Joseph Sale Month: Save Game

The author claims this book is his answer to Ernest Cline’s ‘Ready Player One’. I say it is the book ‘Ready Player One’ wishes it could have been.

Levi lives in Birmingham in the UK. He wanted to be a lawyer, but after falling in love with computer games, he decided to become a game designer. Now, at 18, he’s a college drop out, fast food worker and gamer, while his father lies dying in a hospital bed and his relationships all seem to be imploding around him.

The game that claims so much of his time is Fates of Ellaria, a MMORPG with one million in prize money for the first player to reach the finish line. Only 1000 players were allowed sign up for FoE, and once you die that’s it, no respawns or ways back into the game. It’s a lot like life, and as in life, you have to be careful who you trust.

Written from Levi’s point of view, the action switches between Levi the Brummie and Levi the vampire monk, his in game character. Both narratives are compelling and engage the emotions.

What can I say about this book? I loved it. I couldn’t put it down. I love Fate of Ellaria, and the descriptions of the game are certainly a love letter to RPG’s, but the lessons of FoE also relate to life, and the action in the game, especially at it reaches its climax, is spellbinding.

I award Save Game…