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Pwned
Find out what happens when this gamer decides to stop playing nice. Professional gamer Sean Boxer is headed to South Korea to play the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. His arch-rival, Norman MacArthur, wants to make sure Sean never makes it to the first round. Norman uses his job at the NSA to set Sean up as the subject of a government investigation, leaving Sean buried under metaphorical tons of bureaucratic red tape and stuck in the States until the investigation is over, which could take years. And result in prison time. When Sean finds out Norman is behind his newfound legal troubles, he has a big decision to Stay home or fight back.
380 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2011
64 people want to read
About the author
Erika Mitchell
7 books31 followersErika Mitchell is a thriller writer specializing in espionage. Her first book, Blood Money, dealt with the high-stakes reality of life as a CIA informant, while her new series revolves around the fantastical life of a CIA case officer who works in the field.
Her novels are characterized by vivid settings, snappy dialogue, and fast-paced plots, and her dedication to research is evident in the numerous true-to-life details that immerse readers in the world of modern-day espionage.
Erika is a firm believer in believable heroes, pulse-pounding chase scenes, and the Oxford comma. She lives in western Washington with her partner and two children.
Her novels are characterized by vivid settings, snappy dialogue, and fast-paced plots, and her dedication to research is evident in the numerous true-to-life details that immerse readers in the world of modern-day espionage.
Erika is a firm believer in believable heroes, pulse-pounding chase scenes, and the Oxford comma. She lives in western Washington with her partner and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 21, 2011
Pwned comes as a pleasant surprise. Stories about gamers tend to go one of two ways. The first is the Hollywood version that is clearly thought up by people who have no idea what gamers are actually like. The other borders on bad fan fiction. First time novelist Erika Mitchell fills her pages with believable characters, situations and motivations. These are true gamers. People who play the game because they have a passion for it. It is a part of their lives and only one part.
There are some first timer clichés, or stand bys. Namely that the protagonist Sean Boxer is occupationally a writer and there are too many character beats that don’t contribute to the plot. Overall these do not detract from the story because Mitchell convinces the reader to care for her characters.
The description of the book is misleading. Sean Boxer doesn’t fight back. He uses his Starcraft strategy: defense. Bordering on passive-aggressive, Sean barely confronts his problem. Instead he finds ways to work around it. Similarly, Sean’s foil Norman isn’t quite the devious Bond villain one would expect. Instead his motivation is born out of desperation and opportunity. This atypical method allows Mitchell to differentiate her nemeses from other characters in the genre.
The details make this a great read for gamers. Mitchell explains enough of the jargon to keep non-gamers in the game. Genre fans looking for something different will not be disappointed. Mitchell proves herself a skillful newcomer. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
There are some first timer clichés, or stand bys. Namely that the protagonist Sean Boxer is occupationally a writer and there are too many character beats that don’t contribute to the plot. Overall these do not detract from the story because Mitchell convinces the reader to care for her characters.
The description of the book is misleading. Sean Boxer doesn’t fight back. He uses his Starcraft strategy: defense. Bordering on passive-aggressive, Sean barely confronts his problem. Instead he finds ways to work around it. Similarly, Sean’s foil Norman isn’t quite the devious Bond villain one would expect. Instead his motivation is born out of desperation and opportunity. This atypical method allows Mitchell to differentiate her nemeses from other characters in the genre.
The details make this a great read for gamers. Mitchell explains enough of the jargon to keep non-gamers in the game. Genre fans looking for something different will not be disappointed. Mitchell proves herself a skillful newcomer. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
December 15, 2011
I was excited to read PWNED for a while, but I knew that I had to carefully time it in my order of “to read” books. It came with me on the honeymoon, where I got bogged down in that draggy piece of poo whose title rhymes with “The Kelp.” I “cleansed my mental palate”, so to speak, with “The Night Circus,” at which time I was immediately ready for something light and fun to help me gradually breakaway from the dreamy world of the Circus.
Enter PWNED. A Thriller, about an author/gamer. Immediately my nerd-radar starts beeping with interest. (Honestly, I recommended it to my wedding photographer, as we’d discussed his love of Starcraft at one of our photo sessions.)
*DISCLAIMER: You do NOT have to be intimately acquainted with Starcraft 2 to enjoy this book. Erika explains some of the game terminology and strategies, and you gradually can visualize what’s happening just by osmosis.*
The characters are well-written and likeable, and tend to dispel the typical stereotype of the “gamer.” None of them exist on Funyuns and Mountain Dew, nor do they live in their Mom’s basements: Each has a job as a functioning part of society, and games in their free time. It’s Norman’s job that first gives him the idea of sabotaging his arch-rival, Sean, and keeping him from the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. Norman barely beat him the year before, and has noticed that Sean’s technique has greatly improved in the last year.
Sean is going about his business, dealing with typical family drama and working on his latest novel when suddenly the FBI bursts into his apartment and lets him know that he’s being investigated for “suspicious browsing activity.” (Note to self: … ha, just kidding.) They confiscate his laptop, leaving him without a way to work or practice for the upcoming GSL tournament. He’s also been told not to leave the country until he’s cleared by the NSA, so his chances to compete are looking pretty bleak… until his Starcraft teammates come to the rescue with a scheme that just might work, to help Sean not only clear his name but also compete.
This book wasn’t what I expected in ANY sense of the word. I was a little afraid to be bogged down in gaming jargon- didn’t happen. Most of my frame of reference for thrillers exists around Dan Brown novels, and there wasn’t a bald monk or series of cryptic clues hidden in famous artworks to be seen. There MAY OR MAY NOT even be a little bit of romance hidden in there… Most of all, this book is FUN. It’s the perfect read for a day at the beach or a rainy day curled up on the couch, when you want to escape for a little while and hang out with characters that you feel you’d be friends with in real life. The enjoyment that Erika Mitchell got out of writing this story is evident in every page, from some sly and not-so-sly pop culture references to the casual banter between her characters. I personally cannot WAIT for her next novel to be released!
Enter PWNED. A Thriller, about an author/gamer. Immediately my nerd-radar starts beeping with interest. (Honestly, I recommended it to my wedding photographer, as we’d discussed his love of Starcraft at one of our photo sessions.)
*DISCLAIMER: You do NOT have to be intimately acquainted with Starcraft 2 to enjoy this book. Erika explains some of the game terminology and strategies, and you gradually can visualize what’s happening just by osmosis.*
The characters are well-written and likeable, and tend to dispel the typical stereotype of the “gamer.” None of them exist on Funyuns and Mountain Dew, nor do they live in their Mom’s basements: Each has a job as a functioning part of society, and games in their free time. It’s Norman’s job that first gives him the idea of sabotaging his arch-rival, Sean, and keeping him from the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. Norman barely beat him the year before, and has noticed that Sean’s technique has greatly improved in the last year.
Sean is going about his business, dealing with typical family drama and working on his latest novel when suddenly the FBI bursts into his apartment and lets him know that he’s being investigated for “suspicious browsing activity.” (Note to self: … ha, just kidding.) They confiscate his laptop, leaving him without a way to work or practice for the upcoming GSL tournament. He’s also been told not to leave the country until he’s cleared by the NSA, so his chances to compete are looking pretty bleak… until his Starcraft teammates come to the rescue with a scheme that just might work, to help Sean not only clear his name but also compete.
This book wasn’t what I expected in ANY sense of the word. I was a little afraid to be bogged down in gaming jargon- didn’t happen. Most of my frame of reference for thrillers exists around Dan Brown novels, and there wasn’t a bald monk or series of cryptic clues hidden in famous artworks to be seen. There MAY OR MAY NOT even be a little bit of romance hidden in there… Most of all, this book is FUN. It’s the perfect read for a day at the beach or a rainy day curled up on the couch, when you want to escape for a little while and hang out with characters that you feel you’d be friends with in real life. The enjoyment that Erika Mitchell got out of writing this story is evident in every page, from some sly and not-so-sly pop culture references to the casual banter between her characters. I personally cannot WAIT for her next novel to be released!
December 23, 2011
I won a copy on Goodreads First Reads.
Sean Boxer is a professional gamer and is heading to the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world.His main rival,Norman MacArthur, wants to keep him from even making the opening round.Norman will use his job at the NSA to set Sean up as the subject of a government investigation.Sean has to decide whether to play it safe or take some huge gambles to reach his dream.
I am not that familiar with Starcraft 2, so I figured I would be lost at times in the story. Fortunately Erika Mitchell makes the game section easily understandable for a novice like me.On the other hand, I can easily see how a long time fan of Starcraft 2 would be able to get even more enjoyment out of those sections.While it might seem a little hard to believe anyone would take the risks to win a game tournament, even one with an $87,000 prize, it is also totally realistic. If you look at most actual crimes, the motivations for much bigger crimes can be even smaller than the ones in the book.In fact,the whole book is one of the most easily realistic books I have read in a long time.That is saying a lot for an action book.
All of the characters are well-developed and mesh well with each other.Sean is likeable and it is very easy to root for him.Norman is a jerk, but it is hard to not feel sorry for him.He does bad things, but he feels he has no choice if he wishes to achieve his dream.Mercedes is every male gamers dream. A beautiful,rich gamer girl who does not already have a boyfriend.(She is the equivalent of the Holy Grail wrapped in the Golden Fleece being given to you by Bigfoot)
I would recommend this book to any gamer or anyone who likes realistic action with a little romance thrown into the mix.
Sean Boxer is a professional gamer and is heading to the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world.His main rival,Norman MacArthur, wants to keep him from even making the opening round.Norman will use his job at the NSA to set Sean up as the subject of a government investigation.Sean has to decide whether to play it safe or take some huge gambles to reach his dream.
I am not that familiar with Starcraft 2, so I figured I would be lost at times in the story. Fortunately Erika Mitchell makes the game section easily understandable for a novice like me.On the other hand, I can easily see how a long time fan of Starcraft 2 would be able to get even more enjoyment out of those sections.While it might seem a little hard to believe anyone would take the risks to win a game tournament, even one with an $87,000 prize, it is also totally realistic. If you look at most actual crimes, the motivations for much bigger crimes can be even smaller than the ones in the book.In fact,the whole book is one of the most easily realistic books I have read in a long time.That is saying a lot for an action book.
All of the characters are well-developed and mesh well with each other.Sean is likeable and it is very easy to root for him.Norman is a jerk, but it is hard to not feel sorry for him.He does bad things, but he feels he has no choice if he wishes to achieve his dream.Mercedes is every male gamers dream. A beautiful,rich gamer girl who does not already have a boyfriend.(She is the equivalent of the Holy Grail wrapped in the Golden Fleece being given to you by Bigfoot)
I would recommend this book to any gamer or anyone who likes realistic action with a little romance thrown into the mix.
December 14, 2011
I won this book as Goodreads - first reads
I was pleasantly surprised by this story of gamers. As a non-gamer I was concerned that the jargon may be hard to follow, but fear not, Erika Mitchell made this easy to understand.
Sean Boxer, a writer and professional gamer, is heading to the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. His arch rival/nemesis, Norman MacArthur is desperate to win and will even use his position at the NSA to set Sean up .
With well fleshed out character it is easy to empathize and understand what makes them tick. They are passionate gamers whose lives have and crimes require as much stragey as the game they love. A gamer dream girl in the mix adds a bit of romance.
I would recommend this book to action fans and gamers alike.
I was pleasantly surprised by this story of gamers. As a non-gamer I was concerned that the jargon may be hard to follow, but fear not, Erika Mitchell made this easy to understand.
Sean Boxer, a writer and professional gamer, is heading to the biggest Starcraft 2 tournament in the world. His arch rival/nemesis, Norman MacArthur is desperate to win and will even use his position at the NSA to set Sean up .
With well fleshed out character it is easy to empathize and understand what makes them tick. They are passionate gamers whose lives have and crimes require as much stragey as the game they love. A gamer dream girl in the mix adds a bit of romance.
I would recommend this book to action fans and gamers alike.
September 5, 2012
If you are a gamer or someone who loves a good suspense novel, this book has it all. Erika writes with a formal style that adds a level of depth to each character. I loved the subtle romance that simmers beneath the story's surface. This is a good book to pick up when you have plenty of quiet time to devote to it. After chapter five, you will have a hard time putting it down.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews