What do you think?
Rate this book
Eris
An anarchist online group sets out to assassinate the corporate elites they believe have turned culture into a digital nightmare.
“A blistering look at what our online and offline lives have devolved into at the hands of our corporate tech overlords and their lackeys in government.” — ROBERT J. SAWYER, Hugo Award–winning author
Don Barton is the visionary creator of Greenhouse, a popular immersive game where millions play at “saving the environment” in the surreal digital landscapes of the metaverse. Now retired to his plutocratic wealth, he learns his teen son, a gifted gamer, has suddenly gone missing, having joined a terrorist group led by a mysterious young woman, Eris, a former cryptocurrency trader. She’s on a mission to destroy the world’s entertainment and social media platforms and assassinate the corporate elites who run them.
In desperation, Barton roams Greenhouse, the only place his radicalized son will talk to him, learning that the game — his life’s work — is on the terrorist hit list. And both his life and his son’s are in danger.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
“A blistering look at what our online and offline lives have devolved into at the hands of our corporate tech overlords and their lackeys in government.” — ROBERT J. SAWYER, Hugo Award–winning author
Don Barton is the visionary creator of Greenhouse, a popular immersive game where millions play at “saving the environment” in the surreal digital landscapes of the metaverse. Now retired to his plutocratic wealth, he learns his teen son, a gifted gamer, has suddenly gone missing, having joined a terrorist group led by a mysterious young woman, Eris, a former cryptocurrency trader. She’s on a mission to destroy the world’s entertainment and social media platforms and assassinate the corporate elites who run them.
In desperation, Barton roams Greenhouse, the only place his radicalized son will talk to him, learning that the game — his life’s work — is on the terrorist hit list. And both his life and his son’s are in danger.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2024
8 people are currently reading
3107 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 6, 2024
3.5 Stars
Video Review https://youtu.be/ylEjUV5CZi8
This was one of the most intriguing premises I have read in a long time. I love an environmental “cli fi” novel that deals with the phenomenon of keyboard warriors. I love how this story describes a future where people are addicted to virtually saving the world, rather than actually doing it. Sadly it feels very believable and so I found it quote thought provoking.
The downside of this novel is that the execution of the narrative is so messy. It has threads on the cohesive story, but gets overly ambitious and scattered. With better editing, this novel would have been amazing. I still liked it a lot, which is reflected in my rating but it's a shame it fell short of it's five star potential.
Video Review https://youtu.be/ylEjUV5CZi8
This was one of the most intriguing premises I have read in a long time. I love an environmental “cli fi” novel that deals with the phenomenon of keyboard warriors. I love how this story describes a future where people are addicted to virtually saving the world, rather than actually doing it. Sadly it feels very believable and so I found it quote thought provoking.
The downside of this novel is that the execution of the narrative is so messy. It has threads on the cohesive story, but gets overly ambitious and scattered. With better editing, this novel would have been amazing. I still liked it a lot, which is reflected in my rating but it's a shame it fell short of it's five star potential.
November 7, 2023
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an objective review of this book.
I found this book’s plot description interesting, and was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I found this book somewhat difficult to read — not because it was poorly written or because it was written at too advanced of a level, but because it fundamentally fails to provide context for its characters, setting, and overall narrative.
This lack of context for Greenhouse and the book’s characters makes the stakes in the plot difficult to understand. What is the nature of Greenhouse, and why does the game matter? The book description mentions that players in Greenhouse aim to ‘save the environment,’ but based on descriptions of the game from early in the book, which are quite violent, there’s clearly more to the game. What that is, we never learn. For one reason or another, though, characters in the book are willing to risk their lives to accomplish whatever aims they have vis-a-vis the game. Because there’s no context for the game and its meaning — to its players or to the world — the characters’ obsession with the game comes across as confusing instead of serving its (I assume) intended purpose of raising the plot’s stakes and creating a sense of drama.
The characters are similarly flat. We are thrown into the perspectives of each of the key characters in the book — Don, Tony, Eris, etc. — and rather than observe each person add depth to their narrative arc throughout the book, we are simply informed of the traits of each character. The teenager is rebellious and adds gratuitous f-bombs into his dialogue; the eccentric billionaire game inventor is distant, self-absorbed, and liable to cheat on his wife. We’re thus forced to accept the characters’ idiosyncrasies early on, rather than — as ideally would be the case — learn of them as they influence the unfolding of the plot. These pieces of context — the characters’ personalities, biases, and behaviors — would be more effectively established if they were gradually revealed rather than forced upon us early in the story.
Lastly, there is the context of the book’s action itself. It is often difficult to understand whether something is occurring in the digital world or the physical world. Perhaps this is the author’s intent, but if that is the case, more context needs to be established: why is one party so hell-bent on finding another party in the digital world, when they really want to find them in the physical world? Why are players so concerned about ‘dying’ in the digital world when they can just buy another life?
The upshot is that parsing the motivations of the characters, and why their actions in the book matter, is quite difficult to do. Overall, this is a book with an interesting plot that had a lot of potential, but was unsatisfying in its execution.
I found this book’s plot description interesting, and was excited to read it. Unfortunately, I found this book somewhat difficult to read — not because it was poorly written or because it was written at too advanced of a level, but because it fundamentally fails to provide context for its characters, setting, and overall narrative.
This lack of context for Greenhouse and the book’s characters makes the stakes in the plot difficult to understand. What is the nature of Greenhouse, and why does the game matter? The book description mentions that players in Greenhouse aim to ‘save the environment,’ but based on descriptions of the game from early in the book, which are quite violent, there’s clearly more to the game. What that is, we never learn. For one reason or another, though, characters in the book are willing to risk their lives to accomplish whatever aims they have vis-a-vis the game. Because there’s no context for the game and its meaning — to its players or to the world — the characters’ obsession with the game comes across as confusing instead of serving its (I assume) intended purpose of raising the plot’s stakes and creating a sense of drama.
The characters are similarly flat. We are thrown into the perspectives of each of the key characters in the book — Don, Tony, Eris, etc. — and rather than observe each person add depth to their narrative arc throughout the book, we are simply informed of the traits of each character. The teenager is rebellious and adds gratuitous f-bombs into his dialogue; the eccentric billionaire game inventor is distant, self-absorbed, and liable to cheat on his wife. We’re thus forced to accept the characters’ idiosyncrasies early on, rather than — as ideally would be the case — learn of them as they influence the unfolding of the plot. These pieces of context — the characters’ personalities, biases, and behaviors — would be more effectively established if they were gradually revealed rather than forced upon us early in the story.
Lastly, there is the context of the book’s action itself. It is often difficult to understand whether something is occurring in the digital world or the physical world. Perhaps this is the author’s intent, but if that is the case, more context needs to be established: why is one party so hell-bent on finding another party in the digital world, when they really want to find them in the physical world? Why are players so concerned about ‘dying’ in the digital world when they can just buy another life?
The upshot is that parsing the motivations of the characters, and why their actions in the book matter, is quite difficult to do. Overall, this is a book with an interesting plot that had a lot of potential, but was unsatisfying in its execution.
August 2, 2025
I found this book in a bookbox. It called to me, it’s chaos, sorry! Marketing… looking quite new, bright and colorful. I looked at the reviews on Goodreads and was intrigued, as something with a 2._ is rare.
I read it in one go.
I would argue, to those who have stated how it could have been better edited or the characters weren’t developed, that this is a work of an author’s holistic understanding of the world through metacognitive lenses (the plurality is important). Its state of publication was intentional.
The work is broken into chapters named for the character who will narrate it, in first person. Each narrator is meant to be of high intelligence in their own way. It is important to remember psychologically, those of high intelligence and/or creativity tend to buck social norms/expectations in at least one, if not a few areas. This may cause them seem ‘off’ or abnormal in some sense to others.
Context is reduced due to the internalization of processing in accurate first person portrayals. It is an effect of how reflective thinking makes reading another’s narrative thoughts harder to hold on to. They are not your own. Meaning-making inherently differs between people for multitudes of reasons. They have their own cognitive shortcuts, they may even struggle to execute reversibility in their own neural connections. So, without third person knowledge, lack of context is intentional, even necessary, when done to realistic standards.
First person narratives where you feel you know a character completely are likely giving their protagonists significantly higher levels of descriptive and linear (or at least fully fleshed out) logical thought progressions than even a highly intelligent person could put forth moment to moment. Read: without iteration and intention. Not everything we experience is at the surface of our consciousness.
This first person narrative reaches into meta territory through more realistic reflective capabilities unique to each character, aided by a mechanism for dramatic irony (a ghost of 3rd person narration) spread across common scenes through various people, places and motives (those we externalize, internalize or don’t even realize).
This entire work revels in the concept of duality. Which is clearly revealed in Eris’ quote, “But I do believe that the whole of everything of our life here, on this planet, can only be partially felt, but never fully thought, known - never mind spoken.”
I believe the book is meant to be an experience in dissociation. Disorder in the chaos and complexity of actors - both intra- and interpersonally. This mimics real life. The discomfort in unknowns, a mirror.
Even the most self aware, reflective people are limited by their own experience, life inputs, and personal interpretations; which necessarily preclude them from full understanding of another being’s infinite complexities. Further, our expressive capabilities often do not match our receptive, internalized ones (AND are often further context dependent).
So then, we all simultaneously interact with each other within further complicated social webs of that contextualization. One of which, captured most acutely in this book, is capitalism - often synonymous with greed and an almost intentional lack of awareness to the fallibility of infinite growth or wealth.
Read Larry Gaudet’s background. Realize that it comes from his own internalized but macro-micro understanding of the marketing world. Its connections to humanity through his working life. Then infer that this book is likely his own metacognitive expression of those patterns witnessed time and time again. This makes the ending more terrifying.
I read it in one go.
I would argue, to those who have stated how it could have been better edited or the characters weren’t developed, that this is a work of an author’s holistic understanding of the world through metacognitive lenses (the plurality is important). Its state of publication was intentional.
The work is broken into chapters named for the character who will narrate it, in first person. Each narrator is meant to be of high intelligence in their own way. It is important to remember psychologically, those of high intelligence and/or creativity tend to buck social norms/expectations in at least one, if not a few areas. This may cause them seem ‘off’ or abnormal in some sense to others.
Context is reduced due to the internalization of processing in accurate first person portrayals. It is an effect of how reflective thinking makes reading another’s narrative thoughts harder to hold on to. They are not your own. Meaning-making inherently differs between people for multitudes of reasons. They have their own cognitive shortcuts, they may even struggle to execute reversibility in their own neural connections. So, without third person knowledge, lack of context is intentional, even necessary, when done to realistic standards.
First person narratives where you feel you know a character completely are likely giving their protagonists significantly higher levels of descriptive and linear (or at least fully fleshed out) logical thought progressions than even a highly intelligent person could put forth moment to moment. Read: without iteration and intention. Not everything we experience is at the surface of our consciousness.
This first person narrative reaches into meta territory through more realistic reflective capabilities unique to each character, aided by a mechanism for dramatic irony (a ghost of 3rd person narration) spread across common scenes through various people, places and motives (those we externalize, internalize or don’t even realize).
This entire work revels in the concept of duality. Which is clearly revealed in Eris’ quote, “But I do believe that the whole of everything of our life here, on this planet, can only be partially felt, but never fully thought, known - never mind spoken.”
I believe the book is meant to be an experience in dissociation. Disorder in the chaos and complexity of actors - both intra- and interpersonally. This mimics real life. The discomfort in unknowns, a mirror.
Even the most self aware, reflective people are limited by their own experience, life inputs, and personal interpretations; which necessarily preclude them from full understanding of another being’s infinite complexities. Further, our expressive capabilities often do not match our receptive, internalized ones (AND are often further context dependent).
So then, we all simultaneously interact with each other within further complicated social webs of that contextualization. One of which, captured most acutely in this book, is capitalism - often synonymous with greed and an almost intentional lack of awareness to the fallibility of infinite growth or wealth.
Read Larry Gaudet’s background. Realize that it comes from his own internalized but macro-micro understanding of the marketing world. Its connections to humanity through his working life. Then infer that this book is likely his own metacognitive expression of those patterns witnessed time and time again. This makes the ending more terrifying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
Eris is a short novel with an extremely interesting and terrifying premise and themes of reality vs construct, truth vs the pitch society is sold, and how do we come to grips with our actions and hold ourselves accountable for our choices. I was very hyped when I read the blub to read this novel but unfortunately this fell very short for me.
I found everything about this book superficial and bland. I felt with the multiple POV it was very difficult to get a handle on any of the characters given that is was a short novel. If felt like I was only given the bare bones of the characters and I felt absolutely nothing for any of them because they were given no substance. The world building I thought was extremely lacking and dull which was very disappointing because there was so much that could have been done there. Just provided the minutiae of everything I found it impossible to get wound up in what was happening and feeling anything for this book.
I was going to DNF this about 30% in but I want to give it a shot but it just was not for me.
I found everything about this book superficial and bland. I felt with the multiple POV it was very difficult to get a handle on any of the characters given that is was a short novel. If felt like I was only given the bare bones of the characters and I felt absolutely nothing for any of them because they were given no substance. The world building I thought was extremely lacking and dull which was very disappointing because there was so much that could have been done there. Just provided the minutiae of everything I found it impossible to get wound up in what was happening and feeling anything for this book.
I was going to DNF this about 30% in but I want to give it a shot but it just was not for me.
July 15, 2024
Book Summary:
Technology has taken over the world. That statement is more literal for some people. Take Don Barton, he created a revolutionary new game that enabled players to save the (digital) world – from the safety of their own homes.
Unfortunately, his son has gotten completely obsessed with the game. Karmic? Maybe. Worse, this teenager is about to find himself completely over his head, as he gets pulled into a world full of terrorist groups and more.
My Review:
I was really excited to give Eris a try. Okay, admittedly, part of my hopes were set because of the awesome cover (I'm a sucker for brightly-covered covers, sue me). I also really liked the sound of this description – Ready Player One meets social activism.
There were things I really enjoyed about this book, and then there were things that I wish had been done differently. My biggest problem was the characters. They felt flat and hollow. Ironically, they almost felt like an AI interpretation of characters. That'd be awesome if it was done intentionally!
I also wish that we had gotten to see more of this digital world - the Greenhouse. It sounded really interesting, and seeing more of it helped to add context to the world(s). I understand that the author was probably afraid for Eris to feel too similar to Ready Player One, though.
On the bright side, I did enjoy the writing style of this book overall. It was bold and compelling. I think if the book had been a bit longer (it's only 180 pages), there would have been more time to explore the elements I mentioned.
Highlights:
Video Game Thriller
Virtual Reality
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Technology has taken over the world. That statement is more literal for some people. Take Don Barton, he created a revolutionary new game that enabled players to save the (digital) world – from the safety of their own homes.
Unfortunately, his son has gotten completely obsessed with the game. Karmic? Maybe. Worse, this teenager is about to find himself completely over his head, as he gets pulled into a world full of terrorist groups and more.
My Review:
I was really excited to give Eris a try. Okay, admittedly, part of my hopes were set because of the awesome cover (I'm a sucker for brightly-covered covers, sue me). I also really liked the sound of this description – Ready Player One meets social activism.
There were things I really enjoyed about this book, and then there were things that I wish had been done differently. My biggest problem was the characters. They felt flat and hollow. Ironically, they almost felt like an AI interpretation of characters. That'd be awesome if it was done intentionally!
I also wish that we had gotten to see more of this digital world - the Greenhouse. It sounded really interesting, and seeing more of it helped to add context to the world(s). I understand that the author was probably afraid for Eris to feel too similar to Ready Player One, though.
On the bright side, I did enjoy the writing style of this book overall. It was bold and compelling. I think if the book had been a bit longer (it's only 180 pages), there would have been more time to explore the elements I mentioned.
Highlights:
Video Game Thriller
Virtual Reality
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
December 3, 2023
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book at all. This was a great premise, poorly executed. If it was any longer then I would probably have DNF’d it.
This book is a multi-person first person narrative. This should fit well with this type of book so we get all the different characters’ perspectives - hero, anti-hero, baddie, etc. Using this approach should move the story on in a dynamic way. Sadly it’s doesn’t do this. All of the voices sounded really similar to me & I don’t think I’d have known who was speaking if the name wasn’t at the top of each chapter. It also felt like you were just dropped into their story so you didn’t feel like you knew what was going on, or even if you were a man/woman, old/young etc in some cases.
One bonus is the prose was easy to read, although the chat room speak wasn’t particularly engaging for me.
All in all I found the book hard to follow & I struggled to care what was going on. By the end, one fed the other.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was hopeful that it could be something gripping but it just wasn’t there. It felt like the prequel to a series, where the characters & the world were set up in the original book & you were expected to have read that first to understand. Instead you were dropped into this, not knowing what’s going on & it was jarring. I hate giving one star to any book where someone has worked so hard but I’ve found it so hard to find some redeeming qualities to bump this up. I definitely wouldn’t spend my hard-earned cash on it.
Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC in return for an honest review.
This book is a multi-person first person narrative. This should fit well with this type of book so we get all the different characters’ perspectives - hero, anti-hero, baddie, etc. Using this approach should move the story on in a dynamic way. Sadly it’s doesn’t do this. All of the voices sounded really similar to me & I don’t think I’d have known who was speaking if the name wasn’t at the top of each chapter. It also felt like you were just dropped into their story so you didn’t feel like you knew what was going on, or even if you were a man/woman, old/young etc in some cases.
One bonus is the prose was easy to read, although the chat room speak wasn’t particularly engaging for me.
All in all I found the book hard to follow & I struggled to care what was going on. By the end, one fed the other.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was hopeful that it could be something gripping but it just wasn’t there. It felt like the prequel to a series, where the characters & the world were set up in the original book & you were expected to have read that first to understand. Instead you were dropped into this, not knowing what’s going on & it was jarring. I hate giving one star to any book where someone has worked so hard but I’ve found it so hard to find some redeeming qualities to bump this up. I definitely wouldn’t spend my hard-earned cash on it.
Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC in return for an honest review.
November 12, 2023
An ARC was provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley, thank you!
This book was very short and fastpaced and it would perhaps have served it better if it were longer, had establishd its world a bit more. The writing style is strong and engaging and i finished the book nearly in one setting, the beginning is strong and hooks you quickly but the ending lacks bite.
I was initially wary of the female characters and prepared to give his book two stars but I was more positively than negatiely surprised. They may focus heavily on motherhood but the other male (adult) main characters also struggled with their parental roles and I was glad that family and children was more of an overarching theme than something just present for the women in the cast.
All in all the book lacks the depth to truly convince me but the author can write well.
November 1, 2023
This book had so much potential that I think was lost in a morality lesson. The premise was fantastic and exciting, but the execution was borderline painful at times, lectures on the ethics of what Greenhouse was and wasn’t. There was not really a lot of action, which was something I was expecting and hoping for, especially when video games and hostage situations and ransoms are involved! It almost felt like the characters just flew around in planes or in the game and then stood around and had conversations. I think the book holds merit for maybe a philosophy course, but if you’re looking for an escape for a book, this is not the best fit for you.
October 14, 2023
This was my first NetGalley ARC! Very grateful to Dundurn Press for accepting my request to read and review it.
I came into this book excited, thinking it sounded amazing – good premise, nice cover, SF / mystery / thriller, featuring a VR and some cybercriminals, compared to one of my all-time favourites (Ready Player One), and coming from my beloved Canada.
Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about it after reading it.
PROS:
• The author’s skill at writing character voice. In a book with five different POVs, all in 1st person, they were all distinct. Also, having the five POVs allowed for a glimpse into the characters’ clashing perceptions of each other and the parallels between them. That’s quite challenging, so kudos to him!
• Speaking of the characters, some of them were very interestingly layered, particularly Eris.
• The theme of technology being too pervasive and making life less real is one I can sadly agree with, and it’s cool to see it explored
• The short chapters make for a gripping, fast-paced reading experience which I personally like
• Loved the references to Toronto in there!
CONS:
• This book leaned more into the business / corporate aspects of the VR game rather than into the VR world itself, which I found disappointing given the comparison to Ready Player One
• There seemed to be lots of things going on, presented as important, and not all of them seemed to come strongly into play
• While the fast-paced experience of the short chapters was nice, some things felt rushed, which detracted from the tension and suspense. There were a couple of chapter endings and transitions that seemed rather abrupt
• Character motivations seemed unclear or weak at points, which made me feel like I was lacking a connecting thread, or like it was there but perhaps not strongly enough.
I think the book would have benefited from being longer, the way many SF and thrillers are, and expanding on the virtual world rather than business aspects, especially since the book is compared to Ready Player One. One of the core reasons why I didn’t love this book as much as I could have was that comparison – I was hoping for a VR-heavy story, where the virtual world felt like one more of the characters, important and alive.
Also, as much as having multiple perspectives was interesting, I kept wondering what the book would be like if it followed Eris exclusively. That could have made for a very strong, complex narrative. Having five different POVs, since the book is not very long, didn’t give me time to fully connect with any of the characters the way I would have liked. Again, might have had a chance to shine even more in a longer book.
All in all, amazing concept but I wasn’t keen on the execution
I came into this book excited, thinking it sounded amazing – good premise, nice cover, SF / mystery / thriller, featuring a VR and some cybercriminals, compared to one of my all-time favourites (Ready Player One), and coming from my beloved Canada.
Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about it after reading it.
PROS:
• The author’s skill at writing character voice. In a book with five different POVs, all in 1st person, they were all distinct. Also, having the five POVs allowed for a glimpse into the characters’ clashing perceptions of each other and the parallels between them. That’s quite challenging, so kudos to him!
• Speaking of the characters, some of them were very interestingly layered, particularly Eris.
• The theme of technology being too pervasive and making life less real is one I can sadly agree with, and it’s cool to see it explored
• The short chapters make for a gripping, fast-paced reading experience which I personally like
• Loved the references to Toronto in there!
CONS:
• This book leaned more into the business / corporate aspects of the VR game rather than into the VR world itself, which I found disappointing given the comparison to Ready Player One
• There seemed to be lots of things going on, presented as important, and not all of them seemed to come strongly into play
• While the fast-paced experience of the short chapters was nice, some things felt rushed, which detracted from the tension and suspense. There were a couple of chapter endings and transitions that seemed rather abrupt
• Character motivations seemed unclear or weak at points, which made me feel like I was lacking a connecting thread, or like it was there but perhaps not strongly enough.
I think the book would have benefited from being longer, the way many SF and thrillers are, and expanding on the virtual world rather than business aspects, especially since the book is compared to Ready Player One. One of the core reasons why I didn’t love this book as much as I could have was that comparison – I was hoping for a VR-heavy story, where the virtual world felt like one more of the characters, important and alive.
Also, as much as having multiple perspectives was interesting, I kept wondering what the book would be like if it followed Eris exclusively. That could have made for a very strong, complex narrative. Having five different POVs, since the book is not very long, didn’t give me time to fully connect with any of the characters the way I would have liked. Again, might have had a chance to shine even more in a longer book.
All in all, amazing concept but I wasn’t keen on the execution
November 7, 2023
Virtual Reality Mash Up
Are virtual reality games you play on your phone, tablet, laptop or portal of preference entertainment or something more sinister?
To be released during 2024, Canadian Larry Gaudet’s sci-tech futuristic thriller, “Eris: A Novel”, delves into this question with mixed results: the conclusion is clear but the path getting there meanders with distracting detours along the way.
Don Barton (game handle “GM001”) has created and sold “Greenhouse”, an internationally immersive virtual reality eco-game with a 46 + million worldwide player base estimated to grow to 2 billion. The company is managed by the ubiquitous Bai Jun, the Chinese CEO for the owners, and colleague of Don’s.
Among the global players is Tony (game handle “T-Redeem”), Don’s teenage son, who gets in a whole lot of trouble when he is befriended in the virtual world and kidnapped in the real world by the mysterious Eris, a shadowy personality and anarchist intent on destroying Greenhouse to liberate players from becoming addicts and slaves of the game.
And Don seems only able to communicate with Tony through the Greenhouse portal with their gamer handles – even if they’re physically close to each other. There is a lot of text-style dialogue between those two and others.
Eris views Greenhouse as symptomatic of a much bigger issue for the global community:
“So many know there’s a lot systemically wrong in society but feel helpless to do anything but grumble or lash out at scapegoats, often those the most vulnerable. It’s far easier to moan into our media feeds, where so many of us are plainly lost in conspiracy theory and corporate misinformation, or simplistic arguments about what’s wrong and who’s responsible. Our society is sick and getting sicker, epidemically so. And angrier. Still for most people, the incendiary conclusion that everything in our society should be burned down is not a welcome… choice.”
And fatalistically sees her personal future as “I’m a warrior for change who will inevitably underestimate the costs of tearing down one world to rebuild it to my utopian specifications.”
Unfortunately, there are other forces surfacing late in the story seeing different opportunities for the deep state and providing a cynical twist worthy of a film noir ending.
Getting through the shifting back stories of the five main narrators, their ruminations and questionable relevance to plot development as well as game tech references (presumably for authenticity), takes patience.
As one character observes half-way through: “Parallel realities are a big part of the problem.”
Are virtual reality games you play on your phone, tablet, laptop or portal of preference entertainment or something more sinister?
To be released during 2024, Canadian Larry Gaudet’s sci-tech futuristic thriller, “Eris: A Novel”, delves into this question with mixed results: the conclusion is clear but the path getting there meanders with distracting detours along the way.
Don Barton (game handle “GM001”) has created and sold “Greenhouse”, an internationally immersive virtual reality eco-game with a 46 + million worldwide player base estimated to grow to 2 billion. The company is managed by the ubiquitous Bai Jun, the Chinese CEO for the owners, and colleague of Don’s.
Among the global players is Tony (game handle “T-Redeem”), Don’s teenage son, who gets in a whole lot of trouble when he is befriended in the virtual world and kidnapped in the real world by the mysterious Eris, a shadowy personality and anarchist intent on destroying Greenhouse to liberate players from becoming addicts and slaves of the game.
And Don seems only able to communicate with Tony through the Greenhouse portal with their gamer handles – even if they’re physically close to each other. There is a lot of text-style dialogue between those two and others.
Eris views Greenhouse as symptomatic of a much bigger issue for the global community:
“So many know there’s a lot systemically wrong in society but feel helpless to do anything but grumble or lash out at scapegoats, often those the most vulnerable. It’s far easier to moan into our media feeds, where so many of us are plainly lost in conspiracy theory and corporate misinformation, or simplistic arguments about what’s wrong and who’s responsible. Our society is sick and getting sicker, epidemically so. And angrier. Still for most people, the incendiary conclusion that everything in our society should be burned down is not a welcome… choice.”
And fatalistically sees her personal future as “I’m a warrior for change who will inevitably underestimate the costs of tearing down one world to rebuild it to my utopian specifications.”
Unfortunately, there are other forces surfacing late in the story seeing different opportunities for the deep state and providing a cynical twist worthy of a film noir ending.
Getting through the shifting back stories of the five main narrators, their ruminations and questionable relevance to plot development as well as game tech references (presumably for authenticity), takes patience.
As one character observes half-way through: “Parallel realities are a big part of the problem.”
June 28, 2024
I’ve always been a gamer and one of my favourite books is Ready Player One, so Eris was one of my most anticipated reads this year.
Don is the creator of Greenhouse – a game that shines a spotlight on the problems with our environment, incentivising players to save the planet. When his son Tony is kidnapped by the mysterious Eris and her league of hackers, it’s a race against the clock to get him back.
I was so disappointed with this book and mercifully it was short, so I powered through rather than DNF it. The game aspect of the book makes no sense, I couldn’t tell at the beginning how it was being played – with virtual headsets or laptops, it’s only introduced mid-way through the story that players can choose to play as ‘the bad guys’ and trash the environment if they like, towards the end the game is referred to as ‘alien worlds’ which makes no sense as I thought it was supposed to be set on Earth. The credit system also makes no sense, with players spending real money to build resources. There’s no backstory and no realistic grounding for the game – it just seems to change into whatever is most convenient for the plot. This also means that the stakes for the hackers also make no sense – what are they hoping to gain by controlling the game? The synopsis mentions Eris wants to destroy social media but nowhere is this mentioned and there’s no link between the two things. We are also often told that Tony is told he has to go on missions in the game from Eris but we have no idea what these actually are.
My second issue was one dimensional characters - each chapter alternates between Eris, Don, Tony, Jun and Lily. All of these characters are written in the exact same way, and quite a few times in the text I’d missed the chapter heading and it took me many pages to notice before some odd context came along, and I’d have to skip back to check. The female characters of Lily and Eris are portrayed so badly, it’s very obvious that they have been written by a man, rather than being realistic women. Each character felt very stereotypical, telling rather than showing their traits. The way that Tony just walks into a driverless car to meet someone he met on the internet when he’s the son of a billionaire was so frustrating and I had no idea how Jun fitted into the plot at all.
Overall, the only redeeming quality to this book is that it’s short – it’s unrealistic, confusing and lacking in basic world building. Thank you to Dundern Press and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
Don is the creator of Greenhouse – a game that shines a spotlight on the problems with our environment, incentivising players to save the planet. When his son Tony is kidnapped by the mysterious Eris and her league of hackers, it’s a race against the clock to get him back.
I was so disappointed with this book and mercifully it was short, so I powered through rather than DNF it. The game aspect of the book makes no sense, I couldn’t tell at the beginning how it was being played – with virtual headsets or laptops, it’s only introduced mid-way through the story that players can choose to play as ‘the bad guys’ and trash the environment if they like, towards the end the game is referred to as ‘alien worlds’ which makes no sense as I thought it was supposed to be set on Earth. The credit system also makes no sense, with players spending real money to build resources. There’s no backstory and no realistic grounding for the game – it just seems to change into whatever is most convenient for the plot. This also means that the stakes for the hackers also make no sense – what are they hoping to gain by controlling the game? The synopsis mentions Eris wants to destroy social media but nowhere is this mentioned and there’s no link between the two things. We are also often told that Tony is told he has to go on missions in the game from Eris but we have no idea what these actually are.
My second issue was one dimensional characters - each chapter alternates between Eris, Don, Tony, Jun and Lily. All of these characters are written in the exact same way, and quite a few times in the text I’d missed the chapter heading and it took me many pages to notice before some odd context came along, and I’d have to skip back to check. The female characters of Lily and Eris are portrayed so badly, it’s very obvious that they have been written by a man, rather than being realistic women. Each character felt very stereotypical, telling rather than showing their traits. The way that Tony just walks into a driverless car to meet someone he met on the internet when he’s the son of a billionaire was so frustrating and I had no idea how Jun fitted into the plot at all.
Overall, the only redeeming quality to this book is that it’s short – it’s unrealistic, confusing and lacking in basic world building. Thank you to Dundern Press and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for a (very) honest review.
For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk
November 7, 2023
I was looking forward to reading this book since it seemed like a great combination of science fiction, mystery, thriller, and virtual reality with cyber crimes.
I enjoyed the author's talent for capturing a character's voice. I liked that the book had different POVs, especially in the first person, and each one was unique. Having the five points of view also made it possible to see how the characters' divergent perspectives on one another and their similarities were seen. I can actually agree with the idea of technology being too prevalent and making life less real, and it's great to see it addressed. Speaking of the characters, some of them, like Eris, had really intriguing depth. I enjoyed that the chapter was shorter, which made it move quickly. I found it disappointing, as this book focuses more on the corporate aspects of the virtual reality game than the virtual reality world itself. Many seemingly significant events were occurring, but not all of them appeared to be heavily influencing the situation. Although the short chapters' fast-paced experience was enjoyable, there were moments when it felt hurried, which lessened the suspense and tension.
I feel this book could have potential if it were longer and focused more on the virtual world than the corruptive aspects. I had hoped for a lot of virtual reality that would make the experience seem significant and real. Though having a variety of viewpoints was intriguing, I couldn't help but wonder what the book would be like if it focused only on Eris. That would have created a really compelling and intricate story. Because the book is short, having five different points of view didn't give me as much time as I would have liked to get to know each character in depth. Once more, perhaps in a longer book, had the opportunity to shine even more.
Overall, a great concept, but I didn't like how it was carried out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for a copy of this book, for a exchange of an honest review!
I enjoyed the author's talent for capturing a character's voice. I liked that the book had different POVs, especially in the first person, and each one was unique. Having the five points of view also made it possible to see how the characters' divergent perspectives on one another and their similarities were seen. I can actually agree with the idea of technology being too prevalent and making life less real, and it's great to see it addressed. Speaking of the characters, some of them, like Eris, had really intriguing depth. I enjoyed that the chapter was shorter, which made it move quickly. I found it disappointing, as this book focuses more on the corporate aspects of the virtual reality game than the virtual reality world itself. Many seemingly significant events were occurring, but not all of them appeared to be heavily influencing the situation. Although the short chapters' fast-paced experience was enjoyable, there were moments when it felt hurried, which lessened the suspense and tension.
I feel this book could have potential if it were longer and focused more on the virtual world than the corruptive aspects. I had hoped for a lot of virtual reality that would make the experience seem significant and real. Though having a variety of viewpoints was intriguing, I couldn't help but wonder what the book would be like if it focused only on Eris. That would have created a really compelling and intricate story. Because the book is short, having five different points of view didn't give me as much time as I would have liked to get to know each character in depth. Once more, perhaps in a longer book, had the opportunity to shine even more.
Overall, a great concept, but I didn't like how it was carried out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for a copy of this book, for a exchange of an honest review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2024
Greenhouse is an immersive game played by millions where you try to save the environment. Its creator Don Barton finds out his teen gamer son is missing. He's joined a hacker terrorist group whose mission is to destroy online entertainment and social media as well as assassinate their corporate owners. It is run by a mysterious woman, Eris. Don searches Greenhouse, the only place his son still talks to him, and finds out that his game is on Eris's hit list. Also that he and his son are in danger.
The premise is great and it plays on our rational fear of where technology and the digital age is taking us. The attempted manipulation is there and it's scary. You think that this is a game about saving the environment, how dangerous can it be? But it is.
Each 1st person POV (yes there is more than one) has a distinct voice and dives into the character's thoughts and how they perceive the world and others. There is a conversational feel to them, and in that conversational tone this world is built. The good thing with these multiple POVs is the many sides of the story we see: the corporate side, the terrorist side, the gamer side, the side of being affected by this. Your interest is piqued as to where this is all leading to. The honest of the characters' musings is sharp, sometimes brutal. With good and bad being constant presences in the game and depending on your outlook, it is a good representation of human nature. But the POVs in general also show the complexity of how we define ourselves.
The theory of the father's guilt made no sense to me or for the narrative, in my opinion, and just dragged the story. The changes between POVs were sometimes jarring while other time they felt out of place in the storyline. I wished for more development of the exciting parts and maybe a different structure to the overall story.
If you like gaming, conspiracies, terrorist plots, a mix of dystopian thrown in, this will be a thought-provoking, interesting read for you.
The premise is great and it plays on our rational fear of where technology and the digital age is taking us. The attempted manipulation is there and it's scary. You think that this is a game about saving the environment, how dangerous can it be? But it is.
Each 1st person POV (yes there is more than one) has a distinct voice and dives into the character's thoughts and how they perceive the world and others. There is a conversational feel to them, and in that conversational tone this world is built. The good thing with these multiple POVs is the many sides of the story we see: the corporate side, the terrorist side, the gamer side, the side of being affected by this. Your interest is piqued as to where this is all leading to. The honest of the characters' musings is sharp, sometimes brutal. With good and bad being constant presences in the game and depending on your outlook, it is a good representation of human nature. But the POVs in general also show the complexity of how we define ourselves.
The theory of the father's guilt made no sense to me or for the narrative, in my opinion, and just dragged the story. The changes between POVs were sometimes jarring while other time they felt out of place in the storyline. I wished for more development of the exciting parts and maybe a different structure to the overall story.
If you like gaming, conspiracies, terrorist plots, a mix of dystopian thrown in, this will be a thought-provoking, interesting read for you.
November 5, 2023
I really enjoyed reading Eris, a book that reminded me of a hybrid between Mr. Robot (the TV show) and Ready Player One. The premise was fantastic, with a lot of philosophical intricacies and engaging thought processes included throughout the narrative.
I love video game stories, and I especially love them if they dabble in the cyberpunk sub-genre... Eris absolutely did so! The shifting layers and fleshed out motivations of the characters really added depth to the plot. The author skillfully writes from multiple POVs in a way where it is easy to keep them articulated in the reader's mind. Sometimes with multiple POVs, it can be easy to get characters confused, but each character had a distinct personality and interesting trajectory that kept me flipping pages at lightning speed!
The only criticism I have is that I wish there had a been a little more action. The corporate and philosophical aspects of the story kept it very intriguing, but it might have benefited from a little more drama in the VR world. Still, Eris was a delightful read, and I look forward to engaging with Larry Gaudet's work in the future! The cover is beautiful, and I cannot wait to have it on my shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at DunDurn Press for sending me an e-ARC for review! I truly enjoyed the ride.
I love video game stories, and I especially love them if they dabble in the cyberpunk sub-genre... Eris absolutely did so! The shifting layers and fleshed out motivations of the characters really added depth to the plot. The author skillfully writes from multiple POVs in a way where it is easy to keep them articulated in the reader's mind. Sometimes with multiple POVs, it can be easy to get characters confused, but each character had a distinct personality and interesting trajectory that kept me flipping pages at lightning speed!
The only criticism I have is that I wish there had a been a little more action. The corporate and philosophical aspects of the story kept it very intriguing, but it might have benefited from a little more drama in the VR world. Still, Eris was a delightful read, and I look forward to engaging with Larry Gaudet's work in the future! The cover is beautiful, and I cannot wait to have it on my shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at DunDurn Press for sending me an e-ARC for review! I truly enjoyed the ride.
March 27, 2024
*Advance copy provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.*
The concept for this book was really interesting, with a virtual game having real world consequences, but it didn’t hit home for me and I have to admit I didn’t finish it, but DNF:d at 40%.
(I have noticed that I lot of other reviews have similar issues with this book as me, so I don’t think my opinion would have changed if I had finished it.)
It’s easy to read but I still had a hard time reading this, because it lacked substance. As a reader you are thrown into the story and I never really understood the point of the game or the plot. Why did everyone play Greenhouse and why did the anarchists care about that? It was also very hard to understand when something happened in the game or in the real world. The characters were equally flat, or caricatured. Their voices weren’t any different at all, except the 15-year old swears a lot, and they were mostly described rather than I actually noticed any of their specific characteristics.
I feel the marketing also couldn’t decide who the intended reader was. Due to its cover and description as the next Ready Player One, it has a very young adult vibe, which the text completely lack.
The concept for this book was really interesting, with a virtual game having real world consequences, but it didn’t hit home for me and I have to admit I didn’t finish it, but DNF:d at 40%.
(I have noticed that I lot of other reviews have similar issues with this book as me, so I don’t think my opinion would have changed if I had finished it.)
It’s easy to read but I still had a hard time reading this, because it lacked substance. As a reader you are thrown into the story and I never really understood the point of the game or the plot. Why did everyone play Greenhouse and why did the anarchists care about that? It was also very hard to understand when something happened in the game or in the real world. The characters were equally flat, or caricatured. Their voices weren’t any different at all, except the 15-year old swears a lot, and they were mostly described rather than I actually noticed any of their specific characteristics.
I feel the marketing also couldn’t decide who the intended reader was. Due to its cover and description as the next Ready Player One, it has a very young adult vibe, which the text completely lack.
January 27, 2024
This book was a mixed bag for me. I love the concept behind it. Both the idea of Greenhouse, and the group trying to bring it down were strong ideas, and ones that sparked my initial interest in the book. The execution, for me, was a little lacking.
Little was revealed about any of the characters, in order for me to feel invested in them. Sure, there were lots of suggestions of what their character might be, but none of it really gelled into a coherent character portrait for me. This meant it was hard to feel that invested in the story, which did take a number of twists and turns throughout.
The biggest issue with this book for me was the role played by Jun, and the wider Chinese group. It reads like a very american-centric novel, with the Chinese cast, once again, as the bad guys - immoral, ruthless, and business focused. If any of their characters had more development, it could have felt like a more nuanced take.
I love the concept, and would be interested to try other books by Gaudet, as he clearly has good ideas, I just wasn't sold on the execution of this one.
Little was revealed about any of the characters, in order for me to feel invested in them. Sure, there were lots of suggestions of what their character might be, but none of it really gelled into a coherent character portrait for me. This meant it was hard to feel that invested in the story, which did take a number of twists and turns throughout.
The biggest issue with this book for me was the role played by Jun, and the wider Chinese group. It reads like a very american-centric novel, with the Chinese cast, once again, as the bad guys - immoral, ruthless, and business focused. If any of their characters had more development, it could have felt like a more nuanced take.
I love the concept, and would be interested to try other books by Gaudet, as he clearly has good ideas, I just wasn't sold on the execution of this one.
October 21, 2023
Okay, yeah, it’s official. I really don’t care for video game stories. I mean, it makes sense. I don’t care for video games, so why would I want to read about them, right? But every so often a work of fiction comes along that is so good that it transforms the previously unengaging subject matter.
Eris wasn’t that book for me. It’s a decent book by all means. Some interesting ideas and solid writing (for which I'm rounding up my rating), but I just didn’t really care about the story or the characters. I’m sure this is a strictly personal perspective and should be taken as such.
The constant POV jumping created a disorientating effect. And it was much too game-centric. Smart, overall, but didactic with it. At least a very quick read, which was nice. User mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.
Eris wasn’t that book for me. It’s a decent book by all means. Some interesting ideas and solid writing (for which I'm rounding up my rating), but I just didn’t really care about the story or the characters. I’m sure this is a strictly personal perspective and should be taken as such.
The constant POV jumping created a disorientating effect. And it was much too game-centric. Smart, overall, but didactic with it. At least a very quick read, which was nice. User mileage may vary. Thanks Netgalley.
January 22, 2024
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Good:
The concept was interesting, which is why I selected the novel. Anarchists, hackers, similar vibes to Cory Doctorow. It's clear the author is a talented writer. I enjoyed the climate change aspects.
The Other:
My issue was mostly with the mechanics. The book had a lot of telling, but not so much showing. I wish I was able to see more of the outside world, and how the game had negatively impacted society, because I wasn't very invested in any of the characters or the game environment for that matter. It would have helped raise the stakes. The book wasn’t very long, and could have used more detailed descriptions of the environment, at some points it was hard to picture because we weren’t given any details.
The Good:
The concept was interesting, which is why I selected the novel. Anarchists, hackers, similar vibes to Cory Doctorow. It's clear the author is a talented writer. I enjoyed the climate change aspects.
The Other:
My issue was mostly with the mechanics. The book had a lot of telling, but not so much showing. I wish I was able to see more of the outside world, and how the game had negatively impacted society, because I wasn't very invested in any of the characters or the game environment for that matter. It would have helped raise the stakes. The book wasn’t very long, and could have used more detailed descriptions of the environment, at some points it was hard to picture because we weren’t given any details.
November 19, 2023
To be totally fair to this book, I'm just going to point out that I read a lot of books like this, so it's hard not to compare this to others. Is it readable and entertaining? Definitely. At the same time there is absolutely nothing ground breaking about this. It's like reading a mystery because it's entertaining and just like all of the other mystery novels. That somehow works better with mystery novels than with sci-fi novels, though, so I'm not totally sure what to do with this. Ultimately I was left feeling unfulfilled by this. It was perfectly fine and maybe if a super light sci-fi novel mostly set in a video game universe appeals to you, go for it.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2024
In "Eris" by Larry Gaudet, the premise holds promise, drawing readers into an intriguing narrative. However, the execution falls short in certain aspects. While the story itself is engaging, the characters lack depth, leaving readers yearning for more profound exploration of their personalities and motivations. The transitions between the different character narratives are choppy, disrupting the flow of the plot and making it challenging to follow at times. Despite these shortcomings, "Eris" remains an okay read, offering enough intrigue to keep readers invested, albeit without fully delivering on its potential.
August 2, 2025
Standing in my kitchen, late to something, reading just one more chapter before I leave... and yet also thinking, I don't really think this is a good book? ??
It's a fun little cyberpunk thriller with a really intriguing premise. It's short and doesn't overstay its welcome, and it moves fast; the prose is well-written and engaging. And I think, if you interact with it on exactly that level, you can have a good time.
Just don't ask questions about, uh, anything. Or look for a single deeper meaning, or expect any of it to connect to reality on any kind of level. Just read it, enjoy the ride, and return it to the library.
It's a fun little cyberpunk thriller with a really intriguing premise. It's short and doesn't overstay its welcome, and it moves fast; the prose is well-written and engaging. And I think, if you interact with it on exactly that level, you can have a good time.
Just don't ask questions about, uh, anything. Or look for a single deeper meaning, or expect any of it to connect to reality on any kind of level. Just read it, enjoy the ride, and return it to the library.
December 28, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundern Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Personally, I did not enjoy this book at all. After reading the description, I was super excited and thought I was going to LOVE this book. What the description was vs what I read felt so misaligned. Had the book been any longer it would have been a DNF.
The chapters felt disjointed and too many POV’s that truly didn’t feel relevant.
The chapters with the teenage son felt poorly written and other chapters felt SO wordy, that it felt like someone adding ‘big’ words to make themselves sound smarter.
Personally, I did not enjoy this book at all. After reading the description, I was super excited and thought I was going to LOVE this book. What the description was vs what I read felt so misaligned. Had the book been any longer it would have been a DNF.
The chapters felt disjointed and too many POV’s that truly didn’t feel relevant.
The chapters with the teenage son felt poorly written and other chapters felt SO wordy, that it felt like someone adding ‘big’ words to make themselves sound smarter.
January 28, 2024
Eros is a short read with changing POV for each chapter. It definitely gives off Ready Player One vibes, but is not nearly as well written. There are some very interesting characters, but the character development is lacking. It had the potential to be a great book, but the plot had so many holes when switching back and forth between characters. I kept thinking I had missed something, but soon realized that there were just a lot of plot holes. I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn’t.
March 14, 2024
I wanted to enjoy this book I really did! It sounded interesting and different and I love a good dystopian/sci-fi.
The premise is good, I can see the potential of where this story could have gone. It is not terribly long and it is easy to read.
The characters lack depth, they are just there and even when we are jumping from one person to the next it is hard to get to know them.
I am not sure I understand the world either, it felt like it was something we were supposed to know already.
I wish I could do more than 1 star but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
The premise is good, I can see the potential of where this story could have gone. It is not terribly long and it is easy to read.
The characters lack depth, they are just there and even when we are jumping from one person to the next it is hard to get to know them.
I am not sure I understand the world either, it felt like it was something we were supposed to know already.
I wish I could do more than 1 star but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
February 7, 2025
I'm not sure why I finished this... the concept drew me in. A video game with positive and negative factions fighting for or against saving the environment! What's not to like!?
However, the whole was poorly executed. I was disappointed in the way the chapters were by character. It was even constantly the same order of Don, Tony, Lily, Jun, Eris... like come on... it ruined the flow with some chapters being long and some being a few sentences. There were some errors in the writing, as well as the sentence structure was sometimes choppy.
However, the whole was poorly executed. I was disappointed in the way the chapters were by character. It was even constantly the same order of Don, Tony, Lily, Jun, Eris... like come on... it ruined the flow with some chapters being long and some being a few sentences. There were some errors in the writing, as well as the sentence structure was sometimes choppy.
November 30, 2023
I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for an eARC of this book, in exchange for a review.
I very much enjoyed the way the book began and was excited with the story and character development. But as the book went on I feel like the author was trying to go in to many directions. Was it more virtual reality or cybercrime I wasn't sure at times. I feel overall the premise was well and the story was good at times, but the story would've been better if it was longer.
I very much enjoyed the way the book began and was excited with the story and character development. But as the book went on I feel like the author was trying to go in to many directions. Was it more virtual reality or cybercrime I wasn't sure at times. I feel overall the premise was well and the story was good at times, but the story would've been better if it was longer.
December 20, 2023
I usually enjoy these type of futuristic technology sci fi type books. Overall the story of this one was great. However, you are simply thrown into the world with no real understanding of what is happening which ultimate leads to confusion. I did enjoy the story and technology but wished the story had more intro to it to i did not feel like i was catching up the entire time.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2024
Firstly, I received an ARC from the publisher so thanks for that :) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It definitely gives Black Mirror vibes and it has a lot of important messages within it about technology and the state of our society. This took me a little while to read because I had to keep stopping because at times I just found it a little too heavy. But still, it was a really good book. I will say I wasn't a fan of the multiple POVs but overall it was a solid book.
March 21, 2025
I found this gem through my library. So glad I did, too.
A game designer, political thriller, cli-fi. No. More than cli-fi. Gaian. I loved that.
It puts a pin in the angst that so many experience today with what is happening - environmentally, politically, with social media, nuclear families. I didn't think those things to be overwhelming to the story but rather fully supporting it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
A game designer, political thriller, cli-fi. No. More than cli-fi. Gaian. I loved that.
It puts a pin in the angst that so many experience today with what is happening - environmentally, politically, with social media, nuclear families. I didn't think those things to be overwhelming to the story but rather fully supporting it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
January 7, 2024
Shoulda been quite a bit longer, a hair less fast-paced, something like that because it felt like a lot of tell and not so much show. the author definitely has a lot of skill, but i'm not sure this one is the one you want to read by him. maybe the next one. thanks for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews