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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Drops of Corruption, May 25, 2006
This review is from: Shadowrun #4: Drops of Corruption: A Shadowrun Novel (Shadowrun) (Paperback)
Jason Hardy does a great job in his first contribution to the Shadow Run series.
His unique twists make Drops of Corruption a must read even for the passive Shadow Run fan.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Previous reviews miss the forest for the trees., November 24, 2006
This review is from: Shadowrun #4: Drops of Corruption: A Shadowrun Novel (Shadowrun) (Paperback)
None of the previous reviews address this book's strengths. First, it is one of the better written Shadowrun novels. Second, it's very, very funny. Consider the following: "He jumped into the sidecar just as the box of caviar fell into his lap. 'Hold on to it this time! No using it as a weapon!'" or, "He turned to Stephen and Bruce. 'Thank you gentlemen. Let's have a chat tomorrow about ways we can avoid me being held prisoner in my office for six hours while you play dice with my captors, hmmm?'" Third, I disagree that the book doesn't deal with what makes Shadowrun unique; the book just connects those difference with the human drama that makes all stories work, and in a more subtle way than the regular Shadowrun formula of "inexperienced but good-hearted neophyte with increadible potential comes into his/her powers and saves the world." In this case, the source of the drama is something as base as the will to power. Bannickburn isn't concerned with losing his magical ability, he's concerned with losing the ability that magic gave him to awe, intimidate, and generally get some respect, and he'll take stupid risks to feel the buzz of power again, however he can. The book shows that the path of the burnout is not unique. It's very much like the path of the decker hobbled by psychotropic IC, the path of the street sam whose implants are no longer SOTA, or the path of the corporate Johnson who gets eased out of the most important jobs and gets stuck in a branch office--everybody who runs the shadows wants to be on top, sooner or later they get too old or push too far. Characters really get interesting when they've been knocked off the top, and are out of their element. While it may not appeal to munchkins who want to see a superpowerful mage toss fireballs that level buildings, this is a book I would give to friends who have no interest in Shadowwrun at all--its just a very fun read. I would recommend it to seasoned Shadowrun players interested in how to build psychological depth into characters--and not just add dice to spellcasting rolls--over time. This is a better novel than Born to Run, Poison Agendas, or Fallen Angels. This is Shadowrun at its most interesting.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too Wee A Dram of Kindness, October 19, 2006
This review is from: Shadowrun #4: Drops of Corruption: A Shadowrun Novel (Shadowrun) (Paperback)
After the first three books in the revived Shadowrun series something seems to have gone awry. This volume and the next (Aftershock) lack the intensity which I have come to associate with people who like against the grain of a society which is equally composed of magic and technology and controlled by huge corporations that have no regard for human life. Instead of counter culture heroes, this book presents only the seedy side of the seedy side of life in the 2060's, i.e., people who you feel little sympathy for and only get what they deserve.
Bannickburn used to be an elf mage. Now, thanks to one challenge match too many, he's just an elf with a Scots accent. A poor elf with a Scots accent, at that. He does have a high opinion of himself, but he really is just a moocher who lives off his girlfriend Jackie and spends what cred he has in the casinos. When he gets an in to do some work for one of the big mafia gangs he grabs the opportunity and gets a 'run' to embarrass the boss of the other big gang in town. Unfortunately for Bannickburn this works and he gets steady work. But just when he wants out he discovers that there is no going back. Under threat of exposure to the man he embarrassed Bannickburn is blackmailed into making a run into Portland and Tir Tairnegire. A big risk even if you are an elf.
The remainder of the talk is double cross after double cross with a healthy dose of betrayal. All carried out in monotone by people from whom you wouldn't by a used car. Put simply, Drops of Corruption never manages to take off, reading more like a series of Chinese fire drills than a coherent plot with some drive and intensity. This irritates the heck out of me because ShadowRun is one of the best gaming worlds in the business, and I would really like to see it take off again. So Grrr! Wake up Roc - get some more serious writers on board.
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