An aristocrat and commander of a space fleet? A perfect computer game, or reality?
LitRPG is taking the literary world by storm. Atamanov has drawn on sci-fi elements this time – alien civilisations, cutting-edge technology, androids, space battles – and he certainly hasn't held back. Even though the story of the protagonist, top computer gamer Ruslan, starts out rather inconspicuously.
Ruslan is approached by a mysterious stranger calling himself G.I., with an offer he can't refuse – he is to play the game Perimeter Defence for him for six months. Although the game is unknown, according to G.I. it is an exclusive affair for a small circle of rich people who use it to prove how tough they are. Only G.I. isn't doing much proving; he's not doing well in the game, which is why he came up with what is essentially a scam. The financial compensation is also commensurate…
Simply an offer you can't refuse. The contract is signed, and Ruslan wakes up... in another body, aboard a battlecruiser. He's no longer the computer gamer Ruslan; he's now Georg, Crown Prince of the Empire and a member of the House of Orange. He has “inherited” a very neglected, obese body and, on top of that, a great deal of antipathy from those around him. A lot of work awaits Ruslan/Georg to change all that. Thanks to his gaming skills, he successfully manages to do so, and after a few won space battles, his popularity grows. Which, of course, has the exact opposite effect on rival houses. The time has come for courtly intrigues, where it's a good idea to watch your back, because a treacherous blow can come from an unexpected direction...
To make matters worse, insidious aliens—foreigners whom the Empire's fleets are resisting with all their might—will shuffle the cards. Will Ruslan's command skills be the salvation of the Empire?
