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Level: Unknown #2
Level: Ascension
An Epic Fantasy Isekai LitRPG perfect for fans of Accidental Champion and He Who Fights With Monsters.Conquer the artificial world. Level Up. Find your champions.
The plan to kill God-King Vaan and free Yensere from the effects of the frozen black sun is finally underway. Nick has accrued an impressive array of the guarded spellblade, Frost; the world-generated fire scholar, Violette; and their bodiless AI guide, Cataloger. But they will need more help if they are to build an army capable of slaying a god. Hearing of a potential usurper king—one who can defy death—leads them to rescue a broken champion, Batal the Beast.
Free from his bondage, Batal rampages against his enemies, claiming multiple victories against the God-King. But Batal’s true motivation is a guarded secret and he won’t hesitate to use Nick and his friends to get exactly what he wants.
As Batal schemes, and Nick struggles to grow in power, Frost breaks from the group in search of her missing sister. As they get closer to the truth and Nick learns more about the incredible girl who willfully placed herself in the Artifact’s grasp, they’ll find that sometimes the questions you want answered most are the ones you’ll wish you’d never asked…
The plan to kill God-King Vaan and free Yensere from the effects of the frozen black sun is finally underway. Nick has accrued an impressive array of the guarded spellblade, Frost; the world-generated fire scholar, Violette; and their bodiless AI guide, Cataloger. But they will need more help if they are to build an army capable of slaying a god. Hearing of a potential usurper king—one who can defy death—leads them to rescue a broken champion, Batal the Beast.
Free from his bondage, Batal rampages against his enemies, claiming multiple victories against the God-King. But Batal’s true motivation is a guarded secret and he won’t hesitate to use Nick and his friends to get exactly what he wants.
As Batal schemes, and Nick struggles to grow in power, Frost breaks from the group in search of her missing sister. As they get closer to the truth and Nick learns more about the incredible girl who willfully placed herself in the Artifact’s grasp, they’ll find that sometimes the questions you want answered most are the ones you’ll wish you’d never asked…
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2025
27 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 30, 2025
With a course set of "Killing the God King," our heroes set off to do just that. How and with what army is answered quickly (thankfully for them) when the come across Batal the Beast flayed open and yet still alive being paraded across all of Yesenre to remind all of Vaan's foes what happens to rebels. Nick, Lesya, and Violette free him from his shackles and discover that he is so much more than they ever thought. A native citizen of Yesenre and yet far more powerful than even they are as other worlders, and he knows about the levels. Reluctantly, Lesya and Violette agree to ally themselves with the Beast even knowing to do so will spread the flames of war.
Omg this was amazing! I genuinely don't even know where to start. Every new revelation is more exciting (in Lesya's case extremely despressing) than the last one, and oh man, were there a ton of them, and ALL of them are spoilers. So I'm going to keep it minimal on that level, so here goes the short of it: Nick's an idiot but maybe not really? He definitely becomes a bonafied badass in this volume, so there is that, and I think he's finally gotten past his whole "girls I'm attracted to are scary" thing. I'm proud of him there. My heart is so broken over everything we find out about Lesya's past and what she has to do, but oddly enough given what is going on in my own personal life her story was one I needed and gave me more strength to do what I needed to do. There's something up with Violette. There is just no way she's "just a scholar," I call bs. Cateloger, oh my girl, Cateloger. Finally, I want more sorrow.
Now the fight scenes cause yeah, sure, there's this giant Behemoth on the cover, and that battle is *nothing* compared to the final solo battles Nick and Lesya fight. They were both just epic. Nick gains not one but TWO badass spells in the last battle and the last one he picks up? It was like Ramuh raining down Thunder from FFXV. It was perfection, and it was glorious. It made me want to play FFXV 😂 Sviatt (who I hate) was also just an excellent opponent for both Nick and Batal. Batal may be OP, but he is in such a way that there is still very much tension that he could actually die, and I loved that. Writing a character who can crush people's skulls with a single punch but still have the reader understand he is vulnerable, especially when compared to Nick, Lesya, and Violette, is a monumental feat.
Dalglish blew it out of the park with this one. although so help me every god ever if Cataloger goes the way of a certain beloved character in Keepers my rage will know no bounds 😅
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the eArcs!
Omg this was amazing! I genuinely don't even know where to start. Every new revelation is more exciting (in Lesya's case extremely despressing) than the last one, and oh man, were there a ton of them, and ALL of them are spoilers. So I'm going to keep it minimal on that level, so here goes the short of it: Nick's an idiot but maybe not really? He definitely becomes a bonafied badass in this volume, so there is that, and I think he's finally gotten past his whole "girls I'm attracted to are scary" thing. I'm proud of him there. My heart is so broken over everything we find out about Lesya's past and what she has to do, but oddly enough given what is going on in my own personal life her story was one I needed and gave me more strength to do what I needed to do. There's something up with Violette. There is just no way she's "just a scholar," I call bs. Cateloger, oh my girl, Cateloger. Finally, I want more sorrow.
Now the fight scenes cause yeah, sure, there's this giant Behemoth on the cover, and that battle is *nothing* compared to the final solo battles Nick and Lesya fight. They were both just epic. Nick gains not one but TWO badass spells in the last battle and the last one he picks up? It was like Ramuh raining down Thunder from FFXV. It was perfection, and it was glorious. It made me want to play FFXV 😂 Sviatt (who I hate) was also just an excellent opponent for both Nick and Batal. Batal may be OP, but he is in such a way that there is still very much tension that he could actually die, and I loved that. Writing a character who can crush people's skulls with a single punch but still have the reader understand he is vulnerable, especially when compared to Nick, Lesya, and Violette, is a monumental feat.
Dalglish blew it out of the park with this one. although so help me every god ever if Cataloger goes the way of a certain beloved character in Keepers my rage will know no bounds 😅
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the eArcs!
September 5, 2025
Thank you to Orbit, Oliver Wehner, and Oriel Voegele for providing me with an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rounded to 4.5 stars.
The only other LitRPG novel that I’ve read in my entire life was Level: Unknown, book 1 in this series. Since I jumped directly into this book, I think it’s safe to say that I enjoyed it. To be honest, it kind of reminds me of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books that were really popular in the 80s. Maybe it’s because if I chose a path that got me killed, I’d immediately ‘take it back’ and choose the other option, giving me a small sense of immortality.
When I compare this to a ‘choose your own adventure’ book, it’s actually a compliment. I enjoyed those books immensely throughout my elementary school years, and this series gives me the same vibes, except much more complex—characters are in some type of RPG in a medieval-era that takes place in space, but regenerate after dying, as long as they remain asleep. It’s revealed that their bodies still suffer from the damage that they take, and it can become life-threatening if they don’t have enough rest to recover between deaths. Ideally, the characters try to avoid dying more in this book.
Now that we’re well acquainted with the world of Yensere and where Nick and Frost live when they aren’t sleeping and in Yensere. However, the dreaded frozen black sun is an ominous sign, and when it affects Nick and Frost in their waking life, the pressure falls to Nick to learn as much as he can about Yensere and the frozen black sun in order to hopefully fix it. We’re familiar with Nick and Frost and their hints of brewing romance, as well as Nick’s sarcastic yet well-informed talking sword imbued with magic (obviously), Violette the scholar, and Cataloger, the AI companion that has provided our little band of heroes/found family with information as needed and possible.
I read this as an audiobook, and it was outstanding! With John Patneaude narrating, the nearly 13 hour book felt as if it was flying by. He does a wonderful job with Nick, as well as with the other characters. One of my favorite parts of the narration was the way that it was clear that some information was deliberately censored so that if Cataloger was asked a question about an off-limits topic, she responded with a staticky, blocked out transmission that made it clear she was trying to answer, but she wasn’t able to convey certain things about Yensere and their role.
Nick, Frost, and Violette soon encounter a potential ally in Batal the Beast. They free him from confinement and torture that has taken quite a gory toll on his body. Seriously, though—if you’re squeamish, this might not be the best read for you. Like them, he has a reputation for being impossible to kill, but was captured and tortured because he was considered a ‘usurper king’ as he led a rebellion. It’s clear as day that Batal has his own motivations, but he holds those close to the vest and is willing to align himself with Nick and Frost because what else do you get a usurper king aiming to make a comeback against the God-King Vaan? Clearly, the answer is a pair of magically talented and deathless demons!
Batal isn’t the only one who is holding secrets and acting unpredictably. Nick is holding back his mission to find out how to free the black sun and save his own world, strongly encouraged by his brother, who is the leader of his station. Frost has her own agenda as well—she hasn’t given up on finding her sister, and as she draws ever closer to answers, she struggles more with the choices that her sister made.
Amidst repeated warnings by Nick’s sword, they decide to work with Batal on their common goal—to take down Vaan. They don’t see any other way to defeat an enemy as strong as Vaan without the assistance of Batal, rumored to be an incredible force on the battlefield, and Batal is just as eager to get his revenge on Vaan after being tortured in horrific ways. And while Nick doesn’t always to be the brightest crayon in the box, he actually is smarter than he seemed. For some reason, he reminds me of Frye from Futurama, and both of them became beloved characters to follow. I found myself liking Nick and Frost more, knowing what they were up against and still trying to muster a force that can take down Vaan, and we learn more about them in this book as well. The interactions between them have a definite romantic charge to them, and both are forced to confront things they have kept back from the others.
For Nick, it’s his loyalty to his brother that leads him to take on a nearly impossible task, and work as hard as he can to help the group. In Frost’s case, she’s searching for her sister and we learn that she’s been keeping her real name a secret, as well as the circumstances of their split and facing her anguish over losing her sister, the person she was closest to in the entire universe. The world-building and magic is deepened in this book as well, and when mentioning the stats provided by Cataloger, I could practically picture the scenes as part of a wider-ranging game. There’s a robust religion that is layered and complex, rigid and intolerant, and it gave me Spanish-Inquisition-Era vibes reminiscent of the overwhelming power and influence of the Catholic Church at those times. I’m not surprised, since oppressive systems of religion seem to play a role in five out of five Dalglish novels that I have read so far.
Frost and Nick have to confront their own vulnerabilities in admitting their emotions, and Frost is also vacillating between stubborn determination and anguish over the loss of her sister and a lack of answers as to where she went, and more importantly, why she chose to abandon Frost. I loved the interactions between all the characters, especially the snarky sword (I often find myself liking non-human characters the best), but appreciated them even more when I could see how they changed over the course of the book.
Overall, this was such a fun read, especially when hearing the tonal differences Patneaude uses for the characters, differentiating them easily. As a world-generated scholar, Violette is helpful but tends to stay out of the way of ‘mortal enemy’ territory, although she comes in handy during a fight, while Cataloger sounds like an AI voice such as Siri or Alexa—robotic and flat. I would question if Cataloger has her own agenda if she wasn’t AI. Okay, it still makes me question because you never know with how reliant we have become on AI devices. This means that after I ask Siri or Alexa something, I always say thank you. I’d rather be safe than sorry! This story starts out fast and maintains that pace for the entire time. There are plot twists galore, and I was never sure of who could be trusted, what they were up to, and where the story would go next. It made for a fun read that was easy to lose myself in, and the reading flew by. This is a fun one, and if you’re not sure about LitRPG novels and might want to try one out, this is the series for you. Just be aware that these books aren’t standalone, and need to be read in order to fully grasp the events of the book.
Rounded to 4.5 stars.
The only other LitRPG novel that I’ve read in my entire life was Level: Unknown, book 1 in this series. Since I jumped directly into this book, I think it’s safe to say that I enjoyed it. To be honest, it kind of reminds me of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books that were really popular in the 80s. Maybe it’s because if I chose a path that got me killed, I’d immediately ‘take it back’ and choose the other option, giving me a small sense of immortality.
When I compare this to a ‘choose your own adventure’ book, it’s actually a compliment. I enjoyed those books immensely throughout my elementary school years, and this series gives me the same vibes, except much more complex—characters are in some type of RPG in a medieval-era that takes place in space, but regenerate after dying, as long as they remain asleep. It’s revealed that their bodies still suffer from the damage that they take, and it can become life-threatening if they don’t have enough rest to recover between deaths. Ideally, the characters try to avoid dying more in this book.
Now that we’re well acquainted with the world of Yensere and where Nick and Frost live when they aren’t sleeping and in Yensere. However, the dreaded frozen black sun is an ominous sign, and when it affects Nick and Frost in their waking life, the pressure falls to Nick to learn as much as he can about Yensere and the frozen black sun in order to hopefully fix it. We’re familiar with Nick and Frost and their hints of brewing romance, as well as Nick’s sarcastic yet well-informed talking sword imbued with magic (obviously), Violette the scholar, and Cataloger, the AI companion that has provided our little band of heroes/found family with information as needed and possible.
I read this as an audiobook, and it was outstanding! With John Patneaude narrating, the nearly 13 hour book felt as if it was flying by. He does a wonderful job with Nick, as well as with the other characters. One of my favorite parts of the narration was the way that it was clear that some information was deliberately censored so that if Cataloger was asked a question about an off-limits topic, she responded with a staticky, blocked out transmission that made it clear she was trying to answer, but she wasn’t able to convey certain things about Yensere and their role.
Nick, Frost, and Violette soon encounter a potential ally in Batal the Beast. They free him from confinement and torture that has taken quite a gory toll on his body. Seriously, though—if you’re squeamish, this might not be the best read for you. Like them, he has a reputation for being impossible to kill, but was captured and tortured because he was considered a ‘usurper king’ as he led a rebellion. It’s clear as day that Batal has his own motivations, but he holds those close to the vest and is willing to align himself with Nick and Frost because what else do you get a usurper king aiming to make a comeback against the God-King Vaan? Clearly, the answer is a pair of magically talented and deathless demons!
Batal isn’t the only one who is holding secrets and acting unpredictably. Nick is holding back his mission to find out how to free the black sun and save his own world, strongly encouraged by his brother, who is the leader of his station. Frost has her own agenda as well—she hasn’t given up on finding her sister, and as she draws ever closer to answers, she struggles more with the choices that her sister made.
Amidst repeated warnings by Nick’s sword, they decide to work with Batal on their common goal—to take down Vaan. They don’t see any other way to defeat an enemy as strong as Vaan without the assistance of Batal, rumored to be an incredible force on the battlefield, and Batal is just as eager to get his revenge on Vaan after being tortured in horrific ways. And while Nick doesn’t always to be the brightest crayon in the box, he actually is smarter than he seemed. For some reason, he reminds me of Frye from Futurama, and both of them became beloved characters to follow. I found myself liking Nick and Frost more, knowing what they were up against and still trying to muster a force that can take down Vaan, and we learn more about them in this book as well. The interactions between them have a definite romantic charge to them, and both are forced to confront things they have kept back from the others.
For Nick, it’s his loyalty to his brother that leads him to take on a nearly impossible task, and work as hard as he can to help the group. In Frost’s case, she’s searching for her sister and we learn that she’s been keeping her real name a secret, as well as the circumstances of their split and facing her anguish over losing her sister, the person she was closest to in the entire universe. The world-building and magic is deepened in this book as well, and when mentioning the stats provided by Cataloger, I could practically picture the scenes as part of a wider-ranging game. There’s a robust religion that is layered and complex, rigid and intolerant, and it gave me Spanish-Inquisition-Era vibes reminiscent of the overwhelming power and influence of the Catholic Church at those times. I’m not surprised, since oppressive systems of religion seem to play a role in five out of five Dalglish novels that I have read so far.
Frost and Nick have to confront their own vulnerabilities in admitting their emotions, and Frost is also vacillating between stubborn determination and anguish over the loss of her sister and a lack of answers as to where she went, and more importantly, why she chose to abandon Frost. I loved the interactions between all the characters, especially the snarky sword (I often find myself liking non-human characters the best), but appreciated them even more when I could see how they changed over the course of the book.
Overall, this was such a fun read, especially when hearing the tonal differences Patneaude uses for the characters, differentiating them easily. As a world-generated scholar, Violette is helpful but tends to stay out of the way of ‘mortal enemy’ territory, although she comes in handy during a fight, while Cataloger sounds like an AI voice such as Siri or Alexa—robotic and flat. I would question if Cataloger has her own agenda if she wasn’t AI. Okay, it still makes me question because you never know with how reliant we have become on AI devices. This means that after I ask Siri or Alexa something, I always say thank you. I’d rather be safe than sorry! This story starts out fast and maintains that pace for the entire time. There are plot twists galore, and I was never sure of who could be trusted, what they were up to, and where the story would go next. It made for a fun read that was easy to lose myself in, and the reading flew by. This is a fun one, and if you’re not sure about LitRPG novels and might want to try one out, this is the series for you. Just be aware that these books aren’t standalone, and need to be read in order to fully grasp the events of the book.
June 13, 2025
Nick, Frost/Lesya, and Violette must come up with a plan to achieve what Nick decided must be done at the end of book one, which is to kill God-King Vaan so Yensere can be freed from the effects of its black sun. Knowing he’s going to need significantly more physical strength, and an army, he decides they should break Batal a formidable man known as the Beast, out of his captivity.
At the same time, we finally get to see what Lesya’s real world situation is like, and though she has food and shelter, she is alone, except for some cats and a dog, on her planet. All of her people, including her sister Irina, chose to enter ascension pods so they could leave their bodies behind and live an entirely digital life. We begin to understand why Frost has worked so hard in Yensere to gain abilities and why she persists in her search for her sister.
Batal has his own plans, and at the moment, Nick's, Frost's and Batal's all coincide, so they make their way to Batal's former home, fighting their way through monsters and soldiers. Batal also reveals to Nick that he can see that various attributes each individual has (e.g., Level, etc.) and how this has always set him apart from everyone else in Yensere.
At the same time, Sir Gareth is recruited by one of the God-King's incredibly powerful Harbingers, and is in pursuit of Nick and company.
This story moves along at a fast pace, and it was good to learn more about Yensure, as well as about Lesya, who is a much, much, much more interesting character, as is Violette, than Nick is. I also liked that we learned that Yensere is not the only artificial world contained in the alien artifacts. Yes, there is more than one, as a different one was what enthralled Lesya's people with its promises of immortality within a digital world.
At the same time, there were so many vicious fights that eventually I just got tired, and started skimming past these to the more meaty and interesting character moments. And there definitely are some for Lesya (this really was her instalment, rather than Nick's); there is so much tragedy bound up in her situation, and though resolved in some ways, there is still the fallout from hers and Violette's actions by the end of the book that I'm interested in following to the next book. And there is still so much to learn about the artifacts and the black sun manifesting above Majeure.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
At the same time, we finally get to see what Lesya’s real world situation is like, and though she has food and shelter, she is alone, except for some cats and a dog, on her planet. All of her people, including her sister Irina, chose to enter ascension pods so they could leave their bodies behind and live an entirely digital life. We begin to understand why Frost has worked so hard in Yensere to gain abilities and why she persists in her search for her sister.
Batal has his own plans, and at the moment, Nick's, Frost's and Batal's all coincide, so they make their way to Batal's former home, fighting their way through monsters and soldiers. Batal also reveals to Nick that he can see that various attributes each individual has (e.g., Level, etc.) and how this has always set him apart from everyone else in Yensere.
At the same time, Sir Gareth is recruited by one of the God-King's incredibly powerful Harbingers, and is in pursuit of Nick and company.
This story moves along at a fast pace, and it was good to learn more about Yensure, as well as about Lesya, who is a much, much, much more interesting character, as is Violette, than Nick is. I also liked that we learned that Yensere is not the only artificial world contained in the alien artifacts. Yes, there is more than one, as a different one was what enthralled Lesya's people with its promises of immortality within a digital world.
At the same time, there were so many vicious fights that eventually I just got tired, and started skimming past these to the more meaty and interesting character moments. And there definitely are some for Lesya (this really was her instalment, rather than Nick's); there is so much tragedy bound up in her situation, and though resolved in some ways, there is still the fallout from hers and Violette's actions by the end of the book that I'm interested in following to the next book. And there is still so much to learn about the artifacts and the black sun manifesting above Majeure.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
May 13, 2025
I'd like to thank Oribt, Netgalley, and of course, David Dalglish for another eARC!!
Oblivion Remaster absolutely took over my life for two weeks, but I managed to get this finished for its release day!!
This is my third Dalglish review this year, so I'm some what of a die hard at this point.
Now, the good! Like usual, good action, really visceral and real. And great character work. Each POV feels distinct and Nick and Lesya are such loveable characters, and to see both of their growth is wonderful.
The banter between Cataloger and Sorrow with Nick is the best part of the series for me.
Now, some of the bad.
Batal feels too much like previous characters Dalglish has written before. Sadly, some of this dialogue or POV chapters would make me roll my eyes a bit, feeling like we've treaded this ground before many times.
And, while Dalglish writes phenomenal action, there was too many sequences of battle here, to the point where it felt the LitRPG side got sidelined for some of these unbelievable fights, even in a game/fantasy setting.
You get the bigger picture of whats happening here, and I'm super invested in the story laid out before us!!
See you all again for the review of book 3!!!
Oblivion Remaster absolutely took over my life for two weeks, but I managed to get this finished for its release day!!
This is my third Dalglish review this year, so I'm some what of a die hard at this point.
Now, the good! Like usual, good action, really visceral and real. And great character work. Each POV feels distinct and Nick and Lesya are such loveable characters, and to see both of their growth is wonderful.
The banter between Cataloger and Sorrow with Nick is the best part of the series for me.
Now, some of the bad.
Batal feels too much like previous characters Dalglish has written before. Sadly, some of this dialogue or POV chapters would make me roll my eyes a bit, feeling like we've treaded this ground before many times.
And, while Dalglish writes phenomenal action, there was too many sequences of battle here, to the point where it felt the LitRPG side got sidelined for some of these unbelievable fights, even in a game/fantasy setting.
You get the bigger picture of whats happening here, and I'm super invested in the story laid out before us!!
See you all again for the review of book 3!!!
May 25, 2025
If I had to choose between getting sucked off into a video game, or getting sucked off into a book ABOUT a video game... I think I'd suck myself off.
May 18, 2025
Nick is getting the hang of this new world now and with Lesya and Violette they are on their way to kill the God King. Good thing they meet Batal the Beast of Emden (also a enemy of the God King) to help out. So many new things revealed, more mysterious stuff too (especially with Batal and Violette who are so intriguing and definitely more than they appear! That world gets more dangerous though because we also meet the Harbingers of Vaan. Much death and destruction with powers and armies and the action never ends (partially because Nick is finally skilled enough, with the help of Sorrow, who is a fantastic sword, to not die as often) and the stakes rise ever higher. I cannot wait to see what happens next, especially since it looks like Vaan is going to finally make an appearance after all the destruction that Batal and his demon friends (Nick and Lesya) have wrought on the country as they make their way ever closer to the God King. Also I am really looking forward to, what I am thinking, is going to be a greater appearance of the Cataloger!!!!! This a is great Litrpg series and I hope the next book comes out soon and answers all the burning questions that happened in this book.
May 25, 2025
This second book was a strong sequel to Level: Unknown; in fact I think it far surpassed the first book. Now that the reader has the necessary background information, the action begins. How quick it went; I was wishing there was another 400 or so pages at the end to continue the story. I was hooked at the very end with the last two chapters or so, they brought major plot twists that should be quite interesting for the next installment. If you only liked the first book and are not sure if you want to read any more, I would definitely try this one; it really picked up the story and ran with it.
June 6, 2025
A great sequel in the series! We finally get to see Frost's story, one of the main characters, outside in the real-world. We learn more about the mystery surrounding the artifact and this artificial/digital world. We get answers, but we also get new characters who bring more mysteries, and we realize that some characters we know aren't who they seem? Violette?
The fight scenes are well written and there are plenty of them. But it's the character growth that I enjoyed the most, in this second part. Both on a personal level and in their relationships.
The ending is non-stop action and revelations but the epilogue! Is so promising for what's to come. I can't wait to read the next and final book in the series.
The LitRPG elements are easy to follow, which makes it accessible to someone new to the genre.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eArc!
The fight scenes are well written and there are plenty of them. But it's the character growth that I enjoyed the most, in this second part. Both on a personal level and in their relationships.
The ending is non-stop action and revelations but the epilogue! Is so promising for what's to come. I can't wait to read the next and final book in the series.
The LitRPG elements are easy to follow, which makes it accessible to someone new to the genre.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eArc!
June 30, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for providing an eARC of this book to me for free!
This is my first ever book I have received from Netgalley- and for that, I will always be grateful and have a certain emotional fondness for this book. It is also the first litRPG novel I have ever read.
However, I also wish to objectively analyze works of fiction as best I can- realizing that both “objectivity” and deep analysis of fiction can be controversial and mean different things to different people.
So how do I think Dalglish did? Honestly, I think he did a great job here. This book opens up with a nice summary of the previous for people who haven’t read it, attempts to balance the litRPG elements with writing engaging combat scenes, and gives most/all characters interesting arcs. Super minor spoilers, but the one character in this book I thought was a little underdeveloped gets a very interesting twist in the epilogue.
I have never read any of Dalglish’s other works, but I can tell he’s a writer with some level of experience and talent. While I have never read any other litRPG novel, I have come across passages and excerpts from them, and they generally have a level of amateurishness in the writing that isn’t present here.
Dalglish also does a good job at having an in-world reason as to why people have health bars and mana pools, and even has characters discuss what exactly this means a few times. I found these little dives some of the most interesting parts of the book, as at first I found it very jarring to read sentences where characters shoot lightning and take ten percent off a health bar.
So why isn’t this book five stars? Two reasons- one is that despite my praise of Dalglish’s writing, he does have some occasional lines that did not work for me. A lot of these are supposed to be humorous. Humor is very subjective, but I think there’s a bit more going on here, as Dalglish would write a relatively normal line and then mention it’s supposed to be utterly hilarious. It was definitely a bit jarring and took me out of the book.
The other reason is that the framing narrative aside, Dalglish isn’t really pushing boundaries here. These are tropes that any moderately experienced reader of fantasy will have encountered many times before. I am not saying it’s derivative or bad, just familiar. Indeed, I would describe this book as “competent.” That may sound like damning with faint praise but I mean it as a compliment, so many books today fail to execute basic storytelling principles that Dalglish nails.
I definitely give this book a wholehearted recommendation for those looking to try out the litRPG genre- I’m excited to read the next one and will be picking up the first one as well.
This is my first ever book I have received from Netgalley- and for that, I will always be grateful and have a certain emotional fondness for this book. It is also the first litRPG novel I have ever read.
However, I also wish to objectively analyze works of fiction as best I can- realizing that both “objectivity” and deep analysis of fiction can be controversial and mean different things to different people.
So how do I think Dalglish did? Honestly, I think he did a great job here. This book opens up with a nice summary of the previous for people who haven’t read it, attempts to balance the litRPG elements with writing engaging combat scenes, and gives most/all characters interesting arcs. Super minor spoilers, but the one character in this book I thought was a little underdeveloped gets a very interesting twist in the epilogue.
I have never read any of Dalglish’s other works, but I can tell he’s a writer with some level of experience and talent. While I have never read any other litRPG novel, I have come across passages and excerpts from them, and they generally have a level of amateurishness in the writing that isn’t present here.
Dalglish also does a good job at having an in-world reason as to why people have health bars and mana pools, and even has characters discuss what exactly this means a few times. I found these little dives some of the most interesting parts of the book, as at first I found it very jarring to read sentences where characters shoot lightning and take ten percent off a health bar.
So why isn’t this book five stars? Two reasons- one is that despite my praise of Dalglish’s writing, he does have some occasional lines that did not work for me. A lot of these are supposed to be humorous. Humor is very subjective, but I think there’s a bit more going on here, as Dalglish would write a relatively normal line and then mention it’s supposed to be utterly hilarious. It was definitely a bit jarring and took me out of the book.
The other reason is that the framing narrative aside, Dalglish isn’t really pushing boundaries here. These are tropes that any moderately experienced reader of fantasy will have encountered many times before. I am not saying it’s derivative or bad, just familiar. Indeed, I would describe this book as “competent.” That may sound like damning with faint praise but I mean it as a compliment, so many books today fail to execute basic storytelling principles that Dalglish nails.
I definitely give this book a wholehearted recommendation for those looking to try out the litRPG genre- I’m excited to read the next one and will be picking up the first one as well.
May 11, 2025
In order to save his world, Nick will have to end another. With a large black disc traveling closer and closer to his research station, Nick spends nearly all his time in the fantasy world of Yensere, a digital simulation created by a mysterious alien artifact. In Yensere, the god-king Vaan has frozen a similar looking black sun in the sky; this has prevented an apocalypse in Yensere but disrupted the patterns of time and nature in a way that seems to be destroying the world anyway, if more slowly. If Nick is to understand the doom that approaches his people, he will have to kill the god-king Vaan and unleash disaster on Yensere so that he can gain whatever knowledge he can. But before then, he'll have to defeat the god-king's chosen champions - a task that will come with a devastating cost.
LEVEL: ASCENSION continues to expand its world in interesting ways, but the plot was overwhelmed by the sheer number of fight sequences. On the plus side we get to learn more about Frost, her origin, and how her sister went missing. It added some much needed personal stakes to the story beyond the also important "save the world." I also appreciated the teases we get indicating that Yensere isn't the only digital world contained within the alien artifact.
But these small nuggets of clues and character insight were overwhelmed by fight after fight after fight. On the one hand, I understand that a LitRPG is going to have a lot of battles in it, especially when it's inspired by a game like DARK SOULS. Going from one epic fight to another is literally what that game genre is all about. But the more fights you have with everyone wielding awe-inspiring powers, the less exciting each encounter feels.
Don't get me wrong, in a vacuum the individual fights are impressive. As always, this author delivers a powerhouse finale that is a great set piece with personal stakes. But I could have used one or two fewer fights and a little more time expanding on some of the other characters. Sir Gareth, for instance, was a strong part of book one, but gets a bit left by the wayside in this sequel, a hazard of several new characters entering the playing field.
For some of you, hearing that LEVEL: ASCENSION is chock full of impressive fight scenes is going to be fantastic news, and I encourage you to go give this series a try! For me, while I enjoy the overall concept of this simulated world, I had a bit of trouble finding the momentum in this particular outing. Perhaps with everything coming to a head in upcoming LEVEL: APOCALYPSE, I'll find that momentum once more.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
LEVEL: ASCENSION continues to expand its world in interesting ways, but the plot was overwhelmed by the sheer number of fight sequences. On the plus side we get to learn more about Frost, her origin, and how her sister went missing. It added some much needed personal stakes to the story beyond the also important "save the world." I also appreciated the teases we get indicating that Yensere isn't the only digital world contained within the alien artifact.
But these small nuggets of clues and character insight were overwhelmed by fight after fight after fight. On the one hand, I understand that a LitRPG is going to have a lot of battles in it, especially when it's inspired by a game like DARK SOULS. Going from one epic fight to another is literally what that game genre is all about. But the more fights you have with everyone wielding awe-inspiring powers, the less exciting each encounter feels.
Don't get me wrong, in a vacuum the individual fights are impressive. As always, this author delivers a powerhouse finale that is a great set piece with personal stakes. But I could have used one or two fewer fights and a little more time expanding on some of the other characters. Sir Gareth, for instance, was a strong part of book one, but gets a bit left by the wayside in this sequel, a hazard of several new characters entering the playing field.
For some of you, hearing that LEVEL: ASCENSION is chock full of impressive fight scenes is going to be fantastic news, and I encourage you to go give this series a try! For me, while I enjoy the overall concept of this simulated world, I had a bit of trouble finding the momentum in this particular outing. Perhaps with everything coming to a head in upcoming LEVEL: APOCALYPSE, I'll find that momentum once more.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
May 13, 2025
3.5 stars
This sequel picks up immediately after the events of the previous book, diving straight back into the action and continuing the momentum built in the series’ opener.
One of my favorite things about the previous book, and honestly something this author usually nails, is the POVs. They always feel distinct and add something unique to the story. In the first book, we mostly followed Nick, his brother, and Gareth. I really liked the brother's POV last time, so I was a little disappointed he wasn’t one of the perspectives in this one but to be fair, it made sense with how the plot played out.
A big highlight for me this time around was Lesya. I think she only had one chapter in the last book, but here she’s a full POV character. Her chapters were some of my favorites. They were emotionally gripping and deeply personal. We got a lot more of her backstory and her relationship with her sister, which helped to balance out the heavier action sequences.
Now for the part that didn’t really work for me: the middle section. That’s when a new POV character, Batal, gets introduced. I’m honestly not sure if he’s supposed to be likable or not, but I just didn’t vibe with him at all. Once he showed up, it felt like the entire story shifted focus. Most of the plot and even other characters started revolving around him and his growing army, and I started to feel like the rest of the story was put on pause to build him up. It got to the point where I was wondering if he had some kind of hidden mind control ability or a secret charisma stat buff or something. That said, this could totally be a personal preference thing and other readers might love his arc, but it really didn’t click for me.
Thankfully, the last 30% of the book brought things back together. All the POVs had moments to shine, the pacing picked up nicely, and the story found its rhythm again. The combat scenes, in particular, stood out. They were really well written and there’s plenty of them, so if that’s your thing, you’ll probably enjoy those a lot.
The LitRPG elements felt more subdued this time around compared to the first book. That said, it’s a great series for anyone looking to dip their toes into LitRPG as it leans more into sci-fi/fantasy with some LitRPG mechanics rather than going full stat-heavy.
The last two chapters and the epilogue were honestly fantastic and some of the best writing in the book. They left me genuinely excited for the next installment and reminded me of why I got hooked on this series in the first place.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.
This sequel picks up immediately after the events of the previous book, diving straight back into the action and continuing the momentum built in the series’ opener.
One of my favorite things about the previous book, and honestly something this author usually nails, is the POVs. They always feel distinct and add something unique to the story. In the first book, we mostly followed Nick, his brother, and Gareth. I really liked the brother's POV last time, so I was a little disappointed he wasn’t one of the perspectives in this one but to be fair, it made sense with how the plot played out.
A big highlight for me this time around was Lesya. I think she only had one chapter in the last book, but here she’s a full POV character. Her chapters were some of my favorites. They were emotionally gripping and deeply personal. We got a lot more of her backstory and her relationship with her sister, which helped to balance out the heavier action sequences.
Now for the part that didn’t really work for me: the middle section. That’s when a new POV character, Batal, gets introduced. I’m honestly not sure if he’s supposed to be likable or not, but I just didn’t vibe with him at all. Once he showed up, it felt like the entire story shifted focus. Most of the plot and even other characters started revolving around him and his growing army, and I started to feel like the rest of the story was put on pause to build him up. It got to the point where I was wondering if he had some kind of hidden mind control ability or a secret charisma stat buff or something. That said, this could totally be a personal preference thing and other readers might love his arc, but it really didn’t click for me.
Thankfully, the last 30% of the book brought things back together. All the POVs had moments to shine, the pacing picked up nicely, and the story found its rhythm again. The combat scenes, in particular, stood out. They were really well written and there’s plenty of them, so if that’s your thing, you’ll probably enjoy those a lot.
The LitRPG elements felt more subdued this time around compared to the first book. That said, it’s a great series for anyone looking to dip their toes into LitRPG as it leans more into sci-fi/fantasy with some LitRPG mechanics rather than going full stat-heavy.
The last two chapters and the epilogue were honestly fantastic and some of the best writing in the book. They left me genuinely excited for the next installment and reminded me of why I got hooked on this series in the first place.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
The time of the God King Vaan is nearing its end... or it will be if Nick and his friends have anything to say about it. Witnessing untold horrors in the previous book, Nick is wholly convinced that things cannot change until Vaan is dead. The dark magic plaguing the land surely stems from Vaan's hold over time, corrupting everything as the world stands still. New allies will be required to take the fight from a pipe dream to viable campaign. Many will die. Many more will bow the knee.
Prepare for more of the banter and math filled battles from the first foray into this world. Now that both Nick and the readers understand the core principals of this litRPG, we can tackle the more nitty gritty details of how to grow stronger and adapt to whatever may come next. Many new perspectives are glimpsed—and new companions join the party—keeping things moving in unknown ways, as everyone has their own agenda. I enjoyed the little training reprieves with newcomer Batal "the Beast", his explanations of the world are just fascinating!!
(Also there's lots of my favorite character Sorrow the murderous, sentient sword so yay for that!!)
Nick will have his work cut out for him as he attempts to thwart the plan of a tyrant and possibly doom an entire people to save his own. The end of times is coming for Yensere, just as surely as it readies to destroy all he holds dear in the real world where his brother remains. Yet as he continues to spend time in this magical world, the separation between what's real and imagined grows thin.
What will Nick sacrifice to save his people?—And will it be enough?
I did find the shifts between formal and casual language a bit odd in several places throughout the book. It was almost as if various drafts were merged together and not finesed into a singular whole. I have an ARC copy however, so this may not be present in the officially published text. No ding has been given to my rating for this, yet I'd be remiss not to at mention in case it remains.
The action scenes really showcased excitement and rising tension, as our charcters better understand their powers and how acquire new ones. I thoroughly enjoyed every one—which is quite the feat—as I usually prefer character studies and machinations over battles to further a plot. Every time a new spell appeared on page I internally cheered, just as I would playing a traditional rpg.
The time of the God King Vaan is nearing its end... or it will be if Nick and his friends have anything to say about it. Witnessing untold horrors in the previous book, Nick is wholly convinced that things cannot change until Vaan is dead. The dark magic plaguing the land surely stems from Vaan's hold over time, corrupting everything as the world stands still. New allies will be required to take the fight from a pipe dream to viable campaign. Many will die. Many more will bow the knee.
Prepare for more of the banter and math filled battles from the first foray into this world. Now that both Nick and the readers understand the core principals of this litRPG, we can tackle the more nitty gritty details of how to grow stronger and adapt to whatever may come next. Many new perspectives are glimpsed—and new companions join the party—keeping things moving in unknown ways, as everyone has their own agenda. I enjoyed the little training reprieves with newcomer Batal "the Beast", his explanations of the world are just fascinating!!
(Also there's lots of my favorite character Sorrow the murderous, sentient sword so yay for that!!)
Nick will have his work cut out for him as he attempts to thwart the plan of a tyrant and possibly doom an entire people to save his own. The end of times is coming for Yensere, just as surely as it readies to destroy all he holds dear in the real world where his brother remains. Yet as he continues to spend time in this magical world, the separation between what's real and imagined grows thin.
What will Nick sacrifice to save his people?—And will it be enough?
I did find the shifts between formal and casual language a bit odd in several places throughout the book. It was almost as if various drafts were merged together and not finesed into a singular whole. I have an ARC copy however, so this may not be present in the officially published text. No ding has been given to my rating for this, yet I'd be remiss not to at mention in case it remains.
The action scenes really showcased excitement and rising tension, as our charcters better understand their powers and how acquire new ones. I thoroughly enjoyed every one—which is quite the feat—as I usually prefer character studies and machinations over battles to further a plot. Every time a new spell appeared on page I internally cheered, just as I would playing a traditional rpg.
July 26, 2025
I read the first book earlier this year and it was a 5/5 read. I was well and truly hooked, had my eye on this one and finally got around to buying it earlier this week. Insomnia hasn't been helping other then getting me through some bigger books and rereads, so its not surprising that I got through this book as fast as I did. Compared to the first book this one isn't quite as good for me. Like I get that we needed to see more action and Nick isn't as incompetent as he was in the first book but there seems to be a few steps missing from what we got in book 1 to what we got in book 2. Also I also mentioned how weird it was for Nick's body to be failing so fast in the first book's review, and that part seems to be even odder as Leysa (Frost) doesn't seem to be having the same negative physical impacts that Nick is experiencing outside of the artifact, when we see where she is irl around the start of the book. Am I missing something that was explained later in this book? My biggest issue with this one is the fighting. Like there was far too much of it and it was too drawn out for this kind of setting. Maybe this is also a me issue but I wanted more time with the group going to a-b, further interactions while learning about this world and its goals and unexpected plot twists, and spending time outside of it with Nick and his brother or having a scene where Leysa could learn some stuff irl that the others needed to know or something along those lines. I know it shouldn't be a big deal as this stuff could show up in book 3, but I like to get some payoff throughout a series or trilogy along the way instead of getting bogged down with info dumps at a later date. I'm still invested enough to read book 3 whenever that happens but this definitely isn't my favorite book out of the two published.
June 10, 2025
Picking up "Level: Unknown" was super fun for me because it was pretty different from things that I normally read, and I adored it, so I was super excited to receive the eARC of "Level: Ascension". I definitely enjoyed "Level: Ascension", but I'm not sure I loved it quite as much as the first installment. With that said, I will definitely keep reading future books in this series.
Something about the plot of "Level: Ascension" just didn't feel as full and nuanced as the plot of the first book. If anything, the plot felt very much "monster of the week" like. The characters would fight in some big battle, and then travel to the next place, rinse and repeat. Unlike the first book, we hear very very little about what is going on outside of Yensere (dropping several plot points from the first book). I know that this is because we get a lot more of Frost/Lesya's POV, which I really liked, but it made it feel like this book wasn't super connected to the first one.
I also thought that "Level: Ascension" didn't quite have the heart that I thought "Level: Unknown" had. There were definitely emotional moments, and I thought they were well done, but they didn't have the payoff as some of these moments from the first novel.
Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read and I still adore the world. I'm looking forward to reading the next one and I hope that some of the questions we're left with from "Level: Ascension" are actually answered rather than never speaking of them again.
3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Something about the plot of "Level: Ascension" just didn't feel as full and nuanced as the plot of the first book. If anything, the plot felt very much "monster of the week" like. The characters would fight in some big battle, and then travel to the next place, rinse and repeat. Unlike the first book, we hear very very little about what is going on outside of Yensere (dropping several plot points from the first book). I know that this is because we get a lot more of Frost/Lesya's POV, which I really liked, but it made it feel like this book wasn't super connected to the first one.
I also thought that "Level: Ascension" didn't quite have the heart that I thought "Level: Unknown" had. There were definitely emotional moments, and I thought they were well done, but they didn't have the payoff as some of these moments from the first novel.
Overall, this was a fun, fast-paced read and I still adore the world. I'm looking forward to reading the next one and I hope that some of the questions we're left with from "Level: Ascension" are actually answered rather than never speaking of them again.
3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
June 4, 2025
This series has certainly picked up in the second installment!
God King Vaan rules with an iron fist, holding the world of Yensere hostage to the black sun.
Nick, Frost and Violet will do everything in their power to stop his rule and free the lands from his grasp. Seeking the help of a dangerous usurper king Batal, Nick will have to trust this new ally has their best interests at heart.
The world expands as does the complex relationships between our main characters. I particularly enjoyed Frost’s story and felt like she was given so much more depth in this installment.
Of course we have the fun side of litRPG’s too! New magic, new levels and new parts of the land to explore! This is turning into a fun fantasy romp that I can see readers wanting to revisit time and time again.
God King Vaan rules with an iron fist, holding the world of Yensere hostage to the black sun.
Nick, Frost and Violet will do everything in their power to stop his rule and free the lands from his grasp. Seeking the help of a dangerous usurper king Batal, Nick will have to trust this new ally has their best interests at heart.
The world expands as does the complex relationships between our main characters. I particularly enjoyed Frost’s story and felt like she was given so much more depth in this installment.
Of course we have the fun side of litRPG’s too! New magic, new levels and new parts of the land to explore! This is turning into a fun fantasy romp that I can see readers wanting to revisit time and time again.
June 4, 2025
I was lucky enough to get the arc for the first book in this series, which I enjoyed quite a bit. A brief rundown of the first book has the main character Nick transported to the digital world of Yensere, when the people who inhabit a space station find an artifact. Nick finds two companions in both Frost a fellow traveler from another world and Violette a scholar from Yensere. The first book is light-hearted with semi low stakes. The second book raises the stakes in many ways. Nick is now trying to figure out what the similarities between his world and Yensere in an attempt to protect his world.. The author has the characters grapple with the amount of killing the two off world characters have to do to reach their goals. Are they just digital constructs or are they real people? A new character is introduced that adds something to the conversation. I really enjoyed this and the themes that were brought up.
May 18, 2025
Level: Ascension delivers another thrilling installment packed with high-stakes battles, epic quests, and characters grappling with both external foes and inner turmoil. Nick’s growing party, especially the deadly yet intriguing Batal, adds tension and depth to the mission to overthrow the God-King, and Frost’s personal journey gives the narrative emotional weight. The pacing keeps the energy high, with clever twists and world-expanding lore that deepen the series’ appeal. Though some revelations feel intentionally withheld to stretch the mystery, the payoff is satisfying enough to keep readers hooked and hungry for the next level.
May 1, 2025
Review: Well if it is not obvious who cataloger is by now, then bereft of discernment you are. I was never on the ol' "More Cataloger" bandwagon that forced the writers hand. Sure, the more characters the merrier in any LitRPG but dropping the no-clip OZ veil is ho-hum IMO.
This is a dang good read with constant movement that builds great characterization. The stats are not lengthy and OTT like Dakota Krouts and a few others, so you never have to wade through repetitive and lengthy gains.
I received this ARC for an honest review.
4.9/5
This is a dang good read with constant movement that builds great characterization. The stats are not lengthy and OTT like Dakota Krouts and a few others, so you never have to wade through repetitive and lengthy gains.
I received this ARC for an honest review.
4.9/5
May 4, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. This was another great book. I enjoyed it more than the first and I think because there's more world building and we got to see more from the perspective of Frost/Lesya. And that ending? The author is a tease. I truly can't wait for the next book in the series where hopefully more of the questions I have get answered.
July 20, 2025
If you loved the first book, you'll love this one too. It seamlessly builds on the preceding novel while seriously upping the action and the high-stakes consequences. We get answers to the questions we had but in a way that reveals how deep this world goes and how much left there is to explore. It's one of the few series I eagerly recommend and lend out to friends. I can't wait for the next book in the series and have the release date circled on my wall calendar. It's that good.
August 22, 2025
A great follow up! I want more backstory on the main new character we got, Batal, but I loved the development of our current characters! This book felt a bit like a middle book with some of the pacing dragging in the middle. However, I’m so intrigued with where it left off. Lesyas story is devastating and I’m so intrigued about Violette! Level 99….
June 2, 2025
They keep letting defeated enemies go, who only come back to harm them.
Interesting general story arc. Very bloody. Is this really a simulation?
Interesting general story arc. Very bloody. Is this really a simulation?
June 2, 2025
While there is improvement with the story, it was not enough to say it was better than the first. Nick remains interesting enough, but Frost's story really makes the book.
July 2, 2025
An excellent follow up to the Book 1. Once again I am left waiting for the next book. Nice surprise at the end and I am looking forward to see where how that develops.
September 6, 2025
Just as entertaining as the first one. Looking forward to the next one.
September 29, 2025
This is such a fun story!
May 22, 2025
So SATISFYING! super long, super full, so much of everything, feels like two books on one. There are so many action scenes. My favorite character is still Cataloguer, then Lesya, and her plotline. There is so much (not just battle against the God King, but also reflection on both worlds, the idea of eternal life, choices, pros and cons, plan behind the idea....) that it must be read and experienced rather than added to a review.
Great ending, by the way, with the sisters... But the epilogue... YES! I am looking forward to reading book 3. I know it's going to be my fav, no doubt! No pressure author.
Great ending, by the way, with the sisters... But the epilogue... YES! I am looking forward to reading book 3. I know it's going to be my fav, no doubt! No pressure author.
May 24, 2025
Another home run for Dalglish. The action is as thick as ever. Character development and snark are on point. Give us some awesome story depth and we got a fantastic sequel. Eagerly awaiting book three!
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