Summary
"Michael is a skilled internet gamer in a world of advanced technology. When a cyber-terrorist begins to threaten players, Michael is called upon to seek him and his secrets out"--
Summary
The world is virtual, but the danger is real in the next series from MAZE RUNNER author James Dashner.
The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun it is. Why bother following the rules when it's so easy to break them? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And one gamer has been doing exactly that, with murderous results.
The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they've been watching Michael. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid, to the back alleys and corners of the system human eyes have never seen--and it's possible that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.
The author who brought you the #1 New York Times bestselling MAZE RUNNER series and two #1 movies-- The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials --now brings you The Eye of Minds , the first book in THE MORTALITY DOCTRINE series, an edge-of-your-seat adventure that takes you into a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyber terrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.
"Dashner takes full advantage of the Matrix -esque potential for asking 'what is real.'" --io9.com
"Set in a world taken over by virtual reality gaming, the series perfectly capture[s] Dashner's hallmarks for inventiveness, teen dialogue and an ability to add twists and turns like no other author ." --MTV.com
"A brilliant, visceral, gamified mash-up of The Matrix and Inception , guaranteed to thrill even the non-gaming crowd." -- Christian Science Monitor
From the Hardcover edition.
Author Notes
James Dashner was born in Georgia and attended Brigham Young University. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in finance. He is the author of The 13th Reality series, The Jimmy Fincher Saga, the Mortality Doctrine series, and the Maze Runner series. The Journal of Curious Letters was chosen for a 2008 Borders Original Voices pick and The Maze Runner won a 2015 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award in the Older Readers category.
(Bowker Author Biography)
James Dashner was born in Georgia and attended Brigham Young University. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in finance. He is the author of The 13th Reality series, The Jimmy Fincher Saga, the Mortality Doctrine series, and the Maze Runner series. The Journal of Curious Letters was chosen for a 2008 Borders Original Voices pick and The Maze Runner won a 2015 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award in the Older Readers category.
(Bowker Author Biography)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Like many other gamers, Michael enjoys escaping into the VirtNet, the virtual world where he can play, hang with friends he's never met in real life, and test his hacking skills in battles against virtual enemies. Michael is an expert gamer, one who can hack the code and break the rules, building a reputation for being a tough player on a team with his friends Bryson and Sarah. When gamers begin disappearing, and others return from the VirtNet brain-dead, Michael and his friends are chosen by VirtNet Security to find the suspected perpetrator of these crimes, a cyberterrorist named Kaine. Erik Davies performs the story admirably, voicing each character, from the evil Kaine to the sweet Sarah, with equally appropriate voices, and his expressive interpretation keeps the suspense high. There is a lot of action, some graphically bloody battles, horrible monsters, impossible challenges and some seemingly unattainable feats that are managed handily by the teen trio. Fans of advanced technology and virtual gaming will appreciate this first volume (Delacorte, 2013) in "The Mortality Doctrine" series by the author of The Maze Runner and eagerly await the next installment.-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Michael and friends Bryson and Sarah are caught up in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game when a secret agent tasks them with helping to stop a cyberterrorist. Reminiscent of sci-fi classics Bladerunner and The Matrix, this novel's mind-bending twists and turns, action, intrigue, and a bit of philosophy will keep readers turning the pages. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In Dashner's futuristic series starter, virtual life offers Michael opportunities to escape the real world. He spends most of his time on the Virtnet, playing Lifeblood Deep with his virtual friends Bryson and Sarah. Now, haunted by his daytime experiences, he needs them more than ever. What Michael fears most comes true: Virtual Network Security tracks him down, but not to chastise him for wrongdoing; rather, they want his hacking skills to get to Kaine, a gamer who is causing terrible tragedies. Michael and his friends begin the trek into the hand-to-hand combat warfare game Devils of Destruction, but with the virtual death of his friends, Michael finds himself alone in his quest. Harrowing evil and dastardly demons place themselves in his path, and he almost capitulates to the pain and exhaustion. What awaits him in the bowels of the game hangs over readers' heads with each page turn, raising a constant question: Who is human and who is not? In typical Dashner style, this is quick and involving, with the main frustration being the wait time until the next book. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy was huuuuge. With a video game, author tour, and major outdoor advertising, this could be even huger.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Like many other gamers, Michael enjoys escaping into the VirtNet, the virtual world where he can play, hang with friends he's never met in real life, and test his hacking skills in battles against virtual enemies. Michael is an expert gamer, one who can hack the code and break the rules, building a reputation for being a tough player on a team with his friends Bryson and Sarah. When gamers begin disappearing, and others return from the VirtNet brain-dead, Michael and his friends are chosen by VirtNet Security to find the suspected perpetrator of these crimes, a cyberterrorist named Kaine. Erik Davies performs the story admirably, voicing each character, from the evil Kaine to the sweet Sarah, with equally appropriate voices, and his expressive interpretation keeps the suspense high. There is a lot of action, some graphically bloody battles, horrible monsters, impossible challenges and some seemingly unattainable feats that are managed handily by the teen trio. Fans of advanced technology and virtual gaming will appreciate this first volume (Delacorte, 2013) in "The Mortality Doctrine" series by the author of The Maze Runner and eagerly await the next installment.-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Michael and friends Bryson and Sarah are caught up in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game when a secret agent tasks them with helping to stop a cyberterrorist. Reminiscent of sci-fi classics Bladerunner and The Matrix, this novel's mind-bending twists and turns, action, intrigue, and a bit of philosophy will keep readers turning the pages. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In Dashner's futuristic series starter, virtual life offers Michael opportunities to escape the real world. He spends most of his time on the Virtnet, playing Lifeblood Deep with his virtual friends Bryson and Sarah. Now, haunted by his daytime experiences, he needs them more than ever. What Michael fears most comes true: Virtual Network Security tracks him down, but not to chastise him for wrongdoing; rather, they want his hacking skills to get to Kaine, a gamer who is causing terrible tragedies. Michael and his friends begin the trek into the hand-to-hand combat warfare game Devils of Destruction, but with the virtual death of his friends, Michael finds himself alone in his quest. Harrowing evil and dastardly demons place themselves in his path, and he almost capitulates to the pain and exhaustion. What awaits him in the bowels of the game hangs over readers' heads with each page turn, raising a constant question: Who is human and who is not? In typical Dashner style, this is quick and involving, with the main frustration being the wait time until the next book. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy was huuuuge. With a video game, author tour, and major outdoor advertising, this could be even huger.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2010 Booklist