Shadowrun: Stirred

Shadowrun Novels #54

by Russell Zimmerman

NO PLACE FOR A HERO... Jimmy Kincaid, burned-out mage, P. I., and the closest thing Puyallup’s got to a hero, has a lot on his plate these days. Simmering gang wars, feuding mobsters, missing runaways, magical power only as reliable as his stubborn sorcerous patron, and—well above his usual pay grade—an encrypted data file that's already cost him friends, but that he can’t even access. When the always-dangerous troubles of the Seattle sprawl deepen into a bloody conspiracy with ties to neighboring nations and inhuman powers, he knows he’s on the job of his life. Facing the longest of long odds, Kincaid’s all too aware that the house always wins. Luckily, he’s not alone. A man like Jimmy can’t walk these shadowed streets without making enemies, but he’s made allies, too. With the help of his bounty-hunting best friends, an up-and-coming shadowrunner team, a former Lone Star detective who’s short in stature but big in style, and his loyal, albeit flighty ally spirit, Jimmy’s stacked the deck in his favor. Maybe he’s got a shot after all. Maybe he can make it all work. Maybe he can find the right balance, share the right truths, and make something good out of a whole lot of bad. Of course, the problem with a house of cards is it just takes one good hit to bring it all tumbling down…

Genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2020

About the author

Russell ("Rusty" when he's not working) got started in writing as a freelancer for wargames like Warmachine, and since then has contributed to dozens of projects including fan-favorite fiction in Shadowrun and writing the international award-winning PC game Satellite Reign.

His most noteworthy work has been for the Shadowrun role-playing game and associated properties, and in more recent years he's become a regular contributor to the universes of BattleTech and Warhammer 40,000, as well.

During his career he's spilled some ink for a wide variety of genres and games, including Vampire 20th Anniversary, Earthdawn, Mutants & Masterminds, Gangs of the Undercity, multiple video games, and more! By working for Shadowrun, BattleTech, and Earthdawn, he's finished the old-school FASA trifecta, and is as such officially unstoppable.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Russell Zimmerman really ups his game with Stirred, giving us more of our favorite worn down, heart of gold, take no crap gumshoe Jimmy Kincaid, yet also expanding the scope of the story and the cast of characters.

Stirred takes the Kincaid storyline that we have been following and, after the bloody drek hits the fan and gets messy, Zimmerman hands off the point of view of the story to multiple characters. This gives us a wonderful peek at the lore, culture shock, and politics of the Sixth World, as well as makes the story bigger. The stakes follow the trend, and Zimmerman masterfully catches you off guard multiple times by ratcheting up the tension and tossing in some explosive twists.

Needless to say, a lot of unsavory things happen to our cast of characters, and it was a blast to read.

I can't wait for the next installment of the Kincaid saga, be it another novel, short story, or novella. Whatever Zimmerman cranks out, I am so there!

[Matthew Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best Shadowrun book I have ever read!!!

It checks all the boxes:
Compelling characters
Changing perspectives
Investigators, organized crime, gangs, Shadowrunners, Jackpoint, smuggling, hacking, magic, metaplanes.
Betrayal, double crossing, misinformation, using people, helping people.
Russell fits in basically everything and it doesnt feel shoehorned.

This story is DONK!

I FREAKING LIVED IT!!!

[Daniel Cloutier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zimmerman schaffte es mit Stirred, einen der besten Shadowrun Romane überhaupt zu schreiben. Die vielen bekannten und neuen Charaktere, diverse parallele Handlungsstränge in Puyallup und Tir, überhaupt der Ausflug nach Tir und zu den Ancients, der Auftritt legendärer Personen aus dem SR Universum und Kincaids lakonische Art machen diesen Ausflug zu einem wahren Fest.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zimmerman serves up a ripping cocktail that leaves us wanted another.

I like that he's expanded his cast of characters and want to see them again. The logic of some events was a bit twisted, but they made sense once the storylines coalesced.

[Craig Carignan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love me some Shadowrun novels.