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DEiFIED
Third Realm is the world's most popular fully-immersive game world. Competition between players is fierce, with the best and brightest aspiring to ascend as gods.
Stephanie Kane is a talented Cambridge graduate, reformed gamer and cyberpunk. Headhunted to the Information Warfare section of Omega Division, she jumps at the opportunity to join Europe's elite Special Forces regiment. When she is tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a prominent Third Realm player, she is quickly in above her head. There is more at stake than she could ever have imagined and there is a real danger of her first mission also being her last.
Lara is a troubled teenage ballerina with a shameful secret and blood on her hands. Seeking an escape, she forges a reputation in Third Realm as a deadly assassin. Then her real problems begin...
James is a gifted Academy student with a bright future. He is having the time of his life until his actions in Third Realm bring real world consequences. When his family comes under threat, it's no longer an adventure he seeks, but vengeance.
Brought together by Stephanie's investigation, they face dangers in multiple realities and uncover a secret nations will kill for to control.
As they contend with Special Forces raids, magic duels and a struggle between gods, angels and humans, they learn two things. The future is a dangerous place and even virtual worlds can turn deadly....
Stephanie Kane is a talented Cambridge graduate, reformed gamer and cyberpunk. Headhunted to the Information Warfare section of Omega Division, she jumps at the opportunity to join Europe's elite Special Forces regiment. When she is tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a prominent Third Realm player, she is quickly in above her head. There is more at stake than she could ever have imagined and there is a real danger of her first mission also being her last.
Lara is a troubled teenage ballerina with a shameful secret and blood on her hands. Seeking an escape, she forges a reputation in Third Realm as a deadly assassin. Then her real problems begin...
James is a gifted Academy student with a bright future. He is having the time of his life until his actions in Third Realm bring real world consequences. When his family comes under threat, it's no longer an adventure he seeks, but vengeance.
Brought together by Stephanie's investigation, they face dangers in multiple realities and uncover a secret nations will kill for to control.
As they contend with Special Forces raids, magic duels and a struggle between gods, angels and humans, they learn two things. The future is a dangerous place and even virtual worlds can turn deadly....
271 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2011
52 people want to read
About the author
Justin Dillon-Shallard
2 books8 followersJustin Dillon-Shallard lives in Bournemouth on the south coast of England with his wife Samantha, his daughter Emily and two furry persian fiends/cats.
GODS is his first novel. He is currently working on a sequel, set 15 years after the events of GODS.
GODS is his first novel. He is currently working on a sequel, set 15 years after the events of GODS.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 24, 2015
DEiFIED by Justin Dillon-Shallard is set in a future in which virtual reality is a…er…reality! The book follows two stories: a story set in the real world and story set in a VR gaming world, The Third Realm. As the book continues, the two stories entwine and the reader discovers just how dangerous online gaming can be and how it can cross easily into real-life. It’s undoubtedly science fiction but with a touch of fantasy and a drop of thriller thrown into the mix. Imagine that with a black-ops military team, hard-core gamers, and a small-but-still-there side-order love story and you’re about there with DEiFIED. It’s got a bit of everything, and that’s not always a great thing to have.
This book is trying to be a lot of things and the question of whether it manages it is a good one. The phrase ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ may come to mind. Actually though, that phrase is one that most definitely cannot be applied to this book, because it is masterful and Dillon-Shallard manages to wind the genres together seamlessly – quite a clever talent that. Having said that, whilst it may be a bit of everything to everyone, it is worth noting that if you don’t really like sci-fi, this probably isn’t the book for you.
Speaking of which, the sci-fi elements were done really well. The novel is not set too far into the future to be completely unrelatable and the developments in technology weren’t so outlandish to be not believable. In fact, I could easily see how the world we live in today could become the world of DEiFIED. What makes it all the more credible is how well world politics is dealt with. For the first half of the book at least, each chapter is prefixed with a paragraph about a particular country’s world standing and/or governmental control. There’s consistency and authority in the infrastructure of the world that Dillon-Shallard has created and that, in itself, is something to be in awe of. I have an image of an author so ingrained in his own-built political system that he has a basement (or better yet, an old bunker) littered with notes that are linked with strings and pins, with red circles and different coloured highlighters. Okay, so that might be a bit far-fetched (a girl can dream…) but in reality, the depth and consistency with which Dillon-Shallard has created his infrastructure can only possibly point to excellent note-taking or an awesome memory!
I did wonder, though, for at least the first third or so of the book, whether his own detailed knowledge of his world led him to forget that actually, the reader is coming to it with complete ignorance. It took me a good while to work out what was going on and with the introduction of all the different characters, I’ll admit I was a little blind-sided for a bit. It didn’t help that each character was actually two (or should I say that each pair of characters were actually one? See, I’m even confused now)! What I mean is that for every character, there was the person they were in the real world and then a whole new persona for them in the game – with different names, different looks, and different skill-sets. That can take some getting used to but the good news is, you do get used to it and ultimately, to write the characters in any other way would have been unrealistic. That’s what people often do, after all, when playing online. They create a new life for themselves. Once you get used to it, it’s great too because it creates a whole extra dimension in the novel and adds to what I shall now always refer to as that Dillon-Shallard Depth!
The story, too, was a little confusing if I’m honest. I’m still not entirely sure that I fully understand what happened (although I think I’ve worked it all out now, and there is good chance I was just having one long brain fart). There are lots of twists and turns and revelations that make for an exciting tale but my brain just couldn’t cope! That didn’t make me dislike the book though. Quite the opposite in fact – I relished the challenge and along with the great writing, the fantastic characters, and the roller-coaster ride, a bit of confusion was worth the effort.
It’s true that this is a complex novel but actually, the story was engrossing, the writing was peppered with humour and emotion throughout, and the characters felt real to me (even the fictional fictional ones – the gaming personas!) Dillon-Shallard has an amazing ability to create tension, at least one of the twists made me gasp aloud (to the surprise of my dog), and DEiFIED includes one of the best battle scenes I think I’ve ever read. I was genuinely rooting for one team over another and I felt their rousing spirit (not a great way to get yourself off to sleep, I can tell you now). It was one of those books that I was desperate to finish so that I could find out what happens, yet I was desperate not to finish so that it would carry on for longer but that’s okay, because I’m on my way to Amazon right now to download the next in the series!
This book is trying to be a lot of things and the question of whether it manages it is a good one. The phrase ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ may come to mind. Actually though, that phrase is one that most definitely cannot be applied to this book, because it is masterful and Dillon-Shallard manages to wind the genres together seamlessly – quite a clever talent that. Having said that, whilst it may be a bit of everything to everyone, it is worth noting that if you don’t really like sci-fi, this probably isn’t the book for you.
Speaking of which, the sci-fi elements were done really well. The novel is not set too far into the future to be completely unrelatable and the developments in technology weren’t so outlandish to be not believable. In fact, I could easily see how the world we live in today could become the world of DEiFIED. What makes it all the more credible is how well world politics is dealt with. For the first half of the book at least, each chapter is prefixed with a paragraph about a particular country’s world standing and/or governmental control. There’s consistency and authority in the infrastructure of the world that Dillon-Shallard has created and that, in itself, is something to be in awe of. I have an image of an author so ingrained in his own-built political system that he has a basement (or better yet, an old bunker) littered with notes that are linked with strings and pins, with red circles and different coloured highlighters. Okay, so that might be a bit far-fetched (a girl can dream…) but in reality, the depth and consistency with which Dillon-Shallard has created his infrastructure can only possibly point to excellent note-taking or an awesome memory!
I did wonder, though, for at least the first third or so of the book, whether his own detailed knowledge of his world led him to forget that actually, the reader is coming to it with complete ignorance. It took me a good while to work out what was going on and with the introduction of all the different characters, I’ll admit I was a little blind-sided for a bit. It didn’t help that each character was actually two (or should I say that each pair of characters were actually one? See, I’m even confused now)! What I mean is that for every character, there was the person they were in the real world and then a whole new persona for them in the game – with different names, different looks, and different skill-sets. That can take some getting used to but the good news is, you do get used to it and ultimately, to write the characters in any other way would have been unrealistic. That’s what people often do, after all, when playing online. They create a new life for themselves. Once you get used to it, it’s great too because it creates a whole extra dimension in the novel and adds to what I shall now always refer to as that Dillon-Shallard Depth!
The story, too, was a little confusing if I’m honest. I’m still not entirely sure that I fully understand what happened (although I think I’ve worked it all out now, and there is good chance I was just having one long brain fart). There are lots of twists and turns and revelations that make for an exciting tale but my brain just couldn’t cope! That didn’t make me dislike the book though. Quite the opposite in fact – I relished the challenge and along with the great writing, the fantastic characters, and the roller-coaster ride, a bit of confusion was worth the effort.
It’s true that this is a complex novel but actually, the story was engrossing, the writing was peppered with humour and emotion throughout, and the characters felt real to me (even the fictional fictional ones – the gaming personas!) Dillon-Shallard has an amazing ability to create tension, at least one of the twists made me gasp aloud (to the surprise of my dog), and DEiFIED includes one of the best battle scenes I think I’ve ever read. I was genuinely rooting for one team over another and I felt their rousing spirit (not a great way to get yourself off to sleep, I can tell you now). It was one of those books that I was desperate to finish so that I could find out what happens, yet I was desperate not to finish so that it would carry on for longer but that’s okay, because I’m on my way to Amazon right now to download the next in the series!
July 27, 2015
A Twirl Through a Fascinating Alternate Reality
Justin Dillon-Shallard has written a steady-paced novel that encompasses several genres, but does not compromise on integrity. Everything has its place. I would say that the novel leans more toward a fantasy/science fiction story rather than pure thriller. The key is in the balance, and it does flow naturally.
What I enjoyed most about DEiFIED is how the story interchanges effortlessly between the real world (set in the mid-twenty-first century) and the alternate reality of the game, Third Realm. The reader is never left wondering where the characters are and what the reality is. In fact, the two worlds overlap at times, taking us through an exciting loop, connecting various threads. I found myself wanting to learn more about the Third Realm.
While this is a combination of a science fiction, fantasy, and part thriller, it also feels grounded. There are no flashy effects shrieking for attention. There is just a good story told by a most capable author. There are no overly gory scenes in the book, which I appreciate.
DEiFIED is part of a series, but there is no cliffhanger, and it is neatly wrapped up at the end. The author has no need for these gimmicks. The story is good enough on its own, and merits a follow up. I look forward to reading Technopath shortly. Of course, now ... I also want Vmail!
Justin Dillon-Shallard has written a steady-paced novel that encompasses several genres, but does not compromise on integrity. Everything has its place. I would say that the novel leans more toward a fantasy/science fiction story rather than pure thriller. The key is in the balance, and it does flow naturally.
What I enjoyed most about DEiFIED is how the story interchanges effortlessly between the real world (set in the mid-twenty-first century) and the alternate reality of the game, Third Realm. The reader is never left wondering where the characters are and what the reality is. In fact, the two worlds overlap at times, taking us through an exciting loop, connecting various threads. I found myself wanting to learn more about the Third Realm.
While this is a combination of a science fiction, fantasy, and part thriller, it also feels grounded. There are no flashy effects shrieking for attention. There is just a good story told by a most capable author. There are no overly gory scenes in the book, which I appreciate.
DEiFIED is part of a series, but there is no cliffhanger, and it is neatly wrapped up at the end. The author has no need for these gimmicks. The story is good enough on its own, and merits a follow up. I look forward to reading Technopath shortly. Of course, now ... I also want Vmail!
March 17, 2012
The way Gods follows lives and events which occur both in the real world and the Third Realm concurrently, is something which I found unusually original. As there are a good number of characters and rather a lot of short chapters which necessarily flit from one to the other, this requires some concentration on the part of the reader not to become confused. I found this perfectly understandable, as it moved the story along promptly and never loitered on any one scene too long.
If I have any qualms, and it's a minor one, it is that the Third Realm side of the story occasionally becomes a little too fantastic for me. I'm not a fan of World of Warcraft type games, Skyrim, Halo or Lord of the Rings or any of that ilk, and occasionally Gods delves a little too far into those areas. If you are a fan of such genres, then I'm sure you would absolutely love this. Even so, I found the ending quite exciting as all the plot threads came together. Recommended.
If I have any qualms, and it's a minor one, it is that the Third Realm side of the story occasionally becomes a little too fantastic for me. I'm not a fan of World of Warcraft type games, Skyrim, Halo or Lord of the Rings or any of that ilk, and occasionally Gods delves a little too far into those areas. If you are a fan of such genres, then I'm sure you would absolutely love this. Even so, I found the ending quite exciting as all the plot threads came together. Recommended.
July 4, 2014
Great book. Fantastic depth to the unique storyline. Eagerly awaiting the next one !
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November 17, 2012loved it
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews