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THE FIRST CRADLE
The Sun is dying, and there's no saving this world.
Engineering grad student Gavin Daniels volunteers for experimental brain emulation technology--humanity's last chance to gain centuries of research time while only days pass on Earth. But the untested cradle connects him to something ancient: a galaxy-spanning competition called the Ascendancy, where Earth's survival is the prize.
The rules are brutal. Earth is unrecognized, unprotected, and legally open for conquest. Win, and the planet gains galactic protection. Every victory captures alien technology to fuel humanity's desperate evacuation. Lose, and everything is forfeit.
Read the First Cradle book one in the Iron Cradle Saga today on Royal Road!
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THE FIRST CRADLE
The Sun is dying, and there's no saving this world.
Engineering grad student Gavin Daniels volunteers for experimental brain emulation technology--humanity's last chance to gain centuries of research time while only days pass on Earth. But the untested cradle connects him to something ancient: a galaxy-spanning competition called the Ascendancy, where Earth's survival is the prize.
The rules are brutal. Earth is unrecognized, unprotected, and legally open for conquest. Win, and the planet gains galactic protection. Every victory captures alien technology to fuel humanity's desperate evacuation. Lose, and everything is forfeit.
Read the First Cradle book one in the Iron Cradle Saga today on Royal Road!
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THE TRINITY DIVIDE
Jarek Donati was an enforcer for the family until he was set up to die while on a job. He relives his own death over and over in his own personal hell loop for over a century, until the very weapon he used on the monster of a man who was meant to kill him sets him free. Now he finds himself in 1920 St. Cloud, Minnesota, during the start of Prohibition. He's got an angel and devil on his shoulder, a Nephilim with perfect balance between grace and damnation. The Trinity Blade transformed him into something both Heaven and Hell want dead.
St. Cloud runs on illegal moonshine, demon-possessed mobsters, and church corruption. Jay establishes cover as a private investigator and discovers he arrived at the exact moment both sides waged war over St. Mary's Cathedral and what's hidden beneath it.
Read The Trinity Divide book one in the series today on Royal Road!
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THE SECOND CRADLE
They survived the Ascendancy. Now they have to survive coming home.
Gavin Daniels and Earth's champions return from the first phase to find their facility under siege, their families trapped, and an enemy that never cared about the Ascendancy's rules waiting for them in the dark. Before they can get back into the game, they have to fight for their lives on the world they're trying to save.
The stakes are brutal. Earth is only protected as long as they're alive to compete. Die on Earth, die in the Ascendancy, die anywhere in between, and humanity loses everything. Win the fight at home and they earn the right to climb back into the cradles. Lose, and Earth loses its only shield before the second round even begins.
Read the Second Cradle book two in the Iron Cradle Saga today on Royal Road!
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THE FIRST CRADLE
The Sun is dying, and there's no saving this world.
Engineering grad student Gavin Daniels volunteers for experimental brain emulation technology--humanity's last chance to gain centuries of research time while only days pass on Earth. But the untested cradle connects him to something ancient: a galaxy-spanning competition called the Ascendancy, where Earth's survival is the prize.
The rules are brutal. Earth is unrecognized, unprotected, and legally open for conquest. Win, and the planet gains galactic protection. Every victory captures alien technology to fuel humanity's desperate evacuation. Lose, and everything is forfeit.
Read the First Cradle book one in the Iron Cradle Saga today on Royal Road!
-
THE FIRST CRADLE
The Sun is dying, and there's no saving this world.
Engineering grad student Gavin Daniels volunteers for experimental brain emulation technology--humanity's last chance to gain centuries of research time while only days pass on Earth. But the untested cradle connects him to something ancient: a galaxy-spanning competition called the Ascendancy, where Earth's survival is the prize.
The rules are brutal. Earth is unrecognized, unprotected, and legally open for conquest. Win, and the planet gains galactic protection. Every victory captures alien technology to fuel humanity's desperate evacuation. Lose, and everything is forfeit.
Read the First Cradle book one in the Iron Cradle Saga today on Royal Road!
Welcome Progression and LitRPG fans!
JE Payne writes LitRPG and progressive sci-fi, crafting character-driven stories built around evolving systems, high-stakes worlds, and grounded action that keeps the pages turning. His work is currently being released as web serials on Royal Road, where The First Cradle is fully posted and The Second Cradle is now being released as the next volume in the series, with The Trinity Divide also actively in progress. This fall, Between the Stars We Run and Exiled will both be joining the lineup.
JE Payne is currently independent and still weighing his publishing options, but one way or another his work will be available for purchase down the line. In the meantime, if you want to support him and get a little something extra for it, PayPal and Patreon links are available below!
