Shadowrun Book #1: Born to Run

by Stephen Kenson

Book Overview

Earth, 2063. Long-dormant magical forces have reawakened, and the creatures of mankind's legends and nightmares have come out of hiding. Megacorporations act as the new world superpowers, and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451460588
• ISBN13: 9780451460585
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 1.0" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Kenson Given The Key To Shadowrun

Born to Run. A new era of Shadowrun dawns as Stephen Kenson, the man who made the mage Tommy Talon come to life, brings us a new trilogy to coincide with a prelaunch for the fantasy cyberpunk setting we all know and love as Shadowrun. Prior to this book, it had been roughly 4-5 years since the last Shadowrun paperback novel was published. I read my first Shadowrun novel [Shadowplay] when I was a high school freshmen back in the mid 1990s and over the years I became a fan of the franchise. Born to Run was not the best Shadowrun book that I have ever read, but it was not the worst either. The setting of course is the Seattle metropolis and the reader is introduced into the world through the eyes of a rookie Shadow runner named Kellan Colt. A Shadow runner who was originally from Kansas City, Kellan receives a mysterious package one day containing a stun baton, a few nuyen, and an amulet with a note telling her that all of these items belonged to her mother. Determined to make a name for herself as a player in the shadows Kellan travels to Seattle to make a life for herself and in the back of her mind unravel the mystery of who her parents are. The beginning of the book brings her to a nightclub in Seattle where she is looking for a fixer who goes by the moniker "G-Dogg." The bouncer at the nightclub is an orc who tells her that he knows who G-Dogg is, but has yet to see him stop by the club that night. With her search originally ending in vain, Kellan leaves the club only to be followed by a trio of gangers. Kellan stands up to these assailants and happens to be saved by the same orc and her hidden magical talent...from there she takes her first steps into the Seattle underground and dives head first into meeting a new myriad of characters. One of the driving factors behind Born to Run is the fact Kellan is a female with gumshoe; a hard worker, tough, determined, focused, and strong. For a female character she does not fit the role of the damsel in distress nor is she used to make her male counterpart look "better." Kenson does an excellent job in making Kellan a credible main character, and someone who the reader can root for. For those who have followed the world of Shadowrun from its inception, there is a nice homage to Green Lucifer [who is used in this novel], the brash second in command to the infamous elven street gang, the Ancients [Where is Sting!?] I have read the all of the books that comprise this trilogy, and I have to say that this was my favorite book out of three. There is good action, dialogue, mystery, and characterization. Kenson does a good job in laying the foundations of the trilogy in Born to Run, sadly he does not execute the story that well as eventually the trilogy falls kind of flat.

Their Baack!!

While the reappearance of the Shadowrun series has been a mixed blessing over all, the lead off trilogy is something of a treat for jaded eyes. They are the story of Kellan Colt who has decided to move to the Seattle from Kansas City in a determined effort to become a a shadowrunner in the place where runners go for the big run and either crash and burn or settle into a life of comfort. In no time at all she is drawing unwanted attention and an early crisis reveals unexpected magical skills. When a lucky break offers her the opportunity to become the student of Lothan, a troll wizard, Kellan seizes the opportunity. When she isn't practicing spell casting she's taking part in some of Lothan's bizness. With mixed results. But her big day appears to be on the way. Lothan has been hired for a major weapons run and Kellan is to play a major part. In most Shadowrun novels the problem is that the runs never come off as expect. This time it's the opposite case. The problem is that the run works perfectly, but the Johnson pays off even though the catch is a load of bargain store electronics. Kellan, ever one to look a gift horse in the mouth investigates more than she should, and manages to turn a mundane run into a web of intrigue and betrayal. Kellan is a sympathetic character, seeking success and the truth about her mother. She is a bit too assertive and often creates her own problems, but this isn't unexpected in the world of Shadowrun where if you don't grab your share, someone else will. Stephen Kenson writes smoothly and comfortably about the complicated world of Shadowrun with its whole different spin on ethnic and national differences. It's a world where you can inherit talents or have them installed and it takes someone like Kenson to make a tale that works at all levels.

Quick Read, Great Intro to Shadowrun

I haven't read any previous Shadowrun novels so I am not biased by that. I have played the game some and read some of the sourcebooks. Born to Run starts off a whole new series with a new cast of characters. The writing is not difficult to read, and the action is fast paced. You get to know some of the shadowrunners in Seattle, and follow the career of a new runner named Kellan Colt. Because the story plays out from Kellan's perspective most of the time, you learn the world of shadowrunning along with her. I consider this book to be light reading, and it won't win any literary awards, but it was a really fun read and I enjoyed it immensely. I recommend it for anyone new to the world of Shadowrun or even to more seasoned Shadowrun fans who want to go back to their roots.

still shadowrun after all these years !!!

i'm not exactly sure why they restarted this series, number-wise that is. perhaps to introduce new characters like kellan,lothan, silver max and the like. i am only four or five books short of reading (for the second time in some cases) the entire first run of the shadowrun series. it's tight as far as continuity goes, it makes reference to the "night of rage" and goblinization and other historical events in the shadowrun history. stephen kenson "keeps it real" in the true SR fashion. this book is accessible to all fans, new and old. this books does a good job explaining SR lingo,lifestyle and metatypes in an interesting manner, exciting to the new reader, but yet not redundant to the experienced SR reader. kenson does it again!! up there with charette !!! buy it !!

entertaining, exciting and filled with plenty of action

When The Awakening happened, those humans that had special genetic markers turn into creatures of myth and legends including furies, trolls, Orcs and dwarves. Magic has returned to an earth ruled by the new superpowers, mega corporations whose people live in secured places so they don't mix with the hoi polloi. The map of North America has changed dramatically with Canada and the United States being one nation surrounded by countries consisting of various Indian tribes and a land belonging solely to the fairies. Kellan Colt arrives in Seattle for a connection to become a Shadowrunner, a person who will take any job, usually illegal and who goes to any length to complete it and collect the credits. She becomes friendly with the Orc G-Dogg who introduces her to Lothan the leader of his cell of Shadowrunners.. They contract a job to hijack a truck and bring it to a certain destination. Although they completed the job successfully Kellan feels that the client stiffed her; when she investigates she finds her hunch is right. She and her crew decide to pay the client back in kind. This first book in the Shadowrun trilogy is entertaining, exciting and filled with plenty of action. The protagonist has more heart and scruples than most shadow runners and is able to convince (through the force of her personality) her comrades to teach the client a lesson he will never forget. Readers will like and root for Kellan just as they like the shadow runners she works with because they have fully developed and distinct personalities. Harriet Klausner