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The Way of the Shaman #5
The Karmadont Chess Set
Mahan's ready for new adventures - just as the gaming world of Barliona thought it was about to re-enter its old comfortable rut. The winds of the Dark Forest have finally died down; Altameda has recognized its new owner while Geranika is nursing new schemes of global destruction.
Would Mahan be happy with this predictable old life? We think not! New storylines, new monsters, new dungeons and a new status: our High Shaman hates the daily grind! He wants a new apprentice? - then he'd better find someone who has no right to summon Spirits. A new ship? - it's going to be one of a kind! A new love? Well, we'll have to see, won't we?
Would Mahan be happy with this predictable old life? We think not! New storylines, new monsters, new dungeons and a new status: our High Shaman hates the daily grind! He wants a new apprentice? - then he'd better find someone who has no right to summon Spirits. A new ship? - it's going to be one of a kind! A new love? Well, we'll have to see, won't we?
502 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2014
519 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Vasily Mahanenko
96 books1,095 followersBe 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.
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.
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April 5, 2017I am not in a good place right now to ... nope. nope. fuck.
April 4, 2017
Loved It!!!
The betrayal at the end has enraged me!!!!!!!!!! I am furious that I must wait for resoloution admist this hate filled cloud of discontent!!! F@#K YOU Phoenix!!!
The betrayal at the end has enraged me!!!!!!!!!! I am furious that I must wait for resoloution admist this hate filled cloud of discontent!!! F@#K YOU Phoenix!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2025
Niesamowite jest, jak cała seria Drogi Szamana trzyma poziom. Powiedzieć, że z tomu na tom jest coraz lepiej to za mało, ponieważ piąta część zaorała wszystkie poprzednie i zostawiła je daleko w tle!
Dalej jesteśmy świadkiem przygód Szamana Machana w Barlionie, wirtualnej rzeczywistości, która nie tylko jest grą, ale wręcz alternatywnym światem, miejscem pełnym tajemnic, intryg, spisków oraz sposobem na zarobek w realnym życiu. Akcja toczy się płynnie przechodząc z jednego tomu w drugi, a tym razem skupia się na legendarnym artefakcie - Szachach Karmadonta, jedynych w swoim rodzaju figurach, które mają otworzyć dostęp do Grobowca Stwórcy. Miejsca owianego tajemnicą, którego jeszcze żaden z graczy nie miał możliwości poznać.
Przede wszystkim w dalszym ciągu uwielbiam styl autora! Jego lekkie pióro, cięty, lecz niewymuszony humor, inteligencję i przenikliwość oraz niezwykle optymistyczne podejście do życia, nawet gdy wszystko wokół sypie się. Powieść pełna jest rozmaitych przygód, od wędrówek po zamkach, poprzez przebierania się za gnomy i przeistaczanie się w pirata, po walki na morzu z potworami. kończąc. Pojawią się również nowi bohaterowie, którzy pomimo tego, że niejednokrotnie mocno mnie irytowali, ostatecznie zyskali moją sympatię.
Niestety (lub stety) zakończenie… rozwaliło system. Wydarzyło się wszystko to, czego nie spodziewałam się i zostawiło mnie zdruzgotaną, ze złamanym serduszkiem, w tak wielkich emocjach, że przez dwa dni chodziłam wściekła! I nie zrozumcie mnie źle - uwielbiam być zaskakiwana, nawet jeśli fabuła pójdzie w nie takim kierunku jakiego się spodziewałam, i z jednej strony bardzo zakończenie mi się spodobało. Jednak z drugiej… potrzebuję szósty tom! Teraz, NATYCHMIAST! Cała sytuacja pokazuje tylko, jak świetnie autor potrafi budować napięcie oraz jak umiejętnie wpływa na czytelnika, przenosząc emocje ze swojego bohatera na niego.
Dla kogo skierowana jest seria Droga Szamana? Na pewno do graczy, fanów MMO i RPG. Sam autor otwarcie się przyznaje do inspiracji światem Blizzarda i na kartach powieści jest to widoczne. Zajadli fani gier odkryją w tych książkach najwięcej smaczków i będą mieć niezwykłą frajdę z czytania. Jednocześnie jednak seria napisana jest w tak prosty i przystępny sposób, że nawet osoby, które z grami nie miały nic do czynienia, mogą czerpać ogromną przyjemność z czytania i świetnie się bawić. Osobiście nie mogę się już doczekać, aby na powrót znaleźć się w świecie Barliony!
Dalej jesteśmy świadkiem przygód Szamana Machana w Barlionie, wirtualnej rzeczywistości, która nie tylko jest grą, ale wręcz alternatywnym światem, miejscem pełnym tajemnic, intryg, spisków oraz sposobem na zarobek w realnym życiu. Akcja toczy się płynnie przechodząc z jednego tomu w drugi, a tym razem skupia się na legendarnym artefakcie - Szachach Karmadonta, jedynych w swoim rodzaju figurach, które mają otworzyć dostęp do Grobowca Stwórcy. Miejsca owianego tajemnicą, którego jeszcze żaden z graczy nie miał możliwości poznać.
Przede wszystkim w dalszym ciągu uwielbiam styl autora! Jego lekkie pióro, cięty, lecz niewymuszony humor, inteligencję i przenikliwość oraz niezwykle optymistyczne podejście do życia, nawet gdy wszystko wokół sypie się. Powieść pełna jest rozmaitych przygód, od wędrówek po zamkach, poprzez przebierania się za gnomy i przeistaczanie się w pirata, po walki na morzu z potworami. kończąc. Pojawią się również nowi bohaterowie, którzy pomimo tego, że niejednokrotnie mocno mnie irytowali, ostatecznie zyskali moją sympatię.
Niestety (lub stety) zakończenie… rozwaliło system. Wydarzyło się wszystko to, czego nie spodziewałam się i zostawiło mnie zdruzgotaną, ze złamanym serduszkiem, w tak wielkich emocjach, że przez dwa dni chodziłam wściekła! I nie zrozumcie mnie źle - uwielbiam być zaskakiwana, nawet jeśli fabuła pójdzie w nie takim kierunku jakiego się spodziewałam, i z jednej strony bardzo zakończenie mi się spodobało. Jednak z drugiej… potrzebuję szósty tom! Teraz, NATYCHMIAST! Cała sytuacja pokazuje tylko, jak świetnie autor potrafi budować napięcie oraz jak umiejętnie wpływa na czytelnika, przenosząc emocje ze swojego bohatera na niego.
Dla kogo skierowana jest seria Droga Szamana? Na pewno do graczy, fanów MMO i RPG. Sam autor otwarcie się przyznaje do inspiracji światem Blizzarda i na kartach powieści jest to widoczne. Zajadli fani gier odkryją w tych książkach najwięcej smaczków i będą mieć niezwykłą frajdę z czytania. Jednocześnie jednak seria napisana jest w tak prosty i przystępny sposób, że nawet osoby, które z grami nie miały nic do czynienia, mogą czerpać ogromną przyjemność z czytania i świetnie się bawić. Osobiście nie mogę się już doczekać, aby na powrót znaleźć się w świecie Barliony!
April 3, 2017
That ending!! Can't wait for #6!!!!!!!!!!
September 13, 2017
Stacy is a troglodyte!
The first 4 books in this series were fun light reads that had me shaking my head at the MC's stupidity and the easy way things happened for him. This book isn't like that. About 1/4 through I started dreading what new way Stacy was going to betray him, and at half way through I was putting the book down and walking away from it for a day. All of the joy and fun had vanished. I will give the author credit for making me feel strongly, but I usually try to avoid feeling what I felt reading this book. The only reason I'm reading the 6th book is I want to see Plinto and the Mahan smash that (unprintable) Stacy out of the game. Plinto, and the zombie are the only ones who don't betray Mahan. Sorry if that is a spoiler, but you really need to know that someone is true to Mahan. My husband telling me that is the only reason I finished this book and started the next one.
The first 4 books in this series were fun light reads that had me shaking my head at the MC's stupidity and the easy way things happened for him. This book isn't like that. About 1/4 through I started dreading what new way Stacy was going to betray him, and at half way through I was putting the book down and walking away from it for a day. All of the joy and fun had vanished. I will give the author credit for making me feel strongly, but I usually try to avoid feeling what I felt reading this book. The only reason I'm reading the 6th book is I want to see Plinto and the Mahan smash that (unprintable) Stacy out of the game. Plinto, and the zombie are the only ones who don't betray Mahan. Sorry if that is a spoiler, but you really need to know that someone is true to Mahan. My husband telling me that is the only reason I finished this book and started the next one.
October 22, 2017
The ending utterly ruined this series for me. It feels like a cheap way to amp up the drama of the series to keep the reader invested by basically pressing the reset button on the POV character's perspective of the game world and everyone in it.
*Update*
I highly recommend reading The Hour of Pain which is a short story follow up to this book. It makes the ending to The Karmadont Chess Set much more bearable. I'm not going to change my score because the ending is still really bad, and this short story (very short) should have been put at the end of the book rather than sold separately.
*Update*
I highly recommend reading The Hour of Pain which is a short story follow up to this book. It makes the ending to The Karmadont Chess Set much more bearable. I'm not going to change my score because the ending is still really bad, and this short story (very short) should have been put at the end of the book rather than sold separately.
June 15, 2017
Worst ending to a series I've ever read
If the goal was to alienate your entire audience, well done. You've successfully trashed the whole series in a single chapter.
If the goal was to alienate your entire audience, well done. You've successfully trashed the whole series in a single chapter.
April 19, 2022
kończąc to miałem takie 🤯 plot twist>>> ogólnie mega przyjemne, chciałbym więcej tej uczennicy i goblina, ponadto wracanie do wydarzeń z poprzednich tomówi rozwiązywanie tych zadań<3 świetnie sie bawiłem i nie mogę się doczekać aż sięgnę po następny tom
June 3, 2017
I must admit, I enjoyed the book all the way to the finish…and then I stopped enjoying it pretty quickly. I have no idea, why the stuff that happened happened, and it wasn’t a good plot twist for me. I felt a little cheated…
Mild spoiler warning :)
I'm wondering what did women ever do to this poor autor to make him view them this way… :D
Mild spoiler warning :)
I'm wondering what did women ever do to this poor autor to make him view them this way… :D
December 23, 2025
Kocham ❤️
May 13, 2023
Końcówka ma tak potężny plot twist, że gdy czytałem ten tytuł pierwszy raz nie wiedziałem co mam zrobić z własnym życiem. Teraz efekt słabszy ale i tak. LitRpg to najlepsze co mnie w życiu spotkało
September 30, 2023
3.5/5⭐️
June 11, 2025
5⭐ !!!
audiobook
wysłuchałam w jeden dzień? i znowu sie potwierdza, że to jest moja ulubiona część. nie można sie oderwać. aż czasami żaluję, że słucham a nie czytam choć wiem, że czytałabym wtedy za szybko 🙃
audiobook
wysłuchałam w jeden dzień? i znowu sie potwierdza, że to jest moja ulubiona część. nie można sie oderwać. aż czasami żaluję, że słucham a nie czytam choć wiem, że czytałabym wtedy za szybko 🙃
September 24, 2022
co do jasnej anielki się tutaj stało … JA SIĘ PYTAM … panie prezesie, panie prezydencie … gdzie jest do cholery kolejny tom - jakim prawem można zostawiać czytelnika z tak złamanym sercem NO JA SIĘ PYTAM, JAK, HOW, DFCK
September 20, 2023
Nie potrafię opisać słowami jakie to było dobre!
July 8, 2024
Absolutnie uwielbiam tę serię! Ten tom nie odstaje jakością od poprzednich, których treść i bohaterowie są po prostu fenomenalni. Historia Machana wciąga od pierwszych stron i nie pozwala wypuścić do końca książki, a nawet serii. Uwielbiam, kocham, ubóstwiam
August 2, 2017
This is the absolute worst book in the series. It loses all of it's charm from here on. The mystery of the game is gone, the quests are somewhat repetitive. The dialog is predictable and downright annoying. The protagonist turns into an utter jerk.
The root of all of these problems is that the protagonist has turned into a guildmaster and now the whole story revolves around that which the author is TERRIBLE at: character interaction.
For example, the protagonist now has an apprentice and he's a total jackass to her. Constantly telling her to shut up and know her place. That she should do as she's told. Of course, in the previous books, the protagonist had no problem ignoring everyone's advice around him and breaking all the rules, but when his apprentice does it....
The guild storyline is just garbage, it basically revolves around the protagonist making an easy decision, putting someone in charge of something, then benefitting like crazy from it.
That's two thirds of the book right there. The last third is him coming up with crazy ideas that should be impossible for a number of reasons, then completing them easily with flashy effects.
The root of all of these problems is that the protagonist has turned into a guildmaster and now the whole story revolves around that which the author is TERRIBLE at: character interaction.
For example, the protagonist now has an apprentice and he's a total jackass to her. Constantly telling her to shut up and know her place. That she should do as she's told. Of course, in the previous books, the protagonist had no problem ignoring everyone's advice around him and breaking all the rules, but when his apprentice does it....
The guild storyline is just garbage, it basically revolves around the protagonist making an easy decision, putting someone in charge of something, then benefitting like crazy from it.
That's two thirds of the book right there. The last third is him coming up with crazy ideas that should be impossible for a number of reasons, then completing them easily with flashy effects.
September 29, 2021
Drugie najbardziej drastyczne zakończenie zaraz po końcu maskarady
June 9, 2017
Predicable actions for 3 books. A Mayan getting dumber and dumber and growing a huge ego by each book. The last 20 minutes wrapped up nicely how GD dumb he was for the past 3 books. He got taken for a ride in the real world by a woman and got tossed in Jail, so they did it again to him and he fell for it once more.
Terrible FKing ending!! for all these Plot conveniences added in for the shake of it! NO MMO has ever character unbound artifacts or quest items that can simply taken from your inventory!!!! The developers of that game would be tossed to the wolves.
Terrible FKing ending!! for all these Plot conveniences added in for the shake of it! NO MMO has ever character unbound artifacts or quest items that can simply taken from your inventory!!!! The developers of that game would be tossed to the wolves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2017
One of the best LitRPG series out there.
This is one of the best LitRPG series out there! My ONLY complaint is that while books 6 and 7 are finished, alas they are awaiting translation into English... So not a real complaint more I hate just waiting, and wish I could read Russian so I could read them right now. Otherwise great addition to the series and I can't wait to see what the Shaman will do next.
This is one of the best LitRPG series out there! My ONLY complaint is that while books 6 and 7 are finished, alas they are awaiting translation into English... So not a real complaint more I hate just waiting, and wish I could read Russian so I could read them right now. Otherwise great addition to the series and I can't wait to see what the Shaman will do next.
May 24, 2018
4.7 ☆ The twist at the end was so great, before it happened the book was at best a 3☆.
November 3, 2024
Tohle je díl od dílu lepší a lepší 👌
September 3, 2023
The Karmadont Chess Set
The Way of the Shaman series, book 5
By Vasily Mahanenko
Response to Ending (Warning: Mega Spoilers)
Anastaria revealed her turncoat nature at the end of this book and stripped Mahan of virtually every valuable item that he has acquired in the past half year of in-game indentured servitude as a player-convict. This includes the Karmadont Chess Set pieces, all his gold, unique items, and most of his clan including many other would-be friendship betrayals.
But no - Mahan still has his powered-up level 137 character, 595 unused stat points, the Jewel-crafting profession and Crafting stat befitting of his level, unique race of Dragon, unique Dragon totem, highest rank in his class of High Shaman, 400-some odd followers (including Plinto) clan with unique banner, regal title of Earl, first player ever to receive an apprentice (Fleita), his level 24 castle was saved from an assault, he still has non-clan ties to others in power (Kalatea, Spiteful Gnum, Reptillus, Evolett, etc.), and managed to pay the enormous sum of $94 million to release himself from prison! At least one turncoat sided against Anastaria’s dastardly deeds as well (Clutzer). Furthermore, Mahan supposedly still retains his preternatural ability to unlock new game content, uncover game-changing quests, and an otherwise uncanny streak of luck. All while bagging the prettiest girl in Malabar and having a seat at the table of some of the most elite deliberations and strategy sessions with top clans in Barliona. Not bad for 6 months of gameplay, don’t you think?
Yet Mahan is a flawed character: too trusting of others (perhaps a parallel to the author’s own life experiences?) However, I feel it’s patently unreasonable to expect that Mahan could’ve predicted such monumental betrayal by Anastaria the cold-hearted bitch, et al. Yes, he’s naive. Yes he doesn’t want to address past hurts (e.g. infuriatingly dodging Marina’s attempts at coming clean the past 4 books). Yes, he’s hopeful that despite all his mistakes, the world is inherently good and has good things in store for him. What’s wrong with that?
(In “Hour of Pain”, book 5.5, we get a spin on the ending from Anastaria’s point of view, and while her explanation is fairly ludicrous in nature, it does explain the why behind things, if anyone is interested.)
(Update: it behooves everyone who liked book 5 aside from the ending to finish the series, as the reasoning behind Anastaria’s betrayal is thoroughly explained in books 6 and 7, and yes there is a happy ending for Mahan in store after all.)
Overview
“The Karmadont Chess Set”, book 5–the eponymous name for the focal point of the series (arguably more so than the series’ subtitle: “the Way of the Shaman”)—begins by dealing with the aftermath of the events of the previous book’s ending. All the top players who participated in the “Heart of Darkness” event have their class abilities frozen for the next 2 months so that other players can help in its completion. This frees Mahan to focus on other quests that doesn’t involve raiding or grinding for levels.
Mahan (perhaps as the Corporation’s Convict Guinea Pig?) unlocks a lot of new game content throughout the book, including:
1. The devs implement a trial period between 3 other players (Mahan of course being one of them) in which they will rule over a settlement/town/village.
2. Mahan is the first player to become someone’s class mentor (even while his own class has been stripped from him for the next 2 months). Usually only NPC Imitators are allowed to be mentors.
3. Mahan unlocks the ability for players to create Stones of Light (upon his final completion of the Grey Death quest from book 2).
4. Mahan breaks through rank 10 as a Dragon after brokering a portal from Eluna to Vilterax to confront his mentor, Renox.
5. Mahan crafts the Tanzanite Giants as the final 2 Rooks for the Chess Set (after uncovering the story of Ra and Tigra who sacrificed themselves to save the lives of children of their enemy).
6. Mahan crafts (out-of-order) the Emperor chess piece from blue diamond. The Emperor is revealed to be not Karmadont himself but the Emperor Lait of the Human home-world of Calaan.
7. Mahan crafts the Tourmaline War Lizards as the final chess pieces and successfully opens the Tomb of the Creator with the Chess Set.
The Good
1. Mahan finally takes on an apprentice “Fleita the Decembrist”, a gorgeous level 8 Zombie who’s under 18 irl (which means her in-game appearance, aside from being a zombie, is the same as her real life appearance). She proceeds to prove herself an outside-the-box thinker like Mahan. Fleita is able to share her highly attuned Shamanistic premonition with Mahan which helps him out considerably in book 5 (since the Shaman premonition ability deteriorates passed level 100).
2. Like the rook-ogres of book 4, the story about the legendary giants (Teegra and Ra) was very touching.
3. The portal-demon interlude with the swindling demon and the Arch Demon was quite amusing.
4. So too was the interplay with Mahan’s mentor, Kornik, when he tells Mahan that since he’s not a Shaman, he cannot reach out to Kornik by using spells (in answer to Mahan each time he successfully reaches out using spells).
5. Resolution to the mysterious player Kreel and the completely OP broken Rogzar’s Crystal item at last. Apparently Kreel is a current or former corporation player, which means he has access to exclusive game content, which makes sense.
6. More backstory on the Lord of Chaos too! Harrashess (who was the youngest son of the Karmadont, the Creator), in a fit of hatred toward Barliona (no other explanation), created the Tarantula Lords (akin to Ungoliant, the Maia of Tolkien’s Silmarillion). Long story short: so much dark energy was created during their reign that the Lord of Chaos was permitted to enter the world.
7. More backstory on the Dragons too. Mahan’s pet Draco is actually Mahan’s teacher’s second son, Sheol. Renox sacrificed his first son to appease his Tarantula Lords.
8. About three-quarters of the way through, we get our first hint of the sabotage that Anastaria, Barsina, and the rest of Phoenix may have in store for Mahan at the end of the book. First, Anastaria takes advantage of Mahan and then tries to explain to him that it’s just a game, then Barsina hints that Anastaria may still be a double-agent for Phoenix, then Clutzer (who is revealed to have gotten out of prison earlier on with assistance from someone else, presumably Phoenix, but can’t tell Mahan outright due to a suspected NDA) nudges Mahan towards suspecting Phoenix of foul play even further.
9. Mahan paid his debt to the government at last - he gets out of prison at the very end of the book!!!
10. He’s finally free of all double-agents by the end as well, hallelujah!
The Meh
1. Despite having his class abilities blocked for the next 2 months, Mahan summons Draco almost immediately in an apparently unconventional way, and his trainer, Kornik, proceeds to tell him that his other abilities can be called forth in like manner. Of course.
2. Mahan’s apprentice proves herself a worthy Shaman apprentice by catching 2 fish from the astral plane which manifested themselves in a pond without fish. Of course.
3. Mahan completing the Skroog dungeon/first kill all by himself by flying to the top of the boss treasure chest chamber felt really lame, especially after the rigamarole that transpired with his raid beforehand.
4. Layers upon layers of backstories continue. The Beatwick wolf quest leads to a resurfacing of the mining goblins that Hellfire and Anastaria offed in book 2, which leads to more discussions about the Kartoss transformers, which leads to an epic undertaking of crafting Stones of Light with a unity which the Emperor needs to grant a Sphere of Abnegation for…. Etc.
5. The bit about Anastaria accusing Mahan of lying to her when he kept mum about receiving the Giant Squidolphin embryo… in events right after Anastaria placing a bet with Plinto that completely took advantage of Mahan’s trust in her, was just too much for me. Granted, I suppose it was all an act anyway.
6. Unlike the Giants, the Tourmaline War Lizards had no backstory whatsoever and I felt gypped by their hasty creation.
The Bad
1. Having already read book 5 and knowing the colossal SNAFU that awaits Mahan at the end, I cringe every time the poor little computer programmer convict makes haphazard assumptions and impetuous decisions, trusts anyone who shows any sincerity whatsoever, gets taken advantage of, or isn’t able to figure out human motives with little information presented (despite being a wiz at discovering in-game content in similar ways). Such examples riddle Mahan throughout the series and are no less present in book 5.
2. Over and over again, Mahan is reminded of how certain other races around him - Anastaria the Siren and Kreel the Titan — are arch enemies of his race as a Dragon. Yet does he ever have his guard up? Nope.
Conclusion
All in all I really enjoyed book 5 and think it was the best of the series since book 1, even despite the SNAFU that occurred at the very end with Anastaria et al. The quests were for the most part were very entertaining, the backstories learned were valuable, Mahan continued to uncover hidden content (and was rewarded accordingly), Mahan finished the Kartossian Chess Set pieces, all while taking out the tedium of grinding for levels because of the temporary absence of his class abilities.
4.5 ⭐️ - Rounded up
The Way of the Shaman series, book 5
By Vasily Mahanenko
Response to Ending (Warning: Mega Spoilers)
Anastaria revealed her turncoat nature at the end of this book and stripped Mahan of virtually every valuable item that he has acquired in the past half year of in-game indentured servitude as a player-convict. This includes the Karmadont Chess Set pieces, all his gold, unique items, and most of his clan including many other would-be friendship betrayals.
But no - Mahan still has his powered-up level 137 character, 595 unused stat points, the Jewel-crafting profession and Crafting stat befitting of his level, unique race of Dragon, unique Dragon totem, highest rank in his class of High Shaman, 400-some odd followers (including Plinto) clan with unique banner, regal title of Earl, first player ever to receive an apprentice (Fleita), his level 24 castle was saved from an assault, he still has non-clan ties to others in power (Kalatea, Spiteful Gnum, Reptillus, Evolett, etc.), and managed to pay the enormous sum of $94 million to release himself from prison! At least one turncoat sided against Anastaria’s dastardly deeds as well (Clutzer). Furthermore, Mahan supposedly still retains his preternatural ability to unlock new game content, uncover game-changing quests, and an otherwise uncanny streak of luck. All while bagging the prettiest girl in Malabar and having a seat at the table of some of the most elite deliberations and strategy sessions with top clans in Barliona. Not bad for 6 months of gameplay, don’t you think?
Yet Mahan is a flawed character: too trusting of others (perhaps a parallel to the author’s own life experiences?) However, I feel it’s patently unreasonable to expect that Mahan could’ve predicted such monumental betrayal by Anastaria the cold-hearted bitch, et al. Yes, he’s naive. Yes he doesn’t want to address past hurts (e.g. infuriatingly dodging Marina’s attempts at coming clean the past 4 books). Yes, he’s hopeful that despite all his mistakes, the world is inherently good and has good things in store for him. What’s wrong with that?
(In “Hour of Pain”, book 5.5, we get a spin on the ending from Anastaria’s point of view, and while her explanation is fairly ludicrous in nature, it does explain the why behind things, if anyone is interested.)
(Update: it behooves everyone who liked book 5 aside from the ending to finish the series, as the reasoning behind Anastaria’s betrayal is thoroughly explained in books 6 and 7, and yes there is a happy ending for Mahan in store after all.)
Overview
“The Karmadont Chess Set”, book 5–the eponymous name for the focal point of the series (arguably more so than the series’ subtitle: “the Way of the Shaman”)—begins by dealing with the aftermath of the events of the previous book’s ending. All the top players who participated in the “Heart of Darkness” event have their class abilities frozen for the next 2 months so that other players can help in its completion. This frees Mahan to focus on other quests that doesn’t involve raiding or grinding for levels.
Mahan (perhaps as the Corporation’s Convict Guinea Pig?) unlocks a lot of new game content throughout the book, including:
1. The devs implement a trial period between 3 other players (Mahan of course being one of them) in which they will rule over a settlement/town/village.
2. Mahan is the first player to become someone’s class mentor (even while his own class has been stripped from him for the next 2 months). Usually only NPC Imitators are allowed to be mentors.
3. Mahan unlocks the ability for players to create Stones of Light (upon his final completion of the Grey Death quest from book 2).
4. Mahan breaks through rank 10 as a Dragon after brokering a portal from Eluna to Vilterax to confront his mentor, Renox.
5. Mahan crafts the Tanzanite Giants as the final 2 Rooks for the Chess Set (after uncovering the story of Ra and Tigra who sacrificed themselves to save the lives of children of their enemy).
6. Mahan crafts (out-of-order) the Emperor chess piece from blue diamond. The Emperor is revealed to be not Karmadont himself but the Emperor Lait of the Human home-world of Calaan.
7. Mahan crafts the Tourmaline War Lizards as the final chess pieces and successfully opens the Tomb of the Creator with the Chess Set.
The Good
1. Mahan finally takes on an apprentice “Fleita the Decembrist”, a gorgeous level 8 Zombie who’s under 18 irl (which means her in-game appearance, aside from being a zombie, is the same as her real life appearance). She proceeds to prove herself an outside-the-box thinker like Mahan. Fleita is able to share her highly attuned Shamanistic premonition with Mahan which helps him out considerably in book 5 (since the Shaman premonition ability deteriorates passed level 100).
2. Like the rook-ogres of book 4, the story about the legendary giants (Teegra and Ra) was very touching.
3. The portal-demon interlude with the swindling demon and the Arch Demon was quite amusing.
4. So too was the interplay with Mahan’s mentor, Kornik, when he tells Mahan that since he’s not a Shaman, he cannot reach out to Kornik by using spells (in answer to Mahan each time he successfully reaches out using spells).
5. Resolution to the mysterious player Kreel and the completely OP broken Rogzar’s Crystal item at last. Apparently Kreel is a current or former corporation player, which means he has access to exclusive game content, which makes sense.
6. More backstory on the Lord of Chaos too! Harrashess (who was the youngest son of the Karmadont, the Creator), in a fit of hatred toward Barliona (no other explanation), created the Tarantula Lords (akin to Ungoliant, the Maia of Tolkien’s Silmarillion). Long story short: so much dark energy was created during their reign that the Lord of Chaos was permitted to enter the world.
7. More backstory on the Dragons too. Mahan’s pet Draco is actually Mahan’s teacher’s second son, Sheol. Renox sacrificed his first son to appease his Tarantula Lords.
8. About three-quarters of the way through, we get our first hint of the sabotage that Anastaria, Barsina, and the rest of Phoenix may have in store for Mahan at the end of the book. First, Anastaria takes advantage of Mahan and then tries to explain to him that it’s just a game, then Barsina hints that Anastaria may still be a double-agent for Phoenix, then Clutzer (who is revealed to have gotten out of prison earlier on with assistance from someone else, presumably Phoenix, but can’t tell Mahan outright due to a suspected NDA) nudges Mahan towards suspecting Phoenix of foul play even further.
9. Mahan paid his debt to the government at last - he gets out of prison at the very end of the book!!!
10. He’s finally free of all double-agents by the end as well, hallelujah!
The Meh
1. Despite having his class abilities blocked for the next 2 months, Mahan summons Draco almost immediately in an apparently unconventional way, and his trainer, Kornik, proceeds to tell him that his other abilities can be called forth in like manner. Of course.
2. Mahan’s apprentice proves herself a worthy Shaman apprentice by catching 2 fish from the astral plane which manifested themselves in a pond without fish. Of course.
3. Mahan completing the Skroog dungeon/first kill all by himself by flying to the top of the boss treasure chest chamber felt really lame, especially after the rigamarole that transpired with his raid beforehand.
4. Layers upon layers of backstories continue. The Beatwick wolf quest leads to a resurfacing of the mining goblins that Hellfire and Anastaria offed in book 2, which leads to more discussions about the Kartoss transformers, which leads to an epic undertaking of crafting Stones of Light with a unity which the Emperor needs to grant a Sphere of Abnegation for…. Etc.
5. The bit about Anastaria accusing Mahan of lying to her when he kept mum about receiving the Giant Squidolphin embryo… in events right after Anastaria placing a bet with Plinto that completely took advantage of Mahan’s trust in her, was just too much for me. Granted, I suppose it was all an act anyway.
6. Unlike the Giants, the Tourmaline War Lizards had no backstory whatsoever and I felt gypped by their hasty creation.
The Bad
1. Having already read book 5 and knowing the colossal SNAFU that awaits Mahan at the end, I cringe every time the poor little computer programmer convict makes haphazard assumptions and impetuous decisions, trusts anyone who shows any sincerity whatsoever, gets taken advantage of, or isn’t able to figure out human motives with little information presented (despite being a wiz at discovering in-game content in similar ways). Such examples riddle Mahan throughout the series and are no less present in book 5.
2. Over and over again, Mahan is reminded of how certain other races around him - Anastaria the Siren and Kreel the Titan — are arch enemies of his race as a Dragon. Yet does he ever have his guard up? Nope.
Conclusion
All in all I really enjoyed book 5 and think it was the best of the series since book 1, even despite the SNAFU that occurred at the very end with Anastaria et al. The quests were for the most part were very entertaining, the backstories learned were valuable, Mahan continued to uncover hidden content (and was rewarded accordingly), Mahan finished the Kartossian Chess Set pieces, all while taking out the tedium of grinding for levels because of the temporary absence of his class abilities.
4.5 ⭐️ - Rounded up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2025
ale okropne zakończenie 😭😭
January 20, 2025
Tohle je vyloženě DEJTE MI DALŠÍ DÍL HNED část příběhu...
June 7, 2021
Droga Szamana Etap 5.
Szachy Karmadonta.
Jak nazwa tytułowa wskazuje, głównym wątkiem tej części historii są właśnie owe figury szachowe. Ponownie wracamy w tym tomie do rzeczy oraz wydarzeń związanych z początkowymi zmaganiami Machana. Pojawiają się przed nami nowe wyzwania oraz lokacje, które uchylają kolejny, choć niewielki, rąbek tajemnic niezwykłego świata Barliony.
Kontynuujemy opowieść nie tak późno po wydarzeniach z części 4, ale w szybkim tempie wpadamy w wir nowych zadań i sytuacji. Machan nadal kroczy przed siebie drogą, którą wybrało jego serce, lecz tym razem posiadając wiele rozpoczętych oraz niedokończonych spraw, po ludzku zaczyna odczuwać brak czasu na odpoczynek i spokojne zebranie myśli. Wszystko prze do przodu wraz z każdą kolejną kartką, a my przechodzimy przez cyfrowy świat wraz z głównym bohaterem.
Kolejne poziomy,
kolejne przeszkody...
Tym razem jednak dostajemy coś o wiele, wiele większego, niż moglibyśmy się spodziewać...
Z pewnością nie byłam przygotowana na takie sploty zdarzeń a to, co wydarzyło się w ostatnim rozdziale kompletnie wprawiło mnie w osłupienie. Po zakończeniu książki Machanienko sama nie wiedziałam czy dać tej historii 5 gwiazdek za to, na jakie tory przeszedł bieg wydarzeń, czy może raczej 1 za to, że moje serce zostało zranione oraz bezlitośnie podeptane...
W tym momencie mam wiele pytań, a tak drobną ilość odpowiedzi. Będę jeszcze długo rozmyślać nad dalszymi losami bohaterów, lecz tymczasem pozostaje mi czekanie z ogromną niecierpliwością na tom 6. “Shaman's Revenge”, który u nas będzie nosił tytuł: “Nowy Początek”, z pewnością niejednym jeszcze nas zaskoczy.
Szachy Karmadonta.
Jak nazwa tytułowa wskazuje, głównym wątkiem tej części historii są właśnie owe figury szachowe. Ponownie wracamy w tym tomie do rzeczy oraz wydarzeń związanych z początkowymi zmaganiami Machana. Pojawiają się przed nami nowe wyzwania oraz lokacje, które uchylają kolejny, choć niewielki, rąbek tajemnic niezwykłego świata Barliony.
Kontynuujemy opowieść nie tak późno po wydarzeniach z części 4, ale w szybkim tempie wpadamy w wir nowych zadań i sytuacji. Machan nadal kroczy przed siebie drogą, którą wybrało jego serce, lecz tym razem posiadając wiele rozpoczętych oraz niedokończonych spraw, po ludzku zaczyna odczuwać brak czasu na odpoczynek i spokojne zebranie myśli. Wszystko prze do przodu wraz z każdą kolejną kartką, a my przechodzimy przez cyfrowy świat wraz z głównym bohaterem.
Kolejne poziomy,
kolejne przeszkody...
Tym razem jednak dostajemy coś o wiele, wiele większego, niż moglibyśmy się spodziewać...
Z pewnością nie byłam przygotowana na takie sploty zdarzeń a to, co wydarzyło się w ostatnim rozdziale kompletnie wprawiło mnie w osłupienie. Po zakończeniu książki Machanienko sama nie wiedziałam czy dać tej historii 5 gwiazdek za to, na jakie tory przeszedł bieg wydarzeń, czy może raczej 1 za to, że moje serce zostało zranione oraz bezlitośnie podeptane...
W tym momencie mam wiele pytań, a tak drobną ilość odpowiedzi. Będę jeszcze długo rozmyślać nad dalszymi losami bohaterów, lecz tymczasem pozostaje mi czekanie z ogromną niecierpliwością na tom 6. “Shaman's Revenge”, który u nas będzie nosił tytuł: “Nowy Początek”, z pewnością niejednym jeszcze nas zaskoczy.
May 26, 2021
"Szachy Karmadonta" to już piąty tom przygód szamana Machana i jak przy każdym poprzednim, także i przy nim świetnie się bawiłam, choć ta część jest nieco inna. Przede wszystkim prowadzenie było dla mnie dosyć ciężkie. Początkowo nie mogłam "wgryźć" się w fabułę. Jak na przygody Machana, w moim odczuciu akcja była tutaj zdecydowanie mniej dynamiczna. A przynajmniej przez większą część książki, bo finał... to jest po prostu jedno wielkie pasmo zaskoczeń. Można by się było tego spodziewać, ale jednak autor tak to wszystko poprowadził, że końcówka wgniotła mnie w fotel.
Cóż mogę dodać? Poza tymi subtelnymi zmianami, mamy fajne przygody, nowe i ciekawe wydarzenia, rozszerzające ten świat, a także wątek piratów, który bardzo polubiłam. Podobnie jak w przypadku poprzednich tomów, przez akcję po prostu się płynie. Osobiście lubię tę serię, bo to trochę tak, jakbym obserwowała czyjąś grę i zawsze przynosi mi to frajdę. Trochę się co prawda martwiłam, że piąty tom zacznie mnie już trochę męczyć, ale dobrze się przy nim bawiłam. Miałam co prawda trochę mniej funu z odkrywaniem owych przygód, ale może to być spowodowane tym, że zaspoilerowałam sobie końcówkę i trochę ciężko było mi potem do niej dotrzeć. Także nie popełniajcie mojego błędu i nie zaglądajcie na koniec :D
Cóż mogę dodać? Poza tymi subtelnymi zmianami, mamy fajne przygody, nowe i ciekawe wydarzenia, rozszerzające ten świat, a także wątek piratów, który bardzo polubiłam. Podobnie jak w przypadku poprzednich tomów, przez akcję po prostu się płynie. Osobiście lubię tę serię, bo to trochę tak, jakbym obserwowała czyjąś grę i zawsze przynosi mi to frajdę. Trochę się co prawda martwiłam, że piąty tom zacznie mnie już trochę męczyć, ale dobrze się przy nim bawiłam. Miałam co prawda trochę mniej funu z odkrywaniem owych przygód, ale może to być spowodowane tym, że zaspoilerowałam sobie końcówkę i trochę ciężko było mi potem do niej dotrzeć. Także nie popełniajcie mojego błędu i nie zaglądajcie na koniec :D
May 24, 2017
It doesnt happen often that I finish a book and have no idea how I feel about it. I love this series, I have devoured every volume so far and this was no exception... but that ending... The worst part is probably that the next book isnt available and it will likely be months at least before the next installment is translated and published. The ending of this book was just such a huge hammerblow to everything that's happened so far that it left me shellshocked.
I won't go into spoilers as far as the ending goes but suffice it to say that I did not see this coming, perhaps the hints were there but I've seldom encountered any writer willing to blow such bomb in their stories. I will pick up the next installment when it comes out and I will likely even pay the money to read the 20 pages short-story that's been published about that ending but damn I've taken quite a blow in my love for this series and all I can say is that the author better make it up to me...
I won't go into spoilers as far as the ending goes but suffice it to say that I did not see this coming, perhaps the hints were there but I've seldom encountered any writer willing to blow such bomb in their stories. I will pick up the next installment when it comes out and I will likely even pay the money to read the 20 pages short-story that's been published about that ending but damn I've taken quite a blow in my love for this series and all I can say is that the author better make it up to me...
December 5, 2014
Достойная концовка. Неожиданная.
Как и ссылка на Срыв Дмитрий Рус :)
Как и ссылка на Срыв Дмитрий Рус :)
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