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Garrett Files #10
Angry Lead Skies
Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
A series far ahead of its time, now back in print
Anyone else would have learned by now: when trouble comes knocking, don't open the door. But there's a reason why Garrett's still in the P.I. business after all these years-he's not one to learn his lessons. Maybe that's why he lets himself get roped into being a bodyguard for Kip Prose, an obnoxious kid being threatened by creatures that can't quite be described. But before Kip Prose has a chance to explain what he's done to get on the hit list of some nameless nasties, the precocious Prose is abducted, and the chase begins...
A series far ahead of its time, now back in print
Anyone else would have learned by now: when trouble comes knocking, don't open the door. But there's a reason why Garrett's still in the P.I. business after all these years-he's not one to learn his lessons. Maybe that's why he lets himself get roped into being a bodyguard for Kip Prose, an obnoxious kid being threatened by creatures that can't quite be described. But before Kip Prose has a chance to explain what he's done to get on the hit list of some nameless nasties, the precocious Prose is abducted, and the chase begins...
364 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 15, 2002
About the author
Glen Cook
138 books3,490 followersGlen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 21, 2022
🦜 Dodos in Clown Suits For the Win Buddy Read (DiCSFtWBR™) with The Overlord 🦜
💥 Warning! Extra Super Crappy Review straight ahead! You’re welcome!
Okay, so this installment isn't my favorite in the series. First because it doesn’t start with with a girl (not sure Garrett will ever recover from that one). Second because no one dies 😱😱. Which is shocking as fish when you're familiar with CookBooks™ and their average body count (as in, the reader is usually grateful for making it out of the story alive). Third because there islots of some unnecessary filler stuff that slows the book down. Fourth because I’m not a fan of distasteful, unnecessary, overly convoluted plot devices. Fifth because most abrupt ending in the history of most abrupt endings. Sixth because, I don't know, reasons and stuff. But hey, the plot is still pretty entertaining and original and stuff and there is lots of action, so it’s not all bad and stuff (as my pathetic 4-star rating might indicate).
Also NOT bad: the ever-expanding, yummilicious cast of characters. Garrett is a great MC but the secondary characters really outshines him in this one (most of them deserve to have their own spin-off series, methinks): there is of course everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed bird, aka the Goddam Parrot, aka the painted jungle buzzard, aka the multicolored chicken. And also my boyfriend Morley Dotes, aka the Ever-Murderous Celery Stalker and Carrot Killer. And Playmate, a minor character we met in book 1 and who turns out to be a pretty great Garret sidekick in this installment (this despite his being part of the Great Equine Conspiracy). And then we have the groll triplets who are the most hilariously hilarious grolls you will ever meet. (They most likely are the only grolls you will ever meet, come to think of it.)
But the real star of this show? My new girlfriend Pular Singe, obviously (I may or may not have mentioned her down there ↓↓ a little while ago.) She’s the most amazing ratgirl ever and one day she will rule the world. You can trust me on that one. And if you want to know more about her you’ll have to read the book. Because I lurves Singe so much that if I start telling you more about her we’ll be here until pigs fly, chicken have teeth and crayfish whistle on the mountain. So let’s leave it at that, shall we? Quite welcome you are.
Now here are some other reasons why I didn’t entire dislike this installment: Glen Cook wrote it + Garrett’s delightful relationship with hisslightly hostile friendly pixie neighbours reminds me of my boyfriend Jojo Cabal (also, 😂😂😂) + the yellow brick dump (don’t ask) + the Morley Dotes Glee Club and Bone-Breaking Society (how do I join?!) + vindictive little bastards (always a plus, those) + the total moronification of the masses + HAHAHAHAHA + Garrett’s eyebrow tricks misfiring as much as Kate Daniel’s smiles + the flea getter ridder ofer (I told you not to ask) + space elves, a concept some authors I shall not name out of the goodness of my heart think they invented recently, when Glen Cook came up with it twenty bloody shrimping years ago.
Need I say more? Didn’t think so.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
· Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
· Book 3: Cold Copper Tears ★★★★
· Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
· Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
· Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
· Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
· Book 9: Faded Steel Heat ★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
💥 Newsflash! 💥
I'm in 💕lurve💕 with a beer-drinking, sarcastic as fish, too clever for her own good ratgirl named Pular Singe.
That's my new rodent girlfriend there on the right. Pretty hot, hu?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
💥 Warning! Extra Super Crappy Review straight ahead! You’re welcome!
Okay, so this installment isn't my favorite in the series. First because it doesn’t start with with a girl (not sure Garrett will ever recover from that one). Second because no one dies 😱😱. Which is shocking as fish when you're familiar with CookBooks™ and their average body count (as in, the reader is usually grateful for making it out of the story alive). Third because there is
Also NOT bad: the ever-expanding, yummilicious cast of characters. Garrett is a great MC but the secondary characters really outshines him in this one (most of them deserve to have their own spin-off series, methinks): there is of course everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed bird, aka the Goddam Parrot, aka the painted jungle buzzard, aka the multicolored chicken. And also my boyfriend Morley Dotes, aka the Ever-Murderous Celery Stalker and Carrot Killer. And Playmate, a minor character we met in book 1 and who turns out to be a pretty great Garret sidekick in this installment (this despite his being part of the Great Equine Conspiracy). And then we have the groll triplets who are the most hilariously hilarious grolls you will ever meet. (They most likely are the only grolls you will ever meet, come to think of it.)
But the real star of this show? My new girlfriend Pular Singe, obviously (I may or may not have mentioned her down there ↓↓ a little while ago.) She’s the most amazing ratgirl ever and one day she will rule the world. You can trust me on that one. And if you want to know more about her you’ll have to read the book. Because I lurves Singe so much that if I start telling you more about her we’ll be here until pigs fly, chicken have teeth and crayfish whistle on the mountain. So let’s leave it at that, shall we? Quite welcome you are.
Now here are some other reasons why I didn’t entire dislike this installment: Glen Cook wrote it + Garrett’s delightful relationship with his
Need I say more? Didn’t think so.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
· Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
· Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
· Book 3: Cold Copper Tears ★★★★
· Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
· Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
· Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
· Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
· Book 9: Faded Steel Heat ★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
💥 Newsflash! 💥
I'm in 💕lurve💕 with a beer-drinking, sarcastic as fish, too clever for her own good ratgirl named Pular Singe.
That's my new rodent girlfriend there on the right. Pretty hot, hu?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
January 10, 2022
UFOs and alien visitors come to TunFaire and Garrett is right in the middle of their shenanigans. In fact, a confusingly large number of alien groups have visited Garrett’s city and their little scientific gadgets (which Garrett and his friends see as a new kind of magic) give them extraordinary advantages over the regular fantasy cast of the Garrett Files. Cook deserves credit for finding a new type of threat not normally seen in fantasy literature, but in practical terms, he didn’t succeed in using them to make for an interesting and exciting adventure. The aliens (even the sex crazed ones) just don’t ever become good antagonists leaving the reader wondering why this novel got written. In fact, this is the book that almost killed the series for me the first time I read it, and now that I’m rereading the novels, I am very much afraid that my recollection might be wrong and we have another torturously slow novel coming after this one. (Memory tells me it was three or four bad books in the middle before Cook finds his groove again. I guess the next novel will let me know for sure.)
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
Currently reading
February 10, 2019Having read 1-8 this perhaps not right one to read first.
Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade & Philip Marlowe with hint of Peter Falk from Murder by Death by Neil Simon.
I always sore Bogart as Garrett hunting for his Lauren Bacall these are private dick books the old fashioned yellow back but In TunFaire as crazy as Anik Morepork or Who Framed Rodger Rabbit?
Elves, Trolls, Dwarfs & lots funerals Garrett 's mostly
Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade & Philip Marlowe with hint of Peter Falk from Murder by Death by Neil Simon.
I always sore Bogart as Garrett hunting for his Lauren Bacall these are private dick books the old fashioned yellow back but In TunFaire as crazy as Anik Morepork or Who Framed Rodger Rabbit?
Elves, Trolls, Dwarfs & lots funerals Garrett 's mostly
February 18, 2016
3.5/4 stars
This is one of the really good ones as far as Garrett and his adventures are concerned. I always like that he has something different going on that takes place in his fictional land. The story moves pretty quickly and we get to see how he acts with women other than those he always has around. The characters are fairly well defined and fleshed out.
Garrett is awakened from a deep sleep by Playmate who comes to him and asks that he help protect an obnoxious kid named Kip Prose who is being threatened by creatures who are hard to describe. Kip is a teenager who was befriended by two strange guys who have been giving him ideas for inventions that could make someone a lot of money. Opening his door when a woman is not knocking does not ever work out for him, but neither does it when they do.
Enjoy this adventure and watch Garrett try to please everyone and still get paid.
This is one of the really good ones as far as Garrett and his adventures are concerned. I always like that he has something different going on that takes place in his fictional land. The story moves pretty quickly and we get to see how he acts with women other than those he always has around. The characters are fairly well defined and fleshed out.
Garrett is awakened from a deep sleep by Playmate who comes to him and asks that he help protect an obnoxious kid named Kip Prose who is being threatened by creatures who are hard to describe. Kip is a teenager who was befriended by two strange guys who have been giving him ideas for inventions that could make someone a lot of money. Opening his door when a woman is not knocking does not ever work out for him, but neither does it when they do.
Enjoy this adventure and watch Garrett try to please everyone and still get paid.
August 20, 2015
So after the lameness of Petty Pewter gods, I was hoping Garrett would make more of a comeback. After all, sorting out the Gods can be kind of trope-ish, so it was time for something original, right?
Well, space elves? We gave up sex generations ago but Garrett makes us rethink it space elves? There has to be some female who doesn't want to sleep with Garrett, Id think....I don't know.
But if this is what Im thinking about rather than whatever it was the case was this time, well, that is a problem....
Well, space elves? We gave up sex generations ago but Garrett makes us rethink it space elves? There has to be some female who doesn't want to sleep with Garrett, Id think....I don't know.
But if this is what Im thinking about rather than whatever it was the case was this time, well, that is a problem....
March 12, 2022
I’d heard that this was one of the weaker Garrett books, but I can’t disagree more. This book was an absolute blast. There were some…weird…things in it, but the overall premise was so wild that it overshadows them. On top of that, this is maybe the *funniest* Glen Cook novel I’ve yet read. I was laughing out loud all through the story, but especially during one particular meeting of business partners and their daughters with Garrett.
June 10, 2019
Angry Lead Skies is the tenth book in the Garrett P.I. series written by Glen Cook and centered on the adventures of private investigator Garrett.
Garrett is at home when Playmate visits, with a kid, Kip Prose. Kip has made friends with creatures that cannot quite be described, but because of his relationship with these creatures, other parties are trying to kidnap Kip. Despite his protests, Garrett gets drawn into the mess.
While searching Playmate's stables for clues, Garrett and company are attacked by another group of indescribable assailants. Morley, Saucerhead, and Pular Singe wake Garrett and Playmate after the scuffle, but Kip Prose is gone.
Angry Lead Skies is written rather well. Cook continues to expand the world of TunFaire and the narrative and writing seemed to be improved significantly. The action scenes are written well and there is just about the right amount of humor, albeit rather sarcastic at times. Garrett, the protagonist, seems to be maturing as a character, which is a welcomed change.
All in all, Angry Lead Skies is written rather well and is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Garrett is at home when Playmate visits, with a kid, Kip Prose. Kip has made friends with creatures that cannot quite be described, but because of his relationship with these creatures, other parties are trying to kidnap Kip. Despite his protests, Garrett gets drawn into the mess.
While searching Playmate's stables for clues, Garrett and company are attacked by another group of indescribable assailants. Morley, Saucerhead, and Pular Singe wake Garrett and Playmate after the scuffle, but Kip Prose is gone.
Angry Lead Skies is written rather well. Cook continues to expand the world of TunFaire and the narrative and writing seemed to be improved significantly. The action scenes are written well and there is just about the right amount of humor, albeit rather sarcastic at times. Garrett, the protagonist, seems to be maturing as a character, which is a welcomed change.
All in all, Angry Lead Skies is written rather well and is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
July 5, 2024
This is one of the best Garrett novels so far.
It has everything I enjoy in the series: A great mystery, a cast of great characters both new and old, lots of action/exploration of TunFaire, and some great social commentary(at this point I feel like Glen Cook is just gaslighting us when he says he doesn't think about subtext).
The Garrett novels are the place that Glen Cook just does whatever he wants. Sometimes it is a flop but most of the time it is innovative, refreshing, and sometimes downright ridiculous in the best way possible.
You get all of that along with the sharp, gut punch passages you expect from Glen Cook. I had a revelation during this book that totally changed the way I see Garrett. It has been there the whole time but I finally caught on. It was great.
This novel also took a big leap forward in progressing the setting and the characters, including Garrett. Most mystery series seem to keep everything in stasis so they can keep telling the same stories. It isn't like that with these novels.
I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
It has everything I enjoy in the series: A great mystery, a cast of great characters both new and old, lots of action/exploration of TunFaire, and some great social commentary(at this point I feel like Glen Cook is just gaslighting us when he says he doesn't think about subtext).
The Garrett novels are the place that Glen Cook just does whatever he wants. Sometimes it is a flop but most of the time it is innovative, refreshing, and sometimes downright ridiculous in the best way possible.
You get all of that along with the sharp, gut punch passages you expect from Glen Cook. I had a revelation during this book that totally changed the way I see Garrett. It has been there the whole time but I finally caught on. It was great.
This novel also took a big leap forward in progressing the setting and the characters, including Garrett. Most mystery series seem to keep everything in stasis so they can keep telling the same stories. It isn't like that with these novels.
I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
August 28, 2011
This is the 10th book in the Garrett P.I. series. Like all series, I suppose, what was once novel, intriguing, and interesting has been worn down to a tired patina of retreads over the course of time. Angry Lead Skies offers up what you come to expect from a Garrett book: he gets involved in some weird case, sleeps with a half dozen women (okay, only four), is knocked unconscious a full dozen times, never kills anyone, and generally comes up smelling roses at the end of it all. Along the way you'll get cameos from all the secondary characters and/or sex toys that have accumulated over the years: Alyx Weider, Tinnie Tate, Belinda Contague, Winger, Saucerhead Thorpe, the groll brothers, etc. Mara gets name checked but otherwise seems to have dropped out of the picture entirely. The sexy librarian is about the only one I don't recall even being mentioned.
Through it all you wonder not only what do these women see in Garrett, but what do his alleged friends see in him? And what does he see in them? Why, for instance, is he friends with Winger?
While this kind of continuity is what sets it above much of the other series-trash I've read in the past -- the world of Tun Faire has changed over the years with the end of the Cantard war, the end of the City Watch, references to The Call -- a lot of it seems to show up only perfunctorily.
I think what made this book especially disappointing is that the core "mystery" gets essentially wrapped up off-screen. The two fugitives that spark all the action are never seen. Somehow the three factions of Visitors all make-up via telepathy or something. I dunno. They come and then they're gone. In a post-modern kind of way I guess that is nifty. But the way Cook handles it, it just feels sloppy. Like he's too busy planning out Garrett's newfound wealth and business empire and got bored with doing anything with the Visitors. Suddenly Casey is just going to file a TPS report and everything is okay again. Or something.
The entire book just felt more formulaic, more just-so, and more self-obsessed than previous entries in the series. I guess this is where I give up and find things to read that give me a higher return-on-investment.
The Garrett series were never high-quality fiction. They're like the book equivalent of Psych or Monk. Quirky detective TV shows whose plots don't hold up too well under inspection...but they're not meant for that either. A half-dozen or ten books worth of enjoyment isn't a bad run and no doubt there are still fans out there hungrily waiting for new installments.
Through it all you wonder not only what do these women see in Garrett, but what do his alleged friends see in him? And what does he see in them? Why, for instance, is he friends with Winger?
While this kind of continuity is what sets it above much of the other series-trash I've read in the past -- the world of Tun Faire has changed over the years with the end of the Cantard war, the end of the City Watch, references to The Call -- a lot of it seems to show up only perfunctorily.
I think what made this book especially disappointing is that the core "mystery" gets essentially wrapped up off-screen. The two fugitives that spark all the action are never seen. Somehow the three factions of Visitors all make-up via telepathy or something. I dunno. They come and then they're gone. In a post-modern kind of way I guess that is nifty. But the way Cook handles it, it just feels sloppy. Like he's too busy planning out Garrett's newfound wealth and business empire and got bored with doing anything with the Visitors. Suddenly Casey is just going to file a TPS report and everything is okay again. Or something.
The entire book just felt more formulaic, more just-so, and more self-obsessed than previous entries in the series. I guess this is where I give up and find things to read that give me a higher return-on-investment.
The Garrett series were never high-quality fiction. They're like the book equivalent of Psych or Monk. Quirky detective TV shows whose plots don't hold up too well under inspection...but they're not meant for that either. A half-dozen or ten books worth of enjoyment isn't a bad run and no doubt there are still fans out there hungrily waiting for new installments.
January 26, 2012
This installment of the Garrett Files has our titular hero facing a puzzling mystery that readers won't have any trouble figuring out. Novels in which fantasy/historical characters are transported to the modern world and have to figure out modern technology (which they describe in terms of their own understanding, so much hilarity ensues) aren't too uncommon. Diana Wynne Jones, in particular, was a master of this technique--see Hexwood, Power of Three, and Howl's Moving Castle for a few. Novels in which a fantasy world is visited by modern humans are less common (though, again, hat tip to Diana Wynne Jones and The Dark Lord of Derkholm). In this case, though, it's aliens--Area 51 big-eyed aliens even--who're troubling Garrett's sleep. My favorite thing about this book is actually the development of ratgirl wunderkind Pular Singe, but the idea of TunFaire experiencing an industrial revolution isn't far behind.
June 19, 2019
It took me a long time for me to get through this one. It just couldn't keep my attention for some reason. I suppose it was a bit hoaky, what with the aliens and all. there were some really unnecessary chapters, especially around the end, like with all the invention stuff being figured out and patented. I felt like I was at a d&d session where the party wanted to go shopping for 8 hours real time. garret sleeping with the aliens was just....I mean come on, this guy sleeps with literally EVERY girl, its so ridiculous. I did like that he made mention of starting to grow up (in his late 30's) and settling down with one girl. Anyway, the book kind of bored me and was slow going for the most part. The alien stuff was a hoaky as I said before, and story was just blah. It's a shame this one had more Playmate in it, as I feel he wasn't done justice in this one but I look forward to hopefully seeing him in a larger role on cases in further books. The only part that I really liked honestly was the Stormwarden at the end of the book that was dropping thunder bolts on his enemies. The book was hard to get into and just as hard to finish, I wouldn't recommend this one to anybody other than maybe some x-files fans? I don't know.
August 6, 2019
In one of the earlier books, there was some mention of "lights in the sky" and I thought to myself that it would be funny if it was a UFO.
Well....ha ha. This book ended up being a lot lighter in tone, and just the whole idea of Garrett's fantasy world being visited by UFOs is a real crack up in itself.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I had any right to. Cook manages to take another genre and mash it in with the rest without being cheesy, which takes a lot of talent. Fun stuff, and even if it's a bit of a deviation from the rest of the series, it's still certainly an enjoyable one.
November 4, 2021
Not as good as most of the others. I think Cook was really reaching with this one. Where do you go once you've had rogue gods, Pegasus rides, a curse that lives on after the cursed one dies. Vampires, centaurs and the gamut of weird things? You bring in aliens. Yep. Sky ships. Grey skinned, earless, noseless and using what seems to be alien technology. So weird. Didn't really work within the stories we've had before. Aliens? I just didn't buy it.
July 2, 2023
A bit too long, and a bit too predictable, and Cook again gets low marks for failing to differentiate minor characters with proper names or clear descriptions. However, an interesting story of what-if aliens visited a medieval fantasy city. And the Rat-woman shined as up-and-coming supporting character.
November 9, 2017
I am never sure when authors begin to go off to the supernatural and alien thing. This book is not too bad, it is fun to read and try to see where things are going. Overall a good and interesting read.
February 10, 2020
Good, funny to finally revisit this world. I enjoy this sarcastic and enjoy more than the cases so we what happened to all secondary characters and the development of their lives together with our main.
August 5, 2017
Wierd but good Garrett and it ends with 1/3 of the pages left. Housekeeping from there on.
August 18, 2017
Not so great as previous ones
August 6, 2018
If this is #10, there are at least nine in this series that are better. This was long, convoluted, and...well, not terribly good.
March 2, 2020
This one is unfortunately "Garrett jumps the shark"... I don't mind formulaic books as long as they're entertaining, but this one was hard to read.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
March 4, 2022
Little grey... elves! A worthy continuation of the series. I have to admit, it was a twist I didn't see coming, and it was well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2023
This one’s a good reason you don’t mix sci-fi and fantasy. You can have aliens or you can have elves, but you can’t have both.
February 5, 2023
A more light hearted and goofier Garrett entry, really fun read
July 15, 2024
I have the slight feeling that glen was taking the piss with this one. aliens in flying saucers ???
May 2, 2021
1.0 out of 5 Stars
Gah! What Happened?
November 15, 2005
This is the 10th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). I don't know who really wrote this, but Glen Cook should track him down and take him to court. Well, perhaps I exaggerate. However, from all the gaffs in this book, it looks like Cook didn't bother to review his notes from the rest of the series before he wrote this one. Here are some of the problems that leapt out at me:
- First of all, where did Garrett's love interest, Katie, come from? Usually, he finds these women as part of his cases (either the principal or a player). In this case, we start out the book with her already there. She has no background and plays no part in the book. He doesn't even mention Tinnie (whom he had gotten back together with at the end of the previous book -- a couple of weeks in Garrett time) until half way through the book.
- Second, Playmate is way out of character. In all the other books, he's a simple, honest person. In this one, he's essentially a walking Dead Man or a more honest Morley Dotes: a sophisticated, educated, smooth talking, cynical person. Plus, Cook specifically notes that he's NOT really 9 feet tall. Yet, in all the other books, he IS 9 feet tall. A couple of books ago, Cook graphically portrayed him in a situation at Morley's restaurant as being bent over to fit inside. My guess is Cook needed some way to work a specific type of character in as a principal and a 9 foot tall, simple guy wouldn't work. So, he just changed him.
- Similarly, Singe has miraculously graduated from a smart, though barely articulate, rat woman into practically an Einstein.
- Ditto for the Rose triplets. Specifically, Doris and Marsha. In all previous books those two grolls were dumb as stumps. Even more importantly, only Dojango spoke "English" (that was why he was around -- to translate). Doris and Marsha ONLY and SPECIFICALLY spoke grollish.
- And, finally, near the end, Cook mentions that the Tates have DWARF blood somewhere back in their line. That's not correct. Again, specifically, in all previous books he's mentioned that they have ELF blood in them.
Then, there are the "logic" errors (I know, it's fantasy, but still...). For instance, in one case Cook has Doris hold Garrett up to a fourth floor window. AFAIK, that should be at least 40 feet up. Yet, Doris and Marsha are 20 feet tall. Even with very long arms, they couldn't reach above 30 feet. Then there's the fact that the "Visitors" are described as ugly, yet everyone thinks they might be elves. In all of these books, elves are always extremely handsome/beautiful: it's an elvish characteristic. There's no way anyone should consider these "Visitors" to be related to elves.
Another BIG problem is the problem itself. It might be a spoiler, but since it's implied in the official write-ups and becomes obvious at the very start of the book, I'll bring it up: there are space aliens in this book. I'm sorry, but aliens just have no place in a fantasy/detective novel. It's just silly. Even worse, Garrett plays the two-backed beast with them. Repeatedly. Often. Ugh.
And finally, Cook seems to have lost the detective part of his fantasy/detective mixture the Garrett books are supposed to be. Outside of some minor leg-work during the first half of the book, there's no real mystery and no detectiving. In fact, the last half of the book doesn't really do anything at all. It's just Garrett doing his alien experiments, setting up some personal stuff, getting back at Morley, and the aliens finalizing things. That's it. All done. What a waste.
If you're still reading this, by now, you'll probably guess I'm not happy with what Cook's done to the series with this book (and I LOVE this series -- it took me years to find all the books again to re-read them). So, I have to give this book a sadly well-deserved 1 star out of 5. If you've been following this series since the beginning, the book will give you nothing but grief. If you've never read a Garrett book before, you might get a few giggles out of it, but you won't have any of the history (even though Cook's "modified" it) to understand what's going on. There's really no reason for anyone to read it.
Gah! What Happened?
November 15, 2005
This is the 10th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). I don't know who really wrote this, but Glen Cook should track him down and take him to court. Well, perhaps I exaggerate. However, from all the gaffs in this book, it looks like Cook didn't bother to review his notes from the rest of the series before he wrote this one. Here are some of the problems that leapt out at me:
- First of all, where did Garrett's love interest, Katie, come from? Usually, he finds these women as part of his cases (either the principal or a player). In this case, we start out the book with her already there. She has no background and plays no part in the book. He doesn't even mention Tinnie (whom he had gotten back together with at the end of the previous book -- a couple of weeks in Garrett time) until half way through the book.
- Second, Playmate is way out of character. In all the other books, he's a simple, honest person. In this one, he's essentially a walking Dead Man or a more honest Morley Dotes: a sophisticated, educated, smooth talking, cynical person. Plus, Cook specifically notes that he's NOT really 9 feet tall. Yet, in all the other books, he IS 9 feet tall. A couple of books ago, Cook graphically portrayed him in a situation at Morley's restaurant as being bent over to fit inside. My guess is Cook needed some way to work a specific type of character in as a principal and a 9 foot tall, simple guy wouldn't work. So, he just changed him.
- Similarly, Singe has miraculously graduated from a smart, though barely articulate, rat woman into practically an Einstein.
- Ditto for the Rose triplets. Specifically, Doris and Marsha. In all previous books those two grolls were dumb as stumps. Even more importantly, only Dojango spoke "English" (that was why he was around -- to translate). Doris and Marsha ONLY and SPECIFICALLY spoke grollish.
- And, finally, near the end, Cook mentions that the Tates have DWARF blood somewhere back in their line. That's not correct. Again, specifically, in all previous books he's mentioned that they have ELF blood in them.
Then, there are the "logic" errors (I know, it's fantasy, but still...). For instance, in one case Cook has Doris hold Garrett up to a fourth floor window. AFAIK, that should be at least 40 feet up. Yet, Doris and Marsha are 20 feet tall. Even with very long arms, they couldn't reach above 30 feet. Then there's the fact that the "Visitors" are described as ugly, yet everyone thinks they might be elves. In all of these books, elves are always extremely handsome/beautiful: it's an elvish characteristic. There's no way anyone should consider these "Visitors" to be related to elves.
Another BIG problem is the problem itself. It might be a spoiler, but since it's implied in the official write-ups and becomes obvious at the very start of the book, I'll bring it up: there are space aliens in this book. I'm sorry, but aliens just have no place in a fantasy/detective novel. It's just silly. Even worse, Garrett plays the two-backed beast with them. Repeatedly. Often. Ugh.
And finally, Cook seems to have lost the detective part of his fantasy/detective mixture the Garrett books are supposed to be. Outside of some minor leg-work during the first half of the book, there's no real mystery and no detectiving. In fact, the last half of the book doesn't really do anything at all. It's just Garrett doing his alien experiments, setting up some personal stuff, getting back at Morley, and the aliens finalizing things. That's it. All done. What a waste.
If you're still reading this, by now, you'll probably guess I'm not happy with what Cook's done to the series with this book (and I LOVE this series -- it took me years to find all the books again to re-read them). So, I have to give this book a sadly well-deserved 1 star out of 5. If you've been following this series since the beginning, the book will give you nothing but grief. If you've never read a Garrett book before, you might get a few giggles out of it, but you won't have any of the history (even though Cook's "modified" it) to understand what's going on. There's really no reason for anyone to read it.
March 11, 2011
Apparently Glen Cook had tapped out the possibilities of a fantasy world, and had to add space aliens to his medieval sword and sorcery. Badly written space aliens.
I think my favorite part is how despite the fact that the sex drive has been supposedly bred out of the alien race to the extent that the male genitalia has atropied from countless generations of never being touched, every little grey female still has no greater goal then to climb into bed with the main character so he can teach her about pleasure.
I think my least favorite part was the way some of the oldest characters, who have had several appearences starting with book #1, were completely retro-conned in terms of character, personality, physical description and natural abilities. The Groll brothers have apparently traded in the chameleon skin they demonstrated in Sweet Silver Blues in return for about 30 IQ points and the ability to speak the common tongue. I bet that 'ability to speak' thing would have been really useful in any of the other three books where they made appearences. Certainly it would have helped in the months they spent with Garrett in the Cantard where all communication had to be funneled through other party members.
Maybe my expectation are too high, but I feel that if an author is going to bring back a character from an earlier book, he should have some recollection of how that character was described and what they did. Particularly how they grew and developed in that earlier book.
I think my favorite part is how despite the fact that the sex drive has been supposedly bred out of the alien race to the extent that the male genitalia has atropied from countless generations of never being touched, every little grey female still has no greater goal then to climb into bed with the main character so he can teach her about pleasure.
I think my least favorite part was the way some of the oldest characters, who have had several appearences starting with book #1, were completely retro-conned in terms of character, personality, physical description and natural abilities. The Groll brothers have apparently traded in the chameleon skin they demonstrated in Sweet Silver Blues in return for about 30 IQ points and the ability to speak the common tongue. I bet that 'ability to speak' thing would have been really useful in any of the other three books where they made appearences. Certainly it would have helped in the months they spent with Garrett in the Cantard where all communication had to be funneled through other party members.
Maybe my expectation are too high, but I feel that if an author is going to bring back a character from an earlier book, he should have some recollection of how that character was described and what they did. Particularly how they grew and developed in that earlier book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2013
Its taken me a while to update this review as I finished reading the book a few weeks ago, I'd say I was busy but laziness is more true.
This is book 10 in the Garrett PI series of novels based around a normal human Private Eye, based in a fantasy world full of trolls, gnomes, elves, and now...... Aliens..... sort of....
Garrett is once again hired, though to his dismay not by a beautiful woman as he usually favors, and while he greatly wants to not take the case, he spots opportunities that make it too hard to resist, and then his life falls into a ditch as usual :P
This books nothing really new to the series, we see the same great side characters that have helped Garrett in many previous cases, there's plenty of action and Garrett getting annoyed at things, I personally found his interactions with Pular Singe to be highly entertaining and the flying saucers and new "Alien" people that appear were an interesting addition, it was also funny I found, and to those who have read the book this pun is going to be terrible but I'm going there anyway, Garrett decides to "boldly go, where no man has gone before"
This is book 10 in the Garrett PI series of novels based around a normal human Private Eye, based in a fantasy world full of trolls, gnomes, elves, and now...... Aliens..... sort of....
Garrett is once again hired, though to his dismay not by a beautiful woman as he usually favors, and while he greatly wants to not take the case, he spots opportunities that make it too hard to resist, and then his life falls into a ditch as usual :P
This books nothing really new to the series, we see the same great side characters that have helped Garrett in many previous cases, there's plenty of action and Garrett getting annoyed at things, I personally found his interactions with Pular Singe to be highly entertaining and the flying saucers and new "Alien" people that appear were an interesting addition, it was also funny I found, and to those who have read the book this pun is going to be terrible but I'm going there anyway, Garrett decides to "boldly go, where no man has gone before"
January 24, 2010
Alien Visitors invade the streets and skies of TunFaire in one of the strangest case that Garrett has ever faced. It's also the least bloody book, a nice change of pace from Garrett's usual body-piling adventures. Garrett started the story with a vacuous new girlfriend, the blonde Katie, which was confusing as there was no mention of Tinnie until much later. In the end, Garrett came out of the experience with a load of benefits: a share in a new company marketing prototype "three-wheels" (kind of like bicycles, except with uh three wheels) which he formed with the business giants, Weider and Tate; a more than generous sampling of alien sex; finally the good riddance of Mr. Big; and, of course, saving TunFaire from a terrible fate. All in all, this is one of the better installments in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2014
I get such a kick out of the Files of Garrett, P.I. ANGRY LEAD SKIES is the tenth novel in this series and all the characters are back ... Morley the very handsome elf, the Dead Man (one of my favorites), Singe the rat girl, Dean who takes care of Garrett's home, Winger, Saucerhead and all Garrett's lady friends and their families. Busy Busy! Garrett gets roped into being a body guard for Kip Prose, an obnoxious adolescent who has a mind for inventions. Silver discs are flying around TunFaire and Garrett thinks there's a new sheriff in town -- these new wizards in their flying machines. Crazy fun.
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