The Holder's Dominion by Genese Davis

Kaylie Ames is at loose ends in her life when she runs into Elliott in the grocery one day.  She is attending college in Texas, far from her mountain home that claimed her father's life when he tried to rescue a climber in a winter storm.  Her younger brother isn't dealing well with the father's death, and her mother just pretends he never existed.

 

Kaylie is pretending also, that all is well.  When she runs into Elliott, she is engaged as he seems terrified and she instinctively reaches out to him to help.  She discovers that Elliott's issues lead back to a computer game; he is o an elite group of gamers and his terror arose from a mission he was given in real life to impact his status in the

 

What kind of game thrived on its' participant's difficulties?  Kaylie is intrigued and starts playing also.  She is surprised to find that she is a natural and is soon one of the few girls chosen to progress.  The elite team is headed by a mysterious figure called The Holder, who seems to delight in creating chaos in his team's lives.  Kaylie joins with several other team players who make a pact to bring down The Holder and end his dominance.  Can they succeed before he realises what they are doing and destroys them?

 

Genese Davis has written an interesting book about the gaming world, and the reasons players find it so intriguing.  This tends to be a more male-dominated activity and it is interesting to see it from a more feminine viewpoint.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers.