Warcross (Warcross, #1)

by Marie Lu

Perfect for fans of Ready Player One!

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. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. 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 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. 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.

• ISBN10: 0241321425
• ISBN13: 9780241321423
• Publish Date: 14 September 2017 (first published 12 September 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 April 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Rinn]

Also reviewed at Paper & Pixels.

There’s no doubt about it – I’ll always pick up a book about video games. I love this merging of my two top hobbies, and sometimes it works out in my favour, for example Ready Player One or the .//hack manga series.

Warcross looked very promising. The story of a young hacker struggling with debt and facing life on the streets, who accidentally manages to glitch herself into a major competition of ‘Warcross’, the world’s favourite e-sport, when testing a new hack. Emika is instantly caught up in the world of competitive Warcross, where opposing teams have to capture each other’s ‘Artifacts’ to win, and her life is transformed. However, as often goes with rags to riches type stories, not everything is quite as it seems.

I felt like Warcross as a game was well set up, and easy to visualise for the reader. Online games such as MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas) are really big at the moment, so it was also very relevant. And like Ready Player One, the use of Virtual Reality meant that Marie Lu could write Emika as if she was doing all the actions herself, rather than just controlling a character.

This was an enjoyable novel, but as soon as there was a whiff of romance I began to lose interest in the book. The romance was too convenient and quick, and the ultimate plot twist at the end was incredibly predictable as a result. Apparently it is a series, but could probably have worked as a standalone novel too.

In a sentence: a fun idea for a novel involving a video game I would definitely play, but ultimately let down by the romance and predictable ending.

[Sam@WLABB]

I love Marie Lu so much, and this book just solidifies my fangirl status. I loved Emika, Hideo, and the rest of the Warcross team. But what really pulled me into this book, was the intricate world Lu created in and outside of the game. It was so fleshed out and vivid. I was simply awestruck by Lu's ability to do this. She also delivered an action packed story filled with tension, drama, mystery, and also some tenderhearted feels. As a romance lover, I adored the way the romance unfolded in this book. I was NOT terribly happy with the ending, but since I know this is a series, and Lu has always done right by me, I will eagerly await the next book and know that Lu will set things straight.

[liz089]

This was a very interesting story.. I really liked the plot, something different from the normal fantasy YA novels. Though the plot was quite predictive, it kept me hooked. The MC was likable enough, though I did not like her all the time.. curious how she will progress in the sequel. Will definitely pick up the next novel !

* As a side note, I was on holiday when I picked this one up.. so that's why I took about a week to finish it. Way to busy to binge read !

[bestmessever]

I can't even with this book. it was so damn good. And the ending was insane I didn't see a damn thing coming. What do I need to do to have the second book in my hands right now?

[Leah]

Warcross is a brilliant read. I would love to leave you as only that as a review, but that would be mean of me. Literally everything about this book was magnificent - the setting (I’ve never read a book set in Tokyo before!), the characters (more on them later), the gamer world (again, I don’t think I’ve read a book set in the gaming world before, even more so about a girl hacker #goals) and the writing was just brilliant. I’ve actually never read one of Marie Lu’s books, although I own them all (#storyofmylife), but I just couldn’t resist Warcross any longer! It’s also the most magnificent looking book I’ve ever seen - the white cover, with the multi-coloured Warcross in 3D and *then* if you unwrap the colour it’s multi-coloured underneath and it’s just amazing. I love it. I love when publishers go out of their way to make a book stand out and, boy, does Warcross stand out.

The whole concept of this book is brilliant - every year there’s a Warcross tournament, which is a virtual reality game where two teams battle to steal the other’s artifact. Simple enough, right? Until hacker Emiko accidentally enters the opening game of the Championships and all hell breaks loose - she didn’t mean for everyone to see her in the game, but after that happened, she got a phone call from none other than Hideo Tanaka, inviting her to Tokyo to help him track down what he thinks is someone going rogue during the Championships. Emika has nothing else going on in her life - she’s a bounty hunter usually, trying to scrape enough cash to pay off debts, so this is the chance of a lifetime for her and she accepts, but nothing is as it seems in the Warcross world…

I just freaking loved the concept of this book. I loved Emika so hard. She rules. I loved seeing her doing her stuff for Hideo fricking Taneka, y’all. Helping HIM when all this time he’s been a hero of hers. It was complete #goals. I loved the whole concept of the Warcross game (even if I don’t really understand virtual reality), I loved seeing the teams battle and Emika prove herself to the Phoenix Riders, once she’s drafted in to join their team in the Championships and it was just an all-around brilliant novel for girl power and girl gamers.

I am so excited for the next novel in this series (or duology? IDK) because the ending left me with more questions than answers. One of those answers I expected, I guessed it right when it was first mentioned but it was the other half of it that baffled me. So I’m stoked to see it resolved, or where it goes next. I also hope the rest of the Phoenix Riders return, as I liked their addition to the novel, how they helped Emika and they seemed to add a bit of a calming influence to the book, but mostly I was want Emika to kick more ass like she did here in Warcross. I absolutely devoured Warcross, Marie Lu has written such an absorbing read and she’s given us someone to really root for in Emika.

[emruth13]

I love Warcross so much! I'm super excited to read Wildcard now and find out what happens next.

[bookishzelda]

I remember when Marie Lu mentioned she was writing a Sci-Fi my ears perked and my excitement overflowed. Sci-Fi has been one of my favorite genre’s since I was a kid and it’s so great to see it all over the place now. Of course I'm also a gamer so I loved that aspect of it as well. I love love having a kick-butt hacker heroine.

I really liked Emika. She’s kind of like a Robin Hood. She does not have a clean record but she is also not malicious. She doesn’t do things without thought and does what she does feels is right. I also love that she is a hacker. Yay girl hackers and that rainbow hair is awesome! I like that she manages to stay grounded even with the things that are happening around her. She might be alone but I think her father’s memory keeps her centered.

There are a lot of different characters. I liked them all but I didn’t find myself particularly attached to any besides Emika. I feel like we get to know Hideo the most and even he still has his mysteries. I liked him but at the same time you could tell he’s deeply troubled. I’ve always liked the smart guys.

I loved the world of Warcross it’s always interesting to get involved in the world of virtual reality. It is limitless in the way that you can do almost anything with it. It’s a whole world to bend and manipulate to reflect the stories needs. I loved the way Marie Lu created not only the game of Warcross but the under belly of the internet. We all know there are dark corners since the internet is something that is difficult to control. I liked that we had a little of the actual games but it also wasn’t boring. When we were involved in game action it is because it has importance to the story. I also really like that fine line she creates between who villians are. She shows that gray area that exist.

I wasn’t surprised at all by the Zero unveiling. Earlier when a piece of information was revealed and it wasn’t even something elaborated on. I’m like yep there it is. It didn’t matter though because there is still so much mystery surrounding the whole thing. So many questions I still need to have answered.

I loved Warcross and felt the writing was top notch. It really drew you into the story and it was easy to get invested in Emika and her story. As a Sci-Fi lover and gamer it made my heart happy. I feel like if your not hardcore Sci-Fi reader you can definitely still get into this story. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.

[Ashley]

Actual rating: 4.5.

Pros:

- Excellent, excellent main character.
- Exciting setting.
- REALLY cool futuristic virtual reality gaming.

Cons:

- Some of the coding/tech stuff really didn't make sense. I mostly tried to just ignore that and let it slide since it is futuristic, but even then, it was really clearly just kind of made up... a bit like those interfaces in movies that show you how many firewalls the other guy has broken through, lol.

- Insta-love romance. I was actually okay with it but I'm putting it in the con column since I imagine many other people may not love it. But I personally just loved both characters and loved them together so I was okay with it.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

DNF @ 50%

*Review to come!*

[layawaydragon]

Well, I'll be damned. Let me gather my thoughts and come back with a review on this one.

Hint: It's really good.