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{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=The Games
|sort=Games
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1781164143
|pages=368
|publisher=Titan
|date=June 2012
|website=http://www.tedkosmatka.com
|video=RFHEZqzTpew
|summary=An exciting science fiction thriller that's also a new take on Frankenstein's monster. The white knuckle second half more than makes up for the predictability of the first, but not a book for the queasy.
|cover=1781164142
|aznuk=1781164142
|aznus=1781164142
}}
It's the near future and the Olympics go on, but not without changes. A new event has been added to those that we'd recognise: genetically engineered gladiatorial combat. This is no holds barred competition, with one rule: each country's gladiator must be devoid of any human DNA. Indeed, America is so good that their team has won all the last three games' golds, thanks to geneticist Dr Silas Williams, but this year is different. This year he has nothing to do with the design; someone sent a single design criterion to an experimental intelligence computer. (You just know that was a bad idea day don't you?) The design criteria is just one sentence, just words, but words can be misunderstood and misunderstanding can be devastating for more than just genetically manufactured gladiators.
The characters are out of science fiction central casting. Silas Williams is a good guy, scientist and a spare father to young nephew, Eric (Eric will come in handy later). Dr Vidonia Joao is a xenobiologist (studier of non-human life forms) who has fought her way up from the Brazilian slums. (And yes, she and Silas ''do'', but, again, not intrusively so.) Baskar is the misguided Chair of the Olympic Committee, a slick front man for the cause who won't let a moral argument to get in the way of financial opportunity. You also have the flawed IT genius, Evan Chandler and, cunningly, we're treated to a glimpse of his past that makes the traditional reader-hate-the-not-nice-bloke rationale very difficult. Nice touch Mr K.
The first half of the book is fairly predictable. Without giving anything away that you won't spot yourself, I offer you Exhibit 1: Silas calling his sister to beg her to keep her child away from the games. For Exhibit 2 I present the guy who swears that the glass is bullet proof and will be fine. (You're with me aren't you?) But, but, but, but, but once the good stuff hits, like childbirth pains, the first half's deficiencies will fade into irrelevance. It's in the second half that the author earns every word of the book blurb's comparison placing him alongside Michael Connolly and [[:CategoryDean Category:Dean Koontz|Dean Koontz]].
You can feel it in the air approaching very much like the storm analogy used throughout the story and then, suddenly, all hell is let loose. Pages turn faster, the heart beat races (also known as tachycardia by the way) and the realisation dawns that a higher gear has been engaged. No spoilers but it's well worth the ride as ''The Games'' turns into a classic race against time and peril of the sort that guaranteed I had a 1.30am bedtime. (By the way, I mean 'classic' in a good way, not meaning 'hackneyed'. This is adrenaline shot fiction at its best.)
If you enjoyed this and would like to see if the comparison is valid, try [[Brother Odd by Dean Koontz]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1781164142}} {{waterstonestextamazonUStext|waterstonesamazon=90102351781164142}}
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[[Category:Horror|Games]][[Category:HorrorThrillers|Games]]
