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  • Vanguard

Vanguard

Codename: Freedom #4 / 6
by Apollos Thorne
Vanguard (Codename: Freedom #4) by Apollos Thorne
Unrated

After surviving the trials of Freedom, Lucius enters the next stage of the military's super soldier creation scheme. Medieval weaponry and gritty fantasy combat are a thing of the past. He must bring what he's learned to the modern battlefield.

Fighting futuristic tech isn't his only challenge. He'll go head-to-head against Genesis participants—enlisted military personnel who unlocked their psionics a year before Freedom began.

Will his emerging psionic abilities and hard-earned experience be enough?

Amazon: Check Best Offer

FantasyScience FictionLitRPG
Release date: October 9, 2022

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Apollos Thorne

Apollos Thorne

Apollos Thorne’s stories are more than just tales of adventure—they are immersive worlds, carefully crafted with each character’s growth and resilience at the heart of the plot. With a passion for blending elements of fantasy, science fiction, and LitRPG, Thorne has built a dedicated fanbase with his unique approach to storytelling. From his humble beginnings as a writer on RoyalRoad.com, where he first captivated readers with his series Underworld, Thorne quickly transitioned to full-time writing, creating a vast literary universe that continues to expand today.

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Born and raised in Florida, Thorne’s early experiences shaped his love for storytelling. An avid gamer and reader of speculative fiction, he found inspiration in the worlds of video games and fantasy novels, using those elements to craft narratives that feel as if they could leap off the page and into the hands of his audience. His writing often explores themes of personal growth, navigating unfamiliar worlds, and overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, all with a focus on character-driven plots.

One of Thorne’s most notable works, the Underworld series, invites readers into a world where reality and fantasy blur, and characters face trials reminiscent of video games. Titles like Level Up or Die! and Through the Belly of the Beast have made waves among fans of LitRPG, with their dynamic characters and intricate world-building. Meanwhile, his Codename: Freedom series, blending sci-fi and fantasy, has further solidified his place in the genre, resonating with readers who crave both action and emotional depth.

What truly sets Thorne apart, however, is his ability to create characters that readers can root for, flaws and all. As one reader put it, “I’m very character focused on my reading, and if I don’t like the characters, it’s hard to enjoy the book. Apollos did a fantastic job with both the world and character development.” This emphasis on character depth is what has kept fans coming back, eagerly awaiting each new book, knowing that they’ll be taken on another unforgettable journey.

Now, as Thorne nears the release of his tenth book, his literary universe continues to expand, captivating new readers and offering long-time fans the next chapter in his immersive worlds. With his passion for storytelling and an ever-growing fanbase, Apollos Thorne is undoubtedly an author to watch in the years to come.

Codename: Freedom

In a world where virtual reality has become indistinguishable from reality itself, Codename: Freedom invites readers to step into a game where every choice has weight and every action is fraught with consequence. This series takes the LitRPG genre to new heights, blending intense military strategy, psychological depth, and mind-bending twists, all within a high-stakes virtual universe.

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At the heart of the story is Lucius, a gamer thrust into Codename: Freedom, a VR game with an ominous secret. What begins as a quest for survival quickly becomes a battle for identity, as Lucius discovers the game is a covert military experiment designed to forge elite soldiers. Every level he clears pulls him deeper into a web of mystery, where the boundaries between virtual achievements and real-world consequences blur in ways he could never have anticipated.

As the series unfolds, the reader is taken on a journey through intricate worlds, each more dangerous and complex than the last. With every victory, Lucius unlocks not only new powers but revelations about the game’s dark purpose. It’s a journey that forces him to confront his own limits and question what truly matters—freedom, power, or survival.

Codename: Freedom stands apart from other LitRPG novels with its focus on character development and moral dilemmas, making it more than just a tale of leveling up. Readers are drawn into a world where the lines between gaming and reality are not only blurred, but manipulated. The series challenges the very notion of freedom itself, forcing its characters—and its readers—to ask: what does it really mean to be free?

With each new installment, Codename: Freedom expands its universe, delivering high-octane action, compelling character arcs, and thought-provoking questions about technology and human nature. Whether you’re drawn to the thrill of the game or the deeper existential stakes, this series offers a ride that’s as intellectually engaging as it is heart-pounding. If you’re looking for a story where the game is real, the stakes are high, and freedom is never guaranteed, then Codename: Freedom is the series you won’t want to miss.


Codename: Freedom consists of five books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Survive Week One (Codename: Freedom #1)
Unrated
The Goblin Siege (Codename: Freedom #2)
★ 10.00 / 1
World Quest (Codename: Freedom #3)
Unrated
Vanguard (Codename: Freedom #4)
Unrated
Dragonslayer (Codename: Freedom #5)
⧗ 9.72 / 7
Codename: Freedom Book 6 (Codename: Freedom #6)
⧗ 8.00 / 1


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