Everything’s science fiction until someone makes it science fact.
Overview
Warcross: ★★★★★
Author: Marie Lu
Published: September 12th 2017
Book #: 1
Wildcard: ★★★★
Author: Marie Lu
Published: September 18th 2018
Book #: 2
Summary
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 players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. 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 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.
General Thoughts
I loved this series so much!
This duo-logy wrapped up in September when Lu brought out Wildcard, the second book, and so I decided to finally give it a read. Despite enjoying Lu’s previous series – Legend and The Young Elites – I wasn’t expecting much from this series, probably because I’m not a massive reader of science fiction. However, once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down, and I devoured both books in the space of a few days! I preferred the first book by far, but the second was also an exciting read. This series is definitely one of my top reads of 2018.
Plot
Every locked door has a key. Every problem has a solution.
Emika is struggling to get by, relying on her skills as a bounty hunter to pay for rent and food. But when a hack into the Warcross world goes wrong, she suddenly finds herself being offered a place in the Warcross Championships, and is brought into a world of luxury and riches. However, it all comes with a catch – she has to find the mysterious Zero who has been expertly hacking into the Warcross universe. But the job may be a lot more dangerous than she initially thought.
The plot of the first book is relatively straightforward, but what makes it so amazing is all of the twists and turns that you just don’t see coming. It ended on such a cliffhanger that I knew I had to move onto reading Wildcard straight away, eager to see how the series was going to end. And I was not disappointed.
The ending of the series was left kind of open-ended, but it was a satisfying conclusion nonetheless. However, I am curious as to what happens to the characters after the series ends!
World
The world-building was definitely my favourite aspect of this series. I’ve always been fascinated by Virtual Reality, and this series implemented it perfectly. It was everything that I hoped Ready Player One would be when I read it a few years back.
Lu creates the world fantastically, and it makes me wish that Hideo’s Virtual Reality creation existed in our world!
Characters
That’s the difference between the real and the virtual. Reality is where you can lose the ones you love. Reality is the place where you can feel the cracks in your heart.
I don’t necessarily have any complaints when it comes to the characters of this series, however I also wouldn’t say that I cared deeply for any of them.
The main characters of the series are Emika Chen and Hideo Tanaka. The latter is arguably the most interesting character. He’s deeply flawed and this makes him even more fun to read about.
There is also a wide array of side characters that support Emika while she completes her job, and they made a great addition to the series.
Conclusion
Overall, this series was an amazing read that I highly recommend. Although the second book wasn’t as captivating as the first, it still provided a nice end to the series. I’m now excited to see what Marie Lu comes up with next!
Have you also read Warcross? What did you think? Or is it on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!
Also check out this review on my Goodreads here.
Meg Reads 