Thanks to an inoperable tumor pressing against his brain, Matthew Moxon was left with few options for survival. In 2041 his only chance was a multi-million dollar nanotech procedure – a price tag far out of reach until he entered ‘Arena Mode’: a no-holds-barred fighting tournament reserved for super-powered beings, where the winner would become one of the wealthiest people on the planet.
Moxon escaped the grueling event with his life, as well as the grand prize…but en route to crossing the proverbial finish line he was forced to kill Sergei Taktarov: a superhuman with a legion of followers who considered him the Second Coming.
In the aftermath of Arena Mode, Moxon retreats to Northern Canada in search of solace, unaware that he’ll soon be hunted by religious extremists, bounty hunters, and entire governments – all in search of the one known as ‘The God Slayer’.
Blake Northcott is a Canadian author and comic book writer.
Northcott's 'Arena Mode Saga' is Kickstarter's most-funded science-fiction series of all time, and the first book in the series was nominated for Britain's prestigious BSFA (Best Novel of 2013).
The series went on to sell over 250,000 copies worldwide and has received over a thousand five-star reviews across multiple platforms.
Blake was a semi-finalist in James Patterson's 2017 Masterclass contest.
In 2018 Northcott's magical spy thriller 'The North Valley Grimoire' was the most-funded and most-backed original fiction novel on Kickstarter; in the first week of pre-orders, it was funding at the pace of a New York Times bestseller.
In addition to writing novels, Northcott has written 'Michael Turner's All new Fathom' and 'Executive Assistant Iris' for Aspen Comics, as well as 'Vampirella' for Dynamite Comics.
She was also an editorial writer for Millarworld, where her columns appeared in a number of comics; Millarworld is the company responsible for 'Kick-Ass', 'Wanted', 'The Magic Order', and 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'.
Her columns have appeared in Comic Book Resources (CBR), Geeks of Doom, CBS Man Cave Daily, and Verily Magazine.
I purchased and pledged both the digital ebook and the hard copy paperback through Kickstarter.
When I first read "Arena Mode", the first book in this unique superhero battle royal novel, I was excited. "Arena Mode" was a quick and fun read with filled with ridiculous deaths, exaggerated fighting and an amazing supporting cast of super powered characters. As a sequel however, I would come to expect a lot more now that the groundwork has been laid out. There was much left unsaid about the world-building, the urban culture and basically what else is going on in the world other than this maddening brawl. There were hints of the underbelly of the city of New York called "The Fridge", hints of organized crimes or a black market, hints of other bigger events happening in the world in daily life and hints of Gavin, (the best friend of Matthew Moxon, the main character) being something more than what he is. Sadly all of this was left unexplored in Blake Northcott's sequel, "Assault or Attrition".
To say that I was underwhelmed by this most recent book in the "Arena Mode" series was an understatement. I really did expect so much more, hoping that the story would branch out from this small little perspective of a superhero brawl and become more than what it previously was. We again follow the main character, Matthew Moxon, current winner of "The Arena" and now a multimillionaire. Now he faces the many consequences of surviving the games. We follow Matthew as he explores his newfound riches, makes old and new enemies and eventually ends up in a similar superhero brawl setting that he barely survived the last time. Basically, it was a lot of the same with none of the charm.
The problems with this book reminds me of many movie sequels which many would claim to be "the curse of sequels", in which the creators just throw in more of what people liked in the previous successful movie except with more explosions. This book really had that feel of such a lukewarm sequel. There were a lot of coincidences, a lot of ridiculous deaths and a lot of instances that were told instead of shown with a kind of depressing tone to it that it just took all of the fun out of what I was reading. I really couldn't feel attached to anyone, not even characters that were previously my favorites. There was also a lot of drama that had me rolling my eyes and reminds me of either Young Adult (YA) angst or shallow "redshirt-type" deaths and characters (yes, this is a Star Trek reference).
All in all, even if the sequel "Assault or Attrition" was a disappointment that could not reflect what made the first book successful to me, it was still a fast-paced read and could still be called a popcorn book. It was interesting to see what Matthew would do next and some of the twists this book had, although predictable, was enjoyable. At the end there was a looming "To Be Continued...", which probably means there is at least one more book of the series in the works. I'm not sure if I'll continue to read more of this series but I can at least say I'll keep an eye out for it.
The second book of a trilogy is often the easiest to fail at. Ms. Northcott shows her talent once again by doing exactly the opposite.
Having built upon familiar elements as a foundation towards crafting a unique and interesting universe all her own, the author now has the protagonist exploring the repercussions from choices and actions in the first novel. Here we see another tight and fast paced exploration of our protagonist fighting seemingly impossible odds.
Facing off against fanatical mobs and governments themselves can our protagonist protect his friends and maintain his relationships? Again, many of the concepts, arcs and archetypes explored are nothing unique. However, the author manages to again use them to build something that is both her own and incredibly interesting. She crafts a self contained, well written and interesting story; lays the groundwork for the next book; and avoids the easy 'to be continued' route so often employed.
I again can't recommend this series or author highly enough. If your interests lie in similar genres you simply must explore this universe. You won't be disappointed.
I’m giving this a four star but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first, although not enough to drop a full star. The fun and excitement you get from the first in a series is hard to match in book two.
By the end of Arena Mode, Matt Moxon had won the tournament, become a billionaire many times over and had a threat on his life by the little sister of the Russian superpower who died in the tournament. This carried on through book two…in fact, the threat was the basis of this story. For half the book, Matt hid out and for the other half, he unwittingly ended up in another quasi-tournament fighting for his life.
I’m still thrilled that this is a real trilogy and not one book cut up into three parts. You still have to read the first to get full background on the characters but you won’t finish either one right in the middle of the action.
Here’s my only problem…Matt has come from poverty. Everyone he knows is poor. When he wins ridiculous sums of money, more than he could ever spend in his lifetime, why does he not do something with it? He goes for surgery, which I totally understand, but after that he goes into hiding. If that were me, I would have thrown money at my old neighborhood and friends at least. Even if it was via my lawyer, but Matt didn’t do anything. That was part of the point of this book. Sergei the Russian wanted to stand up for the little guy and make things better. Little sister was able to start a movement against Matt because he took that away from the people. Why didn’t he step in? Not necessarily to do for just Russia but it sounds like most of the world’s population is in poverty. Matt didn’t strike me as the greedy type. Maybe we’ll see what happens in book three.
For some reason I've had this since the Kickstarter, and hadn't got around to reading it. That was a mistake! Just like Empire Strikes Back, Assault or Attrition surpasses its previous entry in the series. With a George RR Martin like affinity for killing of characters, Blake has spun another stunning yarn. On to part 3....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wow, what a book! Just when I thought it couldn't get any more exciting, Blake amps up the action and leaves us wanting more! Nice job, moving on to the third one! @comicbookgrrl #arenamode, #blakenorthcott
This was another fun read, much in the same vein as the first one. A competition to survive for high winnings. I think overall I enjoyed the first one more. This one reminded me a little to heavily of Iron Man and was kind of the same story as the first but in a different location. I dont feel the characters progressed much from the first book. That being said, it was a fun, action-tastic superhero romp that was fun if not taken to seriously.
Más flojito que el primero, pero aún así muy entretenido. No he podido evitar que me chirríen ciertos clichés, pero más allá de eso, lo recomiendo como lectura ligera si os gustan las historias de personas con poderes sobrehumanos.
This is the second book of the Arena Mode saga written by Blake Northcott. But I was worried how a followup novel to the first book Arena Mode would go. In that book the hero Matthew Moxon won. He survived a superhuman deathmatch and did it without any powers. He got the prize, got the girl, and for all intents and purposes would live happily ever after as the luckiest SOB on the planet. So what happens in book 2? Sure it would be easy to fall into the trope of a new tournament with new characters or even that Moxon has to defend his title. Personally I think either of those would have been disappointing and not really captured the magic of the first book. In Assault or Attrition Matthew Moxon has been lying low since his arena mode victory. It may have something to do with the fact that The Red Army, the quasi-religious followers of the fallen Sergei Taktarov, wanting him dead for killing their savior. As they instigate riots around the world calling for justice, it seems like even the governments of the world might be willing to let Matthew Moxon hang out to dry in the hopes that it may quell the masses. As the Red Army surrounds his private fortress Matthew tries to find a way out but accidentally stumbles back into a game he never wanted to play again. I really enjoyed this second book. It kept the feel of the first book without re-hashing the same plot. We get to see a little more of the world of Arena Mode and it lifts the veil on secrets that were going on in the background of the first book that we didn't even know. I am looking forward to the third and final book coming later this year.
After reading Arena Mode I was left wanting more and wholeheartedly thought I would get it with book 2. Maybe I set my expectations too high because I came away from this book a little frustrated and scratching my head.
Blake does a good job getting us back into the lives of Matthew Moxon and his group but does fail to explain a lot of things (for more details read the spoiler, otherwise just read the book).
The editing could use some help as I found a few typos or misplaced words.
Overall, the book was ok. I almost wish she would have left it with one book and just nicely tied it all up at the end of that book. I am only slightly interested in reading the final book which appears to start with the stealing of a dead body of a super human.
(Spoiler) - When we first see Kenneth lying in a coma we also see Brynja cue back to life. She is able to read mind and is told by Kenneth to unplug him from his life support machines but Brynja decide not to listen. At the end of the book when Kenneth is finally unplugged in an effort to kill him out really takes him out of his coma and gives him his powers back. Length knew this was hoping to be the case but failed to tell Brynja this the fi rat time. This doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
Additionally, what eventually leads Brynja and Mox back to the hospital is the rescue of Kenneth. We are told that they check the holonet and find out that Veleria is planning on killing Kenneth and that she is just waiting for Mox to arrive so she can kill him too. The issue is that someone nuked the compound Mox was staying in and there is not reason anyone should have believed he would have escaped. If he would have never shown up she would never have believed he was alive still and there would have been no reason to kill Kenneth.
Back to wishing I could rate parts of books. I need to start a new book website where you can rate all individual parts of the book to get a complete view of it.
Didn't like as much as the first, didn't like almost the first half at ALL. It was dull and slow moving. It did finally pick up about half way through and the 2nd half was good enough to make up for the crappy first half. 2 stars for the first 50%, 5 stars for the last 50%. Decided to go with a 4 instead of a 3.
Again with the transcripts that made NO sense. After the first one, I didn't read any of the others. They just took away from the story and gave nothing to it.
For a book set about 30 years in our future, she doesn't have any kind of imagination with coming up with something new. All her references of popular stuff, or used phrases are from now. Such as talking about James Cameron as a great director or the use of the phrase "muggles". So no other big thing has come out since? It would have been better if she made up the name of a movie, a popular TV show, anything, because it was very out of place to have all this advanced tech and crazy superhuman power but absolutely no imagination with the kind of entertainment they referenced.
Knowing nothing about the final book, I'm looking forward to it.
Matthew Moxon has won Arena Mode and taken over the Frost corporate empire. He quickly learns money can't fix everything -- he's at odds with his new girlfriend, Taktorov's sister is raising an army to hunt him down, and much of the world bought into Taktorov being the Second Comming and hate him for killing their would be messiah. An action packed story from the start.
This second book in the series has a slow start as the main character tries to deal with the changes in his life following the events in Arena Mode. Despite the slowness though, I still didn't feel like putting the book away at any time so continued reading and after the first quarter/third the pace started picking up again.
While most characters are still fairly one dimensional they are interesting enough in their own way. Some of the interactions and conversations seem a bit strange at time though, but that seems to fit well in the general narrative.
The plot and events seem a bit over the top at times, but again that seems to fit the world where it plays so isn't actually an issue unless you think about it in the context of the real world.
Personally I liked Arena Mode more, but as the bridging book in a trilogy there is need for some set up for the last book. I have no idea what's going to happen there, but am looking to finding out when it's released.
Book 2 of the Arena Mode saga was a very satisfying read. I will admit, I struggled with how to rate this one because I thought the first half of the book was a little slow, but the 2nd half was incredible, like, really good. I ultimately ended up going with 4 stars because, as mentioned before, I thought the set up took a really long time but honestly I wish I could give it 4 1/2 stars because the final 2 acts are just THAT good.
I did NOT see any of the twists that happened and I don't believe anybody reading this book will either. Blake is a very good writer and this book was well worth the read. I'm on to the 3rd book now as we speak and honestly, a little sad, as this will be the final one.
The second installment of the Arena Mode series is as good as the last. Here the story takes a slightly more serious tone as the cast's situation turns grim and the stakes are raised. Where Arena Mode focused on the wonder and awe of superheroism, Assault or Attrition focuses on consequence and repercussion, questioning whether any ending can be truly happy. That it does this all without losing sight of the rhythm of the original is one of the things I valued about the read. All in all, a great follow up and a perfect middle book for a trilogy.
Last week, I had no idea this book existed. When I found out, I immediately got myself a copy, and started re-reading Arena Mode.
I lost myself in this world, and lost track of time. The writing is crisp and engaging, and the characters lift off the page. It's the humanity of the leads that appeals to me, interesting in a world of superhumans. Mox is not perfect, and in spite of his advantages, is relatable.
Blake Northcott has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and I can't wait to get my hands on her VS series.
Having stumbled across (and enjoyed) the first book, Arena Mode I was pleased to find out a second book had been released. I wasnt entired sure how a sequal would work but it did and I enjoyed it as much as the first.
The book has a geek audience in mind and is heavily influenced by lots of other popular works. It's an easy and enjoyable read so as long as you're happy to go along for the ride it's worth checking out
I'll be honest and say Matthew is not the most likable guy. He is never able to get over his awkwardness or keep the people in his life alive or happy. All that money and genuineness at his disposal yet he couldn't figure out to quell the red army. However, I really enjoyed the book and the reappearance of Melvin. I would have liked Matt to end up with a different girl but I'm just happy they are both alive.
Just finished the second book in the series, and preordered the third and final one also, and I wasn't disappointed. The action was there along with the same characters that one got accustomed to with the initial story along with a little more history. There were some plot twist, with a little more philosophical bent to it. This was the perfect follow-up to the first book.
Not a bad sequel, but not as good as the first. Personally, I was turned off by the references to various real-world pop culture items. It felt gimmicky and that's probably influencing my lower rating of this entry of the series. Besides that, though, there was a good amount of action and the characters were fun. Looking forward to checking out the conclusion.
After winning the first tournament Moxon finds life a little different as a billionaire lol. Wait Billionaire (spoiler) and old friends reunited(spoiler) and Spoiler Spoiler........... Can't wait for next book and novella.
This was a pretty good book. Sadly, however, it did not live up to the standard set by the first in the series. The characters continue to develop, and Northcott's skill as a writer is indisputable. The plot, however, felt contrived and awkward. Still, it was well above average.
Sequels are always a gamble to read, but this one didn’t disappointed. It kept up with the first book, full of action and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was excited to see all the characters come together. Definitely curious what will happen in the next one!
She wraps book one up so nicely, and then brings us to this, a sequel with more thrills, strong characters a bit of humor, and some more pulse pounding action like we have come to expect. I don't want to give anything away now do I?
1st book was better. I did finish, although without a lot of 'Hurrah!'. Still will read the 3rd book, but---set expectations very low. Author is D list---you see it, you pick it up, you read it without emotion or excitement and then promptly move on and forget it in the next breath.
Love the action! Has a healthy dose of drama as well for good measure. Mox is just a regular old genius trying to make the best decisions he can. I love the technology in the book and hope we can see it in real life.
Great superhuman book, but too much heartstring tug
Rather formulaic writing-it's easy to see the influences on this book from other pop culture items. Still, an entertaining story. Though there's more real life drama in it than I prefer in my escape novels.