Memento Mori (Cyberpunk/LitRPG)

Information

Status

Completed

Year

2023

Author

hiraeth.wrt

• 1.10 - SYZYGY
  Oct 24, 2023
• 1.9 - RAT TRAP
  Oct 23, 2023
• 1.8 - PROMISE
  Oct 22, 2023
• 1.7 - FERNWEH
  Oct 22, 2023
• 1.6 - 15th MEMORY
  Oct 22, 2023
• 1.5 - NIGHT LIGHT
  Oct 22, 2023
• 1.4 - POKER NIGHT
  Oct 21, 2023
• 1.3 - 17th MEMORY
  Oct 21, 2023
• 1.2 - THE GUNSLINGER
  Oct 21, 2023
• 1.1 - NEON DREAMS
  Oct 21, 2023
• 1.0 - THE REBEL
  Oct 21, 2023

Reviews

Community Reviews(9)

• scrivenerlexRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Memento Mori wastes no time bringing the reader immediately into gritty action with a writing style that I can best describe as visceral. Set in a cyberpunk world that magnificently captures the contrast between grime & shine that draws the reader in. Our MC, Mori, is a young member of the underworld with a conscience. We see her idealism clash with the pragmatism of her mentor. In a world that seems to breathe on its own, of particular interest are the JOYs. Tech based super powers that are available to all. With 18 classes, but limitations on how they are mixed, this elements creates a sharp and interesting divergence from a more standard cyberpunk setting. Almost immediately, it is noted that in the lower city super powers are used simply to survive, creating a stark divide between the lives of the haves & the have-nots. Written with excellent prose, one line that particularly spoke to me was, “Do better than survive.” This simple sentence created an expectation for the next chapter that I felt was more than fulfilled, setting the stage to propel the story forward with angst and backstory for the MC. I'm giving Memento Mori 5 stars across the board. The writing is smooth and high enough quality that it could have been edited. Emilia and Sarah are excellent and interesting characters, and the story leaves me interested in reading the next chapter.
• EarthsleepRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  So I came here on a rec from the site while reading PlumParrot's newest work. Wasn't expecting it to be quite as gripping as it ended up being. Lots of drama, lots of violence, lots of cyberpunk goodness. Grim and gritty and with the twist right where it needed to be.
  Not a lot of downtime in this one, it jumps from peak to peak. Crunchy, punchy and all those other buzzwords to really accentuate how it reads.
  Kudos to the author for finishing a great story, I'll probably be reading the rest of the Frey series at some point.
• Ph0xtrotRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Loved what I've read of this book enough to write up a quick review! There are incredible fight and action scenes that are absolutely GRIPPING. It's fast paced and action-packed with vivid and clear writing. Style-wise, it totally reminds me of Red Rising and if you've read that series, I think you would love this one as well. Every chapter is intense. Mori and the other characters are deep and multifaceted, and their relationships create high stakes in the story. I'm already emotionally invested. I love that the plot is clear, but there is an intentional effort to show and not tell so many things in this story which is a mark of good writing in my opinion. There are so many great one-liners that I’ve found myself quoting to my friends because they’re outright hilarious. Conversations and dialogue in the book are seamless and they read just like how real people talk which is refreshing. I’ve started reading and just haven’t been able to put it down at points. The dark undertones of the story have me totally hooked. I feel like I’m watching a train screaming down the tracks towards a fiery end with no way to pull the brakes. Can't wait to finish it!
• StarswornAdminRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Memento Mori is a stylish, action-packed LitRPG you won't want to miss!  It'll grip you from the start, and bring you along for a heck of a ride!
  Style - the author has chosen to write in first-person perspective, which offers a lot of insight into Mori as a character.  We'll talk about her more later, but I really want to commend the way the author weaves in tension, emotion, and perspective into the view.  It can be a challenge to avoid heavy exposition from this view, and I think the author has put it some solid work to still allow the world to unfold in a natural and engaging way.
  Story - It starts where most good stories do, with our hero putting some thugs in their place!  The action and stakes mount quickly, as Mori and her team aim to take down one of the biggest, baddest people around.  It is fast-paced, and while there are aspects of the worldbuilding I want to explore further, I'm confident that as the story continues we will get to see it take shape.
  Grammar - Clean, no issues that jumped out.
  Character - Mori is a great protagonist.  We get to engage with the gunslinger's perspective, and as of this writing (fully caught up) we've seen a fairly wide range of different emotions and experiences.  She comes across as hard-boiled, but still carrying a lot of the baggage that comes with youth.  I'm excited to see her story develop through the narrative.
  Overall, this is an impressive start!  It's a great example of a world that draws you right into the action, and lets the character's experience do the talking.  Highly recommend for fans looking for a Cyberpunk thriller!
• Uncharted BloodlinesRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Reviewed after a couple chapters into ARC 2
  Memento Mori indeed, a tale that etches itself into your memory with its thrilling narrative and compelling characters.
  Style: The author's style standouts in this story. With an easy-to-read narrative, variable sentence structure, and excellent pacing, it keeps you engaged from start to finish. The vivid descriptions and sensory experiences create a world that feels both tangible and immersive, with a dash of those iconic "Blade Runner" vibes. While I’m not used to reading 1st person POV, present tense, it adds a unique layer of immediacy to the storytelling.
  Grammar: Minimal typos that don't detract from the overall experience. It's a clean and edited read that allows you to fully immerse yourself in the story.
  Story: The world-building in this story is top-notch, with a futuristic society that's intricately crafted and well-detailed. The societal politics and class system, along with the premise of gladiocracy, are intriguing and add depth to the narrative.
  Characters: Amazing character development. The characters, particularly Emilia Mori and her mentor Sarah Morninghawk, are well-developed, multi-dimensional, and likable. Their mentor-apprentice dynamic is nicely portrayed. Additionally, the introduction of various other characters adds depth and variety to the story.
  In conclusion, Memento Mori offers a blend of futuristic society, memorable characters, and a narrative style that keeps you hooked. It's a rare gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking an action-packed, character-driven adventure in a dystopian world.
• CKMoRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  The world is faithfully cyberpunk and the action is fast. Under a society of those who have, the have-nots fight each other for scraps and scrounge to meet another day. Emilia Mori believes she's ready to stake it out in the undercity, when the status quo changes. When Emilia's world changes due to unexpected events, she's forced to grapple with the reality of her world as she seeks to prove her value — alive.
  The worldbuilding is well done and the writing itself is strong. I have few complaints for this story as it always gets right to the action, and then the action delivers. The small lulls are contemplative and somber in between the high octane action sequences, and though some plotlines are a bit obvious, they're still well-executed so you don't feel like anything was lost.
  Description is vivid and there's a sense of the world being bigger than it seems, so there's a lot of room for exploration and set pieces to wow the reader. I'm looking forward to where this one goes.
  I recommend this for anyone to read how to add flavor and spice to their writing, given that this story has tons of it built in; and does so with splendid story weaving.
• Sidestrafe2462Royal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  Absolutely worth spending my night finishing this. It is now 4AM, and lord knows I’m not qualified to be making reviews even fully rested, but this story deserves a few more nice ones, So that’s that.
  Great worldbuilding, good characters, a perfectly sufficient story that doesn’t do anything too fancy. Doesn’t get drawn out too long, and the action is fantastic.
• Taylor ColtRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  In Memento Mori, the author has created a unique and complex world. You can tell they’ve put a ton of thought into everything from the complexities of the ‘JOY’ (a cyber progression system) to the social structures and relationships. We’re introduced to Mori, a young gunslinger struggling to survive and advance. She’s a very likable character. On the other spectrum, we’re also introduced to supporting characters who all have their own unique voice. Often, supporting characters are just that—supporting, but not in Memento Mori. I particularly liked Mori’s mentor, a rough, independent powerhouse.
  Style: You can tell this isn’t the author’s first novel. Varying sentence structure, punchy sentences, and dialogue. The one detriment is that if you’re looking for stat heavy LitRPG, you won’t find it here (yet). I would argue that this novel is more of a progression sci-fi/fantasy novel rather than a traditional LitRPG. However, you can find progression in the unique cyber ‘JOY’ system which is satisfying in its own way.
  Grammar: I noticed no typos and no grammatical issues.
  Story: The story opens with an action heavy scene which does a fantastic job of introducing our MC. Once you get past the first intro, it takes time to reach the triggering turning point, but that background is needed to fully immerse us in the world.
  Character: The author does an excellent job of trickling in character background throughout the story. As you progress through the chapters, you start to get a real sense of the MC.
• esotericistRoyal Road

  ★★★ 3.0

  i couldn't even get through 1.1. reads like a detective noir story where the author didn't just get paid by the word, but the rarity of the words and the complexity of their arrangement. most of the descriptive text doesn't even seem to be there for the purpose of actually conveying detail; much of the time it obscures it instead, requiring deciphering to figure out what is meant by the elaborate phrasing.
  i'm sure this is awesome for someone, but it's just too oblique for me. doesn't flow.