Death's Mantle

Death's Mantle #1

by Harmon Cooper

Lucian North is supposed to be dead.

Suffering from a rare heart condition that doctors say should have killed him over a year ago, Lucian is playing a video game when Death finally comes.

Rather than give in, Lucian pulls a gun on the Grim Reaper.

As the two stare each other down, terrible demons known as injuresouls swarm into the room in pursuit of Death.

Summoning courage he never knew he had, Lucian comes to Death's aid. And for his troubles, he is awarded Death's Mantle.

Transported to a spiritual world he could have never fathomed, Lucian finds that he is instantly powerful, able to conjure weapons from scratch and perform incredible feats. He introduces game mechanics to his new role, develops a carefully curated inventory list, and modifies a HUD system that allows him to better track his targets.

It isn’t easy being Death, and Lucian will need just about everything he can get as he faces off against fallen angels, appalling parasites, demon-born injuresouls, and savage Death Hunters.

Regardless of his sudden strength, his newfound enemies, and his gamer ingenuity, Lucian can't communicate with the living, which wouldn't be a problem if he hadn’t discovered something terrible about his family...

Lucian’s brother is scheduled to die, and only Lucian has the power to do anything about it.

Death’s Mantle is a dark fantasy GameLit novel that LitRPG, metaphysical fantasy, occult sci-fi, and thriller readers will love. Death’s Mantle is written by Harmon Cooper, bestselling GameLit author of Way of the Immortals, House of Dolls, Cherry Blossom Girls, The Feedback Loop and Monster Hunt NYC. It was inspired by the anime Parasyte, the comic book series Sandman and Spawn, the books On a Pale Horse and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Classics, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction

541 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2019

About the author

Harmon Cooper is the author of over sixty fantasy works. His bestselling series include Pilgrim, War Priest, Cowboy Necromancer, and Tokens and Towers.

His series, The Feedback Loop, is one of the earlier GameLit works first published in 2015. An earphone award winner for the series Death's Mantle, Harmon won the LitRPG/GameLit Audiobook of the Year award for Sacred Cat Island, narrated by Legends and Lattes author Travis Baldree.

Harmon write progression fantasy, cultivation fantasy, and LitRPG/GameLit.

Reviews

[Siobhan Leahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't know what to expect. But really enjoyed this.

[Leelynn (Sometimes Leelynn Reads) ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Podium Publishing. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

The first thing that I have to say about this audiobook is that I AM IN LOVE WITH THE NARRATOR! I have personally never heard Parsneau before and I’m so glad that the decision was made to have her narrate this book. I feel like her Boston accent was freaking amazing, and her imitation on male characters was so good, sometimes I forgot that she was voicing them. I love narrators that can do that, and I was just very into this book thanks to Parsneau. I hope to find more books narrated by her because she has become one of my favorite audiobook narrators from this point forward!

Okay now that that is out of the way, although I really could talk about that the entire time because that’s really what got me into this book from the very beginning…

I have never read a “GameLit” novel before, and this is what this book falls under genre wise. Despite never reading GameLit before, and despite not being a huge video game player or master or anything, I personally thought that this book was super interesting and I totally liked that Lucian ended up coming up with the HUD system for being a Grim Reaper. This book pretty much reminded me that the newer generations of this world – Lucian is a “millennial” like me from what I remember hearing – are the ones that are going to come up with creative ways to do jobs that have been in the world for years. He was even able to learn some rules that took “Old Death” a little bit longer to figure out, and honestly that wasn’t Old Death’s fault. He was born in the 1600’s after all.

I think Old Death was one of my favorite characters, as well as Lucian. But I think Old Death just reminded me of an old butler type figure… maybe like Alfred but if he was like SUPER old and wasn’t as quick as he usually is. And the way that Parsneau did his voice really gave me that impression.

All in all, I just really liked this book and I’m curious to see how the rest of the trilogy is going to be. I seriously hope that Parsneau is the one that gets to narrate the rest of the trilogy too. The one thing that absolutely kills me is when they end up changing the narrator after the first book. I mean I get if the POV ends up changing but like, why though?

Anyway.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not since Terry Pratchett has Death been so well portrayed and so ingenious a character. In an increasingly mature and in depth writing style ,this audio covers real world problems in a new and novel way.
How we see Death and Life may be forever changed as an entire realm of possibilities of Angels, Deaths , Demons and Parasites are shown in an emotional rollarcoaster of fun, excitement and unrepentant reader participation. Add in the professional talents of Andrea and this can be nothing less than 5 stars all the way as she brings us ever closer to living this story.
This is Coopers finest work to date and i hope the beginning of my new listening obsession.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I understand his leveling system, its just that its not really going anywhere other than him fighting things that are stronger than he is every time without him really changing anything throughout the book. One thing that is off putting is he is given a time limit and one of the first things he does is play video games, I understand that the video game might in some way help show what he needs to do or foreshadow some event but its not really necessary, it is just a plot device to explain video games to the reader and how it fits into his predicament I'm assuming.

Fight, almost lose or run away - Sit at home with a beer - Play video games - make something to help him fight. That is the story so far each chapter. He doesn't really upgrade his items like he should when he gets more SP he just keeps adding things to his inventory and in a couple fights most of them are useless. I really like the premise but so far the fights seem to be predictable with the Protagonist losing focus and something coming up out of his vision and this is how he basically loses a lot of HP while fighting, like im sure he would have learned sooner or later but no it keeps happening.

[Simon Forsyth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book feels highly inspired by Piers Anthony's "On a Pale Horse". For me, there were some fundamental writing issues. The purpose of death is poorly defined with a plot hole being dodged around and repeatedly questioned by the protagonist, which starts to feel like Harmon not knowing how to fill that hole right now so let's not explain it. "So many questions" by which he means two questions until he thinks of some later. The mechanics of the deaths' powers are vague, nowhere near as detailed as the computer games the protagonist occasionally plays which Harmon describes right down to the controller keys pressed. There is an incredibly painful contrivance where the enmity between death and life is a misunderstanding that nobody in the entire history of the universe thought to question until now. Battles are arbitrary and only vaguely hand wave at any rules, with almost no consequences. Plot points are repeated scene after scene. I struggled to get through it, and am feeling so lucky to not have pre-purchased the remaining books in this series.

[Gareth Otton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like the author had all the ingredients for a magnificent 3 tier wedding cake and for some reason he only produced a plain old cupcake... And one that was a bit stale at that.

You might think that becoming Death would be a world shattering event for someone, but the main character seemed to take everything in stride, even going so far as to continue playing video games after the change. He has been opened up to a new existence of near limitless possibility, and he either treats it like it's no big deal or doesn't seem interested in exploring this new reality. This left an incredible amount of untapped potential and was really unsatisfying.

The other elements like litRPG elements and isekai were all really familiar and weren't enough to make up for the flaws of this novel.

Overall, the idea behind this book felt really underdeveloped and it was all downhill from there.

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

no stakes, no threat and no urgency to anything. filler book that barely sets up book 2.
action sequences are basically all the same
the book should have been a quarter of its length, and combined with the next book because the book starts, things happen for like 2 chapters then nothing happens except stuff that is pointless to the reader. i dont need a book telling me how he trained and got stronger like some anime training arc.
this book does a lot of dumb things and i would never recommend it.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A job to die for.

This was a unique twist on the old cliche of the Grim Reaper. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed how the author worked to make them all flawed in some way so that the characters can grow and develop into strong unique people. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the fight scenes alot. Overall it was one of the authors best books.

[Liquid Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this book, so excuse the brevity.

As the protagonist, Lucian North, is dying from a heart condition at an early age, he sees Death in his living room. But it isn't just Death with him - he sees demons attack The Reaper and decides to lend a hand...and a gun. As he dies, he is 'reborn' with Death's Mantle, thus starting his new role as a death dealer.

Lucian has loads of questions and not a great deal of guidance. He treats it like a game - leveling up and crafting weapons - to gain strength. Slow and steady as he has time.

However, he visits his family and can see their death dates which expedites his need to grow stronger in order to kill parasites sucking off his brother (I don't want to write it another way, so let's see if that makes it past amazon autobots)!

Thus, along with learning his new role... gaining strength and experience...he also faces Life(Angels), and they are hell-bent on killing all the those with a death's mantle.

The read is pretty fast. There is character introduction and development, as well as action.

[Daniel Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS.

I tried to step outside my reading "comfort" zone, and doing so, I gave Death's Mantle by Harmon Cooper a try. Having read a previous story by Harmon Cooper, it really wasn't a big step. Nonetheless, Death's Mantle was a unique read, as it provided a different perspective of the grim reaper. The lore was certainly upended by Harmon Cooper. For the world they resided in, it worked. The action was good. Intriguing characters. The story possibilities going forward certainly left many intriguing questions.

The only "negative" I would have, if any at all, was how quickly a friendship was formed between the two opposing sides. Trying to elaborate on that statement would require spoilers, so I will be as vague as possible. The "enemy" of the grim reaper became a "friend" too quickly, didn't feel earned.

That aside, still would love to explore that world more. Glad plenty of story left to ready.

[Jim Guldner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed this

This book was interesting, because it told the story of a new grim reaper, a death among other deaths. If you'd ever wonder how, like Santa Claus, what most of us think of as a singular entity, Harmon builds a world where you can imagine multiples, with failures and foibles, of aspirations and dreams, of good and bad, but maybe not so bad.
Liked the way the leeches were simultaneously good because they extended life, and bad because the life extension had other ramifications. His role playing model to understand his new role was nice, and the expansion as it went along mirrored.that of a gaming platform, or at least as I imagine it.
Liked the interaction with Danita, Old Death(Cuthbert), Pelham, Azyzel, and pretty much the way he set up his world.
Like d it enough that book 2 is a definite go for me.

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts right in with Lucian and how he gets to the LitRPG world. No delay in learning, we get there ASAP. There were moments I wasn't sure where the story was going as we see Lucian visit his family and go through moments with them as he's in his new position. I know he's worried about his brother, Connor, and wants to help him. But I feel as though we are living through life's moments and not in a story. We then get direction, to help Connor and to find Old Death and bring him home.

****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****

[N'Gomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super unique

You know, I didn't really know what to expect when I bought this book, but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. A fourth of the way through the book I wanted to stop reading, but I stuck through it and by the halfway mark I begrudgingly decided to go ahead and finish it. By the end of the book however, I'd become a fan and am looking forward to book 2. So it took a while for this book to get a hold of me, but once it did, its hold was substantial.

[Shaeyera Drache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing take on the Grim Reaper mythos

I was very interested to see how the transition of Death would play out in this world. I am actually glad it had nothing to really do with an mmorpg or anything, but at the same time, the video game in this specific case was referenced but had no part to play, so it kinda felt like a word mill device. Overall I liked the read and want to read more. Good job.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters have the personality and depth of a unfolded paper airplane. Concept and world building were interesting enough that I hope we get to explore a bit deeper in the next volume (if not there is a good chance I will just drop it xD)

Didn't realize this was gonna give off YA vibes, but that's probably my own fault for not looking into the story more before picking up the omnibus for a single audiobook credit.

[Ian Denner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of good

The premise of this story seemed liked a good idea when I ran across it on Amazon, but reality had other ideas in store for me. I struggled to get through the chapters, to make any sense of the storyline, to bond with the characters and that is just the beginning of my gripes. In short, I did not enjoy the story at all.

[Murtah Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these 3 books. I always leave a review for a series rather than an individual book. I loved the creative idea's behind Lucian's powers and how a child of the 21st century would actually use these abilities compared to someone born many years ago. I can only imagine how different some Deaths would be in a few hundred years! Awesome idea's, Thanks for the good read Harmon Cooper.

[RJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now I can understand where some reviewers may be able to realize some sort of literary genius from this author and the story. I, on the other hand, find the tale a bit slow and rather depressing. The MC’s morality conflict and his continuous probing of the same questions became tedious. I trudged through a few chapters but it appeared nothing was going to change any time soon.

[robert wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only hope this is where grim reapers are from.

I really enjoyed the 21st century context that this book brings to the role of the grim reaper. The parasites in this tied to the afflictions people has kind of makes a lot of sense to me. Gamers of all types will love this series. Looking forward to book 2.

[Christopher Ruotolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and fun story

A great read from start to finish, a blend of multiple concepts and topics that keeps the pages turning long after they should have stopped. Keep up the great work!

[Danny Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting concept with a slight Gamelit twist. The most refreshing part of this book was its novelty. It felt like something that I haven’t read before. Overall, it was a fun book. I wish there was more resolution at the end.

[Lubos Elexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vcelku inovovaný koncept so zaujímavými možnosťami, ktoré však s pribúdajúcimi stranami strácali na intenzite a skĺzli do veľmi klišoidného opisu toho istého dokola. Malo to podstatne na viac a to ešte tento prvý diel bol o level dva lepší ako zvyšné časti.

[John #Audible · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get past hour 2, very slow progress and honestly no real plot to be seen after that amount of time.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Concept of After Life!

I like how this book details many possibilities of what happens to us after we pass away! It's an epic adventure, and I can't wait to read the next one!

[Clinton Sites · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting take on the personification of Death and Life (light vs. dark).
The battles are wild and over the top as in video games!

I did get this novel from a giveaway.

[Jeremy Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read

[Caleb Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would rate it a 3.5, I liked it but didn't love it. If I ever run out of stuff to read or listen to I might try book 2.

[Travis Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to what could be a fantastic series. That epilogue was everything! 👍🏽👍🏽

[Karo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's okay, but it's been done before... and better in my own humble opinion.

[Joe Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, the writing left a bit to be desired. Overall enjoyable.