The God Game by Danny Tobey

The God Game by Danny Tobey

Published by St. Martin's Press

Published on January 7, 2020

Genre(s): Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Mystery, Adult

Page Count: 496

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

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Book Description:

You are invited!

Come inside and play with G.O.D.

Bring your friends!

It’s fun!

But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!

With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone-screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.

But then the threatening messages start. Worship me. Obey me. Complete a mission, however cruel, or the game reveals their secrets and crushes their dreams. Tasks that seemed harmless at first take on deadly consequences. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them, appearing around corners, attacking them in parking garages. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win?

And what of the game’s first promise: win, win big, lose, you die? Dying in a virtual world doesn’t really mean death in real life—does it?

As Charlie and his friends try to find a way out of the game, they realize they’ve been manipulated into a bigger web they can’t escape: an AI that learned its cruelty from watching us.

God is always watching, and He says when the game is done.

Hello Readers.

I read The God Game for a buddy read with some of my closest friends. I was sent a copy of it and this was the perfect opportunity to read it. What a book! This one was nothing like I thought it would be. I was drawn into it and could not wait to see what happened next. I have said it before but that truly is a rare thing for me. I read a lot of books and only a small percentage of them grab my full attention. This one did just that. Creepy at moments. Intense. Left me wanting more. 

I am rating this book Four Red Books because I was torn on how to rate it. This would be one of those that I would rate with half books if I had that system. It was not quite a Five but it was more than a Four. I have purchased the other book by this author and look forward to reading it. Recommend.

InkedBookDragon

Currently reading: Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare and Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

Published by Crown

Published on February 11th 2014

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Space, Adult, Thriller, Humor, Survival, Fantasy

Page Count: 369

Source: Purchased

Format: Hardback

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Description: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Hello Readers.

I was given this book. I glanced at it and then put it up to read later. When the movie released in 2015, I remembered that I owned the book and decided to read it. I am honestly annoyed with myself for waiting so long. This book is worth all the hype that surrounded it. 

I was captivated by this book from the very first page. It just grabbed me and I plowed through it in one afternoon. I loved the format. I loved the characters. It flowed so wonderfully. I totally understood the love surrounding this book. 

I am rating this book Five Blue Books because it is incredible. It has become one of my favorites and I have reread it more than once. I have read the author's other works but this one still piques my interest. I honestly could recommend this book every single day if given the opportunity. If you have not read it, do so. It is well worth the read. 

InkedBookDragon

Currently reading: I have finished all the books that I was working on and am not quite sure which books that I want to start now. So many books, so little time.

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Published by Berkley

Published on August 21st 2018

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Feminism, Dystopian

Page Count: 336

Source: Purchased

Format: Kindle

Description: Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed to speak more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

Hello again.

I read this book a while back and thought that I had already reviewed it. It was sitting there in my drafts folder. Whoops. I guess that I got distracted and did not finish it. That happens sometimes. Life.

I bought this book after reading about it. I had read dystopian books and had liked many of them so I thought I would give this one a read. If I summed this book up with one word, it would be "Wow". I am not sure I was prepared for it. There were moments where I was genuinely uncomfortable. In fact, the next book that I read, I read out loud...just to speak.

The characters were well written. The way that they interacted did not feel forced when there were times where they could have been. The situations were terrifying. The ending felt setup for another book so the readers may be waiting for a sequel.

I am rating this book Four Red Books because it was a good book but the ending did not quite have the flow of the rest of it. I read it one afternoon with no breaks so that you should tell you something. Parts of it still haunt me. Recommend. 

InkedBookDragon

Currently reading: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, The Wives by Tarryn Fisher, The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Series Spotlight: The Lunar Chronicles

A blurb about the series:

The Lunar Chronicles are futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales. In CINDER, a teenage cyborg (half human, half machine) must deal with a wicked stepmother, start a rebellion against the evil Queen Levana, and decide how she feels about a handsome prince. As the series continues, Cinder forges alliances with Scarlet, a spaceship pilot who is determined to solve the mystery of a missing loved one — with the help of a magnetic street fighter named Wolf; Cress, a computer hacker who is imprisoned by Queen Levana; and Winter, a princess who's in love with a commoner, and who discovers that Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress may hold the key to saving her kingdom — and the world.


Hello Readers.

I knew about this series for a while but I avoided reading it. For years, I had people recommend them to me and I was hesitant because of the hype. Let's be honest about it. If a book or series is over hyped, I tend to steer clear of it because I am pretty sure that I will be greatly disappointed. Some of the most popular books out there have disappointed me so much that I will never read them again or did not finish them to begin with. I wasn't sure how this one would be because I was unsure as to how one could combine such very different components and actually succeed. There was so much room for failure here and I did not want to waste my time. Last month, I decided to go ahead and read the copy of Cinder that I had been given. I was pretty sure that I would be giving it away as soon as I read it. There was no way that I would actually like it and keep it.

Hahahahaha. Sorry. I am taking a moment to laugh at myself. I am not one that shies away from admitting that I am wrong when the occasion occurs. Not only did I plow through Cinder with insane speed but I ordered the rest of the books midway into the book. Before I knew it, I was fully enveloped in this series and had to know every detail. Beautifully written. The author combined the old fairy tales with sci-fi and steam punk so expertly that I am in awe. I cannot recommend this series enough.


InkedBookDragon


Books in the Series:

• Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) - 2012
• Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) - 2013
• Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) - 2014
• Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) - 2015
• Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #5) - 2015

Additional Books:

• Stars Above (a collection of short stories) - 2016
• The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book - 2016
• Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 (graphic novel) - 2017
• Wires and Nerve: Gone Rogue,  Volume 2 (graphic novel) - 2018

The Lunar Chronicles Universe of Marissa Meyer

Amazon


*Picture taken from:
http://bookclub.wikia.com/wiki/File:The_Lunar_Chronicles.png
**Blurb taken directly from http://lunarchronicles.universeofmarissameyer.com/books/

Michael's Passion (A Series of Angels Book 1) by Joel Crofoot

Michael's Passion (A Series of Angels Book 1) by Joel Crofoot

Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC

Published on September 7, 2016

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Page Count: 183

Source: Author

Format: eBook

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Description: When the archangel Michael is forced to rely on his estranged brother Gabriel for help after a demon attack goes wrong, Gabriel places him before the throne of God for healing. The father is displeased about some of Michael's behavior as of late and casts them both out of heaven until they pay their penance.

Jahi is a demonic seductress who uses sex to steal people's souls. It’s not exactly her dream job, but it keeps her boss at bay, until a chance meeting with Michael changes her fate forever.

Hello.

Where do I start with this one? I don't normally read romances of this nature. The truth is that I tend to steer clear of  books when there are shirtless men on the cover. For years, I couldn't take them seriously. I recently opened up to the possibility of books like that being more than what I previously thought. I am very happy that I have. That being said, I didn't even really take note of the cover of this book until I was almost four chapters in. By then I was hooked. 

This book is definitely one that I am happy that I was open to reading. It was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I had trouble putting it down. It took my idea of angels and altered it greatly. It was interesting reading the author's viewpoint. 

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. am rating this book Five Blue Books because it was truly a delight to read. A true struggle between Good and Evil story. I am interested in reading the other books in this series. 

InkedBookDragon

Yesterday by Samyann

Yesterday by Samyann

Published by Samyann

Published on Jan 12, 2014

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Page Count: 406

Source: Publisher

Format: eBook

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Description: A tender love story pulls the reader back to previous lives and a time richly elegant. In modern day Chicago, deja vu draws together a handsome mounted policeman and the beautiful young woman who saves his life. Yesterday is also a harrowing tale of escape through the American Civil War, the heart wrenching love of slaves for their young white charges, and The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In this historical romance, Mark fights through Amanda's rejection to prove that she will love again as she once loved - Yesterday.

Hello.

This book really hit close to home with me. I have been places that I would swear that I had been to before. There is nothing like stepping into a place and you know that you have never been to but yet you truly feel like you have been there. I have encountered people that I felt that I knew but had never met them before. That feeling is really something. Call it deja vu. Call it a strange coincidence. It is very much there and I am sure most people have experienced it at one time or another. 

The author has the ability to paint a picture so well that you feel like you are there. You feel the breeze blow. You hear the traffic. That ability is a true skill. Many people claim to have it but very few people actually do. The characters were so likable that I found myself wanting to know them in real life. 

Time and locations. What a gorgeous use of time and the area around them to help tell the story. Not everyone can write a time travel/reincarnation novel successfully. This book was truly remarkable in that regard. I felt like I was in modern day Chicago. I felt that I was on the battle field. The reader is transported to these locations with such elegance. 

Thank you to the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I am rating this book Five Blue Books because it flowed well and kept my attention. The author has a beautiful way with words. I have already started recommending this book and will continue to do so. It was a delight to read. 

InkedBookDragon