Carson Alvarez > Recent Status Updates

A lot of these last 2 chapters was just slowing down to finally catch up, get ready for what’s next, and give background/context for who these people are that we’ll be with for the whole series. Love how they handle mixing fiction with history. Was one of my favorite parts about the Percy Jackson series too.

Hopefully coming chapters start to pick back up in pace/action.

Fun start to the book! I appreciate when it doesn’t take too long before a book gets us into the events that’ll be propelling us through the series.

This was a series I really enjoyed reading when I was younger (a few years after reading Percy Jackson), but never felt as strongly about as Percy Jackson. I’m excited to see how I feel about the book/series by the end.

It’s not hard at all to see why I was so obsessed with this series when I was growing up. This is such an incredible story, I cannot wait to finish it.

There is so much going on and so many things to keep up with, yet Rick has done a phenomenal job at telling the story in a way that not only makes sense, but is sure to touch on everything that’s been introduced up to this point.
I absolutely love how when he introduces something, he’s gonna make sure to wrap that plot point up.

The dream sections, like the one in this chapter, have been some of my favorite things to read. They’re so interesting and are also where big reveals often happen.
The battle has also been so interesting to read. Seeing how it’s played out, and just how out-matched Percy and his allies feel, makes the stakes feel real. Not a fan of how easy it was to take out the “secret weapon” pig no one had beaten before.

Percy’s got some tough choices ahead…
Really love how this book (and the series in general) does a great job of showing you how things aren’t black and white/ good & evil. There’s lots of nuance which the book does not shy away from. It’s great

Round 2 vs the Minotaur and Percy smokes him. Serves the monster right! Really enjoyed the whole battle depicted throughout the chapter and the following chapter that focuses on Percy’s dream is incredible. This book is nonstop and I love it.

Great little prelude to the invasion with the Olympus stuff. Then we start the fight once and for all. Seems like it’d be unfathomably eerie to have a city that big so quiet, outside of the other battles raging on.

Really excited to see where the story goes from here!

The underworld gets a bad rep. I played Hades so trust me when I say the Lord of the Underworld is just misunderstood!

Seriously though, this one more than maybe any in the series has been a page-turner. I think for me a lot of that comes from 1) the conflict that’s been looming and building since book 1. 2) The massive battle that’s building in this one….and about to begin!

2 chapters in the camp and the mood is dreadful (understandably so). These teenagers are being put through hell, you can’t help but feel bad.

Story wise I really enjoyed how the intrigue has been built in these chapters. Who’s the spy? What’s Kronos planning? How will the prophecy play out? What’s Nico’s plan?! Has me hooked. Can’t wait to find out the answers.

Great start to the book. When you compare this to the others in the series, it’s wild to think how much the stakes have been raised. It’s a much more serious series and as I’ve said before, it feels like it grew up with the readers.

RIP Beckendorf

Damn. I can already tell that I’m going to want to play Witcher 3 after reading the chapter

As expected, the Destiny chapter was incredible. Not too shocking to see how what’s written about here has led to where Bungie is today. Never played Destiny and I won’t play Marathon, but I hope the best for the studio. Maybe bring me in with a single player game, then we’ll talk.

Dragon Age chapter was a bit sad to read bc I have the knowledge that their next game went through just as much development hell as Inquisition. As someone who beat Mina the Hollower not that long ago I loved this Shovel Knight chapter. So nice to see how so much of their dreams have come to fruition. I hope they have continued success!

Was there really no better engine that could’ve been used for Dragon Age: Inquisition other than Frostbite? This is the one chapter where I can go: “ Yeah, I actually knew this”. I still really enjoyed my time with DA, but I felt like it could’ve been even better if so much time wasn’t spent trying to get Frostbite to work with RPGs.

Amazing that Halo Wars is as fun and complete as it is, considering all that went on during development. Kind of ironic reading this part of the chapter that talks about Microsoft closing down the studio right after it released the game when they’re doing the same shit this very day. Infact, they just increased Xbox prices today!

Gotta say, I probably expected but never for sure knew that Halo Wars was made by someone that wasn’t Bungie. The history about the game is super intriguing though. Age of Empire devs and they didn’t even want it to be a Halo game originally..
Is slightly annoying because I get why Bungie didn’t want just anyone messing with their IP, but also, makes their situation now, kinda funny to me

On the one hand, as a reader I feel glad that the Blizzard devs were able to salvage a bad situation and use player feedback to make some much needed changes. These people spent so much time on the game that they should be able to enjoy their rest. On the other hand though, this perhaps unintentionally showed other developers and studios that you can release unfinished work, make $$, and fix later. Very conflicting.

Didn’t want to go too far into the Diablo 4 chapter so we’ll pick up on that likely tomorrow. I already like the direction of the chapter since this is shaping up to be a game that may not have as happy an ending as the first chapters. Also, I can’t begin to imagine what it’d be like for your life to completely change like Eric’s did. It’s nice to see that at least in the book he’s still grounded.

Sometimes it’s lost on me how hellish being a one person developer can be. Eric Barone what would we do without you though. Need to finally try Stardew Valley soon.

Holy smokes, after reading that chapter you have to wonder how a game like Uncharted 4 came out. Much less in the state it is in. Game developers are hero’s! Stardew Valley next.

What a first chapter! I remember hearing great things about Pillars of Eternity, however, to hear all that it took for it to be made…just incredible. Next chapter is Uncharted 4.. and I think I know where it’s headed.

This is gonna be the general theme of the book, but as a gamer you really take for granted how difficult it is for any game to be made. That said I’m REALLY enjoying the background and history for the games being covered, in this case: Pillars of Eternity

Quintus was the guy we were looking for all along? Didn’t expect that. There’s been a lot of great stuff that’s gone on in this book, but so far the Calypso chapter is the one that left the biggest impact on me. I think a lot of it has to do with how tragic her story is, and how you feel for her and Percy because you can tell they’d be so good for each other, but it just can’t happen for him. The end comes

Each challenge feels more insurmountable than the last, and now we’re losing people (for now)!!

Really enjoyed the chapter where Bianca comes back to chat. Yeah she’s been dead, but for me this chapter is where it really felt real, I’m sure in some ways like how it did for the characters. Feels like the first time you can recall this series being that serious.

Can’t wait for the next read.

These Demi gods are much stronger than I (physically and mentally) because I would not be able to be underground for as long as they have 😭

Now Nico is back. I’d be fine with him re joining the group if he drops the attitude…

What is Quintus up to? What’s Annabeth’s prophecy? The book is foreshadowing a death, but who?

Adventure starts this next chapter

Great start to the book, as you’d expect by now. I enjoy that often times Percy is the last to know things, so as readers it keeps the intrigue high as we wonder what’s going on and why Percy hasn’t been told yet.

Plus we got Nico chasing him down potentially? Uh oh…

Such a good chapter. Is Luke 💀? Percy really is that guy! Annabeths dad the goat?