to care that much. More emphasis should have been put on the kid and how the whole Tommyknockers feeling is screwing up everything. More care should have been taken to differentiate people. Oh, and a random Peer showed up and barely merited any fanfare or interaction at all. This is only the second Peer the series has introduced and he's completely and utterly forgettable. This is a serious problem because there's supposedly this auction happening with an impressive cast of characters but you wouldn't really know that and the only one that really matters is Zahn, who's introduced way too late.
D) Prose issues. This is something I overlooked in the first book because I liked the story so much, but they're still present. Too much is laid plain in the text, and the reader barely has to do any work themselves, which leads to skimming over whole paragraphs because everything is so plainly stated. No subtext.
Still though, the real meat of this book starts to take shape once act 3 starts and Annalise shows up, giving the story needed momentum. The problems of act 1 and 2 really drag act 3 down, which is frustrating. There should have been a lot more planted in the earlier acts for act 3 to be able to pay off, but since there isn't, Act 3 revels instead in spectacle, to decent, even good results. I wish they'd planted more of a buildup of the Sapphire Dog starting to take control, rather than backloading all the 'It's learning' stuff into the end of the book. A different book might have taken advantage of Ray's backstory or made better use of Catherine. Maybe if Annalise had shown up or the other Peer whose name I have already forgotten was more a presence, act 3 could have been great, but it merely turns a bad book into a passable one.
So very disappointed right now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2019
Game of Cages is the second book in the Twenty Palaces series written by Harry Connolly and centered on Ray Lilly, a wooden man, which is a decoy expected to die to allow a sorcerer to deal with a predator or enemy sorcerer.
Ray Lily is detached from Annalise Powliss with the newly discovered knowledge of several of the spells put upon his body prior to the inception of the series. He is paired with Catherine Little, an investigator of the Twenty Palaces Society, who was sent to investigate rumors of a predator being sold at auction.
However, Ray and Catherine arrive too late to interrupt the sale, and that the sapphire dog, a predator that feeds by forcing victims to kill one another, has escaped. Ray eventually overpowers two other sorcerers who arrive to contest for the dog, and kills the predator itself, again saving the life of Annalise Powliss, who arrives after the presence of the predator is confirmed.
Game of Cages is written rather well. The narrative was just as exciting a noir urban fantasy as the previous installment. Once again, Ray Lily is one of the most engaging characters, he has no magical abilities, except for a piece of paper, but he is street smart, thinks things through, and makes quick decisions that turn out to be the right ones. He is extremely capable and competent.
All in all, Game of Cages is written rather well and is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Ray Lily is detached from Annalise Powliss with the newly discovered knowledge of several of the spells put upon his body prior to the inception of the series. He is paired with Catherine Little, an investigator of the Twenty Palaces Society, who was sent to investigate rumors of a predator being sold at auction.
However, Ray and Catherine arrive too late to interrupt the sale, and that the sapphire dog, a predator that feeds by forcing victims to kill one another, has escaped. Ray eventually overpowers two other sorcerers who arrive to contest for the dog, and kills the predator itself, again saving the life of Annalise Powliss, who arrives after the presence of the predator is confirmed.
Game of Cages is written rather well. The narrative was just as exciting a noir urban fantasy as the previous installment. Once again, Ray Lily is one of the most engaging characters, he has no magical abilities, except for a piece of paper, but he is street smart, thinks things through, and makes quick decisions that turn out to be the right ones. He is extremely capable and competent.
All in all, Game of Cages is written rather well and is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
May 10, 2020
I think I like this one better than the first one, but it's still a rather ugly piece of work that Connolly has put together. This is another exploration of the very dark side of magic and it's rather grim stuff for much of the time; the resultant ugliness keeps me from rating it higher (though I think I'd probably clock this in at 3 1/2 stars if I had the option)
We do get a bit better feel for Ray Lilly in this book, and he's a bit less of a total bastard whose only use is as a weapon against even worse bastards this time which helps the story along. Most of his associates treat him as that total bastard, though, which may be what the Wooden Men are for the Twenty Palaces Society, but it's another factor that lends itself to the general grimness of the book. Ray has very little in his life, he's constantly treated like crap...and doesn't entirely deserve it.
You do get an even better understanding for why the Society is so relentless and almost amoral in how they get things done with how this plot comes down. The predators that they hunt are staggeringly dangerous and connolly shows exactly how bad the collateral damage can get. That ramps up the ugliness very high but it does add a brutal sense of realism to the whole mess.
Good book if you're interested in playing on the dirty end of the field. Less great if you're looking for heroes to save the day. The magic is very interesting, but there's still not a lot on how any of it works, which I feel like has been missing in the whole series.
We do get a bit better feel for Ray Lilly in this book, and he's a bit less of a total bastard whose only use is as a weapon against even worse bastards this time which helps the story along. Most of his associates treat him as that total bastard, though, which may be what the Wooden Men are for the Twenty Palaces Society, but it's another factor that lends itself to the general grimness of the book. Ray has very little in his life, he's constantly treated like crap...and doesn't entirely deserve it.
You do get an even better understanding for why the Society is so relentless and almost amoral in how they get things done with how this plot comes down. The predators that they hunt are staggeringly dangerous and connolly shows exactly how bad the collateral damage can get. That ramps up the ugliness very high but it does add a brutal sense of realism to the whole mess.
Good book if you're interested in playing on the dirty end of the field. Less great if you're looking for heroes to save the day. The magic is very interesting, but there's still not a lot on how any of it works, which I feel like has been missing in the whole series.
June 28, 2017
Good stuff. You still don't get a ton of background, but the story moves quickly and was quite entertaining. Hoping our hero gets something out of his amazing talent for survival in the next book. Seriously, who are these Twenty Palace folks to be so above everything? Total users and silent types! I don't think they know nearly as much as they think they do.
Anyway, these books are filled with a lot of death and destruction, but I do like our hero who fumbles through the problems he is facing. The story moves along quickly and he has creative solutions along with a healthy dose of conscience, whether he listens to it or not.
Anyway, these books are filled with a lot of death and destruction, but I do like our hero who fumbles through the problems he is facing. The story moves along quickly and he has creative solutions along with a healthy dose of conscience, whether he listens to it or not.
October 30, 2019
My official rating is probably more like 3.5. I more than liked it, less than really liked it. There are hints given of the twenty palace society that aren't fully explained, but it shows there's some interesting history and lore there, not just randomly created monsters which I like. The reason I think I'm not at really liked it is getting into the book took me longer than it typically would and it feels like I'm just dumped into the story. But, by the end, I was definitely invested.
There's quite a bit of gore and violence and death so you'll want to skip this one if that type of thing bothers you.
There's quite a bit of gore and violence and death so you'll want to skip this one if that type of thing bothers you.
May 18, 2023
This time our plot chew toy Ray is paired with another normal human being, and the lack of a magical heavyweight makes things feel a lot more dangerous. There's no bullet sponge, no combat monster to keep the team afloat when things get high risk. And the sapphire dog is a worthy creepy opponent. Ray manages to lose his supervisor (and his alternate perspective at a time when he really needs one) and is left alone with his fudge-smeared morals, working hard to figure out what the right thing to do is. And I love those moments.
June 19, 2018
Ray Lily is leading a normal life, but once again the he's lured back into the Twenty Palaces by an investigator named Catherine. When an auction for a predator goes deadly, Ray and Catherine are dealing with evil forces that could destroy their lives.
Once again Connolly nails down the character of Lily as reluctant hero wanting to do good. The world building is not overly immense as we still know very little of the machinations of The Twenty Palaces.
Once again Connolly nails down the character of Lily as reluctant hero wanting to do good. The world building is not overly immense as we still know very little of the machinations of The Twenty Palaces.
December 30, 2018
He gets home, a society investigator is waiting for him. Says they have someone to find Ann (since she's in the back of the Van he must mean something else, like her spirit or whatnot). The authorities descend on the town, all the people it had mind controlled die. The cops get Ray's name and he vanishes from the world. Maybe the Society inducted him? Doubt the government knows enough to black site him or something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2025
Excellent continuation of the series. Ray gets better (and I understand him better) again. The story is pretty horrible as usual as he slogs and stumbles his way through deadly dangers. He doesn't learn as much but he is better and stronger with his increasing knowledge of what he is up against. Its pretty grim overall, and the coldness of Annilise is more understandable as well. Perhaps that is my one issue here, there isn't much hopefulness or good to root for overall.
August 1, 2017
In my estimation, Three Stars is a *good* book, well worth the read.
In the second volume of the Twenty Palaces series, Connolly pitches Ray out more or less on his own and we get to see more of what drives Ray and yet more information on how the universe works. Fast-paced like the first book and still grim and bloody, Game of Cages is a worthy successor to the first book, Child of Fire.
In the second volume of the Twenty Palaces series, Connolly pitches Ray out more or less on his own and we get to see more of what drives Ray and yet more information on how the universe works. Fast-paced like the first book and still grim and bloody, Game of Cages is a worthy successor to the first book, Child of Fire.
November 30, 2019
Yawn. The "opening scene" lasts about 100 pages with repetitive fight scenes and multiple uses of Ray's ghost knife. No humor or intrigue to break things up. Ray just moves around an estate, hiding, fighting, and occasionally making observations about what is going on. Book one was meh, but I was hoping book two would pick up the pace a little. Nope. DNF.
August 20, 2025
The story started well but the main focus of the second half seemed to be how many people could be killed. There was also a very timely death of an important character near that end of the book that appears to be unexplained - at least, I don't understand how it happened. I'm hopeful that the next book will be more of a story a less like a Rambo movie.
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