Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The eighth floor introduces a collectible card game as its central mechanic. How did you feel about this shift to the T’Ghee card system? Many stories, like Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, integrate game logic into their narratives; how does this book’s approach compare?

2. What did you think of the book’s blend of dark humor, graphic violence, and genuine emotional moments? Which scenes best captured this unique tone for you, and why do you think that combination is so effective for this series?

3. What was your initial reaction to the “Ghosts of Earth” setting?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Louis insists on throwing a Christmas party, arguing that the crawlers must cling to their shared humanity. Think about a time when a small ritual or tradition helped you or your community get through a difficult period. What is it about these shared experiences that provides comfort and strength?

2. What is the significance of Carl’s internal “river” of rage and grief? How do you see him struggling to manage these powerful emotions while also needing to draw on them for survival?

3. How does Donut’s obsession with her brand and fan club reflect the way people curate their own lives on social media today? 

4. The crawlers form a “found family” that repeatedly chooses collective safety over individual gain. Think about the important non-biological family relationships in your own life. What makes these bonds so powerful, especially during challenging times?

5. When Carl discovers his ex-girlfriend Bea deliberately hid the existence of his brother, it forces him to look at his past in a different light. Have you ever learned something new about your past that changed your understanding of the present? How did you navigate that shift in perspective?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What does the book argue about the nature of modern entertainment? How does the AI’s constant effort to turn suffering into a spectacle, from forced interviews about trauma to the Reminiscence Hydra, comment on contemporary media consumption habits?

2. The narrative critiques the appropriation of the Santería religion by presenting its powerful orishas as gamified bosses. In what other forms of media have you seen complex cultural or spiritual traditions simplified for entertainment, and what do you think is lost in that translation?

3. How does the Syndicate’s decision to flood Faction Wars with mercenaries, rather than address the rogue AI, reflect real-world corporate or political responses to systemic problems? What does it say about who pays the price when powerful institutions prioritize control over solutions?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How do items like the Scavenger’s Daughter patch and the Eye of the Bedlam Bride tattoo function as more than just power-ups? What do these physical marks on Carl’s body symbolize?

2. Why is Sister Ines a compelling and tragic antagonist? 

3. Examine the portrayal of the female characters in the novel, including Samantha, Katia, and Donut. How does the narrative treat them? 

4. The System AI evolves significantly in this book, seizing control from its creators. In what ways does the AI’s increasingly personal and erratic behavior change the nature of the story’s central conflict? 

5. How does this story’s portrayal of a televised death match compare to a work like Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games? What different points do you think each author is making about violence as entertainment and rebellion against an oppressive system?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re a writer for the in-dungeon show Shadow Boxer. Your next segment is on Princess Donut. What aspects of her backstory and personality would you focus on to create the most dramatic and ratings-grabbing television?

2. If you could design a new totem for Donut’s deck, what would it be? What would you name it, what would its special abilities be, and how would its personality clash with existing totems like Shi Maria or Raul?

3. The book ends with thousands of former crawlers en route to join the Princess Posse. If you were writing the opening scene of the next book, from whose perspective would you narrate the arrival: Carl, watching his army appear; a veteran crawler returning to the fight; or a terrified mercenary facing this unexpected force? Why?