Death Has Joined the Party

Mana Runners #1

by Rachel Aaron, Travis Bach

Welcome, sentient races one and all, to the centennial season of the greatest collaboration between mortals and gods! The most thrilling, most deadly, most watched spectacle ever put on in any realm…Mana Runners!

The infinite dungeon below Whitepeak, famous City of Wizards, has reset itself once again, bringing new traps, new monsters, and new, never-before-seen challenges to this historic event. All of your favorite champions from Season Ninety-Nine are back and ready to face what is sure to be the most difficult season of Mana Runners ever attempted. From the lowest Copper Tier to the Platinums who shine at the top, every Runner is ready to lay down their lives defending you from the monsters that lurk beneath the mountain.

All of their sacrifices shall be recorded in the pages of history, but only those blessed with unique powers from the gods can reach the deepest floors. It’s the event that brings sentient races from all over the world together! The spectacle no one can afford to miss! And you can watch it all live thanks to Whitepeak College of Wizardry’s revolutionary sendernet: the only Sending spell network that broadcasts the can’t-be-missed action of Mana Runners straight into your home!

(The Mana Runners Centennial Season is produced by the Whitepeak Dungeon Committee and the Coalition of Rightfully Aligned Gods. Remember, the gods are always listening, so be sure to pray for your favorite Mana Runner to earn them blessings as they battle the unthinkable dangers of the Endless Dungeon!)



Death Has Joined the Party is a LitRPG novel based on the 5e SRD 5.1 - a public rules set for the world's most popular tabletop roleplaying game. Set in a world where magic has advanced to the information age and where levels are a thing you can list on your resume. It features an underdog protagonist shoved into the brutal world of celebrity dungeon crawling with the fate of the Prime Material Plane resting on his shoulders.

Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Terry Pratchett, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. If you like TTRPG humor and hilarious, action-packed Fantasy that isn’t afraid to throw someone into a mimic, this is the LitRPG novel for you!

Genres: Fantasy, Litrpg, Audiobook, Adventure

725 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2026

About the author

Hello, my name is Rachel Aaron, and I write the Heartstriker books, a new Urban Fantasy series about misfit dragons, starting with Nice Dragons Finish Last. I also wrote The Legend of Eli Monpress fantasy series for Orbit Books about a wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and stop him. PLUS I'm also the author of the new, rolicking fun Science Fiction romance Fortune's Pawn under the name Rachel Bach.

I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.

Reviews

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was there ever a doubt that I'll enjoy this given this dynamic duo - Aaron and Bach's - track record with me so far? Nope!

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting/Worldbuilding: 9/10
Main characters: 8/10
Side characters: 8/10
Dialogue: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Technique: 4/10
Prose: 4/10
Romance: N/A
Ending: 8/10
Overall enjoyment:8/10
Total: 63/90 (3.5)

Those of you who are fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl AND Rachel Aaron's "Heartstrikers" series will find this to be the most ideal match-up. Rachel Aaron is one of the most engaging storytellers I have had the pleasure of reading, but she has a particular style that can be easily misconstrued as faults. Nerdy anime-esque humour, over-the-top but lovable villainy, endless dialogues and expositions that scream "telling" and not "showing", but to me that is all part of the charm of a Rachel Aaron saga. If you are into nerdy worldbuilding, unexpected heroes, lovable villains and found family vibes, this is for you.

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights* · Rating 3 out of 5]

2026: 3.0

This was fun enough, but I just don't love LitRPG
I do love Rachel Aaron's regular fantasy books, so I gave this a try
I may or may not continue with this series as they release
We'll see

[Nicole Rebentisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Action-Packed Read

I’m not a tabletop gamer but I love reading everything Rachel Aaron writes, and this is no exception. I am eager for her to complete the next book in this series.
The humor, the humanity, and all my favorite elements of her stories come together in this wild ride that I devoured in three days.
I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get into it because of the LitRPG aspect, but I don’t think people need to know anything about RPG to be able to enjoy the classic storytelling elements of this book. Great, memorable characters, edge-of-your-seat action, plot twists… I can’t say enough good things about this book.
Ever since I first read a book written by Rachel Aaron, I have thanked my lucky stars for discovering her wonderful writing. I have enjoyed every book written by her that I have read so far.
Looks like I will need to work through the rest of her catalogue while waiting for the next book to drop. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

[William B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Fun Read!

You know how Star Wars and Star Trek are similar in that they both take place in space? Well, this is similar to Dungeon Crawler Carl in that they are both about a main character being on a reality TV dungeon crawl.
From that point, every thing else is different. Good, but different! ( Just like Star Wars and Star Trek are different.).

It is an enjoyable book and I do look forward to the next in the series!

My only ‘complaint’, which may not be an issue for everyone else is this: Sometimes the author spends a little too much time describing things or explaining things. For example, he will talk about the Silver King and how awesome he is. Then when we meet the Silver King again, the author waxes poetic over the Silver King again, and again. Don’t need to ‘gush’ and go into in depth about a character over and over every time we meet that character. Do it once and move on. Bring it up again when it is relevant to the story. Other than that, it’s awesome!

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

Honestly a pretty pleasant read, I like most of the stuff Rachel Aaron writes and I thought the prose etc was great.

The main issue I had was with the litrpg mechanics. I really dislike when people act like an op character is a plucky underdog and this guy had the most god tier start ever - he basically got all the good parts of being undead and then they made a super contrived set of situations to need it (like the exhaustion damage floor, super mobile wraith, etc) or poison immunity. (Side note, I thought it was super confusing that he was taking necrotic damage bc in almost every undead system that’s a healing effect but this is nitpicky).

I did think the mimic character was fun, although again it’s a little crazy that she was able to do perfect shape shifts and sorta just solve any plot issues including eating her status menu?

I totally understand that you want characters to be cool and act heroic and stuff but genuinely the tone did not line up with the actual lack of difficulty these characters faced.

[Ursula Fricke · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 83%.

This was the first LitRPG novel I read and it will probably be the last, this is not for me. It was recommended tome because Rachel Aaron is an author I read and enjoyed before.

I'm not a role playing enthusiast (it has been about 40 years that I tried to play) and found that all the stats interspersed really slowed down my immersion, especially in the fighting scenes. The fight against the wraith that should have lasted only 60 seconds (as repeatedly stated because the enchantments wouldn't last longer) went on and on and on. I should have realised this is not my thing and should have stopped there.

In the end what made me give up is that I have been stuck in chapter 24 for the last three days. I read a few sentences, find something different to do, read some more, again find something else to do and so on. Now I find that I don't care anymore what happens to the characters. Time to choose a different book.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book one

Brand-new series.
I liked the story overall, but at the same time I feel like it has some massive holes.
Most importantly the MC must kill one Sentient being every twenty-four hours.
The mimic must feed on magic.
Those are both huge failure points for the story. Lock the MC up for a day and he is a goner. Keep the mimic away from magic long enough and she dies.
For someone who spent the majority of his life analyzing and betting on mana runners the MC is an idiot. Gets cured, runs out of his house leaving everything he owns behind!
First dungeon run the MC, who seems to be in pretty serious debt, won't take a defeated enemies sword because it is yucky???
I liked the interaction between the characters that's what drives the story. But if you start digging into the details of the story There's holes big ones.

5/10

[Jordan_n · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the authors, the review is my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book, it hooked me from page one and never let go. The D&D aspect is integrated seamlessly into the world and never feels awkward. While having some knowledge of D&D adds to the reading experience you definitely don’t need to have prior experience to enjoy the book.

The plot is fast paced and definitely feels like an adventure without feeling rushed, the world building is deep and creative, I loved exploring this fresh take on Whitepeak. The characters are varied and well fleshed out with distinct personalities and motivations.

I highly recommend this book! 5/5 stars

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 24% / in chapter 9

Holy shit this man just will not stfu even when he’s dying. Explanations go on and on and on and everything feels unnecessary or repetitive. This sucks because chapter 8 is where the story was actually getting good. I’m interested in knowing what will happen next but I’m skimming this so much just to make the damn thing readable.

I’m also not a fan of the gaming mechanics regarding damage points. Spells cast damage based off a dice rolling system (ex: 1d8) which is mentioned as a “cosmic dice throw” which makes the book feel less like a book to me or like this isnt a world anymore that I’m reading about, it’s…less.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a fun time reading this one, mostly because of the characters. I loved the growing party dynamics and the arguments between the altruistic and evil aligned amused me. A cinnamon roll of a mimic? An unrepentant but mostly defanged lich? An MC who just wants to do the right thing? Heck yeah!

I wasn’t quite as fond of the game aspect. I enjoy playing D&D, but it was kind of odd to read here. Like, there are full standard spell descriptions straight from the handbook (or it seemed that way). There are some creative uses of spells and the familiarity is comfortable, I suppose. I guess it feels limiting. Is any of that going to stop me from reading more? Not a chance.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the start this book went in some unexpected directions and was quite different from what I'd been expecting. That's not a bad thing as there's a lot of similar genre books popping up like crazy and authors need their work to stand out from the crowd somehow. While the book has some strange twists and turns its still able to keep the reader interested and engaged in the shenanigans going on. It probably won't be the next DCC but its still fun. I'm definitely interested in book 2 but have no idea when that will get published.

[Thibault · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of reviews that will talk about the ins and outs of a book, discussing the different themes within and dissecting all the characters.

This not one of them.

I just need more of this story. Like at least another five or six books, okay?

If you like Dungeon Crawler Carl, read this book.

If you like Dungeons and Dragons, read this book.

Fantasy? Read this book.

Books? Read this book.

Words? Paper? Trees? You know the drill.

Also, Mim says hi!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline was interesting and the action was well-paced. Mim was hilarious! The best character by far. The only issue I had was that many of the spell details looked like a DM downloaded their script right into the book. Given there were no dice, rolls, or turns in the actual story, it looks like a problem with editing.

[Albijoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a D&D session

This book leans heavily on the RPG side of LitRPG. It also has almost the exact stats of Dungeons and Dragons in play, down to mentioning specific spells, using spell slots, and rolling the dice for damage.

The story was a very nice idea, not one I'd read before. Good concept!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is shaping up to be one of my favourite series by Rachel Aaron. I’m loving the repartee between the party members and enjoying the Dungeon Crawler Carl vibes. I would have bought this anyway but it’s a bonus it’s on KU.

[Deanna Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t wanna wait for the next book

This was good. Funny, heartfelt, somewhat violent. Exactly what I want in a LitRPG. This book ended with so many mysteries that I want to see solved.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

DnD Lovers read this awesome book!!

I am new to DnD just started playing a year ago. I have learned a lot And I love all the characters this is a great story and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

[Anne V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Interesting introduction to a new world. A bit slow in parts, but that’s not terrible when there is so much needing explained. I don’t generally like cliffhangers, but this one fits and does genuinely leave me curious about what happens next.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, awesome characters

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and was only disappointed that there wasn’t a book 2 to fall into. Will definitely be looking forward to the next installment.

[Big Blaggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than i was expecting
I feel some of the DnD mechanics could have been left out as they are ttrpg specific . Like in a non turnbased environment why would i care is something is a bonus action or not.

[NancyE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video Game

I'm not a fan of videogame books like Ready Player One but Rachel Aaron is such a good writer I enjoyed this one. It doesn't say it's a videogame book but it is very much like it.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a weird way this reminded me of Dungeon Crawler Carl. A dungeon. A reality show. Weirdness piled on weirdness. This is also very different from DCC, not a clone. I really enjoyed it and would like to get the next one when it comes out.

[Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful dungeon crawl

Well written, wonderfully engaging characters. Good story. Looking forward to seeing where it goes. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Loved Mim, in particular.

Mimics ARE the best monsters.

[Anand Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s a fun read!

All I can really say is “wow”.
The humor was on point. But it wasn’t fart/sex jokes. Fun action sequences. Likeable characters with distinct personalities. A fun plot. It was a good romp. And it felt more DND inspired than the usual litrpg.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun start to a new LitRPG series. I really loved the wacky characters--an idealistic necrolord who suffered from chronic pain, a happy-go-lucky mimic and an arrogant but loyal dragonborn.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful litrpg. I can't wait to see what happens next and how much made it to that last broadcast.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

Pretty cute story. A little unbelievable but what’s to be expected. It’s a fun ride though and excited to read the next story.

[Chip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and entertaining enough read but probably only for the targeted audience.

[Kimberly Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Carl...

The next series to curb your cravings for stories like Dungeon Crawler Carl. Different premise but just as exciting and addictive.