Minecraft: The Tournament: An Official Minecraft Novel

Official Minecraft Novels #18

by DaVaun Sanders

A father and son team up to compete in an epic Minecraft tournament in this official novel!

It’s a dream come true. Every year, only twenty-four kids in the entire state are selected to show off their Minecraft skills in the Southwest Regional Tournament. And Jett Warner just got his invitation.

Here’s the catch: Nobody knows the rules ahead of time. Will it be Survival? Creative? A speedrun? Or maybe PVP? The only thing Jett knows is that he’ll need a partner. And he’ll need to expect the unexpected—well, that and a totally sweet all-expenses-paid trip to a mountainside retreat for a week. The winner’s reward? Life-changing. The competition? The best of the best. The partner in his corner? His sister, Dri, a total Minecraft expert.

Wait, scratch that—Dri has a fever, and now Jett is going to have to team up with . . . Dad?! Sure, he taught Jett how to play, but that was years ago. And while Jett’s got his eyes on the prize, Dad’s more eager to hike the trails. As the games begin, the rules are revealed, and the twists keep coming. If the Warners want a chance to win, they’ll need to step up and perform as a true team—before their opponents take it all.

Genres: Video Games, Fantasy, Middle Grade

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 21, 2024

About the author

DaVaun Sanders (he/him) resides in Phoenix, Arizona. His short fiction has appeared in FIYAH, PodCastle, Broken Eye Books, Dancing Star Press, the New York Times bestselling anthology, Black Boy Joy, and elsewhere. He continues to expand his work in children's SFF, for his own twins and kids everywhere who deserve to enjoy inclusive stories. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @davaunsanders for Rottie shenanigans, #twinlife updates, and occasional writerly things.

Reviews

[Abby Alquicira · Rating 2 out of 5]

He won a spot in the minecraft tournament! Jett is so excited to prove he is the best minecraft professional. But there is almost NO information on this tournament online. How will he know what to expect? Pushing himself to work with new people and his father, Jett will have to be the most creative he has ever been.

A quick read that was filled with a lot of gameplay. This is a tween book, so there are the simple themes of competition, being brave, and what it means to be a winner.

l-n, s-n, v-n
TW: sickness of a family member

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook.

Listened with my kid. It was ok. I followed along with the Minecraft references well enough to enjoy those parts.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Minecraft novel? I told myself I wasn’t going to read another one this year. But between cat books and wizards, I wanted something lighter. And boy, am I glad I picked this one up on our famous audiobook app.

Minecraft: The Tournament is another book in the long lineup of Minecraft novels, and it’s much better than the last couple I’ve read. Of course, nothing beats Max Brooks’ fantastic series, but this one comes pretty close.

The story centers around a group of players competing in a big Minecraft tournament where they face creative challenges like building, survival, and outsmarting each other in the ultimate test of skill. It’s got all the usual Minecraft chaos, with surprises that keep it fun and fast-paced.

The plot is a little predictable at times, though the ending could have gone a couple of different ways, so it’s not like you can see everything coming. What I liked is that it is very Minecraft-focused, with just a touch of real life sprinkled in to keep things grounded. It is not overloaded with life lessons, but the usual ones are there. Working together to solve problems, thinking outside the box, and sticking with it even when things blow up (literally, in some cases) make it a good pick for younger readers too.

For Minecraft fans, this book is a real treat. It is on par with the Max Brooks books, and I hope the author writes more in the future. One highlight of this one is the audiobook. James Fouhey is fantastic and clearly had a lot of fun narrating it. His energy pulled me in from the very start.

If you’re into Minecraft or just want something easy and entertaining, Minecraft: The Tournament is worth picking up. I’ll admit, it was a fun surprise for me.

[Bastian Webster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aside from my personal bias as this book was not written to take place inside the Minecraft Universe, but rather the inferior style of people in the real world playing Minecraft, the main problem is the message that this book presents: Everybody is a winner. This is a terrible and unrealistic message/lesson to teach young readers. (I believe morals are supposed to teach you something helpful for the real world) A better lesson to teach is that you don't always come out on top but that's okay. Throughout the story, the protagonist's central objective was to win, and he was rigidly focused on that goal. If he had ended up losing the tournament at the end but learning to be happy for the opposing team, it would promote a good behavior to children, which is not to be spiteful about losing.

[Saykrid Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REALLY loved this book. I'm seriously wondering how I get the permission to write An Official Minecraft Novel. I want to write one.




The way this story placed an emphasis on a father and son bond; over a father's favorite past time he became too busy for, and one that his son is still currently passionate about; really sat right with me. I also like that they showed how the son coped with anxiety as well venturing into a relationship. This was well worth the read and I really can't wait to write one myself.

[Jarno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about every chair that was filled.
It talks about electric energy that fills the air. I borrowed
It 2 days after I got back
To Virginia from my trip to Indiana.
I read it after I finished reading Captain America.

[Jasen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF; my son was bored & gave up at page 52. Off to donation pile.

[Sweetmusicwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and cute book. I enjoy playing the game so reading a story about it was pretty fun too.

[Rebekah Gasperoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey! Not bad! I'll keep this brief, as the description is actually very accurate. I enjoyed it, however, they made the whole thing a little unrealistic. I'm sorry, TWO NOTCH APPLES IN 2 DUNGEONS CHESTS? And mind you, you can throw in stupid luck if you want, it is technically possible, but it wasn't even mentioned as lucky at all. Plus, they find a ruin portal with another notch apple. (That's out of order, I believe, but my point still stands.) Also, can you explain how Jett's dad was that good after not playing for three years, and being average then? Plus, some other random events that just bugged me. Anyways, it was good. Definitely one of my favorite books in this series, and much better executed then the other IRL Minecraft books, (In this series)

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like, wow. That was an amazing read! I got caught up with all the action in the game, all the interactions both in the game and out of it, and even when everyone was preparing for a flood. All the twists and turns of the tournament kept me on my feet. This is honestly my favorite book of this series hands-down!