Wicked Bronze Ambition by Glen Cook

Wicked Bronze Ambition (Garrett Files #14) by Glen Cook

This is the second time I have read this book. My memories of the first read right when it came out, were pretty much relief at the ending and nothing else. Rereading it shows me why none of the rest of the book stuck in my memory. Put simply, it wasn’t a Garrett show, and while far from the worst of the novels, it really didn’t live up to the promise of those first few books.

 

The plot here feels like The Hunger Games. A Tournament of Swords is being organized in which young scions of sorcerous houses on the Hill are unwillingly pulled into a fight for their lives. Garrett’s fiancé is an early victim—made more shocking by the fact that it was her daughter that everyone was worried about. This is where the book starts to lose its way. The love of Garrett’s life is gone and while everyone treats him with kids’ gloves, he never seems to grieve or even “be Garrett” in going after her killer. He just muddles along and lets everyone solve his case for him.

 

Perhaps the biggest lost opportunity, however, is that we are finally on the Hill and have a chance to get deep into the aristocracy that has been on the outskirts of so many of these novels and I just didn’t feel like Cook took advantage of that situation.

 

Maybe he will if he writes another one.