I’m thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for Marie Lu’s newest novel, Warcross. Keep reading for our review and enter for a chance to win a copy of your own:
Emika Chen is a bounty hunter – tracking down criminals who use the virtual reality game Warcross illegally – in order to make enough of a living to afford rent and food in New York City. When an eviction notice and a showdown with her landlord puts Emika in a rough spot, she hacks into the opening game of the Warcross tournament, and accidentally shows up in the feed of millions of people across the world. When she gets a call from the creator of Warcross, Hideo Tanaka, Emika figures that she’s in huge trouble. Instead, he hires her to help track down another hacker and flies her to Tokyo to compete in the Warcross games as his undercover agent. Of course, things don’t go perfectly – tensions begin to climb between team players, secrets are revealed, assassination attempts, and more, all threaten Emika’s success.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Warcross. This was my first time reading one of Marie Lu’s books and while I’d heard wonderful things, I wasn’t sure how well a virtual reality video game would come across in a novel. I shouldn’t have been worried. Not only has Marie Lu built a world overflowing with enough detail to transport you to Tokyo and the Warcross games alongside Emika, she’s crafted a plot that will keep your heart racing even after you put the book down.
Within the first few pages, Emika had all of my empathy. After her father died, she was left on her own to survive – and forced to pay off his gambling debts too. Emika imagined herself going to college and being successful, not having to chase down criminals making bets on Warcross illegally to make some money. At the beginning of Warcross, she is drowning, just barely keeping her head above the water. And yet, she pulls off a spectacular capture before things go wrong, leading to her hacking into the Warcross opening. Emika is strong, gritty, and super talented and I love that Warcross features a female main character who excels at technology and video games.
The main focus in Warcross is on the plot – Emika working to track down Zero, the hacker who Hideo needs to stop. Lu has done a fantastic job making the threats of a virtual criminal feel real and imminent; my heart began to beat faster every time Emika got close or had a confrontation with Zero. Emika’s search stays suspenseful until the end and while I had a suspicion of what might happen, Lu pulls out all the stops with a twist that left me dying for the next book.
But despite the focus on plot, there are some really great character development moments as well. I enjoyed seeing Emika form a relationship with her Warcross teammates (and competitors) and loved watching her relationship with the secretive Hideo begin to form. Those little touches make the book even stronger and more difficult to put down.
Overall, Warcross is an action-packed, delightfully creative novel that is definitely worth checking out.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
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.
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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.
GIVEAWAY:
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Enter for a chance to be one (1) of three (3) grand prize winners of a WARCROSS prize set (including hardcover of Warcross, shirt, keychain, and postcard). (ARV: $18.99 each).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on September 4, 2017 and 12:00 AM on September 29, 2017. Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about October 2, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Blog Tour Schedule:
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