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Epic #1
Epic
Generations ago, violence was banned on New Earth. Society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. Everyone plays. If you win, you have the chance to go to university, get more supplies for your community, and fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing.
When Erik, seeking revenge for the unjust treatment of his parents, dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends find themselves up against with the ultimate masters of the game: the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying Epic's tyranny over New Earth. But if they lose . . .
With its setting of a fantasy MMORPG, Epic is an early example of LitRPG
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
About the author
Conor Kostick
42 books140 followersConor Kostick was a designer for the world's first live action role-playing game, Treasure Trap. He is the author of many historical, political and cultural articles. Epic was his first novel and was awarded a place on the International Board on Books for Young People Honours list for 2006 and on the Booklist Best Fantasy Books for Youth list for 2007. Set in a fantasy MMORPG, Epic can be considered an early example of LitRPG. The sequel to Epic, titled Saga, was first published in Ireland in 2006. Conor received a Special Merit Award from the Reading Association of Ireland in 2009.
In 2018, Conor joined Level Up as commissioning editor to publish LitRPG books.
https://www.levelup.pub/what-is-litrpg
In 2018, Conor joined Level Up as commissioning editor to publish LitRPG books.
https://www.levelup.pub/what-is-litrpg
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June 9, 2011In a world ruled by video games I would probably be a hobo.
June 26, 2008
What if the quality of your life depended on how well you played a MMORPG? What’s a MMORPG you ask? It is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Well, on New Earth that is exactly the way life is.
On New Earth, violence is illegal. Epic (the MMORPG) was created for people to clip up, enter the world of Epic, and take out their agression on fictional characters rather than doing harm to a real person. However, over the years, the purpose of the game shifted and became the determining factor for what kind of job you had, where you were able to live, and what supplies you received. Central Allocations, a small group of people in charge of all the decisions, controls everything.
Erik’s family is having a tough time. They have had some solar panels break and aren’t able to produce enough olives to meet their quota. Their attempts at getting replacement solar panels have been unsuccessful and the family is afraid Central Allocations will require them to move to the salt mines for punishment. In addition to the family problems, Erik isn’t doing well in the game himself. In order to have a chance to go to University you must accumulate wealth and status in Epic. Erik just continues to get his characters killed because he trys to kill the same dragon everytime he enters the game. His last “death” is the final straw though. Out of frustration he does something he has never done before. Erik creates a character that is female instead of his usual male character that resembles him in real life. Instead of going by his own name he chooses one he thinks befits a beautiful character - Cindella. Immediately upon entering the game as Cindella, things begin to look up. Characters that are a part of the game begin talking to her and giving her things. Soon she realizes the characters are pointing her toward a quest.
With his newfound status in Epic, Erik uses his accumulating wealth and the help of his friends to take on Central Allocations - once and for all. They are up against the most dangerous players of all. Ones with more wealth and experience. But, if Erik can defeat Central Allocations, he’ll be able to save his family and possibly create a better life for them and those of his friends - possibly even the world.
EPIC is an interesting story. There is no problem keeping up with the “real” world and the “Epic” world. The author does a great job of distinguishing the two. If you enjoy Fantasy or Sci-Fi, then you’ll enjoy this story. There is a sequel called SAGA that has already been released.
On New Earth, violence is illegal. Epic (the MMORPG) was created for people to clip up, enter the world of Epic, and take out their agression on fictional characters rather than doing harm to a real person. However, over the years, the purpose of the game shifted and became the determining factor for what kind of job you had, where you were able to live, and what supplies you received. Central Allocations, a small group of people in charge of all the decisions, controls everything.
Erik’s family is having a tough time. They have had some solar panels break and aren’t able to produce enough olives to meet their quota. Their attempts at getting replacement solar panels have been unsuccessful and the family is afraid Central Allocations will require them to move to the salt mines for punishment. In addition to the family problems, Erik isn’t doing well in the game himself. In order to have a chance to go to University you must accumulate wealth and status in Epic. Erik just continues to get his characters killed because he trys to kill the same dragon everytime he enters the game. His last “death” is the final straw though. Out of frustration he does something he has never done before. Erik creates a character that is female instead of his usual male character that resembles him in real life. Instead of going by his own name he chooses one he thinks befits a beautiful character - Cindella. Immediately upon entering the game as Cindella, things begin to look up. Characters that are a part of the game begin talking to her and giving her things. Soon she realizes the characters are pointing her toward a quest.
With his newfound status in Epic, Erik uses his accumulating wealth and the help of his friends to take on Central Allocations - once and for all. They are up against the most dangerous players of all. Ones with more wealth and experience. But, if Erik can defeat Central Allocations, he’ll be able to save his family and possibly create a better life for them and those of his friends - possibly even the world.
EPIC is an interesting story. There is no problem keeping up with the “real” world and the “Epic” world. The author does a great job of distinguishing the two. If you enjoy Fantasy or Sci-Fi, then you’ll enjoy this story. There is a sequel called SAGA that has already been released.
November 18, 2018
On New Earth, violence is illegal. Epic (a MMORPG=Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) was created for people to clip up, enter the world of Epic, and take out their agression on fictional characters rather than doing harm to a real person. Life is hard for all but the uber rich and central committee. Erik's family suffers, especially since his father , but Erik makes a bold move in Epic, choosing to be an very rare character (swashbuckler) and a woman, spending all of his points on beauty, rather than weapons or protection. He and his friends score some amazing victories against the central committee and then slaying a dragon, drawing attention from the wicked elements of the central committee.
July 18, 2012
Actually I quite like the idea of this book; this world, where you're life depends on how well you do in a computer game. But a lot of things in the book disappointed me and did not live up to my expectations, which weren’t really that high from the start.
First of all: the language was dull and unexciting, and again and again I found myself getting frustrated over the images, descriptions and words used. For example – all the players in the game are in grayish colors. If you see them from a distance in a cluster, how can they then look like brilliantly colored mass?
The language was most of the time strained. Conor Kostick is a debut author, and I can just imagine how he got this great idea about the world’s destinies being decided by a computer game, but the problem was that he didn’t know much about writing. Then he took some writing courses and got a few tricks, read a lot of books and then tried to write like he thinks an author should. But his writing doesn’t work, and it doesn’t flow … a lot of sentences seem out-of-place.
Then the characters. I didn’t feel a thing for them. The narrative style, which changed point of view often, didn’t suit the book. The only job it did was to have the reader know the basics about the characters most involved in the story. The reading was like spying on the characters from a hidden corner, hearing what they were saying, seeing a few expressions, but not really knowing what was going on inside of them.
The male protagonist, Eric, annoyed me especially. He seemed to follow Injeborg puppy like in any direction she wanted to go, he didn’t have any greater thoughts about the changes which needed to be done in their world. Others just thought for him. I would rather have seen Injeborg as the protagonist and main narrator.
The dialogue seemed unrealistic and very childish. The conversations especially between the teenagers were very “okay, that’s not what a teenager would say, that’s what an adult thinks it would be cool for a teenager to say”.
What I thought I was going to read throughout the book wasn’t what I got in the long run. The story took weird directions that just was plain weird to me.
I think I will give the next book in the series a chance, just to see how and if Kostick improves.
First of all: the language was dull and unexciting, and again and again I found myself getting frustrated over the images, descriptions and words used. For example – all the players in the game are in grayish colors. If you see them from a distance in a cluster, how can they then look like brilliantly colored mass?
The language was most of the time strained. Conor Kostick is a debut author, and I can just imagine how he got this great idea about the world’s destinies being decided by a computer game, but the problem was that he didn’t know much about writing. Then he took some writing courses and got a few tricks, read a lot of books and then tried to write like he thinks an author should. But his writing doesn’t work, and it doesn’t flow … a lot of sentences seem out-of-place.
Then the characters. I didn’t feel a thing for them. The narrative style, which changed point of view often, didn’t suit the book. The only job it did was to have the reader know the basics about the characters most involved in the story. The reading was like spying on the characters from a hidden corner, hearing what they were saying, seeing a few expressions, but not really knowing what was going on inside of them.
The male protagonist, Eric, annoyed me especially. He seemed to follow Injeborg puppy like in any direction she wanted to go, he didn’t have any greater thoughts about the changes which needed to be done in their world. Others just thought for him. I would rather have seen Injeborg as the protagonist and main narrator.
The dialogue seemed unrealistic and very childish. The conversations especially between the teenagers were very “okay, that’s not what a teenager would say, that’s what an adult thinks it would be cool for a teenager to say”.
What I thought I was going to read throughout the book wasn’t what I got in the long run. The story took weird directions that just was plain weird to me.
I think I will give the next book in the series a chance, just to see how and if Kostick improves.
February 10, 2012
This book was a quick read. The writing was adequate for the genre, if a little bland at times. I found it hard to care for the characters, but the author did throw a few interesting twists in the plot - enough to keep me reading until the end. However, the end blew it for me as the epic battle was too easily joined by the masses (in my opinion).
Many of the reviews here say that the game was created to settle disputes because violence was outlawed. This may not have been the case. In fact, it seems that the game, Epic, was created for recreation, to be a game. But the original premise (to complete quests, etc) was lost once the game began to be used as a judicial system. This is born out by the fact that the game, becoming sentient, misses people pursuing quests (which is one of the reasons it is "attracted" to Eric's PC, who invests in "beauty" instead of more necessary skills to earn coins in the arena and is interested in the quest).
A decent book. Not "epic" (despite its title). Still, a fun read overall.
Many of the reviews here say that the game was created to settle disputes because violence was outlawed. This may not have been the case. In fact, it seems that the game, Epic, was created for recreation, to be a game. But the original premise (to complete quests, etc) was lost once the game began to be used as a judicial system. This is born out by the fact that the game, becoming sentient, misses people pursuing quests (which is one of the reasons it is "attracted" to Eric's PC, who invests in "beauty" instead of more necessary skills to earn coins in the arena and is interested in the quest).
A decent book. Not "epic" (despite its title). Still, a fun read overall.
March 18, 2019
This was a really good book, and I recommend it to people who like Ready Player One, or other books with some kind of a VR world.
April 14, 2016
Perfect for fans of Ready Player One or anyone who has ever enjoyed playing an MMORPG. Erik, a young boy in a futuristic society, tires of scrabbling for his day-to-day existence in real life and in a virtual world, where all wealth and legal issues are decided by combat in a game called Epic. Almost everyone in Erik's society kills kobalds and other low level monsters every day, to gather pennies to improve their online characters and, therefore, their society. After dying, yet again, and crushing his family's hopes for his advancement in Epic, Erik creates a ridiculously attractive female character and puts all of his points into beauty, a skill that no one else ever considers because it is a useless stat from a fighter's standpoint. What happens next is an exciting adventure through virtual worlds with magic, monsters, swords, and sorcery... who will triumph? Erik and his friends or the all-powerful Central Allocations team or the game, itself?
Erik's creation of Cindella (his avatar): "Serious gamers, and the whole world consisted of serious gamers, never wasted a point on beauty that could be spent on more practical attributes, or combat skills, craft skills, weapons, magic items and spells. As a result, Epic's population of players consisted entirely of dull, gray-looking humanoids. His friends were in for a shock; it would be impossible to explain his choices to them, as there was no rational argument in favor of throwing away every practical advantage in favor of beauty." pg 15
The power of beauty: "While they made their way through the flapping canvas and rope of the market stalls, Bjorn noticed something unusual. The NPCs were not stationary; their heads were turning towards the two players. "Erik, look at the merchants." "Hmmm. That's odd." Erik's character made the actions that arose from the wave+smile command. A nearby seller of herbs smiled and waved back. "You try." Bjorn had his big warrior wave. Nothing. "They like me!" pg 27
Librarians play a huge part in this story, which of course I LOVED: "Son, your story of Cindella and the pirate treasure is exciting. But you need to obtain more information." "I know." "Hope has a library. Where all the information ever learned about Epic has been stored. It is our right to be able to consult that information. So we are going to pay the librarian a visit." pg 36
The villain in this book is just awful: "... the illicit thrill of being a player-killer was something that could not be understood with logic. Nor could logic explain the pattern of his killings. Curiously it was not the stronger looking players that attracted his attention- and if there was any justification for the deaths of players it was to eliminate possible threats to the Central Allocations team. No, it was the slightly heartrending players, with their one weapon and tiny pieces of armor, which drew his attention. There was something bewitchingly naive and tender about them, spending their spare time killing kobolds and orcs for pennies, saving assiduously and slowly. And so he rode them down, bringing their struggle up the ladder of Epic to an abrupt end." pg 60 Haters gonna hate.
Doing the impossible... dragon slaying! : "I agree with Bjorn," Sigrid interjected. "Farmers' children just don't kill dragons. Nobody kills dragons these days. But if they did, it would be the people in Mikelgard, with all their magic and expensive gear." "But nobody even thinks about fighting dragons anymore." Injeborg spoke up. Erik had known that he could count on her. "Only our Erik. That's why he has seen something that they have missed." She turned to her brother, "Come on, Bjorn. Let's try it." "No, it's hopeless." Injeborg stamped her foot in frustration. "You are always waiting for something to happen to you. But that's not how life is." pg 85
Big dreams: "Tell me," said Injeborg. "Everyone, what is it that you would like from life?" She turned to look at Sigrid. "I would like to be allocated a small farm, somewhere near here." "Bjorn?" "I would like the same." "B.E.?" Slightly embarrassed, B.E. laughed, and then said, "I would like to be a successful Epic player, like Svein Redbeard." "Erik?" "I would like nothing better than to be a librarian." pg 89 :)
A new way to play the game: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if the game didn't matter, other than to play it? We could explore snowy mountains, spectacular caverns, and remote desert civilizations. To journey just for the pleasure of the adventures would be something..." She paused. "Only now do I understand why this game was invented." pg 192 A good metaphor for life, I think.
Erik's creation of Cindella (his avatar): "Serious gamers, and the whole world consisted of serious gamers, never wasted a point on beauty that could be spent on more practical attributes, or combat skills, craft skills, weapons, magic items and spells. As a result, Epic's population of players consisted entirely of dull, gray-looking humanoids. His friends were in for a shock; it would be impossible to explain his choices to them, as there was no rational argument in favor of throwing away every practical advantage in favor of beauty." pg 15
The power of beauty: "While they made their way through the flapping canvas and rope of the market stalls, Bjorn noticed something unusual. The NPCs were not stationary; their heads were turning towards the two players. "Erik, look at the merchants." "Hmmm. That's odd." Erik's character made the actions that arose from the wave+smile command. A nearby seller of herbs smiled and waved back. "You try." Bjorn had his big warrior wave. Nothing. "They like me!" pg 27
Librarians play a huge part in this story, which of course I LOVED: "Son, your story of Cindella and the pirate treasure is exciting. But you need to obtain more information." "I know." "Hope has a library. Where all the information ever learned about Epic has been stored. It is our right to be able to consult that information. So we are going to pay the librarian a visit." pg 36
The villain in this book is just awful: "... the illicit thrill of being a player-killer was something that could not be understood with logic. Nor could logic explain the pattern of his killings. Curiously it was not the stronger looking players that attracted his attention- and if there was any justification for the deaths of players it was to eliminate possible threats to the Central Allocations team. No, it was the slightly heartrending players, with their one weapon and tiny pieces of armor, which drew his attention. There was something bewitchingly naive and tender about them, spending their spare time killing kobolds and orcs for pennies, saving assiduously and slowly. And so he rode them down, bringing their struggle up the ladder of Epic to an abrupt end." pg 60 Haters gonna hate.
Doing the impossible... dragon slaying! : "I agree with Bjorn," Sigrid interjected. "Farmers' children just don't kill dragons. Nobody kills dragons these days. But if they did, it would be the people in Mikelgard, with all their magic and expensive gear." "But nobody even thinks about fighting dragons anymore." Injeborg spoke up. Erik had known that he could count on her. "Only our Erik. That's why he has seen something that they have missed." She turned to her brother, "Come on, Bjorn. Let's try it." "No, it's hopeless." Injeborg stamped her foot in frustration. "You are always waiting for something to happen to you. But that's not how life is." pg 85
Big dreams: "Tell me," said Injeborg. "Everyone, what is it that you would like from life?" She turned to look at Sigrid. "I would like to be allocated a small farm, somewhere near here." "Bjorn?" "I would like the same." "B.E.?" Slightly embarrassed, B.E. laughed, and then said, "I would like to be a successful Epic player, like Svein Redbeard." "Erik?" "I would like nothing better than to be a librarian." pg 89 :)
A new way to play the game: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if the game didn't matter, other than to play it? We could explore snowy mountains, spectacular caverns, and remote desert civilizations. To journey just for the pleasure of the adventures would be something..." She paused. "Only now do I understand why this game was invented." pg 192 A good metaphor for life, I think.
November 1, 2019
Another DNF :(
This time after 86 pages. I cannot get into this. All the teen characters feel like 11-year olds :/
This time after 86 pages. I cannot get into this. All the teen characters feel like 11-year olds :/
March 2, 2018
"A true progenitor of LitRPG. Amazing & Immersive!"
This book is claimed as being one of the forerunners to the increasingly growing LitRPG genre and it is easy to see why.
This book has a wonderful premise, a society that has done away with violence and uses VR instead to deal with conflict and give an outlet for humanities savage urges.
The book deals with topics in its stride such as Sociology of a populace that uses a RPG game to determine all facets of its society. Politics whereby various opinions and anti government sentiments are presented and explored. A possible precursor to how society might use technology like VR to hold public forums and meet as a group through the use of this technology.
There are some wonderful twists at various points throughout the story that give depth and texture to the story. Some of these come out of left field and you don't see them coming, others are a little easier to see.
The narration is without a doubt on the money, the vast array of characters have their own distinct sound and this helps draws you further into the characters. Samuel Hoke has given life to these characters and in my opinion has delivered the essence of the book.
In summation this book is without a doubt a must read for anyone that enjoys the LitRPG genre or is even a casual fan of RPG games.
I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy with a little science fiction.
I will definitely be placing the two follow up books on my to read list.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily provided this review.
This book is claimed as being one of the forerunners to the increasingly growing LitRPG genre and it is easy to see why.
This book has a wonderful premise, a society that has done away with violence and uses VR instead to deal with conflict and give an outlet for humanities savage urges.
The book deals with topics in its stride such as Sociology of a populace that uses a RPG game to determine all facets of its society. Politics whereby various opinions and anti government sentiments are presented and explored. A possible precursor to how society might use technology like VR to hold public forums and meet as a group through the use of this technology.
There are some wonderful twists at various points throughout the story that give depth and texture to the story. Some of these come out of left field and you don't see them coming, others are a little easier to see.
The narration is without a doubt on the money, the vast array of characters have their own distinct sound and this helps draws you further into the characters. Samuel Hoke has given life to these characters and in my opinion has delivered the essence of the book.
In summation this book is without a doubt a must read for anyone that enjoys the LitRPG genre or is even a casual fan of RPG games.
I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys fantasy with a little science fiction.
I will definitely be placing the two follow up books on my to read list.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily provided this review.
January 19, 2017
Epic is about a group of friends on New Earth. Earth was torn apart by violence, so New Earth settlers brought one rule: no violence. This book is really good towards the middle, but towards the end I was disappointed. It led up to this huge final battle in the computer game of Epic, after we'd just learned they could actually die in real life through the game. But then the battle came, and it was so easy, it had no sense of danger at all. Even when the most powerful player in the game, an NPC who could think for himself and kill you in real life, he got killed in two seconds and it was way too easy.
February 20, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read a book that quickly since Harry Potter and The Kingkiller Chronicles.
This book captured my interest from the beginning. It kept me entertained throughout the entire book. I enjoyed how the characters had missions that they went after, but how the missions also changed throughout the book. I also enjoyed how the book had a reality and an alternate reality within Epic. I found it hard to distinguish between the two at the beginning, but that confusion did not last long. I definitely recommend this book if you like sci fi and a little fantasy.
This book captured my interest from the beginning. It kept me entertained throughout the entire book. I enjoyed how the characters had missions that they went after, but how the missions also changed throughout the book. I also enjoyed how the book had a reality and an alternate reality within Epic. I found it hard to distinguish between the two at the beginning, but that confusion did not last long. I definitely recommend this book if you like sci fi and a little fantasy.
October 13, 2014
A few elites control Epic, a medieval-style virtual world where all real-life economic and political disputes are settled. All is well until a farmer’s son discovers a game-changing flaw in the system. A swashbuckling tale for fantasy and adventure fans.
April 12, 2012
I'm not trying to say I can write an awesome book everyone will love, but this book is incredibly stupid.
August 30, 2019
The book is totally Amazing.
August 30, 2019
The book was so incredible.
October 7, 2019
LitRPG isn’t one that I’ve been involved with much, but after this wonderful read, I’m definitely going to seek out more work in this genre.
In Epic, we see a society that has been shaped by VR. Instead of conflict in the real world, issues are settled with fights in VR. Everything is settled in this manner from little scrapes to problems that are much bigger. Like any game, there are characters who are stronger and those who are weaker. When someone dies, they must start all over. With this basic computer game ideas, we explore the politics of the government over this society and see the way that corruption effects every facet of this world. There are plenty of twists and turns and lots of suspense.
It has the same kind of adventure vibe that Ready Player One had so if you were a fan of that, you will eat this book up.
Narration was beautiful, bringing life to each individual character in intriguing ways.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
In Epic, we see a society that has been shaped by VR. Instead of conflict in the real world, issues are settled with fights in VR. Everything is settled in this manner from little scrapes to problems that are much bigger. Like any game, there are characters who are stronger and those who are weaker. When someone dies, they must start all over. With this basic computer game ideas, we explore the politics of the government over this society and see the way that corruption effects every facet of this world. There are plenty of twists and turns and lots of suspense.
It has the same kind of adventure vibe that Ready Player One had so if you were a fan of that, you will eat this book up.
Narration was beautiful, bringing life to each individual character in intriguing ways.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
July 3, 2017
Personally, this is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time.
Yes, this book was extremely hard for me to start and get into, since the wording occasionally got a little extra at times. This required me to reread a bunch of parts in order to understand what was all happening.
But this all changed in the middle of the book.
Suspense. Oh. my. god. This author incorporated suspense in the most intricate way. And don't get me started on the plot twists. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the book the last fifty pages of the book! And obviously, the whole idea behind this book is just so creative: a virtual-reality game called "Epic," with its fascinating missions and beautiful landscapes.
All in all, this book is a must-read. Get through the gritty beginning, and I pinky-promise you that you will not be disappointed.
Yes, this book was extremely hard for me to start and get into, since the wording occasionally got a little extra at times. This required me to reread a bunch of parts in order to understand what was all happening.
But this all changed in the middle of the book.
Suspense. Oh. my. god. This author incorporated suspense in the most intricate way. And don't get me started on the plot twists. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the book the last fifty pages of the book! And obviously, the whole idea behind this book is just so creative: a virtual-reality game called "Epic," with its fascinating missions and beautiful landscapes.
All in all, this book is a must-read. Get through the gritty beginning, and I pinky-promise you that you will not be disappointed.
July 20, 2018
This book pretty much fell in my lap and I otherwise would have never known of its existence.
This was a new genre for me, or sub-genre I guess. I have to admit it was an enjoyable read. No doubt the target audience is a younger one, but hey whoever said I was a real adult.
All in all, I really enjoyed the story and connected with some of the characters. My biggest critiques would be that things seemed to move along at too fast a clip, an extra hundred pages would have done the story some good, which lends to the second critique of things being tied up a little to simply and neatly. The additional pages would have helped develop certain scenes to a far more satisfying outcome. I will definitely read the sequel to it as well. Again, the rating reflects the genre.
But it was a refreshing read that made me long for the days of the first Far Cry game on my old Xbox console and the hours of fun me and the brood had with it!
This was a new genre for me, or sub-genre I guess. I have to admit it was an enjoyable read. No doubt the target audience is a younger one, but hey whoever said I was a real adult.
All in all, I really enjoyed the story and connected with some of the characters. My biggest critiques would be that things seemed to move along at too fast a clip, an extra hundred pages would have done the story some good, which lends to the second critique of things being tied up a little to simply and neatly. The additional pages would have helped develop certain scenes to a far more satisfying outcome. I will definitely read the sequel to it as well. Again, the rating reflects the genre.
But it was a refreshing read that made me long for the days of the first Far Cry game on my old Xbox console and the hours of fun me and the brood had with it!
April 14, 2021
Where the real world meets the video game world, Epic successfully dives into the problems of governance across both worlds. Its characters are intriguing, but the world of Epic even more so. Everything I wanted to see in Ready Player One was delivered in this gamer novel (which missed out on some cool points). Would read again!
February 21, 2018
super good
just cuz you dont like video games doesn't mean youshouldn't read it
do u no da wae?
well this book does be cuz its so good!
don't judge a book with latin on it by its cover
(spoiler alert) Erik likes Injeborg
just cuz you dont like video games doesn't mean youshouldn't read it
do u no da wae?
well this book does be cuz its so good!
don't judge a book with latin on it by its cover
(spoiler alert) Erik likes Injeborg
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2017
Epic by Conor Kostick is an exciting read with an interesting story line. I can guarantee it’s like nothing else you’ve ever read before. It’s about a society whose whole government depends on a game. A game created by unknown people to be fun and exciting that now has turned into a monotonous cycle for most. Day after day, villagers toil away on their farms to barely scrape by in life. At night, their children hook up to a game called Epic to slowly kill mobs of enemies with little reward. All this they do in order to gear up to win the annual graduation tournament. If they do well, they’ll be able to attend a college for a chance at a different career other than a farmer in life. Although they rarely win because the children who come from rich families buy the best gear and easily defeat the poorly equipped villagers. No one wants to explore the game and take risks anymore though because of how important success is. You see, once your character dies, that’s it. No revive. No respawn. You have to start all over again.
May 4, 2018
spectacular. Worth being placed in my top 5 books.
July 20, 2014
Plot Summary:
"Generations ago, violence was banned on New Earth. Society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. Everyone plays. If you win, you have the chance to go to university, get more supplies for your community, and fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing.
When Erik, seeking revenge for the unjust treatment of his parents, dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends find themselves up against with the ultimate masters of the game: the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying Epic's tyranny over New Earth. But if they lose . . ."
Review:
A really fun book. Basically, in this world, there's this big MMORPG called Epic whose monetary system is used as real life currency. If you're a good player in Epic, you're basically rich and powerful in real life.
It's a vaguely dystopian stetting, but this world actually makes some sense. See, it's set in the distant future where Earth became uninhabitable and a small amount of people escaped and colonized an empty planet which they called "New Earth." Unfortunately, in the transition, they lost a lot of their technology and resources. Epic is actually one of the few advanced technology that they've retained, so it makes sense that they're in awe of it.
New Earth has one golden rule, which is no violence. If you harm or kill someone, then it's automatic exile for you. You can "battle" people in the Epic arena if you want to settle a dispute, but real-life violence is a no-no.
Unfortunately, society has stagnated a lot because of Epic. The ruling elite, composed of the top players, have dominated Epic and distribute the world's resources as they see fit.
Enter main character Erik, who's basically the underdog. He's accompanied by a small group of his friends who make up his Epic team. They dive deeper into the game's lore and try to find a way to free Erik's parents from unjust exile and ultimately even subvert the ruling class.
The game Epic seems to be really fun. You basically clip on to the server and get transferred into a virtual reality, medieval fantasy setting. It's kind of basic - character class, a lot of farming, saving up for good equipment, leveling up, etc.
There is one thing I find rather unbelievable, which is how unexplored Epic the game seems to be. If everyone in the entire society plays it, you would expect them to know the game in and out. But no, it's Erik and the gang who make the new discoveries. I mean, generations of an entire society playing a game, and it's not until Erik and gang who find a loophole to kill the unbeatable dragon and so forth.
Speaking as someone who's a gamer . . . the minute there is the smallest change in a game, everybody and their mother knows. Also, some of the "strategies" (like the aforementioned dragon killing) seems rather simple. I can't believe that nobody else thought of it.
But overall, Epic is a good, solid book.
"Generations ago, violence was banned on New Earth. Society is governed and conflicts are resolved in the arena of a fantasy computer game, Epic. Everyone plays. If you win, you have the chance to go to university, get more supplies for your community, and fulfill your dreams; if you lose, your life both in and out of the game is worth nothing.
When Erik, seeking revenge for the unjust treatment of his parents, dares to subvert the rules of Epic, he and his friends find themselves up against with the ultimate masters of the game: the Committee. If Erik and his friends win, they may have the key to destroying Epic's tyranny over New Earth. But if they lose . . ."
Review:
A really fun book. Basically, in this world, there's this big MMORPG called Epic whose monetary system is used as real life currency. If you're a good player in Epic, you're basically rich and powerful in real life.
It's a vaguely dystopian stetting, but this world actually makes some sense. See, it's set in the distant future where Earth became uninhabitable and a small amount of people escaped and colonized an empty planet which they called "New Earth." Unfortunately, in the transition, they lost a lot of their technology and resources. Epic is actually one of the few advanced technology that they've retained, so it makes sense that they're in awe of it.
New Earth has one golden rule, which is no violence. If you harm or kill someone, then it's automatic exile for you. You can "battle" people in the Epic arena if you want to settle a dispute, but real-life violence is a no-no.
Unfortunately, society has stagnated a lot because of Epic. The ruling elite, composed of the top players, have dominated Epic and distribute the world's resources as they see fit.
Enter main character Erik, who's basically the underdog. He's accompanied by a small group of his friends who make up his Epic team. They dive deeper into the game's lore and try to find a way to free Erik's parents from unjust exile and ultimately even subvert the ruling class.
The game Epic seems to be really fun. You basically clip on to the server and get transferred into a virtual reality, medieval fantasy setting. It's kind of basic - character class, a lot of farming, saving up for good equipment, leveling up, etc.
There is one thing I find rather unbelievable, which is how unexplored Epic the game seems to be. If everyone in the entire society plays it, you would expect them to know the game in and out. But no, it's Erik and the gang who make the new discoveries. I mean, generations of an entire society playing a game, and it's not until Erik and gang who find a loophole to kill the unbeatable dragon and so forth.
Speaking as someone who's a gamer . . . the minute there is the smallest change in a game, everybody and their mother knows. Also, some of the "strategies" (like the aforementioned dragon killing) seems rather simple. I can't believe that nobody else thought of it.
But overall, Epic is a good, solid book.
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
What if the quality of your life depended on how well you played a MMORPG? What's a MMORPG, you ask? It is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Well, on New Earth that is exactly the way life is.
On New Earth, violence is illegal. Epic (the MMORPG) was created for people to clip up, enter the world of Epic, and take out their aggression on fictional characters rather than doing harm to a real person. However, over the years, the purpose of the game shifted and became the determining factor for what kind of job you had, where you were able to live, and what supplies you received. Central Allocations, a small group of people in charge of all the decisions, controls everything.
Erik's family is having a tough time. They have had some solar panels break and aren't able to produce enough olives to meet their quota. Their attempts at getting replacement solar panels have been unsuccessful, and the family is afraid Central Allocations will require them to move to the salt mines for punishment.
In addition to the family problems, Erik isn't doing well in the game himself. In order to have a chance to go to University, you must accumulate wealth and status in Epic. Erik just continues to get his characters killed because he tries to kill the same dragon every time he enters the game.
His last "death" is the final straw, though. Out of frustration, he does something he has never done before. Erik creates a character who is female instead of his usual male character that resembles him in real life. Instead of going by his own name, he chooses one he thinks befits a beautiful character - Cindella. Immediately upon entering the game as Cindella, things begin to look up. Characters that are a part of the game begin talking to her and giving her things. Soon, she realizes the characters are pointing her toward a quest.
With his newfound status in Epic, Erik uses his accumulating wealth and the help of his friends to take on Central Allocations - once and for all. They are up against the most dangerous players. Ones with more wealth and experience. But, if Erik can defeat Central Allocations, he'll be able to save his family and possibly create a better life for them and those of his friends - possibly even the world.
EPIC is an interesting story. There is no problem keeping up with the "real" world and the "Epic" world. The author does a great job of distinguishing the two. If you enjoy Fantasy or Sci-Fi, then you'll enjoy this story. There is also a sequel called SAGA that has already been released.
What if the quality of your life depended on how well you played a MMORPG? What's a MMORPG, you ask? It is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Well, on New Earth that is exactly the way life is.
On New Earth, violence is illegal. Epic (the MMORPG) was created for people to clip up, enter the world of Epic, and take out their aggression on fictional characters rather than doing harm to a real person. However, over the years, the purpose of the game shifted and became the determining factor for what kind of job you had, where you were able to live, and what supplies you received. Central Allocations, a small group of people in charge of all the decisions, controls everything.
Erik's family is having a tough time. They have had some solar panels break and aren't able to produce enough olives to meet their quota. Their attempts at getting replacement solar panels have been unsuccessful, and the family is afraid Central Allocations will require them to move to the salt mines for punishment.
In addition to the family problems, Erik isn't doing well in the game himself. In order to have a chance to go to University, you must accumulate wealth and status in Epic. Erik just continues to get his characters killed because he tries to kill the same dragon every time he enters the game.
His last "death" is the final straw, though. Out of frustration, he does something he has never done before. Erik creates a character who is female instead of his usual male character that resembles him in real life. Instead of going by his own name, he chooses one he thinks befits a beautiful character - Cindella. Immediately upon entering the game as Cindella, things begin to look up. Characters that are a part of the game begin talking to her and giving her things. Soon, she realizes the characters are pointing her toward a quest.
With his newfound status in Epic, Erik uses his accumulating wealth and the help of his friends to take on Central Allocations - once and for all. They are up against the most dangerous players. Ones with more wealth and experience. But, if Erik can defeat Central Allocations, he'll be able to save his family and possibly create a better life for them and those of his friends - possibly even the world.
EPIC is an interesting story. There is no problem keeping up with the "real" world and the "Epic" world. The author does a great job of distinguishing the two. If you enjoy Fantasy or Sci-Fi, then you'll enjoy this story. There is also a sequel called SAGA that has already been released.
February 2, 2018
Pretty good, it was an interesting idea, but was a little strange. Overall it was good though.
June 14, 2020
One of my all time favorites
While at times the wording and different phrases seem a little clunky, I keep coming back to this book. It is a heartfelt mesh of fantasy and reality. And it is realistic with its imagery. Satisfies both the gamer and bookworm in me.
While at times the wording and different phrases seem a little clunky, I keep coming back to this book. It is a heartfelt mesh of fantasy and reality. And it is realistic with its imagery. Satisfies both the gamer and bookworm in me.
August 15, 2019
Best book I randomly picked up from the bookstore. Re-read many times and made me a life-long fan of the genre!
June 25, 2020
Epic is clearly inspired by MMOs and tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic (maybe? It’s not abundantly clear. All we know is that it’s called “New Earth” and Erik and the rest live in a Scandinavian area) Earth where issues and conflicts in real life are resolved in the fantasy game world of Epic. Honestly, I’m not really sure what people do on this New Earth in terms of government, jobs, or anything; there’s mentions of farming, solar panels, some sort of exile jail, and a university, but other than that, Erik and his friends basically have nothing to do except play Epic.
The writing is awkward in many places, full of baffling details, flowery and Victorian descriptions, and blindingly obvious summations. At one point Kostick literally calls two of his characters “protagonists,” as in “the two protagonists walked down the street.” Excessive amounts of detail are poured into describing Epic, with great emphasis placed on how different Erik’s character is from the “gray colorless polygons” of everyone else’s (gray, colorless, polygons are all words used over and over to describe other characters). It reads very much like a tabletop game and much less like a novel.
The plot is understandable insofar as motivation and action go, though so little is revealed about New Earth that the reader just gets swept along in the characters’ emotions without really knowing the reason why. Why was Harald exiled, why does it matter, where is he, what’s the deal with this government? Who knows? Now read more about this cool video game world.
It’s also incredibly difficult to swallow that a world could ban violence so effectively that even one of the villains blanches at the thought of doing anything outside of the game. And one has to wonder with the ending of the book if such a world could even sustain itself anymore without its largest “get out your violence in a way that won’t affect real people” foundation, or without any sort of currency, apparently, or even jobs.
If you like tabletop games (and the way they’re written) and you don’t mind loose worldbuilding, you’d probably enjoy Epic. There’s apparently a sequel or two, as well. I didn’t enjoy it nearly enough to pick up the others, however.
The writing is awkward in many places, full of baffling details, flowery and Victorian descriptions, and blindingly obvious summations. At one point Kostick literally calls two of his characters “protagonists,” as in “the two protagonists walked down the street.” Excessive amounts of detail are poured into describing Epic, with great emphasis placed on how different Erik’s character is from the “gray colorless polygons” of everyone else’s (gray, colorless, polygons are all words used over and over to describe other characters). It reads very much like a tabletop game and much less like a novel.
The plot is understandable insofar as motivation and action go, though so little is revealed about New Earth that the reader just gets swept along in the characters’ emotions without really knowing the reason why. Why was Harald exiled, why does it matter, where is he, what’s the deal with this government? Who knows? Now read more about this cool video game world.
It’s also incredibly difficult to swallow that a world could ban violence so effectively that even one of the villains blanches at the thought of doing anything outside of the game. And one has to wonder with the ending of the book if such a world could even sustain itself anymore without its largest “get out your violence in a way that won’t affect real people” foundation, or without any sort of currency, apparently, or even jobs.
If you like tabletop games (and the way they’re written) and you don’t mind loose worldbuilding, you’d probably enjoy Epic. There’s apparently a sequel or two, as well. I didn’t enjoy it nearly enough to pick up the others, however.
June 14, 2020
Changed my life reading it as a kid. Kostick was way ahead of his time.
June 22, 2013
I found this book, on the new release shelf at our school library. I saw the front cover, and decided it looked pretty mean! I read the first two-three chapters, and thought its sounded different, but cool at the same time...i was wrong. During the middle of the book, it started to bore me because, it was getting very predictable which made it even more boring. I didn't want to stop reading, it because i was already halfway! but i made it to the end, excited for my next novel.
Which category: This book goes under the category of a male main character, called Erik, who lives in a world where violence is against the law. Those who break the law will be sentenced to exile. The humans use a device called Epic, to fight and use violence in.
Why i decided to read this book: I decided to read this book because the front cover looked pretty awesome.
My favourite quote: "... we defeated the Red Dragon! were dragon slayers!" at this moment of the novel was a pround moment for me, although it was predictible, it was a cheerful moment for me, as well as the characters in the book.
Something new i learned: I didn't really learn anything from this novel? but all i can say is that no matter where you are in the world, don't trust in anyone you don't know well, otherwise bad things can occur.
A character: one of the most intersting characters in this novel, was 'Ragnok'. He as a evil and selfish old man. All he cared about was himself, he would kill random civilians out of the blue. He was a nasty old chap, but to me thats what made him intersting, and plus he also became The Executioner.
Which category: This book goes under the category of a male main character, called Erik, who lives in a world where violence is against the law. Those who break the law will be sentenced to exile. The humans use a device called Epic, to fight and use violence in.
Why i decided to read this book: I decided to read this book because the front cover looked pretty awesome.
My favourite quote: "... we defeated the Red Dragon! were dragon slayers!" at this moment of the novel was a pround moment for me, although it was predictible, it was a cheerful moment for me, as well as the characters in the book.
Something new i learned: I didn't really learn anything from this novel? but all i can say is that no matter where you are in the world, don't trust in anyone you don't know well, otherwise bad things can occur.
A character: one of the most intersting characters in this novel, was 'Ragnok'. He as a evil and selfish old man. All he cared about was himself, he would kill random civilians out of the blue. He was a nasty old chap, but to me thats what made him intersting, and plus he also became The Executioner.
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