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Pawn

The Strategy Series, Book 1

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About this listen

Seventeen-year-old Rogue has always classified herself as socially awkward, preferring video games over a trip to the mall. When she wakes up in a forest, she finds that life as she knew it has changed forever, and she cannot remember how. In fact, she can't remember the last six months at all. As she navigates this new world she soon discovers a talent for combat and survival she'd never had before. A handy ability in a world where humans compete in a game governed by rules she can't remember.

Ronin, a talented 19-year-old, was wrenched from his Midwest home and forced to compete with a Skaki set. Despite the set's repeated losses, Ronin has proven himself a powerful player, his sights set on surviving each match - no matter the cost. When a new pawn is added to his set to replace one they lost, Ronin begins to break out of the shell he built around himself and reexamines what he and the other humans have become.

©2015 J.C. Ahern (P)2016 J.C. Ahern Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Samurai Survival Emotionally Gripping

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Listener received this title free

The pacing keeps you hooked, and the underlying game-like tension adds an extra layer of intrigue. It’s the kind of book that makes you think while still delivering plenty of momentum and excitement. A solid opener that leaves you ready for the next move in the series.

Excited for the next part of the series

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Listener received this title free

This book is like a combination of the Hunger Games with Chess and Aliens. The pace of the story is enticing. The characters are interesting and you want to know more about them. The readers have stable and easy to listen to voices. If your looking for a new Fantasy series that will grab you and keep you wanting more, this is it!

Thrilling

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Listener received this title free

Rogue is a 17 year old gamer. When she finds herself in a forest, she realizes her gamer skills can be invaluable in her current circumstances. Ronin is taken from his home and thrust into a competition with a Skaki set. His focus is on survival. He begins to break the shell he has built around himself. These characters are believable and the action is fast paced. Good listen

Pawn

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I received this book as part of a promotion and was pleasantly surprised.

Initially I felt the story was a little slow to start as I wanted more detail and character backstory, which is my only complaint, but I would add that looking back it played really well with the theme and in reality was quick to draw me in.

The theme seems quite simple at first and is a variation on the "memory loss and how am I in a game" mechanic. I suspect this was why I was slow to get into the story as you don't get the whole background for quite a long time. But when it starts to unfold it keeps unfolding with more and more depth.

I enjoyed the characterisation and found the differences in most characters believable and well written. Whilst some of the plot is down to chance the MC is able to do well without the usual trope of being able to excel with no discernable reason.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and will buy the next one to see how the players develop.

Interesting story a new direction

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Listener received this title free

A thrilling audiobook with high-stakes action and compelling characters. Rogue and Ronin’s survival journey keeps you hooked from start to finish—definitely worth checking out.

The Game of Humans

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