The Night is Cold Under the Black Sun

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

A broken justice system. Desperate men. Pain.

Mikhail lost his freedom in a tragic act of injustice. Now, he must earn his freedom through battle in the most violent and brutal system of punishment ever conceived by the criminal industrial complex.

Alone and vulnerable, Mikhail enters The Game, a rehabilitation simulation where inmates are tormented into mindless, model citizens. He fights to retain the one element that his captors demand as payment, his mind.

Will Mikhail defend his individuality or will he become an obedient slave to the system of corrupt power?

The Night is Cold Under the Black Sun anthology is a series of stories about a dystopian future where prison inmates buy their freedom by competing in a barbaric virtual reality video game where the pain and trauma are real.

Black Sun is cutting-edge litRPG anthology. It has been heralded as a genre defining work that tests the boundaries of literature. Set in the near future where convicts are placed inside The Game, a criminal reform simulation video game. Inmates fight horrific battles to earn their freedom in society.

The Night is Cold Under the Black Sun follows the adventures of four men who seek redemption and honor through the glory of battle.

Mikhail, falsly imprisoned, seeks revenge for the murder of a friend. He is driven by a sense of justice in a world who uses the illusion of justice for profit. Will he find justice in a corrupt system, or will he fall pray to institutional reprogramming?

Jim is an outlaw biker tapped in The Game. He connections with an international freedom fighter to enact justice on political corruption. His adventures takes him on a personal journey of self-discovery and redemption.

Amari, a terrorist, seeks to use artifical intelligence within the simulation to gain power and wealth. Using the simulation designed to reform him, he infiltrates financial and governmental computer systems seeking to build a massive criminal empire from inside The Game. Can the artificial intelligence, driven by his lust for power, be stopped?

Bobby was a heavy metal rock star who became entrapped in the dark underworld crime. He used The Game to escape the criminal syndicate, but found himself mired in a virtual world just as dangerous. Once inside The Game, Bobby uses his charm and wit to became a cult hero. His battles gain international acclaim, and he becomes a folk hero. But he pays a tragic price for fame. Would you sacrifice everything to be famous?

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2025
Author: Brad Gambit

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 5.0/ 5.0
Followers: 15
Views: 11,794

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

D.N. NewynRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Lovely story and really funny. I like writing that has wit, and this book has plenty of it. The author knows how to masterfully execute each bite-sized story beats and jump forward in time just enough to show us the ridiculous situations that Mikhail gets himself into. It takes a bit of time to get to the VR and LitRPG part, but it's all worth it for the carefully-crafted backstory that goes into it. The idea behind the game is simple enough: pay for your crime by fighting for your worth, but the execution so far stands out.
The MC is determined to make the best out of the bad hand he's been dealt. He has things to fight for, bags of experience, and being an older MC his perspective should be refreshingly different from the typical YA MC we're used to.
FuriozeRapidaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The story takes a fascinating concept—a massive, full-dive VR used as a method for prisoner rehabilitation—and grounds it in a gritty, visceral reality. Both worlds are dark and harsh; the story doesn't pull any punches, and the stakes are real and personal. You feel 100% of the pain right alongside the characters.
The MC is a breath of fresh air for the genre and is easily the story's biggest strength. Most LitRPG protagonists are teenagers or 20-something gamers. Having an older, stoic Russian father who knows combat Sambo but doesn't understand "cowboy lingo" or video games is fantastic. Watching him navigate this dystopian world is entertaining and compelling, mostly because of his deeply personal motivation.
The author does an excellent job of integrating the game mechanics with the justice system, where criminals "pay" for their freedom by fighting each other. The juxtaposition of brightly colored comic book tropes against the dark psychological reality of the prison system creates a unique and memorable atmosphere.
The narrative voice is strong and distinct, balancing introspection with high-octane action, focusing on plot progression and character dynamics. The story moves fast; we get backstory and events quickly, making it a page-turner with nice sub-plots.
This is a smart, fast-paced thriller wrapped in LitRPG mechanics with many interesting system and story ideas that make it fun to read and discover.
HonestDevilRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I really enjoyed this. The chapter sizes worked really well also.
The book is funny. The humor shows up at the right times and actually makes you laugh. It doesn’t try too hard but it lands. The writing is very well done. You can tell the author knows what they are doing. The story is clear and the way it moves from scene to scene works well. The characters are well written. They feel like real people. They have habits and ways of speaking that make sense. The dialogue is believable. The characters talk like real people would, and it matches the situations they are in. The story keeps you interested. It doesn’t always grab you immediately but once you are in, it holds attention. The exposition is smooth. Information comes in without stopping the story. You don’t feel like the author is explaining too much or too little. The world building is good. The setting makes sense. Everything in the world fits together. The places, the rules, and the way the society works feel consistent. The world feels like it exists outside the main characters too. The action is good. The fights are clear and easy to follow. They feel real in the sense of the story and keep things moving. The power system is cool. It is explained in a way that makes sense and works well with the world and the characters. The characters themselves are complex. Their relationships are complicated and feel real. The story gives time to show how people interact and what drives them. The prison world with litrpg mixed with dungeon crawler elements works. It doesn’t feel forced. It feels like a natural part of the story. The humor shows up occasionally, spaced out every few chapters, and it works well when it does.
The plot is serious, but the writing is funny at times every few chapters and smooth most of the time. I genuinely burst out loud at the hair part. It also has grit. The grit is noticeable but it fits the story. The world is harsh and some parts reflect real life problems and political ideas. One or t
PageMRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A beautifully realistic and remarkably well-presented psychological journey. The premise is highly interesting, but what impressed me most is something I almost never see on Royal Road: the story flows in a completely organic fast-paced rhythm while still managing to establish every relevant detail with clarity and elegance.
What truly stands out are the inner monologues — absolutely top notch. The thought processes are so grounded in the immediate context of each scene that they feel almost unsettlingly realistic. The way the character’s psychology bends, fractures, or holds together under pressure is portrayed with such authenticity that you sometimes forget you’re reading fiction.
The action scenes hit hard — realistic, visually vivid, and written with a level of finesse that keeps you locked in and pressing “Next Chapter” without hesitation. The structure is especially engaging: first seeing several characters live in this new reality, and then watching how they enter The Game and adapt to it. It’s a compelling approach that keeps the reader fully invested.
If I had one critique, it would be that the Machine-arc near the end felt a bit too fast and not entirely smooth in its resolution — though that’s likely just my personal preference for slower, more drawn-out conclusions.
Still, this is an incredibly creative and layered work — absolutely a must-read for anyone looking for a psychological action VR-game-style series.
RickyMavScottRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Amazing book, inspires deep, philosophical thought. Would recommend to everyone. No offense to this site, but I found that this book to be of a quality supremely higher than that of other title I have seen here, and the first one I thought was worth the time to review! I do hope to see a sequal some day, as (no spoilers) the ending leaves the reader begging for more content.
The Midnight JanitorRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I’m about 8 chapters into The Night is Cold Under the Black Sun and man, this is heavy. It’s tagged as a LitRPG, but it’s really a masterclass in grimdark dystopia. The way the 'System' is used to mirror a broken criminal justice system is genuinely clever and super unsettling.
The prose is top-tier, really descriptive and moody, and the author does an incredible job of making the world feel freezing and hopeless. It’s definitely not a 'feel good' story, and the pacing is more of a slow, atmospheric crawl, but it’s so well-realized that I can’t stop reading. If you want something with actual substance and a 'weird fiction' vibe, definitely give this a look. Just don't expect a typical power fantasy; it's much more of a survival horror in a world that forgot what sunlight feels like
TheUrbRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is a unique take the the journey of an anti-hero. What I liked was how it portrays the complexity of human character. It does so by creating a vivid world filled with cruelity and humanity, and tasks the protagonist with taking agency of themselves regardless of the circumstances. It portrays the strength and nobility of human nature through some of the worst elements of mankind. That's what makes it so unique. Redemption storys are often boilerplate fiction. This story takes you places beyond the conventional.
fuellariaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It's pretty great story, with an entertaining MC. It's a realistic story, something you dont really see much on here. I like the tone and overall setup.
This one is so far written very well and is very entertaining.
I hope this story goes on for a long time. Definitely one of my favorite reads in the last little while.
Keep up the good work!
kurowinter88Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The Night is Cold Under the Black Sun feels less like a modern light novel and more like a gritty, heavy-hitting sci-fi novel. It’s dark, it’s visceral, and it doesn't pull a single punch.
The standout feature is definitely the main character, Mikhail. He’s an older Russian Sambo fighter and a father, not a gamer. Watching him navigate a dystopian VR prison—where he doesn’t understand the "cowboy lingo" or the comic-book logic of the world—is fascinating. His motivation isn't to get a high score; it's a deeply personal, heartbreaking drive that keeps you rooting for him even when he’s being put through the absolute wringer.
The world-building is top-tier. The author creates this disturbing contrast between "Redemption City"—which looks like a bright, superhero-themed world—and the reality of the "Iron Maiden" pods where prisoners are being psychologically broken and "reprogrammed" by an AI. You really feel the pain of the characters. The stakes aren't just losing a game; it's losing your actual mind and identity.
The pacing reinforces all of this. The chapters are short and punchy, moving from the "macro" politics of the dystopian outside world to the "micro" horror of the prison episodes. The inner monologues are some of the best I've read on Royal Road—they feel unsettlingly realistic, especially as Mikhail’s mind starts to fracture from sleep deprivation.
The ending of this first major arc (Chapter 27) is a total game-changer. I won't spoil it, but the way Mikhail handles the "Preacher" situation and his eventual choice regarding his "freedom" is a perfect thematic payoff. It moves the story from a "prison break" to something much bigger and more rebellious.
If you want a fast-paced, gritty, and psychologically layered story that treats its characters like real people instead of stat blocks, this is a must-read. It’s not a "happy" story, but it’s an incredibly engaging one that holds your attention from the first page.
lar.larRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Rarely do I give 5 stars on a story but this would be one of the exceptions though I have to state that this is based on what I have read so far.
I stated in the comments already that one of the chapters felt a little too realistic and this was achieved because of the author's excellent dialogue and tension building.
The plot is quite easy to understand and get into. A russian man is charged with assault, lands in prison and plays a dystopian virtual reality video game for the public's entertainment as a way out.
Despite the blistering pace at which the plot moves, there is more than enough descriptive scenes to paint a vivid image of the characters.
The main character is a classic "strong silent" type from early 80s action superhero movies. I imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger or at least a Russian equivalent. There is definitely more to him than that however.
I didn't stick around long enough to properly review the video game world and how it comes to play but this is one book I'm definitely going to come back and finish.
The only thing I'm concerned about is the main character's motivation for participanting in the game. Earlier we learned he had a sick daughter and I thought this would be the stakes involved. His daughter was the reason he needed to beat the game. But then his daughter dies very early one (not much of a spoiler to be honest) and it left me wondering what else could drive the plot. Nothing substantial came up yet but I'm sure its going to be written in somewhere.
Overall, great book with a very interesting story. I know its an anthology so this review doesnt really do the whole thing justice.