ONE LAST GAME
SKU:
TAC 25-1
$16.99
$14.99
$14.99
On Sale
per item
T.A. CHAN
Star Player on the Atlantic Archipelago Nation’s Battle Team, Niko Vandes wants to quit his job. Problem is, the board games he plays are the 22nd Century’s solution to war. Winning a match means winning a battle, and losing costs more than chips—it costs lives. With the fate of his country on his shoulders every time he makes a move, the government will keep Niko playing until it’s his turn to die by losing . . . unless he escapes.
Across the ocean, Imani Tenzing barely escaped alive from an isolated cult as a young teen. She’s all-too familiar with the violent consequences of human conflict left unchecked. Now, she serves as one of the Custodians responsible for cleaning up the deaths left behind by each Battle Game. When the disappearance of Niko upheaves the societal status quo she’s grown dependent on, she vows to find and turn him in to authorities.
With a world war on the verge of breaking out, Imani and Niko’s paths collide, and they must decide when the price of peace has become too high–or if it can ever be too high.
- September, 2025 978-1-958880-34-0
- trade paperback, novella, 5 x 8
- Order copies below; or order ebook & print copies from other dealers.
- Cover art by Yara Ridanti
Star Player on the Atlantic Archipelago Nation’s Battle Team, Niko Vandes wants to quit his job. Problem is, the board games he plays are the 22nd Century’s solution to war. Winning a match means winning a battle, and losing costs more than chips—it costs lives. With the fate of his country on his shoulders every time he makes a move, the government will keep Niko playing until it’s his turn to die by losing . . . unless he escapes.
Across the ocean, Imani Tenzing barely escaped alive from an isolated cult as a young teen. She’s all-too familiar with the violent consequences of human conflict left unchecked. Now, she serves as one of the Custodians responsible for cleaning up the deaths left behind by each Battle Game. When the disappearance of Niko upheaves the societal status quo she’s grown dependent on, she vows to find and turn him in to authorities.
With a world war on the verge of breaking out, Imani and Niko’s paths collide, and they must decide when the price of peace has become too high–or if it can ever be too high.
3 available
"A sharp look at political deconstruction and the realities of revolution, One Last Game presents a unique, yet chillingly plausible future. Fast-paced, heartfelt, and unexpectedly hopeful."
— J.S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch
"One Last Game is a brutal ride of a novella. With one of the most innovative dystopia mechanics I've ever read, Chan delivers a Hunger Games-esque narrative that still manages to leave the reader with a droplet of hope."
— A.D. Sui, Nebula Award-winning author of The Dragonfly Gambit
"A clever and chilling high-stakes novella that asks what freedom we’re willing to give up in exchange for peace and stability."
— Claire Barner, author of Moonrising
"With gripping prose and a cast of memorable characters, T.A Chan spins an ever so relevant story about the dangers of eco-fascism and the cost of revolution, reminding us once again that broken systems thrive on complacency."
— Francesca Tacchi, author of Let the Mountains Be My Grave
"One Last Game is a fierce story that emphasizes the necessity of resistance while cautioning against the romanticization of violent revolution. In less than 200 pages, Chan explores complicity, the pitfalls of celebrity culture, and the senseless devastation of war as she switches between her two protagonists. Filled with complex characters, this brief but powerful novella drops you right into the action and carries you along for a wild ride toward a devastating conclusion."
— Kemi Ashing-Giwa, author of The King Must Die and The Splinter in the Sky
"Rather than commit an entire economy to support an army in disastrous battles costly in lives and money, the world now has proxy battles which are conducted by having players compete in elaborate games, the results of which translate to real world consequences . . . One of the game players has decided to retire, but that is not an option supported by his government. He becomes a fugitive and is sought by a determined woman who was once part of a cult and who is firmly convinced that the games are the best hope for humanity. And there is some truth to that because the world is on the brink of a major war that could return to the scale of destruction in the past. The story goes by very quickly thanks to clean prose and a nicely focused plot."
— Critical Mass
— J.S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch
"One Last Game is a brutal ride of a novella. With one of the most innovative dystopia mechanics I've ever read, Chan delivers a Hunger Games-esque narrative that still manages to leave the reader with a droplet of hope."
— A.D. Sui, Nebula Award-winning author of The Dragonfly Gambit
"A clever and chilling high-stakes novella that asks what freedom we’re willing to give up in exchange for peace and stability."
— Claire Barner, author of Moonrising
"With gripping prose and a cast of memorable characters, T.A Chan spins an ever so relevant story about the dangers of eco-fascism and the cost of revolution, reminding us once again that broken systems thrive on complacency."
— Francesca Tacchi, author of Let the Mountains Be My Grave
"One Last Game is a fierce story that emphasizes the necessity of resistance while cautioning against the romanticization of violent revolution. In less than 200 pages, Chan explores complicity, the pitfalls of celebrity culture, and the senseless devastation of war as she switches between her two protagonists. Filled with complex characters, this brief but powerful novella drops you right into the action and carries you along for a wild ride toward a devastating conclusion."
— Kemi Ashing-Giwa, author of The King Must Die and The Splinter in the Sky
"Rather than commit an entire economy to support an army in disastrous battles costly in lives and money, the world now has proxy battles which are conducted by having players compete in elaborate games, the results of which translate to real world consequences . . . One of the game players has decided to retire, but that is not an option supported by his government. He becomes a fugitive and is sought by a determined woman who was once part of a cult and who is firmly convinced that the games are the best hope for humanity. And there is some truth to that because the world is on the brink of a major war that could return to the scale of destruction in the past. The story goes by very quickly thanks to clean prose and a nicely focused plot."
— Critical Mass
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR