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About the author


Joseph DeProfio is a patron of the arts, personal trainer, and author of the new novel Ascendant: Online. Joseph has been an avid gamer since the time of the original NES, his passion for gaming coupled with his creative spark and passion for writing gives a sense of balance to the protagonists of the Ascendant: Online Trilogy. Joe has an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise, and is an Affiliate on the Twitch Streaming platform. When he is not gaming or writing, you can find him hiking trails in Southern New Hampshire with his dog, Reigen or at an independent café, working on his next novel.
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Ascendant: Online
Witness the Beginning
by Joseph DeProfio
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Overview


Antonious King has been selected to beta-test what promises to be the best VR MMO of 2038.

As one of three hundred in the "Ascendant Program" he'll take part in a bloody civil war between the King of the Gods, Ignacious and the God-Hero Auren, granted powerful relics, artifacts, and a near-immortal body.

What's the catch?

There's no Logging out.

There is no game.

The planet Earth has been destroyed on a whim and the "Cadre of Justice" hunts Auren and his Ascendants across space with brutal efficiency. Tony learns quickly that there is much more at stake than gaining early access to the game everyone's been waiting for. Forced into combat sports as a child by a father obsessed with victory, Tony finds himself again, forced into conflict.

With his back against the wall and the most powerful beings in the universe out for his head, Tony unlocks the Dread Knight class; the perfect specialization for survival in the harsh biome of Arach and avenging mankind.

The hard part?

He won't be able to do it alone.

Vasna, the Totemic World-Shaping Shaman, Auren, the Lord of Auras, Jorogu of the Yokai cluster, and a friend thought long gone are just a few of the allies Tony will need to rally against Ignacious the Maddened God-King. Welcome, to Ascendant: Online

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Description


A LitRPG with heavy fantasy action, several references to mythology, and a compelling story that pits the parallels of normal life against the drama of a post-apocalyptic starscape, Ascendant: Online is a unique take on the genre that doesn't disappoint.

Read more

Overview


Antonious King has been selected to beta-test what promises to be the best VR MMO of 2038.

As one of three hundred in the "Ascendant Program" he'll take part in a bloody civil war between the King of the Gods, Ignacious and the God-Hero Auren, granted powerful relics, artifacts, and a near-immortal body.

What's the catch?

There's no Logging out.

There is no game.

The planet Earth has been destroyed on a whim and the "Cadre of Justice" hunts Auren and his Ascendants across space with brutal efficiency. Tony learns quickly that there is much more at stake than gaining early access to the game everyone's been waiting for. Forced into combat sports as a child by a father obsessed with victory, Tony finds himself again, forced into conflict.

With his back against the wall and the most powerful beings in the universe out for his head, Tony unlocks the Dread Knight class; the perfect specialization for survival in the harsh biome of Arach and avenging mankind.

The hard part?

He won't be able to do it alone.

Vasna, the Totemic World-Shaping Shaman, Auren, the Lord of Auras, Jorogu of the Yokai cluster, and a friend thought long gone are just a few of the allies Tony will need to rally against Ignacious the Maddened God-King. Welcome, to Ascendant: Online

Read more

Description


A LitRPG with heavy fantasy action, several references to mythology, and a compelling story that pits the parallels of normal life against the drama of a post-apocalyptic starscape, Ascendant: Online is a unique take on the genre that doesn't disappoint.

Read more

Book details

Genre:FICTION

Subgenre:Science Fiction / Space Opera

Language:English

Series title:Ascendant: Online

Series Number:1

Pages:272

eBook ISBN:9781098329242

Paperback ISBN:9781098329235


Overview


Antonious King has been selected to beta-test what promises to be the best VR MMO of 2038.

As one of three hundred in the "Ascendant Program" he'll take part in a bloody civil war between the King of the Gods, Ignacious and the God-Hero Auren, granted powerful relics, artifacts, and a near-immortal body.

What's the catch?

There's no Logging out.

There is no game.

The planet Earth has been destroyed on a whim and the "Cadre of Justice" hunts Auren and his Ascendants across space with brutal efficiency. Tony learns quickly that there is much more at stake than gaining early access to the game everyone's been waiting for. Forced into combat sports as a child by a father obsessed with victory, Tony finds himself again, forced into conflict.

With his back against the wall and the most powerful beings in the universe out for his head, Tony unlocks the Dread Knight class; the perfect specialization for survival in the harsh biome of Arach and avenging mankind.

The hard part?

He won't be able to do it alone.

Vasna, the Totemic World-Shaping Shaman, Auren, the Lord of Auras, Jorogu of the Yokai cluster, and a friend thought long gone are just a few of the allies Tony will need to rally against Ignacious the Maddened God-King. Welcome, to Ascendant: Online

Read more

Description


A LitRPG with heavy fantasy action, several references to mythology, and a compelling story that pits the parallels of normal life against the drama of a post-apocalyptic starscape, Ascendant: Online is a unique take on the genre that doesn't disappoint.

Read more

About the author


Joseph DeProfio is a patron of the arts, personal trainer, and author of the new novel Ascendant: Online. Joseph has been an avid gamer since the time of the original NES, his passion for gaming coupled with his creative spark and passion for writing gives a sense of balance to the protagonists of the Ascendant: Online Trilogy. Joe has an MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise, and is an Affiliate on the Twitch Streaming platform. When he is not gaming or writing, you can find him hiking trails in Southern New Hampshire with his dog, Reigen or at an independent café, working on his next novel.

Read more

Book Reviews

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Avonlea
An Imaginative, Exciting, Roller Coaster of a Read! Ascendant: Online | Witness The Beginning by Joe DeProfio is an action packed, page turner of a LitRPG. The post-apocalyptic setting, the characters, and the action are all so well written that the story unfolds in the mind’s eye seamlessly. It’s a wonderful combination of sci-fi, action, adventure, fantasy, and video games, with a hint of anime. While the action is virtually non stop and attention grabbing, there is also a good dose of humor, as well as tender moments, and inner reflection on the part of the main character in this novel. These moments allow your adrenaline levels to go down and put you at ease… Right before you’re thrown back into epic battle sequences, new quests, and shocking revelations. Frequent twists and turns in the plot make for an exciting read and keep you wondering what will happen next. The thorough and detailed explanations of the main protagonist, Tony’s, abilities, equipment, and classes as he gains them made it simple for even this non-gamer to understand the video game elements in the story. Even as someone with only a basic understanding of RPGs and practically no video game experience, I understood what was happening every step of the way and remained invested in the story and characters. It was fun to have the elements of RPGs that we all agonize over, like deciding where to allocate skill points, which abilities and classes to choose, etc. play out in a novel. As the reader learns about Tony’s past, he becomes a more and more relatable character as opposed to just a muscle bound, rage powered, macho fighter. His martial arts training before entering Ascendant: Online makes his initial abilities in the, “game world,” make sense, and don’t just come out of nowhere. We are shown glimpses of his history; his past traumas and wounds that are the sources of his rage and fighting spirit. It’s rare to encounter a male protagonist character, never mind one who is a warrior of any sort, with so much depth and complex emotion. Tony remains delightfully human throughout the book, despite rapidly developing a myriad of powers and skills in an attempt to defeat Ignacious, a god who has taken over the galaxy. The imagination that went into creating the vast array of characters featured that are not only interesting, but also very inclusive, is incredible. This is the first time in this bookworm’s life that I have encountered characters that fall outside of the gender binary, and they are written with care and dignity. There are also wonderful elements of shattering toxic masculinity, and female characters that are anything but weak. Ascendant: Online | Witness The Beginning is an imaginative, exciting, roller coaster of a read. It’s fast paced, thought provoking, funny, and I’m certain that fans of pretty much any fiction genre will enjoy it. Read more