Cover Text:

"Ten years ago Scott Crane quit playing Poker professionally - and he hasn't been to Las Vegas or held a hand of cards since.
But now he's having nightmares about a strange Poker game that took place on a houseboat on Lake Mead in 1969. The game in which he won a fortune twenty-one years ago is, in a supernatural sense, not finished yet. The money he took home was actually in exchange for his life... and perhaps his soul. And there's one hand yet to be played, a last terrible bet to be called, and he will have to wager everything.
From the Poker clubs of Los Angeles through the mythic wasteland of the Mojave Desert to Bugsy Siegel's magical city of Las Vegas, Crane's odyssey leads him to one last Poker game, a game that involves Tarot card and the souls of the players much more than the chips on the table."

Published by:

William Morrow, New York, 1992
Avon Books, New York, 1993

Opinion:

Of course I was wary of the transition to the 20th century - Powers' mastery of historical fiction has always been (and still is) what I like best about his books. However, he does not disappoint in this excellent effort set primarily in Las Vegas.

The central theme in this case is the legend of the Fisher King of the West, something Powers first dealt with in The Drawing of the Dark. But this time the concept is explored in much more depth, and the expertly intermingled disparate concepts include Tarot and related symbolism in poker, T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland, Bugsy Siegel, alcoholism, gambling, and randomness.

Let me just say that the supernatural infrastructure that's been invented (discovered?) for this book is like nothing I've ever seen elsewhere. As usual, the protagonist, Scott Crane, is largely in the dark as to the spiritual machinations going on around him, but there are plenty of fascinating characters to provide the knowledge he needs, if often the hard way.

Bottom line: This is now my sixth favorite Powers novel (which really puts it only two notches below the top spot, since my top four are tied for first). Very well crafted and highly recommended.

- ccb 4/16/99 ... 7/25/00

Awards

Hugo Award Nominee 1993
Locus Poll Award (Fantasy - #1) 1993
Mythopoeic Award 1993
Nebula Award 1992
World Fantasy Award 1993

Reviews

• A page of reviews by Allan Toombs
• Reviewed by Tony Daniels in The Seattle Times
• Reviewed by William Marden in the Sun-Sentinel
• Amazon.com reader reviews