A PUB IN THE UNDERWORLD

In Cooper’s series starter in the LitRPG (literary role-playing game) fantasy subgenre, a soldier dies on the battlefield but is renewed as a publican in the Underworld village of Ember Hollow.

While battling enemy knights from the Shadowthorne Empire, Sylas Runewulf of the Aurum Kingdom is felled by his opponent’s blade and dies in combat. He’s then transported to a gate where a message awaits him: “Welcome to the Underworld.” From there, Sylas—his body perfectly healed and clad in simple civilian clothing—is greeted with more messages, first instructing him to go to the village of Ember Hollow, and then informing him that he’s been given the deed to a local pub. Following the prompts, he meets Mira Ravenbane, the apothecary of Ember Hollow, who quickly assumes the role of a guide. With her help, Sylas learns how to access his new life-force magic called Mana Lumens (or “MLus”), gains new skills, including flight, and reopens the pub under a new name. As he adjusts to his new life, Sylas makes various other friends, including a fire spirit named Azor, his flying instructor, Archlumen Octavian Tilbud, and a fiercely protective and loyal cat he names Patches. The afterlife isn’t all fun and games, however: Every morning, Sylas gets a new prompt counting down the days until an unspecified invasion. Cooper’s novel takes readers on an action-packed journey through a cozy, yet appealingly unpredictable, realm; the combination of suspense, humor, and detailed imagery makes the book engaging. The characters are also well developed, and the story’s thorough worldbuilding is enjoyable, in part because it refreshingly pushes back on fantasy genre cliches, such as cultural sexism. Those who are unfamiliar with LitRPG works may find this novel to be a fun introduction to the subgenre, which features interspersed character stats and action prompts reminiscent of classic fantasy-themed RPGs.

A creative and highly enjoyable fantasy read.