Game Over by Taylor Keating

Title: Game Over
Author: Taylor Keating
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Guardian #1

Mass Market Paperback, 405 pages
Published on November 2, 2010 by TOR

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|AMAZON|BOOK DEPOSITORY|

Source: Publisher

|SUMMARY| 

Video game designer River Weston is ready to sell her soul to smooth out the glitches in her latest project. When she unwittingly taps into a parallel dimension via cutting-edge technology, a Dark Lord is quick to take her up on her inadvertent offer. Trapped in the world she thought she’d created for her game, River finds herself in a very real alternate dimension that she must escape from before her soul can be used to unleash evil--upon this dimension and many others.

River’s only ally is the sexy and mysterious Chase Hawkins.  A prisoner of the Dark Lord, Hawk is a man adrift—literally. His body safe at home under the watchful care of the Guardians’ scientists, his astral-traveling spirit has been enslaved by his people’s worst enemy, the Dark Lord. Clinging desperately to his sense of self, Hawk is determined to turn the tables on his captor before the connection to his body is lost.  When the beautiful, achingly familiar River enters the picture, he vows he will do everything he can to save her from her bleak fate.

Drawn together with an inescapable force, Hawk and River must wrest her soul from the Dark Lord’s grasp before it’s too late.

|REVIEW|  

I kind of remember hearing about this book when it was first release, but I did the unthinkable…judged a book by its cover (hides face behind hand)! I didn’t even read the synopsis, something I always do. The cover may be cheesy with the half naked man but the story within the book was great! It’s labeled as a paranormal romance but it was kind of light on the romance and heavy on the action; not that I’m complaining. I never read a book like Game Over before, where the writers blended elements of the paranormal (faes, and guardians, those who are the protector of the faes), apocalyptic world, and sci-fi. I would consider this somewhat science-fiction because of the technology/video-gaming elements. 

The main character River develops this game but somehow she taps into an alternate universe where the imprisoned Dark Lord harvests people’s souls for power. The Dark Lord is hoping to capture River’s soul to break out of his prison, and get revenge on the Guardians that imprisoned him in the first place. Hawk, one of the Dark Lord’s prisoners is offered his freedom if he brings River to the Dark Lord.  Hawk takes the Dark Lord on his offer, but once he meets River he changes his plans as he help her escape the Dark Lord’s lair.

I really like the concept of the book; it’s different from everything I ever read. The Majority of the book takes place in River’s game/alternate universe. We follow River and Hawk as they navigate through each level, and I think there are three main levels with their own obstacles. For example they have to fight werewolves, demons, etc to gain energy and to help them along their journey they get advice from a lady wizard and tabianese bubble shield (A tabby cat-Pekinese dog hybrid that watches your back and hides you from the enemy LOL).

Overall a great start to an interesting series, I highly recommend this to everyone looking for something fresh to read. Even if you’re not really a gamer, it’s a fast paced-action pack read. Again, just a heads up this is labeled as a PR but there wasn’t much romance. While I liked both characters, River, a strong-independent woman and Hawk, a tortured soul/military guy they never really expressed their attraction for one another. I'm looking forward to reading Mind Games, the second book in the series that continues River's story. 

**Thank you TOR Books for sending me a copy of this book for review** 

FTC disclaimer: TOR BOOKS  provided me with a copy of Game Over, and in return I provide an honest review.