Set in Helsinki as it struggles through the harsh hyper winter, 17-year old Minako, nicknamed Bug, faces enemies both in video games and in real life. Her mother has disappeared, and the more Bug investigates the gaming corporation she works at, the more mysteries arise. Bug is also busy figuring out her own life: she has begun her studies at the prestigious game academy, but it isn’t easy being the most famous gamer in the world. Dangerous things are starting to happen in real life which should be taking place only in video-games. Can there be glitches in reality?

Divergent meets Assassin’s Creed in this YA adventure set in a futuristic world where only video games offer an escape from rising sea levels.

It is 2117 in a flood-ridden world, 16-year-old Bug’s mother uproots their lives from Sea-Tokyo and moves her unwilling daughter to Helsinki Island after Bug’s father dies in an accident. Devastated, and rejected by her new schoolmates, Bug retreats in to the world of video games. When a mysterious parcel containing a virtual reality gaming suit arrives on her doorstep, Bug is drawn into a beta version of a new game set in feudal Japan. But the game proves to be more realistic and far more dangerous than expected.

Beta is the first novel in the YA series Sensored Reality, historically-inspired cyber trilogy about video games and virtual realities with suspicious corporations looming in the background. It also tells a relatable story of an outsider struggling with friendships and family ties.

The Sensored Reality series will continue, delving deeper into the conspiracies and mysteries of the corporation-ruled sunken world. Stay logged-in for more soon: Book 2: Glitch and Book 3: Replica to follow.