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mothma's review against another edition
3.0
I was really excited to read this book especially since I found a signed copy at Half-Price for $5! I enjoyed many aspects of the story, especially the Tarot themes, but felt that overall, it was not as tightly-woven of a plot as I've come to expect from Tim Powers. It was also kind of strangely paced - ramped up pretty early on and then stayed there for most of the novel, with another sharp ramp-up near the end. I also found all the different characters pretty confusing, and it was hard to keep track of what each person's role in the plot was. And there were certain names mentioned numerous times but you never get to meet that character... that was a bit strange. I'm sure there were a lot of references to Fisher King mythology and even Tarot references that I didn't catch - it took me nearly to the end to get one of the major symbols, so that's probably the source of much of my confusion! I may give this one another go in the future.
kalanadi's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Fatphobia
skolastic's review against another edition
4.0
I blew right the hell through this one. Not quite as good as I remember it being (hence no five star review), but it's still really, really great.
platyphemus's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't like it!
I saw Anubis Gates on a list and picked it up. I enjoyed it, the prose lacked a certain deftness, but the subject matter was interesting, the world of 19th Century London Society mixed with ancient religions and the seedy underworld got me through it.
This book? I don't know.
This is the paragraph of my reviews where I point out what I liked. Something certainly made me want to know where the story was going. I guess that was pacing? Powers gives the reader just enough of of the characters' motivations mixed in to a bizarre world that was compelling enough for me not to give up. This is the end of that paragraph.
If I drank, and did so in a way that I wanted to get drunk, and needed to have a game to justify the drinking, or make it "fun", I would have the reader drink a beer for every part of this book that reminds you of the American Gods novel. Dead wife come to life? Drink. Troubled middle aged man? Drink. Concerning father figure that can't be figured out? DRINK. A hero's journey, learning the hidden world of old Gods? YES YOU ARE DRINKING. All in time for...fucking Easter? Send your liver my condolences. American Gods came out before this one. For the unlikely person having to choose between the books, go with Gaiman.
This book lacks likable characters. Really, there's nobody. I realized early on that I had no attachment to a character living or dying. It seemed like the protagonist wasn't going to pull off the quest objective, and I was disappointed when I turned out wrong. The world itself really lacks any kind of pull to keep me interested. I wanted to know what happened, mostly just out of a desire for closure.
Also there's child endangerment, which is not done in a way that moves the plot, it's just disturbing. A few times. Also, there is some derogatory use of the word "Queer" by one of the protagonists, and don't worry, he drops an "f" bomb later on, and it's played for...laughs? Or to show how manly this place is? I don't know, it wasn't good use of it, it just seemed hateful.
American Gods. Written before this. Lacking weird homophobia. A clear choice.
It's very unlikely I'm reading the sequel.
I saw Anubis Gates on a list and picked it up. I enjoyed it, the prose lacked a certain deftness, but the subject matter was interesting, the world of 19th Century London Society mixed with ancient religions and the seedy underworld got me through it.
This book? I don't know.
This is the paragraph of my reviews where I point out what I liked. Something certainly made me want to know where the story was going. I guess that was pacing? Powers gives the reader just enough of of the characters' motivations mixed in to a bizarre world that was compelling enough for me not to give up. This is the end of that paragraph.
If I drank, and did so in a way that I wanted to get drunk, and needed to have a game to justify the drinking, or make it "fun", I would have the reader drink a beer for every part of this book that reminds you of the American Gods novel. Dead wife come to life? Drink. Troubled middle aged man? Drink. Concerning father figure that can't be figured out? DRINK. A hero's journey, learning the hidden world of old Gods? YES YOU ARE DRINKING. All in time for...fucking Easter? Send your liver my condolences. American Gods came out before this one. For the unlikely person having to choose between the books, go with Gaiman.
This book lacks likable characters. Really, there's nobody. I realized early on that I had no attachment to a character living or dying. It seemed like the protagonist wasn't going to pull off the quest objective, and I was disappointed when I turned out wrong. The world itself really lacks any kind of pull to keep me interested. I wanted to know what happened, mostly just out of a desire for closure.
Also there's child endangerment, which is not done in a way that moves the plot, it's just disturbing. A few times. Also, there is some derogatory use of the word "Queer" by one of the protagonists, and don't worry, he drops an "f" bomb later on, and it's played for...laughs? Or to show how manly this place is? I don't know, it wasn't good use of it, it just seemed hateful.
American Gods. Written before this. Lacking weird homophobia. A clear choice.
It's very unlikely I'm reading the sequel.
intjosh's review against another edition
4.0
Need to reread. Jung's archetypes, demigods a waste land desert, Texas Hold Em ( published before it was cool), tarot, evil, merely bad, and it earns its happyish ending. Definitely did not understand how a lot of the magic worked, or a bunch of the minor plot points.
paultamborino's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this a lot, probably would have even more if I knew anything significant about Poker or Tarot.
fredsphere's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. Many of Powers' familiar obsessions are on display: a drunk loser of a protagonist, a villain chasing immortality by possessing other people's bodies, and a magic system that blends pagan, occult, and Christian elements into a weird hash. Yet, the critic was correct who claimed Powers never writes the same book twice. This particular magic system, involving Vegas-style card games played with antique decks of Tarot cards, is dazzlingly original. One example: a magic poker chip transubstantiates into a communion wafer. That is vintage Tim Powers right there.
Powers puts you in the scenes with his descriptive detail: the sights, sounds, and smells of the Nevada desert, or a casino, or a cheap hotel. The descriptions of strategy in a card game Powers apparently invented are especially impressive. And when a male character, forced to disguise himself as a cross-dresser, notices the feel of his heavy makeup in the creases of his face when he smiles, you begin to wonder if there's anything Powers won't do to research his novels.
My one caveat is that the magic in this novel is so inventive and bizarre, it's hard for the reader to anticipate what will come, or to judge characters' acts of magic. That's okay; one should simply relax and enjoy the show. The ending, despite the unpredictable rules, delivers a good dollop of suspense, and we get a satisfying Gothic ending where the Evil Wizard is destroyed by the very power he has unleashed. My favorite author comes through again.
Powers puts you in the scenes with his descriptive detail: the sights, sounds, and smells of the Nevada desert, or a casino, or a cheap hotel. The descriptions of strategy in a card game Powers apparently invented are especially impressive. And when a male character, forced to disguise himself as a cross-dresser, notices the feel of his heavy makeup in the creases of his face when he smiles, you begin to wonder if there's anything Powers won't do to research his novels.
My one caveat is that the magic in this novel is so inventive and bizarre, it's hard for the reader to anticipate what will come, or to judge characters' acts of magic. That's okay; one should simply relax and enjoy the show. The ending, despite the unpredictable rules, delivers a good dollop of suspense, and we get a satisfying Gothic ending where the Evil Wizard is destroyed by the very power he has unleashed. My favorite author comes through again.
sunsoar25's review against another edition
4.0
I greatly enjoyed the audio production of Tim Powers' Last Call. There's a lot going on, but the main gist of the story is this: A professional gambler realizes he didn't win big at that big poker game 20 years ago, and now he must find away to win back his soul before it's too late. I could also say it's a retelling of the Fisher King legend and about Bugsy Siegel and Las Vegas.
I like the magic system and how well it's woven into the fabric of the story. The magic is elusive, yet always there throughout. The world-building here is spectacular. The leading character and supporting cast all have unique voices and are well-defined, as well.
The only thing that kept me from giving it a full five star rating is that some of the supporting character storylines felt too rushed in the way they were wrapped up, or weren't as satisfying as I expected.
If you like [b:American Gods|4407|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1258417001s/4407.jpg|1970226] by Neil Gaiman, urban-fantasy, and all things King Arthur related like I do, you will not want to miss this fantastic book!
This review is also available on my blog.
I like the magic system and how well it's woven into the fabric of the story. The magic is elusive, yet always there throughout. The world-building here is spectacular. The leading character and supporting cast all have unique voices and are well-defined, as well.
The only thing that kept me from giving it a full five star rating is that some of the supporting character storylines felt too rushed in the way they were wrapped up, or weren't as satisfying as I expected.
If you like [b:American Gods|4407|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1258417001s/4407.jpg|1970226] by Neil Gaiman, urban-fantasy, and all things King Arthur related like I do, you will not want to miss this fantastic book!
This review is also available on my blog.