Kindle Price: $0.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Amber Dalcourt
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Game: Beta Testing: A YA Virtual Reality Fantasy Short Story (Awakening Fractured Memories) Kindle Edition

by A. V. Dalcourt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
See all formats and editions
All Beta releases have bugs – but in this program, they’ll try to kill you.

Academy All-Star Seth Wright was already less-than-enthusiastic about his role in the annual school play, broadcast nationwide in thrilling Virtual Reality – and that was before he discovered there was a glitch in the program hungry for his blood.

Now, Seth and the rest of the cast are trapped in a hyper-realistic swords-and-sorcery adventure – one that’s so realistic, the digital dogs, dragons, and dark wizards can kill you for real; faster than you can say “Game Over.”

With time running out, and the murderous glitch sending ever-more deadly enemies his way, Seth must reluctantly step into the role of hero and leader – and learn an important lesson if he’s to have any hope of saving his friends.

The Game: Beta Testing is a fast-paced dark fantasy adventure set in the Awakening Fractured Memories series by A.V. Dalcourt – filled with tension, emotion, and epic symbolism.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    32 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    January 15, 2014
  5. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  6. File size
    231 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D4KT56S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services (January 15, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 231 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Amber Dalcourt

Amber Dalcourt

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Amber V. Dalcourt is an author of non-romantic dark fantasy with Lovecraftian undertones.

Amber was convinced that her childhood home was haunted. Distorted visages made their presence known to those who dared stare into the hallway. In the basement, the voice of an elderly man sowed confusion and discord. These experiences and more left a lasting impression and affected how she crafts the unsettling elements of her stories.

Drawing on her occult heritage to combat her fears, it was only natural that she'd fall in love with fantasy stories that focused on magic and all-powerful beings to thwart the darkest of evils. But magic solutions don't solve worldly problems…

Using the subtleties of human behavior to craft her demons, rituals, and magic systems, Amber is a lover of modern sorcery, psychological character portrayals, epic battles between good and evil and the huge grey area that separates them.

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Suzanne Hare
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful short fantasy.
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2020
Sam Wright is chosen to be the hero in his school play that will be pod cast in VR. He had to go off script because he found himself in real danger. Improvising was his only option.

This is a short fantasy build around a VR podcast. The main character was full of personality and heroic characteristics. He pulls you into the story. The storyline itself is creative, chalked full of action, surprising twists and unexpected obstacles that keep you interested In until the very end. Being a hero can take many forms, I enjoyed this take on what a hero truly is. This story is creative, unique and well crafted. I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I liked it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Confusing
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
Story not well developed and confusing
Helpful
 Report
Ngaruawahia Girl
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014
This prequel kept me endlessly on my toes, trying desperately to distinguish reality from some other force in play. The character of Seth is heroic without being too brash or overt, seeming to be forced into that role, rather than actively seeking it. Already there is a love interest in position, instantly put under pressure by Nicole’s valiant attempts to claim Seth.
The fantasy element of the ‘play’ that the students are doing is genius, taking part with real people in a digital world. I struggled to know what was play and what was real and I believe that was the intention of the author. I loved the honesty of the characters, especially Astral, whose innocence and underdog casting I was immediately drawn to. William on the other hand is a complete liability and produces the overwhelming urge in the reader, to shake him. There was clever humour there, which I appreciated, but underneath there was an invoking of fear because I couldn’t see where the author was leading me. I will definitely look forward to the next book.
8 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Leonard T
3.0 out of 5 stars 3 Role Playing Stars for this one!  ***
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
When we think about education and high school, our minds often picture studying and sitting through classroom lectures.  However, perhaps the most exciting things which happen for most students in high school occur outside of the classroom.  Indeed, the many clubs and teams which are offered in schools are frequently the memories which people will recall the best and the most fondly.  One such activity which garners a lot of interest and keen excitement in most schools is the Drama Club.  In her novel, The Game:  Beta Testing, A. Dalcourt captures the buzz and thrill which typically surrounds dramatic productions in the school setting.  However, in this short story, things are not always as they seem.  If you enjoy tales which alternate between theatrical reality and vivid imagination, then this story may be precisely what you are looking for!

Essentially, the tale begins with a room full of people nervously preparing to broadcast their school play across the country.  The stakes are high as the performances are government sponsored and a method of fundraising for cash starved schools.  A great performance will mean a large sum of money for lucky schools, while a poor or lacklustre play will lead to the opposite.  To make this production even more interesting, it is a Virtual Reality performance and real people are thrust into the limelight in a digital world.  At the center of this setup is Seth Wright who is the reluctant hero of the story.  He will be forced to “perform” in this Virtual Reality play which has many more elements of “reality” than “virtual”!  He will soon see himself and his other cast members struggle for their very survival in a world of dragons, savage dogs and wizards.  Will Seth and his crew survive to perform another day?  Or will this virtually be “game over’?

The Game: Beta Testing  is actually a short story which is part of the author’s Awakening:  Fractured Memories Series.  There can be little doubt that it was written for a young audience and relies heavily upon themes of fantasy, technology and the pursuit of quests.  In many ways the plot of the story resembles a life-like video game.  It is a great tale for the intended audience.  However, for those who are not as well versed in Role Playing video games, the plot can be difficult to follow at times.  Although I am quite familiar with Role Playing Games (RPG) myself, I still found the storyline hard to follow as it was difficult to distinguish the reality from the performance.  That could very well have been the author’s intention, but I do feel it obstructed the flow of the story.

In regards to character development, it was a rather short tale so the characters were not developed in excessive detail.  Seth Wright does make a convincing, yet reluctant, hero however.  He is someone who is put into a situation against his will or better judgement.  Despite this, he manages to fight and survive and develops into a much stronger character by the end of the story.  Also, the character of William is cleverly presented effectively in juxtaposition to Seth.  He is believable as a selfish, cowardly and somewhat despicable character who helps to project Seth into an even brighter role.

Overall I would recommend this story for a young audience.  There is nothing overtly sexual in the tale, nor is there anything different from what you would see in a typical P.G. rated video game.  Older readers may enjoy it as well if they are familiar with the technology and quest-like theme.  It is heavily entrenched in fantasy, and for that reason alone it may be a good read for lovers of that genre.  I personally struggled with it at times and for that reasons give it 3 out of 5 stars.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lexie S
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2022
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This was a wonderful book full of adventures.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report