These Deadly Games is a chilling and fast-paced thriller! I was hooked from the opening line. Crystal and her friends are focused on preparing for a tournament of MortalDusk, a multiplayer fantasy video game. The competition between them is fierce, since the tournament prize would change all of their lives. When Crystal begins to receive texts instructing her to play a game or risk her younger sister’s life, she assumes she’s being pranked. Then the anonymous texter offers proof. Crystal has no choice but to play with all the skills she’s learned from MortalDusk. The game starts out simple, yet soon has devastating consequences for Crystal’s friends. Crystal is forced to make horrifying choices as she attempts to determine the identity of the kidnapper and beat them at their own game.   

Crystal and her friends are a tight-knit group, with relationships and long-held secrets creating conflict. I would have enjoyed a little more character development for certain characters. Crystal was not always the most likable heroine, though she is under extreme pressure. I loved how she was fiercely protective of her younger sister and willing to do anything for her. These Deadly Games was gripping and well-paced. I was able to guess some of the twists, but this made it no less enjoyable. Other twists completely took me by surprise! Urban is unafraid to take readers on a truly dark and deadly journey, making it impossible to put These Deadly Games down.

I enjoyed These Deadly Games and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers, video games, and dangerous stakes. Thank you to Diana Urban, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.