There are many things I like about this book. The entrapment gimmick is a cut way above the rest. The skill training mechanics are sort of well rounded. The characters are developed, and can make good decisions. And, the author doesn’t have some agenda that he is trying to force down my throat. If I didn’t feel jerked around I would give it a much better rating.
The issue, the issue is that all the consistency is repeatedly thrown out the window, jarring me from the story. There was one point where clearly defined world rules were disregarded, and then poof everything was just fine. That may just have been an over site, but it really sent me through a range of emotions, before I realized that we were just ignoring that rule. The real issue is that most of the characters claim to be gamers.
Wait? Why are gamers a problem? Because they regularly don’t act like gamers most of the time. There were three major repeating tactical errors, I listed them, but that felt too spoilery. The author seems to understand these things as indicated by other things in his book, but consistency is sacrificed on the alter of plot tools.
Edit: Upon further reflection there is something else to point out. There are parallel currents running through the book. One of excitement and the other of unending despair and gloom. The issue is that it feels like excitement and adventure were there first, and the despair and gloom where added after the fact. This doesn’t effect the first part of the book, however the latter suffers. The characters you know get closer to the bad stuff happening, but they seem really apathetic. That is, they don’t really act or make decisions that feel “real” concerning those situations.
But hey, I made it to the end, and it wasn’t terrible, it just made me angry, I guess my star rating is just a mood indicator. Maybe one day I’ll read the second book, if there is one.