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. 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 … a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. 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.
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.
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perfect page turner!!
I did not expect this ending! I picked up this book because I needed a new book to read, I didn’t think I was going to like it!
An amazing book. The plot progresses quickly, and it just runs out too fast! Highly recommend to science fiction lovers. An excellent book next to a cup of tea.
I’m and ‘old’ adult, but thoroughly enjoyed War Cross,. Wild Card is next.
As far as I’m concerned, this is what Ready Player One should have been.
This is a fun fast read. The story moves along very quickly, so it draws you right in and becomes a real page-turner. The main character is as if YT from Snow Crash grew up and met, wait for it, a mysterious billionaire! She is a struggling bounty hunter who hacks into a massive online game and gets caught up in a global corporate scheme of total control. I quickly began caring about what would happen next to the main character – always a good sign of a story well-told.
It’s a mix of cyberpunk, LitRPG, and futuristic science fiction that hangs together well. The workings of the key technology requires an additional level of suspension of disbelief, but if you can accept something like the crazy-making chips in Kingsmen: The Secret Service then this isn’t that big of a stretch. Just roll with it to have some fun!
Marie Lu does not disappoint in this 2-book dystopian series. I really enjoy reading this author because she is well-written and her words are like pictures for your mind.
Great vision. Likeable characters. Story moves along quickly. Internet based future where everyone is linked through a multi-player game in a virtual world.
Excellent read for gamers!
I honestly did not know what to expect this story but it did not disappoint. When Emika accidentally glitches herself into a game to steal an item her whole world changes. She embarks on a journey that is full of twists and turns, and that stunning reveal at the end. I guessed part of it but not all of it. This was definitely a really good read in my opinion.
Well written with good vocabulary. Entertaining. Main characters well developed. Decent world building. I might have given it five stars, except the action scenes within the games sometimes failed to move the story along, and were too long and too frequent for my personal tastes.
Loved it! Virtual Gaming brought to life.
An immersive world that I didn’t want to leave. Warcross is pure genius. I’m ready for the sequel!
Great VR gaming thriller that obviously will have sequels. If you liked “Ready Player One” this is another great easy read with a twisted cliff hanger. I’m looking forward to the next book. If you enjoy Audible, the narration is fantastic.
Very entertain. I got really engrossed in the games. Mostly I couldn’t put it down. Waiting on the next one very patiently.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
The story is about Emika Chen, a young woman who has suffered several traumatic events in her life. She uses her hacking skills to earn a living as a virtual bounty hunter. But she’s broke and needs some quick cash. Emika decides to capitalize on a glitch she’s noticed in Warcross, a virtual reality video game. She hacks her way into a global Warcross event in hopes of quietly stealing enough to pay her rent and accidentally ends up in the main game sequence. Suddenly she’s recognized around the globe. Hideo Tanaka, the creator of Warcross, contacts her with a offer she can’t refuse. The ending is maddening and satisfying at the same time and now I’m going to be going crazy waiting for the next book when this one isn’t even out yet.
If you’ve followed my blog in the early beginnings (only since August), then you know that one of my favorite books is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. When I saw all the buzz on Goodreads about Warcross, I was a little skeptical. I mean, come one, you cannot have another video game/virtual reality book be as great as RPO. Well, Warcross surprised me.
Warcross is a virtual reality game of capture the flag on steroids. Each game is made up of two teams, each team possess a gem that the other team tries to capture. All the games take place in amazing locations and venues.
Emika Chen currently makes her (meager) living as a bounty hunter. She hunts down those who illegally bet on Warcross games. But she only gets paid if she is the first person to alert the police to where the fugitives are. Unfortunately, she has not have a good run. Behind on her rent and desperate for some cash, Emika tries to hack the Warcross opening ceremonies. She only wants to grab a rare power up to sell on the black market. When she uses the hack, she appears in the game with the whole world watching.
After the devastating and embarrassing incident, Emika receives a call from Hideo, the billionaire creator of Warcross. He has a proposition for Emika and offers to fly her to Tokyo. Emika agrees, especially after he pays off all her debts. Hideo needs someone in the games to find someone who has been hacking into the games with complicated code. They pair up and their relationship becomes more than just boss and employee. But Emika also has her own professional Warcross team to worry about. She’s their Architect and needs to help them win this year’s games. With all the pressures, can Emika uncover the larger scheme that’s brewing over Warcross?
I enjoyed Warcross more than I thought I would. It was fast passed, interesting, and fun to read. (I read this in a day.) I love that Emika was hired for her abilities and even got to participate in the professional Warcross games. I was really rooting for her. And her rainbow hair.
I could realistically picture each Warcross tournament in my head. It was so entertaining. Marie Lu has done an excellent job of creating her world within Warcross. And it’s a book set in Tokyo, so that was new for me.
My biggest surprise was the ending. Holy cow. I saw half of it coming, but the other half was really a shocker. I’m very happy that there will be a sequel and I can’t wait to see how it pans out.
Warcross by Marie Lu gets 4 stars.
Fun story for fans of video games. Love a bold female protagonist who takes her fate into her own hands. The characters could have been more deeply developed, but overall the book was a quick read with an entertaining concept.
Loved it! Great read. Kept you guessing. Don’t pass up reading it. Action packed.
A troubled view of the not too distant future which ponders some very timely questions. I felt sympathetic to the main charater’s plight.