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Смертник из рода Валевских #2
Condemned, Book 2
Max, formerly Maximilian Valevsky, begins to understand what it means to exist in a dark world dominated by light. People hate him, exploit him, fear him, and try to kill him the first chance they get. But our hero is willing to endure all trials and tribulations in pursuit of his goal: killing Duke Odoevsky and avenging his family. And he’ll let nothing stand in his way.
547 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2023
251 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Vasily Mahanenko
101 books1,104 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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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 23, 2023
First I must say that I just received my ARC. Somehow they forgot to send it to me sooner.
I've sent them a little list of corrections to be made that should make reading a bit easier since I saw a review that commented on this.
Max is a teenager and a boy so even though he watched his entire family die his head can and will still be turned by a pretty female. I like how he has grown and stuck to his goals.
I find the church of the light to be very manipulative and not very good.
I look forward to book three.
8/10 even with the mistakes that I found.
I've sent them a little list of corrections to be made that should make reading a bit easier since I saw a review that commented on this.
Max is a teenager and a boy so even though he watched his entire family die his head can and will still be turned by a pretty female. I like how he has grown and stuck to his goals.
I find the church of the light to be very manipulative and not very good.
I look forward to book three.
8/10 even with the mistakes that I found.
August 28, 2023
The lake god awful evil the dark god of Of chaotic evil
They're both evil guys The light 1 is in different the dark 1Wants to kill humanity that's it They're both Evil gods
They're both evil guys The light 1 is in different the dark 1Wants to kill humanity that's it They're both Evil gods
February 23, 2026
3.5 - 4 Stars
The Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line Series by Vasily Mahanenko is a gripping blend of dark fantasy, political intrigue, and relentless personal struggle. Across the ten books (with more on the horizon), the series follows Max - formerly Maximilian Valevsky - on his harrowing journey through a world where light dominates and darkness is hunted.
What makes this saga stand out is its moral complexity. Max is not your typical flawless hero - he’s cunning, pragmatic, and often forced to make brutal choices. His quest for vengeance is both deeply personal and intricately tied to the fate of the realm. Mr. Mahanenko excels at showing how power, loyalty, and survival often clash in unpredictable ways.
As expected, the world-building is rich, with a unique magic system and a society shaped by the tension between light and dark forces. The political maneuvering is as intense as the battles, and the pacing keeps you hooked - each book ends with enough intrigue to make you reach for the next.
If there’s any drawback to this collection at all, it’s that the series can be emotionally heavy at times - as Max’s journey is filled with much betrayal, loss, and moral dilemmas. But for us readers who enjoy character-driven epics with shades of grey, then this is a strength rather than a flaw.
A dark, intelligent, and addictive fantasy series with a deeply layered story and a protagonist you can’t easily forget.
Happy Reading…
The Lord Valevsky: Last of the Line Series by Vasily Mahanenko is a gripping blend of dark fantasy, political intrigue, and relentless personal struggle. Across the ten books (with more on the horizon), the series follows Max - formerly Maximilian Valevsky - on his harrowing journey through a world where light dominates and darkness is hunted.
What makes this saga stand out is its moral complexity. Max is not your typical flawless hero - he’s cunning, pragmatic, and often forced to make brutal choices. His quest for vengeance is both deeply personal and intricately tied to the fate of the realm. Mr. Mahanenko excels at showing how power, loyalty, and survival often clash in unpredictable ways.
As expected, the world-building is rich, with a unique magic system and a society shaped by the tension between light and dark forces. The political maneuvering is as intense as the battles, and the pacing keeps you hooked - each book ends with enough intrigue to make you reach for the next.
If there’s any drawback to this collection at all, it’s that the series can be emotionally heavy at times - as Max’s journey is filled with much betrayal, loss, and moral dilemmas. But for us readers who enjoy character-driven epics with shades of grey, then this is a strength rather than a flaw.
A dark, intelligent, and addictive fantasy series with a deeply layered story and a protagonist you can’t easily forget.
Happy Reading…
April 20, 2024
I received a review copy of this book.
Condemned (Lord Valevsky book 2) Well, this one is strange. It's worthy of the LitRPG genre to be sure, but it's rather unique in the LitRPG books I've read. There are other stories where rifts must be closed, (rather a lot of those actually), but the way this one is handled I don't believe I've seen in another LitRPG tale of this type. I like this world, although it is a bit more brutal than I'd prefer, but nonetheless, the next book looks like it will be able to mitigate those circumstances even if it's just a bit. In any case, if you read the first book, and liked it, then you already know what a good story this series can be, don't hesitate to read this one as well. It does go to some dark places, but hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel for our main character.
Condemned (Lord Valevsky book 2) Well, this one is strange. It's worthy of the LitRPG genre to be sure, but it's rather unique in the LitRPG books I've read. There are other stories where rifts must be closed, (rather a lot of those actually), but the way this one is handled I don't believe I've seen in another LitRPG tale of this type. I like this world, although it is a bit more brutal than I'd prefer, but nonetheless, the next book looks like it will be able to mitigate those circumstances even if it's just a bit. In any case, if you read the first book, and liked it, then you already know what a good story this series can be, don't hesitate to read this one as well. It does go to some dark places, but hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel for our main character.
November 14, 2024
Much better than. book one. Great fun read
The author is really found his Pace with the series. It's a simple and fun fast-moving story that took two books, two full books to finally give the main character some agency of his own. I'm glad I stuck with the series to get through book two, and in truth it was an easy fun read from the beginning of the second book. I like the world building from the start but I thought the constant belittling and forceful actions that the main character had to endure we're just overpowering to the story, however if book one and two had been one book I would have greatly enjoyed the journey more knowing that the entire setup led to the end of book two. Don't really want to give spoilers on this review except to say the book series is well worth your time and the cost. The writing is concise clear and simple with a fast pace and good world building and story plot line that, although frustrating at times has been satisfying up to the end of book 2.
The author is really found his Pace with the series. It's a simple and fun fast-moving story that took two books, two full books to finally give the main character some agency of his own. I'm glad I stuck with the series to get through book two, and in truth it was an easy fun read from the beginning of the second book. I like the world building from the start but I thought the constant belittling and forceful actions that the main character had to endure we're just overpowering to the story, however if book one and two had been one book I would have greatly enjoyed the journey more knowing that the entire setup led to the end of book two. Don't really want to give spoilers on this review except to say the book series is well worth your time and the cost. The writing is concise clear and simple with a fast pace and good world building and story plot line that, although frustrating at times has been satisfying up to the end of book 2.
October 27, 2024
I should’ve stopped after the first one. Was actually not difficult to finish. It was kinda like a really bad movie where it’s so bad it’s actually good.
The main character has absolutely no consistency to his decisions. On a whim he’ll decide he cares about nothing and will let someone die, then the next day he’ll sacrifice his freedom to save the life of someone he has previously vowed to kill. No rhyme or reason to anything that happens. It reads as if each page was made up without any idea of what the next page will be.
I like reading things like these because they’re easy to read and entertaining. This didn’t hit and was not fun to read and had no endearing content or characters or storylines.
Hyperbole was somehow even worse in this than the first.
I have other gripes, but I don’t want to think about this one any more.
The main character has absolutely no consistency to his decisions. On a whim he’ll decide he cares about nothing and will let someone die, then the next day he’ll sacrifice his freedom to save the life of someone he has previously vowed to kill. No rhyme or reason to anything that happens. It reads as if each page was made up without any idea of what the next page will be.
I like reading things like these because they’re easy to read and entertaining. This didn’t hit and was not fun to read and had no endearing content or characters or storylines.
Hyperbole was somehow even worse in this than the first.
I have other gripes, but I don’t want to think about this one any more.
January 20, 2025
The protagonist of this series has the same pedagogical situation as the MC of the author's other series (Law of the Jungle), but the choices or self-determination of the main character in this one were removed by forces outside of his control. He is technically a SLAVE.
It is a HARD read if you don't objectively view the whole situation through the lens of someone aware of the cultural upbringing of the author. Knowing what those people in those areas value and think, you can glimpse why the author is hard on his protagonists. And why HARDNESS and GRITTING through pain are the main themes of the authors in those areas.
It is hard to recommend this one if you plan to read it as is (unless you hate yourself of course), but as an audiobook while working out? Then Yes (If you plan to fuel your workout with hate that is!).
It is a HARD read if you don't objectively view the whole situation through the lens of someone aware of the cultural upbringing of the author. Knowing what those people in those areas value and think, you can glimpse why the author is hard on his protagonists. And why HARDNESS and GRITTING through pain are the main themes of the authors in those areas.
It is hard to recommend this one if you plan to read it as is (unless you hate yourself of course), but as an audiobook while working out? Then Yes (If you plan to fuel your workout with hate that is!).
September 8, 2024
Good story, though held back by poor editing
This is a decent second book in a fantasy feudal story. The usual plots and twists are there, and refreshingly, we're given insight to them on a relatively earlier timeframe than some cliffhangers.
Sadly, I cannot rate it higher as it suffers from a LOT of editorial issues and mistakes - whether this is the original editing or from the translation, I'm not sure.
This is a decent second book in a fantasy feudal story. The usual plots and twists are there, and refreshingly, we're given insight to them on a relatively earlier timeframe than some cliffhangers.
Sadly, I cannot rate it higher as it suffers from a LOT of editorial issues and mistakes - whether this is the original editing or from the translation, I'm not sure.
August 12, 2023
Cultivation, intrigues, politics & some mystery (and translation errors)
A better than average cultivation story, despite some minor contradictions and the protagonist´s development to being "the chosen one". I found the author´s cynical perspective on the "chosen one" status refreshing and interesting.
A better than average cultivation story, despite some minor contradictions and the protagonist´s development to being "the chosen one". I found the author´s cynical perspective on the "chosen one" status refreshing and interesting.
April 15, 2024
I really don't know what to say. I finished listening to it. I got lost early on and tried to understand the book. But was honestly really confused while listening to it.
I received an audio copy of this book from Net Galley and Tantor Audio for an honest review.
I received an audio copy of this book from Net Galley and Tantor Audio for an honest review.
June 19, 2025
I would have liked a summary for book one in this book. It took a bit of time to remember the characters. Once I remembered, the book was full of action and politics. Max is learning slowly and also doing it his way.
August 24, 2025
Good book 2
Still a good story. Some of the same language errors. I believe this was written in Russian and then translated. Nothing insoluble it just mixes up the grammar at points. Epilogue is actually decent.
Still a good story. Some of the same language errors. I believe this was written in Russian and then translated. Nothing insoluble it just mixes up the grammar at points. Epilogue is actually decent.
June 22, 2023
Moves
Great story that just flows. I read in a day. Amazing world building with lots of interesting plot twists creating a great read.
Great story that just flows. I read in a day. Amazing world building with lots of interesting plot twists creating a great read.
February 10, 2024
dark
Dark constant pain and despair not a fun read It’s reasonably well written but overly complicated and DARK UGH A WASTE
Dark constant pain and despair not a fun read It’s reasonably well written but overly complicated and DARK UGH A WASTE
February 16, 2024
Good book, fun to read
A few grammatical errors that detracted from the joy of reading the book. Keep up the good work and can’t read the next book.
A few grammatical errors that detracted from the joy of reading the book. Keep up the good work and can’t read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews