Shadowrun 09: Shadowplay: Volume 9 of "Shadowrun" [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

A covert operation has gone bad, and the battle to recover the stolen data could lead to global catastrophe. Caught in the middle of this are Sly, a hacker who has been given an encrypted data-packet and is trying to live long enough to find out what she has, and Falcon, a young gang-member trying to fulfil a promise to a comrade. Not easy, considering that every government and corporation on the planet is quite willing to kill to get that data for themselves exclusively...

Nigel Findley always wrote superb Shadowrun fiction, and Shadowplay is no exception. Despite the fact that the plot has literally global implications, he manages to keep Sly and Falcon thinking and (re)acting like real people. There are several good fight sequences, some well-described Matrix scenes, and an 'astral journey' that will give you a good take on how a shaman views themself, their totem, and their magic.

Those who don't understand the setting may get a little disoriented, but if you play Shadowrun, this book is a must-have.

My late brother and I ate up Shadowrun in the mid nineties; both of us came upon the series due to our enjoyment of the 1993 SNES game associated with the franchise. He was an adolescent at the time, and I was essentially a kid, soon to be preteen. We learned of the books shortly after our discovery of the game, and we enjoyed the books and game equally. 'Shadowplay' was the first book we got, and little did we know we stumbled upon one of the best gems from the book line. Sadly, both Findley and my brother died far too young (in 1995 and 1997, respectively), but that doesn't take away from the gifts they brought.

It's 2008 now as I write this review, and my fiance (of similar age to what my brother would be now) has rekindled my interest in the Shadowrun world. I was undoubtedly too young to completely take in all the facets this book had to offer when I first read it in the mid-nineties, but my 2008 reading as an adult (23 now, soon to be 24) has helped me appreciate it in more detail and understanding.

'Shadowplay' definitely keeps up great pace, and that pace can be understood at any age, which helped me love the book even when I was young. What's more apparent to the older crowd is the fine use of setting, character development, and plot, which Findley employs as well. The two main characters in 'Shadowplay' - a teenage boy named Dennis Falk ('Falcon' to his chummers), and a thirtysomething woman named Sharon Louise Young ('Sly' to fellow Shadowrunners) - are completely different people, but equally compelling, and their paths intersect in ways unexpected. Sly is a savvy erstwhile decker, and Falcon is more at home running (though often clumsily) on the streets, while also showing a precocious awareness of totems and magic, in spite of being a clear neophyte.

The plot hinges upon Sly's discovery of an intriguing computer file via the decking of a younger acquaintance named Louis (Sly no longer is into decking as she once was five years ago in the story, so she needs others more aware of the changes in cyberspace to do the work for her), which has importance she doesn't really comprehend at first. This hot file leads many to put a price on Sly's head, and eventually she runs into the kid Falcon. Throughout the course of this exciting story, the two of them run wild through the streets of Seattle, the roads leading to Wyoming and Cheyenne, and they meet many friends and foes along the way. It's this excitement, the pursuit, and the danger they encounter all the way through which makes this book - a somewhat hefty, near 400-page turner - one of the best the Shadowrun series has to offer.

If there is any criticism to be given, it's that sometimes the novel is too coincidental to be believed. But in the world of Shadowrun, coincidences are often par for the course, and so are the crazy goose chases in the world of shadows. Prepare to be engrossed in this violent, volatile imaginary place where anything can happen. You don't even need to be very well-acquainted with the particular futuristic slang, settings, and atmosphere of Shadowrun to get into this book and sink your teeth in its great milieu. Findley also wrote the highly-acclaimed '2XS' for Shadowrun prior to 'Shadowplay,' and some consider that the best book in the series, so you might want to check out that one as well (I never got to that one in my youth, so I think I need to get my hands on that book myself).

This is a must read for all Shadowrun fans. With superbly written characters who are extremely likeable. And a cool plot one can't go wrong! The characters are well written, which is somewhat of an understatment. Their reactions are not so "heroic" as realistic. This allows the reader to identify more with the characters. Both the portagonists, Falcon and Sly share the spotlight throughout the story. The two characters are masterfully tied together through circumstance and become more than just comrades-in-arms but friends (a rare and valuable thing in a dangerous world). While Falcon is seeking his calling of shamanism, Sly must overcome her greatest fears in order to survive. There is no other way to put it, this was a great book!