Duology: "Warcross"

Originally, I was going to include the first book in a compilation post. Then it was a standalone post, but it took me awhile to read it, so I waited for the second book to release in this YA duology in order to create a post showcasing them. I’ve been an established fan of this author’s work since the first story of hers that I read.

Warcross (Sept. 12, 2017) by Marie Lu.

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade, but what do you do if life hasn’t bothered to hand you the lemons? Tattooed teenage hacker Emika Chen (she’s 18) is a bright-haired bounty hunter who’s gone to the physical trouble of taking someone down for the NYPD, only to have the bounty claimed by another. She’s three months behind on rent and is about to be evicted, has a low-paying job and can barely afford mac ‘n cheese when she hacks into Warcross. That game is a global phenomenon, and it was started 10 years ago by Hideo Tanaka. He’s now a billionaire and is all of 21 years old. Emika hacks into the game thinking to make some quick cash, but she doesn’t expect her hack to cause the world to see her when she glitches in. Instead of someone slapping cuffs on her and sending her to jail (again), she finds herself in Tokyo with a business proposition. Only one other person has been able to hack one’s way into Warcross, and they refer to that player as Zero. Emika is one of the players, now professionally playing Warcross, in an effort to find out who Zero is and take her/him down. She’ll come in as a Wardraft Wild Card. She’s gone from impoverished girl with a juvenile record to overnight sensation surrounded by fame, fortune and the best technology available. Also, let’s not forget Hideo Tanaka of Henka Games. He’s a young, attractive, wealthy, elegant genius. By accident, Emika has gotten herself on Hideo’s radar. Good luck turning back now.

            I’ve been a reading fan of Lu’s through her Legend and The Young Elites trilogies. But when it came to this duology, I was uncertain, even though she’s an author whose books I’ve already consistently enjoyed. I still pre-ordered the book, but I know nothing of the gaming world and hacking and all of those tech-genius terms and therefore wondered if I’d find a reading rapport with this book. I put this book off for a long while and now cannot believe I ever doubted it, because I LOVED the book. As soon as I began reading it, I was addicted to the high octane plot, the inventive virtual reality (VR) world and the fascinating characters. Lu plaits everything together like a seamless code. Romance brews in this clever, all-consuming tale. If all VR, science fiction worlds are as kinetic and energetic as this one, then I want a shelf full of these types of YA novels!

Wildcard (Sept. 18, 2018) by Marie Lu.

Welcome to Warcross! The Warcross Championships are fast-approaching, but so much has happened, and more is to come. Firstly, with the presence of illegal power-ups in gameplay, a rematch between the Phoenix Riders and Andromeda has been scheduled, making it the first rematch in Warcross history. Secondly, Emika Chen has been replaced as a member of the Phoenix Riders. Thirdly, Zero has been identified, and the ­­­­Blackcoats resistance he's a part of looks to have morally gray areas, rather like Hideo Tanaka’s plan, though it’s easy to be convinced of the rightness of what the resistance is fighting for. And what the resistance is supposedly fighting to stop is set to launch in mere days when the Warcross Championships are about to commence. A majority of it has already launched, but the beta lenses weren’t in that massive batch. Which means their actions are still their own … for now.

            Emika finds herself at odds with Hideo around the same time she’s avoided being assassinated (life is a little complicated right now). She’s gone to the other side, essentially, by teaming up with Zero, Dr. Dana Taylor, Jax and others associated with the resistance. But Zero wants her to find her way back into Hideo’s good graces so she can gain access to something only he has the key for. And then she needs to corrupt it. But when someone she knows is seriously hurt, what does that say about the resistance? What’s really going on and who’s behind it?

            What a fantastic duology! If Marie Lu were to create a spinoff of this duology or keep up with the current main characters in a new, twisty, exhilarating, gamer-centric plotline, I’d be click-happy in pre-ordering it. I never expected to enjoy stories set in an ultra tech-smart world, and I’ve not only enjoyed it, but loved it. It’s been brilliantly fast-paced, as luminous as the Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Porsches and Luminatii Xs (“the fastest electric car currently on the market”) transformed into the impossible using the NeuroLink. The technology is amazingly immersive, and emotions hold power. What we do out of love can be morally questionable. The stakes are high, and Emika will do what she must.