A review by krobnovelist
Emissary by E.B. Brooks

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book promises to essentially be YA's answer to "The Matrix" (or maybe more like "Tron"?), and it definitely delivers. The banter is witty, and entertaining, and the adventure can certainly said to be sprawling. While I can't say I was totally blindsided by many of the story developments, and the romance between the two young protagonists admittedly moves a bit fast, the vision and realization of the worlds described in this book are fascinating and extremely well thought-out and written, in a way that I only hope I can create in my own fantasy worlds! The concepts of various video games are so seamlessly integrated into the story in ways that I'd never considered and that seem completely natural for the setting. It's really quite brilliant, and I've never read anything like it! While I wish we had a bit more time to get to know some of the other characters, the leading duo of Tree and Ewan carry the story with no problems at all, and they always kept me guessing. Would definitely recommend and I can't wait to see what comes next!