On the other hand, this was the first volume in the series from Baen Books rather than the series' long running publisher Bantam Books. In fact, instead of continuing the volume numbers from the previous book, Card Sharks was billed as the first in a new Wild Cards series. (In addition, somewhere along the line someone decided that the cover to each book should look as much like a bad Harlequin romance novel as possible).
In keeping with the idea of this being a new trilogy, the frame story The Ashes of Memory (by Stephen Leigh), is told from the perspective of new character, Hannah Davis, a civilian arson inspector. Hannah is assigned to investigate when the Church of Jesus Christ, Joker, the local Joker church is firebombed. Unfortunately, her hopes of resolving the case quickly are dashed when she begins to discover a connection to a far reaching conspiracy against anyone with Wild Card Virus.It's an interesting choice, telling the story from the perspective of someone outside the world of Jokers and Aces set up in the last several books. And, to me, it's one that largely works. Having the protagonist be an ordinary person means that there is an excuse to provide exposition to new readers, but is also adds to the suspense as she realizes just how far over her head she really is in a world of super-powered intrigue. (Teleporting joker-ace Quasiman makes a welcome reappearance as a supporting character meaning that there are still super-heroics to be found in this story).
Till I Kissed You (by William F. Wu, starring Chuck Tanaka/ Chop-Chop): Like Hannah, Chuck Tanaka isn't a super-hero. Unlike Hannah, Tanaka is a Joker, disfigured into a racist character, resembling the comic-book character from which he takes the name "Chop-Chop." Unfortunately, his relatively peaceful life is upended when he meets a beautiful girl with a dark secret: a connection to a plot to burn down the Jokertown in New York. Now, Chuck has to get help from a pair of small-time Joker criminals to prevent his home from being destroyed. While this story is a fine film noir riff, it never really rises above that. It's well told and doesn't do anything wrong but it's also relatively self-contained and does the least to contribute to the overall story of the anthology. Rating:3/5.
The Crooked Man (by Melinda Snodgrass, starring Dr. Bradley Finn): First introduced back in Book Five, Dr. Bradley Finn, the centaur Joker working at Dr. Tachyon's clinic, finally gets his own story as he recounts his days in the Peace Corps, working to vaccinate Joker children in Kenya. During his stay, Finn gradually becomes aware of external force sabotaging his vaccine campaign and that his mentor, Doctor Etienne Faneuil, is keeping an awful secret. This is the story where the stakes begin to become clear. Not only does it introduce a major recurring villain, it shows how formidable the conspiracy is. On the down side, Finn is not as interesting a protagonist as Snodgrass's previous hero, Dr. Tachyon. Though Tachyon could be annoying and often unlikable, the fairly straightforward Finn comes of as bland by comparison. The villain's plan, once revealed, is almost comically evil, usually something I enjoy but it gives this story an anti-vaccine subtext that has become, if anything, more cringeworthy as time has passed. Rating: 3.5/5.
A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitude (by Michael Cassutt): Michael Casutt's stories in Wild Cards have always focused less on the superheroics and more on how the existence of aces would affect the course of history. Here, he tells the story of an attempt by the US government to use aces in the space program, a project that went disastrously wrong. This story makes it clear early on that the whole affair will end in disaster. The narrative plays out as an old-fashioned tragedy as the narrator, a scientist, is ultimately manipulated by forces he is unaware of and his own petty jealousy into destroying his life's work. "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitude" is a cautionary tale about how scientific advancement can be destroyed by prejudice and small-mindedness, a theme which has only grown more resonant with time. Rating: 4/5.
A Wind from Khorasan (by Victor Milan, starring J. Robert Belew/ The Mechanic): Ever since the first book, Wild Cards has alluded to a failed attempt by Jimmy Carter to use Aces to resolve the Iran hostage crisis. Finally, readers get to see what happened in a story told from the perspective of J. Robert Belew, the Mechanic, who lead a rag-tag group of Aces on that doomed mission. As is standard with Milan, their are some well-done action set-pieces, but the flashback format proves to be a double edged sword, On one, hand, "A Wind from Khorasan" gives us insights into the past of several long running Wild Cards characters like Poppinjay and Carnifex. On the suspense is undercut by the fact that four of the Aces are character we have seen in stories set later in the timeline and three of them are characters we've never seen before. (It's--it's not hard to figure out who isn't making out of this one in one piece). Rating: 3.5/5.
The Long Sleep (by Roger Zelazny, starring Croyd Crenson/ The Sleeper): This was the last story Roger Zelazny write about the ongoing travails of Croyd Crenson, the Sleeper. In this story, Croyd details his visits with hypnotherapist, Dr. Pan Rudo, in an attempt to finally control his ace ability. Unfortunately, it becomes clear that Rudo may have his own plans for his patient. As you may have guessed from the title, "The Long Sleep" is a noir riff in a book that already has quit a few of them. It also has the distinction of being Zelazny's last Sleeper story before his passing. The story is a relative high note introducing major characters and revealing the backstory of one of Wild Card's trademark Capital-E Evil villains. My main complaint is that Croyd receives several clues to Dr Rudo's true agenda but ignores those clues until it is too late. Technically, the hypnosis provides an in-story reason for this, but it's poorly explained and Croyd winds up looking like an idiot as a result. Rating: 3/5.
Cursum Perficio (by Kevin Andrew Murphy, starring Nic Williams/Will-O-Wisp): Speaking of noir-riffs, "Cursum Perficio" can best be described as Sunset Boulevard with superheroes. In this story, Ace medium Cameo uses her abilities to channel the sprit of Nick Williams, a deceased detective operating in 1950s Las Angeles, as he tells the story of the events that led to his demise. William's last case begin when he is hired by Orson Welles to protect an upcoming film project from sabotage. Unbeknownst to his new employer, William is juggling multiple secrets, the least of which is the fact that he is an electrical Ace who, somewhat reluctantly, operates as the vigilante known as Will-O-Wisp. As things gets dicey for the picture, Williams encounters several familiar faces, not only character from Wild Cards, but historical figures like Marilyn Monroe and Hedda Hopper. This is my favorite story in the book: the 1950s LA setting is used well, and the noir and the superhero tropes are combined almost perfectly. Rating: 4.5/5.
The Lamia's Tale (by Laura J. Mixon, starring Joan Van Renssaeler/Lamia): The last story in the book is that old Wild Card's (and superhero) staple, an origin story. This time the story details the transformation of Joan Van Rensaleer, a self centered socialite caught in an unhappy marriage, into the snake like Joker, Lamia. Like many origin stories in Wild Cards, this story is more of a character study: However, it manages to integrate itself into the ongoing narrative surprisingly well, due to the lead character's personal connection to the central conspiracy at the heart of the whole book. In addition, for long time readers, there is one effectively creepy scene involving an old school Wild Card villain that sets up the twist ending of the book. Rating: 4/5.
Although far from the best book in the series, Card Sharks is a good start for the a new triad in the series. "The Ashes of Memory" works particularly well as a framing story, connecting all of the different tales in the book into a coherent narrative. The flashback formant serves as a good set-up for the new group of villains, showing how they impacted various events throughout Wild Cards history, which creates a sense of menace and illustrates the scope of their plans. Furthermore, long-time readers of the series will be rewarded with a genuinely shocking twist ending.
Addenda: SPOILER WARNING!! DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU HOPE TO AVOID SPOILERS. By the end of the book, it is clear that several minor characters who have been introduced in the Rox Triad are part of the an anti-Wild Card conspiracy known as the Card Sharks.
