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A review by kevinwest
New Arcadia: Stage One by Eric Jason Martin
4.0
If you're looking for a new book to get lost in, read New Arcadia.
I really enjoyed this book!
I received a free review copy of this book and I asked for a hard copy, knowing it might be a new favorite of mine (I like to have physical copies of my favorite books), and I'm so glad I did. I've always told my non-reader friends, a good book doesn't need to be a huge epic, like Dune or Lord of the Rings (although those are great), it just needs to be a good book that makes me want to read more. That's what this book did for me, it made me want to read more.
Once I started, it was difficult to put the book down. I'm not always in the mood to read, so I've made a rule for myself that I will always read at least two minutes a day. If I really didn't want to keep reading, I wasn't hard on myself, but would put the book down and try again the next day. That never happened with New Arcadia: Stage One. Once the two minutes were up, I just kept reading, sometimes well past the time I should be getting to bed. I'm pretty sure I've stayed up past midnight twice while reading this book.
There were a few minor things I didn't love about the book. Certain references, when named, resembled Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. The director and year of film or game release would be named, and it reminded me too much of a different book. After a while, and after reading about Eric Jason Martin, I realized this was because the author shared the protagonist's love of 80s pop culture, and I eventually found it very fitting.
I'm sure many people can draw links between this book and Ernest Cline's Ready Player One; however, as I read more, I realized the books were very different. In New Arcadia, the world is under the oppression of a deadly virus, and many people - including the protagonist, John Chambers - escape from their reality of solitude by playing games on their VR headsets or tablets. It may seem far fetched, but I never questioned it; I was too excited to discover what else the world of New Arcadia had to offer.
Which brings me to my favorite part of the book. The world of New Arcadia. I found myself getting a little adrenaline rush whenever John Chambers leveled up, or successfully completed a task. The same thing that makes real video games rewarding - the feeling of success and getting stronger - is what made this book so enjoyable for me. I couldn't help but root for John. I just wanted to see Blaze kick some butt! I also really loved Kevin, not just because we share a first name. Something about him was just super likable and I'm really looking forward to seeing his relationship with John bloom over the next book. I'm also looking forward to seeing some more Blaze and Iceman butt-kicking.
I consider it pure luck that someone offered a review copy for me; otherwise, I might have missed out on this hidden gem. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a new adventure to dive into, I might buy a second copy to hear the audio version (which I've heard is amazing, I mean Eric Jason Martin has narrated or taken part in like a million audiobooks) and I'll certainly be among the first to buy Stage Two!
I really enjoyed this book!
I received a free review copy of this book and I asked for a hard copy, knowing it might be a new favorite of mine (I like to have physical copies of my favorite books), and I'm so glad I did. I've always told my non-reader friends, a good book doesn't need to be a huge epic, like Dune or Lord of the Rings (although those are great), it just needs to be a good book that makes me want to read more. That's what this book did for me, it made me want to read more.
Once I started, it was difficult to put the book down. I'm not always in the mood to read, so I've made a rule for myself that I will always read at least two minutes a day. If I really didn't want to keep reading, I wasn't hard on myself, but would put the book down and try again the next day. That never happened with New Arcadia: Stage One. Once the two minutes were up, I just kept reading, sometimes well past the time I should be getting to bed. I'm pretty sure I've stayed up past midnight twice while reading this book.
There were a few minor things I didn't love about the book. Certain references, when named, resembled Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. The director and year of film or game release would be named, and it reminded me too much of a different book. After a while, and after reading about Eric Jason Martin, I realized this was because the author shared the protagonist's love of 80s pop culture, and I eventually found it very fitting.
I'm sure many people can draw links between this book and Ernest Cline's Ready Player One; however, as I read more, I realized the books were very different. In New Arcadia, the world is under the oppression of a deadly virus, and many people - including the protagonist, John Chambers - escape from their reality of solitude by playing games on their VR headsets or tablets.
Spoiler
Ultimately, this ends up being what Dekker thinks can save the world. If people have a natural tendency to escape, why not reintegrate society by having them escape together, until they can learn to coexist?Which brings me to my favorite part of the book. The world of New Arcadia. I found myself getting a little adrenaline rush whenever John Chambers leveled up, or successfully completed a task. The same thing that makes real video games rewarding - the feeling of success and getting stronger - is what made this book so enjoyable for me. I couldn't help but root for John. I just wanted to see Blaze kick some butt! I also really loved Kevin, not just because we share a first name. Something about him was just super likable and I'm really looking forward to seeing his relationship with John bloom over the next book. I'm also looking forward to seeing some more Blaze and Iceman butt-kicking.
I consider it pure luck that someone offered a review copy for me; otherwise, I might have missed out on this hidden gem. I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a new adventure to dive into, I might buy a second copy to hear the audio version (which I've heard is amazing, I mean Eric Jason Martin has narrated or taken part in like a million audiobooks) and I'll certainly be among the first to buy Stage Two!