I couldn't put this book down! So much fun -- and intrigue. Who is Ikumi really? Why and how is she trapped in the game? What is Artreus's game? Can he be befriended? So much action, so much excitement, so much mystery... Dragon Ops was a wild and exciting ride, thrilling and captivating from beginning to end!

This is a fantastically fun MG SF/fantasy adventure that's perfect for any kids who love Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, or any other fantasy adventure games.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for a review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This book was obviously written for me, because it has all the things: rogue AI, dragon, virtual reality gone wrong, dragon, sibling bonds, glorious gamer references, dragon, wonderfully nerdy references. And have I mentioned the dragon?!

Dragon Ops is basically Sword Art Online for young readers, with an exciting virtual world, many challenges for the team to overcome, and enough gamer references to make my nerdy little heart sing.

This definitely felt like a more middle mid-grade read, where the challenges were solved a little too easily to keep the pace moving right along, but despite that, the book was just so much fun to read. And for all you non-gamers out there: don’t worry. Mancusi has your back. The gamer references are low-key explained, so you don’t have to wander through the book completely lost.

My Thoughts:

- Our main character, Ian, is a nerdy pre-teen gamer who tries hard to be cool, but succeeds only in being himself. Which is why I loved him. I, too, was a nerdy pre-teen gamer once upon a time. I wish I could say I grew out of it, but … y’know. Ian is super excited about the chance to beta test Dragon Ops before it opens … and who the heck wouldn’t be? Ian’s narrative voice is fun and funny, and his excitement for the game is infectious. He’s not just a one-dimensional character, though, and I loved how concerned he was for the characters around him. Ian was great, and I feel like he’d be easy to relate to, regardless of age and gender.

- The secondary characters in this were equally a ton of fun, and they all get their own little arcs. Ian, I didn’t feel like, had much of an arc. That was mostly reserved for the secondaries, and that’s where the real emotion and meat of this book was, because it’s not all just fun and games. Lilli is Ian’s older sister, and she’s clearly going through something, because she had a falling out with her game boyfriend and has since refused to touch any sort of online game. Which is a bummer for Ian, because the two had been really close and always gamed together, and they had especially loved the original Dragon Ops game. He doesn’t understand why his sister is suddenly like this, but he’s doing his best to rekindle the bond they had, and just yes. Sibling bonds is a trope I live for, so seeing them work together in the game was just *chef’s kiss*. My favorite secondary character, though, has to be Yano, the group’s fearless (and oftentimes sarcastic) guide. Because not all AIs have to be rogue to be entertaining. Some are just naturally that way. Yano’s purpose is two-fold. Of course he provides lots of in-game advice and information that the characters (and the reader) wouldn’t otherwise have, but he’s also so freaking funny. His parts are just great.

- Not gonna lie, rogue AI is my favorite AI, but aside from that, this world is just so freaking fun that I’m low-key angry that it doesn’t exist in real life. That was actually a lie. I am wholeheartedly and utterly disappointed by the lack of this virtual reality game. What are game developers even doing with their lives at this point?! I don’t want to reveal too much about the world, because it’s something that should be discovered with the book. Needless to say, though, there were a lot of surprises, and so many cool little elements of world-building that I would 100% love playing a Dragon Ops MMORPG. The author is clearly a gamer, and that shines through pretty well.

- The ending wraps up nicely, but also perfectly sets up the potential for a sequel. It’s not like I’m going to be knocking down Mancusi’s door for a follow-up novel to this, because I thought everything tied up pretty nicely. The very ending, though? Perfect segue for a sequel at some point. I didn’t feel like it needed another book to feel complete, but it's a world I would love the chance to explore again.

I'm so happy to finally get to recommend Dragon Ops (it comes out next week!) because it's one of the few books that my son actually read straight through for fun. I mean, it's right up his alley: Ian's favorite online game — in which he role-plays a valiant warrior with his mage big sister Lily by his side — has been turned into an augmented reality theme park, and thanks to his uncle's super-cool coding job, he gets to check the park out while it's still in beta. Even his annoying cousin Derek can't dampen Ian's excitement. Once his party gets into the game and starts leveling up, he knows this is going to be the greatest adventure ever. He's not wrong. But he definitely didn't predict a rouge AI in the form of an endgame superboss dragon who kidnaps Derek and has the power to make their virtual game-overs real. Ian will need all his video game knowledge, help from mysterious in-game characters (some of whom aren't as virtual as others), and all the real-life courage he's never been able to muster to save the day. It's jam-packed with references to classic and new video games (Holy Luigi's green overalls!), and while the story is predictable, that doesn't make it any less fun. Certainly my son raced through it. I'm a fan of Literature-with-a-capital-L for sure, but sometimes I think you want a book that's just sheer fun to read, and Dragon Ops definitely delivered for my gaming-loving kid. Frankly, I enjoyed it, too. Is it the best book you'll read this year? Probably not, but it's definitely a good time.

This is Ian's dream come true his favorite computer game is now a amusement park. It uses augmented reality so people can come and play the game as their favorite character. Ian is in heaven but his sister Lily and cousin Derek see this as a nightmare and could careless, even though Derek's dad help program the world and that is how they are now getting to play it before the park opens for real guests. But once they enter the game they find themselves trapped by a rouge AI dragon that sends them on a quest they should not be able to do at their level and threatens to eat Derek if they don't do it. And thus begins the adventure of a lifetime.

This book is a wish come true for any gamer to read, it is full of suspense, twists and has action galore, there is even a mysterious player that shows up. I thought this book blew the cool-o-meter right off of the chart, but if you know me you know I love these kinds of books, and I hope you will too. Boy I hope there is more to come like this from the author, maybe even see Ian and the Dragonslayerz again.

This review will appear on my blog on May 4th.