Today Obscurists, we’re returning to one of A.K. Mocikat’s worlds with “Cyber Squad Level 2.” Oh, boy, I hope nothing goes wrong in virtual reality this time. I’m sure Kai and his friends test awesome games, and everything is just grand in this cyberpunk LitRPG.
***The Non-Spoiler part of this review***
What I love about this book:
Things nearly immediately go wrong in virtual reality.
Anyway, I said something similar in my review of the prior “Cyber Squad” book in this series, but I’m even more impressed with Mocikat’s ensemble cast of characters in this novel. Sure, I’m engaged with what the protagonist is doing and his struggles with life, love, and work, but I really appreciate the depth Mocikat gives her supporting characters. I was genuinely worried when something terrible would happen to one of Kai’s coworkers.
The mystery of what is going on at Heltek intensifies nicely in the book. As the story progresses, it often feels like Kai is just an unfortunate critter caught in the most insidious pitcher plant in human history. He’s even tacitly aware of it, I think, but torn by a loyalty to his friends, his love of the job, and an unattainable girl—keep him rooted in the trap. It’s an interesting dilemma to watch a young man try to navigate.
Mocikat, per usual, shines in her intense and varied fight scenes in this action-packed sci-fi story. As that action was playing out in this novel, though, I became aware of how much I enjoyed her aesthetics for settings in this book. Kai and the rest of Cyber Squad work and play in some of the most exciting VR scenarios, which helps. It’s when shit starts going wrong, though, that the awesome environmental effects happen. A lot of the imagery, such as a sky ripping open, for example, has a biblical flavor of terror behind it that I enjoyed.
What I don’t love about this book:
I’m not sold on Kai’s main obsession—Alice. She seems nice enough, but when Kai works himself up into a good and frothy pout about not being with this woman whilst building yet another level to the pedestal he’s put her on—I often think, “kid, there are other girls. Nice ones too.” I think, though, why I don’t like these bits is more about me than any defect in the story because it uncomfortably reminds me of myself in my early twenties. The only part of this primarily one-sided attraction where I’m totally on Kai’s side in this endeavor is that I also don’t like Alice’s boyfriend because I hate bullies.
I wish I understood the evil AI’s motivations a little better other than it’s an evil AI and does evil AI stuff. It doesn’t quite fit my criterion for enjoying unknowable malicious entities because one would have to assume it’s at least made in part by human-designed systems. Sure, humans can be malicious dickheads for little to no reason, but for a supposedly vast machine intellect to be bad for—well, because it makes it happy, I guess, isn’t too satisfying an answer.
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Author’s Website: https://www.annamocikat.com/
***The Spoiler part of this review***
***Ye be warned to turn back now***
The quick and dirty synopsis:
Kai, fresh from the first novel and barely surviving his encounter with a malicious AI in the dark web of VR, returns to work at Heltek after a lengthy hospital stay—clearly a glutton for punishment. In any case, he gets a promotion, a swanky new apartment, and a brand spanking new VR implant. So there were some incentives, which were all gifted to him by one of the cofounders of Heltek, who seems to have taken a particular interest in Kai’s career.
