This is a great follow-up to Zee Locked In. Those who liked the first book should enjoy this next step in Zee’s story. I personally love how Justin Monroe made it easy to skip the full character to continue on with the story.
The story progresses nicely. The logical fallout of having the whole world learn of Zee’s unique epic sword both makes sense and was still entertaining. The characterization of the newly introduced players, both friendlies and griefers, and Zee’s SI Sara is believable; they all have their own distinct personality that shines through well. While Zee’s questionable actions and excessive wallowing in his parent’s pop culture was extremely grating to me, I recognize that it does make sense in context of his personality and how he has coped throughout his life.
Gary Bennet’s narration is only okay, at best. While each character has their own distinct voice, he sounds exceedingly lethargic and droll. It really detracts from the more exciting action sequences in the story.