Escape Room: Game Zero
Christopher Edge
Nosy Crow

Absolutely overflowing with thought provoking ideas, this seems to be more complex than the author’s previous Escape Room books. It begins with Eden who has received an invitation through an online gaming forum from someone with the username AMI, setting off excitedly to play a new game, The Escape. Making her way to where she thinks the creating tech company is situated, and followed by her cat, she’s suddenly distracted by a bird entangled in a football net. Having freed the bird and watched it join others flying in a murmuration, things become weird as she’s swept upwards and transported to what she realises is the game landscape and that she’s now entered the game. Looking around there’s no sign of cat, Molly, but she sees almost immediately, a boy, Ted.

It transpires that he’s the son of the CEO of Escape Systems and is playing the game through a virtual headset from the safety of his own home and therefore doesn’t fear facing a wolf or falling off a cliff. Moreover, he refuses to believe that Eden is anything other than an element of the games, (an NPC) rather than a participant.

To get through the game it’s necessary to solve three tricky clues and find three keys. Despite finding it progressively hard to remember anything that went before the game, it’s down to Eden’s determination, competence in puzzle solving and ability to reman calm that they are able to work in tandem through the levels of the game even when things go wrong.

And go wrong they certainly do leaving Eden to complete the game. But will she remain trapped forever or will she be able to return to reality?

A terrific, thrilling read,