Ahoy there mateys! I picked up this book thinking it was something else.  This ended up being an okay mistake.  The novel deals with cardsharp Valen Quinol who is forced into a high stakes game with deadly consequences.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the various games and thought there was a decent overall plot.  Having older characters was nice but I didn't really warm up to the characters. I also felt that there was a bit too much explanation and backstory.  Even with the explanations, the politics and characters still felt a bit thin.  I also did not like the lack of communication and lying between team members.  It felt like the easy way out of creating true conflict.  It was basically a fun popcorn book.  Don't know if I would recommend it overall though. Arrrr!