Lycopolis( Lycopolis Trilogy #1) - Ali Luke

Lycopolis is a virtual world, where people can escape from this world in the form of a virtual reality. The stark fact of today's world is life is empty, there is no meaning to anything. Everywhere a person looks they are faced with either bone deep darkness or vast blankness. There is no positivity, neither hope for a better future and when a child transcends the barrier of innocence of childhood and stands just at the edge of adulthood that they feel this fact most strongly. Maybe it is because they realise that the real world is vastly different from the ideal world their parents or teachers or other elders painted for them. Bullying, unemployment, religious fanatism , manipulating friends are a few evils among the large number of them . It is a sad thing but this is what 21st century is coming to.

Seven people, each having their own grievances and hardships towards life escapes into the online role playing game Lycopolis. Many youths do that nowadays, incapable of dealing with the harsh realities, there is nothing wrong with that. But when the prince of darkness summoned by them in the virtual world becomes a part of their reality , blurring the boundary between the real and virtual that things goes out of their hands. Friendships are torn. Loyalties are tested and secrets revealed. Can he be stopped or is it already too late?

What I loved about this story is that this is a gripping tale of horror , mystery and terror. I absolutely loved it. It never lost it's rhythm and speed. The two world narrative placed side by side gives Lycopolis an interesting outlook. The world of knights, thieves, squires and lords besides the world of an Oxford student, an unemployed worker , a bullied  teenager makes for an intriguing read. The characters are well developed with each having their own background which are revealed slowly in the course of the story. It not only spins a fantasy tale but also shows the realities and failures of today's society, throwing light into the minds of adolescents of our generation. This is not for the faint hearted , no doubt about it, having quite a lot gore, bloodshed and killing. But no scene is more horrific than the killing of the innocent girl at the alter "The girl's blood ran down the alter, spilling into the ancient channels carved into the floor, a red stain winding across the white stone."
However, while Lycopolis deals with the darker aspects of our society where people like Seth dwells, it also shows people like Kay who shines like a ray of light into those murky depths. A must read for fantasy lovers. I couldn't put it down till the end. It was mesmerising.  I'll recommend this to everyone. Truly author Ali Luke is a master story teller.

Here is the purchase link(I think it's free now)

https://www.amazon.in/Lycopolis-Ali-Luke-ebook/dp/B0068R6GAC

Author Biography

Ali Luke loves writing (and reading!) fast-paced fiction with strong characters and a hefty dose of the supernatural. She has a degree in English from Cambridge University and an MA in Creative & Life Writing from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Link to

Dominion (Lycopolis Trilogy #3)

Oblivion (Lycopolis Trilogy #2)