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The Game is Life #8
Fragmented
The Game is Life - Book 8
Cooper has made mistakes.
Lives were lost.
Realties destroyed.
Invited to join a mysterious and powerful group known as Wielders,
he must learn whether his new powers are a blessing, or a curse.
Cooper has made mistakes.
Lives were lost.
Realties destroyed.
Invited to join a mysterious and powerful group known as Wielders,
he must learn whether his new powers are a blessing, or a curse.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2016
97 people are currently reading
415 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 22, 2020
I was a little confused in this one because it has been awhile since I read the last book in the series and I am having trouble keeping everyone straight. I may need to reread all the books and document them in a wiki for future reference.
2020 Audiobook Reread: I really love Luke Daniels's narration of this series. He does a really good job of bringing the various characters to life.
2020 Audiobook Reread: I really love Luke Daniels's narration of this series. He does a really good job of bringing the various characters to life.
February 26, 2017
Disappointing... This book was well... just ok. Compared to other books out there, it's great, but compared to the rest of the series, no. This book never hooked me like the rest of the books in the series, and it was almost a chore to keep reading. The ending was pretty confusing, and I think it was supposed to be some sort of plot twist, but it never really resonated with me because I just didn't understand. Overall, this book was pretty mediocre at best, but it seems like there will be another book in the series, so I hope it gets better. In the end, if you feel like reading this, go for it, but if you are a big fan of the series, prepare to get very disappointed. :(
October 23, 2022
Well I'll be darned if Schott didn't somehow manage to both answer so much and leave so many more questions all in the span of one book - YET AGAIN! This series is almost addicting. Multiple realities, dimensions, and more.
March 30, 2018
1. The Game, ★★★★★"As far as you’re concerned, this is the real world. You will not be leaving to visit another...Here’s the first tidbit for you to process: you only get one life here.”
2. Digital Heretic, ★★★★★
3. Interlude-Brandon, ★★★★★
4. Virtual Prophet, ★★★★
5. Shadows, ★★★★
6. Digital Evolution, ★★★
7. Cyber, ★★★★
8. Fragmented, ★★★ 1/2
To say that I am conflicted about the latest installment in the Game is Life series would be an understatement. I continue to be blown away at the careful web that Schott is crafting in this universe, but I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by it all. There is so much going on in these 417 pages, so many that when I opened my Highlights & Notes just now to pick a quote and compile my thoughts, I literally forgot that an early plot point happened in this book. I finished this book like 6 hours ago; that shouldn't happen. There are so many characters and realities to keep track of at this point that it is a little difficult to read this book over a couple of days as it takes time to figure out whats happening again.
As much as I want to love this book - and part of me does - the truth is that Fragmented is not a book written with the casual reader in mind. I read this book over 2 days directly following a re-read of the entire series to date, and I found myself on a number of occasions confused. I struggled keeping the new characters and/or new identities for previously introduced characters straight, and on more than one occasion I was thankful for my obsessive habit for taking notes as I read; however, it became tedious to have to scroll through my highlights to situate myself.
The theme of this book really do mirror the earlier installments; you have one life and better make the most of it. The Atonement narrative especially is so interesting (and heartbreaking), and I would really love to see a companion story to delve into that reality a bit more.
I was pleased to see that the threads introduced in Shadows and Cyber tied together with the overall narrative... and of course added more layers to unpack! This book does provide more insight into the old man, the singing man, and the overall arc that has been hinted at in the companion series. Unfortunately, there are a couple of plot inconsistencies introduced that are a little troubling. .
I have faith in Schott's ability to bring everything together, and I do intend to read the next book upon its release, but I do wish that a few of this spoiler-y things had been addressed in this book, even if it resulted in some of the new threads being held for a future book. I adore these new threads. The stories of people in different realities are interesting and could be their own companion pieces; to merge them all together kind of does a disservice to everything. Overall I still love this series and cannot wait to see what happens next, I just hope it doesn't become overly complicated and get dragged on beyond it's prime (*coughcough* Pretty Little Liars *cough*)
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November 20, 2019
i may not have known what was going on the entire time
i was reading but if trew, danni, and addy aren’t reunited soon................
i was reading but if trew, danni, and addy aren’t reunited soon................
September 24, 2016
Another great installment in The Game is Life!
Wow. Just. Wow. I won't get into spoiler territory, but if you were upset at how book 5 ended, you must read this! Yes, there are even more loose ends at the end of this book, but it is extremely satisfying knowing we will see this mind trip continue! AMAZING!!! Well done, again, Terry Schott! I'm really impressed and hope that it doesn't take as long to bring out book 7!
Wow. Just. Wow. I won't get into spoiler territory, but if you were upset at how book 5 ended, you must read this! Yes, there are even more loose ends at the end of this book, but it is extremely satisfying knowing we will see this mind trip continue! AMAZING!!! Well done, again, Terry Schott! I'm really impressed and hope that it doesn't take as long to bring out book 7!
March 22, 2019
Well, this one was a tough story to follow. Like its title, the story is extremely fragmented. And with my ADD, well, it was very difficult to manage to follow quite often. Or at least keep up with. Notably if I wasn't entirely coffee'd up and extremely alert and aware. Vigilant about my reading if you will. Even still there was difficulty with new character introduction as if he/she/it be an old character I SHOULD know OR minor characters (or major ones but in different roles and bearing different names or titles or powers or personifications). REGARDLESS, there's really only one negative thing I can TRULY say about this all.... Terry Schott freaking keeps readers waiting 2-1/2 fucking years for the next book Resonance!!!!!!! What the mother fuck?!?!? That is CRUEL, Terry!!! And NOT cool!!! And for me, well, I still have to now wait a while beyond the initial release in order for the Audible version to become available as my ADD doesn't "work well with the written word". Oh, I am fortunate that I am not one of the readers which Terry has stranded between novels for 2-1/2 years. I only started this series a couple or three weeks ago. So the only waiting I will be doing now is waiting for (hopefully Luke Daniels still) the narration to be done and the Audible version to be released. Didn't look yet, but this 9th book BETTER FN NOT be some lameass ""backstory"" nonsense like Shadows and to a lesser extent (re. the lame part) Cyber. ANYWAY, overall this IS a good read when you've got the focus and all to really dive into it hardcore. And we are finally permitted to see the larger picture of the Game Is Life Universe in which these characters and their worlds exist as well as the MAJOR players who can influence everything and anything pretty much. The bottle cap people mainly. But others as well. And other worlds. Other dimensions. Other realities. And surrealities!! I really SHOULD go back through this book cursorily and take notes on paper as to who is who and what is what so that by the time I get to finally (please let the narration NOT take long!!) dive into book 9 that I will not be lost as is so often the case with series which I end up having to pick back up on (especially when I thought they were completed and could be binged upon and FULLY enjoyed TO THEIR ENDING). Whatever. I have another series for which the 8th book comes out on the 26th (4+ days from now). Haven't been waiting long for it. A month perhaps. So I must NOW settle on a book or short series in which to delve for a relatively brief time as I will wish to get to the other asap. Though adding a few/several days to the wait time won't be so terrible with that series as it is not so FN FRAGMENTED like this one now is!! LOL. Terry you bastard!! Love your writing!! Hate your editing process. And now forget the name of that dark and dead villain (killing the timeless in this book) creature who should be sent to your bedroom to haunt your ass for making your readership wait so long!!!!!! Quoting from Apocalypse Now.... "The horror. The horror."
January 28, 2024
**Sigh. I done screwed up.**
Here I was, going into this entry thankful to FINALLY be reading what I thought was the continuation of the main storyline left off at the end of book #4 (Virtual Prophet), only to realize that I was feeling WAY more lost than before. I remember asking myself, "What is evening happening right now?" There were solutions to problems I hadn't seen happen. There were characters with knowledge of things they shouldn't have. What's going on? When did it happen? Is there a book missing or is Terry Schott REALLY gonna resort to short-cuts like this?
Because that's who I wanted to blame. Even when it felt like I was missing vital information, I figured it was just more Terry Schott purposefully thwarting the structure of his own story like he's already done. But nope, this one's alllll on me, and it sucks. I ignored my confusion, hoping it'd still come together somehow, ultimately finding myself super disappointed by the mess of this entire thing. And all along, all this story did was merely pick up from where book #6 (Digital Evolution) likely left off, the very entry I had mistakenly skipped over and screwed myself in the process. *facepalm*
Needless to say, it doesn't feel right to review or rate this book as lowly as planned, since I went in ill-prepared for it. I initially rated it 2-stars for some mildly cool moments, but felt it fair to add an extra star to make up for the fact that I was harsher to it than I feel like I would have been had I come into it with the knowledge I had missed out on from the skipped book. This isn't to say this story didn't have its problems, though. Its mere presentation was actually quite chaotic, disjointed, and overly heavy on dialogue, which I didn't care for.
Whether or not my opinion of this entry will change after reading the book I missed is yet to be determined. I shall now rectify that blunder asap, and will change this rating and review if need be....
Here I was, going into this entry thankful to FINALLY be reading what I thought was the continuation of the main storyline left off at the end of book #4 (Virtual Prophet), only to realize that I was feeling WAY more lost than before. I remember asking myself, "What is evening happening right now?" There were solutions to problems I hadn't seen happen. There were characters with knowledge of things they shouldn't have. What's going on? When did it happen? Is there a book missing or is Terry Schott REALLY gonna resort to short-cuts like this?
Because that's who I wanted to blame. Even when it felt like I was missing vital information, I figured it was just more Terry Schott purposefully thwarting the structure of his own story like he's already done. But nope, this one's alllll on me, and it sucks. I ignored my confusion, hoping it'd still come together somehow, ultimately finding myself super disappointed by the mess of this entire thing. And all along, all this story did was merely pick up from where book #6 (Digital Evolution) likely left off, the very entry I had mistakenly skipped over and screwed myself in the process. *facepalm*
Needless to say, it doesn't feel right to review or rate this book as lowly as planned, since I went in ill-prepared for it. I initially rated it 2-stars for some mildly cool moments, but felt it fair to add an extra star to make up for the fact that I was harsher to it than I feel like I would have been had I come into it with the knowledge I had missed out on from the skipped book. This isn't to say this story didn't have its problems, though. Its mere presentation was actually quite chaotic, disjointed, and overly heavy on dialogue, which I didn't care for.
Whether or not my opinion of this entry will change after reading the book I missed is yet to be determined. I shall now rectify that blunder asap, and will change this rating and review if need be....
January 2, 2018
Is it the end? I don't think so, not the way the author finished the book, or should I say not really finish it.
First, an editor is needed. The whole series reeks of needed a good one. Since the first book took off so well, there is no doubt that Terry can afford one.
The work, in general, has an interesting outlook on how a virtual world is created and used by the people. At times I found myself reflecting on our own world and how things are progressing while reading.
I had a hard time with the reading due to the editing or a lack there of. This is the problem with a lot of self published authors, they don't take the time to get their work properly edited before releasing it. This is why the work scored so poorly with me. If you don't respect your reader and have the work properly edited then you're not going to get a good score.
First, an editor is needed. The whole series reeks of needed a good one. Since the first book took off so well, there is no doubt that Terry can afford one.
The work, in general, has an interesting outlook on how a virtual world is created and used by the people. At times I found myself reflecting on our own world and how things are progressing while reading.
I had a hard time with the reading due to the editing or a lack there of. This is the problem with a lot of self published authors, they don't take the time to get their work properly edited before releasing it. This is why the work scored so poorly with me. If you don't respect your reader and have the work properly edited then you're not going to get a good score.
June 6, 2018
Phew.... finally finished all 8 books back to back. Just one sentence to define the entire series.... this is all of science fiction known rolled into one series.
A few trilogies i read in the past, the authors clearly struggled to maintain the standards of the first book. To think Terry could manage to hold the interest for 8 book is really remarkable. Though, i must admit Shadows seems to be an anamoly. It seems to stand out and not gel into the story line. He does refer to characters from Shadows but till the 8th book, Shadows is still pending for the merge.
Otherwise an excellent read.
Will i go for Book #9 should it come out.... probably not. Guess one does have to draw a line somewhere.
A few trilogies i read in the past, the authors clearly struggled to maintain the standards of the first book. To think Terry could manage to hold the interest for 8 book is really remarkable. Though, i must admit Shadows seems to be an anamoly. It seems to stand out and not gel into the story line. He does refer to characters from Shadows but till the 8th book, Shadows is still pending for the merge.
Otherwise an excellent read.
Will i go for Book #9 should it come out.... probably not. Guess one does have to draw a line somewhere.
January 28, 2019
A fantastic read
For anyone looking for a great sci-fi/fantasy series with a mix of reality, moral and immoral protagonists, and an overall great story to wrap yourself up in, look no further.
Mr Schott is a master of character development and the characters are really what drive these stories. The depth of the characters and the side stories/interludes drags you in but also assures you that more stories are coming.
I tore through this series in about a month of commuting and cannot wait for the next volume.
The theory that life is a game and it’s portrayal in these books, while fictional, is something you want to believe in.
For anyone looking for a great sci-fi/fantasy series with a mix of reality, moral and immoral protagonists, and an overall great story to wrap yourself up in, look no further.
Mr Schott is a master of character development and the characters are really what drive these stories. The depth of the characters and the side stories/interludes drags you in but also assures you that more stories are coming.
I tore through this series in about a month of commuting and cannot wait for the next volume.
The theory that life is a game and it’s portrayal in these books, while fictional, is something you want to believe in.
October 4, 2021
I have the omnibus edition of this series and book eight continues this fascinating story. It's back with the main characters, which are plunged into an array of problems.
This series is mysterious and imaginative, philosophical and intelligent and I love it. Each character is intriguing yet relatable, while the mystical and magical elements are mesmerising. The plot is complex and intricate, however, still makes sense despite having to fully concentrate on what's happening. But that's easy because it's so immersive.
Brilliant and highly recommended.
This series is mysterious and imaginative, philosophical and intelligent and I love it. Each character is intriguing yet relatable, while the mystical and magical elements are mesmerising. The plot is complex and intricate, however, still makes sense despite having to fully concentrate on what's happening. But that's easy because it's so immersive.
Brilliant and highly recommended.
February 9, 2021
A story that's like onions.
Layers on layers and small end of chapter bombs that you've come this far to expect from Schott.
It won't stop me from going forward, and I hear I'm almost done with what's available currently.
Im ready for some wrap up but I don't expect that anytime soon, that's the problem with linear story telling. Stuffs happening in multiple lines and areas (no spoilers)
On to the next one!
Layers on layers and small end of chapter bombs that you've come this far to expect from Schott.
It won't stop me from going forward, and I hear I'm almost done with what's available currently.
Im ready for some wrap up but I don't expect that anytime soon, that's the problem with linear story telling. Stuffs happening in multiple lines and areas (no spoilers)
On to the next one!
June 15, 2021
Too many questions
I really love this series. I do. However, each book ends without and ending and I always have more questions than answers. This book was better than the last book in the game universe as I was able to follow the jumps in realities better. Still, I’m not sure I have trust in the author at this point to ever finish the series. I appreciate that the universe he built is vast and there are lots of stories to tell but some endings and answers would be nice.
I really love this series. I do. However, each book ends without and ending and I always have more questions than answers. This book was better than the last book in the game universe as I was able to follow the jumps in realities better. Still, I’m not sure I have trust in the author at this point to ever finish the series. I appreciate that the universe he built is vast and there are lots of stories to tell but some endings and answers would be nice.
March 9, 2018
the first half of this book I found that their were far too many characters and it did feel a bit Fragmented as it was hard to follow them all but that in itself is a great metaphor for what was going on in the story so I guess... well done Terry Schott?
Still really enjoying the series and looking forward to the next instalment, but it does feel a bit like it's never going to end.
Still really enjoying the series and looking forward to the next instalment, but it does feel a bit like it's never going to end.
June 12, 2021
Title is appropriate
I, like others, had a hard time keeping track of all the different characters in this book. The story also became more confusing for me than all the previous ones. I had to stop alot and take a moment to digest what I was reading to make sure I could somewhat understand. Nonetheless it remains a terrific series and I look forward to the next one.
I, like others, had a hard time keeping track of all the different characters in this book. The story also became more confusing for me than all the previous ones. I had to stop alot and take a moment to digest what I was reading to make sure I could somewhat understand. Nonetheless it remains a terrific series and I look forward to the next one.
July 12, 2022
This latest instalment was absolutely fantastic. How can you enjoy something when you haven't really got a clue what's going on but are mesmerised by it all at the same time?!
It felt like a lot of strings were starting to intertwine and I've been left wanting more!
And I've said it before. Luke Daniels is a fantastic narrator!
It felt like a lot of strings were starting to intertwine and I've been left wanting more!
And I've said it before. Luke Daniels is a fantastic narrator!
November 22, 2017
What just happened? tell me this is not the end of the series - surely it can't be with an ending like that? So many loose threads not tied up - more stories to tell, more realities to explore. Bring back Brandon and Trew and Danni....please??
December 1, 2017
I found this to be the weakest of the series. It jumped around so much I had a hard time staying with the story arc. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoyed it, just not the best in the series in my opinion. Too many shifts.
July 19, 2025
fragmented
The story was so confusing. I had a hard time remembering the characters names and relationships were on Earth and atonement and Tygon ... it came together nicely. Still think I missed a lot. Need a flow chart at the back of the book to keep characters straight
The story was so confusing. I had a hard time remembering the characters names and relationships were on Earth and atonement and Tygon ... it came together nicely. Still think I missed a lot. Need a flow chart at the back of the book to keep characters straight
February 15, 2018
This was my favourite in the series. Somewhat difficult to keep up as I hadn't read the others in a while and I'd found it difficult to remember certain characters. That being said, the level of depth involved in each persons story is now becoming very enjoyable. Can't wait for the next. Keep em' coming Terry.
Also, this series would fair better as a TV show as appose to a film - when that eventually happens, and believe me, it will.
Also, this series would fair better as a TV show as appose to a film - when that eventually happens, and believe me, it will.
April 17, 2018
It's getting a bit complicated to keep track of the different realities at times, and mostly which characters are which, but the story still keeps chugging along pretty well.
April 29, 2019
While a great series. It's getting dragged out too far.
It needs to wrap up and conclude.
Enjoyable and worthy of praise, but needs to end.
It needs to wrap up and conclude.
Enjoyable and worthy of praise, but needs to end.
October 31, 2019
Nice book in the series but problem with coherency in chapteres.
January 2, 2022
Sadly starts to get hard to follow. Need a flow chart almost.
May 14, 2023
Wtf is even happening
June 17, 2023
This Series from book 1 to 8 so far are amazing I am so loving this author and his books after this series be into the next of his.
March 11, 2017
Really amazing book series. I really thought this book was the end of it and I'm really disappointed that there's still so many loose ends. I'm sure by the time the other book comes along I'm going to forget where each character is. I don't want to spoil anything but I can't believe he kept on introducing new characters, I already have problems keeping track with the existing ones. Nonetheless, the book kept me engaged and I love the many life lessons included through out the series. I'm eager to find out how everything ties together in the end. Thanks Terry for countless hours of entertainment and learning! :-)
October 20, 2020
This is the 8th book in the Game series. If you haven't read the others, don't read this review as it will make no sense :) There is so much going on in all of these books that it is hard to keep it straight. To summarize, there are 3 main plots I remember from this book.
This book spends a lot of time dealing with Cooper. In the past books he destroyed "The Dream", or did he? There are so many questions and so few answers! Cooper will slowly learn more and more about his new fate now that he is one of the bottlecap people. All of the people he deals with are very elusive so don't expect answers anytime soon when you start reading this. It's interesting learning more about the "big picture" of The Game but the author definitely leaves us hanging on a lot of things with just little hints of answers here and there.
The book also focuses on Addisyn, the daughter of Trew and Danni. Addison is going through a particularly boring play in The Game, probably the most boring life she has ever lived. Can she turn it around to fix up her rankings? Strange things are happening in the game which might threaten her game play even more.
Finally, Kat is a new young character we meet in this story who has failed out of the game. She will be moving on to Atonement which was revealed in previous books. Now we get to see more ins and outs of what is going on in Atonement, a world we don't know that much about.
Overall I found the story interesting, but I was actually surprised when I got to the end and realized, this isn't the end! I don't know why I assumed this was the last book that would wrap everything up. It definitely doesn't and the author says as much in his epilouge that another book will be coming. This book answers some questions, but brings a lot of new details and facts. I agree with other reviewers that I am going to need to make a chart to keep track of all these people! There are just so many characters, and some of them have multiple names. I'm still enjoying the series and I'm looking forward to more and more books :) I was a bit sad when I thought this was the last book, so I'm glad to hear that there will be more! I can't wait to see how it all connects.
Enjoy!!
This book spends a lot of time dealing with Cooper. In the past books he destroyed "The Dream", or did he? There are so many questions and so few answers! Cooper will slowly learn more and more about his new fate now that he is one of the bottlecap people. All of the people he deals with are very elusive so don't expect answers anytime soon when you start reading this. It's interesting learning more about the "big picture" of The Game but the author definitely leaves us hanging on a lot of things with just little hints of answers here and there.
The book also focuses on Addisyn, the daughter of Trew and Danni. Addison is going through a particularly boring play in The Game, probably the most boring life she has ever lived. Can she turn it around to fix up her rankings? Strange things are happening in the game which might threaten her game play even more.
Finally, Kat is a new young character we meet in this story who has failed out of the game. She will be moving on to Atonement which was revealed in previous books. Now we get to see more ins and outs of what is going on in Atonement, a world we don't know that much about.
Overall I found the story interesting, but I was actually surprised when I got to the end and realized, this isn't the end! I don't know why I assumed this was the last book that would wrap everything up. It definitely doesn't and the author says as much in his epilouge that another book will be coming. This book answers some questions, but brings a lot of new details and facts. I agree with other reviewers that I am going to need to make a chart to keep track of all these people! There are just so many characters, and some of them have multiple names. I'm still enjoying the series and I'm looking forward to more and more books :) I was a bit sad when I thought this was the last book, so I'm glad to hear that there will be more! I can't wait to see how it all connects.
Enjoy!!
September 30, 2016
Epic!!! I love this story so much....there are still so many loose ends to be tied up, but this is amazing!! Brilliant 6th installment. Can't wait to hear more from Cooper, and find out what happens to Trew, Addyson, and Carl!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews