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)
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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
