Level Two: A Science Fiction LitRPG Novel

by Chris Kennedy

I just wanted to tell my neighbor to shut up.

Hi, I’m Jack Taylor, a romance author from Earth—though you probably haven’t heard of my planet yet. It’s not part of the Galactic Consortium, and that’s a good thing for the shady alien races lurking in the shadows, ready to snatch up anyone they can.

When I was abducted by the Grays during a camping trip, I found myself thrust into a mercenary life I never asked for. Now I’m a Level 2 merc with one to reclaim my home and protect my loved ones. I might accidentally save the galaxy, but that’s not really my focus.

It looks like I might be able to pilot mechs, and with that power, I could turn the tide against the forces exploiting Earth. But as I train with my squad, I’ve uncovered a conspiracy that could shake the galaxy to its core. The Phantom Legion is on the hunt for humans like me, and their sinister plans may be more dangerous than I ever imagined.

Join me on a wild ride through combat training, unexpected alliances, and a race against time, as I strive to prove that even a romance writer can become a hero—assuming I can survive that long.

For fans of Reluctant Emissary, Psyker Marine, Drone Ensign, and other military LitRPG science fiction.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2026

Reviews

[Beach Bum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and well thought out

Not quite as good as the first, the novelty aspect is no longer there and nothing new has really come along
However, the storyline has more depth to it, as we are no longer just focusing on just Rodeos development, but also the wider ranging story of the Mechs, who wants them and why
Some intrigue as we now need to work out who is telling the truth, the ruling conglomerate or the legion?
Not sure id be as trusting of the new guys as they seem to be, but hopefully it all works out

[Julie's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another well written story from Mr. Kennedy. There is great character development and world building in this second book of a five part series. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with lots of action, excitement, and battles with aliens, as the kidnapped author from earth levels up while building his skills as a mercenary.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jefferson Selvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining series

This series can be described as Horatio Wang (Nathan Lowell) meets StarFist (Craig Martel)
A human forced by necessity to become a professional mercenary in a wider galaxy that he has no grounding for. Not being a soldier here, he has no foundation and must ask the obvious, "everybody knows this" questions.

[Antoine Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Level 3, level 3, level 3!!!Yes, it's that good.Pack a romance author away from Coinjock, leave him stranded in the middle of aliens, and watch him survive and thrive...Enjoyable characters, solid pacing and the trademark top-action of Chris Kennedy.

[Herbert Kaskoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

I enjoyed this volume because of its good pace and characters. I am looking forward to the next book in the series