Rating: 
Summary: Suddenly the tale takes some surprising turns
Review: After three novels set in the past and detailing the typical operations of Company operatives, Kage Baker's series jumps into the future with The Graveyard Game. Joseph and Lewis, brought together by their concern over the fate of Botanist Mendoza, begin an investigation into her disappearance that will last centuries, lead them all over the world, and reveal some of Dr. Zeus's deepest secrets. Some questions are answered. Others remain. New problems emerge. And the Silence grows closer.
Baker really ups the ante in this installment. It is here that the Company novels become a continuous series rather than a broad milieu. Plot threads from the three previous books are tied together, and the shape of the future begins to emerge. The tradeoff here is that there's less time for character exploration and development. The (sometimes excessively) leisurely-paced historical narratives are gone, replaced by a future of political correctness gone mad and the great nations of the world gone to the dogs. The strength of this vision, and the developing complexity of the plot, are The Graveyard Game's major assets. 4 stars, or 8/10.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter series for grown-ups!
Review: Baker's "The Company" series takes a definate darker turn as the year 2355 comes closer and some its all too-human cyborg operatives start finding evidence that the promised luxury retirement after all their millenia of work saving the history and treasures of mankind, may be retirement of the very dead type.I won't give it away here, but it may not be just "The Company" and mortals that will be against them in 2355. The hunt gets curiouser and curiouser("Alice" style)as cyborgs Lewis and Joseph, in search of the missing cyborgs Mendoza and Badu discover hidden crypts full of missing operatives in regenerative fluid, presumably held for a future wake-up call, but no Mendoza or Badu. Along the way, they find out a lot more about Arthur Bell-Fairfax, Mendoza's dead 19th-century lover and his involvement with "The Company", and evidence that "The Company" goes way, way back and is not just the supercorporation of the 24th century. The names involved may suprise you! We also meet up with some of the other immortal operatives that appeared in the earlier books in the series, although Baker writes them in with enough backstory, one doesn't have to have read the three previous books(although you are missing a lot if you haven't). A continued running gag is Lewis and Joseph's never-ending search for cyborgs' drug of choice(chocolate)with the passing years as mortals outlaw coffee, caffeine, chocolate, wine, milk products, meat and poultry as immoral and/or cruel to animals.This continuing story works on two levels: pure science fiction and a parable about the baby-boom generation(the cyborgs) clash with the present generations' press for their own immortality by doing whatever's right to live longer and be PC in everything, delivered in Baker's tongue-in-cheek, laugh outload, dark-humored style. As I finished the last chapter, I pulled out the three previous books and will re-read them, looking for clues to predict book five. This is Harry Potter for grown-ups!
Rating: 
Summary: Darker and darker
Review: Baker's Company novels are getting darker and darker, and more and more addictive. Something truly awful is going to happen, and I can hardly wait to find out what it is! The Graveyard Game advances the plot, telling us a lot about Lewis' lonely life and Joseph's curiosity--and leaves us on the edge of our chairs. This novel would not stand alone--I doubt if it would make much sense without having read at least the previous one. Most recommended--to read them all, in order.
Rating: 
Summary: Slight disappointment as plot conquers characters
Review: Baker's fourth Company novel reaches new heights of intrigue and moody atmosphere and tumbles to new lows of plot over character development. The first three novels picked a historic time period and let the characters develop within the specific milieu they found themselves inhabiting. The Graveyard Game jumps through time and for the first time really explores our future. While this leads to amusing state-of-the-world extrapolations (New York sues New Jersey to get its trash back!), it also sacrifices in-depth character studies that were the hallmark of the first three novels. This may be the first Company novel that will satisfy only existing fans. That said, the dark sense of foreboding that permeated every page here will keep me reading the series-I feel that I NEED to know what is going on. I only wish that I could have seen more insights into why the Lewis character became so obsessed and why Joseph took the decision to overturn his longstanding self-preservation at all costs policy so lightly.
Rating:
Summary: The conspiracy deepens
Review: Each new Company book adds so many new twists on the political intrigues, physics and players that I end up rereading a good deal of what's gone before just to marvel at the hints and red herrings that she's sprinkled innocently in her earlier books and short stories (highly recommended as they're part of the continuity). Graveyard Games is the most convoluted yet, with whole new levels of conspiracy and players involved. Throughout it all Kage Baker remains true to her characters, both central and incidental, creating some of the most intriguing and real heros and antiheroes in science fiction. And there's plenty of humor and "must read aloud" passages. This book starts in the present and extends into the far future. Baker creates an excellent if slightly melancholy future which leaves you wishing for the greenness of Tudor England or the free-spiritedness of her wild west. And at the same time, you just can't wait to get to 2355. The only problem, no Mendoza or seven foot, broken nose heart throbs. Guess I'll just have to wait for the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Best Yet And Tantalizing!
Review: Every one of Kage Baker's Company books are great, either alone or taken as a series. This one, though, is the finest and most complicated yet. It's darker, but not bleak - a mature, complex story, very satisfying in itself and yet definately whetting the reader's appetite for more, more, MORE! The New York Times said that if John Le Carre wrote science fiction, it would read like the Graveyard Game. I think it's better than that: Le Carre lacks the intimate connection with the fate of the characters that Baker does so well and so easily. She clearly cares about her heroes, even when putting them through horrific adventures and fates - and because she does, so do you. As always, her evocation of place and time is flawless. It's even more interesting this time, since so much of the Graveyard Game takes place in the actual future. It's not a particularly NICE future, but it's awfully believable. And as usual, even her darker visions are leavened with genuine humor and stalwart heroism. Joseph and Lewis shine. They also entertain richly. There are scenes that are fall-off-your-chair funny (you'll never be able to keep a straight face in an ice cream parlor again) and absolutely gripping action takes, like the fate of the famed Lost Ninth Legion of the Romans. Ms. Baker continues to add romance to her story, so sadly lacking in most science fiction, but this time it's definately guy-stuff romance: toughness. Heroes. Action, adventure and chivalry, determined fights for lost causes. This is great story telling. I recommend it highly, and can hardly wait for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: And I thought the world was ugly *now*!
Review: Four books into Kage Baker's science fiction series about "The Company," and things are getting quite interesting. The Graveyard Game is yet another standout addition to a series that doesn't stop, as we learn even more sinister secrets about the Company and how it handles the immortals that it has created. Baker's writing seems to have matured, tackling an even broader story that encompasses not only the personal (as she has done superbly before) but also the politics. She takes bits and pieces that have only been hinted at in previous books and ties them up, leaving us with even further questions about what is going to happen. With three more books left in the series (and the next one is coming out this year!), the situation is wide open. I love being along on this ride, and part of me wishes it wouldn't stop. With The Graveyard Game, Baker continues the roll she's been on since the hiccup that is Sky Coyote (and I say this to indicate that I don't necessarily like everything she's written). The Graveyard Game opens in 1996, with one of Mendoza's best friends (Lewis) wondering what happened to her, especially after he briefly encounters a version of her that was inexplicably thrust forward from 1862 (before she ran away). He tries to recruit Joseph into his search, who is more than willing to join. It seems he thinks he saw Mendoza and her lover in 1923, plus he feels responsible for her. Years pass as their investigation continues, and they uncover more and more dirt on the Company. Why do some operatives disappear with no record? Why, as the 24th century approaches (this book actually ends in the late 23rd century), do secrets become even more impenetrable? Why is there little record of what happens leading up to 2355? Why does Mendoza's lover keep reappearing, and what is his connection to the Company? And, most importantly to Lewis as events unfold, who are the people who seem to know about the immortals and also seem to know how to damage one? Baker throws us a bit of a change-up in The Graveyard Game. Despite there being a lot of personal interaction (especially between Lewis and Joseph) that Baker excels at as usual, the most interesting thing about the book is the world that Baker has created. As time passes in great chunks, she is able to show us how much the world has changed, and it's not very pretty. Britain has enforced veganism, personal interaction is almost forbidden. The birth rate has plummeted as people spend more and more time paying attention to their inner child and not having any real ones. It's against the law to do anything that might be bad for you (heaven forbid if you have a beer!). People get around this by living in the wilds, or out on sailboats in international waters. Every time the scene shifts years, Baker takes a bit of time to tell us what's going on in the world. The best part, though, is that it's not as much of an infodump as it might be. All of this is told in the context of telling us what Lewis is up to, or Joseph. Many of the details slip out in the narrative. Sometimes it's used to explain just what the other immortals are thinking, especially as we get nearer the time of "The Silence" in 2355. They see this world as it approaches, and they have to wonder just what they are saving all of this stuff for. Factions are starting to form inside the Company operatives, and many of them are just disappearing. Joseph seems to know a bit about what is going on, but his investigations get increasingly dangerous. He tries in vain to keep Lewis out of most of the danger, and watching Baker handle the relationship between these two is great. Lewis is a bookish, Noel Coward type who is at home in a library. He just won't let his investigation of Mendoza's lover go, despite Joseph's warnings. Joseph is the same character we've known and loved in the previous books: sarcastic, intelligent, witty and dedicated. You can tell that he feels deeply about Mendoza, almost like a father-figure (since he did recruit her into the Company) and he's increasingly horrified as he uncovers more and more about the Company he's serving. He's also very loyal, both to Mendoza and his own father-figure who disappeared a long time ago. The Graveyard Game features these two immortals at the expense of everybody else. There are some other immortals in the book who are well-characterized, but they don't get the extensive treatment. We do see some familiar figures from past books throughout the course of Joseph's search, and that's always a pleasure. Baker handles them all deftly, giving us just enough information so that we think we know them without having to delve too deeply into them. She also handle the switch from personal to action very well, with a vivid description of a battle between three immortals and a Roman unit that was obliterated in England in the 1st Century. I can't say enough good things about The Graveyard Game, or this series in general. You owe it to yourself to pick it up. Don't let the second book get you down. Just read it and absorb the Company politics, and then move on. If you do, then you'll be rewarded with wonderful books like Mendoza in Hollywood and this one. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: And I thought the world was ugly *now*!
Review: Four books into Kage Baker's science fiction series about "The Company," and things are getting quite interesting. The Graveyard Game is yet another standout addition to a series that doesn't stop, as we learn even more sinister secrets about the Company and how it handles the immortals that it has created. Baker's writing seems to have matured, tackling an even broader story that encompasses not only the personal (as she has done superbly before) but also the politics. She takes bits and pieces that have only been hinted at in previous books and ties them up, leaving us with even further questions about what is going to happen. With three more books left in the series (and the next one is coming out this year!), the situation is wide open. I love being along on this ride, and part of me wishes it wouldn't stop. With The Graveyard Game, Baker continues the roll she's been on since the hiccup that is Sky Coyote (and I say this to indicate that I don't necessarily like everything she's written). The Graveyard Game opens in 1996, with one of Mendoza's best friends (Lewis) wondering what happened to her, especially after he briefly encounters a version of her that was inexplicably thrust forward from 1862 (before she ran away). He tries to recruit Joseph into his search, who is more than willing to join. It seems he thinks he saw Mendoza and her lover in 1923, plus he feels responsible for her. Years pass as their investigation continues, and they uncover more and more dirt on the Company. Why do some operatives disappear with no record? Why, as the 24th century approaches (this book actually ends in the late 23rd century), do secrets become even more impenetrable? Why is there little record of what happens leading up to 2355? Why does Mendoza's lover keep reappearing, and what is his connection to the Company? And, most importantly to Lewis as events unfold, who are the people who seem to know about the immortals and also seem to know how to damage one? Baker throws us a bit of a change-up in The Graveyard Game. Despite there being a lot of personal interaction (especially between Lewis and Joseph) that Baker excels at as usual, the most interesting thing about the book is the world that Baker has created. As time passes in great chunks, she is able to show us how much the world has changed, and it's not very pretty. Britain has enforced veganism, personal interaction is almost forbidden. The birth rate has plummeted as people spend more and more time paying attention to their inner child and not having any real ones. It's against the law to do anything that might be bad for you (heaven forbid if you have a beer!). People get around this by living in the wilds, or out on sailboats in international waters. Every time the scene shifts years, Baker takes a bit of time to tell us what's going on in the world. The best part, though, is that it's not as much of an infodump as it might be. All of this is told in the context of telling us what Lewis is up to, or Joseph. Many of the details slip out in the narrative. Sometimes it's used to explain just what the other immortals are thinking, especially as we get nearer the time of "The Silence" in 2355. They see this world as it approaches, and they have to wonder just what they are saving all of this stuff for. Factions are starting to form inside the Company operatives, and many of them are just disappearing. Joseph seems to know a bit about what is going on, but his investigations get increasingly dangerous. He tries in vain to keep Lewis out of most of the danger, and watching Baker handle the relationship between these two is great. Lewis is a bookish, Noel Coward type who is at home in a library. He just won't let his investigation of Mendoza's lover go, despite Joseph's warnings. Joseph is the same character we've known and loved in the previous books: sarcastic, intelligent, witty and dedicated. You can tell that he feels deeply about Mendoza, almost like a father-figure (since he did recruit her into the Company) and he's increasingly horrified as he uncovers more and more about the Company he's serving. He's also very loyal, both to Mendoza and his own father-figure who disappeared a long time ago. The Graveyard Game features these two immortals at the expense of everybody else. There are some other immortals in the book who are well-characterized, but they don't get the extensive treatment. We do see some familiar figures from past books throughout the course of Joseph's search, and that's always a pleasure. Baker handles them all deftly, giving us just enough information so that we think we know them without having to delve too deeply into them. She also handle the switch from personal to action very well, with a vivid description of a battle between three immortals and a Roman unit that was obliterated in England in the 1st Century. I can't say enough good things about The Graveyard Game, or this series in general. You owe it to yourself to pick it up. Don't let the second book get you down. Just read it and absorb the Company politics, and then move on. If you do, then you'll be rewarded with wonderful books like Mendoza in Hollywood and this one. David Roy
Rating:
Summary: all coming nicely to a boil...
Review: Here's the trick: Give enough details about a span of two centuries worth of human history and technological innovation without getting bogged down in every detail of every gadget and widget. Explain the fads without a sociological breakdown for every chapter. For this alone, the book is a success. What you have here is a whirlwind tour of some two hundred years starting from the late twentieth century and going from there. And that's just the backdrop for a story in which Joseph works covertly across the years to find out what happened to Mendoza (who is still a whiny prat, I imagine) and what The Company is about (which is still ominous) as well as what happened to his mentor. And while he's at that he has to use virtually every connection he has, including characters you've met in previous books. And it works. The tension builds across decades and you're left with a feeling of impending doom at the end of the book. Understand that this is, without a doubt, the WORST book to start the series with. The last three books have built to this point and without reading them, you'll be lost. This is a weakness if you haven't already done that. But if you've read the other books... oh but this is good stuff. Can hardly wait for the next one...
Rating:
Summary: all coming nicely to a boil...
Review: Here's the trick: Give enough details about a span of two centuries worth of human history and technological innovation without getting bogged down in every detail of every gadget and widget. Explain the fads without a sociological breakdown for every chapter. For this alone, the book is a success. What you have here is a whirlwind tour of some two hundred years starting from the late twentieth century and going from there. And that's just the backdrop for a story in which Joseph works covertly across the years to find out what happened to Mendoza (who is still a whiny prat, I imagine) and what The Company is about (which is still ominous) as well as what happened to his mentor. And while he's at that he has to use virtually every connection he has, including characters you've met in previous books. And it works. The tension builds across decades and you're left with a feeling of impending doom at the end of the book. Understand that this is, without a doubt, the WORST book to start the series with. The last three books have built to this point and without reading them, you'll be lost. This is a weakness if you haven't already done that. But if you've read the other books... oh but this is good stuff. Can hardly wait for the next one...
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