I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
We’re in the final week of the blog tour for Marie Lu’s Warcross. Today I’m sharing my review of this fabulous read. Thanks to the publisher, there is a tour-wide giveaway! Also, check out the official Warcross website!
About the Book:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.
In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.
About the Author:
Marie Lu is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Young Elites, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and one Pembroke Welsh corgi.
My Thoughts:
I have been a fan of Marie Lu’s writing since I first read Legend. The Young Elites cemented her as one of my favorites. Still, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get in to Warcross. I’ve played video games casually but was never very good or very into them. For some reason, I thought that this might hinder my enjoyment of the book. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. No. Just, no. I loved this book so much! Including the gaming aspect. Marie Lu is just that good at drawing readers in and capturing their attention.
Emika Chen is one of those characters that I just couldn’t get enough of. The more I learned about her, the more I was rooting for her. Life has not been easy but she’s persevered and made herself stronger. She’s complicated and I love that. The other characters are great and the world-building, spectacular. However, Emika was the draw for me.
But for real. That world-building. So great. We get to learn more about the near future “real” world, as well as the virtual world of Warcross and it’s dark underbelly. I loved the ways learning about these worlds made me think about our world and so many timely issues. I mean, that’s what good sci-fi will do, right?
And I won’t say anything more here (because I don’t want to spoil anything) but there are some big reveals! The story is built so masterfully that I could feel myself tensing up for what I thought was about to go down. There was always a nagging feeling in the back of my mind about a few things and it all came to a perfect crescendo. When I went back and re-read sections, I was so impressed with how a few words here and there laid the foundation. Ugh. So great. But now I need book two!!!
Warcross is another “edge of your seat” amazing read from Marie Lu. Highly recommend.
Leave a Reply