Escape Room: Game Zero coming February 10th, 2026 from Nosy Crow Inc.; 208 pages
Content Warning: Blood
About the Author: “Christopher Edge is an award-winning children’s author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. He grew up in Manchester, where he spent most of his childhood in the local library dreaming up stories, but now lives in Gloucestershire where he spends most of his time in the local library dreaming up stories” (Bio from author’s website).
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Eden loves solving puzzles, and when she learns about the best puzzle game being made in the world, The Escape, she has to try it out. Guided by a person named AMI, Eden is led to a gateway that sends her directly to The Escape, but something goes wrong, and she is transported into the game. Eden then meets Ted, the first ever player of The Escape before it gets officially launched. Ted doesn’t believe she’s real, just an NPC, and since Eden can’t interact with the game the way he can, it almost proves he’s right. Still, she’s an anomaly in this world, and he lets her tag along as he sets out to complete the game’s mission. Nothing is straightforward, and along the way, they learn the mission isn’t to save this reality… it’s to save their own.
Escape Room: Game Zero caught my attention with the premise of a character being locked inside a game. I think it’s a fascinating concept, and Edge did not disappoint with how he implemented game mechanics into his world with descriptions like “pixel-sharp” to show the crispness of the world Eden was seeing and everything smelling “box-fresh,” which added that touch of disbelief in the world. I especially loved the use of game music within the novel, how Eden interacted with the soundtrack, and how it became its own clue within the book for what was happening to Eden. All tied together, it gave the aesthetics you’d see in games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with the uncertainty of Sword Art Online. I think the only thing I didn’t enjoy was Ted, but I can’t even be too annoyed with his character—he was as obnoxious and arrogant as I expected him to be. Being the first person allowed to play The Escape, it made sense he’d be dismissive of Eden and focus on his own goals within the game. I did like that by the end, he still didn’t believe that Eden wasn’t an NPC until it was too late. It was wholly in character, and it leaves the reader wondering what will happen with him next now that he knows the truth. As for Eden, it was horrifying to watch her become a part of the game, but even more so to see how she reacted anytime she realized The Escape was changing her. I’m looking forward to seeing the next installment of the Escape Room series if it’s as harrowing as this book.
Escape Room: Game Zero releases on February 10th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Nosy Crow Inc. for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Grace McCool, Pine Reads Review Writer & Editor