Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)Ray Lilly is shocked that he's not in jail for everything that occurred in Hammer Bay.However, it's not long before Ray's state of in-between-not in jail and not actively working for the Twenty Palace Society-is disturbed.Ray himself can't decide if the reemergence into society work is a good thing or a bad thing...The problem this time?A few groups of the incredibly rich attend an auction to bid on a predator.The creature escapes and it's up to Ray and a society investigator, Catherine, to figure out what's going on and how to put a stop to it.

CHILD OF FIRE was a great debut of a series very much like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden but with a slightly different flavor.GAME OF CAGES takes that solid beginning and improves on nearly everything-especially the action.

First, I have to say: thank mercy that the cover art has improved.Apparently, Christian McGrath (who does covers for just about everything in urban fantasy these days), did both the cover for CHILD OF FIRE and GAME OF CAGES, but GAME OF CAGES looks much, much, much better.It's something about how corny and fake the fire looks on CHILD OF FIRE and the horrible text that was laid across McGrath's art...Anyway, GAME OF CAGES has a much more polished appearance and it isn't going unappreciated!

I had to get that out there before I start in on the book.Cover art is important, you know.

So Ray is incredibly important to this series.In a genre that's far too populated with unique and special snowflakes with special abilities and special attention, Ray is the lowest of the lowly.I love that.By himself, Ray isn't powerful at all except in that he's a very good fighter and his single spell.Now, granted, the ghost knife is pretty awesome.It bleeds out homicidal tendencies from a person, makes them docile, and can cut through anything that's not alive.But, in the end, it's a piece of paper and I love how that's forever on Ray's mind.I also really enjoy Ray's character in just about every other way.He's not a self-righteous tough guy.He's tough, but he's often confused, not knowledgeable in a situation, or unsure of himself-but he knows how to act.It's a great combination.

Also, I love the development between him and Annalise in this second volume.Annalise (unfortunately) doesn't show up until much later than I'd like, but even in her absence the reader gets to learn a lot about the relationship between her and Ray, mostly through the lens of Catherine, the investigator:'She let out an exasperated laugh that turned into another sigh."I'm not angry with you, Ray.Okay, I was, but not anymore.You mean well.It's this Annalise that [ticks (*word edited to pass Amazon standards)] me off.She's the one who put those spells on you, am I right?And she has you thinking she's such hot...that you're practically creaming in your pants over her."

I suddenly felt very still."Watch it," I said.' [p110]I think this is a pretty astute observation from Catherine, despite that she hasn't been with Ray long when she says it.In a way, Ray and Annalise share a mutual dependency, but there's no question which way the power (and respect) flow in their relationship.Annalise is pretty much a demi-god in Ray's eyes, even though he's often the one who has to pick up the pieces of her after things go badly.I truly hope to see more of this developed in future books, because it's the most dysfunction and awesome boss-subordinate relationship ever.

Speaking of people who push Ray around: let's talk about Catherine.Throughout GAME OF CAGES, I was torn on whether or not I should like her.There are some moments that she really grated my nerves and others were she was pretty cool.In the end I'm ambivalent about her, but she did tend to make memorable scenes.(Particularly the one in which she tries to take Ray's ghost knife from him saying, "That spell.You should give it to me and show me how it works.I'm the investigator here, and that thing could really help me with my job."Well, she certainly doesn't pull punches, even if she ends up looking selfish, self-important, and ignorant because of it.I did warm up to her as the story progressed, but the scene stuck in my side like a bur.Then again, maybe it was supposed to.

Most of the novel is action-packed.Once Ray hits the ground running he isn't allowed more than a second to recover-and neither is the reader.It's the sort of story that makes me hold my breath all the way through and at the end I can finally draw in air again.

By comparison, any complaints I had with the book were pretty small.Connolly has polished his content from Child of Fire to Game of Cageswith at least as much improvement in content as in cover.(And that's quite a lot, trust me.)Sure, I wish Annalise had stepped in a little earlier.I wish I could see her kick some ass seriously.I wish that the word "johnson" had never been used.(I mean, really? It was okay for the little old lady, but not for Ray.)I wish that a few areas had been a little less muddled.

But overall? I'm going to give Connolly a hearty recommendation.The Ray Lilly stories are wonderful action, mystery, and urban fantasy.There's not even a lick of romance in them, really, either, which is a nice change.

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