A kinetic, wildly inventive science-fantasy adventure.
McGowan’s third installment in the Players of the Game series finds Ed Burnhelt caught in a conflict where stopping a war may solve very little. While rival powers face off, a more insidious threat is taking shape behind the scenes. Ed has extraordinary abilities, but defeating this enemy will require help from family, old friends, and some decidedly uncertain allies.
McGowan once again mixes science fiction and fantasy with gleeful abandon. Magic, cybernetics, monstrous creatures, futuristic weapons, gods, and superhuman powers all find room in a story that rarely stays quiet for long. Ed’s remarkable speed and perception make for some inventive combat. The people surrounding Ed prove just as interesting. Fort Master Harry Mang is practical, suspicious, and increasingly willing to question where his loyalties should lie. Other characters carry complicated histories that make it difficult to tell who can be trusted, and McGowan gets good mileage from those uneasy relationships. Even amid battles and political maneuvering, there is room for friendship, guilt, second chances, and the uncomfortable realization that yesterday’s enemy may be useful (or even likable today).
The sheer number of factions, powers, creatures, and bits of history can occasionally crowd the narrative, and newcomers may need time to find their footing. Returning readers will have an easier time navigating its busy world. McGowan keeps things lively with dark humor, sharp exchanges, and plenty of large-scale action. The result is a strange, unruly, and entertaining continuation of a saga that seems happiest when throwing very different characters together and seeing what happens.
***
ISBN 978-1967506118
Print length 388 pages
Price $29.00 Paperback
