Last Call

By: Tim Powers

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Scott Crane abandoned his career as a professional poker player 20 years ago and hasn’t returned to Las Vegas, or held a hand of cards, in 10 years. But troubling nightmares about a strange poker game he once attended on a houseboat on Lake Mead are drawing him back to the magical city. For the mythic game he believed he won did not end that night in 1969—and the price of his winnings was his soul. Now, a pot far more strange and perilous than he ever could imagine depends on the turning of a card.

Enchantingly dark and compellingly real, this World Fantasy Award–winning novel is a masterpiece of magic realism set in the gritty, dazzling underworld known as Las Vegas.

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©1992 Tim Powers (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A dizzying, stimulating magnum opus.” ( USA Today)

“Brilliant! Compelling and satisfying! Tim Powers is one of our best writers, and Last Call is his best book yet.” (Raymond E. Feist)

“Distinctive and commanding…a strikingly inventive novel.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Imperfect, but Worth it

Last Call is too long and can get occasionally confusing. But, the story idea is really interesting. The reading by Bronson Pinchot brings the motley bunch of characters vividly to life. And, the author is a very good writer who frequently finds the absolutely perfect words to describe a character's feelings or actions. I liked it!

Interesting and Strange

The narration on this is terrific. The story is bizarre but gripping. Definitely, a new twist on Sin City gangsters ...

Powers is Under-represented on Audible

One of the most ineteresting and lieterate fantasy writers of the last 30 years. This is an excellent listen.

5 STAR BOOK MEETS 3 TO 4 STAR READER

I love this book. I have read and reread it many times. Wonderful characters in a very original situation. It can be hard to follow but it is completely worth your patience. Bronson Pinchot does a decent job narrating.

Hard to follow

It seems to be a decent story... the reader is not the best and that always makes it hard to get thru a book... The story has many twists and turns and not all of them come clear (at least to me)... very interesting take on cards and I would never have thought of it.. so very interesting wish the reader was better... decent book

Great Story, Weird Performance

I love Powers' propensity for mixing history and the occult and in this novel he's in fine form, but the narrator insists on dropping down to a whisper whenever characters do. It makes some key lines of dialogue nearly inaudible.

too long

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Characters were interesting and narration was good however the episodes just dragged out too long. For me it was like watching a 3 star movie on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen. I gave up 3/4 of the way in. I may try again later.

Would you recommend Last Call to your friends? Why or why not?

no

It felt like walking into the middle of a play

Any additional comments?

I am a huge Bronson Pinchot fan, which is why I gave this a listen. He does not disappoint, and the writing is good. But the story is very dark and felt incomplete, as though I were missing some background that would have made it less of a struggle to follow.

In the story, there is some great cosmic reality that touches on anything involved with games of chance, particularly those involving cards. A periodic super-game of poker determines the flavor of the world that follows, depending on who wins. The anti-hero and the villain, the winner from the last game, are vying for that spot even before the game takes place, giving us a moderately action-packed lead-in to the climax. Between disappointed hopes of personal connections and unexpected losses, though, it felt a bit flat.

Still may be worthwhile for dedicated Pinchot listeners. May you get it better than I did.

Intricate story

I thought the narrator did a great job. However, I didn't really care for any of the characters, and that is very important to me. Ultimately, the book was saved by a good ending.

Started out good but lost me halfway thru

What would have made Last Call better?

If Diana died, her brother should have known. Many of the characters didn't make sense.

Would you ever listen to anything by Tim Powers again?

His descriptions were good. Story and characters seemed to be made up to fill the pages. They weren't planned out

Did Bronson Pinchot do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Narration was good

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

frustration with main character's attitude