Solo (Book #2): An Action & Adventure Progression Fantasy Series

Solo #2

by Vasily Mahanenko

The next books of the series!
Solo (Book #3):
Solo (Book #4):

What can be better than attending a magic academy? New friends, new knowledge, new emotions. All you have to do is study, close rifts, and not think too much of anything else. I also had two students, who needed my time and experience, which took a lot of my time. No time to get into any trouble, right?

Wrong! Especially when you are a chaos mage and an entire squad of assassins is hunting you down. They even took the place of some of the best students at the magic academy just to get closer to me. Let them try! A chaos warrior never runs from trouble!

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 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

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay, I know that this one is rather late. I've got some that are going to be even later than this though.
this review is based off of the arc that I received quite some time ago. I just now got finished with it.
the editing for this was pretty good, actually it was really good. in the arc itself I only found 10 things that I would change or fix. so those could have possibly already been done before publishing. I don't know so I sent a list to the publisher and they may or may not make changes. we'll see.
our hero has gotten his three students up to level five. he sits at that same level himself. we get more rift adventures in this one which I enjoyed. also he is learning secrets of the other schools of magic to strengthen the body which he is combining in himself and his students which is pretty cool. again though we have the same issue that I have with a lot of these books and that is the dumb nicknames for characters because the author can't be bothered to give them actual names. we have an entire town that is like this they all go by their code names. to me that is a sign of lazy writing, yes real world operators have code names when they're out on their missions. it doesn't mean everybody in their hometown calls them by that code name.
overall I did enjoy the story. it's rather fun so if you haven't read it yet grab book one and enjoy the series.

8/10

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo (Book #2) by Vasily Mahanenko

⭐⭐⭐⚝⚝ (3.0 / 5)

Sequels in progression fantasy often face a familiar challenge: the first book introduces the world, the system, and the protagonist’s struggle. The second book must expand the scale without losing the immediacy that made the beginning compelling.

Solo (Book #2) attempts exactly that. Vasily Mahanenko continues the story with a focus on growth—both in power and in the complexity of the world surrounding the protagonist. The result is a continuation that feels broader and more ambitious, though not always as tightly focused as the opening volume.

The narrative picks up with the protagonist already hardened by earlier trials. Where the first book emphasized survival and adaptation, this installment shifts toward strategic advancement. The hero begins operating with more confidence inside the system, exploiting mechanics, refining abilities, and navigating increasingly dangerous environments.

Progression remains the backbone of the novel. Training sequences, ability upgrades, and tactical encounters push the character forward while gradually revealing deeper layers of the world’s structure. Mahanenko maintains a clear sense of how the system functions, ensuring that each improvement feels earned rather than arbitrary.

What distinguishes this second volume is the expansion of stakes. The conflicts are no longer purely personal; they start to involve factions, rival players, and broader power dynamics within the setting. The protagonist is still largely alone—true to the title—but his actions now ripple outward, influencing larger events.

Several strengths stand out:

Steady Power Progression — Character growth follows logical steps, maintaining the credibility of the system.

Expanded Worldbuilding — New locations and threats gradually reveal the scale of the universe.

Strategic Combat — Battles rely on planning and resource management rather than simple power escalation.

However, the novel also shows some typical mid-series issues. Pacing can become uneven, particularly when the narrative pauses to explain mechanics or introduce new rules within the system. While these details strengthen the internal logic of the world, they occasionally slow the story’s momentum.

Character development beyond the protagonist remains somewhat limited. Supporting figures often serve as temporary allies, rivals, or obstacles rather than fully realized personalities. The focus stays tightly fixed on the main character’s progression.

Stylistically, Mahanenko’s writing continues to prioritize clarity over flourish. The prose is straightforward, emphasizing action, tactical decision-making, and system mechanics. Readers looking for complex literary style may find it minimalistic, but the approach keeps the story accessible and easy to follow.

Thematically, Solo (Book #2) reinforces the series’ central idea: advancement requires isolation. The protagonist’s independence grants freedom but also distance from others, shaping both his strengths and his limitations.

By the end of the novel, the trajectory is clear. The hero is stronger, the world is larger, and the conflicts ahead promise greater danger.

In other words, the journey is far from over.

And the path forward will likely demand even greater solitude.

[Nick A · Rating 2 out of 5]

A low tier author

I am flabbergasted at how these first two books received such a high rating. Better than Martin, Tolkien, Sanderson, and Rothfuss? That’s absurd. This work is something you would expect from a high schooler. Completely one dimensional characters. No growth. All while the author is writing about their cringey savior complex.

I had thought something drastic would happen after the first book with the author’s level of skill to merit such a high rating. But instead, I’m left wondering if it’s possible to purchase ratings. I can’t imagine any other reason this book would have these stars.

[Jermel Purse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grand Slam

Excellent follow up to the first book in the series and it didn’t take all day for us to get the next book in the series.

I do have one slide issue with the book. It’s somewhat around the structure of the plot. I don’t wanna spoil anything, but I think it’s weird to learn something from almost nothing. There’s intuition of course, but to literally just figure something out that was a bit much for me. Other than that, this was a great book. The MC advanced properly like I thought he should and the side characters in the story advanced as well. There were even some unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[Dantegideon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of this book was just boring, farting around with channels and so forth. The girls, who might as well be clones, are quite annoying in this one and there's a lot of them for no real reason. Also some extremely rudimentary 'romance', like, cave painting level. Occasionally he does some exciting stuff, particularly near the end when he gets shot of the triplets for a while. If the author could put the passion that goes into the fights into the character development these books would be amazing, but unfortunately this is just so-so.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book.
Solo is the second book in this series, and based on the story so far, this series promises to be one of the best ones I've read in a long time. It follows a familiar formula, but the method used here makes it clear that this is a story not to be missed. Looking forward to the next one.

[Jason W · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird

This series had a promising start but it really started going downhill. The MC who is really a 60 year old men continues to collect adolescent girls. Also they’re all geniuses and shares all his secret knowledge with them even though they treat him like crap when they meat him. The author seems to be going out of his way to ruin a good story.

[Deron J Kling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent second installment!

An excellent continuation of the tale. I am looking forward to the third!

Solo continues his work as a teacher, a warrior of chaos, and an explorer traveling the twisted paths of intrigue and politics within the empire.

[TG · Rating 1 out of 5]

did not finish

Getting harem vibes half way through this book, so I’m just going to drop it before investing my time any further. If I wanted to read harem I would. Don’t disguise a story as something else.

A 90 year old man collecting teenage girls it’s just creepy.

[Ray Ritchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Amazingly well crafted story that drags you in and captures your interest. I finished it the same day of release.

[Grant Merrifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book.

Great book Two.
I was enthralled. I should have went to sleep 3 hours ago.
Instead I read this book...

[Emmanuel Obi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic storytelling

Words can't explain how well written and immersive this story truly is. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.