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A review by johnwillson
Last Call by Tim Powers
4.0
Scott's life is tough, but it's not terrible as long as he doesn't play cards, as long as the jacks, queens and kings don't know where he is. But now he learns that he may have wagered his soul in that weird poker game 20 years ago, the last game he ever played. This master gambler will have to take up the cards again, and throw everyone he loves into the pot, in order to save them.
Tim Powers builds an amazing supernatural world beneath all the old superstitions surrounding games of chance, blends in mythology, and spices the mix with the sordid side of Las Vegas. Sounds great, right? I love what Powers does, but I have to say, it doesn't hold together as well in this novel as in some of his others. By halfway through a good fantasy novel, the reader should feel fairly comfortable in their understanding of that construct's mechanics. But even in the last chapters of Last Call, I felt all at sea, like there was no logic to the wider magical world, like the author was just inventing rules as he needed them.
It doesn't finish as strongly as it starts, but it's still an enjoyable read. Unless you're specifically looking for a book about gambling, I'd recommend [b:Declare|190554|Declare|Tim Powers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436628634s/190554.jpg|937379] over this one.
Tim Powers builds an amazing supernatural world beneath all the old superstitions surrounding games of chance, blends in mythology, and spices the mix with the sordid side of Las Vegas. Sounds great, right? I love what Powers does, but I have to say, it doesn't hold together as well in this novel as in some of his others. By halfway through a good fantasy novel, the reader should feel fairly comfortable in their understanding of that construct's mechanics. But even in the last chapters of Last Call, I felt all at sea, like there was no logic to the wider magical world, like the author was just inventing rules as he needed them.
It doesn't finish as strongly as it starts, but it's still an enjoyable read. Unless you're specifically looking for a book about gambling, I'd recommend [b:Declare|190554|Declare|Tim Powers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436628634s/190554.jpg|937379] over this one.