-
The Game
- The Game Is Life, Book 1
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Series: The Game Is Life, Book 1
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $29.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Digital Heretic
- The Game Is Life, Book 2
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions on Earth are shaken by the events set in motion by Zack's final play. Billions on Tygon watch breathlessly as the consequences of his actions ripple through both worlds. Will his girlfriend, still inside the Game, step forward to lead the movement that he created? Billions of lives are in jeopardy of being lost based on the decisions made by children inside the Game.
-
-
Went from plausible Sci-Fi to unrealistic
- By x9x9x9x9x9 on 03-08-17
By: Terry Schott
-
Defiance of the Fall 4: A LitRPG Adventure
- By: TheFirstDefier, JF Brink
- Narrated by: Pavi Proczko
- Length: 22 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jump into a story that merges LitRPG elements with eastern cultivation. Class systems, skill systems, endless choices for progression - it has everything fans of the genre love! Explore a vast universe full of mystery, adventure, danger, and even aliens; where even a random passer-by might hold the power of a god. Follow Zac, as he struggles to stake out a unique path to power, as a mortal in a world full of cultivators.
-
-
Next Book Release Date
- By kyx on 02-24-22
By: TheFirstDefier, and others
-
Towers
- The Exigency Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Natalie Duke
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humanity survived. Barely, and thanks to networks of gigantic tower systems created to surround small villages with a protective barrier of lethal energy. It kept everything out...and everyone in. Sixteen years have passed, and a girl born the night the world fell apart learns that she has a strange talent. The towers can speak, and she is the only one who can hear them.
-
-
Awesome author!
- By Michael on 05-25-21
By: Terry Schott
-
Advent
- Red Mage, Book 1
- By: Xander Boyce
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drew Michalik was working in a top-secret facility in Washington, DC, when the Advent began. As all electronics in the world simply ceased to work, blue screens filled with information appeared before him. Drew was given access to a mana interface and a limited number of reality-altering crystals called Xatherite. Following the instructions on his vision-impairing screens, he "slotted" his Xatherite and changed his fate: He gained the ability to cast spells. Now alone in the dark, he must battle through the government bunker turned dungeon in a desperate bid for survival.
-
-
Kona Blend
- By Randy on 01-10-19
By: Xander Boyce
-
Ascension
- Blight, Book 1
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world similar to our own 17th century, one man's kindness lifts a poor, homeless boy from the dirt and sets him on an unlikely path of adventure. An average man would use a silver coin to buy food for a week. An extraordinary boy can use that same coin to build an empire.
-
-
great book!!!
- By Josh Noneya on 06-15-20
By: Terry Schott
-
Wizard's Tower
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Gregory Allanther
- Narrated by: Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 150 years I've served the Kingdom of Sena. Through four kings and a queen. Two wars and a rebellion. I've founded and taught at a magic school. I've fought against beast waves and dungeon breaks. But now? Now, the one close friend I had left has passed. So, I'm done with their politics and their economics. The short and busy lives of humans are more burden than benefit on the weary soul of this half-elf.
-
-
Who actually cares…?
- By Patrick on 05-04-22
-
Digital Heretic
- The Game Is Life, Book 2
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions on Earth are shaken by the events set in motion by Zack's final play. Billions on Tygon watch breathlessly as the consequences of his actions ripple through both worlds. Will his girlfriend, still inside the Game, step forward to lead the movement that he created? Billions of lives are in jeopardy of being lost based on the decisions made by children inside the Game.
-
-
Went from plausible Sci-Fi to unrealistic
- By x9x9x9x9x9 on 03-08-17
By: Terry Schott
-
Defiance of the Fall 4: A LitRPG Adventure
- By: TheFirstDefier, JF Brink
- Narrated by: Pavi Proczko
- Length: 22 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jump into a story that merges LitRPG elements with eastern cultivation. Class systems, skill systems, endless choices for progression - it has everything fans of the genre love! Explore a vast universe full of mystery, adventure, danger, and even aliens; where even a random passer-by might hold the power of a god. Follow Zac, as he struggles to stake out a unique path to power, as a mortal in a world full of cultivators.
-
-
Next Book Release Date
- By kyx on 02-24-22
By: TheFirstDefier, and others
-
Towers
- The Exigency Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Natalie Duke
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humanity survived. Barely, and thanks to networks of gigantic tower systems created to surround small villages with a protective barrier of lethal energy. It kept everything out...and everyone in. Sixteen years have passed, and a girl born the night the world fell apart learns that she has a strange talent. The towers can speak, and she is the only one who can hear them.
-
-
Awesome author!
- By Michael on 05-25-21
By: Terry Schott
-
Advent
- Red Mage, Book 1
- By: Xander Boyce
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drew Michalik was working in a top-secret facility in Washington, DC, when the Advent began. As all electronics in the world simply ceased to work, blue screens filled with information appeared before him. Drew was given access to a mana interface and a limited number of reality-altering crystals called Xatherite. Following the instructions on his vision-impairing screens, he "slotted" his Xatherite and changed his fate: He gained the ability to cast spells. Now alone in the dark, he must battle through the government bunker turned dungeon in a desperate bid for survival.
-
-
Kona Blend
- By Randy on 01-10-19
By: Xander Boyce
-
Ascension
- Blight, Book 1
- By: Terry Schott
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world similar to our own 17th century, one man's kindness lifts a poor, homeless boy from the dirt and sets him on an unlikely path of adventure. An average man would use a silver coin to buy food for a week. An extraordinary boy can use that same coin to build an empire.
-
-
great book!!!
- By Josh Noneya on 06-15-20
By: Terry Schott
-
Wizard's Tower
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Gregory Allanther
- Narrated by: Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays, Andrea Parsneau
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 150 years I've served the Kingdom of Sena. Through four kings and a queen. Two wars and a rebellion. I've founded and taught at a magic school. I've fought against beast waves and dungeon breaks. But now? Now, the one close friend I had left has passed. So, I'm done with their politics and their economics. The short and busy lives of humans are more burden than benefit on the weary soul of this half-elf.
-
-
Who actually cares…?
- By Patrick on 05-04-22
-
Dissonance
- A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 1)
- By: Nicoli Gonnella
- Narrated by: Travis Baldree
- Length: 26 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate. Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as "The Continent". Empowered by the "System", he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication.
-
-
I don't think my words can do this justice
- By Joseph on 05-09-22
By: Nicoli Gonnella
-
Master of the Hoard
- Dragon Core Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Lars Machmüller
- Narrated by: Steve Campbell
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carl was a regular construction foreman. Not the worst, not the best, and definitely not the thinnest. Even so, he didn't deserve that heart attack! He really didn't deserve being reborn into a dog-eat-dog world as a dragon. To be fair, it’s nice to be at the top of the food chain. Now Carl just needs to learn how magic works, which monsters are safe to eat, and why his hoard is so important to him. Dealing with change is hard enough, but he has enemy dragons incoming, hostile environments, and foes constantly trying to get bragging rights by taking down a dragon.
-
-
An excellent and interesti take on base building.
- By Spencer Nichols on 04-06-22
By: Lars Machmüller
-
Blessed Time 3: Dakkora's Legacy
- A LitRPG Adventure
- By: Cale Plamann
- Narrated by: Neil Hellegers
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When war and nefarious forces split the realms, Micah dives into the breach once more, confident in his stupendous magical power and time magic will keep him and his friends safe. It won't. He fails, and a new enemy with a familiar face has followed him back into the past, wreaking havoc on the timeline. Now Micah's only chance comes in the form of a map, guiding him halfway around the world to the laboratory of the greatest wizard that ever lived.
-
-
It completely fell off for me.
- By Margaret Stempson on 04-11-22
By: Cale Plamann
-
Master of None
- All Trades, Book 1
- By: Shane Walker
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex is broke. He's pretty much always been broke. A misspent youth led to mistakes that led to convictions and plea deals. No career, no education, no hope. Now he has a chance to make things right for him and his family when the newest immersive MMO comes with the ability to convert money earned in the game into real currency. Well, it's cryptocurrency, but that's real-ish, right?
-
-
Meh, Unrealistic and not Exciting
- By David R on 07-22-20
By: Shane Walker
-
Ascend Online
- Ascend Online, Book 1
- By: Luke Chmilenko
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Diving into a revolutionary new video game, Marcus and his friends escape a stagnant society, entering into a world that defies their wildest imaginations. But from the moment that he logs in, Marcus finds himself separated from his friends and thrown into a remote village under attack by a horde of goblins. Forced into battle, Marcus rallies the beleaguered villagers and, with their help, manages to drive off the invading creatures. With the village in ruins and their supplies spoiled, the villagers turn to Marcus for help in rebuilding the village.
-
-
An interesting attempt that mostly fell flat
- By Keith R. Dercole on 06-20-18
By: Luke Chmilenko
-
The Three-Body Problem
- By: Cixin Liu
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.
-
-
Harder Science Fiction Than I Could Handle
- By Jeff Koeppen on 06-06-20
By: Cixin Liu
-
Opening Moves
- The Gam3, Book 1
- By: Cosimo Yap
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Earth is changing. The alien invasion brought social upheaval, advanced technology, and an armada of peacekeeping robots. But Alan, a college student pursuing a now-useless degree, cares little about all of this. He has only one thing on his mind: the Game. A fully immersive virtual reality, the Game appears to be a major part of the invading civilization. Alan can't wait to play, recklessly diving into the digital universe. Soon though, Alan realizes the Game is anything but simple, and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined.
-
-
LitRPG with a real story
- By White Rabbit on 01-29-19
By: Cosimo Yap
-
Player Reached the Top
- Player Reached the Top Series, Book 1
- By: Rick Scar, Anastasia Koptelova - translator
- Narrated by: James Fouhey
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
2044. The world of games changed long ago. "Ascension" has become one of the most popular VRMMO games. It is a huge world divided into a hundred Floors, with each Floor a boundless location with its own countries, tribes, and millions of players. The object of the game is to unlock all the gates and conquer the top. Having joined the game, Will Thomson doesn't realize that he is all by himself. Then he accepts the first quest...Cursed Rat: level 46....
-
-
Holy Crap!!!
- By Robert Woods Jr. on 03-27-21
By: Rick Scar, and others
-
First Fist
- Seventh Bridge to the Heavens
- By: TJ Reynolds
- Narrated by: Daniel Wisniewski, Rebecca Woods
- Length: 26 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A soldier's downfall becomes the chance of a life time. Luca will pay any price to uncover the lost art of cultivation and reveal a path to the heavens. During his many years in the army, few men served Mindea as faithfully as Luca. Clawing his way into the elite ranks of Ballum's Fist, the man hoped to rouse his dormant core. After every Elixir of Awakening failed, however, he relinquished such dreams in the hopes of returning home. Yet even that is torn away when he and his men collide with an unexpected fate.
-
-
I'm torn...
- By Lillian Blake on 03-30-22
By: TJ Reynolds
-
Hounded
- The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Kevin Hearne
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old - when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries....
-
-
Underwhelming
- By Anat on 07-28-18
By: Kevin Hearne
-
Life in the North: An Apocalyptic LitRPG
- The System Apocalypse, Book 1
- By: Tao Wong
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All John wanted to do was get away for his life in Kluane National Park for a weekend. Hike, camp, and chill. Instead, the world comes to an end in a series of blue boxes, animals start evolving, and monsters start spawning. Now, he has to survive the apocalypse, get back to civilization, and not lose his mind. Life in the North is book one of the System Apocalypse, a litRPG apocalypse series that combines modern day life, science fiction, and fantasy elements along with game mechanics.
-
-
should have read the reviews
- By Kindle Customer on 10-29-19
By: Tao Wong
-
King's League
- An Epic Lit RPG Adventure (King's League, Book 1)
- By: Jason Anspach, JN Chaney
- Narrated by: Mark Boyett
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For recently expelled college dropout Dirk Wilson, picking up and re-selling other player's scraps from cleared dungeons and side quests gone sideways is the only thing keeping him from living on the streets. Tired of ramen noodles, past-due notices, and feeling like his future is over before it ever started, Dirk decides that if he's going to make something of himself, it'll be within the game, taking advantage of the real-life payouts from selling in-game goods on King's League's River Market. But the game leaves little margin for error, and Dirk's virtual problems grow.
-
-
Real GameLit Fans: AVOID at all costs... Everyone else, just avoid.
- By Christopher on 07-27-20
By: Jason Anspach, and others
Publisher's Summary
What if life as we know it was just a game?
What if instead of traditional schools, children learned by participating in a virtual reality simulation, one that allowed them to experience "life" from birth to death - multiple times?
What if one player, on his final play, could change the world forever?
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about The Game
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael
- 06-30-21
Remarkably Awful - Wouldn’t Recommend To Anyone With An Average IQ Or Higher
The basic premise is intriguing - What we perceive as reality is simply a simulation. This is truly the only positive comment I can make.
- Weak character development
- Weak plot
- Awful first-person POV switching
- Lazily researched or topic is over the author’s head.
When I heard that much of the technology Tychonians enjoy were a result of discoveries made in the simulation, I nearly stopped listening. Tychonians had the physics, material, and infrastructure to create a “super computer” capable of processing an Earth simulation, and yet, they only learned to create airplanes by observing the Wright brothers in the simulation. How does that make sense? What’s more, the “super computer” also bragged about processing a million+ bits per second. Was this written in 1960?
Even when I mentally filtered out the ignorance, the story was incredibly boring, and I never felt emotional for the characters.
I truly can’t understand how there are so many positive reviews. I’m sorry..I feel like this was a lazy piece of work with a disjointed plot, and it’s a terrible waste of time. Glad it was free.
32 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jkeaves
- 02-24-17
The Matrix Meets Divergent
Overview/The Good
If you enjoyed the Divergent or Mocking Jay series, you will similarly like "The Game". The writing style is solid and Luke Daniels' performance is rock solid like always. The story proceeds along parallel lines: A 'real' world and a 'simulation' world. In a interesting turn of the trope, EARTH is the simulated world and the real world is some other planet (earth analogue). The idea that we are living in a simulation is getting some attention in the science community, and even Tesla creator, Elon Musk, toys with this idea. Viewed from that perspective, the plot and character interactions provide fertile soil to consider what such an idea means in a way teens could grasp. A moderately discerning mind can pull allusions to Plato's allegory of the cave and various topics in theology and metaphysics.
Needs Improvement
Full disclosure: I was expecting more of LITRPG-style book. I read three other LITRPG books and 'The Game' popped up in my 'based on past purchases' feed. In fact, it has essentially the same name of a great LITRPG by Cosimo Yap. With that said, it's not strictly speaking LITRPG. Sure the plot centers around a game in which there's rules, but even after reading it, I couldn't tell you how one wins at it. I know there's some formula involving how successful you are in your game life combined with how many people watch your game life.
The ambiguity surrounding the game leads me to my main criticism. There's a lot of hand-waving over seemingly important plot pieces. Ultimately, since the writing is well crafted, I'm going to chalk this up to lazy story-building. Perhaps the target audience is teens? Even so, it's somewhat insulting that some of the major important supporting information for plot points are ignored or glossed over. This also creates a feeling that Schott is trying to convince me of certain theological stances rather than creating a compelling story.
Overall, it's an entertaining book. I don't think I'll read the sequel despite the "cliff hanger" ending. At least not yet. I have other books in my queue that I'm more interested in.
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- IVEY MONROE
- 01-08-19
Absolutely Required Reading :-))
This book is fantastically written and a wonderful guide to Open Mindedness!
The book should be required reading for anyone who is questioning the state of the world we live in today 2019... The Dawn of the Age of Aquarius.
A wonderful story !
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- michael
- 03-12-17
Great book, if you like exposition.
This book lacked story, excitement, and real character development. I felt that 2/3 of the book was exposition. so much of the book was spent explaining the concepts of the world rather than moving along the story. Sure, the exposition was done in a variety of ways that kept it fresh, but there was simply too much of it.
The audio performance was great.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 07-10-21
easly forgettable
What happens when you take an interesting premise and pair it with basically absolutely nothing happening of interest until the very end. This book!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jason
- 04-29-21
Excellent Narration by Luke Daniels
Ok, so I am reviewing books 1-8, because that’s as far as I got before giving up. First, I want to say that the narration by Luke Daniels was amazing. I don’t know how he was able to give different voices, accents, and feelings to each of the characters (and there were hundreds it seems), but he pulled it off. He made me want to keep going through this book series. That being said....I gave up after book 8. I just couldn’t go any further. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is very good...it’s just the overall plot (if there is one) is awful. The books jump all over from book to book, and the further into the series you get, the more they jump around. It was impossible to keep track of what was happening. There are little hints that the different story lines may tie into one another, but they rarely ever did. There are so many characters that I had no idea why they were ever there, or what they had to do with the story. The first several books could be published on their own, because they have nothing to do with each other. I don’t know...I tried. Like I said, I made it to book 8. I won’t go any further.
In conclusion:
Narration-Excellent!
Writing-Very good
Plot-What plot? I’m so lost...who is that person and what are they doing?!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- joshua depesa
- 02-06-19
fantastic and immersive story
10/10 would recommend to any person, especially if you are familiar with Elon Musk's proposal in passing of similar thinking.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mattkins99
- 03-12-17
Makes other books look good
I rarely rate books poorly but this was really bad. At first I thought it was the narration but actually that was very good, it's just what he had to read was bad. Did the author even think about the timeline and what the implications of one day equaling one year actually means to the story?? Or the fact they can't talk to the main characters unless meditating but they can talk to the eternals so they tell the eternal to teach the main character to meditate... just #*$&ing tell the eternal the message and pass it on! I get logical gaps but this book was to the point of absurdity. Ugg this was a wasted credit! No I'm going to think positive... this makes me appreciate the other books I've read more.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Khada
- 01-03-17
A good concept mired by lazy writing.
Any additional comments?
The concept of The Game is a somewhat classic and attractive concept to sci-fi fans; that of a completely immersive VR world akin to that found in The Matrix. It plays with interesting ideas like 'what if life is just a computer simulation', and 'how might society change in response to the development of highly advanced VR'.
In general, the writing style and character development are fairly solid, and the performance is great. But the world-building itself, the most interesting prospect of the book, is executed terribly, and between the lines can be found an anti-atheistic message.
I get the distinct impression that this book was written for teens. Not in that the content itself is targeted towards teens, but rather, that there is an assumption of undeveloped intelligence and a lack of worldly knowledge that the author has used to justify lazy world building.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To give a few examples (very mild spoilers):
1) We are told that viewing players in the game has replaced all other forms of entertainment (TV, movies, books, video games, etc). The only explanation given is that watching important, extraordinary, or popular people live out their day-to-day lives is obviously better entertainment, which it obviously is not.
2) We are told that time passes at a rate of 1 virtual year per 1 real day. We are also told that it is impossible to record the game. No explanation is given as to why recording is impossible (or how viewings are done), and no explanation as to how viewing is possible, especially given the differing rates of time, and no ability to record (and thus no playing back recorded video at a slower speed).
3) Lastly, we are told, in several pieces, that society has changed to completely revolve around the game. This includes the economy, education, entertainment, and the extreme classism that has since developed. Nearly no details are offered to explain how this came to be, or how society currently functions. There is, in essence, nearly zero actual word-building.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The book also seems to promote an approach to life that abandons healthy scepticism and rational inquiry. While the protagonists seek out and absorb all that alternative medicine and religious studies have to offer, there's a telling absence of interest in science and evidence-based medicine. There also seems to be the clear message that faith and prayer are positive and effective forces, and that the absence of religion would ruin society.
I've read and enjoyed many fictional books with religion, magic, spirituality, or angels and demons as a central theme, the problem here is the execution; its inclusion seems to be for the purpose of delivering a message, rather than serving the story. I might not have bothered with this point if I weren't convinced that the book is targeted at a younger audience.
In closing, this book was a huge disappointment for me, and I certainly won't be purchasing its sequels. Decerning readers of fantasy and sci-fi should consider looking elsewhere.
54 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Midwestbonsai
- 12-02-16
pulls at the questions at the back of my mind
Not by the synopsis alone. I preordered The Game. From an unknown to me author. With the backing of one of my go-to narrators and a publisher, that does a really good job of picking up extraordinary titles. The summary pulls at the questions at the back of my mind. Why are we here? How did we get here? What is the point of life? Well, what if the point of life was to do your best at it. All the while scoring points in the game called life. Wouldn’t that be something? That is exactly where Zach, the protagonist, finds himself. Albeit with a twist.
Tygon is a world very similar to Earth. Pretty much everything is very similar, technology, corporations, and the media rule. However, the one major difference is this. At a very young age, every child is plugged into “The Game”. Think of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, similar to World of Warcraft. The world where the game takes place is a different planet called Earth. Everyone there is playing the game. Then everyone’s game life is available for the public to watch. If you get more fans and followers, when you come out of The Game you are rewarded with fame and fortune. But only if you have a fan base and can place in the ranking of all of the other players.
The Game follows one such player, Zach, through his “waking up” from a game and starting another instance. We get to follow his game life, from birth to his 40th birthday. Because in the game 1 day on Tygon is 1 year on Earth. This happens pretty quickly. I do not want to give too much away here, so let me say this. What if while in The Game you found a book that you wrote in your last game, and have no memory of writing, explaining that life is just a game. Along with that, what if you started to tell people this and they believed you?
Schott’s idea here is so perfectly epic. Yet so simple as well. Written in a way that makes sense to me. I was engrossed from beginning to end. Not wanting to stop listening for anything. I had to know what happened next.
WARING: There is a cliffhanger ending. Followed with a brief sample of the next book in the series that cannot be published soon enough.
Luke Daniels delivered this performance just as soundly as most of the rest that I have heard. Using his “trademarked” character voices. That all seem to always fit the story perfectly. For younger to older males. Female voices that are more believable than most speak. Full of strategic pauses and other unspoken traits of a truly skilled narrator. Going to file this under “Classic Daniels”.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog
[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]
41 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Norma Miles
- 02-18-18
We don't just want the game, we need it.
Youth is wasted on the young, it is said, and in a world society becoming disfunctional, the Game was created to give full life experience to youngsters, to grow and make mistakes in safety and learn without it impacting on their futures. The hope for better behaved and fully functional future citizens did not quite work when the populations not inside the Game became hooked on watching those who were. And the finances became dependent on it
It is the 30th anniversary of the first one played, and this is to be special.
A total Immersion story with some clever, sometimes thought provoking ideas, following in particular two of the players, Zak and Danny, both experienced from past games and this will be their last. Both hope to win the vast fortune which waits for the person emerging as number one, enough to retire in comfort for all their lives as well as aquiring the adulation from their fans. Both enter, as do all the players, with no rememberence of any other world or life, born into it and growing older just as they would outside. For them it is real life, until death, when it finally comes, returns them back to their immersion chambers only weeks or months older than when they entered.
Read by Luke Daniels, his interpretation of the character's voices is distinct and individual, the narration flat, well articulated and expressive, all of which enhances the pleasure of the book. This is the first of what will be an enjoyable and interesting series beyond a simple LitRPG Fantasy series.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Adam Wilson
- 02-24-17
Didn't grip me until the end
Promise for a very good story but I dont think I'll go any further.
I can see why people like the book so much the writer is clearly very talented and the performance is fantastic,did keep me entertained.
As said in the headline the end of the book was fantastic, I was expecting something with the few explanations before hand and character re-appearance but it did surprise me!
That said, it was a little drawn out. Over explanations on things, some characters I'm still a bit confused about but no doubt that gets ironed out later on. I just have a feeling the talking and explanations will draw out even more in the next few books so will keep it on the shelf.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Paul
- 03-11-20
Dull!
Waited for it to get more interesting - then it ended! I won’t be listening to the other books.
Nothing really happens, I just found it so dull.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Laura Orange
- 08-13-21
Loved this! Amazing book!
Didn’t really know what to expect, a few mixed reviews but it was on audible plus so gave it a whirl after looking for a Hunger Game/Maze Runner vibe. I found this book amazing! I loved the story , the characters and the message! Just so relieved there are more books in this series! Would happily pay for each of them if they are as good as this one. Will be recommending to anyone who will listen!! Honestly can’t rave enough, I’ve listened to hundreds of audibles and this is up there for me and definitely one I will listen to again in the future!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ade
- 08-12-21
Will be listening to the rest of the series
Really good storyline and narration. Refreshing to find something ready player one like vibe but completely different at the same time
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- katkab
- 08-04-21
Enjoyable book.
Great book, I enjoyed it a lot. Luke Daniels is a truly Great narrator. A very original and engaging concept. It kept my interest throughout the book. I am now going to listen to the next book. A hidden gem!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mark
- 11-07-19
I read the book first, and I liked it
A while back, I visited a friend and we got talking about books we've read. He told me about a book he read, and I told him to email me the book information and I'd check it out. That was this book, The Game Is Life. It is on amazon as a free ebook and I grabbed it and started reading it. A few chapters in and I was already hooked on the story, and decided to grab the audible version so I could also listen to it while I drive to work and back... and then I heard Luke Daniels narrating, so good. He really does make the book pop with characters and is really entertaining to listen to. He manages to give every person in the book a different voice and charm.
It's really hard to give much in the way of details about the story in this book without spoiling it. The basic plot is all school kids are required to play 'the game' time over the course of a few months in a VR simulation. The VR simulates everything from being born to getting a job and education, learning skills and growing old. They exit the simulation when their virtual body dies. This is where it gets exciting. When they enter the virtual reality simulation they don't know it's a simualtion, it's real for them. They can't remember anything from outside the VR world they're in, and how well they play is scored when they exit the game. The better they score the more money they make in their real life, and they retain the memories of the life time(s) they've played in 'the game'... and that's not even the story part....
If you like the Matrix, and have enjoyed other books like Ready Player One (without all the 80's popculture references) then you'll enjoy this book... however, this book does end quite abruptly leaving you wanting more. Having binge listned to the rest of the books in the series, you won't be disappointed if you decide to go for it, but you probably do want at least the 2nd book.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr B Roberts
- 07-16-18
Showed promise but failed to deliver
I really liked the premise of the novel, and it started out well, but I lost interest as the story went on. I couldn't relate to the characters and the fantasy element set on a different world didn't work for me at all. The book often goes into philosophy about what is the best way to live your life, but I was more interested in the plot rather than this other side. I don't think I will listen to anymore titles in the series.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 02-14-17
Was Expecting Morer
What other book might you compare The Game to, and why?
Ready Player One (but not as good).
Which character – as performed by Luke Daniels – was your favourite?
I though Luke Daniels did a marvellous job with all the characters but none of them really resonated with me which surprised me as I've been toying with the idea that this world is a simulation from well before The Matrix movies; I would have expected to connect in some way with a character thinking the same way.
Any additional comments?
This is an entertaining book with a good twist on the "gamer" type story. I do think the author could have done so much more with the idea by really tying it into the reader's life. I believe that a really great author could have struck a chord with his audience and left readers wondering if our reality might actually be a simulation as well but unfortunately this book never achieved that. It is worth a listen though and I will probably get the other books in the series to find out what happens to the characters.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mr. Dg Thomas
- 10-23-21
gripping
if you like similar and computer similar this is great. bit slow to start but gets better. keep listening it is worth it
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tim
- 12-15-21
starts with far too much exposition
could not get into this one.
far too much explaining for no good reason and a complicated world building that does not seem internally consistent.
not a fan.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 04-25-22
Stupid
What is the point of this? I listened to this but I did not finish. Some random dude plays a VR game and plays until he dies. He comes out and is the richest person in the world. He has everything he could ever want. If you like a book with a character that does minimal things, this is the book for you but if you don't, then you SHOULD NOT buy this book. I am pissed that I wasted my time and money on this stupid book. I highly don't recommend this book to anyone who values their time and money.