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jpv0's review against another edition
5.0
[b:Ace in the Hole|1281216|Ace in the Hole (Wild Cards, #6)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328368345l/1281216._SY75_.jpg|1270234] completes the second internal trilogy of the Wild Cards, finishing up many of the plotlines of [b:Aces Abroad|984792|Aces Abroad (Wild Cards, #4)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375859628l/984792._SY75_.jpg|970287] and [b:Down and Dirty|67959|Down and Dirty (Wild Cards, #5)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375859712l/67959._SY75_.jpg|1037828] and bringing the Puppetman plotline to the end. The main plot centers around a presidential convention, which is already a bizarre enough system on its own. Bring super powers and assassins--and super powered assassins into the mix--and things go very very sideways.
This book really does show what makes the Wild Cards books shine, with just enough real world (and real world characters) to make it feel like a solid 'what if' while at the same time, bringing in the Wild Card and how it changed the world at every level. It's good to meet a wide variety of previous characters on both sides and, as the stories go on, to see some of those same characters fall.
The fall of Puppetman--while it was almost guaranteed to happen after the events of the last two books; it had to happen if there were any justice in this fictional world--was... intense. Getting final confirmation thatPuppetman was a fragment of Hartman's personality and not a seperate entity all along was quite a thing.
Unfortunately, so far as I can tell, only [b:Dead Man's Hand|147912|Dead Man's Hand (Wild Cards, #7)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391680749l/147912._SY75_.jpg|142745] seems to be released on audiobook. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to text versions from here. Although who knows how long that will take...
Edit: Dead Man's Hand seems to be a continuation of the stories in Ace in the Hole, so I'll listen to that one before changing instead.
This book really does show what makes the Wild Cards books shine, with just enough real world (and real world characters) to make it feel like a solid 'what if' while at the same time, bringing in the Wild Card and how it changed the world at every level. It's good to meet a wide variety of previous characters on both sides and, as the stories go on, to see some of those same characters fall.
The fall of Puppetman--while it was almost guaranteed to happen after the events of the last two books; it had to happen if there were any justice in this fictional world--was... intense. Getting final confirmation that
Unfortunately, so far as I can tell, only [b:Dead Man's Hand|147912|Dead Man's Hand (Wild Cards, #7)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391680749l/147912._SY75_.jpg|142745] seems to be released on audiobook. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to text versions from here. Although who knows how long that will take...
Edit: Dead Man's Hand seems to be a continuation of the stories in Ace in the Hole, so I'll listen to that one before changing instead.
rrosas's review against another edition
4.0
Great action-packed conclusion to the Puppetman trilogy, and one of the strongest books in the Wild Cards series as a whole. This is primarily due to the POV characters we get, who are some of the most interesting in the whole series. The only flaw in this one, I think, is that the main source of conflict for many of the characters (Tachyon and Braun in particular) is that they haven't yet figured out that Hartmann is Puppetman (which, of course, readers have known since Wild Cards #1); instead of being all that interesting, this dramatic irony makes their actions seem a little pointless and frustrating albeit still entertaining.
apostrophen's review against another edition
5.0
This was by far the best of the Wild Card series to date that I've read. The villain, "Puppetman"/Gregg Hartman, was a truly chilling villain.
If you've not read the series at all, you do need to start with the first book, but the general overview is thus: an alien virus, called the "wild card" is released into Earth's atmosphere around the end of WW2. The virus kills 9 of 10 infected people - called "Drawing the Black Queen"(luckily, infection isn't all that common), and of the survivors, 9 in ten mutate into deformed figures - called "Drawing the Joker." Of those few one-in-one-hundred survivors, there is "Drawing an Ace," (basically, becoming a superhero), or "Drawing a Deuce," (getting a negligible power, like changing skin colour at will).
The villain in this piece is Gregg Hartman, who we've seen since the very beginning, a man who wants to be president, and is at the Atlanta Democratic National Convention in 1988. All the big players are there, Aces, Jokers, Naturals, etc, and things are beyond tense. Gregg is a secret Ace, a man who has another personality inside him, "The Puppetman," who can worm its way into another's mind after touching, and then release all their darker impulses, and feed on the hate and pain.
The climax of this tale is superb, the character growth all around is astounding, and some of my favourites made cameos (The Great and Powerful Turtle, Popinjay, and Goldenboy, among them). Stupendous!
Cudos and blame again to Jaybird who got me hooked on this series.
If you've not read the series at all, you do need to start with the first book, but the general overview is thus: an alien virus, called the "wild card" is released into Earth's atmosphere around the end of WW2. The virus kills 9 of 10 infected people - called "Drawing the Black Queen"(luckily, infection isn't all that common), and of the survivors, 9 in ten mutate into deformed figures - called "Drawing the Joker." Of those few one-in-one-hundred survivors, there is "Drawing an Ace," (basically, becoming a superhero), or "Drawing a Deuce," (getting a negligible power, like changing skin colour at will).
The villain in this piece is Gregg Hartman, who we've seen since the very beginning, a man who wants to be president, and is at the Atlanta Democratic National Convention in 1988. All the big players are there, Aces, Jokers, Naturals, etc, and things are beyond tense. Gregg is a secret Ace, a man who has another personality inside him, "The Puppetman," who can worm its way into another's mind after touching, and then release all their darker impulses, and feed on the hate and pain.
The climax of this tale is superb, the character growth all around is astounding, and some of my favourites made cameos (The Great and Powerful Turtle, Popinjay, and Goldenboy, among them). Stupendous!
Cudos and blame again to Jaybird who got me hooked on this series.
shane's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the 'mosaic' novels that rather than being written by numerous authors in the form of short stories that are then edited together, are written by one or two authors with a definite story-line, much more like an ordinary novel. I prefer the numerous authors and their short stories though.
This one was set around a political campaign, which I wouldn't normally be interested in at all if it wasn't for the various characters. The Jokers and Aces that fill the pages of these wild card novels are just wonderful and this is what held my attention and to be honest, what always holds my attention with these books, even if the story isn't to my liking per se.
The next book was originally a part of this one but they felt it would be too long to publish as one novel, and I have to say, I think I agree with them. Apparently it follows the investigation into the murder of Chrysalis who was one of my favourite characters and whom I shall miss terribly now.
A good read. Looking forward to the next one more though, even though it is another 'mosaic' novel.
Very good.
This one was set around a political campaign, which I wouldn't normally be interested in at all if it wasn't for the various characters. The Jokers and Aces that fill the pages of these wild card novels are just wonderful and this is what held my attention and to be honest, what always holds my attention with these books, even if the story isn't to my liking per se.
The next book was originally a part of this one but they felt it would be too long to publish as one novel, and I have to say, I think I agree with them. Apparently it follows the investigation into the murder of Chrysalis who was one of my favourite characters and whom I shall miss terribly now.
A good read. Looking forward to the next one more though, even though it is another 'mosaic' novel.
Very good.
brandt's review against another edition
5.0
Great mosaic novel. Multiple characters saw growth. Love how it is intertwined with the seventh book.
clounarae's review against another edition
5.0
While I honestly can't stand anything Game Of Thrones' related, Georges R.R. Martin manage to be one of my favorite author by the sheer force of being on the cover of :
- one of my all-time favorite book, [b:The Armageddon Rag|67948|The Armageddon Rag|George R.R. Martin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320519669s/67948.jpg|1270236],
- one of my favorite book cycle: Wild Cards.
I still have a lot to read, but Ace in the Hole has a special place in my heart. We now know the characters and the stakes, we can now thrive with the characters while they try to stop Puppetman from becoming the next president of the US (which seems a losing battle) and they ask themselves quite philosophical and ethical question on life, Aces and their duty.
- one of my all-time favorite book, [b:The Armageddon Rag|67948|The Armageddon Rag|George R.R. Martin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320519669s/67948.jpg|1270236],
- one of my favorite book cycle: Wild Cards.
I still have a lot to read, but Ace in the Hole has a special place in my heart. We now know the characters and the stakes, we can now thrive with the characters while they try to stop Puppetman from becoming the next president of the US (which seems a losing battle) and they ask themselves quite philosophical and ethical question on life, Aces and their duty.
bokelsker's review against another edition
4.0
A blast from the past. Stone-washed jeans, aids allegories, KGB spies, phone-cradle modems. Still an enjoyable read, if a little bit dated.
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