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Manifest Fantasy: Book One - A Military Isekai Adventure
In a world of swords and magic, no one expects an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter.
Transferred to Area 51 to babysit a dusty relic, Captain Henry Donnager made peace with a career of raking sand and motor pool Mondays. But when a team of scientists unlocks a portal to the fantastical world of Gaerra, Henry is thrust into command of Alpha Team, an elite military unit tasked with exploration and diplomacy.
To gain local trust, they join the renowned Adventurers Guild. It turns out modern firepower handles fantasy monsters just fine – and the Guild doesn’t care how they kill the monster, only that it’s dead. Quest by quest, Alpha Team rises through ranks meant for wizards, all without a drop of magic to their name. Every victory pulls them closer to the secret at the heart of who built the gateway, and why?
But the more they succeed, the more eyes turn their way – and not all of them friendly. In a land where dragons loom and emperors scheme, Henry’s team discovers that modern warfare – Hellfire missiles included – holds its own brand of magic.
Experience the adrenaline of this new, action-filled Military Isekai, set in a progression-based fantasy world, where magic is grounded in realism, and modern technology shows its true might! Perfect for fans of GATE and Stargate SG-1.
Transferred to Area 51 to babysit a dusty relic, Captain Henry Donnager made peace with a career of raking sand and motor pool Mondays. But when a team of scientists unlocks a portal to the fantastical world of Gaerra, Henry is thrust into command of Alpha Team, an elite military unit tasked with exploration and diplomacy.
To gain local trust, they join the renowned Adventurers Guild. It turns out modern firepower handles fantasy monsters just fine – and the Guild doesn’t care how they kill the monster, only that it’s dead. Quest by quest, Alpha Team rises through ranks meant for wizards, all without a drop of magic to their name. Every victory pulls them closer to the secret at the heart of who built the gateway, and why?
But the more they succeed, the more eyes turn their way – and not all of them friendly. In a land where dragons loom and emperors scheme, Henry’s team discovers that modern warfare – Hellfire missiles included – holds its own brand of magic.
Experience the adrenaline of this new, action-filled Military Isekai, set in a progression-based fantasy world, where magic is grounded in realism, and modern technology shows its true might! Perfect for fans of GATE and Stargate SG-1.
466 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 5, 2026
I quit after the first third. This is just boring. I know, and enjoy, the anime this is based on. This is lacking any personality for its characters which makes this so bland.
May 15, 2026
Super cool story and quite different from what feels like most stuff out there right now! Excited for book 2
May 4, 2026
Wonderful fresh new take on the genre. Great job of world building so much depth for future story's.
My only regret is the projected 6 month delay for volume 2.
My only regret is the projected 6 month delay for volume 2.
April 27, 2026
I was never a big bookworm to begin with. Even with book assignments in school, I always hated reading. I was able to slowly get into reading through light novels and English web novels. But I still doubted by ability to finish a whole physical book on my own ambition. This book was different though.
I already knew about the web novel edition by S. C. Lee (A.K.A. DrDoritosMD) on Royal Road, Wattpad, etc. but I never got the chance to read it before the first few chapters got snipped on all platforms on the date of its publication. Since I had no way to read the first 17 chapters online (besides chapter 1), I decided to get the book at least so I could continue on the other chapters still up on those web novel sites. As someone with ADHD, seeing the amount of chapters that were double the amount of the original 17 made me think to myself, "I'm not going to be able to finish the whole thing." Boy was I wrong.
I knew what I was getting into when reading the book. But what felt different was how I wanted to keep reading. My hyperfocus was dead set on reading the entire thing from start to finish. It kept me hooked so much, that I started to use some of the time I reserved for writing a 5 page essay (which I hadn't started and was due on the same day) to read more of the book. I even ignored my sleep schedule to finish the whole book by 3 am. This book was the only one that made me want to read a physical medium word for word, instead of scrolling through a web novel or EPUB app. A book not assigned to me to read, but chosen as something I wanted to read on my own personal time. S. C. Lee (A.K.A. DrDoritosMD) has done a wonderous job in creating an engaging and interesting story for those people who have watched/read GATE: Thus the JSDF Fought There and Summoning Japan. Even for people who have watched Stargate may enjoy a story like this. There's just something about reading stories of fantasy characters and antagonists getting obliterated by modern weaponry from Earth.
Now to go over what I've read (Spoiler Alert):
Overall, this book series has potential, and I really hope to see it get adapted into other formats as well. An anime would really be nice, but I'd suffice with a western animation or a live-action remake.
Thank you S. C. Lee (A.K.A. DrDoritosMD) for making such an amazing story, and I'm hoping for the best in Book 2 and beyond.
May 6, 2026
Manifest fantasy, the title of this book may lead some people to believe that it is another book where guns beat Wizards, where Dragons stand no chance against the might of a modern military, and then Uncle Sam rules all that it sees. this book defies those expectations. while it is true that guns beat a wizard the wizard is not hopelessly outmatched against guns the wizard has several options to fight back against guns. This is a world where thermal imaging does not inherently defeat invisibility magic. A world where modern anti tank guided missiles have trouble defeating the natural hide of Dragons well the conveniences of guns and missiles make it easier to defeat monsters it is not a F*** you I win button. This is not the JDSF glaze that GATE is. This is more comparable to stargate SG-1 a series which I personally love as much as I love this.
captain Donnager's alpha team is very comparable to Colonel O'Neill's SG-1 both teams are exploratory and diplomatic in nature both teams are exploring a strange new world and encountering unexplained phenomena new cultures and an antagonistic state if they also find allies that they work with and communities that they help. It is plainly clear to me that Uncle Sam in this strange new world with a portal to it underneath area 51 does not want to be the British Empire and colonize all that it can see it wants to build allies and ingratiate itself is a partner add a friend.
If you Liked GATES modern military versus fantasy monsters you will enjoy this book. If you enjoyed stargate SG-1 and stargate Atlantis and the exploring a strange new world you will love this book. if you want a world where a modern understanding of science can make magic more powerful you will enjoy this book.
captain Donnager's alpha team is very comparable to Colonel O'Neill's SG-1 both teams are exploratory and diplomatic in nature both teams are exploring a strange new world and encountering unexplained phenomena new cultures and an antagonistic state if they also find allies that they work with and communities that they help. It is plainly clear to me that Uncle Sam in this strange new world with a portal to it underneath area 51 does not want to be the British Empire and colonize all that it can see it wants to build allies and ingratiate itself is a partner add a friend.
If you Liked GATES modern military versus fantasy monsters you will enjoy this book. If you enjoyed stargate SG-1 and stargate Atlantis and the exploring a strange new world you will love this book. if you want a world where a modern understanding of science can make magic more powerful you will enjoy this book.
April 26, 2026
Good pacing and characters
I like the story overall, but there's some odd gaps in the technology in methodology that seem like they were put in place just to keep the focus on a single team being the point of the spear. Is the story establishes early on that the military technology is more advanced than we have today. The protagonists are from the US space force, and the main character mentions recently spending time on the moon.
The lead "adventuring" team has been ambushed multiple times yet they repeatedly keep the quick response force to back them up over 10 minutes away. They mentioned having a Reaper drone available, but don't use it for air support.
The military has a spy drone on site during the final engagement. They know their opponents can camouflage themselves with magic. The camouflage enemy disturbs that site by picking up debris. This should be instantly recognized by the pattern recognition in the drone or remote systems, even if the enemy is invisible. Additionally, they have shown the capability of setting up invisible lasers that can be triggered by the enemy, crossing them. Yet, in spite of being in territory near the enemy, they do not set up these sensors when they abandon their vehicles to explore an archaeological site.
These are just nitpicks, and I generally like the story, but it did feel like the protagonists were being stupid just to increase the tension.
I like the story overall, but there's some odd gaps in the technology in methodology that seem like they were put in place just to keep the focus on a single team being the point of the spear. Is the story establishes early on that the military technology is more advanced than we have today. The protagonists are from the US space force, and the main character mentions recently spending time on the moon.
The lead "adventuring" team has been ambushed multiple times yet they repeatedly keep the quick response force to back them up over 10 minutes away. They mentioned having a Reaper drone available, but don't use it for air support.
The military has a spy drone on site during the final engagement. They know their opponents can camouflage themselves with magic. The camouflage enemy disturbs that site by picking up debris. This should be instantly recognized by the pattern recognition in the drone or remote systems, even if the enemy is invisible. Additionally, they have shown the capability of setting up invisible lasers that can be triggered by the enemy, crossing them. Yet, in spite of being in territory near the enemy, they do not set up these sensors when they abandon their vehicles to explore an archaeological site.
These are just nitpicks, and I generally like the story, but it did feel like the protagonists were being stupid just to increase the tension.
July 31, 2026
All ratings start at 3 stars and change from there. Honestly, read as part of a vacation run and I'm a bit behind on writing the actual reviews and I'm not sure I remember everything I might want to say.
I actually recall having a lot to say about this one. Mostly, I want to say I believe that the potential here is somehow lost, for me.
I like the idea, the initial contact makes sense, more or less. I'm not sure I buy the need - the purpose of the book really - to have the US army make a field adventuring team.
There are parts of this book that are interesting, parts that are somewhat tedious, parts that are very involved and edge of seat, and parts that I'm not sure made much sense as military or diplomatic options (depending on the circumstances).
One of the other reviews says this is a series where you don't know if guns can beat magic. I'd actually say that this whole book is an attempt to, and does prove, this to be completely true. Tech crushes everything here. Maybe not one soldier - but the unsaid side argument that isn't actually made but is evident is that there could be a LOT of soldiers with guns and quite frankly just this one squad of completely forgettable characters, takes out 40 or 50 of the opposing forces at a time.
It's fine, but I wanted more. I doubt I read the next book.
I actually recall having a lot to say about this one. Mostly, I want to say I believe that the potential here is somehow lost, for me.
I like the idea, the initial contact makes sense, more or less. I'm not sure I buy the need - the purpose of the book really - to have the US army make a field adventuring team.
There are parts of this book that are interesting, parts that are somewhat tedious, parts that are very involved and edge of seat, and parts that I'm not sure made much sense as military or diplomatic options (depending on the circumstances).
One of the other reviews says this is a series where you don't know if guns can beat magic. I'd actually say that this whole book is an attempt to, and does prove, this to be completely true. Tech crushes everything here. Maybe not one soldier - but the unsaid side argument that isn't actually made but is evident is that there could be a LOT of soldiers with guns and quite frankly just this one squad of completely forgettable characters, takes out 40 or 50 of the opposing forces at a time.
It's fine, but I wanted more. I doubt I read the next book.
May 15, 2026
This really is a great first book
Okay so I’m actually a little blown away with how good this book is for a first book.
Like, damn.
It’s really good quality.
Writing style, pacing, formatting, plus all the editorial stuff?
That’s like a solid 9/10 if not 10/10.
For this genre type - isekai and fantasy in particular, that’s pretty rare unless it’s for bigger name series.
The plot idea itself is great and hasn’t really been touched on before, especially in books, meaning it’s actually fresh and interesting and will keep you engaged.
The level of detail in the phrases, gear, tactics and a few other things is also amazing. Solid like 8/10 on that.
Edit*
So I jumped on RR because you can find more of there, and I’ve gotta say, absolute props to the editing team on this.
Be that the author doing a second round of revisions for the Amazon release or the editing company itself.
Massive qualitative leap from the RR releases to this and well worth it.
Looking forward to the next one.
Okay so I’m actually a little blown away with how good this book is for a first book.
Like, damn.
It’s really good quality.
Writing style, pacing, formatting, plus all the editorial stuff?
That’s like a solid 9/10 if not 10/10.
For this genre type - isekai and fantasy in particular, that’s pretty rare unless it’s for bigger name series.
The plot idea itself is great and hasn’t really been touched on before, especially in books, meaning it’s actually fresh and interesting and will keep you engaged.
The level of detail in the phrases, gear, tactics and a few other things is also amazing. Solid like 8/10 on that.
Edit*
So I jumped on RR because you can find more of there, and I’ve gotta say, absolute props to the editing team on this.
Be that the author doing a second round of revisions for the Amazon release or the editing company itself.
Massive qualitative leap from the RR releases to this and well worth it.
Looking forward to the next one.
May 12, 2026
Note to self: yeah, fun. Keep reading.
Refreshing, particularly in such a niche subgenre where formulas tend to be repeated until you hit a "you've read one, you've read them all" slump.
Isekai, fantasy, monsters, quests, wizards, guns, armored vehicules, apache helicopters... this book has it all, and mixes it in a fun and engaging way. The audiobook narrator was very good too for the style of writing and the book's tone.
I'm split on this though: I'd like it if someone in alpha team got magic, but at the same time I'd rather they didn't to keep the "strangers in a strange land" vibe and separation between alpha team and this magical world. I'm enjoying the "you brought a sword to a gunfight", but it'd be cool if one of the soldiers got magic to see how that'd work out... but also, not.
I REALLY HOPE we don't encounter another realm influenced by another army that made it to this world via another gate. That's be lame and boring.
Refreshing, particularly in such a niche subgenre where formulas tend to be repeated until you hit a "you've read one, you've read them all" slump.
Isekai, fantasy, monsters, quests, wizards, guns, armored vehicules, apache helicopters... this book has it all, and mixes it in a fun and engaging way. The audiobook narrator was very good too for the style of writing and the book's tone.
I'm split on this though: I'd like it if someone in alpha team got magic, but at the same time I'd rather they didn't to keep the "strangers in a strange land" vibe and separation between alpha team and this magical world. I'm enjoying the "you brought a sword to a gunfight", but it'd be cool if one of the soldiers got magic to see how that'd work out... but also, not.
I REALLY HOPE we don't encounter another realm influenced by another army that made it to this world via another gate. That's be lame and boring.
May 13, 2026
The genre now commonly known as isekai (meaning "another world") has deep roots in American "portal fantasy." Long before the term became an anime staple, classic American authors were already sending average Joes to magical realms or across the stars. From the master of adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and his John Carter, to Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, to Robert A. Heinlein's Glory Road.
And I can say wholeheartedly that S. C. Lee (a.k.a. DrDoritosMD) has created a new masterpiece in this genre. He even answers age-old questions like: How do elves feel about F-16s? Can you kill a dragon with a TOW missile? How will full plate armor fare against a 5.56mm round?
All this and more can be found in this riveting tale. Show it to your friends and family—they will thank you for it!
And I can say wholeheartedly that S. C. Lee (a.k.a. DrDoritosMD) has created a new masterpiece in this genre. He even answers age-old questions like: How do elves feel about F-16s? Can you kill a dragon with a TOW missile? How will full plate armor fare against a 5.56mm round?
All this and more can be found in this riveting tale. Show it to your friends and family—they will thank you for it!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
When I first started reading this book, my reaction was that it was a rip-off of Stargate. Silly me. Soon one of the characters mentioned how much the situation seemed like that old TV show, and we were off and running. Lots of references to other movies and TV shows as well as pop culture, which are fun, but that's just a small part of the appeal. This book does a great job of combining genres by having military and research folk from Earth portal to another world and have a Gamelit type experience in a medieval setting. Lots of fun! I was reminded of Pournelle's Janissaries books. The battle at the end of the book is seriously intense. I can't wait for the next book to come out and see where SC Lee takes this series.
April 21, 2026
Interesting Take!
For fans of Stargate, Star Trek and other Sci Fi explorers… you’ll love this!
Personally more into my swords and sorcery but it had that too!
There’s great character progression with some relatable characters. The MC group are vaguely cliche enough to understand but 3 dimensional enough to care about their growth and survivability.
The ‘natives’ has understandable reactions and come with a Tier system that makes sense.
Personally I would have liked some stat screens or a numerical progression between the tiers (as in, how does one jump from tier X to Y) but I also appreciate that wasn’t what this book was about.
I enjoyed the fast but believable pacing and am looking forward to reading book 2!
For fans of Stargate, Star Trek and other Sci Fi explorers… you’ll love this!
Personally more into my swords and sorcery but it had that too!
There’s great character progression with some relatable characters. The MC group are vaguely cliche enough to understand but 3 dimensional enough to care about their growth and survivability.
The ‘natives’ has understandable reactions and come with a Tier system that makes sense.
Personally I would have liked some stat screens or a numerical progression between the tiers (as in, how does one jump from tier X to Y) but I also appreciate that wasn’t what this book was about.
I enjoyed the fast but believable pacing and am looking forward to reading book 2!
July 31, 2026
S. C. Lee has a basic concept for his tale of Manifest Fantasy(paper from Portal Books). Earth opens a stargate into a Dungeons and Dragons universe. Captain Henry Donnager is the head of an Alpha group that joins an adventuring guild to learn more about the planet. At the same time Earth is building a base near the gate to bring advanced weapons through. To add to the mess, ruins of an ancient civilization that was responsible for the original gates. The builders brought monsters from other worlds. I really enjoyed how the magic system made internal sense, the wizards were not all knowing, but could quickly teach the newcomers their language, and the natives were not primitive but used magic to create a complicated world. I ordered the sequel.
May 29, 2026
I really enjoyed this one -- but it took a little bit to get into the capture cycle. Once we were chugging along, it was a very fun ride -- though I think the power levels of various effects aren't quite balanced and furthermore cannot be balanced. Spells that can pierce through MRAPs should absolutely pierce through armored people. I did appreciate the inclusion of the most recent facets of drone warfare without being overly macabre.
Henry and Ron are both fun characters, but we are lacking a bit of depth for either. Their real inner motivations are either absent or so simple as to be absent. But gun book go gunning is fun.
Henry and Ron are both fun characters, but we are lacking a bit of depth for either. Their real inner motivations are either absent or so simple as to be absent. But gun book go gunning is fun.
May 15, 2026
a really good wargate book with good characters and plot. author avoided many problems with other similar books like adding unnecessary povs and pov jumping. the book is mostly on point and without any fluff. mc is on top of his game and isn't afraid to do what must be done. one small thing is that author didn't use other fantasy races to add to the party and went for the obvious choices like an elf so that part of the story feels under developed or romantic subplot not just continuous fighting. I'm waiting for the next book.
July 26, 2026
Great book
A lot of fantasy and tech books don't get the balance right. Tech is either just magic (wand rifles, anyone?) or it's worthless. I like the fact that this book is written from the point of view of an actual military unit with support. I also like the fact that the weapons have to scale up depending on the monster's power.
A lot of fantasy and tech books don't get the balance right. Tech is either just magic (wand rifles, anyone?) or it's worthless. I like the fact that this book is written from the point of view of an actual military unit with support. I also like the fact that the weapons have to scale up depending on the monster's power.
September 17, 2026
Honestly,
It was a super fun ride of “what if the American military budget was big enough to kill dragons”. Fun little fantasy tropes aplenty, lots of tropes, and honestly, a decent but sometimes annoying amount of meta “This is just like __________” commentary. I’ll probably pre-order the second book
It was a super fun ride of “what if the American military budget was big enough to kill dragons”. Fun little fantasy tropes aplenty, lots of tropes, and honestly, a decent but sometimes annoying amount of meta “This is just like __________” commentary. I’ll probably pre-order the second book
April 26, 2026
ok
The book was ok. The random slang I hear from my 7 year old nephew coming out of a doctor’s mouth was jarring. Not all that much happened though, but some things were foreshadowed. The ending was a bit abrupt and not sure I will be back for round 2.
The book was ok. The random slang I hear from my 7 year old nephew coming out of a doctor’s mouth was jarring. Not all that much happened though, but some things were foreshadowed. The ending was a bit abrupt and not sure I will be back for round 2.
May 1, 2026
This was a great change of pace. There is so much isekai out there but this one takes the Stargate approach. The MC is a military man with guns and his training is his ability in the magical world. Fun concept and a really good story.
June 19, 2026
Good read!
Fine mix of modern warfare and fantsy. Easy to read with lots of action. Could use more of the "leveling" aspect of the litrpg genre, but overall I'm hooked and will read on happily.
Fine mix of modern warfare and fantsy. Easy to read with lots of action. Could use more of the "leveling" aspect of the litrpg genre, but overall I'm hooked and will read on happily.
August 8, 2026
This was a lot of fun. Do you like military fiction, fantasy, and a brush of Sci-fi? Well, this has it all. It's got interesting characters in a fantasy setting, and it feels like the author really liked Stargate.
I'm really looking forward to the second book.
I'm really looking forward to the second book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A bit Stargate meets LOTR. Loads of stuff l didn't recognise, but then again l am not a gun nut.
April 24, 2026
If you enjoyed GATE you'll love this
What a fun romp, very similar to the anime GATE or show Stargate. Excellent read that I couldn't put down!
What a fun romp, very similar to the anime GATE or show Stargate. Excellent read that I couldn't put down!
May 5, 2026
love the take on Gate with American style military
I really love the world you set up and can’t wait to see what the future of the world holds.
I really love the world you set up and can’t wait to see what the future of the world holds.
May 13, 2026
Very fun book to read.
May 29, 2026
I read a lot and there's no reason to waste time on poor writing. I love military fiction, military science fiction and litrpg stories. The writing was boring and 2 dimensional.
June 2, 2026
Its so unbelievably peak.
June 6, 2026
Great read!
I'm loving this book, it caught me totally by surprise,, adventure, battles, lots of battles, then magic vs guns! Woohoo!
I'm loving this book, it caught me totally by surprise,, adventure, battles, lots of battles, then magic vs guns! Woohoo!
July 8, 2026
Fantastic read! Feels like you are part of the team! Each chapter is so detailed ! Can't wait for the next book!
July 8, 2026
Freaking awesome
I loved everything about this book and man I've been craving some really good modern military vs dnd stuff and this hits the mark
I loved everything about this book and man I've been craving some really good modern military vs dnd stuff and this hits the mark
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews