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Epic #3
Edda
Everyone in the virtual universe of Edda is made of pixels-except Penelope. While her body is kept alive in a hospital bed, her avatar runs free, able to go anywhere and do anything, including create deadly weapons for Edda's ruler, her guardian, Lord Scanthax. When Scanthax decides he wants to invade another virtual world, Erik/Cindella from Epic and Ghost from "Saga" become part of the story-and soon the virtual universes are alive with fighting, alight with bombs, and brought together by three teenagers who want peace and understanding. This is the third and final book in Conor Kostick's trilogy.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2011
42 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read
About the author
Conor Kostick
43 books148 followersConor Kostick was a designer for the world's first live action role-playing game, Treasure Trap. He is the author of many historical, political and cultural articles. Epic was his first novel and was awarded a place on the International Board on Books for Young People Honours list for 2006 and on the Booklist Best Fantasy Books for Youth list for 2007. Set in a fantasy MMORPG, Epic can be considered an early example of LitRPG. The sequel to Epic, titled Saga, was first published in Ireland in 2006. Conor received a Special Merit Award from the Reading Association of Ireland in 2009.
In 2018, Conor joined Level Up as commissioning editor to publish LitRPG books.
https://www.levelup.pub/what-is-litrpg
In 2018, Conor joined Level Up as commissioning editor to publish LitRPG books.
https://www.levelup.pub/what-is-litrpg
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 19, 2011
Once again, the worlds of Epic and Saga are joined- only this time a new world is introduced, Edda. This fantasy landscape holds many new wonders-and terrors. Our protagonist, Penelope aka Princess, has been brought up by NPCs all her life, have been abandoned by the humans on her planet. But as the threat of war emerges between Edda and Saga, secrets come out about her past, and loyalties are tested. I think this is a great continuation to the series and as usual Conor Kostick does a wonderful job of blending fantasy and high tech ideas. The plot is full of engrossing adventures and unexpected turns; and plenty of awesome battles of course. Both video gamers and bookworms alike will enjoy Edda due to the unique one of a kind concept of the novel.
April 2, 2015
Edda is the conclusion to the Avatar Chronicles series, directly following up on the events of Epic and Saga, which are definitely required reading in order to enjoy this title--very little time is spent on back story. The previous main characters of Erik/Cindella and Ghost are both back in action, investigating a strange incursion into the electronic world of Saga from another one of humanity's video game worlds, Edda. The new main character in this novel is Penelope, the last human left on an abandoned colony, whose entire social life from infancy has consisted of interacting with and serving her electronic benefactor, the ambitious "real-time strategy" game character, Lord Scanthax.
This seems like a good set up for another trip through Conor Kostick's interesting universe of human and game worlds, but it falls flat, for several reasons. At the outset, Erik/Cindella and Ghost's group decides to send an expedition through a portal which has appeared in Saga, through several worlds which have already been conquered by Lord Scanthax, who now sets his sights on Saga. Given that Scanthax is from a RTS mindset, these worlds have been decimated, with their materials converted to his purposes. So, rather than an exciting journey filled with interesting characters and situations, as in the other books, we have a breezy walk through an empty wasteland, a trip through another portal, and rinse and repeat. Several notable events happen along the way, but none of it compares to the exciting swashbuckling action and adventure from Epic and Saga. It's rather boring.
On the other side of the story, you have Penelope, trapped in a single small room in the real world, and confined to Scanthax's castle in the virtual world. She spends the novel coming to terms with her situation and plotting. Yeah... exciting stuff. As you can expect, eventually all the protagonists meet and resolve the situation in one way or another, but this is done rather quickly, toward the end, leaving a whole lot of pages to be filled in prior of it. Between the ruined worlds and brooding teenager, it's a far cry from the high fantasy and cyber-punk city adventures we've had before.
Then there's a final aspect worth noting, if only for its absence. While the other books had a nice balance set up between events in the real world and events in the game world, having meaningful developments taking place in both, Edda takes place almost entirely in the game world. Characters will unclip to eat and sleep, but that's about all there is to it. This is a crucial part of the previously winning formula, which does not exist in this book.
Fans of the previous two novels can still enjoy this final outing, yet it's a bit of an odd way to end the series, with a conclusion that doesn't match the magic you felt at the end of Saga.
This seems like a good set up for another trip through Conor Kostick's interesting universe of human and game worlds, but it falls flat, for several reasons. At the outset, Erik/Cindella and Ghost's group decides to send an expedition through a portal which has appeared in Saga, through several worlds which have already been conquered by Lord Scanthax, who now sets his sights on Saga. Given that Scanthax is from a RTS mindset, these worlds have been decimated, with their materials converted to his purposes. So, rather than an exciting journey filled with interesting characters and situations, as in the other books, we have a breezy walk through an empty wasteland, a trip through another portal, and rinse and repeat. Several notable events happen along the way, but none of it compares to the exciting swashbuckling action and adventure from Epic and Saga. It's rather boring.
On the other side of the story, you have Penelope, trapped in a single small room in the real world, and confined to Scanthax's castle in the virtual world. She spends the novel coming to terms with her situation and plotting. Yeah... exciting stuff. As you can expect, eventually all the protagonists meet and resolve the situation in one way or another, but this is done rather quickly, toward the end, leaving a whole lot of pages to be filled in prior of it. Between the ruined worlds and brooding teenager, it's a far cry from the high fantasy and cyber-punk city adventures we've had before.
Then there's a final aspect worth noting, if only for its absence. While the other books had a nice balance set up between events in the real world and events in the game world, having meaningful developments taking place in both, Edda takes place almost entirely in the game world. Characters will unclip to eat and sleep, but that's about all there is to it. This is a crucial part of the previously winning formula, which does not exist in this book.
Fans of the previous two novels can still enjoy this final outing, yet it's a bit of an odd way to end the series, with a conclusion that doesn't match the magic you felt at the end of Saga.
May 28, 2011
This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.
Penelope has known no world beside the video game universe Edda her entire life. Living as the only human avatar in a land of electronic beings, she bears the title Princess and scripts weapons into digital existence for Lord Scanthax as aid for his expanding empire. As a young girl, she was eager to please the cold Lord father figure. But as Penelope matures and discovers her lack of freedom and the reality behind her emaciated human body, fed through tubes and always plugged up to a game console to access Edda, she decides to exact revenge on the beings who have taken advantage of her trust and innocence. While Edda readies for battle for yet another conquest, another band of travels led by Cindella and Ghost from the universe Saga are gathering forces. Nothing is resolved until peace is achieved.
Edda was quite a unique book. I am not an avid gamer myself (aside from the odd Pokemon game here and there), but the novel still managed to capture my attention at the very beginning. Well, to tell you the truth, the interest began to wan as I continued through Edda, and by the end, I was glad to finally read the last word and close up the book.
The novel was definitely written quite well, something I hadn’t originally expected, given the subject and setting of Edda. However, even the hard-core fantasy fan in me had trouble getting into the storyline. The viewpoint jumps from Penelope’s struggles in Lord Santhax’s castle to Cindella and the others’ journey through the electronic realms. What bothered me to no end was the lack of tension, I suppose. Penelope spends the entire novel plotting, and Cindella spends the entire novel traveling and killing things that got in their way. The resolution was short and took up only about 30 pages out of the 440 page book.
Although the novel was not my cup of tea, Edda will appeal to fantasy and sci-fi fans alike, and of course, gamers will enjoy the references to gaming spread throughout.
Book Source: ARC via VOYA
Penelope has known no world beside the video game universe Edda her entire life. Living as the only human avatar in a land of electronic beings, she bears the title Princess and scripts weapons into digital existence for Lord Scanthax as aid for his expanding empire. As a young girl, she was eager to please the cold Lord father figure. But as Penelope matures and discovers her lack of freedom and the reality behind her emaciated human body, fed through tubes and always plugged up to a game console to access Edda, she decides to exact revenge on the beings who have taken advantage of her trust and innocence. While Edda readies for battle for yet another conquest, another band of travels led by Cindella and Ghost from the universe Saga are gathering forces. Nothing is resolved until peace is achieved.
Edda was quite a unique book. I am not an avid gamer myself (aside from the odd Pokemon game here and there), but the novel still managed to capture my attention at the very beginning. Well, to tell you the truth, the interest began to wan as I continued through Edda, and by the end, I was glad to finally read the last word and close up the book.
The novel was definitely written quite well, something I hadn’t originally expected, given the subject and setting of Edda. However, even the hard-core fantasy fan in me had trouble getting into the storyline. The viewpoint jumps from Penelope’s struggles in Lord Santhax’s castle to Cindella and the others’ journey through the electronic realms. What bothered me to no end was the lack of tension, I suppose. Penelope spends the entire novel plotting, and Cindella spends the entire novel traveling and killing things that got in their way. The resolution was short and took up only about 30 pages out of the 440 page book.
Although the novel was not my cup of tea, Edda will appeal to fantasy and sci-fi fans alike, and of course, gamers will enjoy the references to gaming spread throughout.
Book Source: ARC via VOYA
March 30, 2021
I thought this was just as good as Epic, and didn't seem as rushed. Kostick did an awesome job of creating a relationship between all the worlds. You need to read the second one if you're going to understand this one, so that is kind of a drawback. It also starts just as confusing as the second one, where things do not clear up until further in. Very entertaining and fun read though.
September 15, 2023
This installment was okay, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books.
I felt like I was reading two separate stories with Cindella and Ghost, and then Penelope. Once they got together though, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed Cindella and Ghost's chapters more than Penelope's.
I also realised whilst I was reading that I'd been misreading Cindella's name as Cinderella in the previous books 😂
I'd like to reread the series at some point.
I felt like I was reading two separate stories with Cindella and Ghost, and then Penelope. Once they got together though, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed Cindella and Ghost's chapters more than Penelope's.
I also realised whilst I was reading that I'd been misreading Cindella's name as Cinderella in the previous books 😂
I'd like to reread the series at some point.
December 24, 2014
Edda by Conor Kostick is the third book in the sci-fi/fantasy Epic series. It takes place in a future where humans have created virtual realities with enough depth to give some of the virtual inhabitants of the games free will. In the first book, Epic, the community of New Earth, a colony of humans that evacuated the Earth, used the game Epic to settle who got what in the real world. The more you had on your game character, the better jobs and resources you received in the real world. Erik and his friends completed a final quest to get rid of Epic and change the whole economic system. In the second book, Saga, the game Saga replaced Epic and all the inhabitants of this new game had free will. The Dark Queen made the inhabitants of New Earth addicted to Saga and therefore Erik, the only non-addicted human, needed to defeat the Dark Queen, however this was difficult with the New Earth pacifist policy.
In Edda Erik, with his character Cindella, a female pirate, Ghost and her friends from Saga and Eriks other human friends with new avatars need to learn who is behind a new portal that has appeared in Saga. Erik’s character has an assortment of magic items from Epic. Ghost as a Reprogrammed Autonomous Lifeform (RAL) has the ability to slow time and change the direction of projectiles. Meanwhile the other humans have powerful weapons from Saga for their characters however Gunnar, a supporter of a powerful faction in New Earth that dislikes electronic beings with self awareness from past experiences with the Dark Queen, is tasked to make sure no one learns that they are humans and where their colony lives. Penelope is a human that has been “saved” by Lord Scanthax in the world of Edda, a game based around world conquest, as a human can use the inner workings of the game and create objects out of thin air.
I liked how the book brought the idea of what happens when artificial intelligence gains free will. It was interesting how the characters interacted between the real world and the game with themselves and the virtual characters or electronic intelligences (EI) as they call them. For example they go out of the game to spread information between worlds and care for the EI as they were humans. The one thing I dislike is how it “brushes off” Saga’s end. I would recommend this book to someone who likes sci-fi or fantasy books or just likes MMO’s (Mass Multiplayer Online games). However I would not recommend this book to someone who does not fit into any of these categories at all.
In Edda Erik, with his character Cindella, a female pirate, Ghost and her friends from Saga and Eriks other human friends with new avatars need to learn who is behind a new portal that has appeared in Saga. Erik’s character has an assortment of magic items from Epic. Ghost as a Reprogrammed Autonomous Lifeform (RAL) has the ability to slow time and change the direction of projectiles. Meanwhile the other humans have powerful weapons from Saga for their characters however Gunnar, a supporter of a powerful faction in New Earth that dislikes electronic beings with self awareness from past experiences with the Dark Queen, is tasked to make sure no one learns that they are humans and where their colony lives. Penelope is a human that has been “saved” by Lord Scanthax in the world of Edda, a game based around world conquest, as a human can use the inner workings of the game and create objects out of thin air.
I liked how the book brought the idea of what happens when artificial intelligence gains free will. It was interesting how the characters interacted between the real world and the game with themselves and the virtual characters or electronic intelligences (EI) as they call them. For example they go out of the game to spread information between worlds and care for the EI as they were humans. The one thing I dislike is how it “brushes off” Saga’s end. I would recommend this book to someone who likes sci-fi or fantasy books or just likes MMO’s (Mass Multiplayer Online games). However I would not recommend this book to someone who does not fit into any of these categories at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2018
I've read Epic around 12 times at this point. It is a book I grew up reading and I find its universe amazing. However, I never really got into Saga or Edda because younger me couldn't really understand them. This read through though totally changed my perspective on the series. Edda was an amazing book full of fun banter and serious enemies. The characters were written so well and each hardship set fear that they were going to die. The main part of the book though, the interplay between AI and humans is the main part. Kostick shows what may happen in thousands of years and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if his predictions come true. AI becoming sentient and taking over the physical world. As a science/tech dweeb myself, I loved this books technology and everything that may be in our future. Highly recommend.
January 23, 2018
An OK conclusion. Milan's death didn't really impact me, either because I didn't really like Milan in the first place or because it just kind of happened. Similarly, while New Earth's policy of "no violence ever" was annoying, I admired that Erik stuck to it so steadfastly, yet they seemed so forgiving whenever soemone broke it. I'm not sure how I felt about Penelope killing Ambassador/Lord Scanthax - while the kidnapped rather that left behind twist was obvious, it did seem as though Ambassador cared for her, at least a little (meaning he was all of Lord Scanthax's empathy and love compressed into one being, as much as that was worth). I would have liked more time exploring the other worlds - how did Myth differ from Epic? What was Ruin?
What happened to Bjorn and Nathan? Bjorn wasn't even mentioned in the second book, and Nathan wasn't mentioned at all here. For that matter, BE was never mentioned again after his character died.
I liked that Joducus was a human, and that there were subtle hints throughout that Athena and Ghost put together (off-screen, which was dumb, but made sense, since all his suspicious behavior wasn't necessarily visible to all the characters). The woman in the tower who drew deaths was genuinely creepy. And while I hated the Count from Epic, I did feel some pity for him here.
What happened to Bjorn and Nathan? Bjorn wasn't even mentioned in the second book, and Nathan wasn't mentioned at all here. For that matter, BE was never mentioned again after his character died.
I liked that Joducus was a human, and that there were subtle hints throughout that Athena and Ghost put together (off-screen, which was dumb, but made sense, since all his suspicious behavior wasn't necessarily visible to all the characters). The woman in the tower who drew deaths was genuinely creepy. And while I hated the Count from Epic, I did feel some pity for him here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2019
There are more virtual worlds than Epic. After Saga, a new invader is making things difficult. Cindella and Ghost and her friends want to put a stop to the invasion of their world. Meanwhile, a human girl named Penelope designs weapons for her world, Edda. The last book of the trilogy is quite good, and I felt bad for Penelope. The non-violence of Erik's world was a bit annoying, however. Peace doesn't work, haha.
August 14, 2017
I enjoyed this third book better than the second, Saga. There were still moments when the story dragged but overall the concept of a "Age of Empires" world setting with a human scripting a variety of weapons for the AI of the world was interesting.
I would recommend this series to those who are interested in video games, fantasy role playing, or gaming in general.
I would recommend this series to those who are interested in video games, fantasy role playing, or gaming in general.
March 4, 2018
Great read
I really liked this trilogy. Fun adventure, and great story telling to go along with likable characters in an interesting sci-fi universe.
I really liked this trilogy. Fun adventure, and great story telling to go along with likable characters in an interesting sci-fi universe.
May 8, 2019
It was fun to have Erik and Ghost fighting alongside one another once again in this book.
Read
June 13, 2019Not the best read but it was enjoyable.
July 24, 2024
Satisfying Conclusion Volume
December 12, 2018
This book was really good... scratch that this entire series was amazing and I had a lot of fun reading it. Kostick outdid himself with this last explosive installment to this spectacular series. The characters were just so descriptive and you could feel that they were right next to you. Kostick also did a great job of tying this last installment to the rest of the books. We see lovable characters such as Erik and Ghost back in the book, with the addition of a brand new character, Penelope/Princess. He shows Princess develop from a little child to a grown adult in a spectacular fashion, it is shown how Princess is exposed to difficult choices and the cruelty of the world. It also shows how Erik and Ghost help her with that transition, I really love the fact that he did that, so us as the readers could empathize even more with the heroes of this story. An amazing book would totally recommend.
November 18, 2016
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In Edda, a human girl, Penelope, is left behind while the rest of the Earth-dwelling people flee from Earth. She is commanded by
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In Edda, a human girl, Penelope, is left behind while the rest of the Earth-dwelling people flee from Earth. She is commanded by
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March 9, 2017Penelope needs her own book I want to hear about her adventures after Lord Scanthax's death
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2016
To put it simply,The Epic Series as a whole strives to make itself seem like every dorky gamer’s dream come true. You take adventures, great mythical battles, incredibly realistic MMOs (Massively-Multiplayer-Online), a world within another world accessible by high-tech headgear, self-aware digital beings with levels of intelligence on par with mankind, a handful of Dystopian societies and then toss in some decent characters, and you get this piece of work by author Conor Kostick. These previously stated decent characters consists mainly of Erik Haraldson, the stereotypical male teenage leader-type person. Ghost, an AI Anarchist-turned-Queen, and then some other half-baked supporting characters. The world they live in is one of struggle, as most universes in dystopian series usually are. But what separates Edda (the finale of the 3-part trilogy) from the rest of the series is how it illustrates desperation, suffering, and the devastating sense of isolation. As a 14 year old teenager, Penelope survives as the only remaining human on an empty planet, seemingly left behind by the very people that evacuated the planet for the indifferent digital beings to take her in. Her living conditions are horrid, and the electronic beings that keep her alive have only the goal of endlessly exploiting her ability to code and alter the virtual world. “‘Calm yourself, Princess.’ Ambassador caught her hand and led her to him, as much to protect the model from further damage as to provide physical contact, but it seemed to be an effective maneuver, for she stopped her destructive activities and clung to him... ‘I’m so alone. So alone.’” (46) Her will to survive and to gain her own freedom leads her on a journey that eventually intertwines with that of Erik and Ghost, with only her wits and determination to keep her going.
While Edda has it’s fair share of pointless dialogue, stale characters, and an altogether unsatisfactory ending, this novel truly is a break from the original series, addressing the rich issue of the value of self-aware life, and whether it is to be considered murder, reminding us of mankind’s will to survive. These were what drove me to finish this novel, all the way to the end. When I started reading The Epic Series, it was because the idea of being in a world with technology capable of fully engulfing a person in the electronic universe intrigued me; Imagine yourself exploring a brand new, living, breathing universe. Imagine having the power and will to influence every single aspect of the digital world, all the while being accompanied by your friends and family. Imagine the thrill -and more importantly the fun- of being able to experience another life in another world, without even needing to leave the comforts of your own home. “‘It’s a new world through there, all right,’ said Erik.” (112) And a new, intricately detailed and shaped world there is indeed.
While Edda has it’s fair share of pointless dialogue, stale characters, and an altogether unsatisfactory ending, this novel truly is a break from the original series, addressing the rich issue of the value of self-aware life, and whether it is to be considered murder, reminding us of mankind’s will to survive. These were what drove me to finish this novel, all the way to the end. When I started reading The Epic Series, it was because the idea of being in a world with technology capable of fully engulfing a person in the electronic universe intrigued me; Imagine yourself exploring a brand new, living, breathing universe. Imagine having the power and will to influence every single aspect of the digital world, all the while being accompanied by your friends and family. Imagine the thrill -and more importantly the fun- of being able to experience another life in another world, without even needing to leave the comforts of your own home. “‘It’s a new world through there, all right,’ said Erik.” (112) And a new, intricately detailed and shaped world there is indeed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2014
I started reading the Epic series over the Summer of 2012, managing to get all the way through Epic and Saga and starting Edda, looking back at my updates from back then, I had managed to get through the first 184 pages, before I lost time to read it and the book was due back to the library. My goal for the Summer of 2013 was catch up on all of the series that I had started but I found that I didn't have time to finish or couldn't get access to the books, but that plan failed. Finally, over my Winter break I found time to actually get my hands on Edda once again and finally finish that Epic series.
Overall, I don't think that Edda was my favorite book in the series. I found it took me a while to get through, even though it took a shorter time than it took me to read other books that kept my interest while reading. I had decided to re-read the entire book, rather than picking out where I had left off over a year ago, which I am glad that I did as I didn't realize that I had forgotten some of the important things that had actually happened during the first portion of the book.
If I remember correctly Epic and Saga were written in a similar, if not the same way as Edda, where the point view changed every couple of chapters (one chapter would take place with Erik and then the chapters would change to following another person or group). I didn't really mind that in Epic and Saga, as the story kept my interest and kept me reading. For some reason, I found it a struggle to get through some parts in Edda. I didn't mind some of Penelope's parts, but some of them I could have done without, as they caused me to lose interest in her character. I don't know if it was due to the fact that Erik and Ghost had been the major characters from the previous books and I had developed a liking for their character and Penelope was new with this book.
The story seemed to pick up a little after I managed to get through the first half of the book and it was able to shock me at some points and to get some interaction from me as I read. I found myself at some points verbally saying to the book "Please....Please....Please, don't let this happen" and at one point I found myself in complete shock and having to put the book down and take a break before I could continue on. Overall I have to say that I liked the way that trilogy ended, it provided a satisfying conclusion for the characters, while still leaving some unanswered questions for the reader and the possibility to expand on the series in the future, as some points were concluded rather vaguely.
Overall, I don't think that Edda was my favorite book in the series. I found it took me a while to get through, even though it took a shorter time than it took me to read other books that kept my interest while reading. I had decided to re-read the entire book, rather than picking out where I had left off over a year ago, which I am glad that I did as I didn't realize that I had forgotten some of the important things that had actually happened during the first portion of the book.
If I remember correctly Epic and Saga were written in a similar, if not the same way as Edda, where the point view changed every couple of chapters (one chapter would take place with Erik and then the chapters would change to following another person or group). I didn't really mind that in Epic and Saga, as the story kept my interest and kept me reading. For some reason, I found it a struggle to get through some parts in Edda. I didn't mind some of Penelope's parts, but some of them I could have done without, as they caused me to lose interest in her character. I don't know if it was due to the fact that Erik and Ghost had been the major characters from the previous books and I had developed a liking for their character and Penelope was new with this book.
The story seemed to pick up a little after I managed to get through the first half of the book and it was able to shock me at some points and to get some interaction from me as I read. I found myself at some points verbally saying to the book "Please....Please....Please, don't let this happen" and at one point I found myself in complete shock and having to put the book down and take a break before I could continue on. Overall I have to say that I liked the way that trilogy ended, it provided a satisfying conclusion for the characters, while still leaving some unanswered questions for the reader and the possibility to expand on the series in the future, as some points were concluded rather vaguely.
March 24, 2016
The final volume of the Avatar trilogy by Conor Kostick... does it hold up to the first two volumes? To me, almost - but not quite.
To recap, the first book was centered around the video game Epic, a fantastical MMORPG which was the equivalent of economy, judiciary system and social interaction on the colony of New Earth. In the second book, Saga, we found ourselves in the more gloomy and dystopian metropolis of Saga - a game as well, but one populated by conscious entities instead of NPCs following simple algorithms. With this third book, the universe is expanded once again - we are introduced to new characters in the medieval-inspired world of Edda, which have set to connect and conquer all other games that exist (the destroyed City of Ruin, the magical world of Myth and another instance of Epic). The characters already familiar from the first two books set out to stop them....
The first two books really benefited from having a relatively tight focus. Epic contrasted the rich game world with the more bleak reality of the New Earth Settlers' life, Saga meditated on the blurry lines introduced when an artificial intelligence gains consciousness. In Edda, the people of New Earth and Saga have arranged to live alongside each other, but sadly we don't really get much development as to how either world is doing. Especially given that we follow these characters through the different game worlds, I would have wished to hear a bit more about how their lives had changed. One fairly significant supporting character from Saga, Nathan, is also never mentioned in this book without any explanation of why that is. Having several new worlds to describe, the author doesn't really succeed in making any of them particularly memorable - they quickly blur together and just seem to facilitate connecting the different battles that take place. Overall this book has a much heavier focus on action than the previous two, where I feel the plot was more character driven.
In the end, if I read the entire trilogy again I would not skip this entry - but I won't read Edda on its own, either. The ending ties up most of the loose ends nicely, but I still wasn't entirely satisfied by it. I feel this was mostly due to the characters from the first two books not really developing beyond where we left them - spending some more time on their own worlds, rather than inventing three new ones, might have been a better course.
To recap, the first book was centered around the video game Epic, a fantastical MMORPG which was the equivalent of economy, judiciary system and social interaction on the colony of New Earth. In the second book, Saga, we found ourselves in the more gloomy and dystopian metropolis of Saga - a game as well, but one populated by conscious entities instead of NPCs following simple algorithms. With this third book, the universe is expanded once again - we are introduced to new characters in the medieval-inspired world of Edda, which have set to connect and conquer all other games that exist (the destroyed City of Ruin, the magical world of Myth and another instance of Epic). The characters already familiar from the first two books set out to stop them....
The first two books really benefited from having a relatively tight focus. Epic contrasted the rich game world with the more bleak reality of the New Earth Settlers' life, Saga meditated on the blurry lines introduced when an artificial intelligence gains consciousness. In Edda, the people of New Earth and Saga have arranged to live alongside each other, but sadly we don't really get much development as to how either world is doing. Especially given that we follow these characters through the different game worlds, I would have wished to hear a bit more about how their lives had changed. One fairly significant supporting character from Saga, Nathan, is also never mentioned in this book without any explanation of why that is. Having several new worlds to describe, the author doesn't really succeed in making any of them particularly memorable - they quickly blur together and just seem to facilitate connecting the different battles that take place. Overall this book has a much heavier focus on action than the previous two, where I feel the plot was more character driven.
In the end, if I read the entire trilogy again I would not skip this entry - but I won't read Edda on its own, either. The ending ties up most of the loose ends nicely, but I still wasn't entirely satisfied by it. I feel this was mostly due to the characters from the first two books not really developing beyond where we left them - spending some more time on their own worlds, rather than inventing three new ones, might have been a better course.
June 17, 2012
3.5 Stars
This wasn't a badly written book - in fact, the writing is beautiful, and the world building is amazing! Its main fault, however, was not being able to compare to its predecessors, Epic and Saga.
I suppose after gushing over its predecessors, I was expecting the same thing. The action and fantastical gaming universe is still there. However, I found that the in Edda there wasn't as much of an emphasis in the real world compared to the gaming world. Don't get me wrong - the gaming world was amazing! I just feel that the purpose that the other two books had was lost. Moreover, the POVs of Penelope and Ghost / Erik switched quite frequently. Sometimes I felt this was abrupt, and unnecessary. There were even some POVs of Lord Scanthax and the Ambassador thrown in, which was kind of tedious and repetitive.
As for the plot, it was pretty exciting with lots and lots of action scenes, although the "climax" as you would call it was relatively short and abrupt. Maybe it could have been planned out better? Like another reviewer said, there was a lack of tension since Penelope only planned and schemed for most of the book, while Erik, Ghost, and the rest of the crew mostly battled and discovered information readers already gained from Penelope or guessed.
Again - don't get me wrong - this was a wonderful book! But compared to Epic and Saga< it fell short.
This wasn't a badly written book - in fact, the writing is beautiful, and the world building is amazing! Its main fault, however, was not being able to compare to its predecessors, Epic and Saga.
I suppose after gushing over its predecessors, I was expecting the same thing. The action and fantastical gaming universe is still there. However, I found that the in Edda there wasn't as much of an emphasis in the real world compared to the gaming world. Don't get me wrong - the gaming world was amazing! I just feel that the purpose that the other two books had was lost. Moreover, the POVs of Penelope and Ghost / Erik switched quite frequently. Sometimes I felt this was abrupt, and unnecessary. There were even some POVs of Lord Scanthax and the Ambassador thrown in, which was kind of tedious and repetitive.
As for the plot, it was pretty exciting with lots and lots of action scenes, although the "climax" as you would call it was relatively short and abrupt. Maybe it could have been planned out better? Like another reviewer said, there was a lack of tension since Penelope only planned and schemed for most of the book, while Erik, Ghost, and the rest of the crew mostly battled and discovered information readers already gained from Penelope or guessed.
Again - don't get me wrong - this was a wonderful book! But compared to Epic and Saga< it fell short.
September 26, 2011
I'm a huge fan of the first two books, so I was thrilled when I was able to finally get a hold of this one. The story gives us a chance to look back at the characters from previous books (Cindella, Ghost, Milan, etc.) as well as new characters. The main new character, Penelope, is human, but has grown up in the game world.
This book is sort of a tying-together of all the threads. We found out how the various game worlds intersect, what has happened to humans and game characters in other worlds, and all the characters' story lines are brought to a fairly satisfying conclusion. It is a rather neat wrap-up, but it's sort of nice to have that satisfying ending occasionally.
The main reason I give this four instead of five stars like the other books is that I think I missed the one-character focus. As much as I enjoyed seeing Cindella and Ghost again, they weren't in that stage of self-discovery that they were experiencing in their own books. And I think that's what I really enjoyed about those books. Penelope is going through that, but we only get about half (and possibly less) of the book with her; I actually wanted more of her storyline/ for her to have more of the action.
Still, it's very well-written and an enjoyable, fast read. I admittedly ended up putting off some other books I was reading when I got this because I couldn't put this one down.
This book is sort of a tying-together of all the threads. We found out how the various game worlds intersect, what has happened to humans and game characters in other worlds, and all the characters' story lines are brought to a fairly satisfying conclusion. It is a rather neat wrap-up, but it's sort of nice to have that satisfying ending occasionally.
The main reason I give this four instead of five stars like the other books is that I think I missed the one-character focus. As much as I enjoyed seeing Cindella and Ghost again, they weren't in that stage of self-discovery that they were experiencing in their own books. And I think that's what I really enjoyed about those books. Penelope is going through that, but we only get about half (and possibly less) of the book with her; I actually wanted more of her storyline/ for her to have more of the action.
Still, it's very well-written and an enjoyable, fast read. I admittedly ended up putting off some other books I was reading when I got this because I couldn't put this one down.
July 1, 2018
Edda was an awesome combination of the previous two books in the series and yet adding so much more to the surroundings and the situation of the characters. I really appreciated how each book in the series keeps the same character set so that the reader can get to know them better as he progresses through the books. By the end of Edda, I felt that I knew some of the characters personally, because they each had their own personalities and quirks and were very well developed.
In the first book of the series, Epic, the dialogue Kostick used was stiff or awkward at times, but I found I could ignore this easily because the rest of the book was so enthralling. In Saga and Edda, the dialogue was totally natural and had no awkward speech at all, which made it a *lot* easier to be immersed in the story and connect with the characters. While some series start strong but become progressively more intolerable as each book is released, I found that for the Epic series, the opposite was true. The storyline culminated in Edda, which was very creative, contained the right amount of detail, and in which I could immerse myself for hours on end.
I basically never write reviews, and this one is totally biased and was more just me spewing my thoughts onto a screen for fun, so thanks for bearing with it.
In the first book of the series, Epic, the dialogue Kostick used was stiff or awkward at times, but I found I could ignore this easily because the rest of the book was so enthralling. In Saga and Edda, the dialogue was totally natural and had no awkward speech at all, which made it a *lot* easier to be immersed in the story and connect with the characters. While some series start strong but become progressively more intolerable as each book is released, I found that for the Epic series, the opposite was true. The storyline culminated in Edda, which was very creative, contained the right amount of detail, and in which I could immerse myself for hours on end.
I basically never write reviews, and this one is totally biased and was more just me spewing my thoughts onto a screen for fun, so thanks for bearing with it.
January 10, 2014
Edda is the last novel in Conor Kostick's Epic-Trilogy and in my opinion by far the worst. The storyline merges Ghost and her friends from Saga with Eric aka Cindella and some other humans to explore a portal found in Saga, which leads to another world. The second storyline features Princess, a human girl that was found and rescued by an EI lord. As a human, she can "write" things and thus create a powerful army for Lord Scanthax, who ultimately wants to control all known worlds.
I could say much more of the storyline, but it is really quite bizarr and random in my opinion. The first two books had interesting characters, who's troubles and quests the reader could understand. In Edda on the other hand, I had the constant feeling that the story was forced together, it just didn't develop naturally. I also felt that the book was quite poorly edited. I found logical mistakes and obvious grammatical errors, as well as missing passages or information that would have been necessary for the storyline.
I am actually missing about 70 pages to finish the book, but I will just put it down. I really don't care. I only gave it two stars instead of just one, because it was an okay book by itself, just in comparison to the others of the series it was actually bad.
I could say much more of the storyline, but it is really quite bizarr and random in my opinion. The first two books had interesting characters, who's troubles and quests the reader could understand. In Edda on the other hand, I had the constant feeling that the story was forced together, it just didn't develop naturally. I also felt that the book was quite poorly edited. I found logical mistakes and obvious grammatical errors, as well as missing passages or information that would have been necessary for the storyline.
I am actually missing about 70 pages to finish the book, but I will just put it down. I really don't care. I only gave it two stars instead of just one, because it was an okay book by itself, just in comparison to the others of the series it was actually bad.
August 22, 2015
Not a bad ending to the trilogy. Final thoughts overall: pretty good trilogy, wouldn't be a bad series for a YA or precocious child reader. I would re-read if my kid was reading them.
Interesting premise that a sentient character from an RTS world takes over said world, then invades and takes over other game worlds. He does this with the help of a human who is able to script items for him that give the upper hand. Turns out that . Erik and Ghost (and a few friends) are trying to fight their way to the originator of the incursion in Saga and face some challenges along the way.
Not bad, but wouldn't recommend to most adult readers. Might be a good way to introduce some reluctant gamers to entertaining books.
Rating: heavy PG to mild PG-13 for some action violence.
***SPOILERY THOUGHTS***
Interesting premise that a sentient character from an RTS world takes over said world, then invades and takes over other game worlds. He does this with the help of a human who is able to script items for him that give the upper hand. Turns out that . Erik and Ghost (and a few friends) are trying to fight their way to the originator of the incursion in Saga and face some challenges along the way.
Not bad, but wouldn't recommend to most adult readers. Might be a good way to introduce some reluctant gamers to entertaining books.
Rating: heavy PG to mild PG-13 for some action violence.
***SPOILERY THOUGHTS***
July 22, 2019
This review is also available on my blog,
Unsupervised in a Bookstore
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The last book in the mid-grade cyberpunk trilogy that began with 'Epic' and 'Saga'. Characters from three different virtual worlds have to work together to ensure their survival.
The first two books were fun - 'Saga' more so than 'Epic' - but this book really takes off. Kostick's vision of interlocking virtual worlds, and of his characters' experiences and abilities, is much clearer than in the previous stories. The central characters are much more rounded and confident, and the friendships between them feel real - even when they are challenged by the quest they go on together. There are enough twists in the plot to keep the pages turning, and enough video-game violence to keep the virtual worlds interesting and dangerous.
By the final scenes, I was cheering the heroes on, while metaphorically watching the action through my fingers - there's real peril here, and real consequences for the characters. Real friendships, too, and some genuine punch-the-air moments. And I might be a tiny bit in love with one of the avatars. Mid-grade cyberpunk is possible, and it's actually pretty good!
The last book in the mid-grade cyberpunk trilogy that began with 'Epic' and 'Saga'. Characters from three different virtual worlds have to work together to ensure their survival.
The first two books were fun - 'Saga' more so than 'Epic' - but this book really takes off. Kostick's vision of interlocking virtual worlds, and of his characters' experiences and abilities, is much clearer than in the previous stories. The central characters are much more rounded and confident, and the friendships between them feel real - even when they are challenged by the quest they go on together. There are enough twists in the plot to keep the pages turning, and enough video-game violence to keep the virtual worlds interesting and dangerous.
By the final scenes, I was cheering the heroes on, while metaphorically watching the action through my fingers - there's real peril here, and real consequences for the characters. Real friendships, too, and some genuine punch-the-air moments. And I might be a tiny bit in love with one of the avatars. Mid-grade cyberpunk is possible, and it's actually pretty good!
April 19, 2022
Vote: 3,75
Class: L-A2 (FP)
(Final book of the Epic Trilogy; it could be read as a stand-alone novel)
I've enjoyed the first books of this series and the final one puts a good ending to the story. Like I previously said it is perhaps a saga for younger readers and sometimes is too ingenuous. Even in this respect however the final installment grows more mature and is sometimes darker.
The world (3,75) is a sci-fi dystopian world... a double dystopian world really: a planet where colonists went after some great war on Earth, and a virtual game world, populated by self-conscious characters... Very well built.
The characters (3,75) are very great ones and always true to themselves. They too grows more deep in the end.
The story (3,50) is original and intriguing and the end is really satisfying. It never is really surprising (and here shows the children oriented writing).
The writing style (3,50) is simple and very good, without unnecessary boring descriptions of places or thoughts. Ever to the point.
I've quite enjoyed this book and I'll recommend this series.
Class: L-A2 (FP)
(Final book of the Epic Trilogy; it could be read as a stand-alone novel)
I've enjoyed the first books of this series and the final one puts a good ending to the story. Like I previously said it is perhaps a saga for younger readers and sometimes is too ingenuous. Even in this respect however the final installment grows more mature and is sometimes darker.
The world (3,75) is a sci-fi dystopian world... a double dystopian world really: a planet where colonists went after some great war on Earth, and a virtual game world, populated by self-conscious characters... Very well built.
The characters (3,75) are very great ones and always true to themselves. They too grows more deep in the end.
The story (3,50) is original and intriguing and the end is really satisfying. It never is really surprising (and here shows the children oriented writing).
The writing style (3,50) is simple and very good, without unnecessary boring descriptions of places or thoughts. Ever to the point.
I've quite enjoyed this book and I'll recommend this series.
October 17, 2013
I thought that Edda was a good book. It was a bit boring though. It seemed that that they over emphasized the journey where they were just walking. I thought it was good while they were in the action, but at times it was hard to keep reading, because it was so boring.
Although the book was boring, I think it was very clever. The ending was very entertaining. They way they trapped Lord Scanthax and the rest of his manifestations was very well done. I could tell that he put a lot of thought into this. Bringing All of the characters from saga back into the story I thought was a very good idea. Erik and his friends from saga all had good personalities and were fun to read about. It was a good read and would recommend this to anybody who enjoys sci-phi books.
Although the book was boring, I think it was very clever. The ending was very entertaining. They way they trapped Lord Scanthax and the rest of his manifestations was very well done. I could tell that he put a lot of thought into this. Bringing All of the characters from saga back into the story I thought was a very good idea. Erik and his friends from saga all had good personalities and were fun to read about. It was a good read and would recommend this to anybody who enjoys sci-phi books.
August 13, 2013
"and there was much rejoicing..."
BECAUSE EPIC CONTINUES!
I wish that the press or somebody would let me know that when a Conor Kostik book comes out, because I heard no news of Edda until at least two months after it came out.
The new world traveling was great, with humans trying to kill domini/AI, a ruthless Emperor programmed to destroy, and a human princess chained to him [metaphorically}. Erik, along with a few trusty friends, journeys to see what is disturbing Saga and stealing weapons. After many turns and twists, the book comes to a riveting, semi-disturbing conclusion. So go read the book.
August 20, 2013
Again I must say it was good without being fantastic. Trying to mix everything from the previous books and incorporate new stuff just got weird. It had a nice tie back to Epic and more fantasy elements than Saga, so I guess that was good.
Overall I like this series a lot. But only as a whole if you understand the core concepts. In the short term only Epic is really amazing. And in a way I am glad this series finally ended. It got to be a stretch.
I am quite annoyed that Penelope couldn't script useful objects right off the bat. Isn't that how video game design works? Well it did add to the story so I guess I can live with it.
Overall I like this series a lot. But only as a whole if you understand the core concepts. In the short term only Epic is really amazing. And in a way I am glad this series finally ended. It got to be a stretch.
I am quite annoyed that Penelope couldn't script useful objects right off the bat. Isn't that how video game design works? Well it did add to the story so I guess I can live with it.
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