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Sand and Steel

Immortal's Ascent #2 / 3
by Luke Chmilenko, Chris Harris
Sand and Steel (Immortal's Ascent #2) by Luke Chmilenko, Chris Harris
⧗ 10.00 / 1
123456789110

Gavin must find his honor. Sadira needs to watch her back. Apart they are vulnerable.

Together, they are unstoppable.

Gavin, sundered from his band, seeks to survive the trials and tribulations of a decidedly minor Gladiator. He is forgotten by most, but still draws the hate of Valaran diVolcanus, the most vicious fighter among his peers. As Gavin wades into the Free Leagues, Sadira reaches the zenith of her career, assuring her place in the Grand Championships. But jealousy and betrayal mar her ascent, and while she might be a diva on the fighting grounds, she soon discovers that she is only a pawn in the Great Games.

The people call for their Champions. The powerful place their final wagers. Who will win the ultimate prize?

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Fantasy
Release date: June 7, 2022

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Luke Chmilenko

Luke Chmilenko

When Luke Chmilenko first sat down to write Ascend Online, he wasn’t trying to start a movement—he just wanted to tell the kind of story he’d always wanted to read. A story where the game wasn’t just background noise, but the world itself. Where the stakes were more than loot drops, and choices had lasting consequences. That book, published in 2016, quickly became a defining entry in the LitRPG genre—one that helped shape the virtual battlegrounds readers now devour with fervor.

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Raised in Mississauga, Ontario, Chmilenko didn’t come from a literary background. His early career was rooted in IT security—logical, structured, and grounded in real-world systems. But behind that daily grind was a lifelong gamer and worldbuilder, someone who understood how immersive mechanics could be used to explore human dynamics just as deeply as traditional storytelling. It’s that fusion—mechanical precision with emotional stakes—that sets his work apart.

In Ascend Online, Marcus and his friends enter a full-immersion MMORPG expecting adventure. What they get is a harsh, morally complex frontier where players aren't just adventurers—they’re citizens, soldiers, and leaders. This theme—of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary systems—threads through Chmilenko’s body of work, whether it’s the fantasy-forward Legacy of the Fallen or his sci-fi venture Starfall. His stories lean into hard decisions, blurred lines between hero and villain, and the evolving relationships between characters navigating volatile digital worlds.

Chmilenko’s impact goes beyond the page. He’s been a quiet force in legitimizing LitRPG and GameLit as serious storytelling forms, showing that game mechanics and rich character arcs aren’t mutually exclusive. His commitment to his craft—and to the readers who grew with him—has made him a respected figure among fans and fellow writers alike.

Now living in Burlington with his wife and two daughters, Chmilenko writes full-time. The game worlds he builds may be virtual, but the questions they ask—about identity, choice, and consequence—are anything but.

Immortal's Ascent

Immortal's Ascent consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Death and Glory (Immortal's Ascent #1)
Unrated
Sand and Steel (Immortal's Ascent #2)
⧗ 10.00 / 1
Blade and Banner (Immortal's Ascent #3)
⧗ 8.00 / 1


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