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Cyberpunk 2077 #N1
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence
Set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 , one of the bestselling video games of recent years, from acclaimed Polish science fiction writer Rafal Kosik, this electrifying novel follows a group of strangers as they discover that the dangers of Night City are all too real.
In sparkling Night City, a ragtag group of strangers have just pulled off a heist, robbing a convoy transporting a mysterious container belonging to Militech. The only thing the group has in common is that they were blackmailed into participating in the heist - and they have no idea just how far their mysterious employer's reach goes, or the purpose of the artifact they stole.
This newly formed gang - composed of a veteran turned renegade, a sleeper agent for Militech, a computer nerd, a therapist, a ripperdoc, and a techie - must learn how to overcome their differences and work together, lest their secrets be unveiled before they can pull off the next deadly heist.
In sparkling Night City, a ragtag group of strangers have just pulled off a heist, robbing a convoy transporting a mysterious container belonging to Militech. The only thing the group has in common is that they were blackmailed into participating in the heist - and they have no idea just how far their mysterious employer's reach goes, or the purpose of the artifact they stole.
This newly formed gang - composed of a veteran turned renegade, a sleeper agent for Militech, a computer nerd, a therapist, a ripperdoc, and a techie - must learn how to overcome their differences and work together, lest their secrets be unveiled before they can pull off the next deadly heist.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2023
1407 people are currently reading
9863 people want to read
About the author
Rafał Kosik
71 books201 followersMówi o sobie, że jest niedokończonym architektem. Przerwał studia na Politechnice Warszawskiej, aby otworzyć własną agencję reklamową, w której jest dyrektorem kreatywnym i grafikiem. Jest autorem serii dla dzieci i młodzieży „Felix, Net i Nika”. Dotychczas opublikował: Felix, Net i Nika oraz Gang Niewidzialnych Ludzi (2004), Felix, Net i Nika oraz Teoretycznie Możliwa Katastrofa (2005), Felix, Net i Nika oraz Pałac Snów (2006), Felix, Net i Nika oraz Pułapka Nieśmiertelności (2007), Felix, Net i Nika oraz Orbitalny Spisek (2008) oraz Felix, Net i Nika oraz Orbitalny Spisek 2. Mała armia (2009). Dwa pierwsze tomy otrzymały tytuł „Książki Roku 2005” Polskiej Sekcji IBBY, tom trzeci otrzymał nominację do tytułu „Książki Roku 2007” Polskiej Sekcji IBBY, tom czwarty nagrodę Dziecięcy Bestseller Roku 2008 „Mały Dong”, a tom piąty wygrał w swej kategorii plebiscyt Katedry „Fantastyka 2008”. Dotychczas tom pierwszy Felix, Net i Nika oraz Gang Niewidzialnych Ludzi został przetłumaczony i opublikowany na Litwie i w Czechach.
Rafał Kosik pisze również prozę science fiction dla dorosłych czytelników. Opublikował liczne opowiadania (m.in. w „Nowej Fantastyce” i magazynie „Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror”), powieści Mars (2003), Vertical (2006) oraz Kameleon (2008). Vertical otrzymał nagrodę Nautilus 2006 i nominację do najważniejszej nagrody środowiska fantastów – Zajdla 2006, a Kameleon otrzymał nagrodę Zajdla 2009, nagrodę SFINKS 2009 i wygrał plebiscyt Katedry „Fantastyka 2008”, a także dostał nominację do Literackiej Nagrody im. Jerzego Żuławskiego. Niemieckie wydawnictwo FOTOTAPETA wydało książkę Geschichten vom Mars (Opowieści z Marsa) z tekstem Rafała Kosika Der Letzte Atemzug (Ostatni Oddech), a czeskie wydawnictwo Laser Books – powieść Vertikal (Vertical). Scenariusz serialu Felix, Net i Nika oraz Gang Niewidzialnych Ludzi autorstwa Rafała Kosika i Wiktora Skrzyneckiego, na podstawie książki pod tym samym tytułem, otrzymał nagrodę w polsko-włoskim konkursie organizowanym m.in. przez PISF, Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich, Telewizję Polską i Międzynarodowy Festiwal Filmów Dziecięcych w Giffoni.
Rafał Kosik pisze również prozę science fiction dla dorosłych czytelników. Opublikował liczne opowiadania (m.in. w „Nowej Fantastyce” i magazynie „Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror”), powieści Mars (2003), Vertical (2006) oraz Kameleon (2008). Vertical otrzymał nagrodę Nautilus 2006 i nominację do najważniejszej nagrody środowiska fantastów – Zajdla 2006, a Kameleon otrzymał nagrodę Zajdla 2009, nagrodę SFINKS 2009 i wygrał plebiscyt Katedry „Fantastyka 2008”, a także dostał nominację do Literackiej Nagrody im. Jerzego Żuławskiego. Niemieckie wydawnictwo FOTOTAPETA wydało książkę Geschichten vom Mars (Opowieści z Marsa) z tekstem Rafała Kosika Der Letzte Atemzug (Ostatni Oddech), a czeskie wydawnictwo Laser Books – powieść Vertikal (Vertical). Scenariusz serialu Felix, Net i Nika oraz Gang Niewidzialnych Ludzi autorstwa Rafała Kosika i Wiktora Skrzyneckiego, na podstawie książki pod tym samym tytułem, otrzymał nagrodę w polsko-włoskim konkursie organizowanym m.in. przez PISF, Stowarzyszenie Filmowców Polskich, Telewizję Polską i Międzynarodowy Festiwal Filmów Dziecięcych w Giffoni.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 684 reviews
August 14, 2023
Basically if you’ve played the game, watched the tv show and want more of it, this is perfect for you. It’s like experiencing a new character perspective and story set in night city with all the shoot outs, corpos, robots like this is the perfect gift for someone who is a fan of cyberpunk 2077.
Now unlike Ruination which is a league of legends novel that you can read and fully understand everything without having played league of legends, I’m unsure if this would be as enjoyable for someone who hasn’t played or watched cyberpunk 2077. There are definitely some names, terms and locations mentioned that might be confusing. In fact I noticed a trend in reviews from people who are familiar with the world are rating it higher than people who have zero knowledge, makes sense but by all means, I say still give it a try, maybe my short explanation will help you and you’ll be set to go. It begins with a group of characters who are all mostly strangers to one another and they are put on a mission for a client to take down a convoy truck that belongs to militech (the main big bad company of this universe) because inside this truck is a very important large gray container. now all of these characters are your typical cyberpunk roster, some have chrome arms, lasers that come out of there fingers, all the surgical cybernetic enchantments you can think of and it’s constantly switches perspectives between them all.
I would also recommend this to people who like heist novels because it’s basically one big heist for 400 pages. Is it the best thing I’ve ever read? No. Was the cast of characters a little too big to really get to know them and connect with them individually, yea but I enjoyed my time here. I enjoyed the craziness, the cliché characters you can expect in a world like this, this book did exactly what it was meant to do, the author created a pure guilty pleasure fun read with all the fancy gun descriptions you can think of.
Now unlike Ruination which is a league of legends novel that you can read and fully understand everything without having played league of legends, I’m unsure if this would be as enjoyable for someone who hasn’t played or watched cyberpunk 2077. There are definitely some names, terms and locations mentioned that might be confusing. In fact I noticed a trend in reviews from people who are familiar with the world are rating it higher than people who have zero knowledge, makes sense but by all means, I say still give it a try, maybe my short explanation will help you and you’ll be set to go. It begins with a group of characters who are all mostly strangers to one another and they are put on a mission for a client to take down a convoy truck that belongs to militech (the main big bad company of this universe) because inside this truck is a very important large gray container. now all of these characters are your typical cyberpunk roster, some have chrome arms, lasers that come out of there fingers, all the surgical cybernetic enchantments you can think of and it’s constantly switches perspectives between them all.
I would also recommend this to people who like heist novels because it’s basically one big heist for 400 pages. Is it the best thing I’ve ever read? No. Was the cast of characters a little too big to really get to know them and connect with them individually, yea but I enjoyed my time here. I enjoyed the craziness, the cliché characters you can expect in a world like this, this book did exactly what it was meant to do, the author created a pure guilty pleasure fun read with all the fancy gun descriptions you can think of.
February 9, 2024
2,5⭐
Jako czytadło Cyberpunk 2077: Bez przypadku, działa naprawdę dobrze.
W sumie, jeżeli czytaliście jakiekolwiek książki na podstawie gier (Assassin's Creed, Warcraft, Diablo, Mass Effect itd.) to wiecie mniej więcej czego się spodziewać.
Gdybym nie był fanem gry i anime, to pewnie o tej książce nie pamiętałbym już po tygodniu.
Filmik (nie hologram):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhQJ...
Jako czytadło Cyberpunk 2077: Bez przypadku, działa naprawdę dobrze.
W sumie, jeżeli czytaliście jakiekolwiek książki na podstawie gier (Assassin's Creed, Warcraft, Diablo, Mass Effect itd.) to wiecie mniej więcej czego się spodziewać.
Gdybym nie był fanem gry i anime, to pewnie o tej książce nie pamiętałbym już po tygodniu.
Filmik (nie hologram):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhQJ...
October 23, 2023
3.5 Stars
As someone who loved Edgerunner and enjoyed the video game, I've been dying to read the spinoff novelization.
In terms of worldbuilding and setting, this novel hit the mark. I loved the references to the elements established in the video game and TV show.
As for the story itself and characters, I found them fine, but not particularly memorable. That being said, I would certainly read more companion novelization if they come out. I love this world and am happy to spend time on it.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
As someone who loved Edgerunner and enjoyed the video game, I've been dying to read the spinoff novelization.
In terms of worldbuilding and setting, this novel hit the mark. I loved the references to the elements established in the video game and TV show.
As for the story itself and characters, I found them fine, but not particularly memorable. That being said, I would certainly read more companion novelization if they come out. I love this world and am happy to spend time on it.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
December 2, 2025
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of my all-time favorite games, so I had a fun time with this novel! The characterizations and the lingo/slang feel true to what we’ve seen in Night City in the game, and the city itself is every bit as gritty here. While there are parts of the story that feel a bit all over the place, I’m overlooking it because I’m biased when it comes to this world lol
It’s rare that I’ll tandem read with the audiobook, but I had to in this case because the narrator, Cherami Leigh, is also the voice of the female version of “V” in the game. Cherami’s narration was excellent! Some parts of the book felt like one of my playthroughs coming to life because her performance was so strong.
While this may not be the “best” book you pick up, I think most Cyberpunk 2077 fans will have a good time with it
It’s rare that I’ll tandem read with the audiobook, but I had to in this case because the narrator, Cherami Leigh, is also the voice of the female version of “V” in the game. Cherami’s narration was excellent! Some parts of the book felt like one of my playthroughs coming to life because her performance was so strong.
While this may not be the “best” book you pick up, I think most Cyberpunk 2077 fans will have a good time with it
July 23, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via NetGalley, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts. Many thanks to the publisher, Orbit Books, for the opportunity!
First off, this isn't a book for people who want to learn about the world of Cyberpunk 2077 as it throws you into the deep end right from the beginning. But on top of that, even if you are a fan of the Cyberpunk franchise in general, it'll still be confusing because of how big the cast is, and how the events are laid out. Within the same chapter, there will be multiple scene and POV jumps, which kind of adds to the "heist movie" feel and also to the fast pace that the story takes us on, but can be very jarring. It took me a bit to finally get used to it, but it still felt distracting. At the very least, there could've been small graphics to kind of organize the different POVs.
Having a lots of characters and seeing the POV of different sides is fitting in a Cyberpunk story, but I never really got to connect with a majority of the cast here, and I felt that some of the dynamics between characters were too rushed. That said, I think that Kosik did a great job with tone to match the Cyberpunk vibes, and I actually did like the diction here! Kosik did a good job with using the right terminology of tech/jobs/etc. found in the TTRRG, video game, show, etc. etc., but I can see it being overwhelming for those who don't know much about them. Overall, the heist and the cat and mouse game could've been fun, but with the way that things were played out, it made it a really difficult read and made it not as enjoyable as it could've been.
First off, this isn't a book for people who want to learn about the world of Cyberpunk 2077 as it throws you into the deep end right from the beginning. But on top of that, even if you are a fan of the Cyberpunk franchise in general, it'll still be confusing because of how big the cast is, and how the events are laid out. Within the same chapter, there will be multiple scene and POV jumps, which kind of adds to the "heist movie" feel and also to the fast pace that the story takes us on, but can be very jarring. It took me a bit to finally get used to it, but it still felt distracting. At the very least, there could've been small graphics to kind of organize the different POVs.
Having a lots of characters and seeing the POV of different sides is fitting in a Cyberpunk story, but I never really got to connect with a majority of the cast here, and I felt that some of the dynamics between characters were too rushed. That said, I think that Kosik did a great job with tone to match the Cyberpunk vibes, and I actually did like the diction here! Kosik did a good job with using the right terminology of tech/jobs/etc. found in the TTRRG, video game, show, etc. etc., but I can see it being overwhelming for those who don't know much about them. Overall, the heist and the cat and mouse game could've been fun, but with the way that things were played out, it made it a really difficult read and made it not as enjoyable as it could've been.
January 27, 2024
Important Spoilers are marked, Rest is safe to read without having read the book
TL;DR
This book is fast paced, conveys the feeling of the setting well, but also feels like the novel everyone tried to write in highschool. There were about 200 fairly enjoyable pages though where I thought I was gonna go to a good 3 or bad 4 stars, despite the first 150 pages. Then the ending just kinda happened and I thought...okay nvm I don't like this. There are people who will enjoy this and it's not super long, so the risk of committing is quite low, but I wouldn't really recommend it.
Disclaimer
I don't want to try and make this some objective rating of this book and more a space to share my thoughts on what I found interesting about it and how I subjectively felt in the moment when I read it. I am mean to the author here, but it's mostly because I enjoy writing my review in a way where I just give unfiltered thoughts instead of having to qualify every negative statement with how you could've done it etc.
Quotes aren't actual quotations, just the impression the sentences left in my memory after reading.
My Thoughts
Just let the man write a Miniseries please
Structure is a Double edged sword. I remember BookTuber Daniel Greene saying the biggest problem is that it's written like a screenplay that was cancelled and forced to be a novel instead. I agree with the analysis, but I think it's not just bad. It is very gripping and engaging to read in the middle part. Pages 150 to 350 (of the german version, which is 410 pages) I enjoyed, because the pacing was fast.
The teenager trapped inside
This will sound very harsh. Rafał Kosik can write, but a lot of this novel just felt a bit unnatural to me in a way I can't explain. The best way I can put it is that the first 150 pages, and the last 60 gave me the impression I was reading a (talented) 16 year olds attempt at writing a cool story. Maybe I am not the target audience, but I am a 23 year old edgelord who loved the game Cyberpunk, this shouldn't be too edgy for me, but Zor should've been dead, he was walking through the dark streets, the rain was good or Evolution - An imperfect process, so many bad prototypes, he wanted perfection or 'Get a fucking job and stop playing video games' she shouted through the door. Albert didn't care, he made a gazillion Eddies through the bad video game he sold, his mother wouldn't understand... just doesn't do much for me
A Void of Character
The fact that all characters kinda feel like an edgy teenagers impression of a cool person is also why this aspect of the novel falls flat to me and is why I didn't really enjoy it much.
We have an edgy guy on a revenge arc, we have a ice cold corpo woman who fucks around but still doesn't feel anything and a teenager who feels absolutely no emotions except disgust for the weakness of humanity not even
Then there are less sociopathic characters, but Ron is kind of just...there...He's a nice guy so you root for him, but in the end there is no real care for his character Borg is such a piece of shit, actual immersion breaker
And Aya is also just sorta there. She's imo the best character along with maybe Milena, because she's the only one I felt real compassion for, while Milena was the one whose theme and motivation was actually explored...
The problem is: Even if all of this is supposed to convey how little meaning, emotion and passion there is left in this dystopia...I still won't enjoy feeling a lack of meaning, emotion and passion while working through 410 pages. I want characters I relate to, care about and root for. I didn't find them here.
What is love?
😎 Women 😎
There is a weird theme of sexual descriptions being very casual in the book and I can't quite decide if this is an effect of the 16 year old at the keyboard or deep commentary on the meaninglessness of life and the void of passion in Night City.
I am not a prude, but i just felt kinda weirded out by things like: 'She spun around the pole using her chrome cyber grip clitoris', 'How did I do?' - 'She knew what he wanted to hear. To put a number on it, three times' - 'You came three times and you complain?' or 'She was practicing her favorite art: carving corpses...She always practiced naked...but he didn't care because it's hard to enjoy anything in night city when you can have everything' and my favorite (which is likely weird because German is a terrible language sometimes and my loose translation won't be able to capture the real cringe I felt) 'Yoo, another shot and we will let it pop! Ready?' - 'I am so wet Baby' purred the left bimbo - 'You can plug any hole you want' added the right one
...
...
...hot
I don't have any real point to make, it just felt weird...Like the author was putting it there to show us how cool and casual he is about women and sexuality...I am likely imagining things...
I am very smart
There are two options and I am open to either.
1) I am a dumbass and this book is way smarter than me and its authors genius is lost on me
2) This book tries really hard to make you think something smart is going on by twisting and turning and implying connections where there are none starting and ending with the title of the book "No Coincidence"
I am currently leaning towards the second option, but maybe on another read I would understand all the depth I have missed, but unless this meaningless cry into the void of the goodreads review section gets bombarded by fans of the book telling me I am stupid, that won't happen because I don't care enough for another 410 pages of this.
Unfortunately this way: I have no idea what is going on at the ending. It felt like things were just happening and I don't understand them.
There likely are answers to this, but you don't really know them after a casual first read without pointers for what to look for. This just feels unsatisfying. I want a nice story with satisfying character arcs
This guy writes books the way I write my Pen and Paper campaign. In a way where tricking the reader, hiding things from them and foreshadowing through paragraphs of mysterious nonsense you can't connect to anything until you know the twist and through all this making them think you're very intelligent is more important than delivering a satisfying story to the reader.
Also what was that cyberspace plot about? Was I supposed to care about any of it? I didn't...I wish I could, but hard to root for someone completely unrelatable in a mission with stakes you can't comprehend because it consists of sci-fi cyberblabber
TL;DR
This book is fast paced, conveys the feeling of the setting well, but also feels like the novel everyone tried to write in highschool. There were about 200 fairly enjoyable pages though where I thought I was gonna go to a good 3 or bad 4 stars, despite the first 150 pages. Then the ending just kinda happened and I thought...okay nvm I don't like this. There are people who will enjoy this and it's not super long, so the risk of committing is quite low, but I wouldn't really recommend it.
Disclaimer
I don't want to try and make this some objective rating of this book and more a space to share my thoughts on what I found interesting about it and how I subjectively felt in the moment when I read it. I am mean to the author here, but it's mostly because I enjoy writing my review in a way where I just give unfiltered thoughts instead of having to qualify every negative statement with how you could've done it etc.
Quotes aren't actual quotations, just the impression the sentences left in my memory after reading.
My Thoughts
Just let the man write a Miniseries please
Structure is a Double edged sword. I remember BookTuber Daniel Greene saying the biggest problem is that it's written like a screenplay that was cancelled and forced to be a novel instead. I agree with the analysis, but I think it's not just bad. It is very gripping and engaging to read in the middle part. Pages 150 to 350 (of the german version, which is 410 pages) I enjoyed, because the pacing was fast.
The teenager trapped inside
This will sound very harsh. Rafał Kosik can write, but a lot of this novel just felt a bit unnatural to me in a way I can't explain. The best way I can put it is that the first 150 pages, and the last 60 gave me the impression I was reading a (talented) 16 year olds attempt at writing a cool story. Maybe I am not the target audience, but I am a 23 year old edgelord who loved the game Cyberpunk, this shouldn't be too edgy for me, but Zor should've been dead, he was walking through the dark streets, the rain was good or Evolution - An imperfect process, so many bad prototypes, he wanted perfection or 'Get a fucking job and stop playing video games' she shouted through the door. Albert didn't care, he made a gazillion Eddies through the bad video game he sold, his mother wouldn't understand... just doesn't do much for me
A Void of Character
The fact that all characters kinda feel like an edgy teenagers impression of a cool person is also why this aspect of the novel falls flat to me and is why I didn't really enjoy it much.
We have an edgy guy on a revenge arc, we have a ice cold corpo woman who fucks around but still doesn't feel anything and a teenager who feels absolutely no emotions except disgust for the weakness of humanity not even
Then there are less sociopathic characters, but Ron is kind of just...there...He's a nice guy so you root for him, but in the end there is no real care for his character Borg is such a piece of shit, actual immersion breaker
And Aya is also just sorta there. She's imo the best character along with maybe Milena, because she's the only one I felt real compassion for, while Milena was the one whose theme and motivation was actually explored...
The problem is: Even if all of this is supposed to convey how little meaning, emotion and passion there is left in this dystopia...I still won't enjoy feeling a lack of meaning, emotion and passion while working through 410 pages. I want characters I relate to, care about and root for. I didn't find them here.
What is love?
😎 Women 😎
There is a weird theme of sexual descriptions being very casual in the book and I can't quite decide if this is an effect of the 16 year old at the keyboard or deep commentary on the meaninglessness of life and the void of passion in Night City.
I am not a prude, but i just felt kinda weirded out by things like: 'She spun around the pole using her chrome cyber grip clitoris', 'How did I do?' - 'She knew what he wanted to hear. To put a number on it, three times' - 'You came three times and you complain?' or 'She was practicing her favorite art: carving corpses...She always practiced naked...but he didn't care because it's hard to enjoy anything in night city when you can have everything' and my favorite (which is likely weird because German is a terrible language sometimes and my loose translation won't be able to capture the real cringe I felt) 'Yoo, another shot and we will let it pop! Ready?' - 'I am so wet Baby' purred the left bimbo - 'You can plug any hole you want' added the right one
...
...
...hot
I don't have any real point to make, it just felt weird...Like the author was putting it there to show us how cool and casual he is about women and sexuality...I am likely imagining things...
I am very smart
There are two options and I am open to either.
1) I am a dumbass and this book is way smarter than me and its authors genius is lost on me
2) This book tries really hard to make you think something smart is going on by twisting and turning and implying connections where there are none starting and ending with the title of the book "No Coincidence"
I am currently leaning towards the second option, but maybe on another read I would understand all the depth I have missed, but unless this meaningless cry into the void of the goodreads review section gets bombarded by fans of the book telling me I am stupid, that won't happen because I don't care enough for another 410 pages of this.
Unfortunately this way: I have no idea what is going on at the ending. It felt like things were just happening and I don't understand them.
There likely are answers to this, but you don't really know them after a casual first read without pointers for what to look for. This just feels unsatisfying. I want a nice story with satisfying character arcs
This guy writes books the way I write my Pen and Paper campaign. In a way where tricking the reader, hiding things from them and foreshadowing through paragraphs of mysterious nonsense you can't connect to anything until you know the twist and through all this making them think you're very intelligent is more important than delivering a satisfying story to the reader.
Also what was that cyberspace plot about? Was I supposed to care about any of it? I didn't...I wish I could, but hard to root for someone completely unrelatable in a mission with stakes you can't comprehend because it consists of sci-fi cyberblabber
August 25, 2025
I'm tempted to say this rating only applies if you play the game, but it's a solid tech-noir story on its own. There are all kinds of references and terms game players will be familiar with, and non-players will still appreciate the Bladerunner-esque story setting. Cyberpunk 2077 does an amazing narrative job within the structure of a video game, and this book is a good representation of the grim, tech-wrapped philosophical concepts it regularly grapples with.
September 25, 2023
Namęczyłam się z tą książką straszliwie. Grałam w Cyberpunka, jestem fanką tego świata, jednak lubię też, gdy opowieść ma dobre tempo, ciekawych bohaterów i rozwinięte relacje pomiędzy nimi. Niestety tutaj nie znalazłam tych rzeczy. Bardzo przeszkadzał mi sposób narracji: poszatkowany tak, że nie byłam w stanie skupić się na jednym wątku, bo od razu przeskakiwano do drugiego. Relacje między postaciami były przewidywalne, po prostu kolejne nudne heteroseksualne romanse (a często lubię hetero romanse, żeby nie było), gdzie od początku było wiadomo, kto ma z kim skończyć. To nie książka romantyczna, jasne, ale jak już łączy się postacie w pary i pisze o miłości między nimi, fajnie by było, gdyby jeszcze było to dobrze napisane. Postaci było za dużo (i mówię to jako wielbicielka "Gry o Tron"), przez co wydawały się słabo rozwinięte. Może to kwestia tego, czego oczekiwałam od tej książki, ale wydaje mi się, że lepiej zagrać po prostu w grę lub obejrzeć serial. Dodam jeszcze, że osoby neuroatypowe były pokazane w sposób dosyć stereotypowy i zostawiło to dziwny posmak.
July 2, 2023
"the sky above the port was the color of television, tuned tona dead channel" -William gibson "neuromancer"
Hooefully that quote from another amazing cuberpunk novel will give you an idea of the bleakness that Night City and this book hold inside it. For inside Night City there are no happy endings.
I enjoyed this book so much. It is, for me, one of the best books i have read this year. Before i get into why lets me bring up the very few problems i have with this book. There are a LOT of POVS in this book and that in itself is always fine with me in fact i enjoy novels like that but i found it jumps between so frequently and with littke to no warning expect some soacing between paragraphs that i had a hard time knowing who i was reading until their name was mentioned but once i got to know the characters it was no longer a problem. The ending also seemed a bit rushed to me with the last page not giving me the closure i wanted and left me wanting more but at the same time its rare for me to think " i wish this book wasnt over". I thought that with Cyberpunk no coin. Other than these two things i could gush about this book for a very long time.
Night city and the lore surrounding it is massive and intricate. Perfect for a sci fi author with imagination which this author has in spades and is able to use said lore as a spring board and builds off it to create something unique and memorable. He brings the dirty grimy neon and piss soaked streets of night city to life. I dont think anyone will have a problem envisioning this city. The characters are equally as rich and the character work in my opinion is top Notch. We have 5 characters that are brought together seemingly by pure chance to form the "inpromptu gang". We have a military veteran. A rich ,beautiful and powerful corpo womanboss. A stripper who wants meaning to her life. A disgraced surgeun turned ripperdoc. And a young wanna be hacker who thinks life really doesnt have a meaning. These are the people you come to know and love as you turn the pages of this book. They all have their positive and negative traits and are all fleshed out enough that you are really able to understand each of these peoples motivations. I was rooting for these people to succeed and was fully invested into every single one.
I genuinely had a hard time putting this novel down between reading sessions because i found everything just so interesting. I eouldnt call this book an action thriller more of a drama thriller with small pacthes of action sprinkled in but i never found myself getting bored which happens more frequently than i would like to admit the last few years while reading.
I absolutley loved this novel. Almost everything about it to me combines and makes one hell of a nihilistic fast paced theme park ride. Just don't go in expecting everyone to get a happy ending.
Hooefully that quote from another amazing cuberpunk novel will give you an idea of the bleakness that Night City and this book hold inside it. For inside Night City there are no happy endings.
I enjoyed this book so much. It is, for me, one of the best books i have read this year. Before i get into why lets me bring up the very few problems i have with this book. There are a LOT of POVS in this book and that in itself is always fine with me in fact i enjoy novels like that but i found it jumps between so frequently and with littke to no warning expect some soacing between paragraphs that i had a hard time knowing who i was reading until their name was mentioned but once i got to know the characters it was no longer a problem. The ending also seemed a bit rushed to me with the last page not giving me the closure i wanted and left me wanting more but at the same time its rare for me to think " i wish this book wasnt over". I thought that with Cyberpunk no coin. Other than these two things i could gush about this book for a very long time.
Night city and the lore surrounding it is massive and intricate. Perfect for a sci fi author with imagination which this author has in spades and is able to use said lore as a spring board and builds off it to create something unique and memorable. He brings the dirty grimy neon and piss soaked streets of night city to life. I dont think anyone will have a problem envisioning this city. The characters are equally as rich and the character work in my opinion is top Notch. We have 5 characters that are brought together seemingly by pure chance to form the "inpromptu gang". We have a military veteran. A rich ,beautiful and powerful corpo womanboss. A stripper who wants meaning to her life. A disgraced surgeun turned ripperdoc. And a young wanna be hacker who thinks life really doesnt have a meaning. These are the people you come to know and love as you turn the pages of this book. They all have their positive and negative traits and are all fleshed out enough that you are really able to understand each of these peoples motivations. I was rooting for these people to succeed and was fully invested into every single one.
I genuinely had a hard time putting this novel down between reading sessions because i found everything just so interesting. I eouldnt call this book an action thriller more of a drama thriller with small pacthes of action sprinkled in but i never found myself getting bored which happens more frequently than i would like to admit the last few years while reading.
I absolutley loved this novel. Almost everything about it to me combines and makes one hell of a nihilistic fast paced theme park ride. Just don't go in expecting everyone to get a happy ending.
September 22, 2023
Review originally on JamReads
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence is an interesting heist story, set in the universe of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, written by the veteran Polish author Rafał Kosik, and published by Orbit Books. A novel that will be greatly enjoyed by those with a previous contact with Night City and its terminology, as the author doesn't lose the time introducing us to it, jumping directly into the electrifying story.
A novel with an enormous cast of characters, used to create a choral story around a big heist and Night City; with wildly different origins, but all joined for the same goal: a mission to take down a Militech convoy. Kosik jumps multiple times between the different POVs, giving each one a distinctive voice that let you recognise them in a few paragraphs, and trust me, you will need it; it will happen during all the book.
The vibes and the setting of Night City are recreated with an incredible level of detail, just taking the assumption you had a previous contact with it; we will visit several parts of it, from corpo towers to the poorest neighborhoods. You become a part of the city, being able to see how different the people become under this system, from chromed soldiers to netrunners. All trapped in this job by blackmail.
Plot wise, No Coincidence is a big heist story, really intricate and complex; an operation that might fail if just one of their pieces goes down, bringing down all. Pacing is frenetic, and it can feel overwhelming at times; tension can be cut with a knife. Despite the chapters are relatively long, as we are jumping from one character to another in such brief spaces as one page, the story flows really well; a decision that fits quite nicely with the rest of the picture.
If you like the Cyberpunk 2077, or you are a big fan of action stories, I can totally recommend you this novel; it will be a delightful reading experience. Don't hesitate and scratch that itch to get more of this universe!
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence is an interesting heist story, set in the universe of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, written by the veteran Polish author Rafał Kosik, and published by Orbit Books. A novel that will be greatly enjoyed by those with a previous contact with Night City and its terminology, as the author doesn't lose the time introducing us to it, jumping directly into the electrifying story.
A novel with an enormous cast of characters, used to create a choral story around a big heist and Night City; with wildly different origins, but all joined for the same goal: a mission to take down a Militech convoy. Kosik jumps multiple times between the different POVs, giving each one a distinctive voice that let you recognise them in a few paragraphs, and trust me, you will need it; it will happen during all the book.
The vibes and the setting of Night City are recreated with an incredible level of detail, just taking the assumption you had a previous contact with it; we will visit several parts of it, from corpo towers to the poorest neighborhoods. You become a part of the city, being able to see how different the people become under this system, from chromed soldiers to netrunners. All trapped in this job by blackmail.
Plot wise, No Coincidence is a big heist story, really intricate and complex; an operation that might fail if just one of their pieces goes down, bringing down all. Pacing is frenetic, and it can feel overwhelming at times; tension can be cut with a knife. Despite the chapters are relatively long, as we are jumping from one character to another in such brief spaces as one page, the story flows really well; a decision that fits quite nicely with the rest of the picture.
If you like the Cyberpunk 2077, or you are a big fan of action stories, I can totally recommend you this novel; it will be a delightful reading experience. Don't hesitate and scratch that itch to get more of this universe!
October 10, 2023
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/09/29/...
Whatever you feel about Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no denying video game tie-in fiction has gotten a lot better as a whole in recent years. This has also led to a change in the way I review the genre, holding them up to a higher standard so that we may continue to get quality reads for a long time to come. As such, while 3.5 stars might come across as a middling rating for the first official novel of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, the truth is I enjoyed No Coincidence more than I thought I would, and it was actually quite impressive for a video game novel.
Plotwise, it is essentially a heist story. While it is set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077, playing the game is not a prerequisite, nor is watching the Netflix animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The plot of the novel stands alone, following a crew of misfits who are reluctantly roped into a dangerous job by a mysterious employer who holds something over each of their heads. All the characters are as different as they are interconnected; we have an army veteran turned mercenary, a rookie netrunner (a cybernetically augmented hacker), a freewheeling corporate negotiator, a desperate ripperdoc (a medical professional specializing in cyberware), and a stripper with a child who needs a lifesaving operation. Like any heist crew, each member brings a specialized skill to the table, but they are all united by a singular goal: to rob a Militech convoy of their precious cargo. Of course, not one of them has a clear idea of what it is they’re trying to steal. Still, does it matter as long as it’ll make them a lot of money?
The problem with most heists though, is that nothing is ever as simple and straightforward as it seems. One job always leads to another, often leading to deadly consequences as the situation spirals out of control. Our disparate characters must learn to overcome their differences to not only work together but also depend on each other, or else one by one, Night City will eat them alive.
Again, you can read this book even with no prior knowledge of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise. But would it help if you did? Definitely. From the publisher description alone, you can see how heavily the story leans on references to the game world and lore, simply based on the jargon and terminology. From the very beginning, readers are thrown into the thick of things and unless you are an experienced sci-fi enthusiast or already a cyberpunk genre fan, all the details you’ll need to take in on the fly can get pretty overwhelming. As someone who has played the game though, and actually liked it a lot, my experience admittedly felt somewhat easier as the setting was already familiar.
In fact, being a fan of the game might have biased me against the book a little. Sure, it felt grand to be back in Night City, but that would be the extent of the connection I felt. For the most part, the writing captured the spirit of the characters embodying the gritty and downtrodden mood of the setting—which was a good thing, don’t get me wrong! At the same time though, I wanted and needed more. It simply wasn’t enough to get more of the same; I wanted characters that transcended the game because now I was back in the world in another medium, yet there was nothing memorable or notable about the people I’m reading about beyond what I’d already expected.
But like I said, I’m being picky. If you’re looking for a good heist novel, No Coincidence delivers. Bonus if you feel drawn to the world of Cyberpunk 2077 or can appreciate its aura of bleakness that you can also see manifesting in its desperate populace. This makes the book somewhat unique because there is so much the franchise brings to the table even in the well-established genre of cyberpunk in general while still expanding on the world of the game. Fans will be delighted by how at home this story will feel in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe because of the way the writing captures the game thematically and stylistically. At the same time, it manages to be fun and exciting, which will appeal to newcomers as well.
Whatever you feel about Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no denying video game tie-in fiction has gotten a lot better as a whole in recent years. This has also led to a change in the way I review the genre, holding them up to a higher standard so that we may continue to get quality reads for a long time to come. As such, while 3.5 stars might come across as a middling rating for the first official novel of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise, the truth is I enjoyed No Coincidence more than I thought I would, and it was actually quite impressive for a video game novel.
Plotwise, it is essentially a heist story. While it is set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077, playing the game is not a prerequisite, nor is watching the Netflix animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The plot of the novel stands alone, following a crew of misfits who are reluctantly roped into a dangerous job by a mysterious employer who holds something over each of their heads. All the characters are as different as they are interconnected; we have an army veteran turned mercenary, a rookie netrunner (a cybernetically augmented hacker), a freewheeling corporate negotiator, a desperate ripperdoc (a medical professional specializing in cyberware), and a stripper with a child who needs a lifesaving operation. Like any heist crew, each member brings a specialized skill to the table, but they are all united by a singular goal: to rob a Militech convoy of their precious cargo. Of course, not one of them has a clear idea of what it is they’re trying to steal. Still, does it matter as long as it’ll make them a lot of money?
The problem with most heists though, is that nothing is ever as simple and straightforward as it seems. One job always leads to another, often leading to deadly consequences as the situation spirals out of control. Our disparate characters must learn to overcome their differences to not only work together but also depend on each other, or else one by one, Night City will eat them alive.
Again, you can read this book even with no prior knowledge of the Cyberpunk 2077 franchise. But would it help if you did? Definitely. From the publisher description alone, you can see how heavily the story leans on references to the game world and lore, simply based on the jargon and terminology. From the very beginning, readers are thrown into the thick of things and unless you are an experienced sci-fi enthusiast or already a cyberpunk genre fan, all the details you’ll need to take in on the fly can get pretty overwhelming. As someone who has played the game though, and actually liked it a lot, my experience admittedly felt somewhat easier as the setting was already familiar.
In fact, being a fan of the game might have biased me against the book a little. Sure, it felt grand to be back in Night City, but that would be the extent of the connection I felt. For the most part, the writing captured the spirit of the characters embodying the gritty and downtrodden mood of the setting—which was a good thing, don’t get me wrong! At the same time though, I wanted and needed more. It simply wasn’t enough to get more of the same; I wanted characters that transcended the game because now I was back in the world in another medium, yet there was nothing memorable or notable about the people I’m reading about beyond what I’d already expected.
But like I said, I’m being picky. If you’re looking for a good heist novel, No Coincidence delivers. Bonus if you feel drawn to the world of Cyberpunk 2077 or can appreciate its aura of bleakness that you can also see manifesting in its desperate populace. This makes the book somewhat unique because there is so much the franchise brings to the table even in the well-established genre of cyberpunk in general while still expanding on the world of the game. Fans will be delighted by how at home this story will feel in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe because of the way the writing captures the game thematically and stylistically. At the same time, it manages to be fun and exciting, which will appeal to newcomers as well.
August 15, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
This book is for the people who played the game and watched the Netflix show, as the references is just thrown out there. It's not a bad thing, but I can't imagine reading this book without having played the game first.
All in all the book is very much Cyberpunk 2077, the gangs and lives of Night City is right there, and as mentioned above there are a lot of cool references if you played the game.
The book also shares some similarities with the Cyberpunk: Edgerunner series on Netflix, which make sense since the author helped with the script.
But for me the big character gallery and constant, violent switching of POV made the book very confusing, and I didn't have time to connect to the characters. It's a shame, because the characters are so important in a story set in a cyberpunk setting.
I'll admit I got more interested in the story in the end, but the start is very slow.
Even though this book wasn't for me I would still reccommend it to Cyberpunk fans, as a cool, little side mission heist story.
This book is for the people who played the game and watched the Netflix show, as the references is just thrown out there. It's not a bad thing, but I can't imagine reading this book without having played the game first.
All in all the book is very much Cyberpunk 2077, the gangs and lives of Night City is right there, and as mentioned above there are a lot of cool references if you played the game.
The book also shares some similarities with the Cyberpunk: Edgerunner series on Netflix, which make sense since the author helped with the script.
But for me the big character gallery and constant, violent switching of POV made the book very confusing, and I didn't have time to connect to the characters. It's a shame, because the characters are so important in a story set in a cyberpunk setting.
I'll admit I got more interested in the story in the end, but the start is very slow.
Even though this book wasn't for me I would still reccommend it to Cyberpunk fans, as a cool, little side mission heist story.
March 18, 2024
Wow, what an incredibly hard book to read! I love the cyberpunk genre and have read everything from cyberpunk I can get my hands on. I wanted to give this book 2 stars, but upon further meditation my conscience would not allow it. This book was difficult to finish. Perhaps it is a translation issue, but Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence was a scattered amalgam of characters, thoughts, and threads of unused plot points that were uninteresting and dull in a setting of street grime, corruption, and military action. Finishing this book took Herculean effort=-(
October 6, 2023
I'm a very big fan of the cyberpunk universe and also recently got into Cyberpunk Red.
That being said, I got more than half-way through this book before I decided its not for me. I don't really care for any of the characters and things went pretty slowly for me mid-way through the book without any real promise that things would take an original turn.
The concept so far feels unoriginal as well.
If anything, I far more enjoyed the graphic novels instead. Especially Blackout and The Voice are the best stories from the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.
That being said, I got more than half-way through this book before I decided its not for me. I don't really care for any of the characters and things went pretty slowly for me mid-way through the book without any real promise that things would take an original turn.
The concept so far feels unoriginal as well.
If anything, I far more enjoyed the graphic novels instead. Especially Blackout and The Voice are the best stories from the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.
October 5, 2024
A könyvben megismerhetjük Night city utcáin történő kegyetlenségeket és az emberek egyre csak züllő életmódját.🤪
Kicsit sok eseményszálon fut a történet, ami bizonyos szempontból jó is meg rossz is.
Az összes karakter szemszögét és múltját megismerhetjük ezáltal, de ez nagy mértékben megnehezíti az sztori követését, hogy éppen ki is van most reflektrofényben. 🧐
Fokozatosan egyre izgalmasabbá válik sztori, hiszen sok kicsi mozaikból kell összeraknunk a történetet.
Csak szépen lassan ismerjük meg azt, hogy a szereplőink ténylegesen kicsodák és mi is az ami egymáshoz köti őket.🤔
A főszereplőinket látszólag véletlenszerűen verbúválják össze egy közös akcióra, azonban hamar kiderül, hogy valaki a háttérben mozgatja a szálakat. 👀
Kicsit sok eseményszálon fut a történet, ami bizonyos szempontból jó is meg rossz is.
Az összes karakter szemszögét és múltját megismerhetjük ezáltal, de ez nagy mértékben megnehezíti az sztori követését, hogy éppen ki is van most reflektrofényben. 🧐
Fokozatosan egyre izgalmasabbá válik sztori, hiszen sok kicsi mozaikból kell összeraknunk a történetet.
Csak szépen lassan ismerjük meg azt, hogy a szereplőink ténylegesen kicsodák és mi is az ami egymáshoz köti őket.🤔
A főszereplőinket látszólag véletlenszerűen verbúválják össze egy közös akcióra, azonban hamar kiderül, hogy valaki a háttérben mozgatja a szálakat. 👀
August 11, 2024
Osadzona w cyberpunkowym settingu powieść akcji. Wszystko zaczyna się od tego, że pewien człowiek wynajmuje grupę ludzi do napadu na magazyn państwowej jednostki militarnej i kradzież kontenera. Za wykonanie zadania mają dostać kasę, albo mają się pozbyć długów, albo po prostu zostali zaszantażowani. Nie znają się, nie mają ze sobą nic wspólnego. Mają marne szanse na powodzenie.
Ale, spoiler!, udaje się, a potem ten kontener z tajemniczą zawartością staje się najbardziej poszukiwanym przedmiotem w Night City, gdzie królują korporacje, ludzie bez wszczepów to rzadkość.
Wszystkie elementy cyberpunka są odhaczone, akcja jest wartka, trup ściele się gęsto, nawet i romans jest.
Ale, spoiler!, udaje się, a potem ten kontener z tajemniczą zawartością staje się najbardziej poszukiwanym przedmiotem w Night City, gdzie królują korporacje, ludzie bez wszczepów to rzadkość.
Wszystkie elementy cyberpunka są odhaczone, akcja jest wartka, trup ściele się gęsto, nawet i romans jest.
July 15, 2023
I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for this.
If you’re a fan of cyberpunk 2077, the cyberpunk RPG or the cyberpunk genre in general then this is a good addition and an enjoyable read!
There’s some interesting expansion on Bartmoss and the Blackwall and what would happen if someone broke through. There’s also many of the things we know and love from Cyberpunk such as ripper docs, netrunners, cybernetic augmentation, Night City and the different gangs and corporations.
This would also be good for fans of heist novels/ it follows a group of individuals from different backgrounds with no criminal records who are brought together to do a job for a fixer. Things start to get complicated though and secrets from their pasts start to come out as people try to use them against them.
This was an exciting read and a good addition if you want more cyberpunk content!
If you’re a fan of cyberpunk 2077, the cyberpunk RPG or the cyberpunk genre in general then this is a good addition and an enjoyable read!
There’s some interesting expansion on Bartmoss and the Blackwall and what would happen if someone broke through. There’s also many of the things we know and love from Cyberpunk such as ripper docs, netrunners, cybernetic augmentation, Night City and the different gangs and corporations.
This would also be good for fans of heist novels/ it follows a group of individuals from different backgrounds with no criminal records who are brought together to do a job for a fixer. Things start to get complicated though and secrets from their pasts start to come out as people try to use them against them.
This was an exciting read and a good addition if you want more cyberpunk content!
August 6, 2023
Z perspektywy gracza: cztery gwiazdki. Mimo to myślę, że czytelnik, który gry nie zna nie powinien mieć problemu z wejściem w świat. Choć próg wejścia nie jest niski - to literatura gatunkowa, a u najlepszych przedstawicieli cyberpunku trzeba się również trochę napocić na wstępie. Ponadto to literatura rozrywkowa, a nie problemowa science fiction, z której znany jest Rafał Kosik (dorosłym czytelnikom). Życzę powodzenia na międzynarodowych rynkach, z okazji jednoczesnego wydania także w Wielkiej Brytanii i USA.
May 5, 2024
If you're looking for more content from the world of cyberpunk then this book may be enjoyable for you, otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it. As a fan of the wider franchise, I was excited to read a novel set within Night City, thankfully this book doesn't hold back in its attempt to immerse the reader into the world and throws you into the deep end with its constant references to Night City's districts, characters and vernacular (unfortunately if you're a newcomer to the series this isn't the greatest introduction and starting point).
While I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this novel, there was a noticeable lack of character development for most of the main cast and the relationship between certain characters felt rushed and out of place. There was also an issue with pacing as the point of view would constantly switch from character to character every few paragraphs, this worked well for the first couple of chapters and in sections with action, but this quickly became confusing as the plot slowed down during its midsection where more characters and side plots were being explored.
While I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this novel, there was a noticeable lack of character development for most of the main cast and the relationship between certain characters felt rushed and out of place. There was also an issue with pacing as the point of view would constantly switch from character to character every few paragraphs, this worked well for the first couple of chapters and in sections with action, but this quickly became confusing as the plot slowed down during its midsection where more characters and side plots were being explored.
January 12, 2024
Abgebrochen bei 64%
Sobald man das Gefühl hat, in einer Szene angekommen zu sein geschieht ein Wechsel. Nicht nur Ort und Zeit, sondern auch Charakter-POVs werden umhergeworfen wie Konfetti. Hunderte Seiten ohne Ruhe. Von einem verkappten Privatleben stolpert man ins nächste, alles vermischt sich. Ich bin mir immer noch nicht sicher, wer wer war und wer welche Umstände hatte. So ist es unmöglich, sich mit den Figuren zu identifizieren - was wiederum gut zu Cyberpunk und Night City passt.
Ich konnte es trotzdem nicht fertigbringen, das Buch zuende zu lesen. Dabei hatte ich mich so darauf gefreut, mehr Zeit im Cyberpunk-Universum zu verbringen :( tja, da muss ich wohl stattdessen ein neues Playthrough starten.
Sobald man das Gefühl hat, in einer Szene angekommen zu sein geschieht ein Wechsel. Nicht nur Ort und Zeit, sondern auch Charakter-POVs werden umhergeworfen wie Konfetti. Hunderte Seiten ohne Ruhe. Von einem verkappten Privatleben stolpert man ins nächste, alles vermischt sich. Ich bin mir immer noch nicht sicher, wer wer war und wer welche Umstände hatte. So ist es unmöglich, sich mit den Figuren zu identifizieren - was wiederum gut zu Cyberpunk und Night City passt.
Ich konnte es trotzdem nicht fertigbringen, das Buch zuende zu lesen. Dabei hatte ich mich so darauf gefreut, mehr Zeit im Cyberpunk-Universum zu verbringen :( tja, da muss ich wohl stattdessen ein neues Playthrough starten.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2023
Firstly this isn’t a jumping off point into cyberpunk, if you don’t know what a brain dance is or how netrunning works you’re gonna be lost because they don’t explain it. Needlessly complicated, just because it’s a heist story doesn’t mean you need to make the details so muddy and convoluted so that we can’t follow until your big reveal you have planned. Character waits two days so consider a body of someone cut and stabbed 50 times in their own apartment was possibly a murder.
January 25, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ Technically the story feels like it could be a 4, but the way it’s written is so difficult to follow and get immersed in, that I decided on officially giving it 3 stars.
December 4, 2023
Y'a ce jeu là... Celui avec un cheval et un sorceleur taciturne, mais si, celui qui se base sur l'incroyable travail d'un auteur polonais de fantasy : Des Chefs d'œuvre, les romans et le jeu.
Y'a ce roman là... Celui avec des gens du futur, mais si, celui qui se base sur l'incroyable travail d'un studio polonais de jeu vidéo. Chef d'œuvre. Le jeu seulement. Parce que le roman, comment dire...
Roman basé sur le jeu vidéo Cyberpunk 2077 du studio CD Projekt Red, basé lui-même sur le jeu de rôle papier Cyberpunk 2020. C'est bien, ça donne à l'auteur un univers riche à partir duquel puiser ses idées... Mais ça peut aussi rebuter quiconque n'est pas familier de l'univers. En effet, l'auteur ne s'embarasse pas d'expliquer les nombreux termes et autres noms propres utilisés (Maelstrom, Netrunners, Cyberpsychose, Trauma Team, Arasaka etc.). Cela ne rend pas la lecture impossible pour autant, mais un glossaire ou un petit rappel avant d'introduire ces notions n'auraient pas été de trop.
Bon, ergotage mis à part :
On est sur un roman qui mélange les genres : Sci-fi, "film de braquage", et enquête (avec son indémodable flic désabusé sur le départ qui sent la vodka du futur et la clope à plein nez... Ou la vapoteuse goût fraise de l'espace, en tout cas ce qu'ils fument dans leur univers).
L'histoire se concentre sur environ six personnages lambda, qui n'ont rien de voyous et qui vont se retrouver ensemble (par hasard ?) pour commettre un vol de matos cyber 2.0 du futur futuristique.
La structure du roman est découpée à la manière d'un film de braquage classique (Ocean's Eleven, Baby Driver...) mais ce qui fonctionne à l'écran fonctionne un peu moins à l'écrit. On se retrouve avec 3 ou 4 points de vue différents sur à peine 3 pages, parfois les points de vues sont entremêlés sans grande différenciation au sein d'un même paragraphe. Bref le tout est parfois un peu confus.
La multiplication de ces points de vues et de ces nombreux personnages dans un roman assez court de ce type (400 pages et quelques) fait qu'on ne s'attache à aucun d'entre eux car aucune histoire n'est assez développée. Plutôt dommage car chaque protagoniste est intéressant et on aimerait en savoir beaucoup plus sur leur histoire. Ce qui fait que malheureusement, on tourne les pages sans trop se soucier du sort de nos personnages et l'investissement dans l'histoire s'en retrouve réduit. (On est loin d'un Peter F Hamilton ou d'un Dan Simmons qui pond un roman entier juste pour établir le passé des personnages. Un juste milieu à trouver peut-être ?)
Au final, c'est dans les 50 dernières pages qu'on commence à comprendre les motivations des personnages ainsi que leurs complexités.
Concernant les thèmes abordés au-delà de l'histoire générale, on reste sur de la SF classique : l'IA, l'upload (ou téleversement en bon français) de cerveau vers les machines, les pauvres qui sont très pauvres, les riches qui sont très riches. Les réflexions ne sont jamais poussées très loin cependant. Après, est-ce ce qu'on demande à un polar / "heist movie as a book" ?
En bref, si vous êtes fan de l'univers de Cyberpunk 2020/2077, foncez, vous allez sûrement beaucoup apprécier le développement de l'univers hors de la sphère du JV ou de la série animée. Cependant, si vous n'avez jamais entendu parler ou ne connaissez pas cet univers, vous y trouverez un roman sympathique qui fait passer le temps mais vraiment pas mémorable. C'est plutôt dommage car l'écriture est plutôt bonne et l'auteur a des idées intéressantes , mais le roman est beaucoup trop court pour pouvoir les développer de manière exhaustive.
À voir si l'auteur a écrit d'autres choses hors de ce carcan licence Cyberpunk qu'il faut vite vendre entre la la hype de la série animée Netflix et le jeu.
Y'a ce roman là... Celui avec des gens du futur, mais si, celui qui se base sur l'incroyable travail d'un studio polonais de jeu vidéo. Chef d'œuvre. Le jeu seulement. Parce que le roman, comment dire...
Roman basé sur le jeu vidéo Cyberpunk 2077 du studio CD Projekt Red, basé lui-même sur le jeu de rôle papier Cyberpunk 2020. C'est bien, ça donne à l'auteur un univers riche à partir duquel puiser ses idées... Mais ça peut aussi rebuter quiconque n'est pas familier de l'univers. En effet, l'auteur ne s'embarasse pas d'expliquer les nombreux termes et autres noms propres utilisés (Maelstrom, Netrunners, Cyberpsychose, Trauma Team, Arasaka etc.). Cela ne rend pas la lecture impossible pour autant, mais un glossaire ou un petit rappel avant d'introduire ces notions n'auraient pas été de trop.
Bon, ergotage mis à part :
On est sur un roman qui mélange les genres : Sci-fi, "film de braquage", et enquête (avec son indémodable flic désabusé sur le départ qui sent la vodka du futur et la clope à plein nez... Ou la vapoteuse goût fraise de l'espace, en tout cas ce qu'ils fument dans leur univers).
L'histoire se concentre sur environ six personnages lambda, qui n'ont rien de voyous et qui vont se retrouver ensemble (par hasard ?) pour commettre un vol de matos cyber 2.0 du futur futuristique.
La structure du roman est découpée à la manière d'un film de braquage classique (Ocean's Eleven, Baby Driver...) mais ce qui fonctionne à l'écran fonctionne un peu moins à l'écrit. On se retrouve avec 3 ou 4 points de vue différents sur à peine 3 pages, parfois les points de vues sont entremêlés sans grande différenciation au sein d'un même paragraphe. Bref le tout est parfois un peu confus.
La multiplication de ces points de vues et de ces nombreux personnages dans un roman assez court de ce type (400 pages et quelques) fait qu'on ne s'attache à aucun d'entre eux car aucune histoire n'est assez développée. Plutôt dommage car chaque protagoniste est intéressant et on aimerait en savoir beaucoup plus sur leur histoire. Ce qui fait que malheureusement, on tourne les pages sans trop se soucier du sort de nos personnages et l'investissement dans l'histoire s'en retrouve réduit. (On est loin d'un Peter F Hamilton ou d'un Dan Simmons qui pond un roman entier juste pour établir le passé des personnages. Un juste milieu à trouver peut-être ?)
Au final, c'est dans les 50 dernières pages qu'on commence à comprendre les motivations des personnages ainsi que leurs complexités.
Concernant les thèmes abordés au-delà de l'histoire générale, on reste sur de la SF classique : l'IA, l'upload (ou téleversement en bon français) de cerveau vers les machines, les pauvres qui sont très pauvres, les riches qui sont très riches. Les réflexions ne sont jamais poussées très loin cependant. Après, est-ce ce qu'on demande à un polar / "heist movie as a book" ?
En bref, si vous êtes fan de l'univers de Cyberpunk 2020/2077, foncez, vous allez sûrement beaucoup apprécier le développement de l'univers hors de la sphère du JV ou de la série animée. Cependant, si vous n'avez jamais entendu parler ou ne connaissez pas cet univers, vous y trouverez un roman sympathique qui fait passer le temps mais vraiment pas mémorable. C'est plutôt dommage car l'écriture est plutôt bonne et l'auteur a des idées intéressantes , mais le roman est beaucoup trop court pour pouvoir les développer de manière exhaustive.
À voir si l'auteur a écrit d'autres choses hors de ce carcan licence Cyberpunk qu'il faut vite vendre entre la la hype de la série animée Netflix et le jeu.
April 10, 2025
I think it created a great image of the world filled with adds, consumerism, violence and corruption. the main characters have different traits but in the end they all feel stupid. The last 40 pages feel rushed, I don't even know if I understand everything that happened.
At times (a lot of times) the narration is weird. It uses tha same vocabulary as the characters, which is broken english or just simple english with a couple of swears. With characters I understand, it creats depth and makes a clear image for said characters, but I understand little with such language in the narration.
Overall I liked it and i recommend it for those who like a cyberpunk vibe, but there are too many little (and sometimes big) 'mistakes' to give it more than 3 stars.
At times (a lot of times) the narration is weird. It uses tha same vocabulary as the characters, which is broken english or just simple english with a couple of swears. With characters I understand, it creats depth and makes a clear image for said characters, but I understand little with such language in the narration.
Overall I liked it and i recommend it for those who like a cyberpunk vibe, but there are too many little (and sometimes big) 'mistakes' to give it more than 3 stars.
February 21, 2024
Night City bietet dir alles.
Night City nimmt dir alles.
Night City verschlingt dich.
5 Sterne weils einfach wahnsinnig toll war, in das Universum einzutauchen. Es macht richtig bock, nochmals den Anime zu rewatchen oder das Spiel wieder zu spielen. Kann mir aber nicht vorstellen, dass man viel versteht, wenn man zuvor 0 Berührungspunkte mit dem Spiel oder dem Anime hatte.
3 Sterne weil die POV Wechsel innerhalb der Kapitel teilweise sehr anstrengend wurden. 3 Sterne weil die ersten 3/4 richtig gut waren und der letzte Viertel eher meh war.
Night City nimmt dir alles.
Night City verschlingt dich.
5 Sterne weils einfach wahnsinnig toll war, in das Universum einzutauchen. Es macht richtig bock, nochmals den Anime zu rewatchen oder das Spiel wieder zu spielen. Kann mir aber nicht vorstellen, dass man viel versteht, wenn man zuvor 0 Berührungspunkte mit dem Spiel oder dem Anime hatte.
3 Sterne weil die POV Wechsel innerhalb der Kapitel teilweise sehr anstrengend wurden. 3 Sterne weil die ersten 3/4 richtig gut waren und der letzte Viertel eher meh war.
April 25, 2024
Spannendes Buch aus dem Cyberpunk Universum. Vorwissen aus Spiel oder Serie ist unumgänglich, ansonsten versteht man nichts. An die sprunghafte Erzählung muss man sich gewöhnen, am Ende geht der Spannung die Puste aus.
March 7, 2025
Welp, you know what they say about Night City
October 8, 2025
Nobody in NC gets a happy ending.
Read
September 22, 2023Nie mogę ocenić tej książki pozytywnie. Jest dobra, ale tylko w tym sensie, że poprawna. Generalnie jej doły nie są głębokie, ale góry nie są wysokie (czego w sumie można się spodziewać po korporacyjnej licencji na tytuł). Rozczarowuje o tyle, że miejscami daje nadzieję na wybicie się ponad średnią.
To co trzeba docenić, to bogaty świat, pełen szczegółów, spójnie łączących się w żywe, wiarygodne przestrzenie. Postacie są dość angażujące, akcja jest dobrze napisana i wciągająca.
A teraz krytyka:
1. Narracja oparta na oklepanych kliszach. Sztampowe są i łuki narracyjne i postacie i relacje między nimi i zwroty akcji. Wszystko jak wyjęte z filmu akcji lat 80., ale bez inspiracji, refleksji. Z zegarkiem można śledzić kolejne zwroty akcji. Cały pomysł na grupę z przypadku jest bardzo typowy dla kina akcji, tylko że to nie jest nawiązanie, tylko kopia. Nic nowego w narracji, to jest rozczarowanie.
2. Poszatkowana fabuła, metodą montażu. Szybkie cięcia, też filmowa metoda, momentami przeplot aż 4 różnych scen. Każde cięcie kończy się mini cliffhangerem. Kawałki tekstu były tak krótkie, że zaczęło się to robić irytujące.
3. Wątek policyjny... po co? Relatywnie słaby, niewiele wnosił. Dawał zalążek może narracji sieciowej, ale raczej dawał poczucie wepchniętego i niedokończonego.
4. CRINGE. I nie chodzi mi o celowy cringe, kamień węgielny cyberpunka jako gatunku, czyli transmisje Fr33k s33k3r, które były niewątpliwie bardzo krindżowe. Raczej o (chyba) mniej celowy cringe pojawiający się w innych miejscach, w szczególności w dość żenujących opisach trójwymiarowego surfowania po sieci, oraz w transhumanistycznych wynurzeniach Alberta, co prowadzi do...
5. Transhumanizm z dyskontu, tania filozofia i fałszywa transgresja. Bardzo to było edgelordowe, tylko że to wyważanie otwartych drzwi i niespecjalnie imponujące w 2023 roku. Są lepsze książki na ten temat (już nie mówiąc o Lemie, który był tam dekady wcześniej), tutaj to było raczej lekkie pitolenie. Na pewno nie jest jakoś bardzo źle, bo znam SF, które bierze to w gorsze rejony. Problem raczej w tym, że ta pozorna transgresywność jest właśnie tylko estetyką, umacniając konserwatywność gatunku cyberpunk, regresywność tego gatunku. Z płciowością to samo - niby można wszystko, ale bardziej mowa o dewiacjach niż emancypacji. Pozbycie się ograniczeń jest powodem upadku metaforycznej wieży Babel, a moralnym punktem odniesienia wciąż jest konserwatywny standard.
6. Wątpliwie napisane postaci neuroatypowe. Idk, czułem dyskomfort.
7. Technologia jest oszustwem narracyjnym. Zwróćcie uwagę na możliwości i ograniczenia technologii w tej książce. Mimo że ten świat posiada nieprawdopodobnie potężne, cudowne technologie, to jakimś trafem, ich potęga ogranicza się zawsze tam, gdzie narracja tego potrzebuje. W zasadzie to głównym motorem posuwania się akcji jest właśnie technologia, dużo bardziej niż sami ludzie. Kiedy coś się dzieje, to przez jakieś urządzenie (przez, dzięki, pomimo). Technologia w zasadzie jest kształtowana przez narrację. Jakieś to takie mało wiarygodne jest.
8. Zakończenie to nie jest czas na retrospekcje, sorry. Trzeba było wcześniej. W ogóle końcówka jest taka niedopisana, dostaje turboakceleracji i się urywa.
Krytyka pozytywna:
Dwie rzeczy jednak trzeba naświetlić, ale tak pozytywnie. Po pierwsze: ładnie namalowany koszmar neoliberalnego korporacyjnego militarystycznego kapitalizmu. To widać w szczegółach, w konstrukcji świata, atmosferze. Akurat to jest bardzo konsekwentne i wiarygodne. Oczywiście przerysowane, ale w dobrym sensie - takie ma być w Cyberpunku, nieco komiksowe.
Po drugie: wprowadzanie koloru skóry. Tzn. etniczność faktycznie nie jest domyślnie biała, postacie nie są etykietowane w pierwszym zdaniu kolorem skóry. To jest wprowadzane później, jakby przy okazji - ale jednak celowo. To jest fajne i mądre.
To co trzeba docenić, to bogaty świat, pełen szczegółów, spójnie łączących się w żywe, wiarygodne przestrzenie. Postacie są dość angażujące, akcja jest dobrze napisana i wciągająca.
A teraz krytyka:
1. Narracja oparta na oklepanych kliszach. Sztampowe są i łuki narracyjne i postacie i relacje między nimi i zwroty akcji. Wszystko jak wyjęte z filmu akcji lat 80., ale bez inspiracji, refleksji. Z zegarkiem można śledzić kolejne zwroty akcji. Cały pomysł na grupę z przypadku jest bardzo typowy dla kina akcji, tylko że to nie jest nawiązanie, tylko kopia. Nic nowego w narracji, to jest rozczarowanie.
2. Poszatkowana fabuła, metodą montażu. Szybkie cięcia, też filmowa metoda, momentami przeplot aż 4 różnych scen. Każde cięcie kończy się mini cliffhangerem. Kawałki tekstu były tak krótkie, że zaczęło się to robić irytujące.
3. Wątek policyjny... po co? Relatywnie słaby, niewiele wnosił. Dawał zalążek może narracji sieciowej, ale raczej dawał poczucie wepchniętego i niedokończonego.
4. CRINGE. I nie chodzi mi o celowy cringe, kamień węgielny cyberpunka jako gatunku, czyli transmisje Fr33k s33k3r, które były niewątpliwie bardzo krindżowe. Raczej o (chyba) mniej celowy cringe pojawiający się w innych miejscach, w szczególności w dość żenujących opisach trójwymiarowego surfowania po sieci, oraz w transhumanistycznych wynurzeniach Alberta, co prowadzi do...
5. Transhumanizm z dyskontu, tania filozofia i fałszywa transgresja. Bardzo to było edgelordowe, tylko że to wyważanie otwartych drzwi i niespecjalnie imponujące w 2023 roku. Są lepsze książki na ten temat (już nie mówiąc o Lemie, który był tam dekady wcześniej), tutaj to było raczej lekkie pitolenie. Na pewno nie jest jakoś bardzo źle, bo znam SF, które bierze to w gorsze rejony. Problem raczej w tym, że ta pozorna transgresywność jest właśnie tylko estetyką, umacniając konserwatywność gatunku cyberpunk, regresywność tego gatunku. Z płciowością to samo - niby można wszystko, ale bardziej mowa o dewiacjach niż emancypacji. Pozbycie się ograniczeń jest powodem upadku metaforycznej wieży Babel, a moralnym punktem odniesienia wciąż jest konserwatywny standard.
6. Wątpliwie napisane postaci neuroatypowe. Idk, czułem dyskomfort.
7. Technologia jest oszustwem narracyjnym. Zwróćcie uwagę na możliwości i ograniczenia technologii w tej książce. Mimo że ten świat posiada nieprawdopodobnie potężne, cudowne technologie, to jakimś trafem, ich potęga ogranicza się zawsze tam, gdzie narracja tego potrzebuje. W zasadzie to głównym motorem posuwania się akcji jest właśnie technologia, dużo bardziej niż sami ludzie. Kiedy coś się dzieje, to przez jakieś urządzenie (przez, dzięki, pomimo). Technologia w zasadzie jest kształtowana przez narrację. Jakieś to takie mało wiarygodne jest.
8. Zakończenie to nie jest czas na retrospekcje, sorry. Trzeba było wcześniej. W ogóle końcówka jest taka niedopisana, dostaje turboakceleracji i się urywa.
Krytyka pozytywna:
Dwie rzeczy jednak trzeba naświetlić, ale tak pozytywnie. Po pierwsze: ładnie namalowany koszmar neoliberalnego korporacyjnego militarystycznego kapitalizmu. To widać w szczegółach, w konstrukcji świata, atmosferze. Akurat to jest bardzo konsekwentne i wiarygodne. Oczywiście przerysowane, ale w dobrym sensie - takie ma być w Cyberpunku, nieco komiksowe.
Po drugie: wprowadzanie koloru skóry. Tzn. etniczność faktycznie nie jest domyślnie biała, postacie nie są etykietowane w pierwszym zdaniu kolorem skóry. To jest wprowadzane później, jakby przy okazji - ale jednak celowo. To jest fajne i mądre.
August 20, 2025
I didn't really know much about the cyberpunk universe before this, but I still enjoyed the story. It was fastpaced and easy to get into. Due to the many perspective changes, you quickly get to know the relatively large cast, although everyone sounded quite similar in their inner monologue.
The ending wasn’t surprising, because it was strongly hinted at, but it felt very rushed. I wish we had gotten more about the underlying experiment and the bigger implications for this world.
The ending wasn’t surprising, because it was strongly hinted at, but it felt very rushed. I wish we had gotten more about the underlying experiment and the bigger implications for this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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