I gave up with three chapters to go. It tried for edgy instead of advancing the plot.

[b:Ace in the Hole|1281216|Ace in the Hole (Wild Cards, #6)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328368345l/1281216._SY75_.jpg|1270234] completes the second internal trilogy of the Wild Cards, finishing up many of the plotlines 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] and [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] and bringing the Puppetman plotline to the end. The main plot centers around a presidential convention, which is already a bizarre enough system on its own. Bring super powers and assassins--and super powered assassins into the mix--and things go very very sideways.

This book really does show what makes the Wild Cards books shine, with just enough real world (and real world characters) to make it feel like a solid 'what if' while at the same time, bringing in the Wild Card and how it changed the world at every level. It's good to meet a wide variety of previous characters on both sides and, as the stories go on, to see some of those same characters fall.

The fall of Puppetman--while it was almost guaranteed to happen after the events of the last two books; it had to happen if there were any justice in this fictional world--was... intense. Getting final confirmation that Puppetman was a fragment of Hartman's personality and not a seperate entity all along was quite a thing.

Unfortunately, so far as I can tell, only [b:Dead Man's Hand|147912|Dead Man's Hand (Wild Cards, #7)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391680749l/147912._SY75_.jpg|142745] seems to be released on audiobook. If I continue the series, I'll probably switch to text versions from here. Although who knows how long that will take...

Edit: Dead Man's Hand seems to be a continuation of the stories in Ace in the Hole, so I'll listen to that one before changing instead. ( )

This is one of the 'mosaic' novels that rather than being written by numerous authors in the form of short stories that are then edited together, are written by one or two authors with a definite story-line, much more like an ordinary novel. I prefer the numerous authors and their short stories though.

This one was set around a political campaign, which I wouldn't normally be interested in at all if it wasn't for the various characters. The Jokers and Aces that fill the pages of these wild card novels are just wonderful and this is what held my attention and to be honest, what always holds my attention with these books, even if the story isn't to my liking per se.

The next book was originally a part of this one but they felt it would be too long to publish as one novel, and I have to say, I think I agree with them. Apparently it follows the investigation into the murder of Chrysalis who was one of my favourite characters and whom I shall miss terribly now.

A good read. Looking forward to the next one more though, even though it is another 'mosaic' novel.

Very good.

( )

This is the sixth book in the Wild Cards series. In this one the action takes place at a presidential convention in Atlanta. Pretty good stuff. ( )

I really like the premise of this series and that it's a collaboration of different writers tackling it in short stories. Some of the stories to start out though were a bit bland, but I would have to believe that it's going to get better with so many volumes are out and now a tv series is in the works. ( )