TINAG (This is not a Game) takes you through 2 and a half story lines. The first Act could be read alone and provide a mildly entertaining short story. The second and third act use glimpses from the first act to set you up for the main story line. Williams uses social media and e-mail intros to keep reminding you of important parts of the story, and even though you know how the book is going to end you are set to wonder which direction Williams will take you.
Final Thought: Joe Clever is my favorite part of the story.
Good Illustrations, and fun use of multiple stories to arc into one story. Great point of view about how stereotypes in general cause us to do and say ridiculous things. Main complaint was how the story just ends. The rising action takes us right to a 4 years in the future resolution. I can't even call spoiler here, because it happens so quickly, and just ends. Oh Well. I would still recommend, but I would also give the heads up.
Ernest Cline, if you read this, write another book. It must have been an off day.
You know that something is up, and that something is exactly what you expect. I kept waiting for the main character to have a revelation, or do something unexpected, or something unpredictable. But everything happened exactly how you thought it would. Cline even throws in a double writer's cliche to wrap everything in a nice little bow. Disappointing, BUT I do want him to keep writing. And not just because of RP1. I want him to keep writing, because I enjoy the universe he creates for his characters. I just don't want his characters to do what has already been written in other books. Sorry.
It is interesting, because the reason why I wanted to read this book, was because someone told me that it was a great stand-alone fantasy novel. Now I want to know what happens to “our Serenity.” in a sequel. A little difficult to start with because of the use of elvish names and locations, but I think that is more my lack of practice in the fantasy genre, recently. The other thing your brain has to figure out is that names that end in “a” are male not female. It took me a multiple chapters to convince my English language brain that the main character was indeed male. By the time you finish you find yourself a “friend” to the emperor.
Possible SPOILER:
I wish they would have done more with Setheris.
