When Nightshade kidnaps his best friend, teen spy Alex Rider must enter the world of virtual reality gaming where the lines between what's real and what's digital are deliberately being blurred by a ruthless enemy.

"The Mob Squad were heroes not so long ago, but even the most heroic kid is still just a kid. The Mob Squad's leader, Mal, is still milking cows and dreaming of the next adventure. Their sharp-eyed archer Lenna is learning everything she can about the Overworld, but the horizon is still far away. Fearless warrior Chug is running a store with his brother, but his reputation for breaking stuff has some folks still calling him a bad apple. And his inventive...