Cyber Squad - Level 1

De: A.K. Mocikat

Narrado por: Zachary Johnson

Kai thought he had the best job in the world. Playing VR games for a living. Not if the games are trying to kill you. The Net is the last great frontier, a wilderness of data filled with mysteries beyond imagination. Bugs, a harmless annoyance in earlier decades, have become a deadly menace in times when gamers connect their brains directly to VR.

The Cyber Squad has been created to hunt them down. What used to be game QA in earlier times has become an elite, special force of the future, risking their lives to keep users safe. At first, joining the Cyber Squad seems like a dream job to Kai. He is paid well to be part of the coolest troop the gaming world has ever seen. But soon he discovers that the Net is a way scarier place than anyone would have suspected, and bugs are the smallest problem he and his team will have to face.

©2022 A.K. Mocikat (P)2021 A.K. Mocikat

Loved it

this book is a great book, I don't like how he falls in love with the girl as soon as he sees her. I don't like those love at first sight type of books, but overall. I love it

Well written and superbly narrated

In the interest of full disclosure, I was given a promotional copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I am generally more of a non-fiction reader and cyberpunk isn’t a genre I tend to opt for when I do decide to dabble in fiction, so this isn’t a title I would normally select for myself. My expectations weren’t particularly high when I popped my headphones in and laid down to sleep… but before long, the sun was rising and I was eight hours into Cyber Squad- Level 1.

The plot is captivating and I was instantly invested in this array of interesting characters, but I was especially keen on the protagonist- Kai. Kai is a diffident young man working a dead-end job and existing, more than than living, in the real world. In the world of VR, Kai is a handsome Viking and a master fighter who uses his skills to protect his friends. His friends are his virtual teammates and he doesn’t know any of them “irl” …but hey, it’s better than nothing! The appeal of VR is clear: you can be whoever you want to be, do whatever you want to do (seemingly without consequence), and explore unlimited worlds.

An unusual in-game experience exposes Kai to the realities of the virtual world and the necessity of the cyber quad, a VR emergency response team. Targeted ads have (unfortunately) come a long way in this universe and a recruiting notice for the cyber squad alerts him to an opening. Despite his teammate’s objections and the potential danger the position entails, the allure of the squad is undeniable and Kai applies. The opportunities for advancement have real financial implications and represent an escape from the monotonous minutiae of Kai’s daily life. As he settles into his new role, Kai becomes aware of many occupational hazards (not the least of which is a new and completely unattainable romantic interest).

There is something in this book for every kind of reader: engaging battle scenes, camaraderie, conspiracy, lust, lots of swearing, romance, one teabagging, and several formidable arachnids. As other reviewers have already mentioned, some events have been foreshadowed in this book that have built my anticipation for Level 2 and a number of threads are clearly being woven for a later tapestry. Anna has built an impressive and fascinating world for her readers and she navigates them through it with finesse.

Zachary Johnson is a skilled narrator with a highly emotive voice and he was a perfect fit for this story. His narration is smooth, dynamic, and commanding. He is a pleasure to listen to, but more importantly, he portrays each character in a unique way, reflecting their distinct personalities. Small details like the bossy, disembodied voice of Kai’s personal AI and the high-tech headset effects flesh out a universe audiobook listeners are only experiencing auditorily, enabling them to become just as immersed in the plot as traditional readers.

The stellar narration and the compelling plot combined make this audiobook my favorite “read” of the year, by far. I highly recommend you experience it for yourself and I’m eagerly looking forward to Level 2!

This is great

Ok look, full disclosure. The book does use negative qualities in the gamer community to play on and advance the story, like treating/ interacting with women inappropriately or rude behavior some gamers irl have. And the story kinda has a somewhat slow start.

However, the story has a great set up, it's funny at times, the character is relatable, and the events in the book are thrilling. As soon as the character, Kai, kind of gets settled, the story just takes off and there's not a single moment where you're bored or not paying attention.

That's also due in part to the great narration. he can't really do female voices it seems but he does great accents and the main character's voice is recognizable. The book has great vices but most importantly even better acting. The vice inflection is always present and appropriate. You can hear the tension or excitement in the characters voice, it's believable. That's important because I have having a book like this only to have a narrator who is monotonous. but it's almost like this narrator, Zachary, breathes life into the story.

I can't wait to get the next book.

new trip into a world i know nothing about

Be prepared for another world entirely. Yes, you have heard/seen where the player becomes the game. Well jump in and see just what happens when you are an excellent gamer with you skill pumped up to meet the challenge of truly living the ultimate gamers life. The difference is that this is your life and the lives of others. What would you do to survive to level up?

A.K. Mocikat allowed for a non-gamer (literally know nothing of gaming) see a world I could understand (at some point) and enjoy. I would like to have more and see where it takes me. I want to explore this world and see all it has to offer,. Just in mind. I have not mental dexterity to perform well on a gaming system.

Hello, Zachary. Nice to hear you again. You have narrated quite a few of my audio-enjoyment over the last year. Thank you for stepping in with this one. You do the job as usual. You get the range and varia

A New Kind of LitRPG

Cyber Squad is different. I don't say this as a bad thing. Within LitRPG there are many established genres. If we had to put Cyber Squad into one then probably VR LitRPG would be the category. That doesn't do this story justice, however. Like I said, Cyber Squad is different. Instead of the game being the setting and the system, it is the backdrop here. Kai and company level and progress, but that all takes place outside of VR. This book is refreshing because it is such a different take on the genre. No one is trapped in a game or portaled to a new world. There is no apocalypse.

We find ourselves following a band of loveable losers trying to keep VR safe. Why are they doing that? They do it because it's their job. Everyone that is a member of a Cyber Squad is a high-level gamer. The top 1%. Kai is our everyman thrust into a job the is one part QA and one part police force. While it seems like it's a harmless gig on the surface, we find there could be nothing further from the truth. The stakes are real and so are the people. There is a giant universe out there and the general public knows nothing about it. That's how it has to be. The Cyber Squad holds the line because if the people knew what was really out there no one would sleep at night.

A note on the narration: Zachary Johnson is a treasure and brings this story to life. As good as this story is, he takes it to another level.

expertly written and performed.

Do not I repeat DO NOT sleep on this book!!!!!

cyber squad is a book that is placed in the future, where VR controls everything and that's about as much as I want to tell you because you need to experience everything else firsthand.

Excellent book

CYBER SQUAD - LEVEL 1: A GAMELIT/LITRPG LITE CYBERPUNK ADVENTURE by Anna Mocikat is a book about a man who gets the job offer of a lifetime: decoding bugs in a massive Elder Scrolls Online-like experience. Well, it's a lot better than the real thing since decoding in this world involves taking your avatar into the game and having them slay homicidal AI. Oh and if you die in the game then there's a non-zero chance that you'll go brain dead as a result. So maybe not the job offer of a lifetime except in the literal sense.

The basic story is about Kai living a fairly average but relatable life of a cruddy job at a Japanese restaurant and blowing off steam online between shifts. He doesn't have a girlfriend, his friends are dorky even by his standards, and his prospects are pretty dim. The chance to join the Cyber Squad happens after a chance encounter with one of their premiere team that saves his guild in virtual reality. Kai ignores the warning signs that his guild is a few members less in the next couple of weeks as it's all just a game after all. Right?

The story actually works primarily as a slice of life story with Kai taking the chance on a job application with the Cyber Squad. They look pretty badass online and it's not like he has much to lose my joining. Much to his surprise, he gets the job in and even getting in at the bottom level (Level 1 because the people at his new employers are cute) is twice his original salary. It also promises a lot more if he can meet their quotas and level up with Level 10 promising six figure salaries.

Kai is a likable enough protagonist and Anna Mocikat's real-life experience in the game development industry shines forth describing behind-the-scenes behavior. Kai's coworkers are a mixture of horny dudes, women struggling to be taken seriously, people doing it for the art, and a variety of super-pleasant corporate types who would rip out your heart without blinking. Okay, maybe that's just how I imagine the real life game industry to function but it's very entertaining to read. Kai quickly develops a crush on a number of the girls present but doesn't believe he has a chance in Hell.

There's a lot of humor to be found here as well as decent action. The whole premise of bug coding requiring you to actually fight it out with monsters doesn't make much sense but I think we all understand that it is a concession to drama. I'm not usually a big fan of LITRPG but I appreciate when attempts are made to make the leveling system make sense in-universe. The action is fun and the world-building is actually set up to become something greater. The ending of the book promises a good deal more in terms of the series.

Much of the book is set up for future volumes with none of the relationships moving beyond their early stages but a lot of groundwork being laid out. I think Kai is a good everyman protagonist and the way he adores his likely future love interest is fun but I hope he actually dates some of his other co-workers first. The supporting cast is also fun and the author gets a lot of humor out of one obsessed with marrying his video game character's spouse.

In conclusion, I recommend this novel and think if you like Lit-RPG then you'll enjoy this. I could have used a bit more spark between Kai and his girlfriends but I think that's destined to happen. It's got a lot of potential and I want to see how it all shakes out. This may only be the story to level 2 but it was well worth the money and I'm picking up the sequel when it comes out.

lit-rpg/ cyberpunk

going in I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I loved the ride! I'm really looking forward to book 2 and possibly 3. character development is great and you really start to care for the main character, Kai. he seems like the guy you would want to hang out with, like a true friend(maybe it's because we get into his head and know his dreams and intentions) but he's def a cool guy

can't wait for book 2!

One of my top listens of the year!

ver since I first discovered cyberpunk books with a kind of obscure series by Simon Hawke called Psychodrome back in the late 80's, I have been a fan of the genre. It led me to books like Neuromancer, and I've read various others over the years that were hit or miss. That brings us to today, with Cyber Squad being my latest CP read. I'll say it up front, this is not only one of my favorite Cyberpunk reads of the year, its one of my favorite reads of 2021 in any genre. The mix of entirely too plausible dystopian future with LitRPG elements is just a great combination that hooks the reader from the first page.

The worldbuilding has two elements tied together, the dystopian real world and the ubiquitous online worlds that the masses are addicted to for basically all forms of entertainment. With a 50% unemployment rate brought about by mechanization, everyone is given Universal Basic Income allowing people to survive, if not thrive. In a throwback to an old Roman trick, a new version of bread and circuses is provided for the masses: Free access to the online virtual reality for everyone as a basic right. It this world of haves and have nots that set the underpinnings for the world most people spend their days in, the virtual world. A world of games of every kind, that are as real as the equipment can make it. This also comes with it's own dangers, since the VR is hooked directly to the brain, meaning glitches, malware and hackers have a whole different meaning, sometimes with deadly consequences. This is where the Cyber Squads come in, testing virtual games and worlds pre-release to test for safety and quality, and as they gain higher levels, going in game to put fixes in place in the most dangerous live virtual situations. They are the thin line between life and death online sometimes.

This is where Kai and his companions come in. A talented amateur, Kai see's first hand the dangers of the virtual world, and when offered a job with the Cyber Squad, can't pass up the opportunity. Kai is just a great character, ambitious in a world that no longer values or really rewards ambition, working a low pay job that's beneath his skills and education by miles, and when an online disaster occurs when Kai is online, he finds himself with an opportunity to make a better life for himself. His arc as he joins the Cyber Squads really takes off, as his skills, natural intelligence and ambition create a potent mix to help move his new career and life along a path he could never have expected, both good and bad, since death is possible as his levels progress.

Kai's teammates are also a great bunch of characters. from his very competent and caring squad commander to the last newb before him on the squad, they are a nice mix of skills and experience. We get some really good moments with each of them both on and off work, and you can feel their bond increasing as the story progresses. They also get their own character development, making them feel much more like real people you can empathize with. These are definitely not two dimensional page fillers, but fully realized characters.

The antagonists are a bit of a mystery, as they are revealed later in the book. You get the sense there is a lot of stuff with them going on behind the scenes, and that as the series progresses, we'll get a more in depth view of what they are up to. There is also a hint of other antagonists within Kai's larger circle, who have their own schemes that might spell further trouble for Kai and his crew.

The audiobook version is narrated by Zachary Johnson. I was unfamiliar with his work before this book, but I was very impressed with the job he did. He really nailed the voices of the various characters, especially Kai. He really brings an emotional resonance to his work with Kai, and it really helps to immerse you further into the story. His narrative pacing is excellent, with no lulls or rushing. Overall, it was an excellent bit of narration.

As I mentioned the the beginning, this is easily one of my top reads of the year. The excellent characters and setting mix together with a fast paced plot to create an engaging read that draws the reader in. This book should definitely have appeal for fans of LitRPG, but should also appeal to fans of a more cyberpunk sensibility. Get this book today, you won't regret it.

Ready to Level Up

I read a lot of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, litrpg, etc, and Cyber Squad definitely stood out for me by blending elements of multiple genres into a really fun story with unique and likeable characters. Zachary Johnson was a great choice for narrating this one and bringing A.K.'s characters to life.

Ready to see where Kai and his team go from here, the intrigue has drawn me in completely!