Gilded Ghost

There Are No Stakes

Review by: The Audiobook ReviewSo I'm not sure why it took me so long to realise, but The Ripple System books have virtually nothing at stake. Users can respawn, usually holding most of their stuff, so it's not like dying is a big deal. Even the big battle coming to the Onyx Delta, where Ned has planted all his roots, is of little consequence. Yeah, things could get razed to the ground, but so what? Build again somewhere else.

In a previous review, I described Ned as starting off as a hated pharma-bro douchebag type of person. He's got more money than god and is generally hated in-game because of what he did right back in book one. There couldn't be fewer consequences for someone.

This one felt to me like a bit of a "filler" while we wait for the Red Cathedrals to complete. Lots of in-game fighting and the like, but very little in the way of moving forwards, as we have in earlier books.

I do like the evolution of House, which I want to make special mention of. Her development is fun to see as she learns how to be more human... and her love of cats and learning to threaten Frank is a lot of fun.

Travis Baldree does his trademark top-notch narration - nothing bad to say about that. Good as ever.


Will I continue? Probably, but if book four continues on in the same way as three, that might be my last stop. Here's hoping for something excellent!