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Book 6! The first thing I silently asked from The Authors is that this book wasn’t as bleak as book 5, “Draw Dead” (Review Here), and my prayers were heard. Thank Janice’s Jesus.
As you surely know by now, this series is out-of-this-world–chocolate-cookie-good, but, buuuuut, Draw Dead (book #5) is a total punch in the gut, followed by a kick in the crotch with somebody cutting onions at your face with videos of sick puppies on the background.… so, If you think you can handle a emotional trauma through a book, then, then think twice, and do not fool yourself, you will cry reading that fantastic book! (review here)
Are we going to have action scenes on this book? YES! There are more action scenes here than book 5, and the rhythm of “Deuces are Wild” is much higher. There is constant tension in the air, given that our main characters for this book are always on the Grid. There are fights, lots of riding (pun intended), mercenaries looking for them, mobs, and almost getting killed by stray bullets, although, we can say that there is someone that is practically a bullet’s magnet in this book, so yeah, prepare for that.
A side note thought, although the sorrow and suffering was the main theme of book 5, there is some (soft) gut-punching in this one too, so prepare for real sorrow and depression when it comes to Jim, and let me say that the authors made an excellent job portraying that to us readers, simply excellent in all accounts. You will pity the man all the way and want to take a pause from the book just to let it sink in. Yeah… it’s tough. Taking that out, the Deuces are Wild is all joy, blood, awesomeness, and coffee beans (*coughs* and sex *coughs*).
First scene! Tumbleweeds and Science! Now, yeah, Tweak is also there, but the thing that impressed me was the sheer accuracy of the chemical components description that made the slick tarp and the explanations of how it worked, in less than a paragraph. Accurate as per scientific standards. Impressive, most impressive.
There are also the biological terms that were very well employed and make total sense to normal people. Now that’s some good research right there! Points to Gryffindor!
There is another scene in this glorious book (order your copy here) that confirms just how much the authors care about details when they matter, and that’s the scene of Naomi cleaning her weapons. The thing is: we all know how sharp Omi is when it comes to weapons and explosives but we never actually saw Omi in action in the last two books, now have we? So, as she was cleaning her guns, the authors laid out in exquisite, minute, descriptions what she was doing, the rhythm, the brushing, disassembling each piece, putting them back together in order, and while she was doing this, almost mechanically, she was paying attention to Aidan! I could try to tell you how COOL that scene was, but you will only get it when you read it.
Remember when I told you, on the last review, that so far, these books are so original and unpredictable that in *all 5 books (Review of all of them here ) I haven’t nailed a single prediction of the plot? Yeah? Ok. I’m going to shoot this one out: Tweak and Deniki, together! BUM! Let’s see if I get it right this time, *rubs hands*, *throws the dice*!
In this book, we get a LOT more of Liza, that truly deserves the spotlight. I mean, Liza was one of the first Wildcards that we knew. Actually, the first, and she was always on the background after the first scenes of book one (review here), and continued to be so until this book. For *5 entire books! For more than 1500 pages, always on the background even being a main character, is… it was unfair, so she really deserves the space and the attention that was given to her in this book. It was super fun to read the “Queen of Worry& Overthinking”, the only “True-Duster-Soldier” of the Wildcards when it came to dealing with Command. It was incredible, surprising and different, although she needs a chill pill, fo’ real.
So, it’s WONDERFUL to see our “master of worries” rule this book (remember that scene from Book one where she was SO FREAKING OUT on Aidan and trying to keep the soldier composure? HAHAHHAHAH, oh she has grown so much) . We mean, Liza is not only one of the main characters in this book, she IS the main character in this book. Ok, yeah, we have Tweak too, yes, sure, but Liza is the pinpoint of this, and it’s awesome! Liza is so fierce, and convict in her ways, although she is unsure of things or, as Tweak puts it “Liza was born freaking out”. And she is quite the speaker, let’s admit that.
The surprise factor? Well, remember when I told you that Naomi was the mother hen? Yeah? Ok. I could explain it in some way, but Tweak, once again, gave her the best description ever: Liza is a “helicopter mom”. HAHAHHAHA. Can’t believe it? Ok, let me break it to you: She acts motherly even to Omi. Even to Omi, the most badass character in the book, the fiercest of the beasts, is being taken care of by Liza, and you know what? Omi obeys her and likes it. Yeap. Liza is the Wildcards’ Mom, pronto. I wonder, however if Janice would bend over her ruling… Nope, not happening. Hahahahhahah. Looooool. Love it.
Deliquisha is one of the mains in here tooooooooo!!!!!!! AND SHE MADE RANK!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Ok. I know I promised to keep out the caps to a minimum, but…. YEEEEEIIIIIIHHHHH! This is awesome! So awesome !!!!! WOOP WOOP!
Ok, *takes a breath*. This book is extremely educational, and it has some hard data in here that motivates people to make changes in their lives as per their standards of living under the oppressive system of American Government. It may be set in 2157, but this is as relatable to the everyday American as you might expect. This isn’t just a book, this is a revolutionary manual, literally. OK… I was already in, but now, I’m like: “sign me up and call me a Duster!” . Add that to Liza being in charge… I’m sold! Join the revolution as well HAHA!!
“The Corps are big, and they’re rich, and they’re powerful. But when we’re together, we have power too. They’ve tried to tell us there’s nothing we can do. And you know what? They lied. When we don’t let them isolate us, distract us and scare us, we the people are stronger than you can believe. You don’t have to believe me yet. I haven’t proved it to you yet. But I’m going to. Just watch.”
And we have a Zulu//South African descendent character! HA!! AWESOME! See? This is what I’m talking about! This is what I’m talking about! YES! Even the name is in Zulu! SEE?! It isn’t hard dear writers, to do it. THIS IS AWESOME!!
This book, Deuces are Wild, like all the previous ones (reviews here) , is full of surprises and has a dynamic, a tone, of its own. There is more action than book five, but we get it why the authors did this. This book, serves as an interlude, of sorts, as the shifting point when it comes to the whole perspective of society and will define how the series goes forwards. This book is also the “epitome”, or the consolidation of the Authors purpose with the series, that is to educate, empower, and give the mental tools to people reading so they can fight for a better life, so they know that their actions count and that they count as individuals when it comes to changing society around them, and you know what? It’s beautiful and it’s perfect!
This is the book series that we need in our lives. Why I say this? This book is abashedly relatable. This isn’t some revolution in a fairy tale world, this is concrete. These aren’t dragons we are talking about, these are people that were abused for generations, are suffering and struggling for the minimum of mean and needs after being kicked, they are being told by corporations and government that they are lucky that they are alive so they should take it and not complain.
This isn’t a book series about romance of a CEO billionaire and the clueless girl that has no idea what to do, but the billionaire still finds her the most interesting thing since sliced bread. No. This is a book series* about people that curse, that are scared, that don’t know what is going to happen, and yet they do their best and fight with the little means they have against the giants, and get little victories, and big defeats, yet they keep at it. This is a book series about the power of courage, and the right to love who we love, no matter what society dictates or what religion stands for, the right to love ourselves in spite of what others tell us, and what religion forces us to believe. It’s a book about real people not standing down! This is a book for real people and to real people, although it’s cyberpunk LOL.
“There is a question coming up, though. Since I’m here, maybe I should ask it for my friends. We keep getting asked…” He trailed off, taking a contemplative bite of the vegetable. Naomi checked his body language over, but the threat here was internal, if there was one. “Getting asked what?” Liza asked, leaning in. Niles swallowed. “We’ve been getting asked what the endgame is. Where this is all supposed to end up. Where we want to be when this is all done. Someone who was…let’s just say they were skeptical, and they said some fairly rude things. But it boiled down to ‘if all you’re doing is giving out free food, it’s not going to help.’” Naomi watched as Liza nodded, her body language shifting. Now she was thoughtful, easy in her skin. She’d lost that high-strung worry she usually carried in her shoulders. “It’s a really good question. So, when will we know that we’ve won?” “I think that’s a good way to phrase it,” Niles agreed. Liza nodded slowly. “Well. We’ll know we’ve won when communities in this country have the ability to make decisions at the local level, based on what’s going to make our neighbors thrive instead of what will turn the highest profit. We’ll know we’ve won when human dignity is something you’re born with, not something you have to earn. When everyone has access to sustainable food and water in their community. We’ll know we’ve won when everyone has the right to speak and be heard in their community, their state, and their nation. When everyone has opportunities and agency in their lives.” She gestured around the room. “We’ll know we’ve won when rooms like this are everywhere, and they’re normalized. We’ll know we’ve won when we’re organizing the nation based on what creates the greatest public good, not the biggest private gain.” She gave a little smile. “Which means we’re a long way from winning. But when you send a kid to class and they’re not falling asleep in class or crying with a stomach cramp? When you feed a pregnant mom so her baby isn’t underweight? That’s the first step to winning. And you’re helping in another way too.” “I am?” Niles asked, rapt. Liza nodded. “You are. If the Corporation tries to say your unions are a bunch of disgruntled employees or anarchists or terrorists, or whatever they try to say? The people who sat here and ate a good meal will say ‘No, they’re not. They’re the people who fed our kids.’” She pointed across the room, where a doctor was giving shots. “When the Corps call Dusters terrorists, people will look at each other and say ‘No, they’re not. They’re the people who held free clinics for my grandma and got my nephew his shots. They’re the ones who gave me the vaccine against the newest bio-weapon.’” She shrugged, smiling gently. “And that’s how we win. We show the people that we really care about them, by being here for everyone. We make sure everyone makes it. And some people will be cynical about that. But you’ll give them breakfast too. It’s not what we say that wins us anything. It’s what we do.”
We get a whole new side of Tweak here, well, two actually, and a third that you will be like, “ha! The authors got you again”, and it’s interesting, cute and funny. We get to see, and read Tweak go through something that we didn’t expect or even think and it opens a lot of possibilities.
Ok, sure, we did receive hints about it on the beginning of the book, but this?! Well, this is a total shocker. After you think about it though, it would only make sense and work this way, but still… I mean, look, we were expecting something more… normal? – but we as readers should know by now that the last thing that this series is, is normal –which is why this is so great, and unpredictable.
Tweak?! Pulling that move? Wow. From all the characters? Tweak? Still can’t believe it. Nope, still can’t wrap my head around it. We knew Tweak was kinky, but this?! Talk about a plot-twist ugh?
Ok, in the authors’ defense, they did give a solid reason to do what they did with Tweak, and let her to do that move, it makes sense after they explain a while, but still…. (maybe I’m just mad for not getting my way in this book, again)
“They have told you that all of this is a zero-sum game, and that what one person wins, the other person loses. That’s kept you fighting with the guy next to you because he’s the wrong color or loves the wrong person, so neither of you ever look up at who’s on top and ask them why they have so much. Those numbers on your cards? They’re not about how worthy you are. They’re designed to keep you fighting one another.” Liza spread her hands. “All your lives, you’ve been told that your Purity State and your Citizen Standing Score represent what you’re worth. To God. To other people. To society. Maybe even to yourself.” Liza looked into the camera with calm eyes, and Tweak’s heart soared. “But what they told you wasn’t meant to help you become a better person. It was meant to give the Corporate owners control. And what have the people in the top positions done with that control? They have broken every rule they told you to follow. They have told you that you have to be moral and upstanding, and when you’re not looking they make deals that sell babies for dog meat. They have told you that if you are honest and good, you get ahead. But they drop the Citizen Standing Scores and ruin the lives of anyone who reports the dishonest behavior of a superior. They have put low-Standing citizens on calorie restrictions, while high-Standing citizens get fat. “And they took your agency away. They tell you that you shouldn’t do certain things with your body depending on your Corporation. They all tell you it’s for your own good. It’s your body, but they think they have a right to dictate how you live in it. If you complain, they tell you that you have a contract with them. But someone else held the pen and signed that contract for you. “What they are doing is lying to you.” Liza’s fist smacked into the palm of her hand in time with her words. “They do not have a contract on your soul. They do not own your body. Every one of us is born with human rights. You and I were born with human dignity. You do not need to earn these things. Every one of us is born with them.”
Best series ever! Another EXCELLENT book, and another point in giving this series another point in claiming the best of the year.
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