The Chosen is set in a world where people, objects, and creatures from across history are transported to another realm and forced to become players in a brutal game designed by mysterious overlords.

Here, remnants from our history are strewn throughout a primordial jungle, including missing persons, lost artifacts, and humanity’s forgotten past. Whether entire armies that marched to unknown fates, ancient cities once discovered and since lost to the mists of time, or treasure-laden ships that vanished without a trace, this realm contains the answers to some of history’s greatest mysteries. 

Below are some of the games that helped inspire the series:

ARK: Survival Evolved

Art by Wang Xian Kun

Considering ARK: SE’s premise boils down to surviving in a jungle populated by dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, The Chosen might seem derivative of the franchise.

While my concept for the Contender series was conceived five years before the game’s release, I can attest that ARK: SE encouraged me to feature a wider variety of extinct megafauna from prehistory as a constant threat to the characters in The Chosen. There’s something awesome about surviving in a world where humanity is not even close to the top of the food chain, and ARK: SE does a fantastic job of bringing that to life. 

Other games such as Horizon Zero Dawn (mechanical dinosaurs) and Monster Hunter (dinosaur-like monsters) follow similar concepts, and the series would not be the same without them too.

Tomb Raider

Art by Martin Dubeau

If you haven’t heard of Lara Croft, you’re probably living under a rock, so I won’t go into too much detail covering the game itself. 

Certainly, the idea of exploring long-lost temples/cities, solving age-old mysteries, and salvaging ancient artifacts in exotic environments is a staple of the Tomb Raider franchise. The Chosen is much the same in that regard, and it was this game that inspired my love for all things historical and mysterious. 

Uncharted, a similar game with the same premise, was also a favorite of mine and kept me inspired while writing the series too. Of course, we have Indiana Jones’s example to thank for both games, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention those films had a profound impact on The Chosen as well.

For Honor

Art by Guillaume Menuel

For Honor imagines a world where multiple warrior types from vastly different cultures and time periods battle it out in a pseudo–historical fantasy setting. Historically, these groups, ranging from Vikings, knights, samurai, Romans, and Highlanders to Chinese wulin warriors, might never have encountered one another.

In this grand setting, we see what might have happened had these martial warriors met. The Chosen’s premise treats such groups in much the same way, pulling people out of their time and throwing them together in a single setting, where they might form alliances . . . or clash. 

Assassin’s Creed

Art by Tead Santap

In a franchise that has covered dozens of time periods and brought enormous environments, cultures, and cityscapes to life, Assassin’s Creed is a huge inspiration for The Chosen. 

Interweaving real historical mysteries, characters, objects, and events together with science fiction in a realistic way was what made the game series so fun. It also makes fantastic use of the diverse weaponry available throughout history. Both of these elements have found their way into The Chosen’s pages. 

The Chosen by Taran Matharu

The Chosen introduces the epic Contender trilogy from Taran Matharu, author of the New York Times–bestselling Summoner series.

Throughout history, people have vanished with no explanation. A group of teenagers are about to discover why.

Cade is settling into a new boarding school, contemplating his future, when he finds himself transported to another realm. He soon discovers their new world is populated with lost remnants from the past: prehistoric creatures, ancient relics, and stranger still—people. Overwhelmed by his new surroundings, Cade has little time to adjust, for soon he and his fellow classmates are forced to become contenders in a brutal game, controlled by mysterious overlords.

But who are these beings and why did they choose these teens? Cade must prepare for battle . . . because hiding is not an option.

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