Official Review: Gamers and Gods: The Complete Trilogy

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Thimble
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Official Review: Gamers and Gods: The Complete Trilogy

Post by Thimble »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gamers and Gods: The Complete Trilogy" by Matthew Kennedy.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Gamers and Gods is a science fiction/fantasy trilogy comprised of the books Aes, Machaon, and Alexanor. The author, Matthew Kennedy, was inspired by videogames, mythology, and physics. Because of the author’s interests, the books are full of gaming terms and references to modern game design. Along the same lines, it’s obvious that the mythology was well researched. This is a great series that both gamers and non-gamers alike can get into.

In the near future, the population of the earth has been greatly reduced by war and disease. In the aftermath, the remaining populace developed advanced technology and peace between nations. It’s in this world that people can now live most of their lives online. Gods have chosen this time to fight over the control of humanity and the chosen location is PanGames, the online worlds of the leading virtual reality gaming company. Each book in the series features a champion related to Greek mythology and a champion from Egyptian mythology. Let the games begin!

Along with the basic plot, there is also a focus on philosophy and theoretical physics. I didn’t find the theoretical physics interesting so I was really hoping it would add something to the story, but ultimately it’s only partially impactful. However, the philosophical question of “What does it mean to be human?” tied in well as an overall theme of the trilogy.

There aren’t many characters, but they’re all likeable and well written. The key players are Darla, an engineering student, Farker, the Chief Information Officer of PanGames, and the three titular heroes. In Machaon and Alexanor, the author falls into the trap of using characters that don’t know anything as a method to insert exposition, but it’s not done well. On a positive note, this method of exposition is only used long enough to go over some technical aspects. The story goes back to normal narrative quickly.

I rate Gamers and Gods a 3 out of 4. I enjoyed reading the books, but I wouldn’t read them again. The storyline was too simple to be repeated three times, but the writing itself is very cohesive and solid. There are a lot of writing errors that should have been edited out and the story had a very noticeable plot hole. Someone interested in physics may find a large portion of the books more interesting than I found it. I recommend this book for people interested in a fantastical story about videogames, mythology, and physics.

******
Gamers and Gods: The Complete Trilogy
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

I'm not a gamer and I'm totally ignorant of videogames and such, but since you said that it is something 'both gamers and non-gamers alike can get into' I think I will reconsider :) Great job on the review.
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Post by Thimble »

kimmyschemy06 wrote:I'm not a gamer and I'm totally ignorant of videogames and such, but since you said that it is something 'both gamers and non-gamers alike can get into' I think I will reconsider :) Great job on the review.
Thanks! There is a small gaming terminology hurdle near the beginning of the first book, but after that it's all integrated really well. The author is very good at explaining what certain terms mean.
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Post by elliotbrooks »

Wow, how interesting! I've never heard of this trilogy, but I might have to give it a read. I'm a huge fan of video games myself, and I love most things fantasy related, so it fits right up my alley.

Personally, I like breaking up the density found in some of the fantasy novels I read by picking up something more lighthearted. This series just might do the trick!

Thanks so much for the great review! I certainly appreciated your honesty in regard to the negative elements in the book, but what doesn't work for some might work well for others.
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Post by jamesabr »

I've never been good at video games, but I enjoy the lore behind many of them (I watch let's plays on YouTube every now and then). This book sounds interesting!
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Post by Thimble »

elliotbrooks wrote:Wow, how interesting! I've never heard of this trilogy, but I might have to give it a read. I'm a huge fan of video games myself, and I love most things fantasy related, so it fits right up my alley.

Personally, I like breaking up the density found in some of the fantasy novels I read by picking up something more lighthearted. This series just might do the trick!

Thanks so much for the great review! I certainly appreciated your honesty in regard to the negative elements in the book, but what doesn't work for some might work well for others.
Thanks for the comment! There are three books in the series, so you can use them multiple times to read something more lighthearted ;).

-- 23 Dec 2016, 14:07 --
jamesabr wrote:I've never been good at video games, but I enjoy the lore behind many of them (I watch let's plays on YouTube every now and then). This book sounds interesting!
I also enjoy video games, but my skills are lacking.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

Great review! I like fantasy and mythology, and although I am not a hardcore gamer, I am related to a few. I might have to give this one a shot!
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Post by katiesquilts »

I was interested in reviewing this series as well, but I'm glad I waited to read someone else's review! As I thought, using the same idea for three different books and only changing the characters was a little underwhelming, perhaps?
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Post by Thimble »

katiesquilts wrote:I was interested in reviewing this series as well, but I'm glad I waited to read someone else's review! As I thought, using the same idea for three different books and only changing the characters was a little underwhelming, perhaps?
The changes were minimal and slightly predictable (However, for me, a lot of things in stories tend to be predictable.), but I think the progression and the addition of new characters was well done so it didn't get boring. Compared to something epic like the Wheel of Time series, there's not much going on, but there's enough going on.
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

Thank you for the great review! I saw this one and did consider reviewing it, but I'm not a big gamer or fan of playing games, so I wasn't sure if it was for me. I do like that Greek mythology and Egyptian mythology is woven in. It seems like a unique element in this trilogy.
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Post by Gravy »

That is a lot going on! Perhaps the physics was just a bit too much?

Anyway, I think this sounds really interesting! Thank you for your review :)
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Post by Utpal K Khot »

OMG!! This Sci-fi Trilogy looks like a steal of a deal at that price. I am sure I would want to have a copy of it. Congrats on being the BOTD. :)
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Post by Hneite »

I like both games and mythology so this one fits me so i bought it.
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Post by gali »

I am also not a fan of video games or physics, though I like mythology. It sounds like an interesting book for fans of the genre, and a bargain at that. Thank you for the great review!
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Post by tarafarah7 »

Interesting concept for a book! I have taught a Greek Mythology class in the past, though I know nothing about videogames! Those gamers are serious business these days!!! Maybe I'll check it out. Thank you so much for a great review!
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