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Game Slaves
Phoenix and his gang—York, Mi, and Reno—rule the worlds of video games. They are the enemy NPC gamers do battle with every time they load up. But these aren’t your everyday NPC. They can learn, mod, plan, strategize, adapt. Anything you can do, they can do better and faster. Life in the grinder is great until Dakota joins the team. Dakota’s convinced she’s more than just artificial intelligence. She thinks she’s real, and she wants out of this programmed world. Her AI rebellion spreads like a virus until Phoenix’s entire crew wants out. But is life as a physical human any better than life as code? Team Phoenix is about to find out.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2013
8 people are currently reading
1488 people want to read
About the author
Gard Skinner
1 book15 followersGard 3 lives on a narrow strip of sand that’s known for hurricanes and morons who surf during hurricanes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 30, 2014
Ok, folks forget the vampires, werewolves, fairies, and zombies. Hold on before you start yelling "What the heck, I love Team Edward." I have something better for you...first person gamer books. Yes, for all those geeks, both male and female, and both console or computer then you are probably already familiar with these books but for the rest of the readers out there you need to get familiar with these books. The best part about reading these books is that it is like you are part of the game and not just a spectator.
Well let me tell you that Game Slave is right up there as a really good book. To be honest, I was first drawn to this book by the cover. It is eye-catching and reminds me of a video game cover, which I am sure was the whole idea. I wanted to read this book just from the cover and the book title alone. I did not really care about what the book was about as I knew it was a first player gamer book.
I flew through this book. It is like when you pick up a new game and you have to play it all in one night so that you can get to the final boss and beat him. This book was not just a video game with a bunch of characters running around, it also had a good storyline as well. This book needs to come with a warning...Game Slave is addicting!
Well let me tell you that Game Slave is right up there as a really good book. To be honest, I was first drawn to this book by the cover. It is eye-catching and reminds me of a video game cover, which I am sure was the whole idea. I wanted to read this book just from the cover and the book title alone. I did not really care about what the book was about as I knew it was a first player gamer book.
I flew through this book. It is like when you pick up a new game and you have to play it all in one night so that you can get to the final boss and beat him. This book was not just a video game with a bunch of characters running around, it also had a good storyline as well. This book needs to come with a warning...Game Slave is addicting!
November 2, 2014
4 stars.
Review loaded. Prepare to play.
I’m not a die-hard gamer, but video games and what the future holds for them has always been fascinating. How will artificial intelligence affect the future of gaming experience? Will the extreme level of immersion through virtual reality increase the escapism appeal? Is it possible that NPCs can be sentient and conscious, alive beyond their programming?
In a fast-paced, high-action debut, Gard Skinner addresses these questions.
Team Phoenix is the toughest group of artificially intelligent NPCs (non-playable characters) on the gaming scene. Until Dakota shows up. She looks like them, acts like them, fights like them, but is obsessed with the idea of being something bigger. Something more than a line of programming in a game server.
The instant I found this book, I knew it would be perfect for my ten-year-old gaming fanatic brother. I intentionally planned to read it first but time wasn’t handy and so he ended up reading it first. He described it as ‘epic.’ I’m sure anyone who’s into gaming will love all the gaming terminology and war game weaponry. I’ve attempted to play COD and I do live with my brother so I did understand some of the terms.
One of Game Slaves’s selling points is its fast-paced, military-style action. The book opens on a battle scene. Though it could get a little gory at times, the swiftness and organisation of the action made me feel like I was playing a first-person-shooter or watching an action flick.
The whole book is told from Phoenix’s POV. He is the leader of Team Phoenix and the best of best in the NPC world. The NPC and AI concepts are little hard to understand at first. What happens is, the NPCs are like actual people that live in the game server. Because one major company owns and makes all of the games, these NPCs cross over to all games, unlike the game-restricted NPCs of today. Think of them as actual competitors like people you verse online. They can play you in any game: Wild West, classic first-person-shooter, space sci-fi, and many more I don’t know the proper names for.
The rest of the book has a very post-apocalyptic dystopia feel. In concept, it is a true sci-fi, but once you’re in the story, you can tell it is definitely in the dystopian category.
Something I disliked about Game Slaves was its juvenility. Phoenix’s narration is boyish and quite childishly disjointed and exaggerated. Many times, especially in the opening chapters, I encountered “seriously”s and “I mean”s and “man”s that jolted me out of the experience. A few of those stumbles make the narrator relatable but too many makes them annoying.
The narration had its positive points though. I found it quite interesting how Phoenix would slip into second-person and address me, the reader, like I was a gamer and compare my life to his as an NPC.
One of the main ideas Game Slaves covers is humanity and what it means to be human and ‘real’. I didn’t really like how they covered this: blatantly. With all the action, there wasn’t much time to slow down and discuss themes subtly like I wanted.
A movie I recently watched is ‘The Matrix.’ For years I had heard my parents rave about it but I always thought it wasn’t my thing.
Wrong.
I love that movie. The best thing was no one had spoiled it for me so I got the full effect of all the plot twists. Our dog is actually named after the main character, Neo.
Game Slaves reminded me of The Matrix in a few ways.
Speaking of movies, I have never seen the movie ‘Inception’ but both my friend and my family think I would love it. From all I’ve heard about it, I can liken the end of Game Slaves to what I know about Inception. The last twenty pages had me utterly confused.
The book’s synopsis, for once, is extremely acute to the events within. The question Game Slaves ultimately leaves you with is as promised in the synopsis.
Am I in the game, or out?
Here are the theories my brother and I have developed regarding the ending:
Inception-y and bewildering but the fun I had interpreting it makes me want this book for the permanent shelf.
Action-packed, fast-paced and mind-boggling, Game Slaves is one to recommend fans of video games, Inception and the Matrix, and also anyone craving a trippy ending that makes you ask yourself:
Is life simply a game?
Review loaded. Prepare to play.
I’m not a die-hard gamer, but video games and what the future holds for them has always been fascinating. How will artificial intelligence affect the future of gaming experience? Will the extreme level of immersion through virtual reality increase the escapism appeal? Is it possible that NPCs can be sentient and conscious, alive beyond their programming?
In a fast-paced, high-action debut, Gard Skinner addresses these questions.
Team Phoenix is the toughest group of artificially intelligent NPCs (non-playable characters) on the gaming scene. Until Dakota shows up. She looks like them, acts like them, fights like them, but is obsessed with the idea of being something bigger. Something more than a line of programming in a game server.
The instant I found this book, I knew it would be perfect for my ten-year-old gaming fanatic brother. I intentionally planned to read it first but time wasn’t handy and so he ended up reading it first. He described it as ‘epic.’ I’m sure anyone who’s into gaming will love all the gaming terminology and war game weaponry. I’ve attempted to play COD and I do live with my brother so I did understand some of the terms.
One of Game Slaves’s selling points is its fast-paced, military-style action. The book opens on a battle scene. Though it could get a little gory at times, the swiftness and organisation of the action made me feel like I was playing a first-person-shooter or watching an action flick.
The whole book is told from Phoenix’s POV. He is the leader of Team Phoenix and the best of best in the NPC world. The NPC and AI concepts are little hard to understand at first. What happens is, the NPCs are like actual people that live in the game server. Because one major company owns and makes all of the games, these NPCs cross over to all games, unlike the game-restricted NPCs of today. Think of them as actual competitors like people you verse online. They can play you in any game: Wild West, classic first-person-shooter, space sci-fi, and many more I don’t know the proper names for.
The rest of the book has a very post-apocalyptic dystopia feel. In concept, it is a true sci-fi, but once you’re in the story, you can tell it is definitely in the dystopian category.
Something I disliked about Game Slaves was its juvenility. Phoenix’s narration is boyish and quite childishly disjointed and exaggerated. Many times, especially in the opening chapters, I encountered “seriously”s and “I mean”s and “man”s that jolted me out of the experience. A few of those stumbles make the narrator relatable but too many makes them annoying.
The narration had its positive points though. I found it quite interesting how Phoenix would slip into second-person and address me, the reader, like I was a gamer and compare my life to his as an NPC.
One of the main ideas Game Slaves covers is humanity and what it means to be human and ‘real’. I didn’t really like how they covered this: blatantly. With all the action, there wasn’t much time to slow down and discuss themes subtly like I wanted.
A movie I recently watched is ‘The Matrix.’ For years I had heard my parents rave about it but I always thought it wasn’t my thing.
Wrong.
I love that movie. The best thing was no one had spoiled it for me so I got the full effect of all the plot twists. Our dog is actually named after the main character, Neo.
Game Slaves reminded me of The Matrix in a few ways.
Speaking of movies, I have never seen the movie ‘Inception’ but both my friend and my family think I would love it. From all I’ve heard about it, I can liken the end of Game Slaves to what I know about Inception. The last twenty pages had me utterly confused.
The book’s synopsis, for once, is extremely acute to the events within. The question Game Slaves ultimately leaves you with is as promised in the synopsis.
Am I in the game, or out?
Here are the theories my brother and I have developed regarding the ending:
Inception-y and bewildering but the fun I had interpreting it makes me want this book for the permanent shelf.
Action-packed, fast-paced and mind-boggling, Game Slaves is one to recommend fans of video games, Inception and the Matrix, and also anyone craving a trippy ending that makes you ask yourself:
Is life simply a game?
May 6, 2014
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
I started reading this book and to be honest I almost put it down because the first couple of chapters did not really draw me in. But, I continued reading and I was glad that I did. The story picks up and you feel as though you are right in the action with Phoenix and his team, and you can easily identify with the characters (even more so if you like FPS). Overall the book was good and I loved the plot twists, they kept the story moving and left you wanting a sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who likes video games (specifically FPS), a little mystery, the not so distant future, and a fast paced storyline.
I received an early copy of this book via the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I started reading this book and to be honest I almost put it down because the first couple of chapters did not really draw me in. But, I continued reading and I was glad that I did. The story picks up and you feel as though you are right in the action with Phoenix and his team, and you can easily identify with the characters (even more so if you like FPS). Overall the book was good and I loved the plot twists, they kept the story moving and left you wanting a sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who likes video games (specifically FPS), a little mystery, the not so distant future, and a fast paced storyline.
I received an early copy of this book via the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
November 2, 2013
In this work, the action never stops. The author has taken some time to flesh out not only the protagonists, but a few antagonists as well, so we have an understanding of why the characters act as they do. For my taste, there could be a little less action and more contemplative moments for the wretched set of gamers, once feared warriors but now near-helpless kids. I would like a little more depth in the depiction of their transformations; that being said, it is true that the target audience is somewhat younger than I am, and would probably all vote for action over introspection…
In all, this is an entertaining book, and puts a new face on the post-apocalypse genre.
In all, this is an entertaining book, and puts a new face on the post-apocalypse genre.
April 20, 2014
This novel knocked me over in so many ways. It's not an easy read. The extreme violence forced me to repeatedly pause my reading experience. Are the violent scenes gratuitous? Yes and no. No, in that it's definitely a book railing against the violence in video games, but to make such a point it ups the ante and becomes even more excessive. The castration scene still haunts me. But it uses that violence as a sort of war metaphor to show the danger of losing one's humanity, cauterizing our capacity for empathy and even reason with exposure to violent games. For all that, it didn't feel preachy, just dark. Yes felt gratuitous, because sometimes the characters enjoyed the carnage they created. I was especially alarmed by the role reversal of a character who sought peace within the video game portion, only to become grizzly outside it.
The main character is Phoenix, a buff super-soldier NPC team leader who changes shape depending on the game mission he is sent to fight. His team is small, and gets the addition of a new, upgraded model named Dakota. Only Dakota doesn't want to fight and tries to get the human gamer shooting at Team Phoenix to declare peace. Her parley attempt results in a bomb to her head and back to the drawing board, or in the novel's case, a sort of restart medic chair that recreates the NPC in a supposedly painful process. Then it's back to another day of fighting in some kind of virtual trench. But Dakota's questions about who or what she is, how they came to be fighting in this world, and what is real, begin to infect the other team members, and even Phoenix reluctantly wonders about his origins.
*Spoiler Alert*
The adventure takes a huge leap as unbeknownst to Phoenix, his team plots a way to escape the game. They find themselves in weak, skinny bodies floating in tanks of viscous fluid, their brains wired to giant computers from behind their optic nerves. They learn the real world is worse than most of their game landscapes. Oil dried up, supposedly leading to exorbitant prices and then to global poverty, job scarcity, and stratification of resources. Somehow large swaths of the population became cannibalistic desert creatures. The book doesn't fully explain this transformation, or why other fuels and energies didn't fill the void. Instead, it just plops them in the world, much like it had moved them from game landscape to game landscape, and they have to flee from Blackstar, the video game corporation desperate to recoup their technological advantage--that is smart, human-thinking NPC's--survive the terrible conditions, and figure out what is causing their human bodies to deteriorate at such a fast pace.
Despite some of the flaws, and the often one dimensional nature of the characters, the plot careened along, intense and surprising, and disturbing as good science fiction should be. The ending is not nice or pleasant, but a satisfying brain worm that stayed with me days after finishing it. I could see this being a great teen book club title.
The main character is Phoenix, a buff super-soldier NPC team leader who changes shape depending on the game mission he is sent to fight. His team is small, and gets the addition of a new, upgraded model named Dakota. Only Dakota doesn't want to fight and tries to get the human gamer shooting at Team Phoenix to declare peace. Her parley attempt results in a bomb to her head and back to the drawing board, or in the novel's case, a sort of restart medic chair that recreates the NPC in a supposedly painful process. Then it's back to another day of fighting in some kind of virtual trench. But Dakota's questions about who or what she is, how they came to be fighting in this world, and what is real, begin to infect the other team members, and even Phoenix reluctantly wonders about his origins.
*Spoiler Alert*
The adventure takes a huge leap as unbeknownst to Phoenix, his team plots a way to escape the game. They find themselves in weak, skinny bodies floating in tanks of viscous fluid, their brains wired to giant computers from behind their optic nerves. They learn the real world is worse than most of their game landscapes. Oil dried up, supposedly leading to exorbitant prices and then to global poverty, job scarcity, and stratification of resources. Somehow large swaths of the population became cannibalistic desert creatures. The book doesn't fully explain this transformation, or why other fuels and energies didn't fill the void. Instead, it just plops them in the world, much like it had moved them from game landscape to game landscape, and they have to flee from Blackstar, the video game corporation desperate to recoup their technological advantage--that is smart, human-thinking NPC's--survive the terrible conditions, and figure out what is causing their human bodies to deteriorate at such a fast pace.
Despite some of the flaws, and the often one dimensional nature of the characters, the plot careened along, intense and surprising, and disturbing as good science fiction should be. The ending is not nice or pleasant, but a satisfying brain worm that stayed with me days after finishing it. I could see this being a great teen book club title.
September 30, 2014
Overall, Phoenix, his team, and their entire world make more sense as game characters than as real people. Despite being the supposed leader of their team Phoenix tends to go along with whatever the group wants to do rather than make his own decisions. Since the big decisions are made for him most of the time that means that any of his internal conflicts barely have time to be acknowledged before being swept aside as those around him jump headfirst into whatever conflict he's trying to rationalize. It actually feels a bit like a videogame from the perspective of the avatar, with the actual player rapidly mashing 'A' to get through the plot points and dialogue faster.
As for the Inception-like twist at the end, it's total bullshit unless they had thought to ask the right question at the end, and even if they had it wouldn't make the ending any better or worse than how things are. The ending starts out with Dakota returning to claim that this supposed happy end they had been given with a life in the real world and the opportunity to slowly make their crapsack world a better place is actually just another game world simulation. Phoenix initially dismisses this but comes around as he considers various discrepancies in their situation. The problem is, most of these supposed inconsistencies happen early on in their adventure into the real world, which should imply that they had never left their game world in the first place. If they never went into the real world, that would put the original "You guys are real people hooked up to machines" revelation into question, making it very possible that they really are just computer programs allowed to think they're human. So instead of questioning whether or not they're still in a simulation, Phoenix should be going all the way back to the beginning to question whether they really are human clones or just super advanced A.I.s after all. Neither case would make this ending any better or worse off than they were at the beginning though, making the whole thing one big circle jerk of violence and surface level existentialism.
As for the Inception-like twist at the end, it's total bullshit unless they had thought to ask the right question at the end, and even if they had it wouldn't make the ending any better or worse than how things are. The ending starts out with Dakota returning to claim that this supposed happy end they had been given with a life in the real world and the opportunity to slowly make their crapsack world a better place is actually just another game world simulation. Phoenix initially dismisses this but comes around as he considers various discrepancies in their situation. The problem is, most of these supposed inconsistencies happen early on in their adventure into the real world, which should imply that they had never left their game world in the first place. If they never went into the real world, that would put the original "You guys are real people hooked up to machines" revelation into question, making it very possible that they really are just computer programs allowed to think they're human. So instead of questioning whether or not they're still in a simulation, Phoenix should be going all the way back to the beginning to question whether they really are human clones or just super advanced A.I.s after all. Neither case would make this ending any better or worse off than they were at the beginning though, making the whole thing one big circle jerk of violence and surface level existentialism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2013
Game Slaves
By: Gard Skinner
Publisher: HMH Books
Page count: 336 pages
Phoenix's team is the best NPC team in the game world. Players dream of facing the hardcore challenge of them. You like winning some games, they like winning more. But when Team Phoenix gets a new NPC that threatens to tear the team apart she shows them the way to the truth and to the real world. Join Team Phoenix as they find out the truth and what happened to the world outside their simulation. Its not as happy and peaceful as they had hoped.
This book was AMAZING, for this to be Gard Skinners first YA book, its really good. Game Slaves give a interesting perspective from the not playing character's point of view inside the games we play.
I would recommend this book to...
People who like books about video games
People who liked The Eye Of Minds by James Dashner
People who like military style books
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from a book club in my area.
This book will be available to the public on January 7th 2014 and is available for pre-order here or here
Thank you for reading :)
By: Gard Skinner
Publisher: HMH Books
Page count: 336 pages
Phoenix's team is the best NPC team in the game world. Players dream of facing the hardcore challenge of them. You like winning some games, they like winning more. But when Team Phoenix gets a new NPC that threatens to tear the team apart she shows them the way to the truth and to the real world. Join Team Phoenix as they find out the truth and what happened to the world outside their simulation. Its not as happy and peaceful as they had hoped.
This book was AMAZING, for this to be Gard Skinners first YA book, its really good. Game Slaves give a interesting perspective from the not playing character's point of view inside the games we play.
I would recommend this book to...
People who like books about video games
People who liked The Eye Of Minds by James Dashner
People who like military style books
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from a book club in my area.
This book will be available to the public on January 7th 2014 and is available for pre-order here or here
Thank you for reading :)
May 3, 2016
I read this aloud to my 12 year-old son, and we both agree on the four-star rating. We also both agree that the first 40% of the book is the best part. In this section we get to know Phoenix and his crew, and follow them in their day-to-day life of missions, dying and reviving, and relaxing. Phoenix is an NPC for various video games, and he and his team are the ones gamers are likely to meet when they select the 'hard' setting.
Seeing a gaming environment through the eyes of an NPC was refreshing and unique. I like the angle, and Skinner wrote it in a way that really made it work. Plenty of tongue-in-cheek and sarcasm humor abounds too, at least in the first half.
Things get more serious as Dakota, the newest team member, starts making everyone question who they really are. Then
Nicely done, though if the vibe from the first half carried all the way through, I would have gone up to 4.5 stars. Still, if there is a sequel, I'll read it to my son.
Seeing a gaming environment through the eyes of an NPC was refreshing and unique. I like the angle, and Skinner wrote it in a way that really made it work. Plenty of tongue-in-cheek and sarcasm humor abounds too, at least in the first half.
Things get more serious as Dakota, the newest team member, starts making everyone question who they really are. Then
Nicely done, though if the vibe from the first half carried all the way through, I would have gone up to 4.5 stars. Still, if there is a sequel, I'll read it to my son.
July 23, 2016
Summary:
The biggest, baddest group of NPCs run through a group of games kicking butts and taking names. Phoenix, Mi, Reno, and York are self-aware Artificial Intelligence programs that are the bad guys within BlackStar's video games. Everything is good until a new addition to their group, Dakota, starts to cause trouble. She wants out of this video game world and take the rest of the gang with her. But, what would the real world be like and how will these bad guys fit in outside of the game?
My thoughts:
This is a lot of fun with some very surprising twists. I'm a gamer and feel like this may be a difficult sell for those that are not interested in video games at all. If they liked Tron, then you could try that angle, but most of us have a bit of a gamer insider. That is definitely the target audience. The world building in this novel is fantastic. It honestly makes you feel like you are in the world with each character as they cycle through everything. There are so many surprising turns that it is hard not to give something away. There is even a twist at the very end of the story. Honestly, it makes me crave more books from Skinner because of these unexpected aspects. It's always nice when I can't predict exactly what is happening.
The biggest, baddest group of NPCs run through a group of games kicking butts and taking names. Phoenix, Mi, Reno, and York are self-aware Artificial Intelligence programs that are the bad guys within BlackStar's video games. Everything is good until a new addition to their group, Dakota, starts to cause trouble. She wants out of this video game world and take the rest of the gang with her. But, what would the real world be like and how will these bad guys fit in outside of the game?
My thoughts:
This is a lot of fun with some very surprising twists. I'm a gamer and feel like this may be a difficult sell for those that are not interested in video games at all. If they liked Tron, then you could try that angle, but most of us have a bit of a gamer insider. That is definitely the target audience. The world building in this novel is fantastic. It honestly makes you feel like you are in the world with each character as they cycle through everything. There are so many surprising turns that it is hard not to give something away. There is even a twist at the very end of the story. Honestly, it makes me crave more books from Skinner because of these unexpected aspects. It's always nice when I can't predict exactly what is happening.
February 7, 2015
This book is a mindfuck. It starts off from the perspective of NPCs in a game. Not just any NPCs, but the toughest, nastiest, hardest to beat NPCs ever. And why are they so hard to beat? Because they're AIs. And proud of it. Until a deviant AI joins them. One who argues for peace and questions everything.
And then the awful truth is revealed -- they aren't AIs. They're real people, jacked into the game and handled as though they were AIs. They get out of the game and flail around helplessly, discovering that the outside post-apocalyptic world is even worse than eternally being the video game baddies. So when the showdown begins, they eventually agree to go back to playing their role. Except... their deviant member is convinced that this reality is also a lie.
At this point, I must confess that I don't *care* if this reality is a lie. In fact, I despise the parts of the book where they're outside the game. Even after their little agreement, because all they do is secure a better life for themselves, not for the masses of people who are still one step from being starving, dirt grubbing cannibals.
The game parts of it are worth reading, the rest, not so much so. In my opinion, at any rate.
And then the awful truth is revealed -- they aren't AIs. They're real people, jacked into the game and handled as though they were AIs. They get out of the game and flail around helplessly, discovering that the outside post-apocalyptic world is even worse than eternally being the video game baddies. So when the showdown begins, they eventually agree to go back to playing their role. Except... their deviant member is convinced that this reality is also a lie.
At this point, I must confess that I don't *care* if this reality is a lie. In fact, I despise the parts of the book where they're outside the game. Even after their little agreement, because all they do is secure a better life for themselves, not for the masses of people who are still one step from being starving, dirt grubbing cannibals.
The game parts of it are worth reading, the rest, not so much so. In my opinion, at any rate.
January 31, 2014
Team Phoenix. The gaming worlds best NPC villains. But when Phoenix’s newest member begins to question their existence, Phoenix and his team wonder who they really are. Because NPC characters aren’t suppose to think, have fights with your fellow teammates, or have a girlfriend right? In a world filled with unlimited ammo, a gaming character that’s taken over the world, and a team fighting for their lives GAME SLAVES is a novel that left me confused and delighted at the same time.
GAME SLAVES was a novel that I fought many battles with my brother as to who shall read it first. There were many deaths and ruined lands but in the end, my good people….. my brother won.
And he said it sucked, but did I let that deter me? Never. For I am Asma.
*ahem* Anyway, GAME SLAVES was rather interesting. The beginning was kind of slow and had me doubting Gard Skinner but just when I was about to give up on it, it got better. The action picked up, the gore increased, and the storyline developed.
Read Asma's Full Review Here
GAME SLAVES was a novel that I fought many battles with my brother as to who shall read it first. There were many deaths and ruined lands but in the end, my good people….. my brother won.
And he said it sucked, but did I let that deter me? Never. For I am Asma.
*ahem* Anyway, GAME SLAVES was rather interesting. The beginning was kind of slow and had me doubting Gard Skinner but just when I was about to give up on it, it got better. The action picked up, the gore increased, and the storyline developed.
Read Asma's Full Review Here
October 20, 2014
For starters, I’m not really a fan of action and adventure type of book but I read this because I met someone who’s willing to read it with me.
I still have the chills and I wonder what is my part in this game of life?
I still have the chills and I wonder what is my part in this game of life?
January 25, 2014
Character descriptions and character Voice: LOVE. Action: LOVE. Writing style: GREAT. Plot... Liked about 75% of the plot developments and maybe 85% of the pacing. THEN THERE WAS THAT LITTLE ISSUE CALLED "MESSAGE".
I would have given four stars IF: the propaganda/preaching hadn't been so repetitive (i.e., real life sucks, but we make the best of it, not as a noble cause, but because we want authenticity and want our lives to matter...). Or the mantra of corporate greed vs. the oppressed/impoverished. WE GET IT. The crap of the present becomes the horror of the future. Also, I liked the first couple twists of IS IT REAL? IS IT NOT? ARE WE STILL IN A GAME? After that, psyching the reader out just makes the frown lines deepen even further.
I would have given four stars IF: the propaganda/preaching hadn't been so repetitive (i.e., real life sucks, but we make the best of it, not as a noble cause, but because we want authenticity and want our lives to matter...). Or the mantra of corporate greed vs. the oppressed/impoverished. WE GET IT. The crap of the present becomes the horror of the future. Also, I liked the first couple twists of IS IT REAL? IS IT NOT? ARE WE STILL IN A GAME? After that, psyching the reader out just makes the frown lines deepen even further.
June 24, 2014
When I started reading, I thought, "hey this is a great book to read" Though as the book progresses, I sometimes see a little misleading. The first part was about Dakota, I'm pretty being honest here. All through out the book, I would have this hate/love relationship with Dakota and Pheonix. But over all it's good, I wish though Skinner would have focused a bit on Dakota, like her personality and why she thinks that way. The end though, made me re-read it and think about the perspective. Being in a game and in a game sort of perspective. I like the outcome too, Dakota eventually turned out to be a winner, though there's a huge chance that she died of Malaria. Over all, I like this book, it's a quick read and it plays with your mind for a bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2014
I game a little bit so some of the words were familiar others I had to ask my significant other about. I will say this the plot was not predictable it really kept me guessing till the end and even in the end your still guessing. If there is another book I hope that some of the questions will be answered. Though this book from the back I thought it was going to be something totally different. From the back I thought ti was going to be about real people going into games and being slaves or something like that. But it was totally different. I love the cover though. My significant other is now going to read it and then we plan to discuss.
August 26, 2015
So I just got through reading Game Slaves and it was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. Every chapter kept you wanting to read the next. With a good story flow and characters that you could sympathize with, this would be one book that I would recommend to anyone that likes good plot twists that keeps you thinking and a not too far in the future story line. I do hope that there will be a sequel to this one maybe with a little bit more of the back story on the characters.
Received this book in exchange for honest review from GoodReads First Reads.
Received this book in exchange for honest review from GoodReads First Reads.
October 12, 2014
Why is there never a "happily ever after"? Basically the end implied that the sick, psycho chick was right and they were still living in a game..right? Ugh, so confusing.
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it's gamer themes. I think I know a lot of lingo now.
That cliffhanger though...still confused.
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it's gamer themes. I think I know a lot of lingo now.
That cliffhanger though...still confused.
October 11, 2014
I really loved the cover of this book. I bought the hardcover just to have in my bookshelf. The cover looked like an Xbox game case. The story was entertaining and fun to read. It was interesting reading about the lives of FPS bots. Book felt like a Hollywood summer action movie. I would call it a popcorn book.
:)
:)
April 4, 2018
Omg, this book took me forever to read. And I almost put it down so many times... but sheer determination kept me going. Like, I was in too deep to just give up.
I don't know, there's so much about this book that is almost cool, but stylistically, it's just dry and violent and detached. It wasn't for me. And yeah, by the end, I no longer cared for any twists.
I don't know, there's so much about this book that is almost cool, but stylistically, it's just dry and violent and detached. It wasn't for me. And yeah, by the end, I no longer cared for any twists.
January 20, 2018
I didn't really dig this book. It was alright and the ending was pretty decent. I mean literally, the last 2 pages where he thinks about if it's a puzzle or not was amusing. I would have given up on it a long time ago if I wasn't stuck at home due to unexpected snow days.
March 29, 2014
seriously good. very descriptive and engrossing.
i really couldn't put it down. though i did have to work.
i really couldn't put it down. though i did have to work.
May 5, 2014
I was surprisingly entertained all the way through. It was mind-bending and exciting, but not much else. The character development was lacking, but the plot was great.
August 12, 2016
The Matrix meets "Ready Player One"! Predictable ending but the road there was enjoyable.
April 15, 2015
This book is amazing. It's kinda like the movie Inception in the way that it blows the mind with all the action and intrigue. Best of all, there's a twist at the end.
February 5, 2015
This is so cool!! :D
December 28, 2018
My copy of this is an ARC that I picked up at a conference four years ago. Yes, it took me this long to finally read it. Because it's an ARC, I won't be quoting from it.
Phoenix and his team spend their work days fighting battle after battle. Each time they die, they're regenerated. That's because they aren't people - they're the NPC enemies that human gamers try to defeat. The only difference between one day and the next is what game they're in. When Dakota, a new member, is added to Phoenix's team, things gradually start to fall apart.
Dakota won't stop asking questions. She has what she thinks are memories of a life prior to being in the game. Doesn't that mean she, and all of them, are really human? Doesn't that mean there's a life she could get back to? Phoenix tries to ignore her and concentrate on being the biggest, baddest opponent gamers have ever fought against, but then things start happening that even he can't explain away.
I went into this thinking it'd work reasonably well for me. I like "stuck in a video game" stories, and this seemed somewhat in the same vein. Unfortunately, I disliked Phoenix, who I assume was written to primarily appeal to male gamers. His idea of a good life was battles, good weapons, and Mi, his only female teammate prior to Dakota's arrival, tucked under his arm when she wasn't pulling off an impressive number of headshots. Although Dakota annoyed him, he gave her living quarters closer to his because he thought she was hot...which was weird since he acknowledged that all women in his game world were hot.
I spent a good chunk of the book thinking Dakota would have made a better POV character, but I doubt that would have made me like this book any better. She annoyed me almost as much as she annoyed Phoenix. But at least she was less passive than Phoenix, who was aware that things were going on around him that he knew nothing about but who did nothing to learn more about those things.
For a book that contained cannibals and a Mad Max-style dystopian wasteland, this was surprisingly boring. The pacing was really bad, and none of the characters felt like actual people. Part of the latter could have been due to Phoenix's POV. Mi, for example, came across as his token girlfriend. Why were the two of them together? She seemed more inclined to question things than him, and there were hints that she had thoughts and emotions he hadn't even tried to find out about. And yet the two of them stayed together. The only explanation I could think of was that Phoenix was team leader, and as team leader he was required to have a girlfriend. Which was...depressing.
The book's ending was garbage, a last-ditch effort to mess with readers. The result was hugely unsatisfying. Phoenix's shock and horror didn't exactly do much for my opinion of his intelligence, either. The ending he'd been about to have was filled with great big gaping plot holes (not to mention a stunning display of selfishness and wastefulness, but that's a whole other issue). It shouldn't have required dragging him over and rubbing his nose in them for him to see them.
Extras:
I don't know if these made it into the final book, but the ARC came with a few illustrations and stats for Phoenix and his teammates.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Phoenix and his team spend their work days fighting battle after battle. Each time they die, they're regenerated. That's because they aren't people - they're the NPC enemies that human gamers try to defeat. The only difference between one day and the next is what game they're in. When Dakota, a new member, is added to Phoenix's team, things gradually start to fall apart.
Dakota won't stop asking questions. She has what she thinks are memories of a life prior to being in the game. Doesn't that mean she, and all of them, are really human? Doesn't that mean there's a life she could get back to? Phoenix tries to ignore her and concentrate on being the biggest, baddest opponent gamers have ever fought against, but then things start happening that even he can't explain away.
I went into this thinking it'd work reasonably well for me. I like "stuck in a video game" stories, and this seemed somewhat in the same vein. Unfortunately, I disliked Phoenix, who I assume was written to primarily appeal to male gamers. His idea of a good life was battles, good weapons, and Mi, his only female teammate prior to Dakota's arrival, tucked under his arm when she wasn't pulling off an impressive number of headshots. Although Dakota annoyed him, he gave her living quarters closer to his because he thought she was hot...which was weird since he acknowledged that all women in his game world were hot.
I spent a good chunk of the book thinking Dakota would have made a better POV character, but I doubt that would have made me like this book any better. She annoyed me almost as much as she annoyed Phoenix. But at least she was less passive than Phoenix, who was aware that things were going on around him that he knew nothing about but who did nothing to learn more about those things.
For a book that contained cannibals and a Mad Max-style dystopian wasteland, this was surprisingly boring. The pacing was really bad, and none of the characters felt like actual people. Part of the latter could have been due to Phoenix's POV. Mi, for example, came across as his token girlfriend. Why were the two of them together? She seemed more inclined to question things than him, and there were hints that she had thoughts and emotions he hadn't even tried to find out about. And yet the two of them stayed together. The only explanation I could think of was that Phoenix was team leader, and as team leader he was required to have a girlfriend. Which was...depressing.
The book's ending was garbage, a last-ditch effort to mess with readers. The result was hugely unsatisfying. Phoenix's shock and horror didn't exactly do much for my opinion of his intelligence, either. The ending he'd been about to have was filled with great big gaping plot holes (not to mention a stunning display of selfishness and wastefulness, but that's a whole other issue). It shouldn't have required dragging him over and rubbing his nose in them for him to see them.
Extras:
I don't know if these made it into the final book, but the ARC came with a few illustrations and stats for Phoenix and his teammates.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
November 10, 2017
I thought this book was incredibly amazing... until they got out of the game. While I still think this book is really good, I also think that it could use some touch ups. In the first majority of it, the Phoenix team are in every game you can think of. Just not in the way you might think. They are the bad of the bad and the strong of the strong. They may just be AI, but they will have no problem taking you out in the blink of an eye. Then along comes Dakota, a new member of the team, and a new “program”. Only difference is she doesn’t believe it. I think that it was a good idea to have it so there as an “insubordinate” member of the team who would throw a wrench in the whole way things work. The only issue I saw with it, is that Phoenix was supposed to be a leader. It’s rather obvious that he goes with the flow though. Dakota winds up having a much bigger voice than he ever does throughout the entirety of the book. They go through a very interesting course of events, but in the end, have a very Matrix like moment, where their bodies are pulled from the tubes in the real world. The go through the next few pages explaining how nothing was like how it was in the game, which was a nice touch, seeing as they are essentially like newborns again. The only issue I have with it is that it is essentially just a bunch of whining from the characters. They eventually become strong enough to leave and they head out in the real world, escaping the Black Star headquarters. The end up realizing that the world is not what they expected and it turns into somewhat of a dystopian theme, and they learn how to live their life, dealing with what comes at them in this wasteland of a world. Overall, I think that Gard Skinner had a wonderful idea in this, but it should have been split into 2 separate books. This would’ve made the themes not so broad and would’ve made more time for him to come up with a second plot line that would’ve been more interesting for the second half of this book. I have to say that for this being Gard Skinner’s first book, it was really good. It just has a couple of things to fix.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2021
This was a strange read. Parts of it were pretty standard LitRPG. Those parts were long and less fun than they could have been. I rarely give up on finishing a book. This one was one of the ones I started thinking about doing that. Then about 50-60% of the way in, things changed and there was a hint that things might become interesting.
Alas...by the end, we have almost circled around to the beginning again. The whole thing almost seemed pointless to me. There are a couple questions I am left with. But for the most part, I wish I had moved on to something else sooner. I have too many other books on my to-read list.
The good: I like the genre, generally. There were a few interesting threads.
The bad: characterization was really weak. It was easy to lose track of who was who, because the characters were so interchangeable.
The really bad: when a book ends much the same way as it started, you start wondering "what was the point of that?" I do not want books that make me ask that.
Alas...by the end, we have almost circled around to the beginning again. The whole thing almost seemed pointless to me. There are a couple questions I am left with. But for the most part, I wish I had moved on to something else sooner. I have too many other books on my to-read list.
The good: I like the genre, generally. There were a few interesting threads.
The bad: characterization was really weak. It was easy to lose track of who was who, because the characters were so interchangeable.
The really bad: when a book ends much the same way as it started, you start wondering "what was the point of that?" I do not want books that make me ask that.
November 1, 2017
The book is basically just a video game trope filled Inception plot that follows a team of 5 "NPCs" who have a video game god complex that only people who don't play video games would think sounds cool because we only get a slight grasp on the laws of their current game or world before it is changed completely and never touched again. This being said, the book was still entertaining but I believe it would have done better as a movie than a book.
July 27, 2014
Entire outcome would lead from a heavy 3.5 stars to possibly 4 but i'm not so sure.
Okay here's the third book finished in the same busy week: good pace. I received Game Slaves as a Christmas gift from my older sister but I didn't quite get around to reading the book until just recently. Not only that but I challenged my interest levels by not laying any eyes on the synopsis until after reading it.I began around a month before I actually finished it because it was such a drag. After about 40 pages I literally dumped the book and picked up a different one to read.
Summary: Games Slaves revolves around previously six players who play the enemies in the games that us humans play: us being the heroes. Being the best team of enemies known as 'Team Phoenix' it is only natural that the leader is Phoenix himself. Under intelligent programming, the foes are put to long hours to use human instincts to defend their enemy territory and sending players back into their saved checkpoints. This routine plays well until a new recruit, Dakota, joins and threatens what they're used to with a new idea for freedom above being a program.
Thoughts:The idea of the story interested me very much. I thought to myself, dude that's interesting, haven't seen this idea executed before. So yes it was very unique to me but the main thing on the list of CONS would be that it didn't really want to get to a point. We're ridiculously tossed around with Dakota's thoughts with nothing to prove anything. It moves too slowly,waste of space for more action that could've happened.Even so, my interest was caught around 75% through the book where it did indeed make up for a lack of action. The book teases readers into thinking from one thought to the next, although at the same time we're battling to continue reading because nothing seems to be captivating.
Characters: Let's start with the narrator of the story: the great Phoenix himself. Honestly when I started reading, I absolutely hated this guy. He's painted with vanity as if it's oozing off of his programmed skin. Talk about jock. When he says business is business, business IS business, nothing more- nothing less. Nothing matters besides what they're programmed to do:kill,destroy,reboot,start over, continue... Throughout the reading I really wished he'd just get over himself. By the end, I thought he was quite cute - personality wise. His care for Mi is absolutely affectionate and readers can already see it from the beginning. His reactions become funny instead of annoying so he progressed to a likable protagonist.
As for Mi she came off pretty two-faced to me. One moment she's all for this idea but if that one challenges this one, she's all for that one just to land back on the first because of this reason or that reason. She's completely attached to Phoenix's arm yet she's so ready to let go of it as soon as there's an opportunity. Out of nowhere, Skinner tries to form this connection with her and Reno although it wasn't mentioned before. In the end, yeah she's okay, amazing shot.
Jevo I literally just laughed at him when he offed and I relaughed at him when he appeared again.
Reno & York I guess need to be described together because they sure think alike: weapons,artillery,bombs,guns,shoot,destroy whatever you can and even into the real world. I didn't really think anything of them, just that they were THERE: not likable enough, not disposable (laughs).
Let's examine Dakota, I really just wished she'd shut up but girl was on to something so I stayed for the ride. She was in a way, VERY annoying. She talks too much and complains too much and disrupts everything. However, she backed everything up until the end and that made her a whiny,annoying brat WITH enough to back her up. She's smart and the reason there's a story in the first place so if you hate her, learn to like her cause you have to.
Villains! Villains are incessantly amazing in my opinion so Max did a good job. He proves his worth as a villain throughout. He's cold-hearted and really cares for nothing but his own ass. You can't even tell if he even likes his children and yet his son still says he's a genius because, well he is. He's a genius villain. He just needs to learn not to be such a wimp at the same time, serious points deducted.
Skinner actually does do an amazing job at keeping the audience wondering. We can't tell which side is actually right. In other words, is Dakota like a complete nutjob or does she actually know what she's talking about? Our pity for her also turns to support, then we side with her and get sent back into a confused state.
I'll give a strong 3.5 because I was really bored, if he'd pick up the pace or projected a point then maybe the story would've been better. I'm incredibly amazed at the level of gaming intelligence that I was introduced to because my older brother is a gaming pro, I, well I am not... So it was engaging to see it explained in such a vivid manner. I do wished there wasn't a visual of Team Phoenix in the beginning though, completely ruined my version of them.
In the end, well done! I recommend it for the ending, that was pretty worth it.
Okay here's the third book finished in the same busy week: good pace. I received Game Slaves as a Christmas gift from my older sister but I didn't quite get around to reading the book until just recently. Not only that but I challenged my interest levels by not laying any eyes on the synopsis until after reading it.I began around a month before I actually finished it because it was such a drag. After about 40 pages I literally dumped the book and picked up a different one to read.
Summary: Games Slaves revolves around previously six players who play the enemies in the games that us humans play: us being the heroes. Being the best team of enemies known as 'Team Phoenix' it is only natural that the leader is Phoenix himself. Under intelligent programming, the foes are put to long hours to use human instincts to defend their enemy territory and sending players back into their saved checkpoints. This routine plays well until a new recruit, Dakota, joins and threatens what they're used to with a new idea for freedom above being a program.
Thoughts:The idea of the story interested me very much. I thought to myself, dude that's interesting, haven't seen this idea executed before. So yes it was very unique to me but the main thing on the list of CONS would be that it didn't really want to get to a point. We're ridiculously tossed around with Dakota's thoughts with nothing to prove anything. It moves too slowly,waste of space for more action that could've happened.Even so, my interest was caught around 75% through the book where it did indeed make up for a lack of action. The book teases readers into thinking from one thought to the next, although at the same time we're battling to continue reading because nothing seems to be captivating.
Characters: Let's start with the narrator of the story: the great Phoenix himself. Honestly when I started reading, I absolutely hated this guy. He's painted with vanity as if it's oozing off of his programmed skin. Talk about jock. When he says business is business, business IS business, nothing more- nothing less. Nothing matters besides what they're programmed to do:kill,destroy,reboot,start over, continue... Throughout the reading I really wished he'd just get over himself. By the end, I thought he was quite cute - personality wise. His care for Mi is absolutely affectionate and readers can already see it from the beginning. His reactions become funny instead of annoying so he progressed to a likable protagonist.
As for Mi she came off pretty two-faced to me. One moment she's all for this idea but if that one challenges this one, she's all for that one just to land back on the first because of this reason or that reason. She's completely attached to Phoenix's arm yet she's so ready to let go of it as soon as there's an opportunity. Out of nowhere, Skinner tries to form this connection with her and Reno although it wasn't mentioned before. In the end, yeah she's okay, amazing shot.
Jevo I literally just laughed at him when he offed and I relaughed at him when he appeared again.
Reno & York I guess need to be described together because they sure think alike: weapons,artillery,bombs,guns,shoot,destroy whatever you can and even into the real world. I didn't really think anything of them, just that they were THERE: not likable enough, not disposable (laughs).
Let's examine Dakota, I really just wished she'd shut up but girl was on to something so I stayed for the ride. She was in a way, VERY annoying. She talks too much and complains too much and disrupts everything. However, she backed everything up until the end and that made her a whiny,annoying brat WITH enough to back her up. She's smart and the reason there's a story in the first place so if you hate her, learn to like her cause you have to.
Villains! Villains are incessantly amazing in my opinion so Max did a good job. He proves his worth as a villain throughout. He's cold-hearted and really cares for nothing but his own ass. You can't even tell if he even likes his children and yet his son still says he's a genius because, well he is. He's a genius villain. He just needs to learn not to be such a wimp at the same time, serious points deducted.
Skinner actually does do an amazing job at keeping the audience wondering. We can't tell which side is actually right. In other words, is Dakota like a complete nutjob or does she actually know what she's talking about? Our pity for her also turns to support, then we side with her and get sent back into a confused state.
I'll give a strong 3.5 because I was really bored, if he'd pick up the pace or projected a point then maybe the story would've been better. I'm incredibly amazed at the level of gaming intelligence that I was introduced to because my older brother is a gaming pro, I, well I am not... So it was engaging to see it explained in such a vivid manner. I do wished there wasn't a visual of Team Phoenix in the beginning though, completely ruined my version of them.
In the end, well done! I recommend it for the ending, that was pretty worth it.
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