Warcross (ARC Review)

Warcross by Marie Lu
Series: Warcross #1
Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction
Format: ARC (won at BookCon)
Page Length: 416 pages
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 12, 2017

About Warcross (via Goodreads):

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 players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing 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.

Warcross was an action-packed and exhilarating start for a new series from Marie Lu. As one of my favorite authors, I had high expectations for Marie's writing and this book, and overall, it did not disappoint. While it took a chapter or two for me to get into the story, Marie Lu quickly had me hooked from there on out, and I devoured it in a single afternoon/evening.

Marie Lu is a master character craftswoman. Her characters, per usual, were superb. They were all extremely fleshed out and real, with deep (and often traumatic) backstories that really helped me understand the characters' personalities, actions, and thoughts. Lu definitely knows how to make a reader sympathize with her characters, especially the morally gray ones. (She is THE BEST at writing morally gray characters, I swear.) Marie Lu's astounding ability with her characters is definitely my favorite of her skills, across all her books. It all seems so effortless.

While the story did have its unique elements and as a whole was fresh, exciting, and addicting, it also had it's trope-y moments. Which is fine. It worked. But Warcross definitely felt a bit like a weird mesh of Super Smash Brothers, Big Hero 6, and Wreck-It Ralph, with a touch of Sword Art Online thrown in. As I said before, Marie Lu still made the story work though, and it was super fun to read. I know it sounds weird. How can it be trope-y while also being unique? I DON'T KNOW, OKAY? IT JUST WORKS.

To be fair, I didn't really compare Warcross to those movies, anime, and game the whole time, except for when I was trying to visualize the world of Warcross. Oh and except for the minor similarities that helped me to figure out what I think were supposed to be twists and major reveals before they were revealed. Either that, or the twists just weren't as polished as I had hoped. I think it may be a combination of both, because there were definitely bits of foreshadowing that were just a bit too obvious for me *shrugs* I still greatly enjoyed the novel, but it was definitely on the predictable side. So the somewhat thriller-like components DID NOT work for me.

The story was definitely fast-paced and had the perfect balance between world-building, action, romance, character development, and all the elements crucial to a good book. Although there was that flaw for me, I definitely enjoyed reading it overall, and highly recommend it for all fans of Marie Lu.

My rating: 3.8 stars

November SST: Timekeeper (Review + Giveaway!)

Timekeeper by Tara Sim
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Steampunk/LGBTQIA+
Page Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: November 8, 2016

About Timekeeper (via Goodreads):

In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab.

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REVIEW

Timekeeper by Tara Sim was an extremely delightful and imaginative book. Sim's writing style was particularly beautiful—it was so rich and vibrant that I was captivated from page one to the very end.

The world and world-building was probably the strongest aspect of  the book. Timekeeper was absolutely brilliant and definitely had one of the most unique worlds/concepts I've ever read about. From tracing back to the mythology of time every few chapters to the detailed descriptions of how time functions, how timekeepers' powers work, and the lives of the clock spirits, I felt truly transported into the world.

Danny may not have stood out to me as a protagonist overall, but he was an admirable and lovable character that I just wanted to give a hug constantly throughout the book. What struck me the most about him was how real and relatable he was. And yes, this did stand out to me more than other protagonists of other books. He was flawed, but he was a good person. A lot of characters seem to always know what to do in any situation, but he didn't and he realized it. And I kind of loved him for that. Were there times when I wanted to hiss at him to stay focused? A few. But did I still love him anyway? Absolutely.

I felt like a lot of the characters were pretty much secondary. Although some played more pivotal roles than others, the focus was mainly on Danny. Which I'm fine with, but I would have enjoyed diving deeper into some of the other characters' personalities and histories. Sim did briefly touch on a lot of their backstories, but I would have liked to see more interactions between them.

Speaking of interactions, I'd like to talk about the romance. I thought Danny and Colton were ADORABLE together, and I wanted them to be happy and unhurt and never live in fear and have a happily ever after, but at the same time, it didn't quite work for me. I loved Colton, and I know as a clock spirit he didn't have many opportunities to explore and grow since he was stuck in his tower for who knows how long, but I disliked his lack of a history. A lot of the faith that I put into my OTPs has to do with the couple's individual personalities, pasts, and growth, and that was hard to see in Colton (and thus their relationship).

Overall, I really enjoyed Timekeeper. While some minor characters fell flat for me, I believe there are so many opportunities for them to become stronger as the series progresses and Tara Sim already has a great foundation for that development. In addition, there were so many other amazing details throughout the book. Sim's writing was absolutely exquisite and her world-building was equally as extraordinary, and I cannot wait to see what she will explore in the rest of the series.

My Rating: 3.75 stars

About the Author:

Tara Sim can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives. TIMEKEEPER is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, or check out her website tarasim.com for fun extras.

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