Simon’s Comments (group member since Apr 05, 2016)

Simon’s comments from the Magic Dome Books group.

Dear all!

My name's Simon and I'm a part of Russian publisher Magic Dome Books.

For five years I was working with LitRPG: I read it, I promoted it, I interviewed a few authors, I even drew litrpg-themed small gif cartoons. But believe it or not, I never thought about writing one myself. Until September 27, 2020. That’s the day I came up with the plot.

My mc is an adult, whose life is ruined by a game. He is stuck in it, but he refuses to admit the hopelessness of the situation and he won’t give up fighting his way back. Because it’s a lot at stake for him – the love of his life. The hard truth is his attempts are fruitless, but it doesn’t make much difference to him – if his goal means changing the rules of the world, then he is up for the task.

I was shooting for a new angle to look at the usual two-worlds situation from, and I think, I’ve found one, but I won’t spoil it of course. And though it is a love story, don’t worry - it has plenty of action, twists, battles (and hardcore air battles!), magic and monsters. I’d say, it’s more GameLit than LitRPG, although there’re stats and everything. But fair warning - it’s not hard-crunchy, it’s light-crunchy.

The setting is fantasy + classic D&D. The system is simple but important for the story! And finally – there is a map. I love maps! It’s not too accurate with proportions to tell you the truth, but it’s still fun to look at:



US Amazon (KU+)
Universal link

Project Stellar: The Tribute
by Roman Prokofiev

Blurb:

Every survivor dreams of one day making it to the City. Humanity’s last hope, it boasts the best resources and the greatest minds, bringing together the crème de la crème of the surviving civilization. Behind its unassailable walls and impregnable protection dome, the City bustles with life almost indistinguishable from the state-of-the-art culture of the fabled Utopian era.

Grey sets off on a journey to the City in order to solve the mystery of his past. He’s about to witness the ruthless training methods used to shape the children of the Seven Clans into new Warriors, Enchanters and Technomancers. He’s about to meet the City’s true rulers and finally discover the real purpose of Project Stellar.

Amazon (KU+)
Universal link

League of Losers-2:
In Service of the Pharaoh
by Michael Atamanov

The adventures of Sergeant and his cat continue! The human Beast Catcher has been forcibly separated from his furry girlfriend Shelly, but our hero’s character level is too low to follow her into the wider world or take proper vengeance. All he can do now is gain strength, level up his character and skills, and add to his ever growing list of enemies to one day be punished… or leave that to his ginger kitten Whiskers, fast becoming an expert in curse magic.

In the meantime, a terrible storm is brewing in the sandbox for beginner players. The humans and the sherkhs are on the brink of war for domination of this land fenced off from the rest of the world. The sherkhs are choosing a general for their army, and one of the candidates is an old acquaintance of our hero. The main task for Sergeant and his cat now is to avoid falling into the grip of a bloody conflict.

Amazon (KU+)

In the System
City of Goblins
by Peter Zhgulev

LitRPG / RealRPG

Blurb:

Ivan Susanin, a typical guy and unemployed techie, is initiated by the System and transported, together with a thousand other players, to an unknown location beyond Earth. Ivan has an interface, a spear, and basic weapon skills. All he has to do to return to Earth is complete a simple quest and reach the second level. But experience points are only awarded for kills in this game, and the clock is ticking. Whoever doesn’t score within 24 hours will remain in the location forever.

The game takes places in the ruins of a massive city, where the undead lurk in the central districts and the outskirts are raided by the descendants of past owners. The undead are strong, while the goblins rarely move around alone and aren’t worth much XP. The most valuable prey under these conditions are formal allies, i.e. the other players. If a player is capable of killing a fellow human, of course. Even if they aren’t planning to go against their own nature by murdering innocents, who said that they will have a choice? It’s kill or be killed!

Those who complete the quest will be returned to Earth, where they can rest and prepare for the next attempt. Beyond the local objective is also a global one. In the center of the city stands a temple to a fallen god, and until one of the players captures the Altar, the mission will be repeated again and again. But when all you’re holding is a spear, your allies can’t be trusted, and resurrection is nearly impossible, this isn’t much more than a delayed death sentence…

For the first seven players, who become the Earth Gods, this mission is a chance to rapidly gain power and take charge of a united Pantheon. A chance to escape death and protect our world from invasion. Although there is only one altar and the Gods make others do their work. Ivan must make a choice and decide whose pawn he will become. Or should he take a risk, refuse their patronage and keep his options open?

Amazon (KU+)
Opening chapters

Disgardium-5: Holy War
by Dan Sugralinov

Blurb:

Under the protection of Nergal the Radiant, the Alliance’s armies march confidently toward Tiamat’s temple. Scyth’s old tricks are no longer working. The Legate of the Destroying Plague and his friends have a difficult choice to make: bow to the wishes of the Snowstorm corporation and complete the quest of the Nucleus, surrender to the preventers, or retreat in the battle for Tiamat’s temple to win the war?

One thing is sure: they’re going to need allies. And sometimes, old enemies can make the best friends.

Amazon Kindle

Small Unit Tactics
by Alexander Romanov

Small Unit Tactics is our new LitRPG series with the focus on fighting, weapons and… surprise surprise – small unit tactics. For you, action cravers and military obsessed readers. It’s nicely balanced, fast paced and has solid world building. Hope you like it! The first book is on KU and the second will be, too.

US Amazon (KU+)
International Amazon link

Blurb:

A strange, foreign world. Mysterious judges with capricious rules. Thousands of gamers find themselves split into factions and pitted against each other at the whim of an unknown higher power, with no idea how they got there or why they were chosen. Dying in this world hurts, but it's not the end: dead players always respawn to fight again.

Echo, with his extensive knowledge of fighting, armor, and weapons, has all the makings of a great leader. The ragtag recruits fighting for him under the less-than-threatening name "Society of Pinprick Enthusiasts" become the bane of the opposing factions, sowing terror in their wake. But this game won't be won in straightforward skirmishes. The squad will have to forge pacts with their own faction, the judges, and even their enemies. Each day brings new twists, new rules, and new ways to play, and a step that seemed to be in the right direction might suddenly become a fatal mistake.

Brute force and bravado won't be enough for Echo to carve his way to the top and stay there. He will have to lead his squad through mistakes, good fortune, victory, and defeat in his quest to secure his position.

The two-part epic Small Unit Tactics has a massive fanbase in Russia, and these novels were in many ways forerunners to some of the most famous Russian LitRPG cycles. Departing from the genre standard, there are no system messages or stat sheets here. Instead, the author uses an artistic touch to illustrate the characters' growth as they level up and improve their skills, which undeniably sets these books apart. We are pleased to present them for the first time in English.

Project Stellar-2
The Enchanter
by Roman Prokofiev



Greetings, LitRPG readers!

The second book of Project Stellar is live on Amazon. It’s called The Enchanter. The story takes place on a planet destroyed by the Impact – a vast ancient cataclysm that erased the civilization of Utopia. The Black Moon – a wracked extraterrestrial object of an unknown nature – orbits the Earth. Its shatters completely transformed the planet after falling on its surface. Besides the calamities summoned with their falling, the shatters are also radiating the A-energy that changes living and dead matter. A-Zones surround the locations of their fall and those zones produce A-Creatures unparalleled in Earth biosphere.

The old realm ceased to exist and the Incarnators, raised from the dead by the last directive of Project Stellar, walk upon its ruins trying to save the vestiges of the human race. One particular Incarnator - the MC - a man stuck in the body of a young Legionnaire tribute, still continuing on his journey across the world in order to solve the mystery of his past and rediscover his purpose. And in order to do that, he first needs to survive the trip.

Amazon Kindle

Book 1: The Incarnator (KU+)

League of Losers
A Cat and His Human
by Michael Atamanov



Today I give you A Cat and His Human, the first book of my new series League of Losers.
This is an unusual book for me: there are no space ships and battles, no heavy blasters and orbital bombing. But there’s a new world to inhabit – dangerous terra incognita which is a little bit like good old Earth in dinosaur times. There’re settlers coming to this world with their own destinies, not necessarily humans. And there’s the MC or – to be fair – even two MCs. The second one: small, with a tiny tail, sharp-clawed paws and fluffy ears – will, without a doubt, warm the hearts of the readers. And though the big fellow looks at the kitten as a pet, it’s not obvious who’s really in charge. The cat looks at what’s happening with them from his own perspective and his opinion of the big fellow and his behavior is far from being approving or admiring. The story is told from two points of view, so the reader can look at it from different angles and get the whole picture.
This new world is a severe place, and the big fellow won’t make it without the kitten. Besides there are no unified rules here, no laws and dogmas, everyone can become anything. And it’s not just words, you can literally become anything. Wanna grow wings or gills so you can breathe underwater? Get imperceptible or vice versa – find the invisible? Use magic or regenerate limbs lost in battles? You can do all those things in this world of many opportunities if you have enough mutation points, characteristics and skills for it.
Love and betrayal, new races humankind never encountered with before, exploration of new lands, countless dangers and monsters. That’s what awaits the reader of my new novel. Read and enjoy!

Blurb:

When our protagonist Andrei discovers that his girlfriend has cheated on him, he finds himself with an unexpected choice to make: a quick death, or a new life in another world he knows absolutely nothing about. Andrei chooses life, and sets off alongside his pet, a ginger cat with a limp, for a primeval world fraught with danger. The trouble is… who is whose pet becomes entirely unclear; the man’s consciousness is split between both creatures, and the little cat gets a far greater share of intelligence and wit than his hulking master. What do you do as a weak little kitty? Abandon the clumsy human who always seems to get into trouble, go in search of a new master? Or protect your human body in the hope of one day returning to it?

Amazon Kindle KU+

Dear readers! We are pleased to announce our new campaign. We will monthly send you two free LitRPG books via e-mail in the Kindle format (mobi). Books will be sent on the last day of each month. Do not miss the opportunity to start your LitRPG collection -

Subscribe to our newsletter

LitRPG is a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy which describes the hero's adventures within an online computer game. LitRPG books merge traditional book-style narration with elements of a gaming experience, describing various quests, achievements and other events typical of a video game. The defining feature that sets LitRPG fiction apart from traditional portal fantasy is its use of interactive gaming language, such as the inclusion of various system messages, players' stats, items' characteristics and other elements appreciated by gamers. The narration in a LitRPG novel has to abide by the rules of a game while filling it with conflict and drama as the hero tries to survive in this new environment. This "book meets game" experience proved to be exactly what many gamers-turned-readers were looking for in a novel.

Reality Benders-6: Aces High by Michael Atamanov is released!

To be on a starship that’s just sustained serious damage in a space battle including losing its thrusters and find yourself in a totally different galaxy... You might think that would be cause for panic or, at the very least, despondency, right? Not at all! Gnat maintains optimism, gradually gets his space frigate back in working order and even finds upsides to what happened.

On top of that, there's never a dull moment – both in the virtual game and the real world Gnat finds himself at the very epicenter of the great space-faring races’ interests, though he does not understand why they’re paying him such close attention. And add to that the fact that humanity's Geckho suzerains are also in a tight spot and demanding all their vassals institute a military draft then send their assembled forces out to fight a distant space war.

Will Gnat be able to play his part in this complicated diplomatic party with the future of the entire human race at stake? Find out in Book Six of Reality Benders!

Amazon Kindle

The Alchemist by Vasily Mahanenko
book 1: City of the Dead is released!

There are whole anthologies of stories out there about what humankind does when a game enters their world. But what about when they’re living in one where a game arrived thousands of years before? What if they’re the survivors of a bloody struggle, having fought for and earned their place on the planet?

Tailyn Vlashich was a young nobody far away from all those grander issues. All he cared about was one thing: making his way through a harsh world where the emperor, evil foes, and an impartial god held sway. And the god, of course, demanded nothing less than that all things were done in accordance with its divine will.

Amazon (KU+)

The Fairy Code: Captive of the Shadows by Kaitlyn Weiss is now free on Amazon!


Blurb:

It started out like any other day. How was I to know it was my last day on Earth? You see, on that day, my boss sold me to Doran, the King of Shadows, ally of Chaos, and ruler of one of the three faery courts.
Sounds crazy, right? After all, I’m a geneticist, not a slave.
Before I knew it, I was transported to another world - a world where the very landscape killed most humans. Somehow, against the odds, I survived.
But how?
And why was I here?

I soon found out that the faeries were barren and facing extinction.

The King of Shadows set before me the daunting challenge of finding out why. The consequence for failure? Facing an unbearable fate.

But someone or something was out to stop me....

My search for a solution would lead me to secrets about my own origin and to unexpected feelings for this cruel land and its harsh ruler.

Oh, Chaos! What a wild ride!

From Amazon reviews:

"A new for me author, this book I found to be well written and executed. It was a new world and story of faery and humanity. A story of the powerful seeking more and the results."

"I enjoyed the read. Fairies, a bit of science, and a lot of mysteries. I'm used to reading paranormal romances. This was different. A definite beauty and the beast scenario. By the end I was definitely wanting more. So many hidden things in play."

"One of the best fantasy books I’ve read!"

"Wow! Glad I found this. It was sheer escapism, which is just what I need. At first I was worried it would be on the formulaic side, but to my delight, Aurora is smart and strong and every bit Doran's match. I just LOVED the unexpected plot twists and the role played by the entity known as Chaos. Truly a well-fleshed out alternative world, and faeries have never been sexier! Can't wait for the sequel!"

Amazon Kindle

The book is free! Please, consider leaving a review if you like it!

No Mistake - the first book of Vasily Mahanenko's new series - World of the Changed is released!

Let’s go! A new, ultramodern mobile game, and the release is just two days away. Be the best, save the planet! Who’s going to fight back the monster invasion if you don’t? Prerelease already available, no text alerts or payment required.

World of the Changed completely modified human consciousness. The incredible graphics that worked even on the simplest of phones. The intuitive interface that made the game accessible for absolutely anyone. The aggressive marketing campaign that put news about the game on every TV, every phone, every tablet. By the time the launch was a few days away, an entire army of fans was out there waiting for just one thing: Hour X. That was what the mysterious developers were calling the release time.

But did anyone have a clue what Hour X would unleash on them? Were they ready to pay the price the game demanded? Mark Derwin, a student, was just one of many to have no idea what kind of fate awaited him in the game. All he cared about was jumping into the prerelease as soon as it came out.

Amazon (KU+)

Audiobook Underdog-1: The Dungeon of the Crooked Mountains by Alexey Osadchuk



Amazon audio - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y8S2S4P

Released October 8, 2019

World 99 is a new Wuxia/LitRPG series by Dan Sugralinov (Level Up, Disgardium).

The body of young paralyzed Luca, a boy killed by cruel bullies, becomes home to an interdimensional traveler. This is the ninety ninth world for this traveler who has spent an entire life in each of his previous worlds. And now he is out of lives, his previous misdeeds leaving him with a negative balance of points and preventing him from reincarnating anew. Once he realizes that he must spend his final life in a poverty-stricken family in a backward world, he awakens the consciousness of the deceased Luca and ends his own physical existence, leaving all his abilities to his heir.

One such ability is the use of the Wheel. Every traveler can spend points to spin the Wheel and gain a special talent, a superpower, or... a deadly illness. Luca spins the Wheel and gains the superpower of metamorphosis. Now he can regenerate, recover from deadly wounds and even take on the shape of other beings. The young man takes on the form of the Emperor: to avoid death, help his family and, finally, to bring order to the Empire!

The book is available on KU!

Amazon Kindle

LitRPG / Sci-Fi - Galactogon: A Check for a Billion by Vasily Mahanenko



Amazon Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TN1MNH7

Released August 30, 2019

Underdog: Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains by Alexey Osadchuk is released!

Eric was born in a world governed by the Great System, in the family of Aren Bergman, a respected miner from Orchus. But the joy of gaining a son was overshadowed by the newborn’s terrible affliction. Eric was completely nulled – level zero and no characteristics points. The only things keeping him from dying were his tiny base supplies of “life” and “energy.”
The medicine woman who delivered Eric believes this to be the work of the evil spirit Bug. Due to the peculiar laws of the Great System, Eric cannot use experience essences or characteristics tablets, so he risks having to spend his whole life confined to a bed. But his father finds a solution. He takes out a large bank loan and goes to the capital where he buys a few artifacts of the Ancients on the black market, which have no level restriction.
Despite having the artifacts, Eric is still very feeble and everyone in town thinks him a freak. But at least he can move on his own and that gives the Bergmans hope. But alas, it isn’t for long. On Eric’s fourteenth birthday, his father and mother die in a mining accident. The bank takes their house, and Eric is left with no choice but to work off the remaining debt in the Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains.
And so begins the story of a nulled boy’s struggle to survive…

Amazon Kindle (KU+)

Audiobook will be released October 8, 2019

A Second Chance (Invasion, book 1) by Vasily Mahanenko is released!
A direct continuation of The Way of the Shaman series

Blurb:

Reality is cruel. The rising level of technological development has led to a rising level of unemployment. They're laying off everybody, from teachers to technical servicemen. What's the point of holding onto a person if they can be replaced by an advanced mechanism?

But what are the people to do? How are they to live? Where are they to get money from? There is only one answer – Barliona. The official government project is gathering steam, luring more and more people into its net. Who knows how people will behave when they lose everything?

Brody West is one such person. Unlike most, he doesn't lose heart. A professional project manager with thirty years in the business simply cannot do that. He has a goal, and a clear understanding of how to achieve it. Nobody can get in his way – not the new class, not the strange friend, and not the unexpected foes.

Amazon Kindle (KU+)

Interworld Network: The Time Master by Dmitry Bilik is released!

Real-life LitRPG from bestselling Russian author

Have you ever said something only to regret it later? Did you ever break your Mom's favorite mug? Or graze your boss' car in the parking lot, only to be stripped of a bonus later? All of us have those moments when we wish we could rewind time. We'd have done everything differently then!
Sergei is no exception. With only one difference: he is lucky enough to have received the Time Master development branch. So yes, he can now rewind time, albeit a few seconds at a time, allowing him to rectify his mistakes and defeat much stronger opponents. In addition, Sergei gains access to a great multitude of worlds governed by magic. And he also lays his hands on a Divine Avatar which might open up new paths to even more amazing abilities.
Still, everything has its price. Very soon Sergei will have to confront freeloaders who are scheming to steal his new abilities from him. Will he have enough time to face them fully prepared? Are all of his friends worthy of his trust?



Blurb:

An ordinary Russian guy, Sergei picks a fight in his neighborhood, defending a little boy. Problem is, the guy he's just defeated vanishes into thin air, leaving Sergei to discover he now possesses the ability to turn time around.

On top of that, Sergei can now travel between worlds. He acquires even more mysterious new skills and abilities. And he discovers there're many others just like him in our world.

Sergei finds his own place in the secret community of the Seekers - creatures with superpowers. He even teams up with a few of his new buddies, planning to strike gold in one of the neighboring worlds.

Sergei has no idea that his every step is being watched. He's being shadowed by the Darkest One - one of the oldest Seekers around who'll know no peace until he gets hold of some of Sergei's unique abilities.

Amazon Kindle (KU+)
Read long preview

LitRPG / PostAp - Adam Online: City of Freedom by Max Lagno



Amazon Kindle (KU+) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q72J7JX

Released June 20, 2019