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Watch Dogs #2
Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes
Infamous hacker Aiden Pearce, hero of the Watch Dogs games, follows a bloody trail of corruption to the highest levels of government in this gritty action adventure from the bestselling videogame
Aiden Pearce, “the Fox”, is a rolling stone, surviving by moving from one shadowy hacker job to the next. While in Baltimore, he’s captured by a mysterious agent who insists finding missing cargo full of transhuman tech is something only Pearce can do. When flattery doesn’t work, he’s blackmailed into taking the job. Worse, he’s partnered again with the unscrupulous Jordi Chin. Soon what looks like a simple investigation spirals into a nefarious plot leading all the way to the White House. Yet why should Aiden help a country that only wants him behind bars? For the Vigilante, no one escapes hard justice – not even Uncle Sam.
Aiden Pearce, “the Fox”, is a rolling stone, surviving by moving from one shadowy hacker job to the next. While in Baltimore, he’s captured by a mysterious agent who insists finding missing cargo full of transhuman tech is something only Pearce can do. When flattery doesn’t work, he’s blackmailed into taking the job. Worse, he’s partnered again with the unscrupulous Jordi Chin. Soon what looks like a simple investigation spirals into a nefarious plot leading all the way to the White House. Yet why should Aiden help a country that only wants him behind bars? For the Vigilante, no one escapes hard justice – not even Uncle Sam.
- GenresVideo Games
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2022
7 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Sean Grigsby
16 books107 followersSean Grigsby is a professional firefighter in central Arkansas, where he writes about lasers, aliens, and guitar battles with the Devil...when he’s not fighting dragons.
Find him at www.seangrigsby.com
Find him at www.seangrigsby.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 22, 2022
To be perfectly honest, I did not go into this book expecting much. Before reading it, I thought it really was going to be just an empty attempt at world building to build up Aiden’s appearance in the Bloodline’s DLC for Legion.
BOY, WAS I WRONG!
This novel was amazing! It had everything you could possibly want for a cyber-thriller. Hackers, terrorist cells, government conspiracies. And it was all handled with utmost care! No part of the book felt lacking in any regard. Each chapter and detail was crafted to build up a tense story with a satisfying payoff.
For one, Aiden had character! He wasn’t an empty shell, simply empty because he had to be. It felt Aiden was trying to not only convince us, the readers, that he was still a hardened, embittered vigilante, it felt like he was trying to convince himself too! The years of sneaking around and hiding and enacting vengeance on those who deserved it while having nobody in his corner were finally taking its toll! He was so well written, and there were no parts where I read a paragraph and went “Oh, Aiden would NEVER say that!”
Second, the pacing was….UGH. The pacing was incredible! It was impossible to put down at times because I read a page and got too anxious to get to the next chapter to take a break. I was awaiting with baited breath to see where Aiden and Jordi’s investigation led next, and was never disappointed. The last five or so chapters within the Capitol Building were some of the tensest I’ve ever read. It was incredible. I felt like I was there with Aiden, waiting for white supremacist terrorists to show their faces. Every action he did had me “Oh my God”-ing.
This didn’t have to tie into Aiden’s appearance in London at all, it was THAT original of a concept, and THAT entertaining, and THAT much of a black hole to suck you in and never let you go. Brilliant, amazing, incredible, out of this world.
BOY, WAS I WRONG!
This novel was amazing! It had everything you could possibly want for a cyber-thriller. Hackers, terrorist cells, government conspiracies. And it was all handled with utmost care! No part of the book felt lacking in any regard. Each chapter and detail was crafted to build up a tense story with a satisfying payoff.
For one, Aiden had character! He wasn’t an empty shell, simply empty because he had to be. It felt Aiden was trying to not only convince us, the readers, that he was still a hardened, embittered vigilante, it felt like he was trying to convince himself too! The years of sneaking around and hiding and enacting vengeance on those who deserved it while having nobody in his corner were finally taking its toll! He was so well written, and there were no parts where I read a paragraph and went “Oh, Aiden would NEVER say that!”
Second, the pacing was….UGH. The pacing was incredible! It was impossible to put down at times because I read a page and got too anxious to get to the next chapter to take a break. I was awaiting with baited breath to see where Aiden and Jordi’s investigation led next, and was never disappointed. The last five or so chapters within the Capitol Building were some of the tensest I’ve ever read. It was incredible. I felt like I was there with Aiden, waiting for white supremacist terrorists to show their faces. Every action he did had me “Oh my God”-ing.
This didn’t have to tie into Aiden’s appearance in London at all, it was THAT original of a concept, and THAT entertaining, and THAT much of a black hole to suck you in and never let you go. Brilliant, amazing, incredible, out of this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
A fan of the Watch Dog games franchise since its release I was incredibly excited to find that Aiden Pearce was back in his first story since the 2014 game. I was even happier to find that this novel links to his arrival in the latest expansion for Watch Dogs: Legion game, Bloodlines. So needless to say I had high expectations. It’s nearly always the same with an Aconyte book though and boy did they deliver.
For those who may not have played the games the Watch Dogs universe focuses on and illustrates the labyrinthine world full of corrupt companies, criminal empires and rival hackers all hellbent on rooting out deadly secrets – with people from all walks of life caught in between. Similar to the Anonymous collective of hackers present in our own world.
Stars and Stripes sees infamous hacker Aiden Pearce follow a bloody trail of corruption to the highest levels of government in this gritty and tense action adventure. Older, but not exactly wiser, Aiden Pearce, ‘the Fox’, is a rolling stone, surviving by moving from one shadowy hacker job to the next. While finishing a job in Baltimore, he’s captured by a mysterious agent who insists on finding some missing cargo full of transhuman tech is a job only Aiden can do. But when flattery doesn’t work, blackmail does. Could it get any worse? Considering he ends up partnered with the unscrupulous Jordi Chin, yes it could. The simple investigation and retrieval begins to spiral into a nefarious plot leading all the way to the White House. Should Aiden really help a country that only wants to see him behind bars? For the Vigilante, no one escapes hard justice, not even Uncle Sam.
From the very first page we are dropped into the action packed and gritty world of Watch Dogs and the action does not let up. I was hooked. Sometimes it is difficult to capture the essence of a different medium such as a videogame and translate it to a prose novel but believe me when I say Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston do just that! Not once are you left thinking this is too much or this isn’t believable – quite the opposite. The story fits perfectly into the Watch Dog universe and somewhat eerily even ours.
Dealing with topics that have been brought to light more so in recent years we see so called ‘Patriots’, the Stripes, dreaming of a true America where only those with a certain background and skin tone are safe. These themes of racism being validated and seen as a form of patriotism are dealt with amazingly by the authors. I would dare say it provides a rather startling look at something that, while based on a game, could and unfortunately is an issue in our world and not just in America. I was perhaps a little too pleased to see a lot of the stripes get what they deserved.
On top of this the plethora of added characters are well thought out and believable. I have to admit this novel reignited my love for Aiden the most, with his wits and sarcasm as well as determination in face of rather damning odds. A quick note and aside was, and stupid as it sounds, seeing the characters particularly Aiden continue to suffer from their scrapes, wounds and just general age. The characters aren’t invincible (yes you can die in a video game but often the characters can go through a lot or sort of cheat death. Take Skyrim for example, I can’t be the only one who may be guilty of stopping mid-battle to eat some sweetrolls!) but that doesn’t happen here. Yes, they get medical attention but they still suffer later on. It’s not a cure all and it helps further ground this in the real world.
I honestly could not put this one down.The action perfectly merged the high-tech setting of the Watch Dog universe. This is a high-octane ride that does not let up. A wonderful addition to the growing line-up of Watch Dog tie-ins. I really hope we see Aiden Pearce return in novel form and I adored the tie in at the end to the newest expansion of Watch Dog: Legion. Aconyte have done it once again and I have to say this may be one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
For those who may not have played the games the Watch Dogs universe focuses on and illustrates the labyrinthine world full of corrupt companies, criminal empires and rival hackers all hellbent on rooting out deadly secrets – with people from all walks of life caught in between. Similar to the Anonymous collective of hackers present in our own world.
Stars and Stripes sees infamous hacker Aiden Pearce follow a bloody trail of corruption to the highest levels of government in this gritty and tense action adventure. Older, but not exactly wiser, Aiden Pearce, ‘the Fox’, is a rolling stone, surviving by moving from one shadowy hacker job to the next. While finishing a job in Baltimore, he’s captured by a mysterious agent who insists on finding some missing cargo full of transhuman tech is a job only Aiden can do. But when flattery doesn’t work, blackmail does. Could it get any worse? Considering he ends up partnered with the unscrupulous Jordi Chin, yes it could. The simple investigation and retrieval begins to spiral into a nefarious plot leading all the way to the White House. Should Aiden really help a country that only wants to see him behind bars? For the Vigilante, no one escapes hard justice, not even Uncle Sam.
From the very first page we are dropped into the action packed and gritty world of Watch Dogs and the action does not let up. I was hooked. Sometimes it is difficult to capture the essence of a different medium such as a videogame and translate it to a prose novel but believe me when I say Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston do just that! Not once are you left thinking this is too much or this isn’t believable – quite the opposite. The story fits perfectly into the Watch Dog universe and somewhat eerily even ours.
Dealing with topics that have been brought to light more so in recent years we see so called ‘Patriots’, the Stripes, dreaming of a true America where only those with a certain background and skin tone are safe. These themes of racism being validated and seen as a form of patriotism are dealt with amazingly by the authors. I would dare say it provides a rather startling look at something that, while based on a game, could and unfortunately is an issue in our world and not just in America. I was perhaps a little too pleased to see a lot of the stripes get what they deserved.
On top of this the plethora of added characters are well thought out and believable. I have to admit this novel reignited my love for Aiden the most, with his wits and sarcasm as well as determination in face of rather damning odds. A quick note and aside was, and stupid as it sounds, seeing the characters particularly Aiden continue to suffer from their scrapes, wounds and just general age. The characters aren’t invincible (yes you can die in a video game but often the characters can go through a lot or sort of cheat death. Take Skyrim for example, I can’t be the only one who may be guilty of stopping mid-battle to eat some sweetrolls!) but that doesn’t happen here. Yes, they get medical attention but they still suffer later on. It’s not a cure all and it helps further ground this in the real world.
I honestly could not put this one down.The action perfectly merged the high-tech setting of the Watch Dog universe. This is a high-octane ride that does not let up. A wonderful addition to the growing line-up of Watch Dog tie-ins. I really hope we see Aiden Pearce return in novel form and I adored the tie in at the end to the newest expansion of Watch Dog: Legion. Aconyte have done it once again and I have to say this may be one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
January 27, 2023
Watch Dogs: Star & Stripes By Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston is a media tiein novel based on Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs video game franchise.
WWD: Stars & Stripes is a fun-spirited adventurous techno thriller balanced skillfully with a serious subject matter and grave consequences. Aiden Pearce exudes a lot of Jack Reacher vibes as a deliverer of justice but with a mastery of technology that makes for some riveting action sequences and crafty moments.
Aiden Pearce, more popularly known as The Vigilante, prowls the shadows with his 1911 pistol and his smartphone with the power to hack into almost any software and use it to teach the corrupt individuals a smacking lesson. A secretive branch of US government enlists Pearce’s help, albeit reluctantly, to investigate the recent thefts of human-augmentation tech and put an end to the white supremacist group behind the attacks. Unable to say no to a righteous cause, Pearce and his handler/old friend Jordi Chin follow the clues all the way to the Oval Office where the leader of the white supremacist group aims to unleash the final horrific step of a diabolical plan.
Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes is a continuation of Aiden Pearce’s story from the Watch Dogs 1 video game. However, the authors ensure that even readers unfamiliar with the Watch Dogs games will be able to step into this tech-oriented narrative with a strong foundation of the past events and an even stronger anticipation of the unveiling of the smart and engaging new storyline. That being said, it is absolutely a huge treat for the video game fans as we read an older Aiden Pearce control cranes, vehicles, and all sorts of electronics in quick-witted fashion during shootouts with shotgun-arms against bulletproof chest augmentations and rpm-revving car chases to gain the upper hand in a show of cinematic and stunning action sequences on a grand scale. By the end, you’ll wish for a big budget movie to incorporate these scenes.
Aiden Pearce is a force to be reckoned with. His sly wittiness is matched evenly by his strong moral and emotional center which adds arresting gravitas to his personality. His allegiance to ethics above any institution makes him the kind of inspiring character that’s sorely needed today. The authors have done a splendid work of mapping his video game personality to an even more expansive and exhaustive platform in this thriller.
Overall, Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes is pure entertainment in the most exciting way possible. From ingenious and bizarre tech to a mind-boggling plot, this thriller is going to rock you on the highest setting.
WWD: Stars & Stripes is a fun-spirited adventurous techno thriller balanced skillfully with a serious subject matter and grave consequences. Aiden Pearce exudes a lot of Jack Reacher vibes as a deliverer of justice but with a mastery of technology that makes for some riveting action sequences and crafty moments.
Aiden Pearce, more popularly known as The Vigilante, prowls the shadows with his 1911 pistol and his smartphone with the power to hack into almost any software and use it to teach the corrupt individuals a smacking lesson. A secretive branch of US government enlists Pearce’s help, albeit reluctantly, to investigate the recent thefts of human-augmentation tech and put an end to the white supremacist group behind the attacks. Unable to say no to a righteous cause, Pearce and his handler/old friend Jordi Chin follow the clues all the way to the Oval Office where the leader of the white supremacist group aims to unleash the final horrific step of a diabolical plan.
Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes is a continuation of Aiden Pearce’s story from the Watch Dogs 1 video game. However, the authors ensure that even readers unfamiliar with the Watch Dogs games will be able to step into this tech-oriented narrative with a strong foundation of the past events and an even stronger anticipation of the unveiling of the smart and engaging new storyline. That being said, it is absolutely a huge treat for the video game fans as we read an older Aiden Pearce control cranes, vehicles, and all sorts of electronics in quick-witted fashion during shootouts with shotgun-arms against bulletproof chest augmentations and rpm-revving car chases to gain the upper hand in a show of cinematic and stunning action sequences on a grand scale. By the end, you’ll wish for a big budget movie to incorporate these scenes.
Aiden Pearce is a force to be reckoned with. His sly wittiness is matched evenly by his strong moral and emotional center which adds arresting gravitas to his personality. His allegiance to ethics above any institution makes him the kind of inspiring character that’s sorely needed today. The authors have done a splendid work of mapping his video game personality to an even more expansive and exhaustive platform in this thriller.
Overall, Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes is pure entertainment in the most exciting way possible. From ingenious and bizarre tech to a mind-boggling plot, this thriller is going to rock you on the highest setting.
June 12, 2022
The action is there and it's fairly faithful to the games but the political intrigue and culture war themes turn to mush halfway through.
July 27, 2022
This book is perfect for any fans of the Watchdogs games, it's full of action and technology, and as usual, bad people who have too much power. The MC of Aiden Pearce still had his grumpy yet logical personality and way of thinking, the story also beings in Jordi who is hilarious. I will never get tired of Aiden and Jordi's dynamics. The plot was well constructed and it felt like playing the games, the pacing was a little slow then fast, then back to slow though. The ending was great too and now I really want a whole book dedicated to Wrench!
February 3, 2022
I love the Watch Dogs franchise and so I was excited to get to read this book and it didnt disappoint. It tied up loose ends perfectly and allowed fans/readers to see what happened to charcaters after the ending of the games. It was so well written with good charcater development and as expected a good storyline. I couldnt put it down. I loved it.
November 19, 2025
I LOVED every Watch Dogs game. It is a world n which i am highly invested in, so when it heard this is the next story for Adian Pierce I was eager to read this book. Unfortunately, despite the cyberpunk feel, this book was boring. I was glad when it ended.
The action scenes were poorly written. They were uninteresting. The plot held promise, cyberwared limbs attached to White Supremists, but that was the extent of the excitement.
I might give the other books a try but the enjoyment might b gone
The action scenes were poorly written. They were uninteresting. The plot held promise, cyberwared limbs attached to White Supremists, but that was the extent of the excitement.
I might give the other books a try but the enjoyment might b gone
January 8, 2023
I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Watch Dogs novel Stars & Stripes by Sean Grigsby and Stewart Hotston, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.
So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.
I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.
What is Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game franchise, published by Ubisoft, and there have been three games published since 2014, the most recent being Watch Dogs Legion, published in late 2020.
Watch Dogs feature protagonists who are hackers working against criminal underworlds, corrupt companies and rival hackers.
The Story
Stars & Strips follows the protagonist of the original game and is set between the events of that game and Watch Dogs Legion.
Whilst completing a job in Baltimore, Adrian Pierce is forcibly recruited by a shadowy government agent to investigate the hijacking of a transport full of transhuman augmentations!
Forced to work with Jordi Chin, he quickly finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy, that reaches all the way to the White House, as the mysterious Stripes, a white supremacist group look to seize power and enforce their racist xenophobic and backwards agenda on the country.
Conclusion
Well, what can I say the book has lots of character, and the character development of Pierce, is way more than was in the original game!
The book has a very uncomfortable plot as it is basically very much an examination of the culture wars and racism that has seized US politics, as the villains are a group that’s very familiar, they are “patriots” with more in common with groups like the Proud Boys, KKK, Britain First, and the Oath Keepers.
So yeah lots of examination of racism and hatred as a form of patriotism, and I am not gonna lie, it was delightful to see them get what they deserved.
This is a great book, its pacing was just right, I mean its one of the best paced books I have read in a long time, and I really couldn’t put it down and read it very quickly!
I am gonna have to give this wild of a book, an easy 5 out of 5 stars!
So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.
I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.
What is Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game franchise, published by Ubisoft, and there have been three games published since 2014, the most recent being Watch Dogs Legion, published in late 2020.
Watch Dogs feature protagonists who are hackers working against criminal underworlds, corrupt companies and rival hackers.
The Story
Stars & Strips follows the protagonist of the original game and is set between the events of that game and Watch Dogs Legion.
Whilst completing a job in Baltimore, Adrian Pierce is forcibly recruited by a shadowy government agent to investigate the hijacking of a transport full of transhuman augmentations!
Forced to work with Jordi Chin, he quickly finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy, that reaches all the way to the White House, as the mysterious Stripes, a white supremacist group look to seize power and enforce their racist xenophobic and backwards agenda on the country.
Conclusion
Well, what can I say the book has lots of character, and the character development of Pierce, is way more than was in the original game!
The book has a very uncomfortable plot as it is basically very much an examination of the culture wars and racism that has seized US politics, as the villains are a group that’s very familiar, they are “patriots” with more in common with groups like the Proud Boys, KKK, Britain First, and the Oath Keepers.
So yeah lots of examination of racism and hatred as a form of patriotism, and I am not gonna lie, it was delightful to see them get what they deserved.
This is a great book, its pacing was just right, I mean its one of the best paced books I have read in a long time, and I really couldn’t put it down and read it very quickly!
I am gonna have to give this wild of a book, an easy 5 out of 5 stars!
October 18, 2024
As an avid gamer and a devoted fan of the original Watch Dogs game, I found Watch Dogs: Stars & Stripes to be an immensely satisfying addition to the series. The opportunity to delve deeper into the character of Aiden Pearce was a welcome treat, especially considering my lukewarm reception to the protagonists of Watch Dogs 2 and Watch Dogs Legion.
Set against the backdrop of Washington, the story seamlessly integrates with the timeline of the franchise, occurring one or two decades after the events of the first Watch Dogs game and just half a year before the events of Legion. Following Aiden as he navigates a contract with his 'friend' Jordi to procure Wetware tech from the formidable gang known as The Stripes, the narrative encapsulates all the elements that make for a captivating Watch Dogs tale.
Among the plethora of Watch Dogs books available,Stars & Stripes stands out as the most compelling to me. While I do plan on exploring the other entries in the series, I find it hard to believe that any could surpass the quality and intrigue of this installment.
Set against the backdrop of Washington, the story seamlessly integrates with the timeline of the franchise, occurring one or two decades after the events of the first Watch Dogs game and just half a year before the events of Legion. Following Aiden as he navigates a contract with his 'friend' Jordi to procure Wetware tech from the formidable gang known as The Stripes, the narrative encapsulates all the elements that make for a captivating Watch Dogs tale.
Among the plethora of Watch Dogs books available,Stars & Stripes stands out as the most compelling to me. While I do plan on exploring the other entries in the series, I find it hard to believe that any could surpass the quality and intrigue of this installment.
March 6, 2022
ARC Copy...I admit right off the bat because of the heavy political-social themes paralleling the current political-social fabric in the States, it was super uncomfortable to read especially when far right "Stripes" is on page but fits with the social fabric of the "Watch Dogs" world. The unfolding plot was...wow that is complex! The Wetware tech being central feels...hmm I think this could be "new thing" and eww big time this kind of tech has its dangerous drawbacks along side its benefits.
August 9, 2022
2.5 stars. Ultimately disappointed with this one. The political thriller part of it fell flat and felt odd most of the time. There were parts that shined. Such as the action sequences. All in all, a mediocre read in my opinion.
January 13, 2023
Good news to everybody : Aiden will never die my friends, he's to fast and furious for that. Grumpy and skilled as usual, i'm here for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2023
Starts out full of action and ends with action. The middle is a bit slower, lots of planing, LOL
This book is actual a prequel to Watchdogs Legion Bloodline DLC
Great Read. Loved the ending.
This book is actual a prequel to Watchdogs Legion Bloodline DLC
Great Read. Loved the ending.
March 1, 2023
Starts out full of action and ends with action. The middle is a bit slower, lots of planing, LOL
This book is actual a prequel to Watchdogs Legion Bloodline DLC
Great Read. Loved the ending.
This book is actual a prequel to Watchdogs Legion Bloodline DLC
Great Read. Loved the ending.
August 23, 2024
Starts off strong but quickly loses steam.
I love the first Watchdogs game and I really like Aiden Pierce as a character, so I was very excited to read this one. The character interactions between Aiden and Jordi are great and easily the best part of the book, the rest of it is not so great.
The author quickly leans heavily into his own personal political opinions which are beaten over your head nearly every chapter. It becomes too heavy handed and starts to read like it was written by your average college campus activist. One of the most cringe worthy lines I can ever remember reading in a novel is when a character calls Aiden a "woke cuck" and I just rolled my eyes.
Overall not a terrible book, it has some good moments but the overarching plot of the main baddies just becomes silly and doesn't make much sense the more I thought about it.
I love the first Watchdogs game and I really like Aiden Pierce as a character, so I was very excited to read this one. The character interactions between Aiden and Jordi are great and easily the best part of the book, the rest of it is not so great.
The author quickly leans heavily into his own personal political opinions which are beaten over your head nearly every chapter. It becomes too heavy handed and starts to read like it was written by your average college campus activist. One of the most cringe worthy lines I can ever remember reading in a novel is when a character calls Aiden a "woke cuck" and I just rolled my eyes.
Overall not a terrible book, it has some good moments but the overarching plot of the main baddies just becomes silly and doesn't make much sense the more I thought about it.
November 22, 2025
The book starts out promising but is quickly ruined by the ridiculous use of "white supremacists" in the plot and the authors blatant disdain inserted into the book. it completely pulls you out of the plot and it comes across as embarrassing, you find yourself asking, why is this in the book exactly? They obviously took their own personal experiences and political views and used the book as a vehicle for it. You can look forward to reading about Aiden Pearce hacking a website that is blatantly 4chan by using a virus to delete it and to also infect the users that use it. Again, one can only think it's the authors power fantasy inserted into the book. It's embarrassing and cringe. People want to read about watch dogs, the universe, the dystopia, yet its completely wasted due to the authors neurosis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2023
Awesome book! 4.5 stars!
This is my favourite of all the Watch Dogs books, mainly because Aiden is my favourite watch dogs character. (with Jordi a close second!)
The author very clearly understood Jordi and Aiden, the characters as they were set up in watch dogs 1 and the newish Watch Dogs Bloodlines.
The villains of the book, a right wing extremist group, were truly disposable and the mantras they spewed made me wince. I hated them just as much as Aiden did. The action is really good and overall fits the vibe of the Watch Dogs Universe nicely.
It's only 4.5 as there was a good chunk of the book where I kind of lost track and who was doing what and who's motivations were what, but by the end it wrapped up nicely.
This is my favourite of all the Watch Dogs books, mainly because Aiden is my favourite watch dogs character. (with Jordi a close second!)
The author very clearly understood Jordi and Aiden, the characters as they were set up in watch dogs 1 and the newish Watch Dogs Bloodlines.
The villains of the book, a right wing extremist group, were truly disposable and the mantras they spewed made me wince. I hated them just as much as Aiden did. The action is really good and overall fits the vibe of the Watch Dogs Universe nicely.
It's only 4.5 as there was a good chunk of the book where I kind of lost track and who was doing what and who's motivations were what, but by the end it wrapped up nicely.
March 27, 2024
This book is good unless you stop to think about anything happening like why the racist Republicans are burning the American flag. The whole mcguffin of the story makes no sense to me with how its described maybe I cant comprehend it but it really is just confusing and annoying to think about. The villains of the book are just trump supporters and their leader Blake quotes trump at once its a bit laughable. I liked Aiden in this novel he felt much more like the character I know than the way he was portrayed in the other novel Dark Clouds. Jordi and Aidens relationship was interesting and I liked the way Scott a character introduced halfway though added to it. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the series but if your not you probably won't get much out of it.
December 24, 2022
Terrible mess. Action is passable and the emergent technology bits are interesting. However, the plot is a mess, the dialogue is atrocious, and the book is filled with really bad political commentary.
Feels absolutely nothing like Watch Dogs, more like a generic action thriller you would watch on FX and then completely forget about the next day.
Feels absolutely nothing like Watch Dogs, more like a generic action thriller you would watch on FX and then completely forget about the next day.
July 4, 2025
Started off promising with high octane action using characters we liked from the games. Then, like the most recent Life is Strange book, became filler and all about politics.
February 28, 2024
Fun read and kept my attention. I enjoyed the hacking, gadgets, Wetware concept, strategizing, action sequences, and so forth. You're rooting for Aiden the whole time.
However, this reads like the authors' wet dream of taking out white supremacists. The book is about a plot to overthrow the government by a group of physically altered racists. Okay, yeah, fuck those guys and what they stand for. But the plot relies heavily on a caricature of what these enemies of the state would be like. Very cringe dialogue at times. One guy actually, unironically says, "Go woke go broke." Blake, the main political villain, paraphrases Donald Trump's statement about shooting a guy in broad daylight and getting away with it. It's obvious the authors are not in agreement with conservatism/the Right/Republicans to such an extent that it preoccupies their brain capacity at all times. While one could certainly leverage real-life politics (or at least what one firmly believes to be the reality of real-life politics) for the basis of a story. However, I was reading this because I love the franchise and as escapism. But this pulled me out at times with its total lack of an attempt to hide the authors' politics.
However, this reads like the authors' wet dream of taking out white supremacists. The book is about a plot to overthrow the government by a group of physically altered racists. Okay, yeah, fuck those guys and what they stand for. But the plot relies heavily on a caricature of what these enemies of the state would be like. Very cringe dialogue at times. One guy actually, unironically says, "Go woke go broke." Blake, the main political villain, paraphrases Donald Trump's statement about shooting a guy in broad daylight and getting away with it. It's obvious the authors are not in agreement with conservatism/the Right/Republicans to such an extent that it preoccupies their brain capacity at all times. While one could certainly leverage real-life politics (or at least what one firmly believes to be the reality of real-life politics) for the basis of a story. However, I was reading this because I love the franchise and as escapism. But this pulled me out at times with its total lack of an attempt to hide the authors' politics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
I liked the idea of the books and the main events, but it had so many chapters and paragraphs about the main characters thinking and talking about the same thing over and over that I almost didn't finish the book. It felt as if an author wanted to make the book bigger by writing that stuff instead of thinking about how to make book events flow seamlessly.
April 20, 2022
This is a must read. Capturing Aiden being amazing for a 10000th time, and is written really well!! Grisby and Hotson have done really well with this! -
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