If you liked Ready Player One, you might like this story about four of the best gamers on the planet as well.

The story is full of pop-culture references and very funny at times, but ends in a cliffhanger.

This book is perfect for fans of ready player one. A book about gaming, a book about 4 friends and their friendship and how they immerse into their favourite game distant dawn. This book was flawless and lived way beyond my expectations. I went in with high expectations of this and didn't think this book would meet it. But wow. I was surprised. I will definitely be buying this once it is released

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
Jack, Megan, Ayo, and Cameron call themselves the Raid Mob. The four friends are among the top ten gamers in the world, only no one knows it but them. Outside of the game world, they are average teenagers that deal with bullies, difficult teachers, and distant parents. Now their game, Distant Dawn, is offering them a chance to become even more famous, but there is more danger and adventure than they expected.
The book marries the action of video games and exciting new tech that is just on the edge of possible. The point of view switches between the main characters giving the reader plenty of time to get a feel for each of the members of the team. Because of the tech that is used, there is always the question of "is this really happening" after a certain point in the book, however, that does not take away from the story. The ending sets up perfectly for a second book, and I am excited to see what happens.

Friendships, loyalty and online anonymity are tested when four of the best young gamers in the world find themselves immersed in the world of their favourite video game, Distant Dawn.

Perfect for video gamers and fans of Ready Player One.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Sweet Cherry Publishing, and M.J. Sullivan for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

I'm always a sucker for this sort of storyline- whether it's Ready Player One, or Sword Art Online, this sort of story has always sucked me in immediately, and this was no exception.

I loved that this really appealed to every gamer's dream- actually participating in one of your favorite games instead of being behind the screen. The characters complimented each other so well and it was such a fun story to go through. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone into some adventure and gaming.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

What a fantastic adventure! I am absolutely floored with the how strong of a novel this is! I was a little afraid the theme would be a thinly veiled 'video games bad' but that was not the case; this was a love letter to video games and the escapism they can provide and friendships they can build (there were problems of course, but they're nuanced enough that the young reader won't feel talked down to or lectured at). This is the kind of novel that can entice a reluctant reader (even one who prefers video games to reading), as it was fun on multiple fronts. The video game angle worked fantastically, the world was fully fleshed out, and best of all, the Raid Mob gang were a great group of kids, each with their own distinct personalities and struggles but bound together by friendship and mutual love of a video game. The cliffhanger had me groan with excitement - can't wait for Book 2.

Move over Ready Player One there's a new gaming story in town and this one is part of a planned series. I will definitely be adding multiple copies to our high school library and love the darkness and gore that's coupled with the tech/machines battle that include images throughout in its gamification of the story, as well as the problem-solving and intricacy of the actual plot itself. Is it a dream or is it reality? What is going to happen next? It was intense and action packed and I loved the whole package from start to finish to teen readers who are lovers of gaming, action/adventure movies, war, etc.

And there's even a link with the surprises of VR/gaming with the people we see versus the people we are online with their teacher as well as their own family members that I thought dealt with the ethics as well as the anonymity of gaming.

This one reminded me of a few similar novels including Ready Player One, and interestingly enough it also reminded me of Ender’s Game. Don’t take that as the wrong thing, this one by Sullivan was unique and overall a great set up for this series. A few slower moments, but overall not bad.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publishers - Sweet Cherry Publishing - and NetGalley for allowing me access to this eARC.
*this in no way affects my review of this book. It was given under the premise that I’m 100% honest with my review*
**MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS**

This book was basically every teenage gamers dream. Your favourite video game becomes a reality so instead of fending off enemies from behind the controller, you’re placed directly into the action!

Characters:
Let’s talk characters. We follow the story of four of your average teenagers who, behind closed doors, are four of the best online gamers in the world who join forces as ‘The Raid Mob’. They each have differing personalities and backgrounds but they complement each other so well. All four of these characters are extremely relatable and people that we all would have come across, or been, at some point in our lives:

Cameron – AKA ForgeFire666. Suffering with anxiety and tormented by bullies at school. Speech impediment possible exasperated by anxiety.
Ayo – AKA Hephaestus. Comes from a wealthy background. References to him being neurodivergent but with no official diagnosis as it’s unnoticed by his family.
Megan – AKA Zuul. The loud one. Possibly not yet discovered who she is for herself. Also an avid Aliens fanatic.
Jack – AKA tHeScOuRgE. Comes from a poorer background. References to him having to work a part-time job around school. Absent mother and caring role to his baby brother.

Plot:
As aforementioned, this book is about video games becoming a reality… or is it?

As we follow the Raid Mob between their home life and their online persona it becomes clear that all is not what it seems. One day, the top ten ‘Distant Dawn’ players are gifted virtual reality gaming set-ups and it’s from this point things get messy (quite literally)

The enemies from ‘Distant Dawn’ soon reveal their plans to take over the Earth and kill off the human race and, of course, it’s up the ‘The Raid Mob’ to prevent this from happening. But, how are four teenagers going to accomplish this seemingly impossible task? By using the skills they have learnt from playing online – duh!

There is PLENTY of action, gore and epic world building throughout this book.

This adventure will stretch the teams friendship and loyalty but the character growth and progression is clear as you get further and further into it.

Further Points to Mention:
This is an extremely modern feeling sci-fi adventure with very real feeling characters. There are references to various modern day applications such as Twitter, Netflix, online game streams and VR consoles.

There are plenty of funny dialogue moments between the group and typical banter type comments you’d expect from teenagers. This just adds to how relatable these characters really are.

A point worth mentioning is that some of the descriptions are quite gory in terms of the scenes in which the enemy are killed and the way the aliens are made to sound are quite creepy (I’m talking multiple sets of eyes and teeth!) so it would be a more suitable read for those aged 12+

I read this book as an eARC so downloaded it on my kindle. I will say that this probably wasn’t the best format. There are some pictures and social media posts dotted throughout the book that didn’t quite come across right on the eBook however, I do think once this is a physically published, that won’t be an issue and it will be even more of a pleasure to read.

To anyone wondering, there was absolutely ZERO romance, so if that’s your thing, this book is not for you.

Summary:
This was an epic read that kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. When I wasn’t reading it, I was wishing that I was! I’m so glad this is going to be part of a series as I can’t wait to jump back in with The Raid Mob, especially with that cliff-hanger!! I genuinely felt like the 5th member of the team – or just a really big fan. Cheering them on in their successes and my heart dropping at the hurdles they were faced with. The writing was immersive and it felt like I was watching a live stream of the gaming rather than reading it.

Additionally there are a few key points of learning that can be used in the real world, I won’t divulge what they are, but they are elements which EVERYONE could learn from!

The only thing I’d like more of is further scenes and explanations of the teams’ home life. I want to learn more about all their backgrounds - especially that of Megan.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND*
*If you’re not a gamer or interested in gaming at all, this book wouldn’t be for you as you may not understand some of the in-game references.