The Game of VORs by Andrew Orange is a science fiction novel that would appeal most to a diverse audience of young adults and adults who enjoy unpredictable science fiction. Kier Vorsmith, the youngest son of a count, is not known for his physical abilities nor motivation; instead he is known for his knowledge of history and humanities as well as laziness. Kier Vorsmith dreams of avoiding the military academy and instead studying at university to become a historian. Will Kier achieve his dream or will politics force him into following the same path of military service as his father?

The Game of VORs by Andrew Orange takes place in a completely new and unique world designed by the author. The book launched me right into the plot with young Kier failing his physical testing and planning how much it would cost to pay off the school to give him a passing grade. I found the money system that Kier was contemplating to be very difficult to understand as I had no basis of understanding how much greens, red units, and yellow dariks were worth. That aside, as I continued to read I began to get an understanding of the monetary system and it was not that important in relation to understanding the plot. At the beginning of the book I was not a big fan of Kier as he knew that he was not in a good financial situation and yet he did not really prepare for his physical testing in order to avoid paying for a passing grade. However, as I continued reading I began to understand more about Kier and he grew on me. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would consider reading a future follow up novel!

In The Game of VORs by Andrew Orange, we meet with compelling characters and an interesting plot. Kier Vorsmith has only one dream; to study at a prestigious university and become a legendary historian. He is the youngest son of a powerful count, and while he has high dreams of a quiet life, a different fate awaits him. He fails his final exams and finds himself catapulted into a life style he never dreamt about. Circumstances beyond his control force him to ascend to the throne as heir to the county and as an officer in the Imperial Special Corps. Read on to discover how he ends up serving as a local weatherman.

Andrew Orange came across to me as a gifted storyteller with the uncanny ability to hold the reader’s attention throughout the book. I enjoyed the unpredictability in plot development and the surprises that came along with it. The characters are interesting and well-developed and readers will enjoy the way each one fits into the entire canvas. The Game of VORs features compelling themes, including family and loyalty, service, and political intrigue. I also enjoyed the way the conflict develops throughout the plot, a conflict that is felt at different levels of the story. As one reads on, one gets an idea of how our dreams can be manipulated and how we can be coerced to embrace things that are created for us by others. This is a story that is thoughtfully written with powerful lessons that will wake readers up while entertaining them.