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Playing For Keeps

Mur Lafferty (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 2,176 ratings · 186 reviews

The shining metropolis of Seventh City is the birthplace of super powers. The First Wave heroes are jerks, but they have the best gifts: flight, super strength, telepathy, genius, fire. The Third Wavers are stuck with the leftovers: the ability to instantly make someone sober, the power to smell the past, the grace to carry a tray and never drop its contents, the power to ...more

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Paperback, 260 pages

Published July 14th 2008 by Swarm Press (first published 2008)

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· 2,176 ratings · 186 reviews

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Feb 09, 2009 Jason rated it really liked it · review of another edition

You may not know it yet, but you want this book. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Hey, Jason, maybe *you* want this book, but how do you know that *I* want it?" Well, nameless faceless reader, I'm glad you asked that.

If you like superhero stories, you'll like this book. It's got the usual fun action, adventure, and cool superpowers that make your inner fan-person go "squee."

If you don't like superhero stories, you'll like this book. Instead of focusing on the jet-setting antics of a few too- ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 mark monday rated it it was ok

Shelves: blood-and-danger, comicon

It feels mean to harshly criticize or even mock this action-packed dramedy about semi-powered B-listers stuck between asshole superheroes and slaughter-happy supervillains. Like mocking a pre-teen who is excitedly recounting their overly long and rather stupid superhero saga that is all about constantly running around and backtracking and regrouping and making phone calls and making plans and enacting those plans and doing those plans over again and going back to the same places over and over ag ...more

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Jun 26, 2009 Rob rated it liked it · review of another edition

The collection of folks with lame powers in a supers setting is something of its own subgenre, complete with its own tropes and dangers. The single greatest accomplishment of this book is how deftly it avoids most of those traps. Most notably, there are very few scenes where the heroes end up in a situation where their esoteric power is exactly the right solution, and thank goodness for that. Similarly, Lafferty does a great job of starting things off morally gray and keeping them there, rather ...more

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Oct 29, 2013 Lilyan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: cheesy, brain-fluff, needs-editor, flat, dissapointing, not-impressed, adventure, superheros, grade-school-grammar

If this book was a movie it would be a low budget Direct to Video one. Previously, I would have given this a 1-Star but I've evolved as a reader and am now mature enough to save my 1-stars to those books that are an abomination.

Areas in which this book was lacking:

STORY

Keepsie and her friends are Third Wave heroes, which are people with useless superpowers like keeping all bar trays upright or knowing things about people from sniffing them. In a town run by real superheroes and infested with su ...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Shedrick Pittman-Hassett rated it really liked it

The “misfit superhero” storyline is nothing new. One of my all-time favorite movies is 1999′s Mystery Men about a team of wannabes who have to step up and become real heroes to save Champion City from the clutches of the evil and delightfully campy Casanova Frankenstein. That movie was based on characters from the cult comic book Flaming Carrot. There was also the The Specials, which followed the misadventures of the “sixth or seventh best superhero team in the world.” Another prime example is B ...more

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Aug 27, 2019 James rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own-ebook, i-own-audiobook, superheroes

My first ever episodic audiobook and it was pretty good. Read by the author herself each episode covered a couple of chapters in about 30 mins, providing a nice ear-sized chunk of super powers. The story follows a group of uniquely powered individuals, not quite powerful enough to be either heroes or villains, but caught in the middle of a battle between the two groups. Keepsie (our hero, if not officially a Hero) has the power to freeze anybody who tries to steal something from her, and - like ...more

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Aug 22, 2008 Ron rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I didn't read the book, instead, I listen to the podcast of it. I loved it! This story gives you a unique twist about the whole superhero/villian story. Furthermore, the powers of some of the people in this story is ridiculously funny!! I didn't think I'd like this story as much as did. It's a definite listen.

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Sep 11, 2013 Sunil rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Upon discovering that Campbell Award winner Mur Lafferty had written a book about superheroes with shitty powers, I immediately bought it, and I have no regrets. Playing for Keeps is a fun ride.

Keepsie Branson runs a bar for members of the Third Wave, those with powers deemed too useless to be worthy of superherodom. Her power? No one can take anything from her. Hurrah, go fight crime with that. Her best friend can balance anything on a bar tray. BIG WHOOP. It's not invulnerability and flight an Upon discovering that Campbell Award winner Mur Lafferty had written a book about superheroes with shitty powers, I immediately bought it, and I have no regrets. Playing for Keeps is a fun ride.

Keepsie Branson runs a bar for members of the Third Wave, those with powers deemed too useless to be worthy of superherodom. Her power? No one can take anything from her. Hurrah, go fight crime with that. Her best friend can balance anything on a bar tray. BIG WHOOP. It's not invulnerability and flight and laser eyes, I tell you what. Her friends and patrons all have wonderfully stupid powers in comparison to the First Wave superheroes who protect Seventh City from the supervillains. But one fateful day, Keepsie finds herself embroiled in a battle that will change her life forever. Who are the real heroes? Can the superheroes be trusted? What about the supervillains?

It did take me a while to get a handle on all the characters, but once I could keep them straight, I liked them. Lafferty finds very clever uses of their powers, as they discover that they may not be so useless after all. It's a big day for them all, really, and I enjoyed watching them become more confident in themselves. The First Wavers are jerks, and the villains are, well, villains, but the Third Wavers seemed like people I'd love to hang out with.

The book's major strength is also its biggest flaw: it's basically one long action scene. Once the plot kicks off, shit just gets more real with every chapter. Plot twists! Double crosses! Character deaths! Wanton destruction! It makes for an exciting read, but it's also exhausting, and it makes the book feel long when it really isn't. It's like jumping into the last few episodes of an anime and getting the five-episode battle royale without all the build-up. On the one hand, I kind of loved that it never slowed down, and on the other hand, I wanted some room to breathe.

I really dug Playing for Keeps. It's fun, it's funny, it's creative, it's action-packed, and it's entirely engaging. If you like superhero stories—especially more offbeat ones—check it out. ...more

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May 26, 2009 Eric Juneau rated it it was ok · review of another edition

A freebie, and the sole written word I've read from the First Lady of Podcasting. Mur's pixie voice and soft-spoken geekitude rings out in waves in this superhero novel - if the guys from "Cheers" were C-list superheroes forced into action, pitted against both superhero and supervillain. This is for the Matter-Eater-Lads, the Bouncing Boys, and the Lasso Kids of the comic book world.

Well, it's a good concept anyway. But the problem is the plot goes around and around and it never feels like you ...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Gail Carriger rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-friends

I picked up Mur's book because I am a fan of her podcast and I feel it helped me to get published and I wanted to pay her back in some way. I'm very glad I did as I heartily enjoyed Playing for Keeps. I love her basic premise that in addition to major super powers there are minor ones as well. (I, myself, seem to posses the inexplicable ability to turn off street lights.) I'm a big fan of the secondary characters and of the love interest in this book. I was left wanting more.

I could also see an ...more

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Nov 10, 2009 Morgue Anne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty is an interesting new take on the superhero genre. Just like in real life, you’re not entirely sure who the “good” guy is, because everyone in charge has their own agenda – the only difference is that these politicians have superpowers. Actually, almost everyone has powers, but the only people who get to have the “super” prefix to their names are the ones who have really good ones like flight and invisibility. Everyone else gets stuck with things like summoning ...more

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Apr 18, 2019 Matt Hulgan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I really enjoyed the premise and the bones of the story, but the execution and pacing was not exciting or compelling. None of the characters were particularly likable and the Third Wave Demi-heroes were whiney cry-babies even after they realized they could get some stuff done when they work together.

I am guessing this is an early novel by Lafferty and that she has become more skillful. There's enough creativity here that I'm interested in reading some of her more recent work even though I was co ...more

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Jul 17, 2019 T Berry rated it really liked it

This is one of those books that I read as a kid but I wanted to reread now that I'm older and (hopefully) wiser. Actually I've already gone through at it least twice.
The first time, I heard it as a podcasted audiobook (then known as a podiobook) done by the author, which was a thing because it was back when self-publishing wasn't as accessible as it is now with Amazon and such.
But the podiobook got somebody's attention and the author got it published into a print book, which I then bought to su This is one of those books that I read as a kid but I wanted to reread now that I'm older and (hopefully) wiser. Actually I've already gone through at it least twice.
The first time, I heard it as a podcasted audiobook (then known as a podiobook) done by the author, which was a thing because it was back when self-publishing wasn't as accessible as it is now with Amazon and such.
But the podiobook got somebody's attention and the author got it published into a print book, which I then bought to support them, and read it again. But that was several years ago so I figured I'd give it a read now that I'm an adult and see how it seems to me.
This was probably the first superhero story I read that wasn't in comic form. Or at least, wasn't originally in comic form, as I'm pretty sure I read The Death of Superman as a book rather than a comic. But I digress. As it was my first superhero story of that sort, it was also my superhero story that is a deconstruction of the superhero genre. Of course, I've been saying that about most superhero stories I've been reading (except for mainstream comics, and sometimes even then) so maybe that's just how it is now. Or maybe I don't properly understand what a deconstruction is. That's also a possibility.

Anyway.
This book is a fun ride. A really fun one. I had actually forgotten a lot of the details (and honestly some major plot points) since my last read of it. I'm not sure if it was more fun because I remembered enough for my memory to be jogged in a satisfying way before certain events, or because I forgot enough that it was almost like a fresh read. Regardless, it's a good read, and definitely gives me food for thought as far as what a person's powers can do. Honestly it might be the book that kicked off my habit of pushing the boundaries of what a power is capable of, as I sometimes do while daydreaming about superheroes (a habit from my childhood that has never really gone away).

But yeah, this book is fun for superhero fans, and for people who get kinda bored with superheroes, since it has all the antics of a superhero story, but it focuses on a main cast of people who, because their powers were seen as weaker, were cast aside by society and still find themselves in the middle of an all-out war between superheroes and supervillains.
Definitely worth checking out. ...more

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Aug 01, 2017 Adam Oster rated it really liked it · review of another edition

How can you go wrong with a book where the main characters have super powers like being able to throw a bar tray or shooting fecal matter from your hands or not being able to be stolen from?

And that last one, that's the one which gives this book its name. It's the one that matters. Because Keepsie (the main character) has a very special ability. Anything that is her's is her's, unless she chooses otherwise. And that's what kicks this book into motion.

Keepsie and her pals aren't exactly A squ How can you go wrong with a book where the main characters have super powers like being able to throw a bar tray or shooting fecal matter from your hands or not being able to be stolen from?

And that last one, that's the one which gives this book its name. It's the one that matters. Because Keepsie (the main character) has a very special ability. Anything that is her's is her's, unless she chooses otherwise. And that's what kicks this book into motion.

Keepsie and her pals aren't exactly A squad superheroes. They're way down that list. But that doesn't mean they don't wish they could use their powers for good. However, the man (in this case, the big name celebrity superheroes) have told them they just aren't good enough. And they, understandably, have a pretty bad case of sour grapes about the whole thing. However, when they get put in the middle of a battle between good and evil, they have a pretty difficult time knowing which way they should swing. Go with the "good" guys who seem to not be all that great, or go with the "bad" guys who, well, they certainly aren't good, are they?

Instead, these intrepid heroes choose to go with option C...which is a bit more convoluted than I'm going to go into here.

Needless to say, Keepsie and Co. are required to save the world, and their powers, at least at first, appear to not be up to par against these good guys and these bad guys.

Which is where Lafferty's real talent shines. She gave these folks some really odd powers. One person has the special ability to know exactly what any one person wants to eat at any given time. But Lafferty points out, through the narrative, that even these seemingly pitiful powers have some really great advantages. You know, if you get a little creative in how you use them.

Playing for Keeps is an incredibly unique look at the superhero genre. Not only does Lafferty develop some truly original superpowers, but she manages to showcase how each of them could be used to its greatest effect. And it's this ability which is incredibly necessary for the narrative, for the protagonists, to succeed.

I've read a lot of superhero novels over the years and this one is truly unique and well worth the read for anyone who likes the genre. ...more

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Nov 15, 2017 Vanessa J rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: superhero

This book initially started out promising.

It had an interesting theme - what about the people whose powers aren't on the same level of Superman or Wonder Woman, who are never quite 'good enough'? Had it stuck to that, it would have been fine.

Unfortunately it made the mistake of overpowering its main character, thus removing what made made her interesting and undermining its own message. Cannot recommend.

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Dec 22, 2018 Linda rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty is one of my favorite books I read this year, well written and thought-provoking as well as being suspenseful. However it was like this book was written by another author or when she was maybe 12 years old. The style was, I hate to say this, simply awful, choppy and disjointed. The characters were two-dimensional. But I won't give up on her, because the person who wrote this also wrote Six Wakes, which I can highly recommend.

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Feb 23, 2019 Andy Plonka rated it liked it

I would not have picked this to read of my own volition, but to complete a task for my reading challenge, I read it. Still not my bag full of heroes, villains, and some in between type characters, I failed to find the sense in all this. I need more sense and coherence to get my attention, but I think the good guys (as opposed to heroes) won.

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Jun 01, 2017 Jayar Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book needs a sequel... I really appreciated He development of the characters... the written undertones of how people who were often overlooked become important and recognize their worth in critical times... The authors voice was also pleasant to listen to...

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Jul 02, 2017 Kitabi Keeda (A book a day keeps reality away) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

The premise was good and the characters were interesting, but somehow around the middle, I lost interest. The story just couldn't pull me enough to plow through the novel. There was too much of fighting, which I didn't care much for. Left it midway.

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Feb 07, 2018 Catherine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: awesomeness-2018

Not my favorite Mur Lafferty book but it was interesting.

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Apr 28, 2018 Larissa Granato rated it liked it · review of another edition

I absolutely loved the first half, solid 5 stars. Sadly it didn't stay that good throughout the whole thing, but I still really liked it.

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Aug 25, 2018 Shawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, reread

Best when read by the author! This is probably one of my favorite superhero stories of all time. A bit rough in some parts, but that works with the sorry of the not quite super, powered people.

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Oct 30, 2018 Milan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 12, 2019 Shannon Babb rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A solid tale of unlikely heroes with mildly, ridiculous powers. I particularly like how this book approaches villain development.

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Jan 22, 2020 Wetdryvac Wetdryvac rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A lovely read.

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Mar 03, 2020 Daniel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I listened to the Audiobook/podcast and really enjoyed Mur Lafferty's narration.

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May 24, 2012 Melissa Hayden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, superheroes

Ooh goodness, this was fun. Humor of personalities along with lame superhero powers. Yep, win-win. All need to listen/read this one. Fun and great story with superheroes and villains, and those in the middle. But think twice about who you think are which. ;)

****FULL REVIEW****
When Keepsie is taken captive by Doodad, a super villain, and she finds he slipped a metal sphere in her pocket, the crew of Third Wavers that visits Keepsies bar stand with their friend and get drawn into the constant batt Ooh goodness, this was fun. Humor of personalities along with lame superhero powers. Yep, win-win. All need to listen/read this one. Fun and great story with superheroes and villains, and those in the middle. But think twice about who you think are which. ;)

****FULL REVIEW****
When Keepsie is taken captive by Doodad, a super villain, and she finds he slipped a metal sphere in her pocket, the crew of Third Wavers that visits Keepsies bar stand with their friend and get drawn into the constant battle between good and evil. But, who are good and who are really evil? That could be subject to ones perception.

Keepsie is part of the Third Wavers that have "lame" powers and are told they are not Hero quality. Oh, but these 'lame' powers are amazing when they are put together as a team. What these characters learn of themselves and the twists the can do to strengthen their powers is a blast.

I love the play on words with the title and Keepsie's name and her ability. She keeps things. Well, not willingly. When she owns something, it can't be taken from her without the other freezing in a stasis until she releases them. Keepsie is an independent woman. Strong. And she learns she has friends to have at her side.

The story starts right in with Keepsie getting taken by a villain and finding something he left in her pocket. We see the Heroes and Villains through Keepsie's eyes, and her friends. Hmmm, makes one wonder on who's the 'hero' and why. When it comes to the sphere, which can not be stolen from Keepsie do to her power, we see that neither side - hero or villain - might be the 'good' side. So who do you pick to give it back too? This is a world that not everyone is a 'hero' and some are corrupt, others make bad choices from inflated heads. The use of desires and manipulation to get what they want, or try stealing.

This story made me chuckle several times. The comments from Michelle, Keepsie's friend and waitress, oh she's a quick one. And the powers that the Third Wavers possess! Hahaha! Just to much fun! The quick ideas of all these are great. The crew is even brutally honest with each other and I love hearing it, it makes me chuckle.

There is lots of action, even though Keepsie might not be a big action fighter - her power is more a passive one - there is lots going on around her. It's cool! And oh the destruction to the city. Heroes and Villains collide! Boy do they all take a beating.

When listening to this, Mur starts each new section with a Recap from the previous episode. I rather enjoyed this as it brings the story to a personal level, like I'm in this city. The people make me laugh with their comments and the "character" they take on as well.

You have to go into this looking for fun. You need to listen to it and have a blast with it. Relax with superheroes in the Seventh City. They aren't the ones you'd expect.

I highly recommend listening to this one, for fun. You'll enjoy it! ...more

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Feb 04, 2016 Jacky rated it it was amazing

I read Playing for Keeps back in Feburary. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and for some reason I never bothered, which is hilarious given how much I love this book. I mean I listened to it as a podcast before it was even picked up by the print publisher. I listened to the fan cast. The only fanfiction I ever wrote started out in Keepsie's bar. It was one of the first superhero things I ever actually liked. And yet, it sat ignores on myself for at least 3 or 4 years. And when I finally pi I read Playing for Keeps back in Feburary. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and for some reason I never bothered, which is hilarious given how much I love this book. I mean I listened to it as a podcast before it was even picked up by the print publisher. I listened to the fan cast. The only fanfiction I ever wrote started out in Keepsie's bar. It was one of the first superhero things I ever actually liked. And yet, it sat ignores on myself for at least 3 or 4 years. And when I finally picked it up I devoured it in a couple of hours.

Keepsie is Third Wave bar owner. She, like most of her friends, has her very own not-so-super power. Not cool or useful enough to allow her to become a superhero but a power none the less. No one can take anything of Keepsie's without her permission. Besides stopping some would-be thieves and stopping some ornery boyfriends who wouldn't take no for an answer, Keepsie's power didn't do a whole lot for her until she's attacked by a supervillains, just so he could slip something in her pocket, something for Keepsie to protect.

Suddenly Keepsie finds herself stuck between the superheroes - who have done little but look down on and harass her and her friends - or the supervillains, who at least are respectful, even if they might just be out to take over the city.

I really love the way Lafferty looks at superheroes in this story. Sure some of the heros are honorable and all that, but they're human too. They have flaws and problems like anyone else. And sometimes that means that "the good guys" aren't always all that good. (Insert adage about power corrupting here.) And it doesn't mean "the bad guys" are inherently evil either (I mean they might be evil too, but that's not the point).

I also love that Keepsie doesn't want to be a leader. She doesn't really even want to be a hero anymore. She wants to run her bar and stick it to the guys who've been bullying her most of her life. But when the shit hits the fan (not literally, though it could have, one of the Third Wavers shoots streams of sewage out of his hands), when her power drags her into the middle of this mess between superheroes and supervillains Keepsie's stuck having to deal with both sides, while trying to keep herself, her friends and the bar safe. Everyone rallies around her, and there are times when Keepsie just can't really keep it together but she has to at least try to keep it together.

I think the biggest issue with Playing for Keeps is its just so hard to sympathize with any of the "heros." Except for Pallas (the first hero), there isn't really much good in, well any of them. They aren't really in it to help people, most of them don't even seem to like or care for any one besides themselves. They just seem so one dimensional compared to the rest of the cast, villains included.

Overall it's a good fun (and often funny) read/listen with a refreshing take on the superhero genre.

Five out of Five would be thieves stuck in the kitchen.
...more

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Nov 03, 2008 Ross rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, fiction, 2008, fantasy, 2009

Please note this book is available for a free download as a .pdf file here. The .pdf also includes a short story that follows the novel: "Parasite Awakens". You can also buy this book from Amazon.com .

Hang on to your tights and secret identity! Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty is an imaginative and entertaining new superhero story that will leave you looking at caped crusaders in an entirely new way.

The story revolves around Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City Please note this book is available for a free download as a .pdf file here. The .pdf also includes a short story that follows the novel: "Parasite Awakens". You can also buy this book from Amazon.com .

Hang on to your tights and secret identity! Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty is an imaginative and entertaining new superhero story that will leave you looking at caped crusaders in an entirely new way.

The story revolves around Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City, the birthplace of superheros. Keepsie is also one of the group collectively known as the "Third Wavers", those second-generation super-citizens whose powers were not strong enough to make the cut as a Superhero Academy-recognized Hero. Only recognized heroes are allowed to use their powers to stop crime, and furthermore, the majority of them are just plain jerks. The Third Wavers try to get by as ordinary citizens, but there's a fair amount of friction between them and the holier-than-thou heroes of the Academy.

When some super-villains come back into town and try to manipulate Keepsie and her special power to help them accomplish their agenda, Keepsie and some of her fellow Third Wave friends find themselves caught in the middle of a city-wide war between egotistical heroes and cold-hearted, manipulative villains.

This book is a real treat. The plot moves along rapidly, carrying the reader along for a great ride through the creation and evolution of the hero culture in Seventh City. The resentment the Third Wavers feel for the heroes adds another dimension to the story, and as the plot unfolds and the characters are drawn further into the tangle of lies and deception that lay beneath the superhero regime, one gets a peek at the political and sociological elements that run beneath the surface of the novel.

The characters themselves have more depth than one might expect from a superhero story, too. Lafferty does a great job of defining truly distinct personalities for almost all the players of the novel, each guided by their own thoughts and emotions. The dialog further aids in bringing the characters to life, drawing the reader into the world of Heroes and Villains, and the grey area that exists in between.

There is some adult language and content, so I can't say I'd recommend this for anyone under about 14-15 years old. However, the book really is a page-turner, and if you're not careful, you'll find yourself staying up all night to find out exactly how it all will end. ...more

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Aug 15, 2013 Kevin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, superhero

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I started reading Playing for Keeps, I knew nothing of the book or its author, Mur Lafferty.

Playing for Keeps is a superhero story about the other guys, the second tier heroes (called Third Waves here) who didn't quite make the grade. Instead of being heroes, Keepsie Branson and the patrons of her bar live in the shadow of the Academy. They live ordinary lives, either trying to ignore their lesser powers or putting them to use in their choses profession.

From the beginning, Lafferty pulls r ...more

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About Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty

1,219 followers

Mur Lafferty is the author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Hugo and Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides series, and several self pubbed novels and novellas, including the award winning Afterlife series. She is the host of the Hugo-winning podcast Ditch Diggers, and the long-running I Should Be Writing. She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award for best new writer, the M ...more