Book Review: The Grand Game

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

A Hunger Games meets Battle Royale fantasy delight

Do you control your fate or is a higher power doing all the work? Is there some god out there who sets up where you live, work, date, and die? 

Author Tim Ahrens takes this thought and throws it into a fun, fantasy adventure in The Grand Game. Ahrens has created a wonderful world filled with intriguing characters, unique lore, and memorable faraway lands. 

The Grand Game features a grand cast of characters, including the young teens William J. Donovan and Jane Doe.Will regrets ever touching a Dark Creatures game. Thinking it’s another innocent Dungeons & Dragons-style game, Will and his good friend Jane wind up thrown into a dangerous world filled with deadly obstacles. Will must become a new man and win the game and escape it. Lily, a seductive succubus, helps him along the way. However, his voluptuous companion has her own plans up her sleeve. 

Those in control of the game are gods and legends from all mythical tales: Apophis, Janus, Circe, and the mysterious elder I AM. Each of them have their own agenda for throwing innocents into their game. What starts out as pure gods’ play turns into chaos that may undo their world, their players, and the universe if the game laws are ever violated. 

Ahrens knows how to scribe entertaining fantasy. Sure, there are tons of fantasies filled with kings, queens, dragons, and fairies, but what else can writers do with these age-old elements? Ahrens takes these tropes and twists them into an RPG “fight for your life” ordeal. Every page is filled with surprises, dangers, and secrets worth reading.

Ahrens’ world is filled with rich history, too. The lengthy portions about his mythical cities are worth learning about. The author has a magical way of bringing readers into his world. You’ll feel like you’re in the spooky swamps, the noisy taverns, and the king’s royal throne room. Ahrens builds characters you want to know whether they’re bad or good. Whether it’s William or the gruesome Doug Pimpkin, you’ll want to know a little something about them. One of the best elements of a book for me, especially a fantasy novel, is its characters—and this one delivers. 

If you’re done with fantasy with the same old, tired tales—pick up Tim Ahrens’ The Grand Game. This second installment of the Dark Creatures series picks up quickly, and you won’t be able to stop the further you’re drawn into the grand adventure. 

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy / Adventure

Print Length: 222 pages

ISBN: 978-1639883707

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