Vasily Mahanenko

Vasily Mahanenko is a fantasy and sci fi author and one of the original founding fathers of the new genre of LitRPG - the MMO-based fantasy and sci fi. His debut novel The Way of the Shaman series took 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. The entire body of Vasily's works to date is available on Amazon now, with new books adding as he comes up with new fantasy worlds and stories.

Barliona. A virtual world jam-packed with monsters, battles - and predictably, players. Millions of them come to Barliona, looking forward to the things they can't get in real life: elves and magic, dragons and princesses, and unforgettable combat. The game has become so popular that players now choose to spend months online without returning home. In Barliona, anything goes: you can assault fellow players, level up, become a mythical hero, a wizard or a legendary thief. The only rule that attempted to regulate the game demanded that no player was allowed to feel actual pain.

But there's an exception to every rule. For a certain bunch of players, Barliona has become their personal hell. They are criminals sent to Barliona to serve their time. They aren't in it for the dragons' gold or the abundant loot. All they want is to survive the virtual inferno. They face the ultimate survival quest.

Twelve players set off through the online world of Galaktogon, lured by the game owners' promise of an enormous payoff. The question is, who will survive to tell the tale? Which of the twelve is a potential hero - or a traitor in the making? Which of them will defend the weak and who will become the ultimate evil overlord?

A knight or a coward? Each of the twelve will have to choose his or her path. Each will keep a poker face. But if the billion-pound prize calls your name, you can't conceal your choice. And you will do everything to lay your hands on it.

Is it easy to survive in the game world? You could say yes, if you didn’t know what the additional conditions were. They are unusual: it’s the real world in which you have lived all your life. The enemy, craving to destroy you. Your own class who couldn’t care less about you. Are you still sure that survival is easy? Then welcome to THE GAME! It will prove you wrong.

From book 1: Barliona is back! OLD WORLD, NEW HEROES! What would happen if a professional rock musician joined a virtual MMO in search of inspiration among its gameworld? What would happen if she decided to play as a biota... ещё

From book 1: Barliona is back! OLD WORLD, NEW HEROES! What would happen if a professional rock musician joined a virtual MMO in search of inspiration among its gameworld? What would happen if she decided to play as a biota bard, a brand new race of humanoid flora as well as a new class? Whatever would happen, it would surely be fun…

From book 1: 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... ещё

From book 1:

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.

From book 1: 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... ещё

From book 1:

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.

From book 1: 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... ещё

From book 1:

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.

Death had only ever been a small misunderstanding for the high mage. After his seventh reincarnation, he’d begun thinking of it differently, viewing it as nothing more than a slight hiccup in his plans.

But he’d forgotten one thing: when those plans get in the way of those higher up the ladder, punishment is soon to follow. And one more death brought faint consolation.

Sent to another world, he found himself in a stranger’s body, though the worst part was that he was left with only the memories he’d built since his previous reincarnation. All the mage had learned before that point was gone. Finding himself in that challenging situation, his dilemma was between carving out his place in the sun and throwing up his hands in despair.

But giving in wasn’t an option for Leg Ondo. The Brown Bear clan brooked no cowards. If fighting was the way to go, it was a fight to the death, to the last drop of blood. Most importantly, the new world needed to be explored and understood, the local iteration of magic in particular. Let nobody ever say that the youngest of the Bears was unworthy!

Vasily Mahanenko's new LitRPG series set in the universe of his World of the Changed!Modern times. Genius physicist Artyom Kuchaev found himself facing the darker side of the world we live in. Integrity is met with a laugh,... ещё

Vasily Mahanenko's new LitRPG series set in the universe of his World of the Changed!

Modern times. Genius physicist Artyom Kuchaev found himself facing the darker side of the world we live in. Integrity is met with a laugh, the rat race instead full of people out to grab whatever they can. Where big money is on the line, no betrayal, even of loved ones, is a bridge too far. But Artyom couldn’t bring himself to conform. Instead, he decided to make a change in himself if not in the world around him. His work, surroundings, country...

However, the world wasn’t ready to let the genius go. It was benefiting too much from him. In one moment, everything was turned upside down: Artyom’s freedom was exchanged for prison, his noisy colleagues for morose cellmates, and his spacious labs for tiny offices in a restricted research institute. All that remained was his drive to make the world a better place. And that just left the tiny detail of how to actually make that happen.

Maximilian is the last of the noble Valevsky lineage. His entire family was put to death for an alleged attempt on the powerful Duke Odoevsky, who had his eye set on the Valevsky’s land.

The young man managed to avoid execution, but not punishment. From here on out, he’s condemned to life as a suicide soldier: the front line in the fight against the dark god Skron’s mutated creatures. “Do or die” — that’s the motto that has been drilled into his head. The Duke took everything from him but his honor and a thirst for revenge.

Maximilian makes a vow to dig himself out of this hole he’s been driven into and lay claim to his birthright. But first, he needs to get through training and survive. A rookie can’t afford to dream of anything else.

Might is right. This is the primal law of the jungle, and this creed not only rules the animal kingdom, but also shapes the lives of men.

Having harnessed the elusive Qi energy, humanity has divided the world into zones and mastered the creation of extraordinary artifacts, edging closer to immortality. Yet, this evolution has only entrenched the fundamental law: power grants privilege. The strongest claim the finest resources as well as the right to rise above others.

What chance does an ordinary youth from the neglected zero zone have in such a world? Is it his destiny to reach unimaginable heights — or to vanish into the abyss of mediocrity, just another forgotten face in a crowd of millions? The answers rest with the inscrutable Heavens—the silent watchers of human fate.

Incidentally, where do demons and ancients fit in this grand scheme? Their mysterious roles in this epic tale remain to be unveiled.

Hi, my name’s Max and I’m one of the Selected.

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you read those words? A great hero, chosen from among all the billions of people on Earth? A lucky man who has ended up on an unknown world and gained superpowers? An explorer of new worlds who has discovered his destiny?

Well, that’s all true, but there is one but... Actually, if I’m honest, there are a whole load of buts. And there are rules. And the first rule of the Selected is:

“Try not to die. It is expensive and impractical.”

What would happen if our world turned into a computer game?

It might sound tempting at first, but there's one small detail you should know: in this game, people are nothing but non-playable characters, useful only for the service they provide to the real players. Experience, development, loot, levels - none of that is for us. Our role is merely to dance to the tune of our masters, who have come to our world to turn it into a character farm and a space for their own entertainment.

Doesn't sound quite as nice anymore, does it? But nobody ever gave us any choice in the matter: the update known as "Earth" has already been installed!

If anybody has a problem with that... Well, that's their own personal problem. The system will devour everyone!

I was the greatest mage of chaos of my time, spending sixty years defending the world from rift creatures. If there was a mission—I completed it. If there was an enemy—I destroyed them. I was loyal to the Empire to my bone, until it decided to wipe out the Chaos clan and every last one of its members. But life has a way of surprising you, and I got a second chance to walk the entire path again. Except the rules were different this time around. Now chaos is the weakest of the six elements, and its mages are considered bottom-feeders.

Well, time to show this world just how dead wrong it is. Chaos is mighty, and so is its true warrior!

What is someone capable of when they have a dream? There’s only one right answer: anything! They can overcome themselves, their family’s desires, countless obstacles, and turn fantasy into reality.

Kael Ardan had such a dream. He dreamed of space travel. He wanted to fly among the stars, explore new worlds, and uncover the mysteries of the past.

Kael stopped at nothing for his dream, and fate granted him a chance. The heir to a wealthy farming family became the bearer of ancient intelligence that opened the doors to space travel. Only one question remained: how can he survive where survival is impossible?

Vasily Mahanenko

Books

Way of the Shaman

Galactogon

Dark Paladin

Way of the Shaman (comic book)

The Bard from Barliona

Invasion

World of the Changed

The Alchemist

The Bear Clan

Starting Point

Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line

Law of the Jungle

The Selected

„Earth“ Release

Solo

The Chronicles of Tiris