This is amazing!! I am totally going to never read the first two volumes of the main series. This is the way that Aincrad was meant to be experienced. I am totally a huge fan and this completely lived up to my expectations. The only complaint I have is that the story "The First Day" from volume 8 leads directly into this but that isn't explained until the author's acknowledgement page at the very end of the book. So start there folks! ( )

Kirito and Asuna must fight to survive the death game Sword Art Online has become. If you read the original light novel then you'll notice some changes in the storyline, but I assure you major events have not changed and they make it a better read! A fan of video games, especially MMOs, will enjoy this series.
This book will take you through floors one and two of Aincrad. I like being able to see the development of the world, and the use of lingo used by gamers worldwide. Seeing the day to day life and boss raids for each individual floor gives you a better perspective on how hard it is for the players to survive.
You'll also be able to explore this all through both Kirito and Asuna's point of view, much like Kawahara allowed readers different points of view in his short stories. It isn't as repetitive as I expected having read the original light novel which made me extremely pleased. So if you did read the original, go ahead and pick this one up and know it won't be a simple rehash of the story. ;) ( )

This book takes place in the year 2022. Akihiko Kayaba a famous game developer throughout Japan created the VRMMORPG known as Sword Art Online. After the beta test of the game, the official release turns dark as the logout button disappears. The 10,000 players trapped in the game must complete all of the floors, up to floor 100 in the ruby palace. However, after two months the first floor is finally complete. Diavel the knight is killed in battle trying to get the Last Attack Bonus, and his position is taken over by Kirito, the main character in this story. After defeating the boss, he is called a "beater" (beta tester/cheater). From there, he hides for about a week until finally getting over the fact that his name had been spread through all of Aincrad,

He teams up with Asuna the Fencer, known as one of the "most beautiful" players in Aincrad. The Aincrad Liberation Squad finds the second floor boss and defeats it, opening up the third floor to the public. Kirito and Asuna team up once more to find the third floor boss and the book ends.

Note: This particular series is based off of the anime - The original Sword Art Online books are more accurate.

Rating: 97% (4.85 stars) ( )