A review by ghendrian
ソードアート・オンライン 1: アインクラッド [Sōdo āto onrain 1: Ainkuraddo] by Reki Kawahara

3.0

This was really somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me. But, I gave it three because I did enjoy the book, and I loved the concept. The characters tended to be a bit wooden, the whole story was rushed, it was a bit clumsy all around. Part of those problems are tied up in translation issues, I think, and the fact that the author is an avid gamer first and foremost(If you're looking for a writing genius, look elsewhere). Technical skill is not his forte, but he makes up for lack of that with loads of enthusiasm for his subject. Overall, it was a fun story that embraced every video game cliche and classic hero fantasy trope, but did it so cheerfully it wasn't annoying.