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Dark #1
Dark: Fearless Pioneer
It started with a girl. One he had seen many months past, and only for a few evenings.
Her father, as it turned out, was a barbaric maniac, straight out of the foulest dungeons of the Middle Ages. Decades into the 21st century, the madman seemed terribly out of place.
Yet he was also a powerful mogul – and determined to turn the life of every man who had ever been romantically involved with his daughter into a particular variant of hell only made possible by the latest VR technology. All seventeen of his girl’s former lovers would suffer in virtual reality until they snapped.
The torturers had considered every possibility and taken every measure to assure their success. Not even death would offer their victims an escape. No harm would come to their bodies, of course. Only their minds.
For the first sixteen, the project succeeded. But the seventeenth was different. The seventeenth was Dark.
Her father, as it turned out, was a barbaric maniac, straight out of the foulest dungeons of the Middle Ages. Decades into the 21st century, the madman seemed terribly out of place.
Yet he was also a powerful mogul – and determined to turn the life of every man who had ever been romantically involved with his daughter into a particular variant of hell only made possible by the latest VR technology. All seventeen of his girl’s former lovers would suffer in virtual reality until they snapped.
The torturers had considered every possibility and taken every measure to assure their success. Not even death would offer their victims an escape. No harm would come to their bodies, of course. Only their minds.
For the first sixteen, the project succeeded. But the seventeenth was different. The seventeenth was Dark.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2019
312 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Stone
56 books262 followersArthur Stone is the pen name of one Arthur Smirnov, a prolific author in the sci-fi and fantasy genres.
Born in 1973 in Donetsk, Ukraine, Arthur worked as a geologist, and also in the environmental sector and industrial archeology all over the world. He lives and works in Ukraine.
Arthur began writing fiction in 2005 on a bet, and thus his addiction was born. His first book was published in 2006, and by mid - 2025 he had published a total of 84 books in Russian, English and German-speaking markets.
Arthur Stone - email arthurstone2017@gmail.com
Born in 1973 in Donetsk, Ukraine, Arthur worked as a geologist, and also in the environmental sector and industrial archeology all over the world. He lives and works in Ukraine.
Arthur began writing fiction in 2005 on a bet, and thus his addiction was born. His first book was published in 2006, and by mid - 2025 he had published a total of 84 books in Russian, English and German-speaking markets.
Arthur Stone - email arthurstone2017@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 16, 2019
Just couldn't work through it
Would qualify as a shift lit but what I hate are numbers which mean jack. The author attempted to weave it into the story but things still didn't add up. Maybe good for others but I only made it 40%
Would qualify as a shift lit but what I hate are numbers which mean jack. The author attempted to weave it into the story but things still didn't add up. Maybe good for others but I only made it 40%
April 20, 2020
Lame writing, mildly homophobic
I found the story predictable. The combat description was sub par. Characters seemed two dimensional and not fleshed out enough
I found the story predictable. The combat description was sub par. Characters seemed two dimensional and not fleshed out enough
October 8, 2024
Flat characters surrounded by clichés that do little to distract the poor cast of characters
February 24, 2025
I am exhausted from repeatedly reading books where the author makes no attempt at conflict resolution. That is just bad workmanship and authors who do this are simply trying to get readers to come back, not because they are good at their jobs, but to get resolution. This book suffers from that flaw but there are two mitigating factors. The first is that a lack of conflict resolution is nearly universal in litRPG. The second is that the MC isn't completely in control of his circumstances and so there is a bit of a "travel journal" aspect to this story where the focus is on the day to day happenings and not the conflict in need of resolution.
Even without resolution this was a mostly enjoyable story. It wasn't perfect but it was good enough that I didn't care to make notes of the little things along the way. I remember thinking repeatedly that the author didn't think out some detail or other to the detriment of the story. The only example I recall of this needs a little context:
So the MC is a virtual world arena fighter who is kidnapped by the father of a former girlfriend. The girlfriend killed herself and her father interprets her suicide note to be blaming a lover.
Father identifies all 17 of girlfriend's former lovers but is unable to identify which one is culpable. So the father kidnaps and imprisons them all with the MC, the hardest to find, being last.
Father imprisons his victims in a D&D style full immersion game with pain sensors turned all the way up. This way the father can torture his victims endlessly in game. Even though the father has done this 16 times before, this time MC manages to trigger an automated response from the game system which results in the MC being teleported to a random location. The random location is an abandoned part of the game the developers only mostly finished. The MC's character development was done by his kidnapper with the intention of hamstringing the character. So the MC is all alone in a VR world with a screwed up character.
That is sufficient context to make my earlier point about the author overlooking details to the detriment of his story. Now I am about 20 years older than the girlfriend so maybe its an age thing, but I couldn't find out who my first 17 lovers were if my life depended on it. My father could be the richest, most intelligent person on the planet and he would have no hope of finding that out. But imagine then that my father had somehow done that impossible feat. How would he have collected all that information but still be uncertain as to which lover was the problem? Even if that was still an issue my father should have been able to eliminate some of the contenders. And what is really stupid is this whole issue could have been addressed in about two sentences if the author would have bothered to put in a little extra effort (but then, if the author was about writing a really good book it would have had a resolution).
So, back to the story: MC swears vengeance as he teleports away. Manages to survive his ongoing imprisonment in VR and even level up a bit. MC also receives a communication from a mysterious party working to take down the kidnapper and set a trap for a horde of zombies, the leaders of which are far above the MC in levels. The end. Again, zero resolution.
Bottom line: Would have been a good book if the author knew anything about story resolution. As it is, this is a barely above average book for the genre.
Even without resolution this was a mostly enjoyable story. It wasn't perfect but it was good enough that I didn't care to make notes of the little things along the way. I remember thinking repeatedly that the author didn't think out some detail or other to the detriment of the story. The only example I recall of this needs a little context:
So the MC is a virtual world arena fighter who is kidnapped by the father of a former girlfriend. The girlfriend killed herself and her father interprets her suicide note to be blaming a lover.
Father identifies all 17 of girlfriend's former lovers but is unable to identify which one is culpable. So the father kidnaps and imprisons them all with the MC, the hardest to find, being last.
Father imprisons his victims in a D&D style full immersion game with pain sensors turned all the way up. This way the father can torture his victims endlessly in game. Even though the father has done this 16 times before, this time MC manages to trigger an automated response from the game system which results in the MC being teleported to a random location. The random location is an abandoned part of the game the developers only mostly finished. The MC's character development was done by his kidnapper with the intention of hamstringing the character. So the MC is all alone in a VR world with a screwed up character.
That is sufficient context to make my earlier point about the author overlooking details to the detriment of his story. Now I am about 20 years older than the girlfriend so maybe its an age thing, but I couldn't find out who my first 17 lovers were if my life depended on it. My father could be the richest, most intelligent person on the planet and he would have no hope of finding that out. But imagine then that my father had somehow done that impossible feat. How would he have collected all that information but still be uncertain as to which lover was the problem? Even if that was still an issue my father should have been able to eliminate some of the contenders. And what is really stupid is this whole issue could have been addressed in about two sentences if the author would have bothered to put in a little extra effort (but then, if the author was about writing a really good book it would have had a resolution).
So, back to the story: MC swears vengeance as he teleports away. Manages to survive his ongoing imprisonment in VR and even level up a bit. MC also receives a communication from a mysterious party working to take down the kidnapper and set a trap for a horde of zombies, the leaders of which are far above the MC in levels. The end. Again, zero resolution.
Bottom line: Would have been a good book if the author knew anything about story resolution. As it is, this is a barely above average book for the genre.
March 18, 2020
Not what I expected
First, go ahead and get this book. Clear some time on your calendar and get ready.
So the start of the book was not what I expected. Even after the summary of the premise in Amazon, I felt like I would likely not finish it. Not that the book was slow, just that it was not as I expected.
I am not a spoiler person so I don’t get descriptive.
So let’s go into the MC. He is likable. His situation is dire and he doesn’t give up. We should all wish we had his fortitude.
It’s LitRPG so there is level progression. It is an interesting take on that and the complicated mechanics will have the nerdiest of us taking notes and running the numbers.
The MC is not supercharged or super powerful and actually dies a lot. This makes the story better. He uses his head and cleverness makes it more enjoyable.
Anyway, read the story. It’s good. Looking forward to book 2
First, go ahead and get this book. Clear some time on your calendar and get ready.
So the start of the book was not what I expected. Even after the summary of the premise in Amazon, I felt like I would likely not finish it. Not that the book was slow, just that it was not as I expected.
I am not a spoiler person so I don’t get descriptive.
So let’s go into the MC. He is likable. His situation is dire and he doesn’t give up. We should all wish we had his fortitude.
It’s LitRPG so there is level progression. It is an interesting take on that and the complicated mechanics will have the nerdiest of us taking notes and running the numbers.
The MC is not supercharged or super powerful and actually dies a lot. This makes the story better. He uses his head and cleverness makes it more enjoyable.
Anyway, read the story. It’s good. Looking forward to book 2
March 31, 2022
Dark is both the name of the protagonist and the LitRPG series name but more than that I think this book qualifies as the darkest book of this genre which I have read so far and I have read many. It starts of with torture of the worst kind, trying to break Dark psychologically through the horrendous things done to him physically but he was very resilient. Even more than that Dark was cunning and he found a way to escape the virtual reality world he had been imprisoned in, however when he escaped into an alternate reality all he found was a totally ruined and unfinished world and all he started off with were his bare hands and feet and his loin cloth. Dark if nothing else was not one to give up, so he did his best to survive and to improve his lot tackling tiny monsters to start off, but building up his stats as he went along till he could tackle bigger foe for better rewards. I quite enjoyed this very different book however the fact that Dark liked to do his math, something I really hate, turned the story into it's own ordeal to get through. I think there is potential but the writing style leaves much to be desired.
March 24, 2020
Wild start
So this book is full of fun and exploration. The MC (Dark) is a kidnap victim of a rich psychopath. His escape and survival give him unprecedented advantages in this new mmo as well as some extreme disadvantages. Dark is in an undiscovered area and is alone with no way to log out. So all that is left to him is to explore and grind in anticipation of his reintroduction to the rest of society in either the MMO or real. Good fun with lots of discovery and grinding.. I enjoyed to book a lot but am a little put off by the MC's general attitude and not listing to the only help he has gotten. I like aggression but it must be thought out. I do look forward to the next book.
So this book is full of fun and exploration. The MC (Dark) is a kidnap victim of a rich psychopath. His escape and survival give him unprecedented advantages in this new mmo as well as some extreme disadvantages. Dark is in an undiscovered area and is alone with no way to log out. So all that is left to him is to explore and grind in anticipation of his reintroduction to the rest of society in either the MMO or real. Good fun with lots of discovery and grinding.. I enjoyed to book a lot but am a little put off by the MC's general attitude and not listing to the only help he has gotten. I like aggression but it must be thought out. I do look forward to the next book.
July 15, 2020
Good 2nd half.
The beginning half of the book was a slog to get through but made up in the 2nd half by the progression of the character. Most books HURRY through the initial plot lines and this one overdid th initial lot but like any good series you have to lay initial groundwork. Would like to see the character use his counterbalanced stealth more for assassination purposes and I'll be looking into the next in the series. Long start but should only get better in future with protagonist and antagonist plots already laid so thickly!
The beginning half of the book was a slog to get through but made up in the 2nd half by the progression of the character. Most books HURRY through the initial plot lines and this one overdid th initial lot but like any good series you have to lay initial groundwork. Would like to see the character use his counterbalanced stealth more for assassination purposes and I'll be looking into the next in the series. Long start but should only get better in future with protagonist and antagonist plots already laid so thickly!
July 10, 2020
4 stars
I really like this story and laughed quite often but there was a lot of monotony especially when it cam to discovering new thing. Still very good read. The magic system is different from the other dungeon core series so that makes you think a little bit differently about the MC build.
Going to read the next book now...
I really like this story and laughed quite often but there was a lot of monotony especially when it cam to discovering new thing. Still very good read. The magic system is different from the other dungeon core series so that makes you think a little bit differently about the MC build.
Going to read the next book now...
November 18, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I only found a few in this book. I have listed them on Goodreads.
Plot: This is a stuck in the game litrpg.
Characters: I truly love how the author always throws the MC straight into the deep end. While he might have a broken character, he is never just handed stuff and has to earn everything that he gets.
7/10
Mistakes: I only found a few in this book. I have listed them on Goodreads.
Plot: This is a stuck in the game litrpg.
Characters: I truly love how the author always throws the MC straight into the deep end. While he might have a broken character, he is never just handed stuff and has to earn everything that he gets.
7/10
July 27, 2021
Carry on
If you don't like over powered MCs, this is the book for you. If you like adventure, cunning, and over coming, this us the book for you. If you just like good stories this is the book for you.
If you don't like over powered MCs, this is the book for you. If you like adventure, cunning, and over coming, this us the book for you. If you just like good stories this is the book for you.
January 6, 2021
Must read
Fantastic! I was drawn in from the beginning and loved every minute. Very intriguing and creative. Definitely want to read more.
Fantastic! I was drawn in from the beginning and loved every minute. Very intriguing and creative. Definitely want to read more.
February 4, 2020
Could be a 4* or even 5* if the pace wasn't so slow. The author goes on long narrations repeating explanations instead of showing information in a fluid manner. About 60 to 70% of the book is information dump.
January 28, 2020
Well worth the read.
The book was an interesting journey for the mc. An escape from a truly horrifying beginning strands Dark in the middle of nowhere. Opportunities abound if he is clever enough to seize them.
The book was an interesting journey for the mc. An escape from a truly horrifying beginning strands Dark in the middle of nowhere. Opportunities abound if he is clever enough to seize them.
August 1, 2021
Another excellent story from Arthur Stone. LitRPG is a fine art and I wish more authors knew how to structure a good progression story as well as he does.
January 13, 2020
Just wow
Amazing book, very cool and new ideas not read yet in litrpg genre, I hope the author keeps going strong. Good luck
Amazing book, very cool and new ideas not read yet in litrpg genre, I hope the author keeps going strong. Good luck
August 20, 2019
Alert
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Cheers
I hate trying to write reviews because there are really only pass/fail results for me. Did I make it all the way through? Yes? 5 stars. No? There would be nothing here to read. In all fairness, if an author holds my attention from page one to the end, they’ve done their job. Anything less than 5 stars is petty criticism from someone incapable of even doing the job let alone doing a better one.
So in respect for the author and their work, I am going to start pasting this along with a generic review I found somewhere. “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Cheers
August 27, 2019
Arthur Stone does it again
Loved the book, great pioneering, player starting from scratch, decent world building, a little crafting, a little town building kinda.
Great translation from russian to english! Only like two spelling errors which is amazing for any book but especially a translation.
Only complaint is I would have liked to seen the Game Mechanics/progress points system explained a little better. But I can see why the author didnt do so because of the main character.
All in all a great book.
Loved the book, great pioneering, player starting from scratch, decent world building, a little crafting, a little town building kinda.
Great translation from russian to english! Only like two spelling errors which is amazing for any book but especially a translation.
Only complaint is I would have liked to seen the Game Mechanics/progress points system explained a little better. But I can see why the author didnt do so because of the main character.
All in all a great book.
August 29, 2019
Interesting approach, a character that is not given any usable OP advatages
Interesting approach , the character Dark truly build from nothing , no NPC helpers ,no pets and no over powered loot . When he does meet something to talk with it is an abandon AI that does not directly help but rather points out things is such as action Dark has ignored or not realized would do anything. Looking forward to next book to see how things develop.
Interesting approach , the character Dark truly build from nothing , no NPC helpers ,no pets and no over powered loot . When he does meet something to talk with it is an abandon AI that does not directly help but rather points out things is such as action Dark has ignored or not realized would do anything. Looking forward to next book to see how things develop.
August 31, 2019
Mixed Bag
Solid concept, with engaging developments.
The writing is slow and clunky. I often found myself skimming pages, especially the exposition dump by the villain.
The game systems are convoluted and badly designed, but the author planned them and explained them. The bad design made me want to smack the fictional game developers.
Lots of good ideas and potential, harmed by a crude writing style. Worth trying.
Solid concept, with engaging developments.
The writing is slow and clunky. I often found myself skimming pages, especially the exposition dump by the villain.
The game systems are convoluted and badly designed, but the author planned them and explained them. The bad design made me want to smack the fictional game developers.
Lots of good ideas and potential, harmed by a crude writing style. Worth trying.
July 27, 2019
Great litrpg
I have liked all of Arthur Stone's books to date. With that said this is a great new direction. The MC is not OP and has to work for all of his progress. The are true rp g elements that are logical and progressive. I also like the Robinson Crusoe direction of the story. Thanks for another fun great read.
I have liked all of Arthur Stone's books to date. With that said this is a great new direction. The MC is not OP and has to work for all of his progress. The are true rp g elements that are logical and progressive. I also like the Robinson Crusoe direction of the story. Thanks for another fun great read.
August 25, 2019
Really enjoyed it
Kind of a slow start but once going I had trouble putting it down. I like the way the character really struggles early on, the frustration setting the reader up for a deeper empathy for the protagonist and a greater satisfaction with small victories. Looking forward to the next one.
Kind of a slow start but once going I had trouble putting it down. I like the way the character really struggles early on, the frustration setting the reader up for a deeper empathy for the protagonist and a greater satisfaction with small victories. Looking forward to the next one.
August 2, 2019
LITRPG at its best!
Stone is one of the best litrpg authors in the world. Everything he writes is entertaining, interesting, and original. I can't wait for more from any of his current projects!
Stone is one of the best litrpg authors in the world. Everything he writes is entertaining, interesting, and original. I can't wait for more from any of his current projects!
September 15, 2019
Looking forward to the series😀
Really like the more technical levelling up dynamic. It doesn't take away from the story but adds to it very well, nice to see a darker aspect to the story
Really like the more technical levelling up dynamic. It doesn't take away from the story but adds to it very well, nice to see a darker aspect to the story
October 16, 2019
Victim to Hero
Enjoyed the story, especially after Dark escaped his kidnappers. He certainly shows commitment and a desire for revenge. I hope to read more soon. Especially curious about his communication.
Enjoyed the story, especially after Dark escaped his kidnappers. He certainly shows commitment and a desire for revenge. I hope to read more soon. Especially curious about his communication.
October 28, 2019
This one was a bit of work to get through. If you REALLY like game mechanics and skill grinding you may enjoy this more than I did, but aside from that I found it quite long for the amount of progress the plot made.
July 22, 2019
Loved this. Exactly the crunchy crafty litrpg book I like to read.
August 4, 2019
This book would be best described as Robinson Crusoe RPG: MC is dumped in wastelands with little knowledge of game and surroundings, and slowly learns how to survive and even improve.
September 8, 2019
Next, please.
I highly recommend this book. I hate the cliche about " couldn't put it down ". Well.... My wife is mad at me for not getting my honey- dos done.
' Nough said.
I highly recommend this book. I hate the cliche about " couldn't put it down ". Well.... My wife is mad at me for not getting my honey- dos done.
' Nough said.
September 16, 2019
lot of grinding but good story
like the story a lot. leveling system was a little confusing, but I'm not a gamer. Can't wait for book two
like the story a lot. leveling system was a little confusing, but I'm not a gamer. Can't wait for book two
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews