AudioBook Review: Playing for Keeps

Playing For Keeps

By:  Mur Lafferty

Publish Date:  July 2008

Format:  Podiobook

Genre:  Fantasy - Superheroes

Series:  Stand-alone

Recommendation:  I HIGHLY recommend this to all to read/listen.  Fun! with a great story with superheroes!

Synopsis:
The shining metropolis of Seventh City is the birthplace of super
powers.  The First Wave heroes are jerks, but they have the best gifts: flight, super strength, telepathy, genius, fire.  The Third Wavers are stuck with the leftovers: the ability to instantly make someone sober, the power to smell the past, the grace to carry a tray and never drop its contents, the power to produce high-powered excrement blasts, absolute control...over elevators.

Bar owner Keepsie Branson is a Third Waver with a power that prevents anything in her possession from being stolen.  Keepsie and her friends just aren't powerful enough to make a difference, at least that's what they've always been told.  But when the villain Doodad slips Keepsie a mysterious metal shpere, the Third Wavers become caught in the middle of a battle between the egotistical heroes and the manipulative villains.

As Seventh City begins to melt down, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad, and even harder to tell who may become the true heroes.

First Sentence:
The supervillain attacked at the most inconvenient place and time: right on Keepsie's walk to work.

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**I listened to this book for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
When Keepsie is taken captive by Doodad, a super villain, and she finds he slipped a metal sphere in her pocket, the crew of Third Wavers that visits Keepsies bar stand with their friend and get drawn into the constant battle between good and evil.  But, who are good and who are really evil?  That could be subject to ones perception.

Keepsie is part of the Third Wavers that have "lame" powers and are told they are not Hero quality.  Oh, but these 'lame' powers are amazing when they are put together as a team.  What these characters learn of themselves and the twists the can do to strengthen their powers is a blast.

I love the play on words with the title and Keepsie's name and her ability.  She keeps things.  Well, not willingly.  When she owns something, it can't be taken from her without the other freezing in a stasis until she releases them.  Keepsie is an independent woman.  Strong.  And she learns she has friends to have at her side.

The story starts right in with Keepsie getting taken by a villain and finding something he left in her pocket.  We see the Heroes and Villains through Keepsie's eyes, and her friends.  Hmmm, makes one wonder on who's the 'hero' and why.  When it comes to the sphere, which can not be stolen from Keepsie do to her power, we see that neither side - hero or villain - might be the 'good' side.  So who do you pick to give it back too?  This is a world that not everyone is a 'hero' and some are corrupt, others make bad choices from inflated heads.  The use of desires and manipulation to get what they want, or try stealing.

This story made me chuckle several times.  The comments from Michelle, Keepsie's friend and waitress, oh she's a quick one.  And the powers that the Third Wavers possess!  Hahaha!  Just to much fun!  The quick ideas of all these are great.  The crew is even brutally honest with each other and I love hearing it, it makes me chuckle.

There is lots of action, even though Keepsie might not be a big action fighter - her power is more a passive one - there is lots going on around her.  It's cool!  And oh the destruction to the city.  Heroes and Villains collide!  Boy do they all take a beating.

When listening to this, Mur starts each new section with a Recap from the previous episode.  I rather enjoyed this as it brings the story to a personal level, like I'm in this city.  The people make me laugh with their comments and the "character" they take on as well.

You have to go into this looking for fun.  You need to listen to it and have a blast with it.  Relax with superheroes in the Seventh City.  They aren't the ones you'd expect.

I highly recommend listening to this one, for fun.  You'll enjoy it!