The sinister cult of brainwashed children causes more problems for teen spy Alex Rider as a deadly plot involving augmented reality rears its head in this sequel to Nightshade. When his best friend Tom is abducted, Alex Rider is given an ultimatum by Nightshade—a sinister cult of assassins with a score to settle. But what twisted evil are they planning, and how is it connected to a revolutionary new gaming system? With no idea who to trust, Alex finds himself dragged into a nightmare world—where nothing is real but the game could kill you. The clock is ticking and Nightshade is closing in. Alex Rider takes on a new mission. This book in the Alex Rider series continues Alex's fight against the assassins encountered in the last book, Nightshade. Alex still has unfinished business with this group made up of brainwashed children, not least trying to reunite MI6 chief Mrs Jones with her long lost son and daughter. The adventure goes into the world of augmented reality, where even Alex will struggle to succeed against the technology.