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Deadline
In a world where survival is broadcast for entertainment, Phoenix Winter must face her darkest chapter yet. As a bestselling thriller author, she thought she knew everything about writing death. Now she's living it.
Trapped in a twisted tournament at an abandoned university, Phoenix and nineteen other contestants face a nightmare where the rules keep changing and the cameras never stop rolling. But something darker lurks beneath the surface—the infected are evolving, alliances shatter, and the mysterious Restoration Initiative's true agenda begins to unravel.
With a military strongman controlling the infected, a phantom saboteur in their midst, and her own daughter's safety hanging in the balance, Phoenix must decide who to trust when every partnership could end in betrayal. In this game, survival isn't just about staying alive—it's about staying human.
The first installment in a haunting series that blends psychological horror with post-apocalyptic survival, DEADLINE asks the ultimate how far would you go to live another day when the whole world is watching?
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The Tournaments series is a dark, dystopian survival saga like no other—a gripping blend of suspense, horror, and relentless twists spanning 10 interconnected but standalone novellas.Each novella plunges you into a different Tournament setting, from abandoned malls to eerie hospitals, where contestants fight to survive under the shadow of a sinister conspiracy. Every story stands alone, with its own unique cast and stakes, but together they weave a chilling narrative about the true purpose of the Tournaments and the growing power of the organization behind them.
Here’s how it
- Standalone Survival Each novella introduces a fresh cast of characters thrown into a deadly arena designed to test their limits—and yours.
- Connected As the series progresses, fragments of a larger mystery come into focus, revealing the terrifying truth behind the Tournaments and their true goal.
- Rapid New books drop every two weeks, so the action never stops.
- Your Path, Your You can dive into one novella or devour them all—each story offers its own shocking revelations while contributing to the overarching plot.
Trapped in a twisted tournament at an abandoned university, Phoenix and nineteen other contestants face a nightmare where the rules keep changing and the cameras never stop rolling. But something darker lurks beneath the surface—the infected are evolving, alliances shatter, and the mysterious Restoration Initiative's true agenda begins to unravel.
With a military strongman controlling the infected, a phantom saboteur in their midst, and her own daughter's safety hanging in the balance, Phoenix must decide who to trust when every partnership could end in betrayal. In this game, survival isn't just about staying alive—it's about staying human.
The first installment in a haunting series that blends psychological horror with post-apocalyptic survival, DEADLINE asks the ultimate how far would you go to live another day when the whole world is watching?
--
The Tournaments series is a dark, dystopian survival saga like no other—a gripping blend of suspense, horror, and relentless twists spanning 10 interconnected but standalone novellas.Each novella plunges you into a different Tournament setting, from abandoned malls to eerie hospitals, where contestants fight to survive under the shadow of a sinister conspiracy. Every story stands alone, with its own unique cast and stakes, but together they weave a chilling narrative about the true purpose of the Tournaments and the growing power of the organization behind them.
Here’s how it
- Standalone Survival Each novella introduces a fresh cast of characters thrown into a deadly arena designed to test their limits—and yours.
- Connected As the series progresses, fragments of a larger mystery come into focus, revealing the terrifying truth behind the Tournaments and their true goal.
- Rapid New books drop every two weeks, so the action never stops.
- Your Path, Your You can dive into one novella or devour them all—each story offers its own shocking revelations while contributing to the overarching plot.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2024
5 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Kate Seger
108 books131 followersKate is a book worm, dog mom, and world-builder, living on the banks of the Hudson River in NY. Her #lifegoal is to be kidnapped by the Fae or stumble into a portal and be transported to a magical land.
A lover of mythology and fairy tales, Kate writes YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Her first novel, "The Wood Witch's Daughter," just launched on April 20th!
She has since thrown herself into the chaotic mayhem that passes for her writing process in an attempt to write the sequel.
A lover of mythology and fairy tales, Kate writes YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Her first novel, "The Wood Witch's Daughter," just launched on April 20th!
She has since thrown herself into the chaotic mayhem that passes for her writing process in an attempt to write the sequel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 16, 2024
**ARC read**
When Phoenix gets chosen to participate in The Tournament, she isn't surprised as she volunteered in exchange for her daughters safety. As an author, she's seen the scenes before, but this is real life and nothing is as it has been presented.
Two words. Holy. Shit. In an extreme Hunger Games meets zombie apocalypse type setting, you can truly feel the absolute horror and chaos presented in this arena. Fast paced and captivating, I was hooked immediately. Shock and devastation waited around every corner and like the spectators I kept going back for more. I cannot WAIT for the next book in this series and for the world to experience The Tournaments and all the chaos that follows into them.
When Phoenix gets chosen to participate in The Tournament, she isn't surprised as she volunteered in exchange for her daughters safety. As an author, she's seen the scenes before, but this is real life and nothing is as it has been presented.
Two words. Holy. Shit. In an extreme Hunger Games meets zombie apocalypse type setting, you can truly feel the absolute horror and chaos presented in this arena. Fast paced and captivating, I was hooked immediately. Shock and devastation waited around every corner and like the spectators I kept going back for more. I cannot WAIT for the next book in this series and for the world to experience The Tournaments and all the chaos that follows into them.
January 4, 2025
This is not normally my style of book but I trust Kate so gave it a chance and OH WOW. I haven't flown through a book like this in ages, I devoured this, and created little timelines to track everything by and am so ready to solve this mystery. It reminds me so much of .hack//SIGN how each installment will give a bit more of the story and reveal the mystery lurking.
So what's it about? Think Hunger Games paired up with Left 4 Dead (or Walking Dead if you haven't played that) the monsters are more than just mindless zombies, and it just makes the drama even better.
Who can you trust and who is lying to your face?
I'll be eagerly awaiting the next...and next...and next...
So what's it about? Think Hunger Games paired up with Left 4 Dead (or Walking Dead if you haven't played that) the monsters are more than just mindless zombies, and it just makes the drama even better.
Who can you trust and who is lying to your face?
I'll be eagerly awaiting the next...and next...and next...
January 28, 2025
*ARC READ*
This series is centered around a survival game set in a dystopian world. Contestants are chosen to try to survive against controlled infected creatures and deadly experiments. Kill or be killed. Oh and it’s being broadcasted for the entire world to see.
First and foremost, I devoured Deadline. I loved the characters and their individual stories that helped shape who they were in the game. I loved the suspense and anxiety I felt while reading from Phoenix’s POV. My jaw was literally on the floor page after page.
I can’t wait for the next one!
This series is centered around a survival game set in a dystopian world. Contestants are chosen to try to survive against controlled infected creatures and deadly experiments. Kill or be killed. Oh and it’s being broadcasted for the entire world to see.
First and foremost, I devoured Deadline. I loved the characters and their individual stories that helped shape who they were in the game. I loved the suspense and anxiety I felt while reading from Phoenix’s POV. My jaw was literally on the floor page after page.
I can’t wait for the next one!
October 14, 2025
This was such a good idea for a book series. My only gripe is I wish the books were longer. I wish we have had more to get even more invested into this world.
I loved it. This was such a unique story idea. It's like hunger games meet..Zombies. I do wish we did learn more about her daughter. She gave the daughter up to Restoration Initiative..and then what? They clearly can't be trusted. So what happened to her?
I loved it. This was such a unique story idea. It's like hunger games meet..Zombies. I do wish we did learn more about her daughter. She gave the daughter up to Restoration Initiative..and then what? They clearly can't be trusted. So what happened to her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2024
Hunger games meets The Walking Dead. This post-apocalyptic story will keep you on your toes as you cheer for the underdog and hope for the downfall of the game's mistress. A fast-paced story from start to finish that will have you guessing and rapidly turning pages. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Kate did an excellent job painting a realistic setting and unique characters.
December 23, 2024
This book was very good. The only reason I'm not giving it a full 5 stars is I wish it was longer. If you like the Hunger Games but with zombies then you will definitely enjoy this book. It's starts off strong and keep you in. It's a nice short read and leaves you wanted the next one. I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one.
December 25, 2024
read this in one sitting!
Ok, almost one sitting read, I did have a few pages the other day before being rudely interrupted. But this story grabs you and you won’t want to put it down.
There’s a lot of world building to absorb at first, but the characters are strong from the start. What a contest it turns out to be!
Ok, almost one sitting read, I did have a few pages the other day before being rudely interrupted. But this story grabs you and you won’t want to put it down.
There’s a lot of world building to absorb at first, but the characters are strong from the start. What a contest it turns out to be!
December 21, 2024
What even was this book. Geeze! This book was such a ride that I didn’t want to get off when it ended. For sure one of my top 5 for this year! I can NOT WAIT till next book is in my hands. 💀 I need it. And I need it now. Please and thank you. 🥰
January 2, 2025
This was a great fast read and kept you engaged wanting to know more and what happens. Like multiple have stated it’s like a Hunger Games with Zombies and adventure.
January 4, 2025
Loved this book. The suspense sucked me right in and I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read the next one!!
May 19, 2025
Didn’t see the ending coming wow shows to you that the underdog observer can adapt when your life is on the line. Such a great quick read. Trust no one you never know the true intentions.
June 19, 2025
I seem to be the odd one out here, but I’ll stick to my honest opinions.
Firstly, the writing style is good. It’s not incredible, but it’s a lot better than what I’ve seen from some other writers. It keeps the reader engaged but at no point does it feel forced. It’s not childish, and it’s not breathtaking. It’s good, which is quite appropriate for the plot.
As for the plot, it really is nothing new or imaginative, but it’s told well enough that it doesn't feel boring. The plot is exciting enough to keep people reading, but I would be lying if I said I found much of this book surprising.
The dialogue is fairly realistic, but the characters are generally quite forgettable. They're similar in a lot of ways to characters from other survival books, whether zombie-based or not. The characters aren't bad or awfully written, but they're just kind of…there. I wasn't particularly invested in anyone’s survival, which isn't ideal when the whole plot of the book is about outlasting the other characters.
Overall, this book is good. If you like zombie survival stories, I’d recommend this. Usually, I also recommend novellas if they're quick reads. Given that this is a series, however, only read this if you're prepared to dedicate a decent amount of time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Firstly, the writing style is good. It’s not incredible, but it’s a lot better than what I’ve seen from some other writers. It keeps the reader engaged but at no point does it feel forced. It’s not childish, and it’s not breathtaking. It’s good, which is quite appropriate for the plot.
As for the plot, it really is nothing new or imaginative, but it’s told well enough that it doesn't feel boring. The plot is exciting enough to keep people reading, but I would be lying if I said I found much of this book surprising.
The dialogue is fairly realistic, but the characters are generally quite forgettable. They're similar in a lot of ways to characters from other survival books, whether zombie-based or not. The characters aren't bad or awfully written, but they're just kind of…there. I wasn't particularly invested in anyone’s survival, which isn't ideal when the whole plot of the book is about outlasting the other characters.
Overall, this book is good. If you like zombie survival stories, I’d recommend this. Usually, I also recommend novellas if they're quick reads. Given that this is a series, however, only read this if you're prepared to dedicate a decent amount of time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews