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scheu's review
4.0
Somewhat darker than the previous volumes. I didn't have much interest in the gang war but I loved the parts with Croyd.
benlundns's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great return to the series after the disappointment of Aces Abroad. It was really nice to get back to all the characters that made the series great. Brennan, the Turtle, Croyd, and it blended nicely with events that happened in the previous book.
I think the biggest problem with Aces Abroad was that it dealt with such a smaller cast of characters, everyone has their favorites, but Aces Abroad fell flat for me as there were so many people missing, this book was a great return to form and a reunion with the characters that flesh out this alternative world, so glad to be back in New York.
The only problem I have is with Cordelia, does anyone like her, she is so hyper and flighty and she feels superficial, every time on the page I just want to skip to the next chapter.
I think the biggest problem with Aces Abroad was that it dealt with such a smaller cast of characters, everyone has their favorites, but Aces Abroad fell flat for me as there were so many people missing, this book was a great return to form and a reunion with the characters that flesh out this alternative world, so glad to be back in New York.
The only problem I have is with Cordelia, does anyone like her, she is so hyper and flighty and she feels superficial, every time on the page I just want to skip to the next chapter.
shane's review against another edition
4.0
I find these Wild Cards novels very enjoyable probably due in part to the great variety of authors and a terrific mix of wonderfully eccentric and original characters that inhabit Jokertown and the Wild Card universe. This one seemed to be one of the better ones of the five I've read so far. The last one dealing with the world tour didn't hold my attention so much, and so it was with relief that I found myself back in Jokertown again with all our favourite haunts and well known and loved characters.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
themorbidcorvid's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
curgoth's review against another edition
3.0
(audiobook re-read)
First time hitting this one since I read it first as a teenager. It's got some structural problems, which Martin laments in his 2001 Afterword. I found some of the characterization to be off (Water Lily and Sewer Jack), and some of the story lines just didn't work (I Did Not Care about Rosemary Muldoon, Bagabond or Cordelia).
And yet... I kept listening, sitting int he car after I got where I was going to listen to just a little more. It still hooked me. The Croyd and Modular Man stuff is solid.
The reading is all over the place. Adrian Paul might be someone's choice to play Yeoman for the optioned TV adaptation, but his accent is entirely wrong for a man from Texas by way of New Mexico and Vietnam. Paul's female voices are also fairly awful.
I missed the name of the voice actor doing Water Lily's chapters, but whoever it was did not manage to sight read. There were sudden stops mid-sentence where there was clearly an end of line on the page of her script, and none of the lines really had emotion.
On the other hand, every time the reader for the Croyd chapters (Raphael Sbarge, I think?) was great, and I sank into my seat and relaxed every time I heard him say "Concerto for Siren and Seratonin".
I've had issues with Roy Dotrice's Game of Thrones narration, but here he does quite well. Which may just be the difference between him reading a few chapters vs. having a 94 year old man narrate a 50 hour doorstop.
Sean Astin's Turtle actually works because I kept picturing the actor in the role, and it clicked hard enough that I am probably going to picture him as the Turtle from here on.
Absolutely none of the readers, though, can get anywhere near a Cajun accent. Attempts range from "Outrageous Euro French" to "Vaguely Southern".
Special revulsion for the Tachyon chapters here. I had forgotten how much I hated the character of Blaise, and knowing the he's going to be around for a good chunk more of these is giving me pause. I know I'm going to hit a point in my reread where I will stop, and skip ahead to the ones published in the 21st century, so how much Blaise and Tachyon soap opera whiny angst can I endure?
I at least need to get to the Leaper Trilogy, though, so on we go...
First time hitting this one since I read it first as a teenager. It's got some structural problems, which Martin laments in his 2001 Afterword. I found some of the characterization to be off (Water Lily and Sewer Jack), and some of the story lines just didn't work (I Did Not Care about Rosemary Muldoon, Bagabond or Cordelia).
And yet... I kept listening, sitting int he car after I got where I was going to listen to just a little more. It still hooked me. The Croyd and Modular Man stuff is solid.
The reading is all over the place. Adrian Paul might be someone's choice to play Yeoman for the optioned TV adaptation, but his accent is entirely wrong for a man from Texas by way of New Mexico and Vietnam. Paul's female voices are also fairly awful.
I missed the name of the voice actor doing Water Lily's chapters, but whoever it was did not manage to sight read. There were sudden stops mid-sentence where there was clearly an end of line on the page of her script, and none of the lines really had emotion.
On the other hand, every time the reader for the Croyd chapters (Raphael Sbarge, I think?) was great, and I sank into my seat and relaxed every time I heard him say "Concerto for Siren and Seratonin".
I've had issues with Roy Dotrice's Game of Thrones narration, but here he does quite well. Which may just be the difference between him reading a few chapters vs. having a 94 year old man narrate a 50 hour doorstop.
Sean Astin's Turtle actually works because I kept picturing the actor in the role, and it clicked hard enough that I am probably going to picture him as the Turtle from here on.
Absolutely none of the readers, though, can get anywhere near a Cajun accent. Attempts range from "Outrageous Euro French" to "Vaguely Southern".
Special revulsion for the Tachyon chapters here. I had forgotten how much I hated the character of Blaise, and knowing the he's going to be around for a good chunk more of these is giving me pause. I know I'm going to hit a point in my reread where I will stop, and skip ahead to the ones published in the 21st century, so how much Blaise and Tachyon soap opera whiny angst can I endure?
I at least need to get to the Leaper Trilogy, though, so on we go...
bent's review against another edition
5.0
As are most of the books in this series, the book was a a lot of fun to read and very enjoyable. An improvement over its predecessor, Aces Abroad, which dragged in spots, this book was almost uniformly great.
My only quibble was with the chapter describing the organization of the Wild Card/AIDS benefit concert and the courting of Buddy Holley. Reading an account of the logistical difficulties organizing a real benefit concert might have some interest; reading about the logistical difficulties of a fictitious one, not so much. And the words of praise for "Buddy Holley" sounded a bit too much like old fogies trying to praise the music of their youth.
That said, the rest of the book was excellent and I highly recommend it to fans of the series.
My only quibble was with the chapter describing the organization of the Wild Card/AIDS benefit concert and the courting of Buddy Holley. Reading an account of the logistical difficulties organizing a real benefit concert might have some interest; reading about the logistical difficulties of a fictitious one, not so much. And the words of praise for "Buddy Holley" sounded a bit too much like old fogies trying to praise the music of their youth.
That said, the rest of the book was excellent and I highly recommend it to fans of the series.
jpv0's review against another edition
4.0
[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] is a bit of an odd duck, with some stories taking place at the same time as the world tour 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] while others take place after. There are mafia plotlines, political plotlines with the Puppetman, and a bit of an internal struggle for both Tachyon and the Turtle. As with any of the short story collections, there's a wide variety of stories, for better and for worse.
Individual stories:
Only the Dead Know Jokertown: Yeoman is surprisingly interesting and I'm intrigued by his developing relationship with Wraith. The actual crime families storylines are not my favorite, but I do like the characters.
All the King's Horses: The story of the Turtle (one of my favorite characters) after the events of [b:Jokers Wild|67955|Jokers Wild (Wild Cards, #3)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304286902l/67955._SY75_.jpg|25805396]. Seeing Tom as independent from the Turtle and investigating all the baggage and PTSD that can come from clashing super heros is fascinating. A good story, split into parts throughout the book.
Concerto for Siren and Serotonin: Croyd/The Sleeper is another one of the most interesting stories of the Wild Cards series. It's always interesting to see what new powers and trouble he'll have and with the added trouble of stimulants driving him more and more mad the longer he stays awake... It's a crazy story (and a fun title). The Typhoid Croyd story is a bit odd as well, but interesting. How do you stop and contain someone that powerful who may not be in entire control of themselves? Without killing them...
Breakdown: Bagabond is one of my favorite characters, Rosemary is one of my least. I don't really care for the Mafia storylines. It feels out of time (despite the fact that the Mafia is still active in organized crime even today in some cities, particularly in the Northeastern US) and despite the feeling of 'people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons', I can never quite getting as far as rooting for Rosemary. So it goes.
Jesus Was an Ace: Connects the plotlines more or less and gives Barnett as a counterpoint to Puppetman. But a weak story.
Blood Ties: Tachyon is not my favorite character, but there's little to doubt that he's the very core of the Wild Cards series. It is interesting to see some of the more 'human' aspects to his character. And playing him off his part human grandson (who might actually be more powerful) is fascinating.
The Second Coming of Buddy Holly: This is actually one of my most liked stories in the series so far, especially the absolutely bizarre final concert by Buddy Holly. It builds and builds through the story and I am rooting for things to all come together the entire time. On the other hand, it barely relates to anything else going on at best, so doesn't really 'fit' with the rest of the stories. Also, the last rapey scene at the end... could have just not been a thing.
The Hue of a Mind: Man Puppetman is creepy. Seeing a variety of 'evil' Jokers and Aces come together is interesting. The way this entire book treats homosexuality is... odd at best. Something of a product of the times?
Addicted to Love: Ti Malice is the perfect example of dark and creepy, body horror type stories that you get sometimes in these stories. It's terrifying to realize just what Ti can do to Hiram and Jane and no one realizes enough to help them. Oy.
Takedown: So ends one of the subplotlines at least. I like Bagabond.
Mortality: Modular Man! I'm glad he's not gone forever and it's actually pretty interesting to see an exploration of what it means to be humanity and think about mortality--from the point of view of an otherwise theoretically immortal android. Also lots of crazy fight scenes and interactions of various Wild Card powers.
Individual stories:
Only the Dead Know Jokertown: Yeoman is surprisingly interesting and I'm intrigued by his developing relationship with Wraith. The actual crime families storylines are not my favorite, but I do like the characters.
All the King's Horses: The story of the Turtle (one of my favorite characters) after the events of [b:Jokers Wild|67955|Jokers Wild (Wild Cards, #3)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304286902l/67955._SY75_.jpg|25805396]. Seeing Tom as independent from the Turtle and investigating all the baggage and PTSD that can come from clashing super heros is fascinating. A good story, split into parts throughout the book.
Concerto for Siren and Serotonin: Croyd/The Sleeper is another one of the most interesting stories of the Wild Cards series. It's always interesting to see what new powers and trouble he'll have and with the added trouble of stimulants driving him more and more mad the longer he stays awake... It's a crazy story (and a fun title). The Typhoid Croyd story is a bit odd as well, but interesting. How do you stop and contain someone that powerful who may not be in entire control of themselves? Without killing them...
Breakdown: Bagabond is one of my favorite characters, Rosemary is one of my least. I don't really care for the Mafia storylines. It feels out of time (despite the fact that the Mafia is still active in organized crime even today in some cities, particularly in the Northeastern US) and despite the feeling of 'people doing the right thing for the wrong reasons', I can never quite getting as far as rooting for Rosemary. So it goes.
Jesus Was an Ace: Connects the plotlines more or less and gives Barnett as a counterpoint to Puppetman. But a weak story.
Blood Ties: Tachyon is not my favorite character, but there's little to doubt that he's the very core of the Wild Cards series. It is interesting to see some of the more 'human' aspects to his character. And playing him off his part human grandson (who might actually be more powerful) is fascinating.
The Second Coming of Buddy Holly: This is actually one of my most liked stories in the series so far, especially the absolutely bizarre final concert by Buddy Holly. It builds and builds through the story and I am rooting for things to all come together the entire time. On the other hand, it barely relates to anything else going on at best, so doesn't really 'fit' with the rest of the stories. Also, the last rapey scene at the end... could have just not been a thing.
The Hue of a Mind: Man Puppetman is creepy. Seeing a variety of 'evil' Jokers and Aces come together is interesting. The way this entire book treats homosexuality is... odd at best. Something of a product of the times?
Addicted to Love: Ti Malice is the perfect example of dark and creepy, body horror type stories that you get sometimes in these stories. It's terrifying to realize just what Ti can do to Hiram and Jane and no one realizes enough to help them. Oy.
Takedown: So ends one of the subplotlines at least. I like Bagabond.
Mortality: Modular Man! I'm glad he's not gone forever and it's actually pretty interesting to see an exploration of what it means to be humanity and think about mortality--from the point of view of an otherwise theoretically immortal android. Also lots of crazy fight scenes and interactions of various Wild Card powers.
apostrophen's review against another edition
4.0
I blame jaybird1977 for my addiction to thise series, and he will pay. Oh yes, he will. Basically, around the time of WWII, an alien virus was let loose over New York, and spread around the world. Called the 'Wild Card' virus, the effects are quite random. Nine out of ten people draw the "black queen" and die. Of the survivors, nine out of ten draw a "joker" and end up deformed in some massive way. Of those one in a hundred survivors who draw neither, they might draw an "ace" (and basically end up with super-powers) or a "deuce" (and end up with not-so-super powers).
In this collection, a mafia vs. gangs war has broken out in 'Jokertown' where most of the deformed Jokers live, a ghetto in New York, and between the mafia, the gangs, the aces and jokers involved, things get ugly. There is also the continuation of two other plots - the sincerely disturbing Ti Malice, the hate-mongering Reverand Leo Barnett, and the hidden Ace Gregg Hartman, whose powers of manipulation are pulling him further and further towards presidency. The cast of characters are just as solid as ever, and I, for one, was very happy to see the return of the Turtle, my favourite character to date.
Solid stuff, with a nice ending that makes you twinge for the next in the series, which I shall order post haste...
In this collection, a mafia vs. gangs war has broken out in 'Jokertown' where most of the deformed Jokers live, a ghetto in New York, and between the mafia, the gangs, the aces and jokers involved, things get ugly. There is also the continuation of two other plots - the sincerely disturbing Ti Malice, the hate-mongering Reverand Leo Barnett, and the hidden Ace Gregg Hartman, whose powers of manipulation are pulling him further and further towards presidency. The cast of characters are just as solid as ever, and I, for one, was very happy to see the return of the Turtle, my favourite character to date.
Solid stuff, with a nice ending that makes you twinge for the next in the series, which I shall order post haste...
shane's review against another edition
4.0
I find these Wild Cards novels very enjoyable probably due in part to the great variety of authors and a terrific mix of wonderfully eccentric and original characters that inhabit Jokertown and the Wild Card universe. This one seemed to be one of the better ones of the five I've read so far. The last one dealing with the world tour didn't hold my attention so much, and so it was with relief that I found myself back in Jokertown again with all our favourite haunts and well known and loved characters.
Very enjoyable.
Very enjoyable.
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