Unity is the 7th book in the Awaken Online series, about a bullied teen (Jason) who turns to a virtual reality game for escape—only to rise as a powerful villain, challenging morality, power, and control in-game and out. Since the series has a main story line and side quests, this one counts as book 4.5 and is a side quest focusing on Frank.

Feeling overshadowed by his friends after after the events with Thorn in the previous book, Frank ventures north to enhance his shapeshifting abilities. He discovers the hidden town of Haven, encounters other shapeshifters and druids, and embarks on a journey that challenges him to confront his self-doubt, embrace his powers, and evolve into a leader.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book again, as the amount of character development that Frank goes through puts him at least on par with the other main characters. His path as a shapeshifter druid adds a fresh perspective to the game’s world mechanics. I consider these side quest books a must-read as they deepen out the character arcs and provide immersive side stories.

And it seems I wasn’t the only one complaining about the repeated “sickening pop” (see my review of Dominion (Awaken Online #4)) as that phrasing hardly occurs in this book. I remain fearful for the series as a whole though, as Frank’s character now too has reached a godly level in the game - which doesn’t always bode well for plot development.

Given the suggested reading order by the author in the diagram below, I’ll likely now read the Finn books - known as the Tarot trilogy, before continuing the Jason story arc.