by Kyle Kirrin
First published 2021
Ned Altimer wants out of his corporate job badly enough to dive headfirst into Earthblood Online, the newest virtual reality game. He gets lucky with early access to a three-day Head Start period that regular players don't have. He gets even luckier when he acquires Frank, a talking axe with serious attitude and inside knowledge of the game's hidden mechanics. Frank looks good, fights well, and knows secrets that could change everything. The problem is Frank shares information when he feels like it, not when Ned needs it most. Bigger problems await once the Head Start ends and other players join the server. Every gamer in Earthblood Online will want Frank for themselves. Ned has seventy-two hours before he becomes the most hunted player in the game's history. The chase that follows will test whether his early advantages can keep him alive when everyone else wants what he has.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, contemporary, action, virtual-reality
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
644 pages · Paperback · Portal Books