Some stories are meant to be read. Some are meant to be lived—or died in.

Alex is a man with no past, an orphan who has spent his life trying to disappear into the shadows. He has no idea that his bloodline holds a dangerous, impossible secret: the power to step inside the pages of a book.

When a ruthless Russian mob boss kidnaps his girlfriend, Alex is forced into a deal that defies reality. To save her, he must retrieve a hidden thumb drive from deep within the lethal pages of the action-fantasy novel Death Island.

But the mob boss isn't just holding his girlfriend hostage; he is holding the keys to Alex's survival. To ensure the mission is successful, the syndicate pairs Alex with a seasoned, cold-blooded mercenary. His new mentor is a master of violence who is tasked with training Alex for a war he never wanted, in a world that wasn't meant for him.

Trapped between the brutal training of a hired gun and the literal life-or-death stakes of the book's narrative, Alex must master his newfound ability before the final chapter closes on the only person he has ever loved.

The mission is suicide. The mentor is an enemy. The book is a battlefield.