David Pope

Untethered

Lucas Cadalain has spent his entire life refusing the neural implant nearly everyone else depends on. In a civilization too complex to navigate without one, that decision has condemned him to the bottom rung of society, but Lucas would rather stay a baseline than let a corporation decide what he can know, what he can become, or whether his own mind keeps working. Then a dying old man gives him an implant that shouldn’t exist. No subscription. No corporate owner. No skill ceiling. And when Lucas discovers his implant can remove the restrictions from other people’s implants too, Aethis Heavy Industries suddenly has a much bigger problem than one runaway baseline.

Ruin Shaper

Adam was only trying to live a normal life. A hiking trip with his friends was supposed to be a break from everything, but instead it ended with him stranded in another world, separated from everyone he knew, and left with only the contents of his pack to keep him alive. His first shelter is a ruined tower hidden in the forest, but safety does not last. A territorial monster claims the land outside, trapping Adam inside with dwindling food, broken rooms, and whatever scraps he can turn into tools. With no way home and no clean way out, Adam begins searching the tower. What he finds buried inside is not treasure, but the remains of an ancient magical training facility and a System designed to help people survive a world they were never built for.

The Mana Engineer

Eric Elwyn thought he was just another overworked husband and father, driving home after a long day. Then the sky tore open and dragged him into another world. Rebuilt from the soul-thread itself, Eric wakes as an Outworlder — a rare race with higher than average stats, a lightning affinity almost no one has, and a profession tailored to his nature: Artificer. In a world where affinities define power and trust is rarer than gold, Eric finds himself bound to Welyvyne, a sharp-witted lowlander elf with her own scars and ambitions. Together, they’re outsiders in the Arcanum — the most prestigious magical academy in the realm — where every whispered rumor can ruin reputations, and every misstep can mean death. Eric quickly learns that his power makes him a target, his inventions make him dangerous, and his bond with Welyvyne makes them both infamous. But Eric isn’t here to play the prodigy. He’s here to build — to bend magic into tools, weapons, and wonders the world has never seen. If he can survive politics, professors, and the ever-growing shadow of those who want his power, he just might craft more than artifacts. He might craft a way to bring his family there.

Series

The Mana Engineer

by David Pope

Eric Elwyn thought he was just another overworked husband and father, driving home after a long day. Then the sky tore open and dragged him into another world. Rebuilt from the soul-thread itself, Eric wakes as an Outworlder — a rare race with higher than average stats, a lightning affinity almost no one has, and a profession tailored to his nature: Artificer. In a world where affinities define power and trust is rarer than gold, Eric finds himself bound to Welyvyne, a sharp-witted lowlander elf with her own scars and ambitions. Together, they’re outsiders in the Arcanum — the most prestigious magical academy in the realm — where every whispered rumor can ruin reputations, and every misstep can mean death. Eric quickly learns that his power makes him a target, his inventions make him dangerous, and his bond with Welyvyne makes them both infamous. But Eric isn’t here to play the prodigy. He’s here to build — to bend magic into tools, weapons, and wonders the world has never seen. If he can survive politics, professors, and the ever-growing shadow of those who want his power, he just might craft more than artifacts. He might craft a way to bring his family there.