Fayroll

Fayroll (Russian: "Файролл", or "Акула пера в Мире Файролла") is a series of fantasy novels written by Russian author Andrey Vasilyev. The series currently includes twelve books chronicling the adventures of a society reporter, Harriton Nikiforov, in the virtual game world of Fayroll.

The English translation (done by Jared Firth) of the first novel was released in February 2017 .

Author Info

Andrey Vasilyev (born 31 July 1973) is a Moscow-based author writing in the emerging LitRPG genre.

Plot Overview

The main character, Harriton Nikiforov, is a journalist who is given an assignment to test Fayroll, a virtual reality game developed and controlled by Radeon Corporation, and write a series of promotional articles on the subject. Supplied with a free virtual-reality capsule and a free game subscription, he embarks on a seemingly endless chain of incredible virtual quests and adrenalin-fuelled adventures.

Setting

The main storyline unfolds in a variety of the virtual game locations encompassing two continents and all climate zones. These locations represent original yet recognizable fantasy settings complete with  medieval-style towns, mob-infested catacombs, Oriental caravan-serais, Viking-patrolled seashores , rainforests, woodlands and wetlands.

Another part of the story – the one dealing with the protagonist’s “real” life – is mostly confined to Harriton’s apartment, with occasional outings to downtown Moscow, his offices or Radeon headquarters.

Real-life characters:

Harriton Nikiforov (a.k.a.Hagen the Warrior when in a game) – a journalist and a willy-nilly explorer of the captivating Fayroll world.

Elvira (Elya) – Harriton’s ex-girlfriend

Victoria (Vika) – Harriton’s colleague and a new girlfriend

Mammoth – Harriton’s former boss

Valyaev and Zimin – Radeon’s top managers

Fat Willie – see Wild Willie

Fayroll game characters:

Elina the Wise – the leader of the Thunderbirds clan

Gray Witch – the leader of the Hounds of Death clan

Wild Willie – Harry’s real-life pal and a Fayroll ally

Eiliana the West – a NPC dryad, the Keeper of the Western Ranges

Ogina the East, a NPC dryad of the East and Eiliana’s sister

Gerda (see also …) – a powerful NPC witch Harry keeps bumping into

Euiikh – a low-level lowlife PK and Harry’s favorite foe

Gunther von Richter – a Knight of the Tearful Goddess Order and Harry’s unlikely NPC friend

etc.

Genre

The series are attributed to the so-called LitRPG genre which is short for Literary works based on Role Playing Games and may be best described as “a mixture of Sci-Fi, Sword and Sorcery and MMORPG elements within the books” (Goodreads). 

Series Structure and Publishing History

The series currently includes 12 books:

- Book 1. More than a Game (Russian: «Игра не ради игры») 

The English edition by Litworld was released in February 2017.

- Book 2. The Long Road East (Russian: «Пути Востока»)

The English release by the same publishing house is scheduled for April 1, 2017.

The below titles are currently being translated into English, with expected release schedule of every 2,5 months:

- Book 3. Край холодных ветров

- Book 4. Гонг и чаша

- Book 5. Cицилианская защита

- Book 6. Черные флаги Архипелага

- Book 7. Разные стороны

- Book 8. Слово и сталь

- Book 9. Право выбора

- Book 10. Два огня

- Book 11. Снисхождение. Часть 1

- Book 12. Снисхождение. Часть 2

Reviews and Awards

The series have received a fair share of critical acclaim as well as fan raves. The seventh novel, Taking Sides (Russian: «Разные стороны», was nominated as ‘The Best Book of the Year 2014’ by Fantlab portal (https://fantlab.ru/autor39094/awards).

References and External Links

Official webpage: http://fayrollseries.com

Publishers page: http://litworld.info

Critical reviews (English): http://www.reditalgroup.com/2017/more-than-a-game-by-andrey-vasilyev-book-review

Critical reviews (Russian): https://fantlab.ru/autor39094/responsespage1

Andrey Vasilyev on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Andrey-Vasilyev/e/B06WGQ54SX/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1