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Play to Live #1
Срыв
Невероятный феномен Срыва всколыхнул мир. Играя в любимую онлайн-игру – будь осторожен при полном погружении в виртуал! Есть немалый шанс, что твое сознание сбросит оковы ущербного тела и навсегда останется в иной реальности. Горе тому, кто завис в "Тетрисе"! Не позавидуешь и тем, кто сотни раз в день вынужден гореть в броне танковых симуляторов... Но можно ли назвать счастливчиком того, кто сознательно воспользовался феноменом срыва и добровольно погрузился в бескрайний мир меча и магии?
Судьба не предоставила Глебу времени на размышления. Смертный приговор врачей перевернул последнюю страницу жизненного календаря. Как поступить – тихо угасать, вычеркивая оставшиеся дни один за другим, или рискнуть, решившись на Срыв?
Ставки сделаны – жизнь на зеро. Выбор Глеба – играть, чтобы жить!
Судьба не предоставила Глебу времени на размышления. Смертный приговор врачей перевернул последнюю страницу жизненного календаря. Как поступить – тихо угасать, вычеркивая оставшиеся дни один за другим, или рискнуть, решившись на Срыв?
Ставки сделаны – жизнь на зеро. Выбор Глеба – играть, чтобы жить!
448 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2013
996 people are currently reading
4652 people want to read
About the author
D. Rus
36 books545 followersD. Rus is a young Russian author whose books took the Russian literary market by storm in 2013. AlterWorld - the first novel of his Play to Live series - made him a bestselling author overnight as critics now credit him with single-handedly creating a new science fiction genre: LitRPG. Set in the virtual reality of MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games - his books tell stories of real people who'd become stuck in the game and are forced to follow its rules while preserving their intergrity and fighting to make their new world a better place. The five books of the series have created a huge following as more authors followed suit, making LitRPG the latest bestselling Russian genre that merges science fiction, fantasy and gaming conventions. D. Rus has been nominated for Start, one of Russia's prestigious literary prizes for the best debut science fiction novel. The first two novels of the Play to Live series - AlterWorld and The Clan - have been translated into English, and talks are under way to have the rest of the series published on Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 388 reviews
May 24, 2016
I really wanted to try more in this genre since I enjoyed Ready Player One and Sword Art Online. After a lot of research I picked AlterWorld because it's the highest-rated book in the genre and has the largest pool of ratings. Unfortunately, it's really disappointing. Poorly written with really flat characters. The RPG elements were good but not nearly enough to overcome the bad writing and lack of plot.
The main character continuously gets into fights that he tells you he has no hope of winning, and then he wins them with no explanation. No clever thinking or sudden strategy or even deus ex machina to explain the twist of fate . . . he just hit that there guy more than the other guy done hit him.
Halfway through, the main character invents virtual cigarettes and then the rest of the book just resolves around smoking and monetizing the invention. Seriously. There's not really anymore RPGing after the cigarettes appear.
Also, they are talking about killing Nagafen and going to the Fear Plane. The first several chapters are spent fighting gnolls. The author didn't even make up a game for this book, it's just Everquest. It's the 2030s and nobody invented a better MMO yet?
There is one redeeming detail, glimmering like a lone star in an otherwise dark night, which is that the most famous player is named Fuckyall.
Finally, the book is ridiculously sexist. Sometimes you encounter a book where the main character is sexist but it's apparent that the writer is not. For example, The Magicians, in which Quentin is a raging misogynist but the female characters around him are well-rounded and capable. This is not that kind of book. The author doesn't seem to have anything but condescension for female characters. Here are some gems:
"Taali smiled and turned on her femme fatale look. Head up high, hips swaying, she walked over to the chosen point and began setting up camp. What a child she was, really."
"I lowered my eyes playing the poor penniless Jew."
"The sight of slim Elven maidens doing their corpse runs like some bikini beach joggers, was too much for any red-blooded male. Damn those art designers."
"Even Taali chose not to play the spoiled diva and logged in two minutes before time."
The main character continuously gets into fights that he tells you he has no hope of winning, and then he wins them with no explanation. No clever thinking or sudden strategy or even deus ex machina to explain the twist of fate . . . he just hit that there guy more than the other guy done hit him.
Halfway through, the main character invents virtual cigarettes and then the rest of the book just resolves around smoking and monetizing the invention. Seriously. There's not really anymore RPGing after the cigarettes appear.
Also, they are talking about killing Nagafen and going to the Fear Plane. The first several chapters are spent fighting gnolls. The author didn't even make up a game for this book, it's just Everquest. It's the 2030s and nobody invented a better MMO yet?
There is one redeeming detail, glimmering like a lone star in an otherwise dark night, which is that the most famous player is named Fuckyall.
Finally, the book is ridiculously sexist. Sometimes you encounter a book where the main character is sexist but it's apparent that the writer is not. For example, The Magicians, in which Quentin is a raging misogynist but the female characters around him are well-rounded and capable. This is not that kind of book. The author doesn't seem to have anything but condescension for female characters. Here are some gems:
"Taali smiled and turned on her femme fatale look. Head up high, hips swaying, she walked over to the chosen point and began setting up camp. What a child she was, really."
"I lowered my eyes playing the poor penniless Jew."
"The sight of slim Elven maidens doing their corpse runs like some bikini beach joggers, was too much for any red-blooded male. Damn those art designers."
"Even Taali chose not to play the spoiled diva and logged in two minutes before time."
August 3, 2017
Excuse me, but what the f**k is this? Women are apparently meek fragile things who can't do anything but curl up into fetal position and wait for a big broad shouldered man to come save her... This is the largest pile of sexist shit I've had fed into my brain for the longest time. The amount of negative affixes attached to women in this audiobook is astounding. Women are portrayed like 5year olds who cry at nothing, smile, blush and shy, this is an all together extremely unhealthy view, it's like the author made them mentally handicapped or something. Good thing they still look hot and function for sex, cuz that's the most important part, right?
The main character even speaks extremely condescendingly to his friend/girlfriend. Calling her a child, using a terrible demeanor which isn't helped by his greasy voice. It's like the perfect wombo-combo for creepy af sexist dude with a terrible ego complex(which the author feeds shamelessly). Oh and nothing says empowering women like throwing in a gang rape suicide, just to ice the cake, in case women weren't portrayed defenseless enough.
Aside from the blatant tarnishing of women, the content of the book is really bad itself. When it's not ranting about boring loot and stat gains like it's describing how to lvl up a character, it's just ranting off hp/dmg done to creatures. The combat system is literally him just saying "hit taken, 10hp lost" "hit given, 25hp taken." Its the absolute cheapest form of combat descriptions I've EVER heard. Please do yourself a favor and pick up "Ready Player One" instead of this steaming heap of #&)$!
DNF at 53%. "she's such child, really." I'd seriously had it, I'm embarrassed continued as far as I did. So regret not reading enough reviews on this...
The main character even speaks extremely condescendingly to his friend/girlfriend. Calling her a child, using a terrible demeanor which isn't helped by his greasy voice. It's like the perfect wombo-combo for creepy af sexist dude with a terrible ego complex(which the author feeds shamelessly). Oh and nothing says empowering women like throwing in a gang rape suicide, just to ice the cake, in case women weren't portrayed defenseless enough.
Aside from the blatant tarnishing of women, the content of the book is really bad itself. When it's not ranting about boring loot and stat gains like it's describing how to lvl up a character, it's just ranting off hp/dmg done to creatures. The combat system is literally him just saying "hit taken, 10hp lost" "hit given, 25hp taken." Its the absolute cheapest form of combat descriptions I've EVER heard. Please do yourself a favor and pick up "Ready Player One" instead of this steaming heap of #&)$!
DNF at 53%. "she's such child, really." I'd seriously had it, I'm embarrassed continued as far as I did. So regret not reading enough reviews on this...
June 29, 2016
This was really bad. Like watching someone play Warcraft while they explain the rules and details behind every strategic decision while leveling up their character - how many intelligence points, how much mana, how many experience points per kill, whether or not to buy a weapon or level up first, etc, etc. It was so bad. I can't even recommend this to hardcore gamers because they shouldn't be reading anyway. They have crafting skills to level up. DNF at 64%. If you're looking for something like Ready Player One, this ain't it.
July 10, 2017
(Finished in September 2014)
I think I've found my favorite sub genre within fantasy/Sci-fi, if you will. I really like this type of book. This was a wonderful surprise, I highly suggest you check it out if you like books such as Ready Player One. I'm not even a gamer. I have family members who game; I however do not. I don't own a game console and even my computers, wait for it...don't have any games.
I do read though and there's just something about imagining being able to immerse yourself in a world that, according to all of your senses, is just as real as "real" life, and where you can do just about anything or be anyone/thing you'd like. You're simply limited by your own imagination. This book takes it a step further by transferring the users consciousness - willingly though sometimes not - permanently into that universe. It is cleverly done and just a great read. I think the translation to English creates few hiccups, nevertheless I am purchasing the follow up after I finish this narrative. I purchased The Crimson Campaign and The Broken Eye and am shelving both of those books to come back to later. I want to read the next in this series right now to learn how things turn out. The book is not perfect, but its flaws are vastly overshadowed by its positives.
September 17, 2017
Okay...interesting premise. This is the second series I've started that is placed in a game world become real, at least for those in it. I liked the first series better (that said there's only 2 of them). This series gets a bit more serious as it goes along and it took me a little longer to get really involved in it...but I did and I plan to follow it up.
It seems a new phenomenon is sweeping the world. Is it a plague? Is it something else? It seems people are being sort of absorbed into video games. They become real digital characters as it were. The bodies go into a sort of continual coma and separating them from their "gaming capsule" doesn't effect it. They stay in the game.
This seems like a danger but to some, the badly handicapped, the aged any who's body has failed...to them could it be a blessing?
It seems so to Max as cancer has given him a fast approaching death sentence.
This story is a good one, fast moving and will really appeal to any gamer...on line mmorpg-er, rpg-er, even table top player. That said I believe others may be drawn in also. The story takes place in a fantasy world so that may draw some in. It's based on a science fantasy premise with the very real vehicle of fully immersive game play.
The book does feel to me as if D. Rus is very young (I have to wonder if the [apparently young] Russian author is a fan of David Gemmell). His attitude about "game things" seems that way to me anyway... I guess see for yourself. I can recommend this one highly. Enjoy.
It seems a new phenomenon is sweeping the world. Is it a plague? Is it something else? It seems people are being sort of absorbed into video games. They become real digital characters as it were. The bodies go into a sort of continual coma and separating them from their "gaming capsule" doesn't effect it. They stay in the game.
This seems like a danger but to some, the badly handicapped, the aged any who's body has failed...to them could it be a blessing?
It seems so to Max as cancer has given him a fast approaching death sentence.
This story is a good one, fast moving and will really appeal to any gamer...on line mmorpg-er, rpg-er, even table top player. That said I believe others may be drawn in also. The story takes place in a fantasy world so that may draw some in. It's based on a science fantasy premise with the very real vehicle of fully immersive game play.
The book does feel to me as if D. Rus is very young (I have to wonder if the [apparently young] Russian author is a fan of David Gemmell). His attitude about "game things" seems that way to me anyway... I guess see for yourself. I can recommend this one highly. Enjoy.
July 4, 2017
DNF @ 56%
I was looking for a good LitRPG, and this seemed like a pretty famous one so jumped straight in.
I'm now having to stop at just over half way through. Flat characters I could push through if the game and world building was solid, but the sexism! I'm not normally one to care much, but damn... the author majorly goes out of his way to be a neckbearding white knight sexist and confirms that everything women do is wrong. Mildly terrifying.
I did enjoy the grinding gnolls in the beginning. It wasn't exciting, but it was kind of mind numbing in the same way that actually playing an MMORPG is. So that's a bit meta.
I've no doubt that LitRPG will be the next big genre, so I'm determined to get my hipster credit in before it lands hard! If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I'll be trying Eden's Gate and Dragon's Wrath soon, as I've heard good things.
I was looking for a good LitRPG, and this seemed like a pretty famous one so jumped straight in.
I'm now having to stop at just over half way through. Flat characters I could push through if the game and world building was solid, but the sexism! I'm not normally one to care much, but damn... the author majorly goes out of his way to be a neckbearding white knight sexist and confirms that everything women do is wrong. Mildly terrifying.
I did enjoy the grinding gnolls in the beginning. It wasn't exciting, but it was kind of mind numbing in the same way that actually playing an MMORPG is. So that's a bit meta.
I've no doubt that LitRPG will be the next big genre, so I'm determined to get my hipster credit in before it lands hard! If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I'll be trying Eden's Gate and Dragon's Wrath soon, as I've heard good things.
April 6, 2015
This book interested me from two different perspectives. On one hand I'm a gamer, on the other I'm chronically ill. I may not be dying from any of my illnesses, but my quality of life is quite low because of them. Would I choose to enter an MMO for all eternity if I could? Honestly I'm not sure. Maybe, but probably only if my husband came with me. Said husband is busy playing an MMO as I type but he says he isn't sure either. If I could go back in time and ask my December 2013 self (one of the lowest times of my life) I know she would have said yes in a heart beat.
I enjoyed the blend of game description and plot in this story. At parts it was like listening to a friend describe his latest D&D adventures. We have equipment stats and ability descriptions that might be hard to follow for non-gamers, but are quite familiar to those who have rolled a d20 once or twice. Yet the book is only half game, intertwined is Max's new life with other very real people and problems. As you get farther into the story the immersion gets deeper until the end when you realize for some it is no longer a game at all.
I quite enjoyed this book and immediately upon finishing went to download it's sequel: The Clan. There is a third, The Duty, already out with the forth, Inferno, releasing June 20th. According to Goodreads there is a fifth and sixth planned for the series. I would give AlterWorld 5 stars and (so far) The Clan the same. I would recommend it to other gamers and non-gamers should give it a shot too!
I enjoyed the blend of game description and plot in this story. At parts it was like listening to a friend describe his latest D&D adventures. We have equipment stats and ability descriptions that might be hard to follow for non-gamers, but are quite familiar to those who have rolled a d20 once or twice. Yet the book is only half game, intertwined is Max's new life with other very real people and problems. As you get farther into the story the immersion gets deeper until the end when you realize for some it is no longer a game at all.
I quite enjoyed this book and immediately upon finishing went to download it's sequel: The Clan. There is a third, The Duty, already out with the forth, Inferno, releasing June 20th. According to Goodreads there is a fifth and sixth planned for the series. I would give AlterWorld 5 stars and (so far) The Clan the same. I would recommend it to other gamers and non-gamers should give it a shot too!
December 21, 2014
A enjoyable and entertaining story. AlterWorld is a Virtual reality MMORPG. Very similar to Sword art online, Legendary Moonlight Sculpture & Ark.
Taking the concept of being trapped in a virtual reality a step further the protagonist abandons his cancer ridden body for the chance to grasp a potentially immortal virtual existence in the VRMMO of his choice... in this case 'Alterworld'.
At time of writing this book is free on amazon - I recommend giving it a try.
Taking the concept of being trapped in a virtual reality a step further the protagonist abandons his cancer ridden body for the chance to grasp a potentially immortal virtual existence in the VRMMO of his choice... in this case 'Alterworld'.
At time of writing this book is free on amazon - I recommend giving it a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2014
One cannot open this book without cherishing the memory of classic text-based rpgs and muds. The whole series is imbued with it.
Critics claim that the author had single-handedly created a unique genre: LitRPG. I think this is a bit overenthusiastic, as the concept is certainly not unique, there were other books published before, having similar gaming concepts, including Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, Conor Kostick's Epic or Piers Anthony's Killobyte. The author's writing style is, however, worth noting. The English translation is excellent, although sometimes I felt that the characters' speech had been slightly modified to be more accessible to an American audience.
The author tried his best to introduce variety, which is quite a challenge when the game in question is mainly hack and slash. Socialising of course is natural, so is love and hate, but there is a lot to see and think about when the real and the game worlds are in contrast.
My only slight disappointment after finishing this book is that everything seems to be perfect. Perfect friends, a perfect woman, a perfect world... the challenges the main character has to face, with two exceptions, would not have affected him much, had he been unsuccessful.
To add to this, the author has great freedom to ensure the main character's success, as we are only introduced to new rules and items (skills, equipment, weapons, etc) when the character learns of their existence. This, of course, is true for any novel, but in this book's case I feel it is more dominant.
The entertainment value is certainly great, which more or less outweighs this flaw. I cannot complain about the length of the story either.
The book is well worth reading, it's uniqueness certainly stands out from the rising number of works appearing in the same genre.
Critics claim that the author had single-handedly created a unique genre: LitRPG. I think this is a bit overenthusiastic, as the concept is certainly not unique, there were other books published before, having similar gaming concepts, including Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, Conor Kostick's Epic or Piers Anthony's Killobyte. The author's writing style is, however, worth noting. The English translation is excellent, although sometimes I felt that the characters' speech had been slightly modified to be more accessible to an American audience.
The author tried his best to introduce variety, which is quite a challenge when the game in question is mainly hack and slash. Socialising of course is natural, so is love and hate, but there is a lot to see and think about when the real and the game worlds are in contrast.
My only slight disappointment after finishing this book is that everything seems to be perfect. Perfect friends, a perfect woman, a perfect world... the challenges the main character has to face, with two exceptions, would not have affected him much, had he been unsuccessful.
To add to this, the author has great freedom to ensure the main character's success, as we are only introduced to new rules and items (skills, equipment, weapons, etc) when the character learns of their existence. This, of course, is true for any novel, but in this book's case I feel it is more dominant.
The entertainment value is certainly great, which more or less outweighs this flaw. I cannot complain about the length of the story either.
The book is well worth reading, it's uniqueness certainly stands out from the rising number of works appearing in the same genre.
July 26, 2014
Believe in everything. Believe in the main character, and believe in AlterWorld imbued vicarious pleasure to what is happening with the other characters. Cool twisted plot, don`t miss, secrets and mysteries are mushrooming ... look forward to continue (the third book).
July 6, 2019
(Book is translated from Russian, so the weak writing may not be all the author’s fault)
This isn’t written well. Let’s just get that out of the way. It’s also not Ready Player One. This is a LitRPG, which is a tiny sub-genre that, as far as I know, has zero books published by any publishing house we’ve ever heard of. The genre is all numbers and math and grinding. You’ll probably hate it, especially if you’re looking for another Ready Player One.
It’s also pretty sexist. It’s not quite as bad as I was expecting from the reviews, but our author (protagonist at least) has some extremely simplistic and dismissive views of women. Have you read the old James Bond novels? Did you throw them across the room or muddle through? It’s about the same here, but without the excuse of the publish year to defend it.
That all said, if you like the genre, it’s ok. I honestly can’t say much great about it. The writing isn’t great, the characters aren’t great, the plot isn’t great. But I didn’t abandon it, which I am known to do... and I’ll read the next one if I can get it cheap.
The main redeeming thing that I don’t recall really seeing in other novels in the genre is that it centers around the idea of “permas”, that is, people who have become stuck in the game and cannot be removed from it. It touches on things like the influx of players who are terminally ill seeking out this status (in fact, that’s what our protagonist is doing). It’s an interesting idea in an otherwise fairly bland RPG story, but you know I’m a sucker for an interesting idea.
This isn’t written well. Let’s just get that out of the way. It’s also not Ready Player One. This is a LitRPG, which is a tiny sub-genre that, as far as I know, has zero books published by any publishing house we’ve ever heard of. The genre is all numbers and math and grinding. You’ll probably hate it, especially if you’re looking for another Ready Player One.
It’s also pretty sexist. It’s not quite as bad as I was expecting from the reviews, but our author (protagonist at least) has some extremely simplistic and dismissive views of women. Have you read the old James Bond novels? Did you throw them across the room or muddle through? It’s about the same here, but without the excuse of the publish year to defend it.
That all said, if you like the genre, it’s ok. I honestly can’t say much great about it. The writing isn’t great, the characters aren’t great, the plot isn’t great. But I didn’t abandon it, which I am known to do... and I’ll read the next one if I can get it cheap.
The main redeeming thing that I don’t recall really seeing in other novels in the genre is that it centers around the idea of “permas”, that is, people who have become stuck in the game and cannot be removed from it. It touches on things like the influx of players who are terminally ill seeking out this status (in fact, that’s what our protagonist is doing). It’s an interesting idea in an otherwise fairly bland RPG story, but you know I’m a sucker for an interesting idea.
February 21, 2015
As a huge fan of Skyrim, I found the concept and story of Alterworld really fun! I had a great time discovering the world and really felt involved in the character building of the main character. The reason I couldn't give this story 5 stars was because the female characters were totally cliche and underdeveloped. If the author wants to catch more female readers, I recommend he spend some time reading and studying strong female characters. Trust me, this will add depth and believability to your character relationships.
January 15, 2020
I discovered Alterworld in the recommendations based on Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. The first book in the series only cost $3 on Amazon Kindle, so that's how I ended up spending the whole of Friday evening... and night... and immediately upon finishing it I was signing up for Kindle Unlimited to take on the next two. Now it's Sunday evening and I've caught up with the English translation. One weekend well spent.
Anime fans (especially anyone familiar with .hack//*, SAO, Log Horizon, etc etc), I think, will be best prepared to enter Alterworld along with D. Rus - but that shouldn't stop anyone with a WoW account or D&D character sheet anywhere in their past from really enjoying it.
Some things to be warned of - which may put off some readers. There is a definite undercurrent throughout the books of... I won't call it misogyny... so let's say 'machismo'. There are definitely a few strong female characters, but strong enough? I can't really say. Certainly their motivations beyond finding a man aren't as well explored as one might wish, but that isn't to call them all subservient by any means. This isn't enough to knock the book down much as the vast majority (85+%) of the story is told from a direct first person perspective from the book's not insensitive but definitely macho Russian male protagonist.
The other thing somewhat lacking is the English translation itself. I don't know that I've ever encountered the phrase "In actual fact" anywhere in print outside of blogs and forums. A competent editor would have at least had them remove 'actual' from the phrase, and a professional editor would have pointed out that the phrase itself is entirely superfluous to any sentence. I certainly don't claim perfection for myself, but running into this and other similar oddities of prose throughout the first three books of the series were occasional technical stumbling blocks in what was a very entertaining read.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the books to me has been the foreign perspective. The vast majority of my reading over the last few years has originated in the minds of American / Canadian / British / Australian authors - namely authors with a very similar cultural history to one another and myself.
When reading this series, as an American, one is suddenly granted access to a distinct (but not greately divergent) cultural humor, novel (to me) cliches, and a new and fascinating perspective on the world. Much as my first foray into Japanese media 15 years ago did I know this foray will lead to more exploration of Russian and Eastern European authors for me.
Anime fans (especially anyone familiar with .hack//*, SAO, Log Horizon, etc etc), I think, will be best prepared to enter Alterworld along with D. Rus - but that shouldn't stop anyone with a WoW account or D&D character sheet anywhere in their past from really enjoying it.
Some things to be warned of - which may put off some readers. There is a definite undercurrent throughout the books of... I won't call it misogyny... so let's say 'machismo'. There are definitely a few strong female characters, but strong enough? I can't really say. Certainly their motivations beyond finding a man aren't as well explored as one might wish, but that isn't to call them all subservient by any means. This isn't enough to knock the book down much as the vast majority (85+%) of the story is told from a direct first person perspective from the book's not insensitive but definitely macho Russian male protagonist.
The other thing somewhat lacking is the English translation itself. I don't know that I've ever encountered the phrase "In actual fact" anywhere in print outside of blogs and forums. A competent editor would have at least had them remove 'actual' from the phrase, and a professional editor would have pointed out that the phrase itself is entirely superfluous to any sentence. I certainly don't claim perfection for myself, but running into this and other similar oddities of prose throughout the first three books of the series were occasional technical stumbling blocks in what was a very entertaining read.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the books to me has been the foreign perspective. The vast majority of my reading over the last few years has originated in the minds of American / Canadian / British / Australian authors - namely authors with a very similar cultural history to one another and myself.
When reading this series, as an American, one is suddenly granted access to a distinct (but not greately divergent) cultural humor, novel (to me) cliches, and a new and fascinating perspective on the world. Much as my first foray into Japanese media 15 years ago did I know this foray will lead to more exploration of Russian and Eastern European authors for me.
May 26, 2016
Want to have an experience in the world of MMORPG?
Too poor to afford a high end computer?
Fear not. This book is just what you need. Filed with action and strategies, this book is captivating to say the least. And the hero is not a honest perfect man. But a player who worships darkness.
Give it a go. It's a guaranteed thriller...
Too poor to afford a high end computer?
Fear not. This book is just what you need. Filed with action and strategies, this book is captivating to say the least. And the hero is not a honest perfect man. But a player who worships darkness.
Give it a go. It's a guaranteed thriller...
May 9, 2015
TL, DR: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK; read Ready Player One, REAMDE, or The Diamond Age instead. I got this book for free because a friend loaned it to me, and I honestly feel like he overcharged me.
The fact that this book has such a high rating is an example of why I hate the Goodreads community sometimes. "Hmmm... this book really sucked. Nothing that happened made sense, the plot was an endless chain of Deus ex Machina written on a second grade level, and the author ended the thing with a giant middle finger to anyone who forced themselves to make it that far. But it WAS about videogames, so... FIVE STARS."
This is not a good book. It's not even a bad book, because something I would describe as a bad book would at least have a complete story inside of it.
Plot synopsis: A man with an incurable terminal illness decides to permenantly transfer his consciousness into an MMORPG he has never played before (but is somehow impossibly good at), and has the start of an adventure as he acclimates to his new virtual world. This honestly sounds like a great idea for a story! I hope a better writer uses it someday.
I started out liking this book, but got very bored very quickly. For reasons that nobody will ever be able to explain to me (because it might be the single worst decision I've ever seen a writer make), the author feels the need to dedicate SEVERAL CHAPTERS to the protagonist grinding experience in a single dungeon to powerlevel his character. What that means for those of you who don't play MMORPGs is that a significant portion of this book is dedicated solely to an in-depth description of the most boring thing it is possible to do in an online video game. I'd compare it to listening to a friend tell a story about playing Monopoly, and the part where he describes passing out the different denominations of starting money to each of the players takes 30 minutes. Except I can't really equate the two, because if any of my friends tried telling me that story I'd punch him right in his big, stupid mouth. Or even her big stupid mouth; I can easily see myself making an exception to my raised-in-Texas code of southern chivalry in that particular case.
What else did I hate... the romantic subplot? Terrible. The guy whose name I don't even remember even though I read the book TODAY literally falls for the first female player he meets while having zero reason to do so, and about a week later is helping her find a hitman to commit real-life-murder. Yes, seriously. It's like a little kid wrote this after seeing Romeo and Juliet for the first time, only it's somehow worse than that would probably have been.
There are so many things about this book that suck that I shouldn't even be able to pick any one thing I hated the most... but I can, because the ending is so shockingly terrible that it easily outclasses all of the suckage that preceded it. Interesting things finally begin to happen, and then the book abruptly ends mid-scene. Seriously, there is absolutely no trace of resolution here; it feels like the author just arbitrarily decided he'd written enough words for now, and ended the book practically mid-sentence. This strategy of blatantly selling an incomplete story in a shameless bid to sell the rest as sequels is annoying enough in a long story like Game of Thrones, but in a book this short... well, the only thing keeping me from calling it inexcusible is the fact that I didn't want to read more of it anyway.
As nobody who reads this far should be surprised to learn, I would recommended AlterWorld for absolutely nobody. If you want a cyberpunk MMO fantasy story, read REAMDE or Ready Player One instead because they are excellent. Keep this book by your toilet in case you run out of bath tissue.
The fact that this book has such a high rating is an example of why I hate the Goodreads community sometimes. "Hmmm... this book really sucked. Nothing that happened made sense, the plot was an endless chain of Deus ex Machina written on a second grade level, and the author ended the thing with a giant middle finger to anyone who forced themselves to make it that far. But it WAS about videogames, so... FIVE STARS."
This is not a good book. It's not even a bad book, because something I would describe as a bad book would at least have a complete story inside of it.
Plot synopsis: A man with an incurable terminal illness decides to permenantly transfer his consciousness into an MMORPG he has never played before (but is somehow impossibly good at), and has the start of an adventure as he acclimates to his new virtual world. This honestly sounds like a great idea for a story! I hope a better writer uses it someday.
I started out liking this book, but got very bored very quickly. For reasons that nobody will ever be able to explain to me (because it might be the single worst decision I've ever seen a writer make), the author feels the need to dedicate SEVERAL CHAPTERS to the protagonist grinding experience in a single dungeon to powerlevel his character. What that means for those of you who don't play MMORPGs is that a significant portion of this book is dedicated solely to an in-depth description of the most boring thing it is possible to do in an online video game. I'd compare it to listening to a friend tell a story about playing Monopoly, and the part where he describes passing out the different denominations of starting money to each of the players takes 30 minutes. Except I can't really equate the two, because if any of my friends tried telling me that story I'd punch him right in his big, stupid mouth. Or even her big stupid mouth; I can easily see myself making an exception to my raised-in-Texas code of southern chivalry in that particular case.
What else did I hate... the romantic subplot? Terrible. The guy whose name I don't even remember even though I read the book TODAY literally falls for the first female player he meets while having zero reason to do so, and about a week later is helping her find a hitman to commit real-life-murder. Yes, seriously. It's like a little kid wrote this after seeing Romeo and Juliet for the first time, only it's somehow worse than that would probably have been.
There are so many things about this book that suck that I shouldn't even be able to pick any one thing I hated the most... but I can, because the ending is so shockingly terrible that it easily outclasses all of the suckage that preceded it. Interesting things finally begin to happen, and then the book abruptly ends mid-scene. Seriously, there is absolutely no trace of resolution here; it feels like the author just arbitrarily decided he'd written enough words for now, and ended the book practically mid-sentence. This strategy of blatantly selling an incomplete story in a shameless bid to sell the rest as sequels is annoying enough in a long story like Game of Thrones, but in a book this short... well, the only thing keeping me from calling it inexcusible is the fact that I didn't want to read more of it anyway.
As nobody who reads this far should be surprised to learn, I would recommended AlterWorld for absolutely nobody. If you want a cyberpunk MMO fantasy story, read REAMDE or Ready Player One instead because they are excellent. Keep this book by your toilet in case you run out of bath tissue.
May 24, 2016
I read this highly rated book with hopes of "Ready Player One" or "Off to be the wizard" what I got was bags of disappointment and appalling bigotry.
The main character, is similar to my racist, misogynistic uncle that doesn't think he is a bigot but just says amazingly bigoted, racist, misogynistic things because he is too ignorant to know better.
Here are a few gems:
"Taali [main love interest, who is almost as leveled and accomplished as the male hero] smiled and turned on her femme fatale look. Head up high, hips swaying, she walked over to the chosen point and began setting up camp. What a child she was, really."
"I lowered my eyes playing the poor penniless Jew."
"The sight of slim Elven maidens doing their corpse runs like some bikini beach joggers, was too much for any red-blooded male. Damn those art designers."
"Even Taali chose not to play the spoiled diva and logged in two minutes before time."
There was not much story here. I was curious to see how some of the quests ended, but the author decided to stop writing his short little novel mid-sentence. Brilliant Marketing for him. Terrible Story Telling.
Please, instead of giving me my money back.. please give me my time back and delete this book from my memory.
Going to read Neil Stephenson "Reamde" in hopes to wash the taste out
The main character, is similar to my racist, misogynistic uncle that doesn't think he is a bigot but just says amazingly bigoted, racist, misogynistic things because he is too ignorant to know better.
Here are a few gems:
"Taali [main love interest, who is almost as leveled and accomplished as the male hero] smiled and turned on her femme fatale look. Head up high, hips swaying, she walked over to the chosen point and began setting up camp. What a child she was, really."
"I lowered my eyes playing the poor penniless Jew."
"The sight of slim Elven maidens doing their corpse runs like some bikini beach joggers, was too much for any red-blooded male. Damn those art designers."
"Even Taali chose not to play the spoiled diva and logged in two minutes before time."
There was not much story here. I was curious to see how some of the quests ended, but the author decided to stop writing his short little novel mid-sentence. Brilliant Marketing for him. Terrible Story Telling.
Please, instead of giving me my money back.. please give me my time back and delete this book from my memory.
Going to read Neil Stephenson "Reamde" in hopes to wash the taste out
February 23, 2015
Wow!! What a brilliant yet sinister possibility, for the computer game to become so advanced that we can consciously enter its world and actually live there!!
4.5 stars - the only thing that gets annoying is the constant use of the 'inner greedy pig', and quite immature language at times, but I guess it's part of the char. Downloaded book 2 immediately!
4.5 stars - the only thing that gets annoying is the constant use of the 'inner greedy pig', and quite immature language at times, but I guess it's part of the char. Downloaded book 2 immediately!
March 31, 2015
Can't wait to read book 2.
Recommend to all fantasy lovers especially gamers.
Recommend to all fantasy lovers especially gamers.
December 31, 2015
My original AlterWorld audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
After reading the synopsis of this audiobook I was marginally interested in giving it a listen. Then I read the title of a review on Audible of which the title was this, “Yes that’s right better then Ready player one”. To me. that was a pretty bold statement as I adored Ready Player One. For a book to be better than that is huge.
The author D. Rus, is from Russia so much of the geographical comparisons are directed to that end. From what I could tell, it is told in present day, or the near future. There is a MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game), something akin to World of Warcraft, except the player can play the game in these full immersion capsules. That allows the player to literally be alive in the game. They can feel pain, actually swing their swords at the enemy, etc. Sounds pretty awesome to this nerd! Here is the really interesting part. Player that play in the capsules consistently for too long have a high probability of going “perma effect” within the game. What this means is that your mind and conciseness become digitized and only exist in the game. At this point it does not matter what happens to your body, it can die and you will continue to live in the digital AlterWorld.
Our protagonist is Max, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. His only chance of living past the next month is to go perma in AlterWorld. So, of course, that is what he sets out to do.
Very geeky gaming explanations or the intricacies of AlterWorld were included, because Max was not a gamer and we learn as he does, well mostly. From creating an avatar, his digital character, to the way the HUD (Heads up display) works, to getting and choosing quests.
Then it ends when Max is in immediate peril and I had to start listening to the next book right away.
Yes, I did gloss over much of the actual story in this review. I did not want to chance giving anything away. Amazing story. Plain and simple.
I was thoroughly entranced by the Alterworld and by the situations Max gets himself into and the other characters. If you are a gaming and or fantasy nerd like me. You will love this audiobook. Do your self a favor and bu them all right now.
Michael Goldstrom was a perfect choice to bring this audiobook to life. I cannot imagine, even Wil Wheaton, could do a better job with this amazing story. He was able to make all of the explanations of the game content seem so natural. Good characterizations, where he really shines is with the pacing fluctuations. Everything I look for in a good narrator performance Goldstrom excelled at.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
After reading the synopsis of this audiobook I was marginally interested in giving it a listen. Then I read the title of a review on Audible of which the title was this, “Yes that’s right better then Ready player one”. To me. that was a pretty bold statement as I adored Ready Player One. For a book to be better than that is huge.
The author D. Rus, is from Russia so much of the geographical comparisons are directed to that end. From what I could tell, it is told in present day, or the near future. There is a MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game), something akin to World of Warcraft, except the player can play the game in these full immersion capsules. That allows the player to literally be alive in the game. They can feel pain, actually swing their swords at the enemy, etc. Sounds pretty awesome to this nerd! Here is the really interesting part. Player that play in the capsules consistently for too long have a high probability of going “perma effect” within the game. What this means is that your mind and conciseness become digitized and only exist in the game. At this point it does not matter what happens to your body, it can die and you will continue to live in the digital AlterWorld.
Our protagonist is Max, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. His only chance of living past the next month is to go perma in AlterWorld. So, of course, that is what he sets out to do.
Very geeky gaming explanations or the intricacies of AlterWorld were included, because Max was not a gamer and we learn as he does, well mostly. From creating an avatar, his digital character, to the way the HUD (Heads up display) works, to getting and choosing quests.
Then it ends when Max is in immediate peril and I had to start listening to the next book right away.
Yes, I did gloss over much of the actual story in this review. I did not want to chance giving anything away. Amazing story. Plain and simple.
I was thoroughly entranced by the Alterworld and by the situations Max gets himself into and the other characters. If you are a gaming and or fantasy nerd like me. You will love this audiobook. Do your self a favor and bu them all right now.
Michael Goldstrom was a perfect choice to bring this audiobook to life. I cannot imagine, even Wil Wheaton, could do a better job with this amazing story. He was able to make all of the explanations of the game content seem so natural. Good characterizations, where he really shines is with the pacing fluctuations. Everything I look for in a good narrator performance Goldstrom excelled at.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
November 11, 2014
This book is something of a cross between Ready Player One and Sword Art Online. The premise is brain interface pods can be used to fully immerse the player in Virtual Reality, but after a time-threshold individuals risk being digitized- and nothing that affects their body thereafter will effect their conscious mind, nor can they return to their body.
The main character, a reasonably young guy diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, looks to use this little understood phenomena to escape death. He chooses a particular MMORPG which has 40 000 000 players (alot of them in similar situations, variously escaping old age, disability, poverty etc). Most of the story focuses on the new experience of the player to the world, the groups that have been setup in this environment and (of course!) leveling up in the world. Then there's the inevitable Ready Player One struggle with established money and power structures (but more based in the digital world this time).
Overall it felt very Sword Art Online (a mash of book and game culture) which I enjoyed very much. Possibly not worth a 5 mechanically, so if you're a stickler for 'writing' over 'story' this might not be for you. But there's some great social commentary as deeper sub-texts to the more game orientated action and story.
The main character, a reasonably young guy diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, looks to use this little understood phenomena to escape death. He chooses a particular MMORPG which has 40 000 000 players (alot of them in similar situations, variously escaping old age, disability, poverty etc). Most of the story focuses on the new experience of the player to the world, the groups that have been setup in this environment and (of course!) leveling up in the world. Then there's the inevitable Ready Player One struggle with established money and power structures (but more based in the digital world this time).
Overall it felt very Sword Art Online (a mash of book and game culture) which I enjoyed very much. Possibly not worth a 5 mechanically, so if you're a stickler for 'writing' over 'story' this might not be for you. But there's some great social commentary as deeper sub-texts to the more game orientated action and story.
February 23, 2015
I learned about this series entirely by chance, stumbling across it in the signature of someone on a random forum a couple days ago. After looking into the series, I decided to purchase the first book that evening. Twenty-four hours later, I have burned the midnight oil and devoured all three books that are presently out in English. Many people may compare the series to Daniel Suarez' Daemon and Freedom series or Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. Having read many of the comparisons I can attest to the validity of the claims. That said, it is my opinion that this series surpasses both unequivocally. Dmitri Rus has crafted an world that will enrapture its readers drawing them in and invariably leaving them spellbound until the very last page. The translations themselves are impeccable in my opinion, having very few errors (which is a remarkable thing given all the slang terminology employed). There is a reason why D. Rus has become a bestselling author and overnight sensation, his books are just that good. I personally would be willing to triple or more the price he has set for the books, they are a steal given the amount of enjoyment they have provided me with. For anyone on the fence about the series, all I can say is give it a shot, you will not regret it.
November 4, 2015
In a lot of ways this book speaks to gamers. Who hasn't wished they could choose their body and skillset with the click of the mouse? I was drawn in almost immediately and the only negative thing I can say is the series has not been completely translated yet. Only the first two books as of this review (11/03/14), but book number 3 should be ready by Christmas and I will be buying it. I believe there are 6 books in the series right now. Waiting for each book to be translated is going to be torture, but if they are anything like the first two (Alterworld and The Clan), they will be worth the wait.
Update - 02-22-15, Bought and read the 3rd book. Now eagerly awaiting book number 4 due out in June. Book 3 was amazing as each book has been so far. :)
Update - 11-03-15, I've since bought and read the 4th and 5th books. I found book 4 as wonderful as its predecessors. While I enjoyed book 5, I'd only give it 4 out of 5 stars as I found it too chaotic to easily understand what was going on. I'm also excited that the first 4 books are now available on Audible.com. I'm able to listen to more books than I can read due to a long commute.
Update - 02-22-15, Bought and read the 3rd book. Now eagerly awaiting book number 4 due out in June. Book 3 was amazing as each book has been so far. :)
Update - 11-03-15, I've since bought and read the 4th and 5th books. I found book 4 as wonderful as its predecessors. While I enjoyed book 5, I'd only give it 4 out of 5 stars as I found it too chaotic to easily understand what was going on. I'm also excited that the first 4 books are now available on Audible.com. I'm able to listen to more books than I can read due to a long commute.
September 15, 2014
This book was great, but I'm still scratching my head over how it managed it. This was more than just a story about someone immersing themselves permanently in an MMO (online game). It spent lots of time dealing with the mechanics of that world and the details of items, buffs, stats and other game related stuff. That's a recipe for a really dull book... but somehow the author made it interesting, fascinating even.
The characters are vivid and well developed. The virtual world feels cohesive and real, with glimpses of a much darker side showing through from time to time. The only downside I can see is that it might not appeal to true non-gamers. While I'm not hooked on MMOs I have played quite a few and I've been a gamer for far too many years so most of the terminology was familiar to me. That said, even if you aren't into games I think this is well worth checking out.
The characters are vivid and well developed. The virtual world feels cohesive and real, with glimpses of a much darker side showing through from time to time. The only downside I can see is that it might not appeal to true non-gamers. While I'm not hooked on MMOs I have played quite a few and I've been a gamer for far too many years so most of the terminology was familiar to me. That said, even if you aren't into games I think this is well worth checking out.
November 26, 2014
Surprising. I really didn't think this book would be any good, but I was incredibly, pleasantly surprised. The story is set in our (possible) future where full immersion VR is possible, and people have gotten "stuck"/uploaded in MMORPGS - some on purpose, because they have found that in the virtual world, they are young, disease-free, and free of whatever handicap that may have ailed them.
The book continues to follow a young man as he levels up, makes friends, and tries to figure out this new world he's chosen to live in - and it's done with humor, character, and attention to detail
The book continues to follow a young man as he levels up, makes friends, and tries to figure out this new world he's chosen to live in - and it's done with humor, character, and attention to detail
October 21, 2014
AMAZING!
August 29, 2018
Boží!
Ale stejně musím vytknout jednu věc. Glebovi prostě všechno AŽ MOC vycházelo a to horko těžko překousávám. Jediné odůvodnění, které jsem schopna tolerovat je to, že je to pro udržení zájmu čtenáře. Těžko říct, jestli by mě to bavilo, kdyby jenom normálně expil jako každý jiný. Možná jo, možná ne. Ale ten jeho luck už byl prostě k nevydržení.
A pak jsem úplně nemusela romantickou linku, ale to už je jen taková zanedbatelná drobnost.
Doufám, že se v dalších dílech opět setkám se hafanem a drakem, protože JÁ jsem na ně rozhodně nezapomněla.
Ale stejně musím vytknout jednu věc. Glebovi prostě všechno AŽ MOC vycházelo a to horko těžko překousávám. Jediné odůvodnění, které jsem schopna tolerovat je to, že je to pro udržení zájmu čtenáře. Těžko říct, jestli by mě to bavilo, kdyby jenom normálně expil jako každý jiný. Možná jo, možná ne. Ale ten jeho luck už byl prostě k nevydržení.
A pak jsem úplně nemusela romantickou linku, ale to už je jen taková zanedbatelná drobnost.
Doufám, že se v dalších dílech opět setkám se hafanem a drakem, protože JÁ jsem na ně rozhodně nezapomněla.
June 15, 2015
Uznāca vēlme izlasīt kaut ko viegli aizraujošu un interesantu. Tādēļ nolēmu palasīties savu iecienīto litRPG žanru. Galu galā šāda tipa spēles man patīk, un monstru apkaušanas apraksti spēj aizraut. Lai prieks būtu pilnīgs, nolēmu nestiept gumiju un izlasīt vienā piegājienā veselu sēriju. Lai aiztaupītu sava bloga lasītājiem sešu grāmatu (Срыв, Клан, Долг, Инферно, Битва, Война) individuālus apskatus nolēmu uzrakstīt uzreiz par visām.
Rit divtūkstošo gadu trīsdesmitie. Uz pasaules viss ir izmainījies ASV zaudējusi savas pasaules līdera pozīcijas, taču izmisīgi cenšas atrast veidu kā tās atgūt. Gļebam par to nav nekādas daļas, viņam nesen ir diagnosticēts smadzeņu audzējs un nākotnes perspektīvas nav nekādas spožās. Viņam ir trīs izejas tapt iesaldētam, aiziet virtuālajā pasaulē vai vienkārši nomirt. Pirmajai opcijai Gļebam vienkārši nav naudas, trešā neparedz nākotnes perspektīvu, bet otrā šķiet ir īstā. Pasaulē spēles jau labu laiku spēlē pilnībā integrējoties virtuālajā pasaulē. Un, ja integrācijas laiks ir pārāk liels, tad persona var arī „norauties” un palikt tajā kā pilnīga sava saimnieko kopija. Fiziskais ķermenis ieiet komā un ar laiku nomirst. Gļebs izvēlas otro versiju un pārceļas un maģijas un zobena pasauli.
Sākšu ar pozitīvo, pirmās trīs grāmatas pat ir ļoti lasāmas, jo visa uzmanība tiek pievērsta galvenajam varonim. Ja sākumā viņš ir pilnīgs nūbs un no spēles neko lāga nesaprot, tad laika gaitā viņa izpratne par pasauli un savām spējām kļūst dziļāka un paveras plašas iespējas. Protama lieta, ka autors no otršķirīga varoņa gaitām neveidos veselu sēriju. Tādēļ Gļebs pavisam nemanot kļūst ļoti, ļoti izcils spēlētājs. Viņam daudz veicas, viņš atrod veidus kā apmānīt spēli veidā, kuru ķīniešu miljoni ir palaiduši garām. Taču tāda ir žanra klasika, tur neko daudz izmainīt nevar. Kad spēlē Diablo III tad jau ar mūždien nepaliec pirmajā līmenī.
Autoram ir dažas interesantas idejas par reālās un virtuālās pasaules mijiedarbību. Tās katra attīstās pa savu ceļu, bet paliek saistītas kopā. Virtuālajā pasaulē maģija spēj paveikt brīnumainas lietas un tās fons lēnu garu sāk spiest uz realitāti. Virtuālā pasaule ir stratēģisks objekts, un to saprot visas lielvaras. Viņas cenšas monetizēt jauno resursu pēc pilnas programmas. Speciāli institūti strādā pie tā, lai apgrieztu portālus otrādi. Darīt visu, lai uz reālo pasauli varētu transportēt virtuālos priekšmetus, un kas zina, arī tās radījumus.
Pasaule ir dzīva un brīnumu pilna, arī pats spēles un spēlēšanas process ir saprotams un nekādus šablonus nerauj. Šī saprotamība tad ļauj pieņemt arī visdīvainākos notikumu pavērsienu kā realitātei atbilstošus, nevis kā „klavieres no krūmiem”, un par to autoram liels paldies.
Grāmatas galvenais mīnuss ir notikumu globalizācija. Autors nav spējis novaldīt sava varoņa levelapu. Ja sākumā viņš krūmos sit trušus un krāj pieredzi, tad sestās grāmatas beigās viņš jau ved kaujā leģionus. Varoņa krutums pieaug eksponenciāli, un bieži vien viņa jauno spēju apgūšana „lauž” jau esošo pasauli. Ja tas novestu pie kaut kādām loģiskām beigām, nebūtu problēmas, bet šķiet, ka autors nespēj apstāties, un laikam jau Gļebam ir lemts liktenis kļūt par abu pasauļu valdnieku. Tas viss uz beigām noveda pie situācijas, ka pēdējās trīs grāmatās absolūti nebiju spējīgs just līdzi varonim, viņš jau ir tāds megazvaigzne, ka skaidrs, ar viņu nekas vairs nevar notikt.
Saprotu autoru un viņa mērķauditoriju. Nav jau nekas slikts, ka sižeta centrā rodams urrā-patriotisms, tāda lieta nevienai tautai par sliktu nav nākusi. Taču vadmotīvs apkārt ir ienaidnieks izraisa smaidu. Taču tā kā Gļebs te ir pārcēlies uz dzīvi, tad viņš to lietu uztver ļoti nopietni. Amerikāņu un Eiropas spēlētāji (arī latviešu mežabrāļi) to vien gaida, lai pilnībā iekarotu krievu klāsteru un aizdzītu visus verdzībā. Krievus apspiež pat spēles algoritmi, viņu lokācijā var dabūt mazāk pieredzi, un labs lūts arī izkrīt retāk. Nu pilnīgi apspiež nabaga spēlētāju nu tā, ka jāceļas un jāiet dot pa muti. Beigās jau aiziet līdz Gregorija lentīšu fabrikas atvēršanai virtuālajā pasaulē. Acīmredzot tagad pēc tādām lietām ir pieprasījums un atradīsies, kam tāds notikumu pavērsiens patiks. Smīdina arī līdz tekstam nonākušās klišejas par ļaunajiem pindosiem, ķīniešiem, kas nozog krievus verdzībai, un galvenā varoņa uzskati par sievietēm. Autors ir reāls šovinists ar tīņa izpratni par sievietēm, galvenais, lai mīl vīru, saprot, ka tas ir mājā saimnieks un vienmēr dod.
Grāmata nav lasāma katra individuāli, tām pat nav sakarīga nobeiguma. Tās beidzas ar klifhangeriem. Starp grāmatas nobeigumu un katras atsevišķas nodaļas nobeigumu nav nekādas saistības. Tāda sajūta, ka paņemts viens pamatīgs ķieģelis un sadalīts reizinātājos. Varbūt pie vainas ir tas, ka visas grāmatas izlasīju reizē vienā rāvienā, un tādēļ bija redzams kvalitātes kritums uz beigām.
Sērijai kopumā lieku 6 no 10 ballēm. Pirmās trīs ir labas un interesantas, var likt 7-8 pēdējās gan paliek jūtami švakākas, notikumi vēl nav ieguvuši tādu episkuma līmeni, ar kuru autors vairs nespēj tikt galā. Pārvēršot Gļebu par tādu kā Maķedonijas Aleksandru un korķi visām pudelēm. Izklaide ir labu labā, nepretendē uz nekādu literāro dziļumu un stāsta par to, kas nosaukumā rakstīts. Ja interesē litRPG žanrs, tad sērijas sākumu rekomendēju, pēdējās lasiet paši uz savu risku.
Rit divtūkstošo gadu trīsdesmitie. Uz pasaules viss ir izmainījies ASV zaudējusi savas pasaules līdera pozīcijas, taču izmisīgi cenšas atrast veidu kā tās atgūt. Gļebam par to nav nekādas daļas, viņam nesen ir diagnosticēts smadzeņu audzējs un nākotnes perspektīvas nav nekādas spožās. Viņam ir trīs izejas tapt iesaldētam, aiziet virtuālajā pasaulē vai vienkārši nomirt. Pirmajai opcijai Gļebam vienkārši nav naudas, trešā neparedz nākotnes perspektīvu, bet otrā šķiet ir īstā. Pasaulē spēles jau labu laiku spēlē pilnībā integrējoties virtuālajā pasaulē. Un, ja integrācijas laiks ir pārāk liels, tad persona var arī „norauties” un palikt tajā kā pilnīga sava saimnieko kopija. Fiziskais ķermenis ieiet komā un ar laiku nomirst. Gļebs izvēlas otro versiju un pārceļas un maģijas un zobena pasauli.
Sākšu ar pozitīvo, pirmās trīs grāmatas pat ir ļoti lasāmas, jo visa uzmanība tiek pievērsta galvenajam varonim. Ja sākumā viņš ir pilnīgs nūbs un no spēles neko lāga nesaprot, tad laika gaitā viņa izpratne par pasauli un savām spējām kļūst dziļāka un paveras plašas iespējas. Protama lieta, ka autors no otršķirīga varoņa gaitām neveidos veselu sēriju. Tādēļ Gļebs pavisam nemanot kļūst ļoti, ļoti izcils spēlētājs. Viņam daudz veicas, viņš atrod veidus kā apmānīt spēli veidā, kuru ķīniešu miljoni ir palaiduši garām. Taču tāda ir žanra klasika, tur neko daudz izmainīt nevar. Kad spēlē Diablo III tad jau ar mūždien nepaliec pirmajā līmenī.
Autoram ir dažas interesantas idejas par reālās un virtuālās pasaules mijiedarbību. Tās katra attīstās pa savu ceļu, bet paliek saistītas kopā. Virtuālajā pasaulē maģija spēj paveikt brīnumainas lietas un tās fons lēnu garu sāk spiest uz realitāti. Virtuālā pasaule ir stratēģisks objekts, un to saprot visas lielvaras. Viņas cenšas monetizēt jauno resursu pēc pilnas programmas. Speciāli institūti strādā pie tā, lai apgrieztu portālus otrādi. Darīt visu, lai uz reālo pasauli varētu transportēt virtuālos priekšmetus, un kas zina, arī tās radījumus.
Pasaule ir dzīva un brīnumu pilna, arī pats spēles un spēlēšanas process ir saprotams un nekādus šablonus nerauj. Šī saprotamība tad ļauj pieņemt arī visdīvainākos notikumu pavērsienu kā realitātei atbilstošus, nevis kā „klavieres no krūmiem”, un par to autoram liels paldies.
Grāmatas galvenais mīnuss ir notikumu globalizācija. Autors nav spējis novaldīt sava varoņa levelapu. Ja sākumā viņš krūmos sit trušus un krāj pieredzi, tad sestās grāmatas beigās viņš jau ved kaujā leģionus. Varoņa krutums pieaug eksponenciāli, un bieži vien viņa jauno spēju apgūšana „lauž” jau esošo pasauli. Ja tas novestu pie kaut kādām loģiskām beigām, nebūtu problēmas, bet šķiet, ka autors nespēj apstāties, un laikam jau Gļebam ir lemts liktenis kļūt par abu pasauļu valdnieku. Tas viss uz beigām noveda pie situācijas, ka pēdējās trīs grāmatās absolūti nebiju spējīgs just līdzi varonim, viņš jau ir tāds megazvaigzne, ka skaidrs, ar viņu nekas vairs nevar notikt.
Saprotu autoru un viņa mērķauditoriju. Nav jau nekas slikts, ka sižeta centrā rodams urrā-patriotisms, tāda lieta nevienai tautai par sliktu nav nākusi. Taču vadmotīvs apkārt ir ienaidnieks izraisa smaidu. Taču tā kā Gļebs te ir pārcēlies uz dzīvi, tad viņš to lietu uztver ļoti nopietni. Amerikāņu un Eiropas spēlētāji (arī latviešu mežabrāļi) to vien gaida, lai pilnībā iekarotu krievu klāsteru un aizdzītu visus verdzībā. Krievus apspiež pat spēles algoritmi, viņu lokācijā var dabūt mazāk pieredzi, un labs lūts arī izkrīt retāk. Nu pilnīgi apspiež nabaga spēlētāju nu tā, ka jāceļas un jāiet dot pa muti. Beigās jau aiziet līdz Gregorija lentīšu fabrikas atvēršanai virtuālajā pasaulē. Acīmredzot tagad pēc tādām lietām ir pieprasījums un atradīsies, kam tāds notikumu pavērsiens patiks. Smīdina arī līdz tekstam nonākušās klišejas par ļaunajiem pindosiem, ķīniešiem, kas nozog krievus verdzībai, un galvenā varoņa uzskati par sievietēm. Autors ir reāls šovinists ar tīņa izpratni par sievietēm, galvenais, lai mīl vīru, saprot, ka tas ir mājā saimnieks un vienmēr dod.
Grāmata nav lasāma katra individuāli, tām pat nav sakarīga nobeiguma. Tās beidzas ar klifhangeriem. Starp grāmatas nobeigumu un katras atsevišķas nodaļas nobeigumu nav nekādas saistības. Tāda sajūta, ka paņemts viens pamatīgs ķieģelis un sadalīts reizinātājos. Varbūt pie vainas ir tas, ka visas grāmatas izlasīju reizē vienā rāvienā, un tādēļ bija redzams kvalitātes kritums uz beigām.
Sērijai kopumā lieku 6 no 10 ballēm. Pirmās trīs ir labas un interesantas, var likt 7-8 pēdējās gan paliek jūtami švakākas, notikumi vēl nav ieguvuši tādu episkuma līmeni, ar kuru autors vairs nespēj tikt galā. Pārvēršot Gļebu par tādu kā Maķedonijas Aleksandru un korķi visām pudelēm. Izklaide ir labu labā, nepretendē uz nekādu literāro dziļumu un stāsta par to, kas nosaukumā rakstīts. Ja interesē litRPG žanrs, tad sērijas sākumu rekomendēju, pēdējās lasiet paši uz savu risku.
June 3, 2017
Back for an update! I recommend this. There are a few issues with the translation to English but nothing horrible.
If you're into vrmmorpg type of plots, it's one of the better ones.
The stuff that happens in the real world is weird and I don't get it at all. I usually skip it but the virtual reality world is pretty cool.
The concept of the disease is retarded but it makes the plot work. It also sends a few other messages about gaming and virtual reality.
1. Playing too much isn't good for you. It'll become your life.
2. The problems with virtual reality and having our consciousness converted into programming codes.
These are pretty interesting concepts regardless of the mmorpg aspect.
There's also the possibility of having land and having castles, which is totally cool. There's also guild wars and stuff. Almost everything you'll see in a mmorpg can be found in it.
There are dark sides and a few mature subject matters. So be forewarned.
Update: I listened to the audiobook recently since all 7 volumes came out a while back. Everything I mentioned above still stands. But I'm tossing more insight towards the other books since it's a series. I generally prefer to avoid starting a series if the latter books aren't that great. So the following are my impression of the latter books:
If you're into vrmmorpg type of plots, it's one of the better ones.
The stuff that happens in the real world is weird and I don't get it at all. I usually skip it but the virtual reality world is pretty cool.
The concept of the disease is retarded but it makes the plot work. It also sends a few other messages about gaming and virtual reality.
1. Playing too much isn't good for you. It'll become your life.
2. The problems with virtual reality and having our consciousness converted into programming codes.
These are pretty interesting concepts regardless of the mmorpg aspect.
There's also the possibility of having land and having castles, which is totally cool. There's also guild wars and stuff. Almost everything you'll see in a mmorpg can be found in it.
There are dark sides and a few mature subject matters. So be forewarned.
Update: I listened to the audiobook recently since all 7 volumes came out a while back. Everything I mentioned above still stands. But I'm tossing more insight towards the other books since it's a series. I generally prefer to avoid starting a series if the latter books aren't that great. So the following are my impression of the latter books:
June 14, 2016
I think I have hit upon the reason that I like this book and series at all - it allows me to vicariously experience an MMO without having to dedicate that amount of time to one. That's pretty much it.
The problems with the books are plentiful and outline pretty well in other one- and two-star reviews. Our main character, Max, is impossibly good at an MMO he's never played before with a ridiculous string of lucky circumstances handed to him time and time again (2.5 books into the series, this is still the case). The other characters in the series are incredibly flat, with basically no motivations of their own at all. The protagonist, and quite possibly the author, has a ridiculously sexist tilt - the female characters are basically binary - either drop-dead gorgeous, constantly in need of help, and really only there to satisfy and stroke the male protagonist's libido or ugly, old / gay feminists, and competent only so far as it aids the protagonist.
The author also has a tendency to end the books (thus far, at least) on cliffhangers - both the first and second novels end in what turns out to be the middle of major conflicts and what should have been the climax to their respective books. There are also rather large issues with the protagonist. A large chunk of the first novel is dedicated to Max doing the impossible to satisfy a real-world addiction (cigarettes) within the MMO world - an act that is only barely mentioned in the second book at all, and referred to a handful of times thus far in the third. We have literally not seen the protagonist partaking in this addiction since the end of the first book.
This series scratches an itch that I didn't fully realize I had - though Ready Player One had scratched a similar itch - and at the same time creates a strong urge to actually play a similar game. However, the plethora of issues I've noted make me hesitant to recommend the series at a whole, and the first novel only to people I think may have a similar itch.
The problems with the books are plentiful and outline pretty well in other one- and two-star reviews. Our main character, Max, is impossibly good at an MMO he's never played before with a ridiculous string of lucky circumstances handed to him time and time again (2.5 books into the series, this is still the case). The other characters in the series are incredibly flat, with basically no motivations of their own at all. The protagonist, and quite possibly the author, has a ridiculously sexist tilt - the female characters are basically binary - either drop-dead gorgeous, constantly in need of help, and really only there to satisfy and stroke the male protagonist's libido or ugly, old / gay feminists, and competent only so far as it aids the protagonist.
The author also has a tendency to end the books (thus far, at least) on cliffhangers - both the first and second novels end in what turns out to be the middle of major conflicts and what should have been the climax to their respective books. There are also rather large issues with the protagonist. A large chunk of the first novel is dedicated to Max doing the impossible to satisfy a real-world addiction (cigarettes) within the MMO world - an act that is only barely mentioned in the second book at all, and referred to a handful of times thus far in the third. We have literally not seen the protagonist partaking in this addiction since the end of the first book.
This series scratches an itch that I didn't fully realize I had - though Ready Player One had scratched a similar itch - and at the same time creates a strong urge to actually play a similar game. However, the plethora of issues I've noted make me hesitant to recommend the series at a whole, and the first novel only to people I think may have a similar itch.
July 11, 2017
I read all seven books in this series in the space of a fortnight, so clearly they had something going for them. They were engaging, easy to read, and had that inherent satisfaction you gain from reading about somebody who gets everything they ever wanted.
With that said, the sheer sexism, racism, prejudice, and other likewise delights found in these books was off-putting to say the least. Also, the Renglishisms remaining post-edit in the first books in particular needed to be seriously addressed. Also, what the fuck was with saying "inner greedy pig" what felt like at least twice a page? It was incredibly repetitive, amateurish, and irritating.
The protagonist was...strange. Not necessarily likeable, though he did see some character development in later books. Other characters are rarely fleshed out, with people popping in and out, and disappearing without notice. I was surprised to read the author's note in the final book saying how sad he felt about losing one of the characters, when that character was entirely dull, lacking any apparent personality, and contributed in no way to the story. Rather they were a walking cliché.
Another irritating feature of these novels was the way in which the author apparently forgot what he'd previously written, and would contradict himself. On two separate occasions, he makes reference to events and two relationships that never actually happened? It was bizarre.
Overall, books 1-4 and 7 were worth reading for entertainment value, though I wouldn't recommend them to children, or to anybody who might be swayed by some of the poisonous ideologies that appear. Don't bother with 5 and 6, they're boring and borderline incoherent.
I'm going to make some of my marked notes for this series visible, so that you can appreciate some of the prejudices present in the series.
With that said, the sheer sexism, racism, prejudice, and other likewise delights found in these books was off-putting to say the least. Also, the Renglishisms remaining post-edit in the first books in particular needed to be seriously addressed. Also, what the fuck was with saying "inner greedy pig" what felt like at least twice a page? It was incredibly repetitive, amateurish, and irritating.
The protagonist was...strange. Not necessarily likeable, though he did see some character development in later books. Other characters are rarely fleshed out, with people popping in and out, and disappearing without notice. I was surprised to read the author's note in the final book saying how sad he felt about losing one of the characters, when that character was entirely dull, lacking any apparent personality, and contributed in no way to the story. Rather they were a walking cliché.
Another irritating feature of these novels was the way in which the author apparently forgot what he'd previously written, and would contradict himself. On two separate occasions, he makes reference to events and two relationships that never actually happened? It was bizarre.
Overall, books 1-4 and 7 were worth reading for entertainment value, though I wouldn't recommend them to children, or to anybody who might be swayed by some of the poisonous ideologies that appear. Don't bother with 5 and 6, they're boring and borderline incoherent.
I'm going to make some of my marked notes for this series visible, so that you can appreciate some of the prejudices present in the series.
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