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Garrett Files #9
Faded Steel Heat
Riots between humans and trolls, elves, and other non-humans have plunged Tunfaire into near chaos. Garrett finds himself pulled into the game when a powerful gang of human rightists tries to shake down his employer and ends up caught in a conspiracy of hate that pits man against—everybody!
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
38 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
Glen Cook
158 books3,704 followersGlen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
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August 9, 2023
🦜 Jungle Chicken Fans Unite Buddy Read (JCFUBR™) with The Overlord 🦜
➘ Uninteresting fact #1: I read this book four months ago and can’t bloody fishing remember what the shrimp it was about. A page ofslightly indecipherable hastily scribbled notes I shall therefore base myself on to write this review thing. An interesting experience this should not be.
➘ Uninteresting fact #2: I don’t have much time to write reviews these days (lucky you and stuff) and had planned to start working on this one sometime around 2056, but Evgeny challenged me to post it before he died of old age(which is likely to happen any day now), so here we are.
Okay, so Cook outdid himself in the Convoluted as Fish Department (CaFD™) here. And while I always thoroughly enjoy feelingcompletely slightly moronic at his hands, this was taking things a bit very much too far. Granted, it probably didn’t help that my inherently slow shrimp brain was under the influence of both extreme heat and an overabundance of puny-tourists-that-deserve-to-die when I read the book. Still, the Overlord himself thought this one was perplexing as fish, so there.
Let’s see, what else? Well there’s not nearly enough of my yummy boyfriend Morley, aka the Murderously Lethal Vegetarian Dark Elf (MLVDE™) in this installment, that’s for sure. There’s lots of his Dauntless Sidekick (aka Garrett) to be had, though. Which seems somewhat logical since said sidekick is the MC for this series.
The real star of the show is Garrett’sfavorite pet birdie, aka the Goddamm Parrot (GDP™), aka the Prima donna chicken, aka the animated feather duster, aka the devil-spawn of a seven-color jungle pigeon, aka the wonder buzzard, aka the oversize magpie, and aka the overdressed dwarf turkey. Hearing him squawk about puny penises really was one of the highlights of the summer for me, just so you know.
Then there is the ever-crunchy cast of secondary characters: the Dead Man (yes, he is still really very dead), Dean, Puddle, Sarge (aka He of the Nearly Perfect Diction) and most notably my new girlfriend, the ratwoman Pular Singe (Sarah from the Future can certify that one day that girl will rule the world).
The story itself isboring as fish not the most fascinating ever and Cook stretches it to eternity and back, which makes for a great sleeping pill alternative. Pretty handy, huh?
Anyhoo and stuff, this is still Glen Cook, and this still a great world and this is still the most amazing mix of Classic Noir and Fantasy ever, so yay and stuff.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
P.S. Horses are the great villains of the world, just so you know.
P.P.S. Knuckle sandwiches FTW!
• Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
• Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
• Book 3: Cold Copper Tears ★★★★
• Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
• Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
• Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
• Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
• Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
• Book 10: Angry Lead Skies ★★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
I recently gave a T. Kingfisher a revoltingly pathetic 2-star rating. And now this?! A disgustingly miserable 3-star rating for a CookBook™?! A book it took me 7 bloody shrimping days to finish?! What's next, DNFing an Ilona Andrews book with all the passion of my black, withered heart? Looks like the end is nigh, if you ask me. Might as well call it quits before Extreme Book Slumpitis (EBS™) gets the better of me.
➽ Review to come and stuff. Someday. Hopefully
➘ Uninteresting fact #1: I read this book four months ago and can’t bloody fishing remember what the shrimp it was about. A page of
➘ Uninteresting fact #2: I don’t have much time to write reviews these days (lucky you and stuff) and had planned to start working on this one sometime around 2056, but Evgeny challenged me to post it before he died of old age
Okay, so Cook outdid himself in the Convoluted as Fish Department (CaFD™) here. And while I always thoroughly enjoy feeling
Let’s see, what else? Well there’s not nearly enough of my yummy boyfriend Morley, aka the Murderously Lethal Vegetarian Dark Elf (MLVDE™) in this installment, that’s for sure. There’s lots of his Dauntless Sidekick (aka Garrett) to be had, though. Which seems somewhat logical since said sidekick is the MC for this series.
The real star of the show is Garrett’s
Then there is the ever-crunchy cast of secondary characters: the Dead Man (yes, he is still really very dead), Dean, Puddle, Sarge (aka He of the Nearly Perfect Diction) and most notably my new girlfriend, the ratwoman Pular Singe (Sarah from the Future can certify that one day that girl will rule the world).
The story itself is
Anyhoo and stuff, this is still Glen Cook, and this still a great world and this is still the most amazing mix of Classic Noir and Fantasy ever, so yay and stuff.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
P.S. Horses are the great villains of the world, just so you know.
P.P.S. Knuckle sandwiches FTW!
• Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
• Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
• Book 3: Cold Copper Tears ★★★★
• Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
• Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
• Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
• Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
• Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
• Book 10: Angry Lead Skies ★★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
I recently gave a T. Kingfisher a revoltingly pathetic 2-star rating. And now this?! A disgustingly miserable 3-star rating for a CookBook™?! A book it took me 7 bloody shrimping days to finish?! What's next, DNFing an Ilona Andrews book with all the passion of my black, withered heart? Looks like the end is nigh, if you ask me. Might as well call it quits before Extreme Book Slumpitis (EBS™) gets the better of me.
➽ Review to come and stuff. Someday. Hopefully
October 20, 2017
This is one of the later novels in the Garrett, P.I. series. It certainly can be read as a stand-alone but those who have read previous novels will get a greater enjoyment out of the relationships among the cast of characters and the running jokes about the city, its role in “the war,” and Garrett’s problems with women.
Here are some brief excerpts of the fantasy world in which this is set:
On Garrett: " I’m what the guys who don’t like me call a peeper. An investigator and confidential agent, the way I put it. Pay me—up front—and I’ll find out things. More often than not, things you didn’t really want to know. I don’t dig up much good news. That’s the nature of the racket…All six feet two and two hundred pounds, poetry in motion. In a few weeks I’d be back to the old lean and mean I’d been when I was twenty and a crack Marine….Thirty isn’t old to somebody who is fifty, but when you’ve spent a few years making a career out of being lazy and the belly gets a little less washboard and the knees start creaking and you start puffing and wheezing halfway up a flight of stairs, you feel like maybe you’ve skipped the twenty in between."
On the town in which he lives: "TunFaire is a human city, but just about every other species has an area of its own staked out. Some are a quarter unto themselves, like Ogre Town or Ratman Creek. Some occupy only one tenement. Even though some individuals may live anywhere in town, somewhere there’s a home turf that is fiercely defended…TunFaire is overcrowded and hagridden by poverty and hardly a day passes when somebody doesn’t whittle on somebody with a hatchet or do cosmetic surgery with a hammer…Macunado Street was belly button to elbow with dwarves and gnomes, ogres and imps, elves and whatever have you else, not to mention every human in the neighborhood. There wasn’t room for pigeons to fly because the pixies and fairies were zipping swooping overhead. Nobody in TunFaire was staying inside… "
Okay? So let’s begin.
This is a bit different from the usual Garrett narrative. This isn’t to say the usual banter is lacking or that Garrett’s personality undergoes a major modification. In Faded Steel Heat we have multiple plotlines that are as challenging for the reader as they are for Garrett. What seems to underlie the plot is Glen Cook’s own thoughts about the soldier’s re-integration into society. Was he thinking about that issue with regard to the USA’s Vietnam veterans? I’m not sure. He touches on memories, PTSD, wartime buddies and related issues. It starts with ex-soldiers coming back to TunFaire and trying to eliminate the non-humans from most of the town’s functions. There are various factions and we aren’t sure that they have the same goal. Most of the action takes place in and around Garrett’s first and best client, Max Weider, and his brewery.
This is no longer a Sam Spade or Archie Goodwin transported to fantasyland. It is more and it is different and, for me, a bit better.
(happy to answer any questions you might have)
Here are some brief excerpts of the fantasy world in which this is set:
On Garrett: " I’m what the guys who don’t like me call a peeper. An investigator and confidential agent, the way I put it. Pay me—up front—and I’ll find out things. More often than not, things you didn’t really want to know. I don’t dig up much good news. That’s the nature of the racket…All six feet two and two hundred pounds, poetry in motion. In a few weeks I’d be back to the old lean and mean I’d been when I was twenty and a crack Marine….Thirty isn’t old to somebody who is fifty, but when you’ve spent a few years making a career out of being lazy and the belly gets a little less washboard and the knees start creaking and you start puffing and wheezing halfway up a flight of stairs, you feel like maybe you’ve skipped the twenty in between."
On the town in which he lives: "TunFaire is a human city, but just about every other species has an area of its own staked out. Some are a quarter unto themselves, like Ogre Town or Ratman Creek. Some occupy only one tenement. Even though some individuals may live anywhere in town, somewhere there’s a home turf that is fiercely defended…TunFaire is overcrowded and hagridden by poverty and hardly a day passes when somebody doesn’t whittle on somebody with a hatchet or do cosmetic surgery with a hammer…Macunado Street was belly button to elbow with dwarves and gnomes, ogres and imps, elves and whatever have you else, not to mention every human in the neighborhood. There wasn’t room for pigeons to fly because the pixies and fairies were zipping swooping overhead. Nobody in TunFaire was staying inside… "
Okay? So let’s begin.
This is a bit different from the usual Garrett narrative. This isn’t to say the usual banter is lacking or that Garrett’s personality undergoes a major modification. In Faded Steel Heat we have multiple plotlines that are as challenging for the reader as they are for Garrett. What seems to underlie the plot is Glen Cook’s own thoughts about the soldier’s re-integration into society. Was he thinking about that issue with regard to the USA’s Vietnam veterans? I’m not sure. He touches on memories, PTSD, wartime buddies and related issues. It starts with ex-soldiers coming back to TunFaire and trying to eliminate the non-humans from most of the town’s functions. There are various factions and we aren’t sure that they have the same goal. Most of the action takes place in and around Garrett’s first and best client, Max Weider, and his brewery.
This is no longer a Sam Spade or Archie Goodwin transported to fantasyland. It is more and it is different and, for me, a bit better.
(happy to answer any questions you might have)
August 30, 2023
Stars: 3 out of 5.
This is the weakest of the Garrett stories so far, and compared to the previous ones, it was a big disappointment.
First things first, it dragged way past the time when it was a polite thing to bow out and say goodbye. I would say at least 50-60 pages past that point. This book seemed way too long in general, with a lot of filler that could have been cut out without hurting the story.
Second issue - I get it that Garrett is a chick magnet and that his brain goes down south every time he sees a good looking enough woman, but it was a bit of an overkill in this story. It stopped being cute and became irritating at about the halfway point.
My biggest disappointment however is the reveal about Glory Mooncalled. I think Glen Cook dropped the ball on this big time. I think I get what he was trying to go for - don't meet your heroes and all that, but this was so anticlimactic... I mean Glory Mooncalled has been the driving force behind most of the background events in this series since book 1. By now, he acquired an almost mythical status. To end it the way the author ended it... I don't know, I feel like it's a huge disservice to the character and so much waisted potential.
Honestly, same could be said about Sadler and Crask. That was a bit of an underwhelming ending for those two characters that have always been larger than life.
Another complaint is that we didn't have nearly enough Morley Dotts in this book, but what had what wonderful. I love the interaction between Garrett and him.
I feel like it's then end of an era in the Garrett Files series. So much was tied around Glory Mooncalled and his actions in Kantard that I honestly don't know where the series will be going not. But even though I was not as thrilled with this book as I was with the previous ones, I am definitely looking forward to continuing the series.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
This is the weakest of the Garrett stories so far, and compared to the previous ones, it was a big disappointment.
First things first, it dragged way past the time when it was a polite thing to bow out and say goodbye. I would say at least 50-60 pages past that point. This book seemed way too long in general, with a lot of filler that could have been cut out without hurting the story.
Second issue - I get it that Garrett is a chick magnet and that his brain goes down south every time he sees a good looking enough woman, but it was a bit of an overkill in this story. It stopped being cute and became irritating at about the halfway point.
My biggest disappointment however is the reveal about Glory Mooncalled. I think Glen Cook dropped the ball on this big time. I think I get what he was trying to go for - don't meet your heroes and all that, but this was so anticlimactic... I mean Glory Mooncalled has been the driving force behind most of the background events in this series since book 1. By now, he acquired an almost mythical status. To end it the way the author ended it... I don't know, I feel like it's a huge disservice to the character and so much waisted potential.
Honestly, same could be said about Sadler and Crask. That was a bit of an underwhelming ending for those two characters that have always been larger than life.
Another complaint is that we didn't have nearly enough Morley Dotts in this book, but what had what wonderful. I love the interaction between Garrett and him.
I feel like it's then end of an era in the Garrett Files series. So much was tied around Glory Mooncalled and his actions in Kantard that I honestly don't know where the series will be going not. But even though I was not as thrilled with this book as I was with the previous ones, I am definitely looking forward to continuing the series.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
October 20, 2025
This is ninth in a fantasy mystery series. You don't have to read in order, but I recommend it anyway. This one has lots of milieu developments so I recommend not skipping it.
It's interesting that while this book is the first that abandons the mystery detective structure, it also feels like we finally get back to the Garrett I attached to originally. And it doesn't hurt that we finally get to see Max Weider, the bigshot brewer of TunFaire, who has been Garrett's patron all this time. Poor Max, though. The calamities visited on that family are devastating.
There are lots of threads going on in this story and I think it's longer than the others as a result. We have human rights groups agitating to expel and suppress all the other races, we have shadowy military organizations coming back from the war with nothing else to do but try their hand domestically, we have Glory Mooncalled mucking things up from the shadows, and everybody oriented on Garrett as a potential tool while keeping him at arm's length because everyone knows he's not a joiner.
I like that he isn't as out to sea as in previous stories. He has more volition and his activities provoke much of the action. I like seeing all the side-characters I've attached to, even Belinda. Though I disliked very much seeing Tinnie Tate louse up the place with her needy manipulations and jealous scolding. I do not see what Garrett sees in her or why he'd put up with that kind of disdain. And the new folks are at least interesting for all most of them are at least a little venal. Except Max. I love that guy and my heart hurts for his pain.
Anyway, this was a good story. And closure for a lot of loose threads that are past their sell-by date (including Crask and Saddler and Glory Mooncalled). I'm going to increase my old four stars to 4½ with a round up to five. The only real downgrade is Tinnie. The rest is grade-A Garrett and a fun mystery to unravel.
A note about living in India: I only brought the first six books with us to India from my stash. I don't know what I was thinking as if the mood takes me, there's no way I wouldn't want to continue the series. Amazon India only has three books I could get in a reasonable timeframe. To offset that, they averaged about six dollars a book for paperbacks. Anyway, I got these three and they arrived in pristine condition. And when Melissa added them to her database, she found that they are first edition, first printing. Which is just wild. I wonder if they were in that shrink wrap the entire time. Because I'm serious. Pristine. I almost hesitate to read them. Only that's what books are for so I'll do my best to keep the wear down...
A note about the series: This is the first multi-year gap in publication. This came out four years after Petty Pewter Gods and that may be why the structure is so different even as the characterization seems stronger. This has always been Cook's side project but that gap made me think that we'd end on that sour note with the petty gods. I do remember that the books get increasingly stronger from here and that's a lovely miracle I can't wait to re-experience.
A note about Chaste: There's lots of ogling going on because there are lots of lovelies around this story. But Tinnie is fast on the leash so Garrett only has the one actual dalliance. With her. It goes off-page fast so it's still very chaste. I am so tired of Tinnie, though. I know he eventually learns better, but I don't remember how long it takes. It already feels too long.
It's interesting that while this book is the first that abandons the mystery detective structure, it also feels like we finally get back to the Garrett I attached to originally. And it doesn't hurt that we finally get to see Max Weider, the bigshot brewer of TunFaire, who has been Garrett's patron all this time. Poor Max, though. The calamities visited on that family are devastating.
There are lots of threads going on in this story and I think it's longer than the others as a result. We have human rights groups agitating to expel and suppress all the other races, we have shadowy military organizations coming back from the war with nothing else to do but try their hand domestically, we have Glory Mooncalled mucking things up from the shadows, and everybody oriented on Garrett as a potential tool while keeping him at arm's length because everyone knows he's not a joiner.
I like that he isn't as out to sea as in previous stories. He has more volition and his activities provoke much of the action. I like seeing all the side-characters I've attached to, even Belinda. Though I disliked very much seeing Tinnie Tate louse up the place with her needy manipulations and jealous scolding. I do not see what Garrett sees in her or why he'd put up with that kind of disdain. And the new folks are at least interesting for all most of them are at least a little venal. Except Max. I love that guy and my heart hurts for his pain.
Anyway, this was a good story. And closure for a lot of loose threads that are past their sell-by date (including Crask and Saddler and Glory Mooncalled). I'm going to increase my old four stars to 4½ with a round up to five. The only real downgrade is Tinnie. The rest is grade-A Garrett and a fun mystery to unravel.
A note about living in India: I only brought the first six books with us to India from my stash. I don't know what I was thinking as if the mood takes me, there's no way I wouldn't want to continue the series. Amazon India only has three books I could get in a reasonable timeframe. To offset that, they averaged about six dollars a book for paperbacks. Anyway, I got these three and they arrived in pristine condition. And when Melissa added them to her database, she found that they are first edition, first printing. Which is just wild. I wonder if they were in that shrink wrap the entire time. Because I'm serious. Pristine. I almost hesitate to read them. Only that's what books are for so I'll do my best to keep the wear down...
A note about the series: This is the first multi-year gap in publication. This came out four years after Petty Pewter Gods and that may be why the structure is so different even as the characterization seems stronger. This has always been Cook's side project but that gap made me think that we'd end on that sour note with the petty gods. I do remember that the books get increasingly stronger from here and that's a lovely miracle I can't wait to re-experience.
A note about Chaste: There's lots of ogling going on because there are lots of lovelies around this story. But Tinnie is fast on the leash so Garrett only has the one actual dalliance. With her. It goes off-page fast so it's still very chaste. I am so tired of Tinnie, though. I know he eventually learns better, but I don't remember how long it takes. It already feels too long.
December 31, 2021
Be warned, this is a good story, but only if you can get past the first fifty pages. During those pages, I set the book down four different times and wasn’t certain I wanted to pick it up again. After those fifty pages, Cook spends less time on annoying banter and starts to develop a mystery that is centered at least in part on the Weider family who often appear on the borders of Garrett’s other adventures. The Weiders are a very wealthy family of brewers who strongly support hiring veterans. The problem? Some people think they should only be hiring human veterans. Trying to help them drags Garrett into politics as a new human rights group (remember this is a fantasy world with elves, dwarves, ogres, etc.) is stirring up trouble with just about everyone.
It's a solid adventure with quite possibly the most interesting villains Garrett has faced off against yet. But there are drawbacks—the aforementioned banter is often just annoying and the parrot continues to take up way too many pages and is just flatly irritating. The novel slows down again for the last thirty or so pages, but overall this book is a sign that the Garrett Files are finding their proper feet again.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
It's a solid adventure with quite possibly the most interesting villains Garrett has faced off against yet. But there are drawbacks—the aforementioned banter is often just annoying and the parrot continues to take up way too many pages and is just flatly irritating. The novel slows down again for the last thirty or so pages, but overall this book is a sign that the Garrett Files are finding their proper feet again.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
January 11, 2012
I'm pretty sure that in every long series I read, there's one volume whose content I never can remember until I'm actually reading the book again. In the Garrett series, that's Faded Steel Heat. I really like this book, honestly. I just can't sum it up for anyone, unlike Sweet Silver Blues (vampires) or Old Tin Sorrows (And Then There Were None as a ghost story) or, honestly, any of the books in this series I've read more than twice.
I'm also pretty sure this is the point in the series where I realized Glen Cook was moving away from a strict adherence to the hardboiled private detective story; that, in fact, the trend had started in Deadly Quicksilver Lies, which is the first book to have multiple major plot lines. In this case, there's the Weider family tragedy, there's the human rightsist faction, and finally the resolution of the Crask and Sadler storyline. I get the feeling that Cook realized both that he finally had enough material to support a story without relying on the original premise (something that Terry Pratchett and, more recently, Jim Butcher have done successfully) and that this was something long-time fans of the series could get behind. I like it. Heat doesn't have the emotional impact of Old Tin Sorrows, but in some places it comes close, particularly where the Weiders are concerned.
What I realized this time was something that was only obvious in the hindsight that came from reaching the end of the series (okay, I don't know if the last book was the end, but it could be). I've been wanting to smack Tinnie Tate upside the head since almost forever, and in this book she is truly awful, bitchy, selfish, and paranoid. This was okay when the series was pure noir, but as soon as it became something different, it was increasingly difficult to justify her presence. Now that I know where her relationship with Garrett is headed, it seems clear that this book is where that whole storyline started.
Now if I can just make myself remember the plot of this book for longer than five days....
I'm also pretty sure this is the point in the series where I realized Glen Cook was moving away from a strict adherence to the hardboiled private detective story; that, in fact, the trend had started in Deadly Quicksilver Lies, which is the first book to have multiple major plot lines. In this case, there's the Weider family tragedy, there's the human rightsist faction, and finally the resolution of the Crask and Sadler storyline. I get the feeling that Cook realized both that he finally had enough material to support a story without relying on the original premise (something that Terry Pratchett and, more recently, Jim Butcher have done successfully) and that this was something long-time fans of the series could get behind. I like it. Heat doesn't have the emotional impact of Old Tin Sorrows, but in some places it comes close, particularly where the Weiders are concerned.
What I realized this time was something that was only obvious in the hindsight that came from reaching the end of the series (okay, I don't know if the last book was the end, but it could be). I've been wanting to smack Tinnie Tate upside the head since almost forever, and in this book she is truly awful, bitchy, selfish, and paranoid. This was okay when the series was pure noir, but as soon as it became something different, it was increasingly difficult to justify her presence. Now that I know where her relationship with Garrett is headed, it seems clear that this book is where that whole storyline started.
Now if I can just make myself remember the plot of this book for longer than five days....
January 23, 2016
I have always liked Garrett because he reminds me so much of the noir detectives of the 40's who were tough guys who had a thing for the ladies but also had a soft spot that they had to hide. That is totally the world Garrett lives in, his just also happens have ogres and elves and dwarves and trolls just to name a few of the nonhuman denizens who live there too. Sometimes the stories are exciting with plenty of action and sometimes they are like this one with a plot you have to follow closely to keep the characters straight.
Things are going downhill in Tunfaire with the Call still on their mission to get all the non-humans out of town by any means necessary. The problem for Garrett is that they seem to want to drag him into the middle of the mess and he would prefer not to have to get involved. When he gets a visit from Tinnie, Alyx, and Nicks asking him to go to work for Max Weider, whose brewery he is on retainer to, has been targeted for 'protection money' by men claiming to be from the Call, he has no choice but to get involved. If they are moving into the rackets to fund their racist agenda he wants to find out and stop them.
There are always so many players when it comes to these stories that if you are new to them you can get lost. The stories while not always super exciting are always interesting and make you think because they do mirror our world and what is or has happened in it. I am kind of over the rioting and beating of non-humans though and am ready to move on to something more interesting. Still well worth the time.
Things are going downhill in Tunfaire with the Call still on their mission to get all the non-humans out of town by any means necessary. The problem for Garrett is that they seem to want to drag him into the middle of the mess and he would prefer not to have to get involved. When he gets a visit from Tinnie, Alyx, and Nicks asking him to go to work for Max Weider, whose brewery he is on retainer to, has been targeted for 'protection money' by men claiming to be from the Call, he has no choice but to get involved. If they are moving into the rackets to fund their racist agenda he wants to find out and stop them.
There are always so many players when it comes to these stories that if you are new to them you can get lost. The stories while not always super exciting are always interesting and make you think because they do mirror our world and what is or has happened in it. I am kind of over the rioting and beating of non-humans though and am ready to move on to something more interesting. Still well worth the time.
June 3, 2019
Faded Steel Heat is the ninth book in the Garrett P.I. series written by Glen Cook and centered on the adventures of private investigator Garrett.
Garrett is visited at home by three lovely young ladies, Tinnie Tate, Giorgi Nicholas (Nicks), and Alyx Weider, daughter of Max Weider. Alyx explains that she has been sent by her father to get Garrett to investigate an apparent extortion attempt on the Weider business by The Call, a group of human rights activists headed by Marengo North English.
Meanwhile, Colonel Block and Deal Relway strike a deal with Garrett: Garrett will attempt to infiltrate The Call, reporting back to Block and Relway on their activities, while Relway and Block will try to help solve the extortion attempt on the Weiders, as well as ensure the safety of the Weiders and Tates during the ordeal.
Faded Steel Heat is written rather well. Cook continues to expand the world of TunFaire and the narrative seemed to be improved in this installment. The action scenes are written well and there is just about the right amount of humor, albeit rather sarcastic at times. This installment is much more light-hearted than recent installments. While the buildup of the narrative was good, the ending is somewhat wanting.
All in all, Faded Steel Heat is written rather well and is a somewhat good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Garrett is visited at home by three lovely young ladies, Tinnie Tate, Giorgi Nicholas (Nicks), and Alyx Weider, daughter of Max Weider. Alyx explains that she has been sent by her father to get Garrett to investigate an apparent extortion attempt on the Weider business by The Call, a group of human rights activists headed by Marengo North English.
Meanwhile, Colonel Block and Deal Relway strike a deal with Garrett: Garrett will attempt to infiltrate The Call, reporting back to Block and Relway on their activities, while Relway and Block will try to help solve the extortion attempt on the Weiders, as well as ensure the safety of the Weiders and Tates during the ordeal.
Faded Steel Heat is written rather well. Cook continues to expand the world of TunFaire and the narrative seemed to be improved in this installment. The action scenes are written well and there is just about the right amount of humor, albeit rather sarcastic at times. This installment is much more light-hearted than recent installments. While the buildup of the narrative was good, the ending is somewhat wanting.
All in all, Faded Steel Heat is written rather well and is a somewhat good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
October 20, 2021
If it' not gods (see last book) now it's shape shifters who can be anything or anyone as long as they've touched them (I think that's how it works), so now Garrett's up to his eyebrows in people being two places at once. The human rights groups are getting worked up and worked over. This one was a bit better than some of the others. The action pick up, moves but stays focused so the story isn't going in five different directions at once. This had me looking over my shoulder and wondering if the couch just sneezed or not. . .
August 3, 2017
The ending was pure Noir. No way to predict. And it ended and ended and ended. But it wasn't tiring.
January 19, 2021
The best one so far. Multiple plots are going on from the get go and Garrett knows he's being played. But now he has as many pieces on the board for himself. Tinnie is back, the weiders who trust him, vets in an old folks home, the police and (secret) police, the mob thinks he's an alright kind of guy, and his reputation as a (human). Finally his own resources are at an even match against the returned human rightists and whoever is messing with the weiders, the retainer we've only heard about for seven books.
We learn some about one of the races in TunFaire while surprisingly never learning much about another that turns up to make trouble, and some old threads come back to close, but so much is accomplished and moved forward interpersonally that Cook's habit of leaving things in the dark is not at all annoying.
We learn some about one of the races in TunFaire while surprisingly never learning much about another that turns up to make trouble, and some old threads come back to close, but so much is accomplished and moved forward interpersonally that Cook's habit of leaving things in the dark is not at all annoying.
October 23, 2012
Once again, I found a volume in the middle of a series and decided to read it before reading the volumes which went before it. Glen Cook weaves an intriguing tale in Faded Steel Heat where a private investigator (in the classic ‘30s detective sense) functions in a fantasy world peopled with fantastic races and magic. His protagonist, Garrett, functions similarly to how John Zakour’s Zachary Nixon Johnson functions in another imaginative private eye series. Zakour’s protagonist investigates a bizarre sci-fi future and Garrett investigates a strange fantasy environment. Zakour’s protagonist has a knock-out of a jealous girlfriend while Garrett has a knock-out of a jealous girlfriend. Zakour’s Zach Johnson has cases involved with beautiful women (which, of course, gets him in trouble with his gorgeous and capable significant other) and Cook’s Garrett has cases involved with beautiful women (which, of course, gets him in trouble with his gorgeous and capable significant other).
Alas, I’ve read Zakour and Cook is no Zakour. If Glen Cook is trying to be funny, it isn’t entirely successful. Zakour makes me chuckle and shake my head. Cook merely makes me smile. Zakour’s approach to humor is more subtle than Robert Asprin’s “Myth-Adventures,” but Cook’s approach is even less broad than Zakour’s. There are humorous aspects to these books, but they shouldn’t be confused with the obviously funny novels.
In Faded Steel Heat, Garrett is asked to infiltrate a racist militia. Before he can do so, however, he discovers that there are problems with his primary client, an important brewery. He manages to rub shoulders with both racist activists and potential rivals to his client by attending upper class cocktail parties and answering an advertisement for a “librarian” for one of the militias. Bodies start dropping like they were being handled by a fumble-fingered coroner and Garrett realizes that he and those he cares most about are at risk. It turns out that a bit of supernatural maneuvering is behind part of the mystery, but even when the needle points clearly at particular suspects, it isn’t clear why they would be interested in a brewery. The solution is quite satisfying from the perspective of the mystery.
My favorite part of this book and what will cause me to go back to the series would be the supporting cast: dangerous redheaded girlfriend, obscenely verbose parrot, telepathic partner, paranoid policeman, female mafia “don,” and coquettish females. Even though these novels are not as funny as some other fantastic detective novels, this series has the potential to make a great television show. Whether that’s an insult or a compliment depends on your personal taste.
Alas, I’ve read Zakour and Cook is no Zakour. If Glen Cook is trying to be funny, it isn’t entirely successful. Zakour makes me chuckle and shake my head. Cook merely makes me smile. Zakour’s approach to humor is more subtle than Robert Asprin’s “Myth-Adventures,” but Cook’s approach is even less broad than Zakour’s. There are humorous aspects to these books, but they shouldn’t be confused with the obviously funny novels.
In Faded Steel Heat, Garrett is asked to infiltrate a racist militia. Before he can do so, however, he discovers that there are problems with his primary client, an important brewery. He manages to rub shoulders with both racist activists and potential rivals to his client by attending upper class cocktail parties and answering an advertisement for a “librarian” for one of the militias. Bodies start dropping like they were being handled by a fumble-fingered coroner and Garrett realizes that he and those he cares most about are at risk. It turns out that a bit of supernatural maneuvering is behind part of the mystery, but even when the needle points clearly at particular suspects, it isn’t clear why they would be interested in a brewery. The solution is quite satisfying from the perspective of the mystery.
My favorite part of this book and what will cause me to go back to the series would be the supporting cast: dangerous redheaded girlfriend, obscenely verbose parrot, telepathic partner, paranoid policeman, female mafia “don,” and coquettish females. Even though these novels are not as funny as some other fantastic detective novels, this series has the potential to make a great television show. Whether that’s an insult or a compliment depends on your personal taste.
November 19, 2014
Again, this place really needs 1/2 star increments, since this is a 2.5 stars book. Which is a shame, since this could have been a 3-, or even 4-star book. It was definitely one of the better story ideas he's had, with a murder mystery, racial supremacists, Glory Mooncalled stuff, and a whole lot of "I wonder what's going on? Is it that person?"
However, it also suffered some problems.
The Bird: Yes, we get it. The bird is annoying for a couple of reasons. It stopped being funny after about the 3rd joke in the last book. You don't actually have to mention how annoying it continues to be almost literally every other page. Seriously, the bird is mentioned entirely too much, and it's not funny. It's filler. Bad filler.
The Women: This is by far the worst offender in the series so far for having the Every Female Wants to Ride Garrett's Pink Pony phenomenon. There are six female characters that feature prominently in this novel (one of them is a ratperson), and literally every single one of them either wants to jump his bones (or has and wants to again in a couple of cases). If I had to guess, I'd estimate at least 25% of the novel is dedicated to these women coming onto our hero, or our hero blabbering on and on about how womenfolk be his weakness. This is far more annoying and detracting than the stuff about the parrot.
Length/Pacing: The editor really fell down on the job with this novel. It's about 30% longer than it needed to be (largely due to stuff about the women and the bird), with several false endings. You keep thinking "Okay, this must be where it ends" because it's the natural stopping point, but then the story is dragged out some more. Too much of the novel is filler, and that seems to be an every-growing problem with each novel. The first couple were pretty tightly constructed, but with each additional one, the author spends more and more time navel gazing.
This should have been an excellent Garrett story. The problems reduced it to an Eh, Okay Garrett story.
However, it also suffered some problems.
The Bird: Yes, we get it. The bird is annoying for a couple of reasons. It stopped being funny after about the 3rd joke in the last book. You don't actually have to mention how annoying it continues to be almost literally every other page. Seriously, the bird is mentioned entirely too much, and it's not funny. It's filler. Bad filler.
The Women: This is by far the worst offender in the series so far for having the Every Female Wants to Ride Garrett's Pink Pony phenomenon. There are six female characters that feature prominently in this novel (one of them is a ratperson), and literally every single one of them either wants to jump his bones (or has and wants to again in a couple of cases). If I had to guess, I'd estimate at least 25% of the novel is dedicated to these women coming onto our hero, or our hero blabbering on and on about how womenfolk be his weakness. This is far more annoying and detracting than the stuff about the parrot.
Length/Pacing: The editor really fell down on the job with this novel. It's about 30% longer than it needed to be (largely due to stuff about the women and the bird), with several false endings. You keep thinking "Okay, this must be where it ends" because it's the natural stopping point, but then the story is dragged out some more. Too much of the novel is filler, and that seems to be an every-growing problem with each novel. The first couple were pretty tightly constructed, but with each additional one, the author spends more and more time navel gazing.
This should have been an excellent Garrett story. The problems reduced it to an Eh, Okay Garrett story.
September 2, 2013
Ok, so I'm kind of losing track now of how far in the series this book comes but this is one of the later books in the Garrett PI Series of novels by Glen Cook, about a noir style Private Eye character set in a fantasy world and the main characters home city of Tun Faire.
This book is nothing new really for vetrens of the series, the story is a classic detective novel with lots of angles to be worked out and more than its fair share of suspects. For once Garrett is left to do a lot of the work himself as due to certain elements in the book Garrett handles the case without his usual help from the Deadman for the most part.
The writing and story of solid, the characters we meet are a mix of old favorites of the series who don't fail to live up to expectations, as well as a few new characters who are decently layed and well thought out.
A good entry to the series.
This book is nothing new really for vetrens of the series, the story is a classic detective novel with lots of angles to be worked out and more than its fair share of suspects. For once Garrett is left to do a lot of the work himself as due to certain elements in the book Garrett handles the case without his usual help from the Deadman for the most part.
The writing and story of solid, the characters we meet are a mix of old favorites of the series who don't fail to live up to expectations, as well as a few new characters who are decently layed and well thought out.
A good entry to the series.
March 19, 2014
Longer than the other Garrett books. Tons of twists and turns. Many revelations about shapeshifters, who have had almost no press in the previous ones.
November 2, 2017
The novel before this one, "Petty Pewter Gods", was definitely one of the weaker of the Garrett stories. This one was much more interesting, and the plot held together much better. A new recurring character, Pular Singe, is introduced, and several older ones come back into Garrett's life. The war in the Cantard is over, and as often happens after a war, those who were soldiering at the time of its conclusion have come back to civilian life, only to find that it isn't what they had hoped it might be. Social pressures and tensions in various directions put our hero in the middle of a struggle for veterans' rights as well as control of both Karenta and a major mercantile force within it. My main criticism of it is that it is longer than it needed to be, and while the loose ends all tie up, some of the conclusion is not as satisfying as it could be. At times I've suspected that this was intended to be two stories, neither of which was novel length, so Cook welded them together, but had a hard time trimming the fat. Still a good read, however. This is my third time through it, and it has already joined other books in my give-away pile, as I have far too many other books that are unread, and I've not got time enough left, I'm sure, to spend re-reading things like this.
May 15, 2019
This was quite the epic. The longest book so far and very well written. The conspiracies were very intricate and some unexpected. There is actual cussing in the series for the first time in this book and to be honest I'm surprised it wasn't from the beginning, as it suits the atmosphere of the series. Alyx annoyed me, she was just a little slut and was in the way most of the time. I never really liked Tinnie from the beginning, however in this book she's given a larger role and I felt her grow on me for a time. I'm still intrigued by Belinda and Morely is back to his old self. New character Pular Singe is absolutely adorable and awesome, I want to take her home and pet her. And of course the conclusion(?) to Mooncalled was intersting as well. I also liked the bit of world building around shifters and rat people. I felt so sorry for Weider, he went through a lot in such a short period. speaking of Weider, I was expecting a little more with Ty but he just ended up being faded out of the story completely, which is fine as he wasn't interesting to begin with. Same with Kittyjo who apparently had a past connection with Garret but is never touched upon. I almost feel like this book could have been a great finale to the series.
May 16, 2024
2.5 stars
This book was a hot mess. The pacing was terrible. I kept getting whiplash from the story dragging ass and then firing forward like it was shot out of a cannon just to hit a wall of jello and turn into a slog again.
The worst part of it all is this book is important. I have been told it sets up a major character in the future novels and Garrett really grows and changes in this novel. We also see a major power shift in the city of Tunfaire and a huge change in the outside world.
It sucks because there are a lot of great new characters in this book that I really enjoyed meeting. Yet again we see the aftereffects of a generational war and what it can do to communities, families and individuals. The little things in the background are what kept me going. There are also some great detective "action" scenes.
No one would ever start with this book and after reading 8 of them you might as well read this one if you are a completionist.
When I get further into the series I will know whether or not this is a must read for the series spanning narrative.
This book was a hot mess. The pacing was terrible. I kept getting whiplash from the story dragging ass and then firing forward like it was shot out of a cannon just to hit a wall of jello and turn into a slog again.
The worst part of it all is this book is important. I have been told it sets up a major character in the future novels and Garrett really grows and changes in this novel. We also see a major power shift in the city of Tunfaire and a huge change in the outside world.
It sucks because there are a lot of great new characters in this book that I really enjoyed meeting. Yet again we see the aftereffects of a generational war and what it can do to communities, families and individuals. The little things in the background are what kept me going. There are also some great detective "action" scenes.
No one would ever start with this book and after reading 8 of them you might as well read this one if you are a completionist.
When I get further into the series I will know whether or not this is a must read for the series spanning narrative.
May 18, 2024
"Faded Steel Heat" by Glen Cook melds noir detective fiction with fantasy seamlessly, transporting readers to the gritty streets of TunFaire. Cook's sharp writing and witty dialogue captivate from the start, drawing us into a world where magic and mystery intersect. In this installment, Garrett, the flawed yet endearing protagonist, navigates a tangled web of political intrigue and underworld schemes. TunFaire itself becomes even more expansive, with Cook's immersive world-building bringing its bustling markets and seedy taverns to life. Fans of both genres will find much to love in this gripping installment, filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations. "Faded Steel Heat" cements Cook's place as a master storyteller, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Garrett's adventures.
October 22, 2023
FADED STEEL HEAT is the only Garrett PI book that I actually struggled with because, unfortunately, it deals with such difficult subject matter. It's not that the book is written badly but that it is about the rise of hate groups in Garrett's home city and there's really nothing our protagonist can do about them (or does). All of the veterans are returning home from the Cantard and have returned to find that all of the jobs have been taken by nonhumans that they soon are forming lynch mobs to deal with. Sadly, I just found that to be incredibly depressing and the shapechanging plot that involves it to be less interesting. It's also an anti-climax for dealing with two of the series' longest running villains.
December 27, 2023
Investing return to the world of TunFaire, where everyone has an opinion and an eye on the money. Our hero is in it mainly because he wants to just retire early. And also because he chases the ladies until they catch him and throw him back.
In this story there are multiple parties who want to either stop or fund a group of humans who want to eliminate nonhuman of all types.
A rather disturbing idea in my opinion, especially since some of the nonhuman species have real potential in society. One of my favorite characters was the ratgirl, who was stepping outside the role her people normally hold in society. Change can be a very good thing!
I like the idea that real change and collaboration just might be possible in this well documented tale of murder and mayhem.
In this story there are multiple parties who want to either stop or fund a group of humans who want to eliminate nonhuman of all types.
A rather disturbing idea in my opinion, especially since some of the nonhuman species have real potential in society. One of my favorite characters was the ratgirl, who was stepping outside the role her people normally hold in society. Change can be a very good thing!
I like the idea that real change and collaboration just might be possible in this well documented tale of murder and mayhem.
December 21, 2017
As Good The 2nd Time Around
I read this one several years ago,and enjoyed it just as much this time as Garrett takes on shapeshifters, human rights groups and a whole bunch of baddies. Tinnie is back as her usual possessive self. She is described as a real knockout, but it’s pretty obvious she and Garrett Would never survive as a couple. When the Deadman does a disappearing act on him Garrett is on his own figuring things out. This one is a little like that old game of “button, button, who’s got the button?” As Garrett is trying to figure out who got replaced and who is just acting weird. Lots of fun.
I read this one several years ago,and enjoyed it just as much this time as Garrett takes on shapeshifters, human rights groups and a whole bunch of baddies. Tinnie is back as her usual possessive self. She is described as a real knockout, but it’s pretty obvious she and Garrett Would never survive as a couple. When the Deadman does a disappearing act on him Garrett is on his own figuring things out. This one is a little like that old game of “button, button, who’s got the button?” As Garrett is trying to figure out who got replaced and who is just acting weird. Lots of fun.
January 5, 2020
One of the most interesting of the books, creepy with the gangs and clashes with refugees, funny how Garrett try to behave around ladies and a sound interesting plot including shapshifters. This time the background Buzz affected it all with Glory Mooncalled nowhere to be found and the 3-generation wars ending. Suddenly solders home again and restore gangs taking justice in their own hands. Creepy.... Also I got finally to meet one caracter I found particularly charming in the Garrett short story in the anthology "Down those strange Streets" (written 2011) so I guess it is set between book 13 and 14.
May 31, 2019
This was a good one. The author really picked it up and came up with a good story. It's the usual Garret novel but he does some good detective work has a good case to crack. I like that everyone is involved in this one. I hope to see some of the newly introduced characters stick around.
November 29, 2020
I have loved all the Garrett books I've rad so far; but this one just (I don't know...) seems overly complicated and full of wacky banter between Garrett, his parrot and 'friends' . Had trouble finishing it. I wonder is it just my tastes changing or was it not as good as the others?
Want to read
June 11, 2023Another delightful romp with Garrett and company. Garrett stumbles around aided and hindered by his rollicking hand of cronies, the DeadMan, Morley Dotes, and the GD parrot. Add in a bevy of beautiful distractions and an infatuated rat girl and the gangs all there.
A GOOD read
A GOOD read
June 12, 2023
This will always be the book that I read while not getting selected to sit on a jury.
A lot of different threads going on, with the main one still being depressingly relevant, but it never feels bogged down. Solid read and could be a stand-alone.
A lot of different threads going on, with the main one still being depressingly relevant, but it never feels bogged down. Solid read and could be a stand-alone.
August 5, 2024
This book was so bad, i just couldnt get more than one third of it. So far i really liked garret pi series but this installment doesnt male any sense. All the sex dialogs with woman and that stupid bird agghh. Horrible. I am gonna give another chance to the next book but this is just bad
August 2, 2025
This one was longer than the other books so far in the series, and it definitely overstayed its welcome. It was also the second book now to lean so heavily into Garret’s womanizing tropes as to be really annoying and tiresome.
November 1, 2017
Very good read.
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