Solarversia: The One Year Game by Toby Downton - Book Review

Book to be published on 31st August 2015. You can pre-order it here Solarversia Pre-order here

I received this advance copy in return for an honest review.

This book is based on the premise that by 2020 a massive online virtual reality video game would exist. Solarversia imagines a virtual world representing our own solar system. The main story of the book tells the story of Nova’s journey through the one year game in Solarversia in 2020. The more you read Solarversia, the more you learn about the virtual reality world.

Nova’s story is the biggest strength of this novel because it adds a human element about the implications of creating a virtual world. Nova has to achieve a balance between playing Solarversia and her life in the real world. Nova wants to become a game designer, which could become a reality if she were to win the 2020 year long game in Solarversia. However, across the year she realises the value of good friends and family support. Nova’s best friends are Burner and Sushi. Both her friends play a key role in this novel, though I do not want to give anything away.

The parallel story which is linked to Nova’s journey is the Holy Order’s quest to create a super artificial intelligence called MAGI. The chapters related to the Holy Order are narrated by Casey. Casey murdered his girlfriend and felt worthless and felt his life was over until he joined the Holy Order. The Holy Order being a fanatical group, commit acts of terrorism to spread fear across the world. AI plays a major role in Solarversia as AI is used in the game to generate puzzles for the 10 million players to solve.

Although prize money is a big motivator for many of the gamers (called Solos) who play Solarversia, many of them have a passion for playing the game and there is the social aspect to Solarversia. Nova chose a place on the player grid to be next to her friend Sushi, so they could be Solarversia sisters. Not only is this book well plotted, it also tries the place virtual reality in a more realistic setting. The world today is dominated by technology and social media. For better or worse the world is well connected in cyberspace. Solarversia is what one would could the next step, a visual interactive space where people can communicate with each other and play games with each other.

My opinion on the Holy Order storyline is that it was well thought out and necessary to place this book in a real life context. Cyber warfare is a modern day reality with many systems getting hacked, including online game networks. Moreover, this novel is the first book by Toby Downton, and it was the first year long game, so there is room for a sequel.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who has read Ready Player One or other similar novels. The main character Nova is likable and her being British is a nice touch as many big Science Fiction novels are written by American authors and set in the USA, so this is a nice change. There is a small romance element to this novel, but it is not overbearing or unrealistic.

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Book 3) - Book Review

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication Date: 2010

The third book in the epic Mistborn series, and it ends with a bang.

Synopsis

Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the deepness - the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists - is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed by guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world and stopping it seems impossible.  

From the very beginning this novel is action packed and draws you in. Whilst reading the chapter where Elend and Vin are using allomancy to fight the Koloss, I could imagine it vividly as if I was there. Sanderson's writing draws you in and then there is no going back. Good fantasy, in my opinion needs strong world building to help create the reality of this book in my head, and this book and the two before it, achieve that. 

The Hero of Ages is more than an epic conclusion to the original Mistborn trilogy; it is also a great character study. Sazed has fallen out of love with his studies because of losing someone he loved. Vin blames herself for the terror that Ruin is causing. Elend is worried about the morality and ethical issues surrounding his decision to become an absolute ruler. Spook, a former member of Kelsier's crew, who now works for Vin and Elend, has to deal with the feeling of being weak compared to the Survivor Kelsier.

I really liked this book a lot and I feel it resolves most of the mysteries outlined in the first two books. The story is well written and certainly makes me want to try reading more novels by Brandon Sanderson.

Rating 9.7/10 

A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwab - Book Review

Published by Titan Books in February 2015




A fantasy book set in London, but not just one London. In this novel there are four Londons: Grey London, Red London, white London and Black London. This book is an urban fantasy, using the common themes you expect from a gritty fantasy novel; that being plenty of shady characters.

The main character Kell is a magician, one of two, who can travel between different Londons. In Grey London he encounters the young thief Deliliah Bard, who gets mixed up in a dangerous adventure with Kell to save all of the worlds.

This novel is nice a fast moving and reads well. I found this book an addictive read, with a good plot and interesting characters. My only criticism is that it leaves me wanting more, as there is the potential for more detailed world building and a further examination of the developing relationship between Kell and Delilah. Is the relationship just friendship or will it lead to more?

I would recommend reading this book if you enjoy reading books by Neil Gaiman and Brandon Sanderson. I am very much excited for the sequel which will be published next year.

Rating 8.8/10 'Addictive Reading'

Orcs Trilogy by Stan Nicholls - Book Review

Orcs is a fantasy series about a band of orcs. The war band called the Wolverines, led by Stryke, complete a mission to steal an object for Queen Jennesta. However, the object is stolen and Stryke decides to lead his war band in pursuit. Once they obtain the object they realise that it is a magical artifact that they call a star. Stryke decides to pursue the rest to find out the truth about his race and essentially deserts Queen Jennesta.

This book is simply a fantasy novel with lots of battles. The events of this novel take place at the same time as a religious war between humans. The Mannis believe in many gods and can be described as pagan, whereas the Unis are monotheistic and consider the elder races as an evil to be vanquished.

I like the fact that the orcs get a starring role in this series and that they are described as a race that is forced to kill others on the command of a Sorceress Queen. The dialogue between the orcs is funny and the Queen Jennesta takes pleasure in ripping out heart to absorb magic. This book is aimed at a mature audience. All in all a decent book.

On the other hand I did feel at time that the battles added little to the story and that the plot pacing was not perfect. The last few chapters were amazing with plenty of plot reveals and sword and sorcery. Read this book if you are a fan of gritty fantasy without a long complex plot.

Rating 6,9/10

Divergent by Veronica Roth - Book Review

First Published by HarperColins in 2011.

Synopsis 

Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit in. 

So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.

The Hardest choice lies ahead. 


In this book a world is imagined as a place where people are divided to maintain a peaceful society. Set in a future Chicago, people are divided into five factions, Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity and Candor. Each faction expects its members to behave to a certain way, for example Abnegation members are meant to always be selfless whereas the Dauntless are supposed to be brave. Similar to the Hunger Games, Veronica Roth uses the story of a strong female character to spark conflict in a society of controlled liberties.

Tris or Beatrice is a sixteen year old girl who must choose her faction, either to stay at the faction she was born into, Abnegation, or to join a new faction. The problem is that during her assessment carried out in a simulation, Tris found out she was Divergent. Divergent are those who can make there own choices and later in the book you learn they can manipulate simulations, making them difficult to control.

This novel is a story about intense training, friends and enemies and some romance. As the book progresses more is revealed about the mysterious Four, Tris's instructor and lover. This book uses character development, along with world building to set the scene for hopefully and action  packed trilogy. I am looking forward to reading Insurgent.

The best things about this book were the world building and the fast paced action packed story. The one negative probably being a slightly sluggish start due to a lack of knowledge about the world Divergent is set in. Like many novels which rely on world building, it is always difficult to strike the correct balance between world building and plot progression. Although the next two books are more like to focus almost entirely on plot and character development, though I am hoping for more information about Candor and Amity.

Rating 8.7/10

Paper Towns by John Green - Book Review

Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Publisher: Bloomsbury
First Published: 2008

The thing about Margo Roth Spiegelman is that really all I could do was let her talk, and then when she stopped talking encourage her to go on, due to the facts that 1. I was incontestably in love with her, and 2. she was absolutely unprecedented in every way, and 3. she never really asked me any questions....

Quentin Jacobson has always loved Margo from afar. So when she climbs through his window to summon him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next morning, Q turns up at school and Margo doesn't. She's left clues to her disappearance, like a trail of breadcrumbs for Q to follow. And everything leads to one unavoidable question: who is the real Margo? 

This was my first experience of reading a John Green book, and I enjoyed it. Paper Towns is a contemporary young adult novel, with themes leaning towards love, friendship and individual identity. John Green uses the characters of Quentin and Margo to show two schools of thought: conformity and nonconformity. Quentin, despite having a small friendship group feels accepted by society and wants to go to college and lead an ordinary life. Margo, on the other hand, has lots of friends but feels isolated and believes the materialistic society to be fake.

The journey that Quentin has to take to try and find Margo involves him learning to think like her. He has to listen to her music and read obscure poetry to fully try and find out who Margo really is. The entire novel could be described as an emotional roller coaster which is both happy and sad.

The novel is mostly set in Orlando, Florida. School life does dominate this novel as it is Quentin's final few weeks of high school. Without giving too much away there is a lot of teenage themes in the novel, involving parties, rebellion and complicated relationships. I think the characters in this book are likable, even Margo. Margo may come across as a snobbish, rebellious hipster, but she is her own person and not a follower of the crowd. Moreover, Margo receives little love from her parents, who are never that concerned when Margo disappears for a long period of time.

The only drawback to this novel is that; it could have been longer. Moreover, it would have been nice to have had some chapters narrated by Margo herself, so the reader can get to know her character better. This book is aimed at teenagers and young adults but I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading YA fiction. I myself have read only some YA novels, but after reading Paper Towns I will definitely read more YA fiction this year.

Rating: 9/10

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn 2) - Brandon Sanderson - Book Review

Vin has killed the Lord Ruler and the Final Empire has fallen but Vin and Elend still have a city to protect from three armies. "Evil has been defeated but the war has just begun."

The plot for the second Mistborn novel is arguable more epic than the first. The full extent of Vin's power is revealed in this book. Moreover, Vin's character is explored more as she is both Elend's bodyguard and lover. I also enjoyed reading more about Elend and his doubts about his own identity. Elend feels like he is a disappointment compared to Kelsier the Survivor.

This book, as a sequel did not disappoint. Like the first book the battles involving Vin using Allomancy are described in an exciting way that makes you continue to read. The remaining members of Kelsier's crew feature a lot in this book, with more funny disagreements between Ham and Breeze. The writing is is good and easy to read and be warned this book can pull you out of this world and into the world of the Mistborn trilogy.

9.5/10

Matilda - Roald Dahl - Book Review

Matilda - written by Roald Dahl
Published in 1988

Matilda is intelligent for her age, by the age of 4 she was reading books by Charles Dickens and other classics. Her parents ignore her amazing intellect and consider her to be a problem child. This short novel tells the story of Matilda's fun battle against her horrible parents and the headmistress Miss Trunchbull.

Roald Dahl's writing is fun and is perfect for children, but as an adult I enjoyed reading it. The chapter's where Matilda puts super glue on her fathers hat and the hair dye are funny and shows children the power of imagination. Miss Trunchbull makes a formidable villain who represents a time when schools still used harsh punishments to discipline children.

Roald Dahl was clearly a believer in encouraging children to love to learn rather than to bully them into it. Matilda's teacher Miss Honey represents a kinder teacher who straight away is amazed by Matilda's academic ability. The character of Matilda shows that there is nothing wrong with being a bookish child who loves to learn and make use of the brain t its maximum potential.

There are many lessons to be taken from Matilda, the main being that one must not underestimate the power of the mind.

Rating 9.9/10

The Final Empire (Mistborn 1) - Brandon Sanderson - Book Review

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.

This was the first time I read a Brandon Sanderson book, and it was amazing. Unlike a lot of fantasy I have read in the past, this book has a fast paced thrilling story. The magic system is logical and well thought out and the use of light and shade creates a world full of tension.

The main characters are Vin and Kelsier. Vin was a teenage girl living in a Skaa thieving gang. Kelsier was a man ready to cause trouble among the nobility. The skaa are basically peasants the working people who are subject to the wrath of the Lord Ruler. Vin ends up becoming a member of Kelsier's gang of thieves who happen to be allomancers, who are planning to do the hardest job yet, destroying the Final Empire.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about a strong willed heroine. Vin is a character who end up being torn between love and her duty to help Kelsier bring down the Final Empire.

The battle scenes  involving Vin and Kelsier using Allomancy are well described, it was as I was watching a fantasy action movie in my head.

A good quick and thrilling read. 9.4/10

Book Review: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

After three years in prison, Shadow has done his time. But as the time until his release ticks away, he can feel a storm brewing. Two days before he gets out, his wife Laura dies in a mysterious car crash, in adulterous circumstances. Dazed, Shadow travels home, only to encounter the bizarre Mr Wednesday claiming to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America. Together they embark on a very strange journey across the States, along the way solving the murders which have occurred every winter in one small American town. But the storm is about to break... Disturbing, gripping and profoundly strange, Gaiman's epic novel sees him on the road to the heart of America.

A novel of epic proportions. Shadow, a recently released convict finds the life he left behind in pieces, his wife is dead and he has no job to return to. By a strike of luck Shadow meets Wednesday, (who turns out to be a god), and he offers Shadow a job. Together they travel across America searching out for the forgotten gods, in preparation for a war against the newer modern gods.

Gaiman uses many different mythologies to help shape this epic novel. Many themes are also dealt with in this novel, including; death, life, love, religion, belief, deception and many more. Despite the serious themes, this book was fun to read. The plot was unpredictable, deep and thrilling and the the relationship between Shadow and Wednesday was interesting to read about.

Favourite Quote: 'What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore, it know's it's not foolin' a soul.'

American Gods is a long book, but in my opinion is worth a read. However, despite its length I still think it needs a proper sequel, and Anansi Boys does not count as it is a spin off novel. I believe that Shadow is a character which can be developed further and Gaiman could also incorporate more myths as well. All in all a very good book

9.2/10

Book Review: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

DARE TO READ ALOUD...

Meggie loves stories, but her father, Mo, hasn't read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared.

When a stranger knocks at their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret - when he reads aloud, words come alive, and dangerous characters step out of the pages.

Suddenly, Meggie is living the kind of adventure she has only read about in books, but this one will change her life forever. 

A YA fantasy novel about a girl who loves to read and book characters literally jumping out of the pages. I think this book explains the magic of reading whilst telling a fantastical epic adventure. The adventure puts the characters in danger due to the two villains Capricorn and Basta. Basta is very superstitious, which provides opportunities for laughs.

Though this book was aimed at younger readers, I would recommend this book to adults as well. Like the Hobbit, this is a book suitable for readers from 10 and anyone older. Each chapter begins with a quotation from a book and that quote relates to specific chapter. One can tell that the author of Inkheart is a book lover and her passion comes through in the premise of this story.

My only negative is that the story does not really get going until past the second chapter. Like all fantasy books, the start is slow in order to introduce the characters and create the starting point for a reader to get lost in the story.

8.9/10

The Night Circus - Book Review

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstren 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it ...
It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. 

Reading this book was an experience. The author introduces us to two magicians who have been set against each other in a endless game of trickery, but they end up falling in love. The Night Circus provides the setting for a fun story of magic, romance and death.

I really enjoyed reading this book; it was easy to love and enjoy this book. I like the writing style and was able to follow the story despite it going backwards and forwards at times. I also like the fact that the main characters, Celia and Marco, both are studious and love to read books. The Night Circus is a book for people who love the magic of reading fiction.

This is one of my favourite reads of this year, I highly recommend you pick this book up.

4.8/5

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman. Book Review

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Published by Headline Publishing Group

Under the streets of London... It's a place most people never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Richard Mayhew, a young businessman is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: neverwhere. 


An interesting novel, telling the story of Richard Mayhew, who was living an ordinary life until he got pulled into a dangerous adventure in London below. London below is a London which exists underneath the real London. The world underneath is like a fantasy world, but unlike fairy tales there is not a happy ending for everyone.

Other important characters are: Door, a young women saved by Richard Mayhew, and the mysterious Marquis de Carabas. Two murderers have killed Door's family, and it is left to Door, Richard and de Carabas to unmask the one behind it.

The story is both funny and dark. Gaiman cleverly mixes history with myth to create the vivid world of London below. I would describe this novel as a unique way of describing  society of people who are forgotten and ignored by the majority.


I really liked this book and would recommend this book to anyone, even if you are not a huge fan of fantasy. My only criticism is that there is not a sequel.

Rating: 10/10

World War Z - Max Brooks. Book Review

This book completely exceeded my expectations. I usually do worry when reading a book hyped up to be good and then it turns out it is not, with this book that was not the case. World War Z is a well thought out novel about how humanity would deal with a zombie apocalypse.

The novel is written in the style of a news reporter interviewing different people around the world about their experiences during the zombie war. Reading the different stories about the zombie war made the story about largely the human condition. Max Brooks is trying to get the reader to imagine themselves in a position where it is you who has to kill what was once a person. The use of different ethical dilemmas make this novel more than simply a novel about a war involving humans and zombies killing each other.

Unlike novels focusing on a select number of characters, World War Z is about the human experience and how different people experienced World War Z. It could be described as a documentary about World War Z in book form. I would hugely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in zombies and a like for dystopian novels.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

The Long Mars - Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Book Review

Publication Date:19th June 2014
Publisher: Doubleday

The third book in the Long Earth series which explores the Long Mars. The first two books introduced the concept of stepping between parallel Earths which differ from each other. Some Earths have life and there are some that do not. Our earth known as the datum is the only earth where humans exist.

Pratchett and Baxter develop the idea of infinite parallel words further by introducing the Long Mars, an infinite number of Mars where some have life on them.

I adore the characters, especially Lobsang, a deceased Tibetan monk whose spirit resides in a network of computers, (sometimes referred as the God of the Long Earth). Lobsang's philosophy combined with the ethical issues dealt in the Long Earth series make this Science Fiction series a must read. The only possible negative is the constant switching between characters, which for some readers may be completely alien because there are readers who want to get to know the characters properly before the plot starts to quicken.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars  

Pandemonium My First Book Review

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver 
Published by: Harper Collins Children's Books, 2012. 

Rating 8.3/10

The second book in the Delirium trilogy, where Lena experiences to full reality of what it means to be an invalid and working for the resistance. Like the first book, Pandemonium takes place in a world where love is considered a disease. Dystopian themes relating to state control, censorship and lack of liberty are explored to a certain extent in this novel.

The relationship which develops between Lena and Julian is interesting because Lena was in a relationship with Alex in the first book, which meant Lena felt guilty about having feelings for Julian. The fact that Julian is the son of the leader of the DFA (Deliria-Free America) adds a second dimension to the relationship between Lena and Julian. Julian was raised like Lena was that deliria was a contagious disease and that the cure was the only solution. 

I enjoyed the plot in this book, which I felt to be slightly better than Delirium. The most interesting new character introduced in this book is Raven, a young woman who wants totally forget her past life before she escaped into the Wilds. To learn more about Raven and her role as the leader of a community in the Wilds read the book, I do not want to spoil it for those who have not read the book.


 A solid second book to a trilogy, cannot wait to read the final book.