Whew! This book starts off running and doesn’t let you go until the last page!

I am a gamer, so I was very excited to get into this story about a player who can go into his game world – but this is such a fresh take on that idea. The players and avatars are “reflections,” and I am trying not to say too much because I’m really bad at avoiding spoilers. 🙂

From the book description: Stephen’s existence has become a wash of malaise, from the job he despises to the life that somehow has spun out of his control. He has grown apart from his wife, her respect for him having faded many years ago. As an escape, once a week, he and his friends get together to play The Game, exploring the magical world of Taerh through role play. Stephen soon learns there is more to Taerh than he ever imagined.

The Game, which he thought to be a construct of imagination, was actually based on visions of a world beyond his perceptions. In his dreams, Stephen sees the world of Taerh through the eyes of his ‘reflection’, Hollis, who lives a life which Stephen could only imagine. When tragedy strikes, Stephen must work with his reflection to unravel a mystery that spans both Taerh and Earth. New comrades in both worlds offer to aid them; although some are true allies, others are motivated by their own selfish desires. As Stephen draws closer to Hollis, he must track down the murderers of his closest friends before he joins them in death.

The world is well fleshed out as are the characters in this novel, and the action is just fast paced enough to keep you hanging on without burning you out too quickly – just like a good DM in a captivating campaign. This was a fun book, and I would highly recommend it. Also, the author is a pretty nice guy – I can’t wait to see what comes next for/from S.L. Harby!