Dem Mikhailov | Magic Dome Books

Dem Mikhailov

Dem Mikhailov was born on November 23 1979 in the city of Zarafshan (the Republic of Uzbekistan). His natural aptitude for science and technology decided his initial career choice, prompting him to enter the local industrial college. Upon graduation, he worked in the mining industry specializing in separation and beneficiation of metals. Still, he didn’t find much joy in the admittedly boring job. Fed up with the daily grind, Dem finally decided to radically change his lifestyle and moved to Turkey where he spent the next twelve years working in the leisure industry, rising through the ranks from a regular entertainer to an animation team manager. Although leisure-time animation is admittedly a vocation for the young, it allowed Dem to mix with all kinds of people and later use his knowledge of human types and characters in his books.

In 2012, Dem Mikhailov returned to his home town, which marked the beginning of his stellar writing career. He’s rightly considered one of the founding fathers of LitRPG, and his legendary saga The Sleepless Ones (The World of Waldyra) became one of the cult LitRPG series serving as an inspiration for such bestselling LitRPG authors as Vasily Mahanenko, Dan Sugralinov and Michael Atamanov.

From book 1: Rostislav Grokhotov, an ordinary clerk working for a privately-owned company, just wanted to earn some extra money in the game. He had no specific plans for his new character. Little did he know that his new... more

From book 1:

Rostislav Grokhotov, an ordinary clerk working for a privately-owned company, just wanted to earn some extra money in the game. He had no specific plans for his new character. Little did he know that his new nickname Rosgard would become the game's next greatest legend.

Even the game's Crèche zone may contain items of interest if you're observant enough. Rosgard's find didn't just change his own life drastically — it enveloped an entire game world in a turmoil to boot! The adventuring player becomes a valued prize for Waldyra's leading clans. Our hero has to conceal his real name, since he's in danger in real world as well, and that's no game anymore. There are millions at stake — and the currency in question isn't Monopoly money. Rosgard holds the key to wealth and power in both worlds.

Should you play your own game or throw in your lot with the strongest? This is the question that needs to be answered by the protagonist, whose luck is incredible. Whose side does one take without becoming a pawn in anyone's game?

Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones is a perfect example of a classical LitRPG novel. The events in the virtual world and the events in the real world mesh closely together as the plot thickens and becomes more and more dynamic from one book to another. The series has thousands of diehard fans in Russia! Now in English — for every true fan of the genre!

From book 1: In this world, everyone starts with no memory and no recollection of their past life. In this world, you have nothing — even your limbs are rented, and you'll have to pay up every day. In this world, you must... more

From book 1:

In this world, everyone starts with no memory and no recollection of their past life. In this world, you have nothing — even your limbs are rented, and you'll have to pay up every day. In this world, you must complete tasks assign¬¬ed to you by the System or be fined and stripped of everything, including your arms and legs. In this world, you're under unrelenting supervision. But in dark corners hidden from the System's watchful eye, violence, brutality, and lawlessness abound.

In this world, you're assigned a number. You're a volitional Nullform. Now it's up to you to adapt to this reality and try to survive without ending up crippled. Just don't mess up, or you'll be wishing you were dead as you dig yourself deeper into an endless pit of debt. This world will not take pity on you. You'll have to work tirelessly to earn the right to live another day…

Read the first book in a new series from the author who brought you Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones.

An author who helped create the cult LitRPG genre.

An author who never ceases to amaze!

From book 1: Important note: The Crow Cycle is set in the world of Waldyra, its events echoing the story of Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones, a cult LitRPG series by the same author. Nonetheless, The... more

From book 1:

Important note: The Crow Cycle is set in the world of Waldyra, its events echoing the story of Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones, a cult LitRPG series by the same author. Nonetheless, The Crow Cycle has a completely standalone plot. Each series is connected to the main storyline and shows certain characters from different points of view, revealing information about their past or explaining the background of events already known to the reader from earlier series.

The world of Waldyra treats its inhabitants differently. Some of them, appearing out of nowhere, suddenly receive unique achievements and quests; they become living legends and idols while basking in the limelight.

And there are those who call Waldyra home. They do not play, but rather live in this colorful magic world. They do not get anything unique or legendary in return.
Perhaps they are just unlucky?

Or maybe they don't need the hype, and they are content with their simple existence?
Or could there be something special about a peaceful and well-planned life? Who knows... As the old saying goes, "Only time will tell."

At the foot of the foreboding Gray Peak lies a desolate valley. These are the backwoods of the world of Waldyra—they offer nothing valuable to players, who rarely visit as a result. Yet this is the very place where the calm and good-natured dwarf named Crow is headed. Straight after leaving the Crèche, he hopes to make a living there. This hero does not crave epic battles with monsters. Quite the contrary. He wants to be a merchant and develop his blacksmithing skills, while staying far away from fighting, long voyages, and clan squabbles. But, as it often happens, if you want peace, be ready for war...

From book 1: This is a sequel to Dem Mikhailov’s cult LitRPG saga Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones!Life is an immense colored mosaic of stories and biographies. This is true for the virtual world of Waldyra as well—it’s... more

From book 1:

This is a sequel to Dem Mikhailov’s cult LitRPG saga Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones!

Life is an immense colored mosaic of stories and biographies. This is true for the virtual world of Waldyra as well—it’s enormous, boundless, and full of colors. The end of one story is also the beginning of another. The story of the Great Navigator and the Great Oceanic Expedition might have been a long one, but it was simply a very short epoch of the Great Navigator to the world of Waldyra. And this epoch already ran its course.

However, the story of Rosgard was only beginning, and life has many challenges, adventures, clan quests, and mysteries in stock for him—as well as family trouble and a plethora of momentous events that begin randomly and end unpredictably.

This story is for those interested in what happens to Rosgard after the Great Expedition and what other adventures he’ll have and secrets he’ll learn. Even though he remains a famous player, his legendary status is no more, and he is no longer under the auspices of the incredibly influential clan of the Sleepless Ones.

What will Rosgard get involved in now?

He obviously needs to ponder founding a clan, choosing the region of Waldyra that he favors the most as his home base. The problem, though, is that soon after the exodus of most old school heavyweight players to Zar’Graad the PKs and the fledgling Old Continent clans transformed the Lake District, which remained unattended, into a gloomy and dangerous place. Therefore, one would first of all have to put things in order with an iron hand so that life could finally get back to normal.

Attention! It is recommended to familiarize oneself with the Clan Dominance: the Sleepless Ones series before embarking on this journey!

Some dream of prosperity, of living a calm and peaceful life. But not me. Having reached the pinnacles of success, I can't stop thinking about the past, about a time when any misstep could spell disaster, when I had to pay,... more

Some dream of prosperity, of living a calm and peaceful life. But not me. Having reached the pinnacles of success, I can't stop thinking about the past, about a time when any misstep could spell disaster, when I had to pay, work, and risk everything for even the slightest gain and each day was like walking a knife's edge. That's all in the past now. This peaceful, predictable, and privileged life isn't so bad. But it's boring!

Be wary of desire, lest it shape your reality. A new life will find you, and it won't be comfortable. You'll wake up in a strange place, where every day is a fight for survival and you can't rest for a minute if you want to find food and shelter. It is both a cell and a universe all to itself. The question is: will you be able to find out where you are and how to escape?