Books like Drops of Corruption

Drops of Corruption was a tough book to find at a reasonable price. It's the 4th in a series of 6 books on what is known as the "Wizkids" line of Shadowrun books. The first three were a trilogy that I've read and touched on before in my Goodreads Reviews. The other three are written by various Shadowrun alumni and hopefully will meet or exceed or the quality of the ones written by Kenson. Drops of Corruption is written by Jason Hardy, and describes the story of Bannickburn, a burnout mage (one who doesn't have the "stuff" anymore) who is desperate for a little power back in his swing. He gets involved with Quinn Bailey, a crime boss who scouts and recruits him for a job. Of course Bannickburn takes it and does it reasonably well. Basically he doesn't get killed. However, completing one job for the mob means you usually have to complete another (an offer you can't refuse). Typical mob shenanigans arise with a Shadowrun feel and we have the rest of our book. I do appreciate how much of this book feels exactly the same as Kenson's books right down to using some of the familiar characters in the background. I very much appreciate that Hardy tends to take a colder, harsher tone to his writing. Shadowrun is a pretty ruthless world to write in. People die, bad things happen, people stumble along look for their next fix. Hardy never loses sight of this. Bannickburn is no hero, but he's not a bad guy either. He operates on his own whims and gets by on his street smarts. The only negatives that I can really find is that the story does feel like its been done before. Maybe I've read too much Shadowrun, but it has all of the trappings and familiar ideas central to the universe. I will say though if Bannickburn is brought back as a character in Shadowrun ever again, it would be a worthwhile read. Hence, I give this book a hearty recommendation and hope this hard to find book does find more readers, because it is incredibly worthwhile. Enjoy.