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Warmaster #2
Warmaster 2: Winter's Peril
What secrets lie hidden in a distant stronghold of knowledge?
After accepting the responsibility of the Fated One quest, Aderyn, Owen, and their friends must travel north to the Repository, home to strange sources of knowledge. There, they will discover the next step on their adventure.
It should be a straightforward journey, with no complications. But antagonistic traveling companions, an old man who knows more about Aderyn than he should, and countless vicious monsters stand in their way.
When calamity strikes, the team’s only hope is to take on their most dangerous challenge yet—the dungeon known as Winter’s Peril.
Pick up Warmaster 2: Winter’s Peril today and join the adventure!
After accepting the responsibility of the Fated One quest, Aderyn, Owen, and their friends must travel north to the Repository, home to strange sources of knowledge. There, they will discover the next step on their adventure.
It should be a straightforward journey, with no complications. But antagonistic traveling companions, an old man who knows more about Aderyn than he should, and countless vicious monsters stand in their way.
When calamity strikes, the team’s only hope is to take on their most dangerous challenge yet—the dungeon known as Winter’s Peril.
Pick up Warmaster 2: Winter’s Peril today and join the adventure!
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2024
40 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books859 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 26, 2024
This is second in a LitRPG series that builds characters and plot over time. Read in order
My standard, non-standard disclaimer: Melissa and I are still together, though today that means waiting in an airport in Dubai for our 3am connection. While I strive for honesty in all my reviews, including this one, you can feel justified in disregarding this as hopelessly biased and I have no defense.
Aderyn and party decide to take the Fated One thing seriously enough to find out what it entails for real and that means visiting the mysterious Repository to see if they can find clues there. This leads to a long, overland journey with a caravan as protectors. If only they were the sole protectors things would be so much smoother...
I love how Owen shows his leadership here as the other party fumbles around messing things up for "glory" and kill-stealing. Being much lower level than the others means our team can't simply lay down the law in any way, so he has to make his points reasonable in the face of unreason. And as frustrating as it is for the entire team, I loved seeing him so good at it and always keeping in mind what is important vs. what merely feels good in the moment. I love having a hero I can respect.
The rest of the story goes about how you'd expect, including a fascinating dungeon where Owen knows more than the others about its various aspects and quirks. They tackle many problems much higher level than they should and scrape by through grit, wit, and a little luck. There's even some tender family moments that sneak in along the way. I was wholly engaged for a strong five star read.
A note about Chaste: There are relationship developments and sex is happening. Some of it is discussed as Owen learns that the system shuts down both male and female fertility while they are heeding "the call". Nothing happens on page, and little is discussed in any actual detail. So I consider it pretty chaste, but others may differ.
My standard, non-standard disclaimer: Melissa and I are still together, though today that means waiting in an airport in Dubai for our 3am connection. While I strive for honesty in all my reviews, including this one, you can feel justified in disregarding this as hopelessly biased and I have no defense.
Aderyn and party decide to take the Fated One thing seriously enough to find out what it entails for real and that means visiting the mysterious Repository to see if they can find clues there. This leads to a long, overland journey with a caravan as protectors. If only they were the sole protectors things would be so much smoother...
I love how Owen shows his leadership here as the other party fumbles around messing things up for "glory" and kill-stealing. Being much lower level than the others means our team can't simply lay down the law in any way, so he has to make his points reasonable in the face of unreason. And as frustrating as it is for the entire team, I loved seeing him so good at it and always keeping in mind what is important vs. what merely feels good in the moment. I love having a hero I can respect.
The rest of the story goes about how you'd expect, including a fascinating dungeon where Owen knows more than the others about its various aspects and quirks. They tackle many problems much higher level than they should and scrape by through grit, wit, and a little luck. There's even some tender family moments that sneak in along the way. I was wholly engaged for a strong five star read.
A note about Chaste: There are relationship developments and sex is happening. Some of it is discussed as Owen learns that the system shuts down both male and female fertility while they are heeding "the call". Nothing happens on page, and little is discussed in any actual detail. So I consider it pretty chaste, but others may differ.
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May 1, 2024I don't have a proper tag for LitRPG as this is not a subgenre I see myself getting into (reserve right to change my mind if something comes along that's funny--I am a sucker for funny) but I'm making an exception for this series because the sheer fun quotient is so high.
I'm not a gamer, and quest fantasy is a tough draw for me, but I really enjoy the narrative voice and especially the characters. Watching Owen take steps toward leadership--using wit, reason, and kindness--is such fun. It's also fascinating watching Aderyn, our heroine, gain agency and complexity. From the beginning we knew we were in a game world in which the characters are aware of "the system" which awards or penalizes adventurers. Aderyn accepted that, as most seem to, but now, in parallel to Owen, is starting to take a look at the larger picture.
Meanwhile, the meta references become a lot more puzzling and interesting. Add in inventiveness in the scenery, challenges, monsters, and especially the other characters, and I'm left really looking forward to the next.
I'm not a gamer, and quest fantasy is a tough draw for me, but I really enjoy the narrative voice and especially the characters. Watching Owen take steps toward leadership--using wit, reason, and kindness--is such fun. It's also fascinating watching Aderyn, our heroine, gain agency and complexity. From the beginning we knew we were in a game world in which the characters are aware of "the system" which awards or penalizes adventurers. Aderyn accepted that, as most seem to, but now, in parallel to Owen, is starting to take a look at the larger picture.
Meanwhile, the meta references become a lot more puzzling and interesting. Add in inventiveness in the scenery, challenges, monsters, and especially the other characters, and I'm left really looking forward to the next.
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May 26, 2024I can't believe I didn't review this before it was released. I went a long time without reviewing anything I read, so maybe that's it.
I had fun writing this one. I have fun writing all of these, but this one, with Aderyn pining after Owen, was especially amusing. I liked inventing cultural differences in the expectations each world has for courtship, and Aderyn as secret romantic was a surprise to me. I also didn't realize that all her siblings were fond of each other as opposed to fighting for dominance. My four children are like Aderyn and her brothers and sister, so I drew on that for inspiration. But the thing about how they related to each other came to me in the moment Marrius asks Aderyn what they are like. I love that kind of creative spark.
This one was originally really short, about 77k words. That's way too short for LitRPG, and these books skirt the edge of what most readers of that genre are interested in. So the adventure with rescuing the little girl from the spriggan stronghold was added. (Maybe I should have asked readers to identify what I put in later, see if it's a visible seam...) I'm glad, because it filled in an important emotional gap about Owen and Cadia's opposition to each other and made the difference between the teams more obvious. Plus, you know, I love inventing monsters. I borrowed the name from a different creature from folklore and made it creepier.
My very favorite part of this book is Owen editing the plots of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers to fit Aderyn's world. And Captain America is totally a Warmaster.
I had fun writing this one. I have fun writing all of these, but this one, with Aderyn pining after Owen, was especially amusing. I liked inventing cultural differences in the expectations each world has for courtship, and Aderyn as secret romantic was a surprise to me. I also didn't realize that all her siblings were fond of each other as opposed to fighting for dominance. My four children are like Aderyn and her brothers and sister, so I drew on that for inspiration. But the thing about how they related to each other came to me in the moment Marrius asks Aderyn what they are like. I love that kind of creative spark.
This one was originally really short, about 77k words. That's way too short for LitRPG, and these books skirt the edge of what most readers of that genre are interested in. So the adventure with rescuing the little girl from the spriggan stronghold was added. (Maybe I should have asked readers to identify what I put in later, see if it's a visible seam...) I'm glad, because it filled in an important emotional gap about Owen and Cadia's opposition to each other and made the difference between the teams more obvious. Plus, you know, I love inventing monsters. I borrowed the name from a different creature from folklore and made it creepier.
My very favorite part of this book is Owen editing the plots of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers to fit Aderyn's world. And Captain America is totally a Warmaster.
May 15, 2024
If you like LitRPG, read this series. If you like fantasy, read this series. If you like strong female characters and supportive but still dynamic male counterparts, read this series.
One of my favorite things about this series is how the team progression parallels so nicely with an actual gaming experience. I am just a casual gamer, but even I related to the team's battle for more experience. Their debate over facing more difficult areas they may not be ready for added to the high stakes of death rather than just game over.
Another valuable element is McShane's signature, powerful, likable, unique, and still relatable heroine. She just writes excellent female characters, and I don't think I can overstate that. I feel a great connection with Aderyn and her team, even down to the imposter syndrome.
I want this to be my team and my campaign. It's seriously so much fun. I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait for the next installment!
One of my favorite things about this series is how the team progression parallels so nicely with an actual gaming experience. I am just a casual gamer, but even I related to the team's battle for more experience. Their debate over facing more difficult areas they may not be ready for added to the high stakes of death rather than just game over.
Another valuable element is McShane's signature, powerful, likable, unique, and still relatable heroine. She just writes excellent female characters, and I don't think I can overstate that. I feel a great connection with Aderyn and her team, even down to the imposter syndrome.
I want this to be my team and my campaign. It's seriously so much fun. I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait for the next installment!
March 27, 2024
Very disappointing.
This can be summed up in two words, boring and obvious. Most of this is filler with used tropes. Nothing unexpected or surprising happens. The main story is not touched till the last chapter, and it is a glancing but at most. This is a dull experience with a book that is empty filler.
This can be summed up in two words, boring and obvious. Most of this is filler with used tropes. Nothing unexpected or surprising happens. The main story is not touched till the last chapter, and it is a glancing but at most. This is a dull experience with a book that is empty filler.
March 30, 2024
Masterful entry
Superb book it carries the story forward, expands upon what we initially got as readers and manages to deepen the mystery. The MC and her companions they grow they go on grander adventures. There’s conclusions to these adventures more questing to be done and it’s all well written in the story. I don’t find a single flaw with the book I give it 5.0 as a score.
Message to the author
I always write a note to the author in the book was excellent. I only had two issues and they involved completion of quests. First, once the young girl was rescued from the forest, I didn’t see a reward for the quest you know XP for rescuing her. They ran out of there quick. They got XP for killing the monsters, but I didn’t see a XP bonus for saving the girl completing some hidden quest. Second, when they finished the dungeon at the end of the book, there were two promises 1000 gold which they got, but there was also a second promise upon completing the dungeon items of some sort. I didn’t see them get any items once they completed this dungeon I thought that was a bit lacking. It was great to see them use in Genuity to get through the dungeon but I’m at least hoping next book they can spend some of that money and get some much better gear.
Superb book it carries the story forward, expands upon what we initially got as readers and manages to deepen the mystery. The MC and her companions they grow they go on grander adventures. There’s conclusions to these adventures more questing to be done and it’s all well written in the story. I don’t find a single flaw with the book I give it 5.0 as a score.
Message to the author
I always write a note to the author in the book was excellent. I only had two issues and they involved completion of quests. First, once the young girl was rescued from the forest, I didn’t see a reward for the quest you know XP for rescuing her. They ran out of there quick. They got XP for killing the monsters, but I didn’t see a XP bonus for saving the girl completing some hidden quest. Second, when they finished the dungeon at the end of the book, there were two promises 1000 gold which they got, but there was also a second promise upon completing the dungeon items of some sort. I didn’t see them get any items once they completed this dungeon I thought that was a bit lacking. It was great to see them use in Genuity to get through the dungeon but I’m at least hoping next book they can spend some of that money and get some much better gear.
March 15, 2024
A fun read! Definitely a sequel, as it picks up right where the first book leaves off, but I actually enjoyed this one more since I was already used to the LitRPG writing style.
A good plot line, action packed, and we see the team’s cohesiveness growing as they get to know each other better and discover each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities.
It will be interesting to see where this series leads in the future, as I can imagine it going either of two possible directions; I actually love not having figured out the ending by the end of the first book!
I was lucky enough to receive this book for free as an ARC, but the decision to leave a review, and all of my opinions, are my own.
A good plot line, action packed, and we see the team’s cohesiveness growing as they get to know each other better and discover each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities.
It will be interesting to see where this series leads in the future, as I can imagine it going either of two possible directions; I actually love not having figured out the ending by the end of the first book!
I was lucky enough to receive this book for free as an ARC, but the decision to leave a review, and all of my opinions, are my own.
March 21, 2025
I’ll be honest, this isn’t the best story. Although it is good enough with some nice twists. But no real surprises.
I love the characters however. How they interact and work together. It’s all pretty laid back.
A perfect late night read.
I love the characters however. How they interact and work together. It’s all pretty laid back.
A perfect late night read.
March 7, 2024
Outstanding book 2. The detail for scenes and characters is even better than book one! Author Melissa McShane just gets better and better!
April 17, 2025
I'm having a good time with this series so far. 👍🏽👍🏽
June 17, 2025
Finding a good litrpg oth female protagonist is always a struggle, this one is fantastic. love the adventures
May 10, 2024
A new adventure for Aderyn, Owen, and their friends! This time they're off to a library (of sorts) to learn more about the Fated One. They join a traveling group who've hired them and others to protect them. It should have been easy-ish, but competition and dissension in the group of travelers make it harder than expected. There are monsters (of course), but the big challenge is a frozen dungeon that no one escapes.
In RPG style, they all increase in rank and power, but it's a life and death struggle that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This adventure is filled with fast-paced action, new monsters, mysterious travelers, and betrayal.
I love the characters—getting to know the adventurer's better and meeting new ones. Some of the romantic relationships hinted at in book 1 get a little more serious. The plot is great. The writing is immersive and addictive—kept me up too late several nights in a row.
There is some language, intense violence (but not gore), and references to one of the adventurers spending his nights with multiple women (not descriptive). While I recommended book 1 for readers 14+, parents might want to give this one a read first. Maybe 17+. I loved it and give it 5 full stars.
In RPG style, they all increase in rank and power, but it's a life and death struggle that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This adventure is filled with fast-paced action, new monsters, mysterious travelers, and betrayal.
I love the characters—getting to know the adventurer's better and meeting new ones. Some of the romantic relationships hinted at in book 1 get a little more serious. The plot is great. The writing is immersive and addictive—kept me up too late several nights in a row.
There is some language, intense violence (but not gore), and references to one of the adventurers spending his nights with multiple women (not descriptive). While I recommended book 1 for readers 14+, parents might want to give this one a read first. Maybe 17+. I loved it and give it 5 full stars.
December 30, 2024
Great Story, Unique Premise
The story is well-written and entertaining. Its downfall is the story is short. The vast majority takes place as The Companions travel. What should have been a few chapters, was over half the book. Very little progression (both character development as well as levels) occurred during this time. Finally, Winter's Peril wasn't as important as it should have been considering it is the name of the book. This is a short story that is greatly stretched out to be longer. It is done well, with great writing and fun LitRPG mechanics. It is just a bummer there is so little substance.
The story is well-written and entertaining. Its downfall is the story is short. The vast majority takes place as The Companions travel. What should have been a few chapters, was over half the book. Very little progression (both character development as well as levels) occurred during this time. Finally, Winter's Peril wasn't as important as it should have been considering it is the name of the book. This is a short story that is greatly stretched out to be longer. It is done well, with great writing and fun LitRPG mechanics. It is just a bummer there is so little substance.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews