Rating: 
Summary: An amazing book.
Review: Scott Crane is an alcoholic loser who wakes up in his mid-forties to his own dangerous potential as a contender for the claiming of a supernatural "kingship of the West." The kingship, centered in the dazzling Waste Land of Las Vegas, embodies the Fisher King myth that ties the king spiritually to the land. The current king is Crane's evil, long-absent father who violently took over from fabled gangster Bugsy Siegel. Crane, who was once a professional poker player, finds himself on the run from supernatural hitmen and other rivals, known as "jacks", for the kingship. At stake is his soul. It's almost impossible to describe this book and how it works on so many levels. Crane's character is just as it should be: he's a damaged person who is scared to death and doing the best he can and not sure if he's going to make it.
Rating:
Summary: spectacular...
Review: the loose ends powers ties together to create a lasting story is amazing. definitely check this book out...
Rating:
Summary: worth reading more than once
Review: the thing that stuck in my head most about Last Call is the eery coherence of it's characters fractally demented but 'frighteningly obscure' superstitious universe. I'm not far read, but all the detailing seemed to me to be created out of whole cloth, not derivative.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: This book is indescribable. I have attempted on many occasions to explain the plot of this book to people, but how can you explain that the main tenet is that luck can be won or lost playing poker? It helps if you know a little of the history and origin of tarot and card games, but honestly, how many people (other than me) have that as a hobby? Which makes this a difficult book to sell to others. But in all honesty, you don't need to understand all of the mythology references to enjoy this book. It is a compelling and fascinating look into a world that coexists with our own, just under the surface, but which few can see. I loved that Tim Powers took european myths/archtypes such as the Fisher King and Dianna and moved them to the American West.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: This book is indescribable. I have attempted on many occasions to explain the plot of this book to people, but how can you explain that the main tenet is that luck can be won or lost playing poker? It helps if you know a little of the history and origin of tarot and card games, but honestly, how many people (other than me) have that as a hobby? Which makes this a difficult book to sell to others. But in all honesty, you don't need to understand all of the mythology references to enjoy this book. It is a compelling and fascinating look into a world that coexists with our own, just under the surface, but which few can see. I loved that Tim Powers took european myths/archtypes such as the Fisher King and Dianna and moved them to the American West.
Rating:
Summary: Complexity Perfected
Review: This story is a unique marriage of superstition and magic, Las Vegas and Camelot, poker and Tarot. It has a dozen or more quirky-yet-real-yet-surreal characters, any one of whom is fascinating enough to rate a novel of his or her own. Yet Tim Powers has pulled them all into a rich, complex square-dance of a story. He proves that Fantasy novels don't have to be predictable or forgettable. I'll be buying more of his work!
Rating:
Summary: Original twist on the Grail legend
Review: Tim Powers' highly inventive novel makes poker a form of numerological magic and Las Vegas the wasteland of the Grail legend, only waiting for the rightful king to make it bloom. Unfortunately, it's been in the grip of an unjust grail king, willing even to sacrifice his sons to perpetuate his own power. The novel follows the harrowing adventures of Scott Crane as he embarks on a quest to challenge the unrighteous king and win back something he lost at cards long ago: his soul.
Rating:
Summary: A very special book
Review: Tim Powers, as will be evident to anyone having read his books, is a very original author. Algis Budrys persists, over Tim's protests, to call him a genious. He is quite right.
I think that Last Call is a bit overlooked. It is my favorite book of Tim's. I am hard put to descibe why this is. It just has so wonderful ideas, hangs together so perfectly, and has so wonderful characters. I mean, I truly like the characters... Well, I hope you catch my drift. Get the book.
Eolake Stobblehouse
Rating:
Summary: Wow...
Review: When I go to Vegas, I'm definitely going to have to pay attention to the cigarette smoke. Not that I expect things in real life to happen like the events and magic in this book, but it's so good, I expect it to. It starts being about people playing poker. It ends up being about a battle for the Kingship of the West, with a immensely powerful Tarot deck as the weapon. Beyond that, you'll have to read the book. I highly recommend it, both because it's a really good story, and because Mr. Powers' writing is very well done. In the event you're a role-player, I have a definite feeling this is one of the roots for Unknown Armies, and it has a major influence on Kenneth Hite's writing (in the Suppressed Transmission). It makes me want to play a UA game so bad, it isn't funny. Read it.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Tale
Review: Whenever I read a novel I can tell from the first few sentences whether or not I will enjoy the book by judging the author's writing style. From the first few words of Tim Powers' "Last Call" I was drawn in to this captivating story. Tim Powers is a fantasy author but what makes Mr. Powers' novels different from others is that his fantasy novels take place in our world and seem that what goes on really could happen. Scott Crane was involved in a dangerous card game called Assumption many years ago and he is dreaming of the game. In this game his soul was stolen by the man that started the game. 20 years from when the game took place Scott decides that he wants to get back into playing Poker and Crane has no clue for what is going to happen to him. Scott is biologically the next Fisher King, the mythological king of the tarot card world. When Scott enter Las Vegas the cards are showing that he is in the city and people want him dead. From Vegas to Los Angeles to the Hoover Dam this novel is a tour de force that will keep you riveted from page one. Tim Powers is a very different type of fantasy author. His fantasies take place in our world and deal with real people just like you and me. The whole fantasy premise of "Last Call" is based on tarot cards and Powers makes you believe that these cards really have meaning and are much more than bogus. Other myths are also used in this book such as some things from King Arthur. Powers is an amazing author. From the first page of this novel you are grabbed and you will read and read and read until you have come to the ending. All of the characters are three dimensional people that you will care for and will either love or hate. There was just one thing about this novel that I didn't like. In fact, another reviewer brought something up along the lines of what I am going to say. I felt that the book's ending was a bit rushed and that Powers didn't let the ending work itself out. This minor wualm, however, did not make my reading of this book bad and therefore the book will keep five stars despite this. This is my first Tim Powers novel and it defintely will not be my last. I will never look at tarot cards or regular playing cards the same way since I have read this book. This is the perfect fantasy for somebody that wants an original read. Happy Reading!
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