A tense thriller that will appeal to fans of video games and sinister villains.
In the near future, video games have grown more advanced—and deadly—in Dober’s debut sci-fi thriller.
Ultimatus, the most advanced video game of them all, is also the most dangerous, or so some people suspect. Its high-tech Ultisuits immerse the wearer in the game, making it a taxing physical challenge. Most players don’t really believe the rumors about the yearly tournament though. Even the most highly skilled players, who understand the game’s demands and are paid handsomely to play Ultimatus, don’t think that anyone actually dies when his or her avatar is killed. Others are starting to wonder, however. As this year’s game approaches and people begin to disappear, the law enforcement agencies of several countries plan to find the missing players along with the tournament’s location and creator. Known only as Fellini, the game’s maker has so far organized four Ultimatuses without anyone but the players knowing where they are held. CIA agents Simon Prince and Mark Sloan have been playing the game as one character in an attempt to be invited to the tournament, but only one of them can actually attend in person. Eventually, Mark finds himself alone at the Ultimatus’ final stage. He quickly falls in with top players Stellan Bostrøm and Gina Gazzoni, but although he likes Stellan as a friend and is attracted to Gina, Mark has to concentrate on one thing above all—surviving the match. Dober moves the action along at a whirlwind pace, immersing readers in the virtual world and keeping tension high as both Mark and Simon fight for Mark’s life. Although there are certainly plenty of killer video game stories in the sci-fi world, Dober manages to keep things interesting with an easy style that toggles seamlessly between game play and the real world, resulting in an action-stuffed, enjoyable read.
A tense thriller that will appeal to fans of video games and sinister villains.Pub Date: April 3, 2014
ISBN: 978-1497456655
Page Count: 244
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.
This YA SF novel features a teen who must halt a virus that will kill two-thirds of humanity.
In Silver Oak, Maryland, Alice Sherman is a high school junior enjoying lunch near her campus basketball court. With her is Archie, her brother, a senior and science prodigy who likes equations more than his fellow students. Alice has been Archie’s one true friend since their mother left six years ago. Alice is about to catch up with Lalana Bunyasarn, her best friend, when a sudden “streak of electricity zaps through” her head. The agony intensifies until a Voice enters Alice’s mind, asking her, “Do you want this pain to stop?” The Voice then instructs her to go up to Bandit Sakda, a classmate playing basketball, and say that she loves him. Bandit is a beautiful Thai boy who’s talented and arrogant. Strangely, the Voice calls her Malice and says not to fall for him because “it’ll only make what you have to do later harder.” Eventually, Alice learns that the Voice belongs to someone from 10 years in the future who needs help saving humanity. A virus will be created by a person Alice knows that will wipe out two-thirds of the world population. Following the Voice’s directions can save everyone—except the person Alice is ordered to kill. Dunn’s (Star-Crossed, 2018, etc.) latest YA adventure offers increasingly tantalizing twists that gleam in succession like nested matryoshka dolls. Alice will charm readers with her quirks, especially her devotion to Chris Hemsworth of Marvel’s Avengers films. Tension builds as characters in the large cast, including crushworthy Zeke Cain and the brilliant Cristela Ruiz, become potential targets for Alice’s mission. Details about Thai culture add a splendid dimension to the narrative; for example, Bandit is pronounced “bun-dit” and means “one who is wise.” While the notion of a high school killer may not sit well with some, the author doesn’t use the device lightly. Her book takes a strong anti-bullying stance, doing so through an entertaining narrative that doesn’t resort to preaching. The author’s heart and craftiness make a sequel welcome.
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64063-412-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)
A convoluted fantasy offering a series of morals about justice, mercy, human treatment of animals and human treatment of other humans.
A cluster of animals have been educated by a World War II veteran and his activist wife. The animals, a now-vegetarian mix of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, live in harmony on Cloudburst Mountain. Following their scriptures (the Bible, Animal Farm and judgments such as “Humans Are Evil”), they plan for the day when they will kill all the humans and rule the world. The tale follows the adventures of their coyote prophet Justice and human ally Cody as they travel the United States preparing other animals for “The Rebellion.” Though they meet mostly repellent, violent humans and mistreated animals, they also encounter enough well-meaning, victimized humans to make Cody question his alliance with the cause of human genocide. Meanwhile, the grandson of the original human missionaries to the animals threatens the entire endeavor as he plans to mine the mountain for uranium. Ultimately, the animals succeed in murdering the vast majority of the human race, giving them hope for a shining new day. This overly complex tale is dense with purple prose and far too many extraneous characters–for example, Gordon “Raindance” Fell, the Shadow Shaman of the Pokihallah tribe; and Forest Victor, who appears for the first time late in the story, saying of his never-mentioned-before dead wife, “if only her hatred of the evil deeds of the baby seal killers hadn’t drawn her and her cameras into a combative stance.”
Any moral that may be gleaned from the tangled narrative is buried in confusion. (Fantasy. YA)Pub Date: June 21, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-39274-1
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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