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Shadowrun #2: Poison Agendas: A Shadowrun Novel (Shadowrun)
by Stephen Kenson
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Roc (2006-01-03)
ISBN: 0451460634
EAN: 9780451460639
Dewy Decimal #: 813
Paperback: 288 pages
SKU: 071608076
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...No noticeable Underlining or Highlighting...
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Shadowrunner Kellan Colt thinks she's ready to strike out on her own when she discovers the location of a secret cache of military weaponry-right in the heart of the supernatural creature-infested Awakened wilderness.
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Customer Reviews
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Not Bad For...
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-08-30
A second book in a three part series. This book picks off from the first book in the 2006 Shadowrun novel re-launch "Born to Run." Once again the readers follows the adventures of inexperienced yet talented Kellan Colt as she attempts to make a name for herself in the sprawls of the Seattle underworld. Coming back in this novel are some of the old cast members from the first book such as Orion the elf adapt, Jackie Ozone, Simon Brickman, and the troll mage Lothan. We are also introduced to Midnight, a Shadowrunner from Kellan's past whom takes the young mage as her protégé, and Draven the shaman.
There are a few main themes about this book touches upon which are a common theme throughout the Shadowrun universe. The 6th world is a setting full of corporate intrigue, backstabbing, betrayal, where it is better to be feared then loved, but despite these things rarely do you ever see a Shadowrunner be able to survive on their own without friends and this is a re-occurring theme in Poison Agendas. In the novel, Kellan Colt discovers secret information from a local decker/fixer by the name of Squeak. This data contains secrets about an Ares Technology weapon cache that was stored long ago in the Salish Shidhe Council, but never recovered. After analyzing the situation in her mind, Kellan decides to play the role of Mrs. Johnson and sets up this run with the backing from Simon Brickman, a corporate Johnson from the first novel. From there the run turns into something which Kellan did not expect, and ends up getting way in over her head as a result.
Another theme that happens in "Poison Agendas" is the semi-redemption of the Lothan character. The best character development scenes in this novel center on his conversations with Kellan, Midnight, and the other Shadow runners in the sprawl who know him by reputation. It shows that even with his status, knowledge, power, and position can be prone to being rattled and all of those skeletons that people leave in the closet and are not honest about with everyone can eventually come back to haunt us. At the beginning of the series I did not like the Lothan character, but as the story unfolded I found myself rooting for him to make the right decisions and to use his power in a self-less manner.
As many people have said in their reviews and what I will be saying in my reviews of this trilogy, the Kellan Colt series has not been the best set of novels the Shadowrun franchise has put on the market. It does appear to be a re vamping of the entire Shadowrun line and is written to garner new fans into the 6th world. The action in the book is decent, the story is not bad; there are some characters who are boring, and some who catch the reader's attention. When push came to shove, I did enjoy reading the book and that is what really counts in the end. The villain in Poison Agendas is probably the best villain of this trilogy, and I'm speaking about Zhade, the insane toxic shaman. I'll give the book three stars, because it was ma-ma day or comme ci comme ca. Not bad, not great, or the proverbial so-so.
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More sci-fi pulp
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-07-15
After enjoying the first in this new Shadowrun series, Poison Agenda was just as fun and makes for a good read. There's no fat here, so it's pretty fast moving. Something all low-class pulp books really should be.
Kellan Colt, now a slightly more experienced Shadowrunner, comes across some priceless information about ancient weapons buried deep in the wilderness. None of her pals really want to touch it, believing it tainted or false. But she still assembles her own team and decides to go for it, no matter how much trouble it might end up.
Undemanding, unpretentious fun for sci-fi and Shadowrun fans. This new series doesn't seem like it will run out of steam any time soon.
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Excellent continuation!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2006-01-13
"Poison Agendas" was a surprisingly fun book! Being a staunch fan of classic Shadowrun, and having a deep interest in RPG genre books, I have to admit I was a bit leery about the return of Shadowrun, and various alterations it might have.
Stephen Kenson's new series, of which "Poison Agendas" is the second, gave me not only the reassurance I needed, but also hope that my favorite game from high school wouldn't be turned into something awful in future generations.
The characters are well developed, and the plots are the delightfully twisty and fast-paced ones that Shadowrun is famous for. The magic and science are once again well thought out and in harmony with the game, while not being oppressively rulebound or annoying. All in all, it's great fiction, and was a blast to read!
I recommend this book, and it's predecessor, "Born to Run," to any who have an interest in science fiction, fantasy, or adventure. Enjoy!
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Revenge of the mediocre
Rating (3)
Date: 2006-01-08
1 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
I must first say that I am a fan of Mr. Kenson earlier Shadowrun novels, but I must say that these new ones leave something to be desired. Both this novel and the first, Born to Run, seem rather thrown together. Like other reviewers, I felt somewhat betrayed by the blatant attempt to remarket Wizkids failed Shadowrun miniatures line, by reusing their names in these novels, it just seems rather forced. Also, I don't know if I am seeing things or not, but the font in the new novels seems bigger. I would be curious as to the word count of these novels compared to the older novels. In all fairness to Wizkids, I am assuming that they are trying to restart the novel line and need to provide basic information to new readers, but with the advent of Shadowrun 4th edition and the 2070 timeline, I was hoping for a jump in the story line and some backfill of info. Lastly, I am more of a fan of more experienced characters and another "starting in the trade" series of books doesn't appeal to me as much.
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