Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: While this collection of Wild Card stories involving Deuces (very minor Aces) does justice to the series, it can't match the excellence of its prececessors. The fact that it's a short, quick read is also disappointing. Still, it's nice to see a scattering of old, familiar faces, particularly Bradley Finn in his pre-doctor days, the chillingly uncaring Demise (aka Warren Spector), and The Sleeper (aka Croyd Crenson).
Rating:
Summary: New Wild Cards
Review: Without any fan fare we've suddenly got the first new Wild Cards book in seven years. Like the first Wild Cards book and Card Sharks this is a series of stories set throughout the history of the Wild Cards universe and linked around a theme. In the case of Card Sharks it was about encounters with an anti-Wild Card conspiracy. In this case it's about Deuces, those with useless or negligble powers. For those who haven't read the previous books I'd recommend starting with Wild Cards volume I which has recently been republished. For long time readers the sight of a new Wild Cards novel will be a nice surprise.
As a whole the book suffers a bit from a surprising nuymber of typos and a poor cover desing that makes the title almost unreadable. Like any anthology book the stories are a mixed bag. There's no Martin story but there are tales from founding Wild Carders such as John J Miller, Melinda Snodgrass, and Stephen Leigh. Unfortunately the book leads off with Michael Cassutts story. Its put first because it takes place first but the story is probably the worst in the book (it revolves around Cassuts fetish for Wild Card space travel particularly a ludicrous clandestine flight to the moon) and because it doesn't fit the theme. The main characters tactile telekinesis is hardly a negligable power. Fortunately John J Millers story is next and is a lot better. It's a very nice story about a young Digger Downs trying to uncover the secret Ace behind the Dodgers incredible winning streak. A nice look at a young supporting character from the original books and a twist ending that makes sense and is very heartwarming, even if Digger doesn't see it that way. There's a fairly average story involving a nightclub owner saving a woman from the Great Ape in 1977. One thing that bothered me a bit about it is that I think this is the first usage of Croyd Crenson we've seen since Roger Zelaznys death. It seemed a little sacreliious. Melinda Snodgrass gives us a good story involving Dr Flinn as a young med student working his way through school in Hollywood, even if the ending doesn't make sense. There's a pretty good story written by newcomer Daniel Abraham involving a deuce priest trying to protect a young hooker in the midst of a gang war. Oddly the story heavily involves Demise even though it's not written by Demise's creator Walton Simons (who instead supplies the story involving the Great Ape. The stand out story is Stephen Leigh's "Promises". Unlike the others there's not really any action at all. Instead the story is a romance set on an Irish Island that's the Irish version of Jokertown and involves a throw away character from the last book (the pilot who flew Gregg Hartmann and Hannah Davis to Britain). A really touching story about a good man who makes finds love unexpectedly and with tragic results. THe final Story is from Kevin Andrew Murphy and is a decent, but not great, tale that takes palce during a manic halloween concert in Jokertown. It's okay but suffers somewhat from some poor motivation for the story (it's essentially a madcap search for the ace Topper's hat) and for some of the characters (folks seem to lose interest in their main motivation simply because the plot requires us to be introduced to some people). It is notable because it gives us what I think is the first appearance of Fortunato and Peregrines son (oddly, given his parentage, he's still a virgin at fifteen). So in summation it's decent but not great. OTOH the other two collections where the stories have been spread over time rather than grouped around a central set of events, have been some of the weaker parts of the Wild Cards series. Here's hoping that this book means that we'll be seeing more of the Wild Cards in coming years. There's certainly plot threads out there: the return of Tachyon, Zoe's revenge etc. Hopefully new novels will also include some new stories by guys like George RR Martin, and Lew Shiner.
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