Review: An improvement
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 8, 2014
I think that the author kind of go this still fledgling series back on track with this effort.  I wasn't a fan of Hidden Trump as much (and I'm going to ignore "Raw Deal" entirely for now because I'm not a fan of prequels) because our primary character really didn't have anything to do with the end.  She felt more like a spectator at the end of that book, which left me feeling a little iffy. In this book, I felt she was a lot more proactive.  I liked the character development, including how her relationship with Jen finally progressed (I felt Jen was relegated to back-up leg of the triangle in Hidden Trump).  I felt that we began to see Amber actually grow as a person by accepting her failings and moving to make things better.  And there was in overall quality to Henwick's writing that seems to elevate it above so much of the more independent release schlock that has been permeating the internet as of late.  I do agree with one of the other reviewers that there was too much going on in Wild Card that might have been better suited for its own book or even short story.  Between the serial killer, the werewolf politics, the athanate politics, the "other" paramilitary organization, worrying about her mentor, the police, her side private investigator case, the stuff with her spirit animal, and the family drama (which I hope to see some resolution or at least advancement of in the next book), there was a lot to try and keep track of.  Some of it wound up getting tied together at the end (but felt a little forced) while the rest just wound up feeling like garnish.  Still, I was looking forward to this book, I very much enjoyed it overall, and that's about as much as you can hope for.  For the price, it was actually more than I had a right to expect.