[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHs8o6Xn7Ew]
A friend of mine recently linked the above trailer for the debut indie novel, the Holder’s Dominion, which was written by a friend of hers from college, Genese Davis. Without really knowing anything about it, I decided to give it a look and I have to admit that my interests were definitely piqued. I’m a gamer and I’m not a very good one more am I a very experienced one in the grander scheme of things. But I love video games, I love the culture, and I put a whole lot of effort into playing games in general.
The Holder’s Dominion is a book about a college student, Kaylie, who really discovers gaming for the first time through the mystical online world Edannair. She is dealing with a lot of issues in her life and turns to the game as an escape. But she finds that the online community she has discovered and come to love is under the threat of a sort of tyrannical guild leader named the Holder. Using his in-game power he’s leading players into perilous situations in real life through his “morphis assignments” – extremely dangerous dares not committed online but off. It’s up to Kaylie to infiltrate the Holder’s powerful guild but the real question is whether or not she can survive the Holder’s tests in order to do so.
Gamer lit is starting to become more and more common as these days – the hit Ready Player One is a prime example. But a lot of the books tend to focus on actual stereotypical gamers. What I like about Davis’s synopsis for her book is that Kaylie is a new gamer. She came into it later in life. Like me. I didn’t start gaming until my senior year of high school. I share Davis’s belief that ‘gamer’ is not a term that should be reserved to solely the sort of people who dedicate their lives to gaming. It should be for everyone no matter how often or how dedicated you are the pastime. And I like that the Holder’s Dominion expresses that. New gamers so often get left or demeaned by people who have been in the game longer.
I really look forward to reading the book when it comes out on March 1st. I hope you’ll consider checking it out, too.
Bonus:
Any anime fans out there? You might recognize the voice talents of Caitlin Glass and Anthony Bowling in the trailer as Kailey and the Holder.
English
This book is on my Must-Read list. I’m really interested in reading this book because it is about real people in real life who also incorporate gaming into their routine. I’m a grandmother and I have many family members and friends who game. I often wonder what is the draw to gaming and I look forward to reading a book that introduces me to games through a newcomers eyes.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, Gail! Have they convinced you to give gaming a go yourself?
I am considering gaming. My family seems to have a lot of fun, and doctors have said that playing online games helps the brain stay sharp and can prevent Alzheimers. After I read the book maybe you’ll see my name online, too! (Unless I forget!) (-_-)
Haha, well, if you ever need some recommendations for some good, easy games to get involved with let me know! I play just as many casual games as I do proper games. Probably more so the casual when school is in session!