Review: Instantly Likeable --  Completely Unique
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2012
"Stiletto heels didn't actually hurt when they poked into your pixelated cranium, but it did look rather odd, like I was being weirdly topped by a woman with a shoe fetish. Whoops. Man. Skins could be very androgynous in Synth."The instantly likeable and hilarious beginning caught me off guard. By the time I decided this was going to be a lighthearted romp in a virtual world, I didn't foresee the depth that this short story could possibly hold. A very surprising read, often funny, often emotional, completely unique.THE STORY:Dante and Byron have created their perfect reality within an RPG called Synth. Their world allows them to live life as they like, avoiding the pitfalls of reality, or so they think."Circuit Theory" is a look at life, real and virtual, from within the realms of online gaming. There's a triple viewpoint happening here; from inside Synth, to the player's RL's, to the reader's personal experiences, whether on message boards or in an RPG. The concept for this story is very intriguing. This isn't a book about a virtual world but about how people live their lives within that world.THE CHARACTERS:Dante could be almost anyone, he is likeable, considerate, flamboyant and sardonic. He is instantly recognizable, even if he is an avatar.SexxyBabee1 is vivacious, voluptuous and very unbalanced. Well, maybe she is balanced."Her shiny red stilettos clicked as she turned in a perfect circle so I could get the full view of her grossly extended and mostly exposed buttocks. I guess she needed them for balance."Byron remains something of a mystery. He loves Dante and has built a safe and pleasurable life within Synth. The more I came to understand Byron the less I knew about him. I'd love to read more about his earlier avatar.While seeking happiness and acceptance each of these characters have just found another way to wear a mask.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOTE: I'm not a gamer and although I spend entirely too much time online I don't consider myself educated in RPG's or virtual worlds. I have explored a few of these worlds and can't say that I'm a complete newb, but I am, in no way, even a Level 2 player. I tell you this because, for the first few pages, I found myself wondering if I would be able to navigate through the slang and lingo, in this story. Fortunately the authors do a good job at keeping you up with what's going on, even for the uninitiated.I want to thank netgalley.com and Riptide Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this terrific ebook in exchange for my honest review.