My husband recommended this novel for me, and it meets a lot of my interest areas. This Is Not a Game talks about the gaming world gone one step further into the real one, and then explores the social and economic consequences of same. The novel has a very cyberpunk feel to it while at the same time showing none of the traditional modifications. It reminds me a lot of The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi, with modern-based tech as opposed to steampunk.

One of the reasons I enjoyed the book is its very complexity. Walter Jon Williams keeps numerous threads running throughout the book for which the interrelationships are not clear from the start. There are many types of books this one can fall under, but ultimately it’s a mystery. Dagmar is the main character, and she is responsible for crafting complex games run through the Internet but intersecting with the real world as an effort to advertise brand-new products. The games may involve international travel or just research but draw players into a world where treachery is the natural state of things.

As a concept, this is an intriguing one. It would be enough to carry the book. But Williams does not stop there. Our story actually begins with Dagmar making an unexpected stop in Jakarta as its economy collapses. She finds herself in a space much like her carefully crafted games, only with potentially deadly results. Instead of pretend, her life is at risk because of economic riots and various factions seizing control of parts of the city. She has to call upon her boss and close friend Charlie to rescue her.

His companies have made him rich, very rich, but she has no idea just how rich he has become.

And that is about as far as I can go with giving plot information while still avoiding spoilers. The complexity of this novel is incredible. The characters are interesting and their relationships wind all the way through their lives since college. Dagmar is caught between two of them and tries hard to maintain her friendship on both sides without betraying either. Offhand I would say there are easily four to five plot threads running through this book.

Did I enjoy it? The answer has to be yes. However I found myself in one of those odd places where the reader’s perceptions don’t match the writer’s. Ultimately I was disappointed in the resolution. Not that it didn’t work. Williams is an incredibly skilled writer and there was nothing wrong with the path of the book chooses. I just feel of the tales to be told the one that captured my interest the most became incidental toward the end, and to me this is a weakness.

What’s odd about that opinion is simply this: I know full well the way to make people identify with the book is to make it personal. I find my reaction curious because it was that very personal that I felt was almost a copout. Not so much to spoil the book for me, but enough that I wanted to see the bigger picture more and was denied the opportunity. This is a warning of sorts for me, because I also tend to write complex novels, though not on Williams’ scale. It warns of the danger of presenting such an ingenious idea that the reader can get caught up and regret when that idea is not seen through to the end, though honestly I can’t see how that end would look. Every thread resolves. All that complexity ties together. It’s not like anything was left hanging or unresolved. It’s a matter of balance and focus. Ultimately, I think I need to walk away with the understanding that it was a good read. Anything else is just my reader 50%.

Of course, walking away is difficult. This book was intriguing enough to stick around in my head and make me intensely curious. So fair warning, if people do as I ask, most likely spoilers will appear in the comments thread. My question is, if you have read the book, what was your reaction? While I attempted to keep things obscure, I’m sure upon reading the book that you can translate the specifics I have hidden to protect those who haven’t read yet. So in the comments, would you please tell your reaction and whether you preferred the path the author chose, or wanted more. Include a spoiler warning where appropriate, but everyone reading the post has been forewarned.