„Earth“ Release Book 3: A LitRPG Adventure Series

„Earth“ Release #3

by Vasily Mahanenko, Vladimir Koshcheev

Preparations for the tournament between the Heroes of the “Earth” release are in full swing. The Great Clans are busy protecting their representatives and arranging unpleasant surprises for their rivals, hoping to come out on top in this unprecedented event.

There are three Release Heroes, three Great Clans, and Michael, who stands apart from the rest. Unfortunately, there are also demons and dragons to consider, and neither of them are simply going to stand aside and watch the Elves enjoy the new turn of events.

Whatever happens, though, this tournament is bound to go down in after all, one of the competitors is a Fallen One!

481 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2025

About the author

Be the first to know when Vasily Mahanenko’s next book is available! Follow him at https://www.bookbub.com/profile/v-mah... to get an alert whenever he has a new release, preorder, or discount!

Vasily Mahanenko is a fantasy author working in the new genre of LitRPG - the MMO-based fantasy and sci fi. His Way of the Shaman series took Russian literature by storm in 2012.

Vasily dipped into his college-days insider knowledge as a hardcore gamer in order to create a believable world of the virtual-reality MMO game. His bestselling series combines fiction and video games, telling the story of Shaman and his friends stuck in the ruthless reality of Barliona. He used his more than ten years' experience as an ERP implementation project manager to approach his writing in a well-organized manner, working to a strict schedule, a set of deadlines and even a budget. At the moment, the series boasts six novels with the seventh one in the works - this time the author expands on stories of Shaman's companions and those who helped and supported him in his trials and tribulations.

The first book of the series has already been translated into English, with more translations to follow, aiming to make the Way of the Shaman series available to the English-language reader in its entirety.

Vasily's other passion is space exploration which is why he now works on a follow-up series entitled Galaktiona. Set in a space-simulator based world, the first book of the series in already finished while Vasily works on its sequel.

Reviews

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⚝⚝ (3/5)

When the game stops being about survival and starts becoming about dominance, every move turns into a calculated risk. “Earth” Release Book 3 by Vasily Mahanenko escalates the series into a larger, more competitive arena—one driven not just by monsters and mechanics, but by power blocs, rivalries, and high-stakes confrontation.

This installment pivots around a central event: a massive tournament between the Heroes of the “Earth” release, where Great Clans maneuver behind the scenes to secure victory at any cost. The narrative expands significantly here—no longer confined to isolated survival arcs, the story embraces political intrigue, factional conflict, and coordinated strategy.

The shift in scale is both the book’s greatest strength—and its main challenge.

On one hand, the tournament setup injects urgency and structure into the plot. Multiple factions, hidden agendas, and looming threats (including demons and dragons) create a layered conflict where outcomes feel meaningful beyond individual survival. On the other hand, this expansion occasionally dilutes focus, pulling attention away from the protagonist’s internal journey.

In a world ruled by systems, the real battle isn’t just for survival—it’s for relevance.

What works well:

Expanded scope: The introduction of clans, heroes, and large-scale conflict adds depth and ambition.
Structured tension: The tournament format provides clear stakes and momentum.
World-building growth: New lore, creatures, and political dynamics enrich the setting.

Where it falls short:

Overcrowded narrative: Multiple factions and plotlines can fragment focus.
Repetitive progression loops: Combat and leveling still dominate large portions of the story.
Uneven character depth: Supporting characters increase, but not all receive meaningful development.

Michael, the protagonist, continues to stand apart—both as a powerful figure and as an outsider to the established power structures. His independence remains compelling, but his growth here feels more functional than emotional. He evolves in capability, but less so in complexity.

Critically, Book 3 represents a transition point. The series begins to move away from pure LitRPG survival into something closer to strategic fantasy, where alliances and positioning matter as much as stats. However, it hasn’t fully committed to this evolution yet, leaving the story balanced between two identities.

The tournament arc sets the stage for larger, more consequential conflicts, hinting that the real struggle lies beyond individual battles—within the shifting balance of power itself.

Final verdict: “Earth” Release Book 3 is a strong, ambitious continuation that successfully raises the stakes and broadens the world. While it occasionally struggles with focus and repetition, it delivers enough tension and expansion to keep readers invested.

A turning-point installment—bigger, busier, and more strategic, even if it hasn’t fully mastered its own scale yet.

[Murphies_law · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of things happen in the book. The MC teams up with his acquaintances and finds new partners(which are of course pretty females - for drama reasons..)

But despite extensive questing and fights against huge odds the story somehow lost much of its original charm for me. I skimmed through most of the last twenty percent of the book.

Criticism and comments

It's awfully convenient that the dragon transforms into a human, despite the fact that humans were just recently included in the game..

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book three

This book was really good. Editing was better than normal as well. Mistakes will be listed on Goodreads. I think I found only five or six.
I kept expecting the book to end in a cliffhanger instead it managed to surprise me and might have made my eyes leak a little. Read the book and you will understand.

8/10 I did get an ARC of this one, but I didn't get a chance to read it before the book was published. I'm going to notify the publisher of the mistakes I found.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earth Release book 3 is the next book in this series, and we're seeing some very interesting things happening here. New companions, serious obsticales overcome, new background information on the world, and a whole lot more. If you liked the first two books in the series, you will want to read this one, it progresses the story nicely, and the ending is amazing, and totally out of the blue.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Headline required...

Ok, these books have been fun. I'm glad the sex stuff is of camera. The ending scene makes it all worthwhile. The character stuff near the end was weird and glad it was fixed. ( I'm my opinion. )
Now we wait for the next.

[gordon musgrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

What?

I'm lost Nichole and Sophie they are the same person and Sophie was not killed she just left the dungeon!!!

[Johnie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of actions.

[Grant Merrifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic book 3.

Eeeeeeeee 20 of of 5 stars.
What a great book.
I need the next book.
And the next book.
All of the books.
Woot.

[Davidl Campbell'Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Great Story

This story is 5 Stars but the Ending gives it 6 Stars!!! You have to read the book to understand the great story of the action happening although this story