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The King of the Dead at the Dark Palace, (Light Novel) Vol. 1
THE BEGINNING OF END
When a sickly boy succumbs t illness only to awaken as a lowly undead named End, his initial reaction is not horror but joy. No longer weak and bedridden, he is eager to experience the freedom of a properly functioning body. Sadly, his delight is cut short when he realizes the shackles of his previous life have simply been replaced by new ones—specifically, the powerful necromancer who revived him. To gain true freedom, he’ll need to overcome the many obstacles in his way...starting with his dark master!
When a sickly boy succumbs t illness only to awaken as a lowly undead named End, his initial reaction is not horror but joy. No longer weak and bedridden, he is eager to experience the freedom of a properly functioning body. Sadly, his delight is cut short when he realizes the shackles of his previous life have simply been replaced by new ones—specifically, the powerful necromancer who revived him. To gain true freedom, he’ll need to overcome the many obstacles in his way...starting with his dark master!
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 15, 2021
When this book's main character wakes up, he discovers that he's now what's known as a flesh-man, a low-level undead being. Horos Kamen, the necromancer who brought him back to life, names him "End" and appears to have complete control over him. End's only consolation is he's able to do whatever he pleases as long as it doesn't contradict the necromancer's orders. He's also incredibly lucky that Horos doesn't seem to realize that he's self-aware.
When he was alive, End's existence was agony. He'd had an incurable illness that sapped his strength and left him in constant pain. If it weren't for his lack of freedom, he'd consider being a flesh-man to be a blessing. He feels no pain, never gets tired, and is much stronger than he ever was in life. Now that he has a better existence to look forward to, he'll do whatever it takes to gain his freedom. He'll have to kill Horos. But is it even possible to kill someone whose every order you must obey? Then there are the additional complications presented by Horos' human slave, Lou, End's lack of knowledge about the undead and their limitations, and the Ender knights, sworn enemies of necromancers and the undead.
I bought this because I'd previously read the first couple volumes of Tsukikage's Defeating the Demon Lord's a Cinch (If You've Got a Ringer). That series had some serious issues (pacing problems, a premise the relegated the most competent character to the background, some problematic behavior on the main character's part), but also some things I really liked (a main character with a strong and interesting personality and weirdly relatable problems). I ultimately decided to stop reading it, but Tsukikage had enough potential as an author that I decided it was worth trying The King of the Dead at the Dark Palace.
Like Defeating the Demon Lord's Ares, End wasn't really a good person. His only goal was freedom, and he was willing to do whatever it took to obtain it. After a certain point in the story, "whatever it took" involved using Lou, Horos' human slave. Lou had been the necromancer's slave for long enough that she'd lost all hope - the only reason she feared death at all was because she knew Horos could continue to enslave her even after she'd died. The thing that irked me most about End's interactions with Lou was the way he viewed her - he saw himself as better than her because he still fought for his freedom and existence, whereas she'd given up.
I don't know that it's quite accurate to say that End lacked agency, but there were certainly an awful lot of instances where he succeeded not because he'd accomplished anything, but rather because he persevered long enough for the story's next convenient development to save him. For now, there's no real explanation for how he managed to do some of the things readers were told should have been impossible, although I have a feeling it has something to do with the reason why the author has thus far avoided revealing End's true name.
There weren't really any characters I could root for. End, like I said, was kind of horrible. Lou was pitiful. Even the Ender knights weren't that great. The author made it clear that they'd kill regular humans without flinching if they thought it was the best way to rid the area of the undead. The only one who seemed marginally like a decent person was Senli, who literally everyone agreed was soft-hearted to a fault. There was a bit from her POV that either confirmed her naivete or indicated that End is an unreliable narrator - I'm hoping for more the latter, but who knows?
Although this wasn't a "reborn in an RPG-like world" story, it felt like it at times. The way the undead evolved felt very much like the way RPG characters could level up. It unfortunately left this series feeling stale.
Will I continue reading this? Right now, the odds aren't good. I liked the lack of weird boob jokes, it might be interesting to see how Senli and End handle each other, and the bonus story with Lou had some potential, but for the most part this was not a fun book. It might improve in volume 2, but for now I have lots of other light novel series I could be reading instead.
Extras:
A folded sheet with two illustrations, one of all the prominent characters and one of a scene in which Horos Kamen orders End to kill a bear. Also, two bonus short stories ("The Merry and Mournful Days of the Undead," which read like something Tsukikage had been asked to cut out of the novel, and "The Melancholy of Lou Doles," which gives a hint of things to come) and a short afterword by the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
When he was alive, End's existence was agony. He'd had an incurable illness that sapped his strength and left him in constant pain. If it weren't for his lack of freedom, he'd consider being a flesh-man to be a blessing. He feels no pain, never gets tired, and is much stronger than he ever was in life. Now that he has a better existence to look forward to, he'll do whatever it takes to gain his freedom. He'll have to kill Horos. But is it even possible to kill someone whose every order you must obey? Then there are the additional complications presented by Horos' human slave, Lou, End's lack of knowledge about the undead and their limitations, and the Ender knights, sworn enemies of necromancers and the undead.
I bought this because I'd previously read the first couple volumes of Tsukikage's Defeating the Demon Lord's a Cinch (If You've Got a Ringer). That series had some serious issues (pacing problems, a premise the relegated the most competent character to the background, some problematic behavior on the main character's part), but also some things I really liked (a main character with a strong and interesting personality and weirdly relatable problems). I ultimately decided to stop reading it, but Tsukikage had enough potential as an author that I decided it was worth trying The King of the Dead at the Dark Palace.
Like Defeating the Demon Lord's Ares, End wasn't really a good person. His only goal was freedom, and he was willing to do whatever it took to obtain it. After a certain point in the story, "whatever it took" involved using Lou, Horos' human slave. Lou had been the necromancer's slave for long enough that she'd lost all hope - the only reason she feared death at all was because she knew Horos could continue to enslave her even after she'd died. The thing that irked me most about End's interactions with Lou was the way he viewed her - he saw himself as better than her because he still fought for his freedom and existence, whereas she'd given up.
I don't know that it's quite accurate to say that End lacked agency, but there were certainly an awful lot of instances where he succeeded not because he'd accomplished anything, but rather because he persevered long enough for the story's next convenient development to save him. For now, there's no real explanation for how he managed to do some of the things readers were told should have been impossible, although I have a feeling it has something to do with the reason why the author has thus far avoided revealing End's true name.
There weren't really any characters I could root for. End, like I said, was kind of horrible. Lou was pitiful. Even the Ender knights weren't that great. The author made it clear that they'd kill regular humans without flinching if they thought it was the best way to rid the area of the undead. The only one who seemed marginally like a decent person was Senli, who literally everyone agreed was soft-hearted to a fault. There was a bit from her POV that either confirmed her naivete or indicated that End is an unreliable narrator - I'm hoping for more the latter, but who knows?
Although this wasn't a "reborn in an RPG-like world" story, it felt like it at times. The way the undead evolved felt very much like the way RPG characters could level up. It unfortunately left this series feeling stale.
Will I continue reading this? Right now, the odds aren't good. I liked the lack of weird boob jokes, it might be interesting to see how Senli and End handle each other, and the bonus story with Lou had some potential, but for the most part this was not a fun book. It might improve in volume 2, but for now I have lots of other light novel series I could be reading instead.
Extras:
A folded sheet with two illustrations, one of all the prominent characters and one of a scene in which Horos Kamen orders End to kill a bear. Also, two bonus short stories ("The Merry and Mournful Days of the Undead," which read like something Tsukikage had been asked to cut out of the novel, and "The Melancholy of Lou Doles," which gives a hint of things to come) and a short afterword by the author.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
May 5, 2021
End was once a young man with an incurable illness, who wasted away until he died. Now, he's the weakest of the undead, raised back to a new life by the necromancer Horos. But End doesn't mind being undead---he finally has a body that can move properly. The only problem is that he's utterly enslaved to Horos. If he can somehow kill his master, he'll be free . . .
I loved this book as a web novel, and the book version is largely the same (and has a few bonus short stories at the end).
This is more dark fantasy than horror. End finds his new un-life a vast improvement on the horrible actual life he'd suffered through, and he'll do anything to keep it. This makes him very much a monster in some ways, as he's willing to lie and manipulate to get what he wants. But underneath it all he's still mostly a kid celebrating the fact that he can do all kinds of things that used to be denied to him.
With one major problem: Horos.
The necromancer had a goal for creating him, and between that goal (which End knows nothing about) and the fact that End is bound to obey Horos's orders, End decides Horos must die. Then comes the puzzle of figuring out how to bring down someone very well protected against everything he could think of.
I also really like the magic in this book. Instead of "dark" and "light" it's more a positive and negative force. Each have their quirks, like positive force being lethal to the undead, but negative force not impacting the living the same way. It's especially fun how the various undead trade weaknesses for power---a vampire has several glaring weaknesses, but because of that, they can use tremendous strength. And as End keeps mutating to greater and greater stages, he's going to have to learn how to deal with both the weaknesses and the benefits.
Overall this is a fantastic book, and it's well worth a read. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
I loved this book as a web novel, and the book version is largely the same (and has a few bonus short stories at the end).
This is more dark fantasy than horror. End finds his new un-life a vast improvement on the horrible actual life he'd suffered through, and he'll do anything to keep it. This makes him very much a monster in some ways, as he's willing to lie and manipulate to get what he wants. But underneath it all he's still mostly a kid celebrating the fact that he can do all kinds of things that used to be denied to him.
With one major problem: Horos.
The necromancer had a goal for creating him, and between that goal (which End knows nothing about) and the fact that End is bound to obey Horos's orders, End decides Horos must die. Then comes the puzzle of figuring out how to bring down someone very well protected against everything he could think of.
I also really like the magic in this book. Instead of "dark" and "light" it's more a positive and negative force. Each have their quirks, like positive force being lethal to the undead, but negative force not impacting the living the same way. It's especially fun how the various undead trade weaknesses for power---a vampire has several glaring weaknesses, but because of that, they can use tremendous strength. And as End keeps mutating to greater and greater stages, he's going to have to learn how to deal with both the weaknesses and the benefits.
Overall this is a fantastic book, and it's well worth a read. I rate this book Highly Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
July 20, 2021
I wanted this book to be so much more than what it is.
It's a reincarnation story where someone within the world dies and gets turned into something else. In this case, a basic undead creature. (reminded me a lot of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 1 now that I say that out-loud)
So basically your standard isekai plot without actually being isekai as no one gets teleported to another world. The protagonist End is... he is a unique mix of being boring and being someone you can't relate to due to his selfish/egotistical/manipulative ways. The author tries at points to make him sympathetic, and fails each time. At no point was I ever rooting for End. If this was a villain story where you are supposed to root for the protagonist to eventually get their just deserts, this novel never reaches that point.
Instead End always seems to win, and by no skill of his own or some insane twist. Nope, he lucks out. I would almost say he doesn't have any agency, but End does try to take control of his future. He just does it in the most haphazard and careless manner possible, which makes it hard to cheer for him or hope he succeeds. And when the author shoves in those brief moments where you are supposed to actually feel sorry for End, nope. Nothing. Why? Because everything leading up to, and after that point, shows that End is a dick. And not a fun dick.
So at this point, I think I am done with this series, which is a shame. It could have been a lot better. I don't recommend you get this, it's not really worth the time spent reading it.
It's a reincarnation story where someone within the world dies and gets turned into something else. In this case, a basic undead creature. (reminded me a lot of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 1 now that I say that out-loud)
So basically your standard isekai plot without actually being isekai as no one gets teleported to another world. The protagonist End is... he is a unique mix of being boring and being someone you can't relate to due to his selfish/egotistical/manipulative ways. The author tries at points to make him sympathetic, and fails each time. At no point was I ever rooting for End. If this was a villain story where you are supposed to root for the protagonist to eventually get their just deserts, this novel never reaches that point.
Instead End always seems to win, and by no skill of his own or some insane twist. Nope, he lucks out. I would almost say he doesn't have any agency, but End does try to take control of his future. He just does it in the most haphazard and careless manner possible, which makes it hard to cheer for him or hope he succeeds. And when the author shoves in those brief moments where you are supposed to actually feel sorry for End, nope. Nothing. Why? Because everything leading up to, and after that point, shows that End is a dick. And not a fun dick.
So at this point, I think I am done with this series, which is a shame. It could have been a lot better. I don't recommend you get this, it's not really worth the time spent reading it.
August 9, 2021
The fact that this LN is a standard fantasy instead of a reincarnation or isekai story is somewhat refreshing. The former(s) tend to be more common in my experience so this helps set it apart from other LNs with a medieval fantasy setting.
There are some very basic similarities between this and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer.
Specifics
This 1st volume focuses primarily on End surmounting the obstacles that are impeding his freedom in his 2nd (un)life. The story is somewhat Dark but not Grim Dark and while End is shown to be manipulative he isn't malicious. In some ways End is a blank slate since he was bedridden the majority of his life. He doesn't have any practical experience/knowledge and this is an interesting way of introducing the readers to the setting in a 1st person narrative. In a way the reader will find out what kind of person End is at the same time he does.
Although I believe it is unintentional the author touches on the issue of racism/speciesism. The Undead are considered to be the worst of monsters by the human population and the Ender Knights will not suffer them to live. In the background of the story there is the constant question of whether End deserves to live and if he should suffer for a condition he had no choice in. There is also some consideration of whether End is the monster many expect him to be but this is mostly alleviated since the story is told from his perspective. I'm curious if subsequent volumes will continue to address these issues and if End will struggle more against his inhuman desires as he evolves.
There are some very basic similarities between this and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer.
Specifics
This 1st volume focuses primarily on End surmounting the obstacles that are impeding his freedom in his 2nd (un)life. The story is somewhat Dark but not Grim Dark and while End is shown to be manipulative he isn't malicious. In some ways End is a blank slate since he was bedridden the majority of his life. He doesn't have any practical experience/knowledge and this is an interesting way of introducing the readers to the setting in a 1st person narrative. In a way the reader will find out what kind of person End is at the same time he does.
Although I believe it is unintentional the author touches on the issue of racism/speciesism. The Undead are considered to be the worst of monsters by the human population and the Ender Knights will not suffer them to live. In the background of the story there is the constant question of whether End deserves to live and if he should suffer for a condition he had no choice in. There is also some consideration of whether End is the monster many expect him to be but this is mostly alleviated since the story is told from his perspective. I'm curious if subsequent volumes will continue to address these issues and if End will struggle more against his inhuman desires as he evolves.
June 3, 2024
This was a very intriguing light novel. Very different from others I have read. The main character, End, was quite interesting. All he wants to do is survive but fate seems against him. I don’t blame him for using other people to get the freedom he desperately seeks. The old saying of if you want something, you need to do it yourself certainly applies here.
The obstacles he had to overcome had me feeling pity for End. The only thing I wish the author explored was who End really was. I can draw my own conclusions but some concrete info would have been nice.
Too bad there isn’t more to the story; however, I’m happy with the stand alone. Give this one a read! You’ll be glad you did!
The obstacles he had to overcome had me feeling pity for End. The only thing I wish the author explored was who End really was. I can draw my own conclusions but some concrete info would have been nice.
Too bad there isn’t more to the story; however, I’m happy with the stand alone. Give this one a read! You’ll be glad you did!
January 22, 2022
I have mixed feelings for this book, I think it was a good read with interesting characters but if I could I would trade it in for another series. If you like fantasy and leveling up definitely read this book, the MC has an interesting view of the world and is different from other MCs of late. The other characters will either make you root for them or wish for their demise while the author builds an interesting world. In the end read this book if you want a different fantasy read from the rest.
July 17, 2021
chapter 9 -July 17 2021
August 11, 2021
A bit morose.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews