Night's Pawn

Shadowrun Novels #10

by Tom Dowd

For years, Jason Chase was at the head of the pack, shadowrunning with the best in the business. When time dulled his flesh and cybernetic edge, he knew it was time to get out, or get dead.

Genres: Cyberpunk, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Role Playing Games, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

284 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ellana Thornton-Wheybrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

#24in48

Another amazing story. This series has fast become my favourite of the year so far.

[Steven "Steve" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the Shadowrun canon.

[Luka Janicijevic · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slightly confusing prologue that juggles rapid world-building, character development, and setting up a plot point, while trying to keep some action.

Jumping into the actual meat of the first act is much more refreshing and moves well.

I love characters like Chase in Shadowrun novels, the ‘retired veteran thrust back into service’ is a great trope, especially when executed well.

The book slows down a bit in the second act to properly develop its cast, but the spurts of action keep it moving.

The third act really ramps up, but the ending feels rushed with lots of threads that are dangled in front the reader, left loose.

The actual ending left me very disappointed, I mean, after the massive climax, as the dust is not even settled, the author simply shifts chapter and attempts to close off the book with five lines that attempt to mirror the start of the book - it feels as anti-climactic as “...and he woke up and it was all a dream”.

I feel like this book was meant to be longer, with much more plot development, based on the sheer amount of loose threads and plot holes left behind, and the laughably short ending.

Still worth the read if you’re going through the old Shadowrun novels.

[Stan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Night's Pawn - Shadowrun. I never played the Shadowrun RPG, but had friends who did. I always wondered about the books and finally picked this one up for a dollar. It is a pretty good read, though the profanity used was not necessary. That said, it was not a cyberpunk as I had hoped - not many detailed descriptions of tech as I had hoped for. And, the magic system of of Shadowrun is very different than I expected.

The story itself is pretty good, albeit predictable in several places. And, one of the characters even states that part of the finale is anti-climactic. Then there is a second anti-climactic finale. Then the book pretty much ends with a mysterious paragraph that made no sense to me, but it didn't seem like a hook for a future book. And, I never really figured out what the title of the book had to do with the actual story.

So, yeah, three goodreads stars for this one.

[Rui Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadowrun: Night's Pawn offered a thrilling cyberpunk adventure reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077. The gritty portrayal of cybernetic enhancements like Mantis Blades and the brutal efficiency of the Rapier's Touch (a Shadowrun take on the Basilisk) immersed me in this dangerous world. While the ambiguous ending left me wanting more closure for certain characters, it also sparked discussions about the lasting consequences of their choices. Night's Pawn effectively captures the essence of Shadowrun, with its blend of high-tech weaponry, corporate conspiracies, and the desperate struggle for survival in a world on the brink.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

old school Shadowrun. I read it in my youth while RPG'ing Shadowrun (one of the early versions of the game) and loved picking up immersive novels for the setting. It's a different experience picking up the novels again as an adult when many years have passed since I last read the books. Still a fun read.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granting that this isn't Steinbeck, I really enjoyed this romp in the cyber future of Shadowrun. Which surprised me as I'd expected a pulpy tie-in to the RPG game. Dowd does well in delivering an engaging, albeit light, thriller that checks all the boxes and keeps moving. I'll be reading more titles by him.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as fond of this as I was with Robert N. Charrette's work. Dowd's choice in prose style was stilted at times and required buffering facts and context for paragraphs at a time before clarity was found. The last "chapter" felt as though the project was rushed to publication; no satisfying wrap-up.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts out good, but then goes a long time before anything happens. The endings kind of confusing. I guess Alamais dies.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Shadowrun novel I read and I really enjoyed it.

Some of the characters seem a little 2-dimensional, but the 2 main characters have an interesting father/daughter relationship.

The story follows a retired runner who is dragged back into work from an old employer's daughter need of protection. The relationship is interesting due to the way the old hard runner views things and the girl does. There are several scenes of thick tension and Tom Dowd uses a more show don't tell approach with his writing which does help invoke the brutal imagery and emotions of the characters.

The ending is slightly weak given the previous moments in the book, but it was a very fun read. And I recommend it if someone wants to become familiar with the Shadowrun lore.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manhattan shadows stretch around the globe

Find yourself releasing breath you didn't realize you were holding and sneaking away to read. Heavy action. An onion of a main character that is revealed through the reverse engineering of his past. The shadow community detail is like 19th century scrimshaw. Where there be dragons seek no deals. Thank you to the author.

[Damian Shuman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadowrun

This is a must read for anyone with a sci-fi/fantasy addiction. Any game masters looking to inject some extra meta-story elements into their games, would do wise to read into the SR Legends series.

Dowd keeps to the point of his material, never wasting a reader's time.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Shadowrun novel you want to read!
A likable character with a dark past, plots within plots concerning corporations, fast paced action with the smugglers run and a high level ending.
It is well written (which is not always the case with the Shadowrun novels) and brings the Shadowrun world to live. It will give any GM, material he can use in his games.

[Brett]

Science Fiction

[Nicholas Fulwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got maybe half way through. Very repetitive with a lot of problematic tropes.