Two agents investigating a string of suspicious murders discover a psychopath twisting the Virtual Universe into an instrument for possession.
On the run from an already infiltrated FBI, partners Zahra Washington and Mason Deane form a motley crew to stop a killer who could be hiding behind any face.
They race across enchanted villages and impossible planets, hoping to find a lost creator protecting a secret that could save the world or destroy it forever…
*This work features thought-provoking illustrations by Clovis Batebola.
Kris Powers is a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who. He grew up reading the Dune and Lord of the Rings book series. Kris wrote an MMORPG, an interactive novel and hundreds of articles. He recently lost over a hundred pounds and lives with the stray cats who show up at his door.
This book was fun, but not great. I liked how wild the storyline was and how it felt like a futuristic video game. This book definitely needs some editing help though because the author uses descriptors in such an excessive way that it took me out of the story several times. Everyone is referred to as “the former FBI agent” or “the mindhacker” or whatever in every other sentence. Dude, just use names or pronouns most of the time and we’ll get it.
I was also so annoyed by his characterization of women, especially Ernestine. He made them into complete caricatures. They are just huge know-it-alls who can never mess anything up and have zero flaws. I’m all for a smart and powerful woman (I am a woman myself!!) but this is just ridiculous.
The story is interesting and draws you in, but definitely not one I’d read again or recommend very highly.
I won this book on Goodreads. I need to preface my review with the fact that I am not a gamer, by any stretch of that label. It took me a bit to get into the struggle because I don't have a good grasp of the gaming mindset. The characters in the story were developed well enough to finally get on to the plot, but it was slow %going for me. My assumption is that if you have the gamer mentality, this would have been an easier transition.
The context and storyline are good. This is a quick read and i completed it in 2.5 sittings. Still needs some editing, like mentioning the 50s but it appeared to be the 1950s but it could have been the 2050s?, but over the futuristic plot did suck me in. The ending was a bit blah, but it did finish how I expected it to.
Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Lots of action and a quick read but the editing could've been better. "Interjected" was used way too much and in some spots just unnecessarily; could've used "blurted" instead. I would also say knowing gaming helps for this book by Kris Powers.
This book was kind of like The Matrix meets Ready Player One. I enjoyed all of the cool virtual places it took me and all the twists and turns. Highly recommend!