Ready Player Two

A Novel

By: Ernest Cline

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The thrilling sequel to the beloved worldwide bestseller Ready Player One, the near-future adventure that inspired the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • “The game is on again. . . . A great mix of exciting fantasy and threatening fact.”—The Wall Street Journal

AN UNEXPECTED QUEST. TWO WORLDS AT STAKE. ARE YOU READY?

Days after winning OASIS founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything.

Hidden within Halliday’s vaults, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the OASIS a thousand times more wondrous—and addictive—than even Wade dreamed possible.

With it comes a new riddle, and a new quest—a last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize.

And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who’ll kill millions to get what he wants.

Wade’s life and the future of the OASIS are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance.

Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action-packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again.

Critic reviews

Praise for Ready Player Two

“Many people think Ernest Cline writes about the future, but what he’s really doing is writing about the complexities of the world we live in today. Whether you’re black, white, woman, or man, this story is about you and what gaming has meant in your life. We already live in the OASIS, and the journey of life is trying to find as many of those Easter eggs along the way!”—Trevor Noah

Praise for Ready Player One

“Enchanting . . . Willy Wonka meets The Matrix.”—USA Today

“An addictive read . . . part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance, and all heart.”—CNN

“Ridiculously fun and large-hearted.”—NPR

“A geek fantasia, ’80s culture memoir and commentary on the future of online behavior all at once.”—Austin American Statesman

“Delightful . . . the grown-up’s Harry Potter.”—HuffPost

“As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simply evaporates.”—Entertainment Weekly

“A geek touchstone.”—Rolling Stone

“Gorgeously geeky, superbly entertaining, [and] spectacularly successful.”—Daily Mail (UK)

NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S 100 MOST-LOVED BOOKS BY PBS’s THE GREAT AMERICAN READ

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE • THE VILLAGE VOICE • CHICAGO SUN-TIMES • io9 • THE A.V. CLUB

It’s a meh 😳

Ok without giving to much away, I feel like the first part of the story built pretty slowly for being a sequel. I personally didn’t care for the direction they took with the sequel. I feel like addressing issues in our society in books is fine, but this felt pretty forced. I thought the ending was pretty predictable. Just a meh.

Flawed but Loved

After loving the characters from the original, there are opening character interactions that hurt. Lengthy grievances between characters that resolve instantly without proper communication. New characters are underused and underdeveloped. Villains are not as flushed out or explored as well as in the original. The final battle is far less exciting and fist pumping as in the first novel. An end that leaves me questioning if I want a third.

After having said all of that, there were moments between characters that made me laugh (Wade & H especially). Moments between, Wade and Art3mis that made me smile and want their love to grow. And a John Hughes segment that warmed my heart and transported me back to the 1980's.

For all of my perceived flaws of the story, the wonderful moments with characters I love far and away made returning to this universe well worth the price of admission.

Clumsy virtue signing

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. The awkward and heavy handed lgbtq character development was a boring distraction.

decent story, all the woke stuff kinda ruined it

far left propaganda took me out of the story and it was kinda cringy.besides that decent book

My heart!

My heart, my heart, my nerdy little heart!

When Ready Player One ended we thought that was it. There didn't seem to be anything we saw as a 2nd book coming. When I found out about Ready Player Two you can bet I was gonna be all in. Cline does not disappoint! The only thing I have with this, is if there's going to be a 3rd book now because even if the story is over, that doesn't mean Cline is done with these characters.