The finale to Kristen Simmons's masterful horror duology that's "Jumanji but Japanese-inspired" (Kendare Blake) about estranged friends playing a deadly game in a nightmarish folkloric underworld.

"Twists, turns, and genuine palpable emotion." --David Levithan - "Haunting and unforgettable." --Melissa de la Cruz - "A nightmare I didn't want to end." --Terry J. Benton-Walker - "Absorbing." --C. L. Herman - "Bone-chilling." --Lauren Shippen - "Heart-pounding." --Margaret Rogerson - "Twisted." --Lish McBride - "Won't let me sleep!" --Chelsea Mueller - "Full of surprises." --C. J. Redwine - "Intense." --Kendare Blake

"Death is not an ending, it's simply the next chapter. Do not be afraid to turn the page...."

It's been one month since Ian's reunited friends escaped the hellish game of Meido and saved him. The survivors may have sealed the gate to the world of the dead shut and destroyed Empress Izanami, but that doesn't mean they aren't still reeling over the challenges they endured. Trying to relax back in the world of the living, they take solace in the fact that they rescued Ian from the nightmare that tried to steal him away. But there's just one problem--Ian didn't come home alone.

The empress--now possessing Ian's heart--hitched a ride into their world and the only way to free Ian from her grasp is to find three artifacts for her, sacred objects which have been hidden across many realms. Unwilling to leave Ian behind a second time, his friends dive into a new deadly game, with terrifying challenges that not only test their mettle, but demand sacrifices--including their very lives.

If they don't retrieve the empress's artifacts, Ian will be lost forever, but if they do, it could be the end of their world as they know it.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Tor Teen
Published: 03/11/2025
ISBN: 9781250851161
Pages: 304

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2025