The Bookwyrm's Review of Immersion Online: The Symbiont by Evan Klein

 

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Rating: 9/10 Stars

Synopsis

Mace is back in the third deadly installment, and he is hot on the trail of a serial killer who is stalking his victims in the city of Grandview. Soon, identical murders take place in his hometown. Is there a copycat killer, or are the killers one in the same? Mace and his counterpart in the real world, Detective Donna Driver, search both on and offline for clues that will lead them to the serial killer. Will they be on time to stop him before he strikes again? Will Mace pay the ultimate price?

Review

I was a big fan of the first two books in this series, so when I got a chance to review this one, I jumped on it. This series is a little different than a lot in the genre, being a bit more adult oriented in the case of violence and crime, not harem stuff. While there is plenty of humor, there is definitely an edge to the whole concept that works for me. As much as I like light and fluffy stories, I do appreciate a more dark and gritty take on the genre as well.

The world building is solid as always. The city of Grandview is expanded upon more in this book, with looks into the royal district and the Queen herself, although her district is as far as her power extends. We also see some development of the rest of the city, as well as some areas off the map, "mods" that are used as traps and have their own game rules. These are some wild new areas, and with the reveal that the Sunderland continent is now open, its really expanded the world, and the threats to the world at large. We also get to spend more time in the real world as Mace tries to help find the villain in game and in the real world as well. It's a change of pace, and really helps flesh out Mace and his daughter Amber's characters.

The characters are again a real strength. Mace starts out recovering from the IRL attack on him by the Glimmer Man, and he has to start things slow. When women start getting murdered by a mysterious killer, Mace is forced to take chances to try and put a stop to it. His determination and grit are some of the best in the genre, and while his personal life may be a bit of a wreck, he has a pit bull's determination, willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. This serves him well with what he is facing in the face of overpowered monsters rampaging and a maniacal serial killer. 

The supporting cast gets a lot of attention as well. Nixie, Mace's deputy, really expands her character, especially as we learn more about her early history and motivations, all while leaving some mysteries about her IRL life. Amber really gets some attention as well, as she has to change her college situation to help Mace recover from his near death experience, and she really comes into her own, especially at the end of the story. The rest of the cast also add a lot to the story, especially the various guards we meet as the manhunt continues for the killer.

The main antagonist is one of the most chilling evil characters I've ever read in this type of story. Cold, calculating, talented and psychotic, the villain Is easily as threatening as any monster plaguing the continent, and is even worse in a way, since there are real world murders occurring along with the game murders. When the villain is revealed, it has huge consequences for more people than just Mace, and the world of Immersion Online will never be the same.

The narration was performed for the audio book by Todd Menesses. He does an excellent job bringing the various characters to life, giving them each their own unique flavor using a variety of tones, cadences and accents. His voice work for the villain is absolutely chilling, delivering a menacing performance that oozes the insanity of the character. Just absolutely fantastic voice work across the board.

This was definitely steering more into the darker side of the story. The game's dark side is coming more to the fore, and it bleeding into the real world really ratchets up the tension. I am interested to see where the story goes from here, as the Sunderland opening really opens up the chance for entirely too overpowered creatures, and even gods, to make their way to the other two continents, bringing death and destruction in their wake. I think this kind of darker, grittier story will appeal to people looking for a change of pace from some of the lighter fare out there, and I highly recommend this series.