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Mana Runners #1
Death Has Joined the Party
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!
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!
- GenresFantasy
725 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2026
79 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Aaron
37 books3,053 followersHello, 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 13, 2026
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.
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.
April 10, 2026
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!
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!
May 3, 2026
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from Author
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
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
April 28, 2026
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!
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!
April 9, 2026
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.
May 7, 2026
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!
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!
Want to Read
March 18, 2026One of my favorite authors whose books have toed the line of LitRPG is actually coming out with a full fledged LitRPG????
Hell yes sign me up!!!!!!!
Hell yes sign me up!!!!!!!
April 27, 2026
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.
April 8, 2026
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.
April 13, 2026
What a delightful litrpg. I can't wait to see what happens next and how much made it to that last broadcast.
April 23, 2026
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.
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.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews