Kirsten Reviews: Wicked Bronze Ambition by Glen Cook

Wicked Bronze Ambition by Glen Cook

Garrett Files #14

Garrett is a human detective in the fantastical city of TunFaire. And now he’s getting tangled up in the worst sort of laws...

In-laws.

Garrett is set to stow his wandering heart with his fiancée, Strafa Algarda. But for Garrett, even true love comes with its share of headaches—namely, the Algarda family.

Strafa’s family needs Garrett’s unique skills in the worst way. Rumors are spreading that someone is organizing a Tournament of Swords—a brutal contest that magically compels the children of sorcerers to battle until only one is left alive. The winner will absorb the power from those he has killed and thus become a demigod.

Strafa and her family want to protect her daughter, Kevans, from being forced to take part in the lethal contest...and they’ve asked Garrett to find out who is organizing the tournament and nip it in the bud. The only problem is that finding the culprit is most likely impossible. But the Algardas are used to getting what they want....

Wicked Bronze Ambition by Glen Cook is another Garrett, P.I. Novel

There are a lot of private investigator series out there, and some of them take a more noir angle, while others are more interested in the flash of magic and fantasy. This series is more lighthearted than some others, but Cook does add a bit more drama than is normal, which may be a surprise to longtime readers of the series. The bottom line is that if you’ve liked the previous books, this will be enjoyable.

Readers are returned to the city of Tunfaire, which is one of those settings that is fleshed out well enough that one wants to visit there, but hopefully not find any of the trouble that Garrett deals with on a daily basis.

Garrett is, as the title suggests, a private investigator, as well as a former Royal Marine. Now he’s engaged to Strafa Algarda, and all’s well, except for the fact that her in-laws want him to do some work for them. It seems that there’s a secret tournament that’s a bit like Hunger Games, in that the children of sorcerers, are compelled to fight against each other until only one is left alive. The winner of this Tournament of Swords receives all the power of the fallen nobles and then becomes a demigod. Since these games don’t ever go according to plan, there are hiccups, and Garrett is encouraged to sort it all out. If he doesn’t, Strafa’s daughter Kevans may very well be forced to take part in the deadly tournament.

With this plot and the in-laws, there are a whole slew of new characters, as well as the ones from previous books, and it begins to feel a bit like a party that got crashed by a bunch of people who then decided to stick around. The noir influence is also especially thick, and it may be too much for anybody who’s not already familiar with the series.

New villains, mystery, and the personal drama of a personal life and what might be a plot thread for future books, that being potentially working for the Prince make up the story, and it’s one that has plenty of action. But, at times it feels a bit jumbled, and new fans would be advised to start with an earlier book to avoid being confused or longing for a black and white adaptation to air on television.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:


Previous Books:
     1. Sweet Silver Blues
     2. Bitter Gold Hearts
     3. Cold Copper Tears
     4. Old Tin Sorrows
     5. Dead Brass Shadows
     6. Red Iron Nights
     7. Deadly Quicksilver Lies
     8. Petty Pewter Gods
     9. Faded Steel Heart
     10. Angry Lead Skies
     11. Whispering Nickel Idols
     12. Cruel Zinc Melodies
     13. Gilded Latten Bones

read more

Kirsten Reviews: Garrett for Hire by Glen Cook

Garrett for Hire by Glen Cook
Garrett P.I #7, 8, &9

Meet Garrett, P.I. He’s a hardboiled human detective who stands out in a crowd of elves, trolls, and other otherworldly denizens in the magical city of TunFaire. Garrett For Hire is “fantasy noir at its best" (Library Journal), collecting three novels from Glen Cook’s classic urban fantasy series.

Deadly Quicksilver Lies

A rich woman hires Garrett to find her missing daughter…or to act as her hitman. In TunFaire, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, leaving him no choice but to sift through the sex, intrigue, and murder to uncover the truth behind this case…

Petty Pewter Gods

With TunFaire real estate at a premium and prayer palaces at a minimum, the big gods on the block hold a contest: find the “key” to the one temple still available for worship. And when two rival pantheons try to hire Garrett to find it on their behalf, he finds himself facing the wrath of gods…

Faded Steel Heat

Riots between humans and non-humans have turned TunFaire into a war zone. And when a powerful gang of “human rightists” drag Garrett into the fray, he defends himself with a circle of friends no one would wish on their worst enemy…

Garrett for Hire by Glen Cook collects Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, and Faded Steel Heat. The collection tells the stories of Garrett, P.I, a human detective, meaning many of his clients aren’t - they’re trolls, elves, and other creatures that live in the city of TunFaire.

The books have been described as ‘fantasy noir,’ and the author lives up to that with the hero’s characterization, as well as the language, which includes such phrases as ‘gams,’ and other words that are familiar to the genre.

In the first book, Deadly Quicksilver Lies,Garrett is hired to find a woman’s missing daughter, or maybe to pose as her hit man, because sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is the right role in this town. The setting is richly drawn, and the city, as much as its characters is given due attention; making it clear that this is one series where ignoring one’s surroundings is a very bad idea.

The second, Petty Pewter Gods features a story about real estate and religion - and the fact that there’s a single temple where TunFaire’s citizens are still able to worship. Then, Garrett gets hired by two squabbling factions, and gets the gods’ attention - in the worst way possible. The handling of gods, as well as the questions they raise seems a bit out of step at times with the other volumes, and it may be that Garrett is not the right person to handle such themes, or it may simply take the reader a little while to adjust to the way that he handles even the most serious of situations.

Faded Steel Heat focuses on the riots that have broken out between nonhumans and humans. Taking advantage of the chaos are a group of human rightists, who pull Garrett into the mess. Of course, Garrett has friends that most people wouldn’t want to be seen with, let alone piss off, so he’s got a few surprises for them.

While all the books are by and large well-paced reads, handling most situations with levity that won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who enjoys a private investigator as the main character, they definitely won’t appeal to everyone, and if you can only handle small doses of noir or this style of humor, it’s best to read this one in bursts, and not a single sitting.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Order Links:



Other Reviews:
     Open Book Society
     Bookworm Blues

Previous Books:
     1. Sweet Silver Blues
     2. Bitter Gold Hearts
     3. Cold Copper Tears
     4. Old Tin Sorrows
     5. Dead Brass Shadows
     6. Red Iron Nights
   

read more