Tad Lonnerman is having a crappy day stuck in crappy traffic late to a crappy meeting. On the bright side, his game development career is the only non-crappy thing he has going for him, so life isn't all bad. At least until he dies. Now Tad finds himself uploaded to a beta test of Haven, an unannounced hyper-immersive MMO where the dead have a second chance at life. It's not virtual reality, it's digital reality. A true afterlife online. Except Haven isn't exactly blissful paradise. Tad bumbles into a pagan blood feud, crosses paths with fallen angels, and gets lied to by saints. His only allies? A frat boy with a penchant for dying and a pixie who won't give him the time of day. Second chances be damned. All Tad wants is to return to his old life, and he'll do anything for the opportunity. Even make a deal with the devil.

Life’s a Grind Living in a virtual game world sounds like the ultimate dream. Plenty of action, intrigue, and guess who gets to be the big hero? But what happens when that digital reality gets flipped on its head? Bad guys are after your sweet loot, your fancy title is loaded with unrealistic expectations, and achieving such a high level comes with a big fat target on your back. It isn’t long before Talon and company learn that, in an MMO, the daily grind is a literal fact of life. Something has to give, so when a new crusader faction rolls into town, Talon senses an opportunity. Not just to get out of Dodge, but to navigate unforgiving terrain to the edge of the world where he can make a difference. Have a real impact. Be a real hero. The catch? An awakened dragon, a city of cutthroats, and a mystical executioner with a sharpened axe to grind. Welcome to the first of a few very long days.

Recruit heroes. Build an empire. Defend it with your life. Talon and the Black Hats are notorious troublemakers in the online world of Haven. With a history of brash rebellion and legendary deeds, what are champions to do next? Founding a headquarters is a good start, but the Black Hats aren’t the only empire builders in the land. As crusaders mobilize an army, assassins struggle for independence, and dissidents make waves in Stronghold, Haven’s tentative peace is threatened. The gears of war are churning and Talon refuses to be crushed in the teeth. Enlisting the help of an old friend, Talon hatches an ingenious scheme to wrangle the embattled citizens of Haven to his cause. Except there’s another plot shaping the virtual world, one meticulously devised by a ghost in the machine. The true fight, it turns out, started a long time ago, and the real battle may be one against legends.

Black knights. Dastardly pirates. Bloodthirsty rebels. And those are the good guys. War is coming to the Midlands. Like a kettle ready to bubble over, cities teeter at the brink of boiling, all while a spymaster fans the flames. Witness the rise of the Violet Order. It was always coming to this. Freedom isn't given, it's wrenched from the choking grips of those who would stifle, contain, and control. Legends are rife with noble heroes standing over vanquished enemies, but reality is more grisly. Peace is hard-won with blood and sacrifice, and sometimes the good guys pay the ultimate price. Thus Talon, Izzy, Kyle, and the Black Hats are tasked with raising an army, storming a fortress, and fighting a war on multiple fronts, all on an impossible deadline. In three days, Haven's beta test ends, and in three days, so too might their entire world.