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Realm of Arkon #4
Shadows of the Great Forest
A great war encroaches following the turbulent events of patch seventeen, casting a menacing shadow over both Demon Grounds and lands of the light races. Roused from a millennia-old slumber, dark gods seek to exact vengeance for their past defeat. Max finds himself at the epicenter of it all—with the lives of his woman, his friends and all his people in the Wild Wood dependent on him. Two unlikely heroes must stand—and endure—against all odds: one a Black Demon from an ancient prophecy, the other a fabled Gray Lion...
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 17, 2017
210 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
G. Akella
28 books191 followersGeorgy Smorodinsky.
44 years old, live in Moscow, married with three daughters. Akella has been my game nickname for almost 17 years. My love affair with the MMORPG genre began with Ultima Online, and I played WoW from its release date. My main classes are Warrior, Rogue and Death Knight. Back in vanilla WoW I made Grand Marshall with my warrior, for those who still remember what that is. Throughout WoW’s existence I was present for the slaying of roughly 70-80% of raid bosses; in those encounters, I was the main tank about half the time. In vanilla, I was the guild master of Shadow Angels on the Executus server. The guild had approximately 250 members, with an average of 80 people online every day. Sometimes I led raids to MC and BWL (for those who remember, in vanilla raid groups maxed out at 40). I also spent some time playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Presently I’m playing Black Desert.
Patch 17 is my first book. I had never written anything before it. I was inspired to start writing after reading D. Rus, A. Vasilev, R. Mikhaylov and V. Mahanenko. I wanted to create a world that lived by the game’s rules, to write a book that even gamers would enjoy reading. The same gamers who killed skeletons at the Vesper graveyard, stormed castles in Lineage 2, battled in Alterac Valley, and spent months chipping away at Nefarian and the Lich King.
Of utmost importance to me are: the logic of the game world, the immersion factor (for readers to feel as if they’re part of this world), and logical behavior of the book’s characters. So far so good, it would seem. Five of the books in the series are finished. Book three is in the process of being published. The first two books have sold out their initial print run, and more are being printed. The reviews from critics and fan feedback grow better with each new book. I sincerely hope that you will get to read book two of the series, The Cursed Princedom, in February.
Oh, and one day I dream of visiting San Francisco, the city where Patch 17 begins. Thank you, everyone, and happy reading.
Georgy Smorodinsky (Akella)
44 years old, live in Moscow, married with three daughters. Akella has been my game nickname for almost 17 years. My love affair with the MMORPG genre began with Ultima Online, and I played WoW from its release date. My main classes are Warrior, Rogue and Death Knight. Back in vanilla WoW I made Grand Marshall with my warrior, for those who still remember what that is. Throughout WoW’s existence I was present for the slaying of roughly 70-80% of raid bosses; in those encounters, I was the main tank about half the time. In vanilla, I was the guild master of Shadow Angels on the Executus server. The guild had approximately 250 members, with an average of 80 people online every day. Sometimes I led raids to MC and BWL (for those who remember, in vanilla raid groups maxed out at 40). I also spent some time playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Presently I’m playing Black Desert.
Patch 17 is my first book. I had never written anything before it. I was inspired to start writing after reading D. Rus, A. Vasilev, R. Mikhaylov and V. Mahanenko. I wanted to create a world that lived by the game’s rules, to write a book that even gamers would enjoy reading. The same gamers who killed skeletons at the Vesper graveyard, stormed castles in Lineage 2, battled in Alterac Valley, and spent months chipping away at Nefarian and the Lich King.
Of utmost importance to me are: the logic of the game world, the immersion factor (for readers to feel as if they’re part of this world), and logical behavior of the book’s characters. So far so good, it would seem. Five of the books in the series are finished. Book three is in the process of being published. The first two books have sold out their initial print run, and more are being printed. The reviews from critics and fan feedback grow better with each new book. I sincerely hope that you will get to read book two of the series, The Cursed Princedom, in February.
Oh, and one day I dream of visiting San Francisco, the city where Patch 17 begins. Thank you, everyone, and happy reading.
Georgy Smorodinsky (Akella)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 18, 2017
The story was originally about a completely different character.
The series was originally about a different main character now he's going to someone completely new. Some people may like this but I find it highly annoying. If he had written it as a complimentary series to the original I'd think it's cool. But I like there to be one main character if not yh as g then at least let them share the limelight from the beginning rather than uproot the story in the 4th book
The series was originally about a different main character now he's going to someone completely new. Some people may like this but I find it highly annoying. If he had written it as a complimentary series to the original I'd think it's cool. But I like there to be one main character if not yh as g then at least let them share the limelight from the beginning rather than uproot the story in the 4th book
April 22, 2017
Roman doesn't show up.
I read this book thinking that the protagonist would show up at some point. That the "chosen one" who is surrounded by many a prophecy and mystery would take the limelight and be the center piece of the story.
This doesn't happen.
If you are reading this book to follow Roman and his Army's progress, if you want to see the plot move forwards in a meaningful way, you can safely skip this book. Anything of importance will likely be recalled when it becomes relevant to the protagonist in future books.
This entire book is a side story with side characters. It would have been better if it was cut up into pieces and written alongside whatever Roman and the steel wolves were doing.
Now the author has to write a "while the events of the precious book were happening this was also happening" book. Which is a significantly less immersive way to set up a book rather then switching perspectives every few chapters.
Ideally more reading time would be given to the protagonist, but if this book is anything to go by the author is considering changing the protagonist to Max.
At this point the author is essentially writing two series, one primary series following Roman and another spin-off series following Max. Nothing or very little that Max does affects Roman yet much that Roman does affects Max. You could go through the entire series and edit out the parts with Max and you would lose little to nothing in terms of plot. Yet Max's story adds much the the richness of the world the story is taking place in, even if it does disrupt the narrative flow.
Reading Max's story so is pretty much optional and as such could be contained in a separate, supplementary series.
The writing, characters, and character growth are all good. But the author could be presenting the extra snippets better.
When this book came out in was expecting a story about Roman and the steel wolves in the demon lands, working towards their conquest of caldera. Instead I got "side characters bumble around in a forest with some plot teases and snippets thrown in"
A truly annoying thing. Maybe the next book will have Roman in it, or maybe it'll just be a collection of people Roman has met making going over how his actions have affected their live, with people of importance such as Ariman wondering who this person causing all this ruckus is. Perhaps throw in a discussion between players on the wiki questioning where all these new entries are coming from. That book would have as much to do with the plot as this one did.
I read this book thinking that the protagonist would show up at some point. That the "chosen one" who is surrounded by many a prophecy and mystery would take the limelight and be the center piece of the story.
This doesn't happen.
If you are reading this book to follow Roman and his Army's progress, if you want to see the plot move forwards in a meaningful way, you can safely skip this book. Anything of importance will likely be recalled when it becomes relevant to the protagonist in future books.
This entire book is a side story with side characters. It would have been better if it was cut up into pieces and written alongside whatever Roman and the steel wolves were doing.
Now the author has to write a "while the events of the precious book were happening this was also happening" book. Which is a significantly less immersive way to set up a book rather then switching perspectives every few chapters.
Ideally more reading time would be given to the protagonist, but if this book is anything to go by the author is considering changing the protagonist to Max.
At this point the author is essentially writing two series, one primary series following Roman and another spin-off series following Max. Nothing or very little that Max does affects Roman yet much that Roman does affects Max. You could go through the entire series and edit out the parts with Max and you would lose little to nothing in terms of plot. Yet Max's story adds much the the richness of the world the story is taking place in, even if it does disrupt the narrative flow.
Reading Max's story so is pretty much optional and as such could be contained in a separate, supplementary series.
The writing, characters, and character growth are all good. But the author could be presenting the extra snippets better.
When this book came out in was expecting a story about Roman and the steel wolves in the demon lands, working towards their conquest of caldera. Instead I got "side characters bumble around in a forest with some plot teases and snippets thrown in"
A truly annoying thing. Maybe the next book will have Roman in it, or maybe it'll just be a collection of people Roman has met making going over how his actions have affected their live, with people of importance such as Ariman wondering who this person causing all this ruckus is. Perhaps throw in a discussion between players on the wiki questioning where all these new entries are coming from. That book would have as much to do with the plot as this one did.
March 18, 2017
Awesome!
I've waited quite a while for the fourth book and it was well worth the wait. The characters are well developed and you find yourself invested in their stories. The story flows well and is a pleasure to read. They did pretty darn good on the translation. Lots of action is there to keep anyone interested.
I've waited quite a while for the fourth book and it was well worth the wait. The characters are well developed and you find yourself invested in their stories. The story flows well and is a pleasure to read. They did pretty darn good on the translation. Lots of action is there to keep anyone interested.
June 8, 2017
I too was disappointed that this was entirely about Max and his group. At least at first. It was well worth the read. I think it's probably just max and friends catching up in time with roman for their eventual meet up. That's not to say it's just filler. I found the plot of this book just as good as the first three.
December 6, 2019
3.49☆ the whole book was about the side character Max.
April 1, 2019
Prophecies R us.
This one is all Max & friends & divine essences & parallel prophecy....
Spoilers? The Karina quests continue, Sata gets "involved", liaisons are established, dots get connected, elf clan memberships are established and expanded, and so much more. Who woulda thought Max would be the one to super level in record time?
The smoking and alcohol consumption are a bit "culture shock" disruptive for me. At least they don't provide buffs. Even though there's no long term health damage, one doesn't escape the drunkenness or hangover. So alcohol as a water substitute is odd? It seems like some characters are always either drunk, hung over, or hitting a flask along the way. VR alcoholics anonymous anyone? The author is Russian so I'm going with an affectionate meme or cultural parody rather than a nasty stereotype.
The contacts with Sata are especially precious if this isn't your first time reading this. 💞 💕 💖
This one is all Max & friends & divine essences & parallel prophecy....
Spoilers? The Karina quests continue, Sata gets "involved", liaisons are established, dots get connected, elf clan memberships are established and expanded, and so much more. Who woulda thought Max would be the one to super level in record time?
The smoking and alcohol consumption are a bit "culture shock" disruptive for me. At least they don't provide buffs. Even though there's no long term health damage, one doesn't escape the drunkenness or hangover. So alcohol as a water substitute is odd? It seems like some characters are always either drunk, hung over, or hitting a flask along the way. VR alcoholics anonymous anyone? The author is Russian so I'm going with an affectionate meme or cultural parody rather than a nasty stereotype.
The contacts with Sata are especially precious if this isn't your first time reading this. 💞 💕 💖
September 26, 2018
So, you know that B story Akella keeps shoving into the main story about Roman's Friends that interrupts the flow of the story we care about and takes up a large percentage of the book? Well it's finally eaten up 100% of the run time here. -_-
Seriously though, as much as I did enjoy the story, it seems a little unfair that the B story gets an entire book to it's self, the A story never even got that. My annoyance isn't help that the reader continues his tradition of mispronouncing "Luffy". FYI, “L-uh-fee” is wrong, "L-oo-fee" is correct.
Separated into it's own book, Max's story is actually pretty good. Would have been a good idea for Akella to have kept him mostly out of the other books and done a B Story book a lot sooner, it allows for better character development and flow for both stories. All around decent, and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
Seriously though, as much as I did enjoy the story, it seems a little unfair that the B story gets an entire book to it's self, the A story never even got that. My annoyance isn't help that the reader continues his tradition of mispronouncing "Luffy". FYI, “L-uh-fee” is wrong, "L-oo-fee" is correct.
Separated into it's own book, Max's story is actually pretty good. Would have been a good idea for Akella to have kept him mostly out of the other books and done a B Story book a lot sooner, it allows for better character development and flow for both stories. All around decent, and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
September 9, 2018
Another enjoyable story!
This story focuses on Max, as his friendship with Krian (Roman) starts to have more of an impact on his life in the ‘game’ and those around him, even though they are on different planes. It is great to see that he has a similar determination to do what is right! And, without quite the same level of rage.
I also like that Max said he doesn’t care if his friend is technically a demon in the game, as he figures he will still be the same person regardless of outward appearance. That is true friendship. :)
Hopefully, once he and Krian meet back up, he’ll be able to help his friend stay on a more even keel and not let his anger blind him.
This story focuses on Max, as his friendship with Krian (Roman) starts to have more of an impact on his life in the ‘game’ and those around him, even though they are on different planes. It is great to see that he has a similar determination to do what is right! And, without quite the same level of rage.
I also like that Max said he doesn’t care if his friend is technically a demon in the game, as he figures he will still be the same person regardless of outward appearance. That is true friendship. :)
Hopefully, once he and Krian meet back up, he’ll be able to help his friend stay on a more even keel and not let his anger blind him.
July 18, 2017
The divergence of the main story of roman to Max and his party was a welcome diversion from the demon grounds. My only pet peev which has continued throughout this series is the substitution of words " if-it, where-there" these kind of errors in proofing a story absolutely dive me "patty"
July 24, 2017
Loved it. Keep them coming
Great read, interesting characters and a nice progression for the main character. I strongly recommend this series as a classic example of the LitTLE genre.
Great read, interesting characters and a nice progression for the main character. I strongly recommend this series as a classic example of the LitTLE genre.
January 30, 2018
A fun story that you can truly get into
These are great reads! It's not high fantasy or full. Of prose but it's fun and relatable.... I highly suggest these to anyone who doesn't take. Their literature too seriously!
These are great reads! It's not high fantasy or full. Of prose but it's fun and relatable.... I highly suggest these to anyone who doesn't take. Their literature too seriously!
December 13, 2018
Great journey into the great forest.
In this book you finally get the catch up with Max and his companions and learn about his adventures. A great Novel with many great details and RPG theme that you know and love
In this book you finally get the catch up with Max and his companions and learn about his adventures. A great Novel with many great details and RPG theme that you know and love
May 2, 2022
The part of the story involving Max is not my favorite.
So a whole book dedicated to it is boring and a bit of a betrayal. Had I known it was entirely about the Max storyline, I would have just skipped it.
So a whole book dedicated to it is boring and a bit of a betrayal. Had I known it was entirely about the Max storyline, I would have just skipped it.
March 23, 2017
Lately I haven't enjoyed litRPG books as much as before, but I always liked this series so I started in on this novel thinking it'll be as good as its predecessors, but I was wrong. It wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as the first three. Absence of Krian may have been a major factor in this but I'm not sure.
Maybe it's just my current dissatisfaction with the genre but the dialogue and plot felt stiff and forced. I'll still continue reading this series as I've invested effort in it already and I'd like to know how it progresses.
Maybe it's just my current dissatisfaction with the genre but the dialogue and plot felt stiff and forced. I'll still continue reading this series as I've invested effort in it already and I'd like to know how it progresses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2017
Good
I like this series very much. Interesting characters in interesting situations. Tied together nicely. Will preorder next book as soon as it's offered.
I like this series very much. Interesting characters in interesting situations. Tied together nicely. Will preorder next book as soon as it's offered.
June 17, 2017
Still
I know a lot of readers are sad because its not about the MC but i still find this story enthrilling. Worth the money you pay :)
I know a lot of readers are sad because its not about the MC but i still find this story enthrilling. Worth the money you pay :)
May 23, 2017
Confusing
I wasn't upset that this was about Max, but I give 2 1/2 stars because I found it confusing-not sure if that's because of the translation this time or what.
I wasn't upset that this was about Max, but I give 2 1/2 stars because I found it confusing-not sure if that's because of the translation this time or what.
May 29, 2017
Awesome!
This series is one of the best litrpg series I've read so far, and I've read a few. I highly recommend it.
This series is one of the best litrpg series I've read so far, and I've read a few. I highly recommend it.
August 18, 2017
E-book: Enjoyed reading, easy read.
January 19, 2018
Great book!
Love this series! One of the few litrpg series completed. If u like fantasy and videogames you should definitely give litrpg a try.
Love this series! One of the few litrpg series completed. If u like fantasy and videogames you should definitely give litrpg a try.
May 4, 2018
#Four 4
Is lot's better and more interesting even though you have to follow the second main character and his great fleets of heroism. Now #5 should be real exciting I hope.
Is lot's better and more interesting even though you have to follow the second main character and his great fleets of heroism. Now #5 should be real exciting I hope.
August 2, 2018
I actually like the dual storylines.
November 11, 2018
this book is a side story "or filler episode" can by skipped completely
January 28, 2022
Quick, easy read following only the B-storyline about Roman's best friend (Max) and sister (iliana). Solid LitRPG
April 11, 2023
whole book is from a different character's POV but was just still as epic and filled with loot :D
March 18, 2017
Good read about Max and his group... Get the next book translated so I can read more about the MC!!
March 18, 2017
Great read
Great read looking forward to the next installment. Keep up the great work and keep it coming. When is book 5 coming out?
Great read looking forward to the next installment. Keep up the great work and keep it coming. When is book 5 coming out?
March 18, 2017
Another hit
Each book gets better and better. I look forward to what the next book in the series will bring. The only problem I have is the books are so good I fly right through them.
Each book gets better and better. I look forward to what the next book in the series will bring. The only problem I have is the books are so good I fly right through them.
March 17, 2017
Slam dunk
Great read and fun to finally get up to speed with Max's group. Well done the tieing of the demon plane and the prime. OK is book five done yet?
Great read and fun to finally get up to speed with Max's group. Well done the tieing of the demon plane and the prime. OK is book five done yet?
March 22, 2017
Outstanding beginning to a parallel story arc
There are a lot of people upset that this story is about Max, the loyal best friend, and not Krian the main character. I do sympathize, I want to know what happens next to Krian, too.
The fact of the matter is, this is a really good story. It's a fully developed adventure that deserves its own book, and it sets the stage for the eventual Invasion event when the worlds above and below finally meet.
Max and Party are cool, and in this book they finally come into their own as powerhouses in their own right, and not just irrelevant lowbies waiting around for Krian to show up.
You will love this book if you actually give it a chance. Read it. Support the author.
There are a lot of people upset that this story is about Max, the loyal best friend, and not Krian the main character. I do sympathize, I want to know what happens next to Krian, too.
The fact of the matter is, this is a really good story. It's a fully developed adventure that deserves its own book, and it sets the stage for the eventual Invasion event when the worlds above and below finally meet.
Max and Party are cool, and in this book they finally come into their own as powerhouses in their own right, and not just irrelevant lowbies waiting around for Krian to show up.
You will love this book if you actually give it a chance. Read it. Support the author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews