Veronica

I enjoyed this, though I honestly wish there was more murder and slightly less spice! Hah!

I feel bad. I finished this book two days after we recorded the episode of Sword and Laser where we wrap it up (first time I haven't finished a book for the audio show). I blame [b:Outlander 10964 Outlander (Outlander, #1) Diana Gabaldon http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1304187141s/10964.jpg 2489796] for being too long.Anyhow, I wish I had made it to the end, because coming away from the book now I feel much differently than I did at the 75% mark. If felt like the silliness that was almost a distraction for me came together in the end in a really beautiful and meaningful way. You all said I'd feel different, and you were right. I should listen to you more often.

It was great to see some past characters in a totally new setting!

Three stars means “I like” a book, even though it feels more like a “meh” when you see those three lonely stars up there on a review. However, in this case, it rings perfectly true: I liked Empire State.

I'm having some trouble being objective in this review, because I follow Adam Christopher on Twitter, he has been a friend to Sword and Laser, etc etc. But I had a hard time truly getting into this book as much as I wanted to.

Part of the problem is that the storyline is purposely convoluted. We're thrown into a world that features alternate dimensions, time-shifting, doppelgängers, and a murder mystery... all wrapped into one. The intentions and loyalties of the characters are constantly in flux, and I frankly found it hard to keep track.

This is not a book of hard science fiction: the science used to explain the “fissure” between these two worlds (or rather, the Origin and the Pocket) is murky at best, but that's not really the important thing here. Was it an entertaining story? Yes! Did I like the characters? I think so (when I understood what was happening)! Was the ending satisfying? Hmmm... mostly. Ended somewhat with a fizz rather than an explosion.

But overall, I thought the storyline was original and interesting. Though it felt a little unclear to me at times, it's entirely possible that this was a fault of mine, not the books.

Ready Player One is one of those books that I'll be recommending to people for a long, long time. If you love geeky media... books, videos, TV shows, music (and especially if it's from the 80s) this book will be a favorite of yours as well.

The characters are engaging, the descriptions of the scenes inside OASIS are vivid, and it's fun (and thrilling) at the same time.

Does the 80s trivia come on a little thick? Yes, but that's kind of the point (and the plot).