The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks 293 pages, Paperback First published August 1988, Harper Prism
I really love the diversity of books we read in my book group. This was chosen by our lone male at the moment. Science Fiction is not a genre I usually read. There have been some I have read and enjoyed on recommendation by the hubby but I don't usually read them on my own. Glad to have read this one, too.
It's an interesting premise. A master game player, Jernau Gurgeh,  is recruited to travel to the Empire of Azad to play the ultimate in games- the game of Azad. The winner becomes Emperor. What is the point of Gurgeh going and participating? Is it for his entertainment, a mission by The Culture to infiltrate Azad? It is hard to know when everyone is playing a game.
This book had me so enthralled. I listened to it in the car and read my copy when I was home. So much going on behind the scenes of such a quiet book. I never knew who to trust, or who was who. I will be reading more of Banks' Culture series. 
December/January Book Choice: Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher

Happy Reading! _________________________________________