Book Review: Aaru Dante's Path by David Meredith

 

Goodreads Summary: "Everyone who has ever built anywhere a 'new Heaven' first found the power thereto in his own Hell."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

The virtual paradise of Aaru is destroyed. The lords and ladies are overthrown. Most of the Vedas are captured, and Magic Man's dark creation, Hel rules with an iron fist, exacting her horrible revenge.

Arch Veda Rose is afraid it's all her fault. While the defeated lords and ladies sequester themselves in the impregnable tree-fortress of Yggdrasil, Rose decides it is up to her to make things right. Together she, and her bitter rival Matteus decide to work together to secretly infiltrate Hel's Kingdom of Dis and rescue their tormented friends.

At the same time, Koren has struggles of her own, mourning the untimely death of her father and separation from her sister Rose even as the corrupt megachurch pastor, Benjamin Belial, inserts himself deeper and deeper into her life, affairs, and family, and public opinion turns increasingly against Elysian Industries. Though worlds apart, both sisters must traverse a proverbial Dante's Path with no guarantee of success or survival.

Goodreads Rating: 5 stars, 1 rating

Genre Listing: Young Adult, Fantasy, Virtual Reality

Reviews on the series: Aaru, Aaru: Halls of Hel

Goodreads Challenge: 37/60

2020 Reading Challenge: #59 Read a book about a video game or virtual reality (Find the full challenge here) 

Book Review:

First Legal things: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Fall, readers!!!!! I am so excited that it is officially my favorite season. Some of the leaves have started to change already, and it's getting a little chillier here in Minnesota. Bring on sweaters, boots, Halloween movies, and everything else lovely about the season.  

David Meredith reached out to me about a week ago to see if I would read the latest installment of Aaru. He has good timing because I had been wondering recently if there was going to be a third book coming out. A quick recap of the series, Aaru is a virtual reality created by Elysian Industries to preserve the memories and likeness of dead clients, giving them a virtual afterlife. A reality tv show following Koren in real life and her deceased sister Rose in Aaru skyrockets Koren to fame. She becomes the obsession of a creepy man named Magic Man, who hacks the Aaru system and unleashes his creation, Hel. 

I was instantly drawn back into the Aaru world, even after a couple of years since reading Halls of Hel. There were a few chapters of trying to remember what actually happened, but I feel like that happens anytime I take a break between a series. It picked up pretty quickly. Truthfully, I think this was the best in the series. There's a lot of good character growth that I believe will be a factor in any upcoming books.

I think each book in the Aaru series, I'm drawn to something different. Previously I had been really interested in what was going on with Rose and Aaru. With Dante's Path, I was really invested in what Koren was going through. I was rooting for her to get through her situation because I felt like she just really got a raw end of the deal. I thought the whole thing showed Koren as a lot stronger character, who was starting to grow up. 

I'm not sure if I missed it or what, but something happened to MagicMan, and I think I missed the how. I'm trying to not leave spoilers, but whatever it was: Good. That character is a really creepy and vile villain. I'm wondering if the fourth installment will explain more of what happened (assuming I didn't miss it.)

Some exciting things happen within Aaru towards the end revolving Hel, Rose, and Dis. I can not wait to see what happens with that. I think it's going to be a fascinating dynamic. There's a lot of ways it can go, both good and bad. 

I definitely felt that this installment was more focused on Koren learning to stand up for herself. With Aaru being on lockdown because of MagicMan and Hel from Halls of Hel, it makes sense. Koren and Rose can't really talk, the reality show is on hold, etc. So it really came down to the sisters had to do their own separate things. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I'm glad that David Meredith reached out and asked me to continue reading the series.

I look forward to reading more of it. If I had to really explain the book, it'd be kind of dark fantasy with a virtual reality twist and a splash of psychological thriller.