Never Die Twice

by Maxime J. Durand

Forever is such a long time.Walter Tye is the best friend any adventurer needs. He is the smiling shopkeeper next to your local dungeon, the one who sells you these cheap healing potions. When you need information, Tye always knows. He wants to help; you can trust him.He is also the undead necromancer ruling said dungeon, getting paid to solve problems that he caused in the first place. But don't tell anyone that...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Magic, Zombies, Vampires

601 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2020

Reviews

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent take on necromancy and what it takes to defeat death. It starts off a bit whimsically and light-hearted, but becomes super dark by the end.

[William Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despair

It starts almost lighthearted. The bad guy MC is masquerading as a good guy to keep the heroes from finding and killing him. Nice light absurdist comedy. Stuff goes wrong and he has to take more extreme actions to protect himself that cause him additional trouble. Fun stuff.

Then the whole thing takes a dark turn. Heavy philosophical concepts and debates on the definition of true evil. It stops being fun. You end up realizing the MC is more autistic than evil, and it’s very troubling.

I don’t really recommend this novel. It celebrates ‘the ends justify the means’. Nihilistic stuff. But it *is* well written.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story, but I think it could easily do without the LitRPG aspect. There are many stats presented that are ultimately irrelevant and could be conveyed in other ways.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars

This gets a lot better after the first few light hearted chapters, I really enjoyed the middle parts. Towards the the end it was both ambiguous and sad. I just want to see the Greater Good villain win for once! Instead he's unsure if it was all worth it (and maybe he didn't do anything at all?).

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

Amazing! absolutely amazing! I really love this book and so do hope there will be a sequel to it. If not, then oh well. I really love this book. I’m definitely on team Tye. Keep up the awesome work!

[Geli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best litrpg necromancer rides out there. Just don't expect happy endings, even if it starts light toned.

It has a clever, powerful main character, who is shopowner by day and undead necromancer by night, while unapoletically trying to break the shackles of life and death. And slowly, ever so slowly his carefully balanced undead life spirals out of control... which makes it clear pretty fast that this is not the shining hero of legend.

So far so good. What really makes this litrpg stand out, that it has a STORY that is being told slowly but surely, a POINT it is working towards to, while the reader enjoys the moments of awesomeness on the way. And there are lots of them. I mean, one-shotting giants, fighting witches, killing demons and showing the gods who *exactly* Walter Tye is? Yep, my checklist is complete.

4.5 stars for litrpg.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally gave the the book 2 stars. After some deliberation I gave it 3 (3,5) stars - it's not because I don't like the story that the book is actually bad (2 stars is my definition a book I would not recommend to anyone).

It's actually well written. The story however, turns and twists, and where it starts out rather light hearted and rather funny, it turns somber, and then very very dark. And while you build up empathy in the beginning of the book, in the end you realise that you have been deceived by the light-hearted beginning and your empathy for the MC is not merited.

So my recommendation: if you are searching for light-hearted black arts books, this one is not for you. Try Estrella. For others, YMMV.

[Devan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally gave this a try because it was on the top 10 list on RoyalRoad for years. Sadly I wasn’t a huge fan.

This is a book about a fanatic villain who thinks he’s the good guy but would sacrifice anything for his cause. He has these long drawn out arguments about morality with various people over and over again. It detracted from the story and made it hard to finish.

[Joe Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved Durand's Perfect Run story - one of the best time loop stories ever. Really liked Vainquer the Dragon as well. However, this one didn't click for me. A litRPG with a true villain character. Though the start had Durand's characteristic humor, it quickly deviated from that. Almost DNF'd at several points. Wasn't bad, but just not great

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never Die Twice by Maxime J. Durand is a gripping and intricately woven tale that masterfully blends elements of suspense, action, and emotional depth. As a fan of thriller novels, I was immediately drawn into its world, captivated by the high stakes and tension that carried throughout the story.

The book opens with a thrilling and high-energy pace that only intensifies as the plot unfolds. The protagonist is well-developed, offering readers a deep connection to their journey. One of the standout features of this novel is its seamless narrative structure, which makes it difficult to put down. Durand’s writing style is crisp and concise, keeping the reader fully engaged without unnecessary filler.

"Action-packed and emotionally charged, Never Die Twice is a testament to Durand’s ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats."

The dialogue is sharp and to the point, effectively conveying the tension between characters. The interactions feel authentic, with each character contributing meaningfully to the story’s progression. In particular, the protagonist's relationship with their inner demons is explored in a way that adds a psychological layer to the fast-paced action sequences.

Plot twists are a hallmark of this novel, and Durand executes them with precision. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, another twist emerges, keeping you guessing until the final pages.

 - Pros: - Fast-paced, thrilling action sequences - Strong character development - Well-executed plot twists - Cons: - Some secondary characters could have been more fleshed out - A few scenes feel rushed in comparison to the rest of the book 

Overall, Never Die Twice is a solid addition to the thriller genre. It’s a story that successfully balances action with deeper emotional undercurrents, making it a rewarding read for those who appreciate both aspects in a novel.

Without giving too much away, the ending delivers a satisfying and unexpected resolution, tying up loose ends while leaving room for contemplation.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a pretty entertaining book. Some of the details about Nidhogg and the World Tree were a little difficult to understand and grasp, especially considering the fast pacing. As for Walter Tye himself, he was a very interesting protagonist, if he can even be called that. Another review mentioned that this book glorifies the end justifying the means, but I disagree. Everything he did was for the sake of his goal, his Great Work, but his actions caused him to end up alone--everyone either died, and Annie left him.

I was a little confused on the themes and the philosophical discussion taking place in the latter part of the story, but it was interesting nonetheless. One thing I wanted to point out though was how clever the author was in leaving Walter's actions up to the reader's interpretation. Personally, I never felt that Walter was pursuing his goal for humanity's sake. He may have started out with good intentions, but in the end, he cared solely about himself. Gwen, was in my opinion, the hero. When talking with Gwen, Walter had the option to die, and leave humanity immortal while not hastening Ragnarok anymore -- Gwen even offered to join him -- yet she was rebuffed. And even in the end, he never carried any of the risk. He sacrificed all so he could live, and even his two "favorite humans" Annie and Yseult were merely there as tools of convenience (Annie to help him survive, and Yseult to assure himself of his goodness).

A solid book. Looking forward to reading more. Also, Hagen was my favorite character by far. Wish we got more of a look at him.

[Merlon Crenel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fine?

It's definitely not bad but it's a bit of an unfocused mess. I'd even say to such a degree that trying to explain the plot of this book to literally anyone makes you sound unhinged. I feel like the problem is partly that there are so many unnecessary elements that could have been easily cut out and by doing so improve the overall story (like, why did it need to be LitRPG? Why were there Earthlanders? Why mix Arthurian legends and Nordic myths?). A lot of it just required the reader to shrug and say: "Oh okay, I guess so."

It was definitely fun to see Walter worm his way out of bad situations but even that eventually starts to wear thin as he seems to have a preternatural ability to foresee the future, prompting the reader to again have to say: "Ok, I guess!"

Some actual positives without me having to qualify them with a negative: Most of the characters were fun, the integration of mythological elements was nicely done, the magic system was interesting, and the action scenes were well narrated.

Unfortunately, I also have to point out that there were so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. The acknowledgements mention the proofreader catching a lot of them but oh boy, they missed a bunch more. It's also extremely clear from the sentence structure that the author isn't a native speaker and should probably hire someone to correct for that.

All in all, I'd give Never Die Twice 2.3 stars. Maybe 2.4. Can't wait for the sequel Never Die Thrice!

[Alesay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 stars. This was a mixed but fascinating read. Normally this type of book would sit in the 3 star range for me, but I really liked how the MC never wavered from his goal and was willing to do whatever it took, no matter the cost, to reach it. His ends justify the means mentality was unsettling but made him compelling to follow. At the same time, he was a very messy character. His goal stayed constant throughout, but the reason behind it kept shifting, which made him confusing yet also very thought-provoking.

The execution was not the strongest. The book often felt too busy, and the world was underdescribed, almost like the story was happening in a vague bubble. The pacing was also inconsistent, which made the story feel uneven at times. The side characters and relationships had potential but often felt underdeveloped.

Even with those frustrations, I found the book very interesting. The mix of a noble goal carried out through ruthless means, the way the MC’s obsession narrowed his vision, and the question of whether he truly broke free of destiny or was just repeating the same cycle all stuck with me. It was not perfect, but it gave me a lot to think about and left me with a strong impression.

[Chance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember I read this back on Royalroad a few years ago but couldn’t get into the story and left unfinished half way in. Now coming back I see the way the authour wrote it has not a story moral clash between right and wrong over personal ideals it was just a story of fear. The story isn’t happy go lucky story it’s a dark fantasy realm that asks what should you do if knew what lays on the side of death.

The plot was a slice of life reading for the first few chs but the story became an indie it’s of self exploration and what you want in life(Undeath), but it toke me a while to see that hope you ever reads this book after reach’s a deeper understand of what we strive to be and how far we’ll go to reach.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I was a bit torn on the review, but it's better than a lot of things I give a 4 to, so...

Tone changes over the course of the book, and it goes very dark well before the end. That seems unavoidable, given the Gotterdammerung theme, but if you're looking for another Vainquer, this amoral MC is not as much fun. Amoral may not be the word for Tye, but sociopath doesn't quite fit either. Regardless of label, he is single-minded in his quest to bring immortality to all, and will break as many eggs as necessary to make that omelette.

With that, it's a good book, but it's fairly long and may prove a surprise in tone, although it does build to it.

[Charles Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A LitRPG Fusion of Arthurian, Celtic, and Norse Mythology.

Tye has died once; and that was enough. To ensure the neither he, nor any other people, need to die he will engage in subterfuge, lying, human experimentation, murder, human sacrifice, and even deicide. It seems counterintuitive, but when he succeeds in creating a Resurrection spell the Elixir of Life all the people he killed can be brought back to life — Eternal life!

The problem is there are a whole pantheon of gods who are invested in the status quo; and Tye's plans would change that drastically. Therefore, they want him dead – again.

[perseus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. 5/5 stars. But at around halfway the story took a huge turn. The protagonist literally became a god, or more specifically in this case a "calamity". The story was still good but not fantastic as it had been. I would say 3/5 (so I averaged the overall book score at 4/5). I think this book would have been better as two, it was certainly long enough. That would have given some breathing room to the change and I think allowed it to flow more naturally.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undying Intrigue

A fantastic read, from start to finish. If you're an adult, at some point you've probably considered the case of many fictional villains and thought that maybe they had a point. What if they had the plot armor, they were the focus of the story instead of the hero? This story does exactly that, and follows through. Witness the path that true utilitarianism represents, and decide for yourself what is right, and if it's worth it. That is the beauty of this story filled with corpses and undead, and if nothing else, you will gain a perspective of the other side.

[Nathan Gartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly Creative Fusion of Mythology and LitRPG

Never Die Twice shocked me with its fusion of Norse mythology, Arthurian legends and a modern litrpg. I really enjoyed the characters, the direction the story went, and the author's willingness to have characters be consistent, even to self-destruction.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys northern European mythology and modern games.

[George Rokkos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! This book is a well-written, dark fantasy book combining elements of Norse mythology, swords and sorcery with LITRPG! This book is one of the view villain main characters that I can actually tolerate, and the ending left me shocked. A super cool world that I want to know more about and well developed magic system. Great read, but definitely more tragic than I was expecting. Highly recommend this book and this author.

[gordon musgrave · Rating 2 out of 5]

So so

I could not keep reading after 70 percent in the book, as smart as the mc was he was very stupid in other ways, the so called immortality serum was just stupid!! Sure the gods were a pain but belief is their power without it they are nothing!! The writer made it all about the serum that the story bogged down and then he made it into a romantic undertones with a kid just a waste of time reading

[Topher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought I had a shelf for the things I read on the phone (think this was on royal road?) instead of the kindle, but can't find one.

Story of the "villain", who isn't the bad guy. I'd argue that he's the hero of the story (not an anti-hero, the hero) as well, but that's me. Story mixes Arthurian legends with Norse mythology and tosses in litrpg elements. Fun read, didn't take too long.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing is fine and story is reasonable. However from about halfway through the book the plot stalls out and the characters go on pointless philosophical musings, which adds nothing to the story. It really kills the pacing and changes nothing for any of the characters. No one changes their view nor does it affect their actions.

[Clinton Stanturf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was both unique and interesting in several ways. while I enjoyed the whole concept of the book as a story not should i would really classifie it as a little RPG not that that is a bad thing however the different character cast and personalities was also really fun. All in all you should check it out.

[John McDonnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of myths and the what do you do with giving everyone immortality? That's right the good and the bad! So the necromancer runs the shop that is next to the dungeon, a great opening premise that leads on to a greater story that has far greater implications. Well worth the read.
Audio: Narrated by Jack Voraces - excellent.

[Abhishek Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming from the same author, this book is very different from his past work. But nonetheless very enjoyable.

I'm too lazy to draw all the ways the author is consistent with his previous style and how he has experimented with new ideas.

But this fantasy is one of obsession and selfishness and I liked it.

[Jeremy Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor attempts at humor just ruined it for me. I tried to push through but every joke just bothered me. Not because they were "bad" in a moral way but just BAD in a not funny at all way. I got about 25% in and gave up. Not for me.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, quick read. It has an awesome start, but then it rushed through most of the book. It could have used some further polish in several ways. That said, the roughly cut gem can still have beauty. The world building was fantastic, the plot was solid, and the concepts were inventive.

[Puneetsingh · Rating 3 out of 5]

the whole book was pretty fun but there very obvious plot holes. Always I personally do not like nihilistic books.
it's well written and intriguing.
the book is short and can be complete in sitting and it does makes you think about death and life

[Jubedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch ist schön geschrieben und hat sehr originale Ideen. Das Einbinden der nordischen Mythologie wirkte an manchen allerdings Stellen etwas erzwungen. vom Ende war ich eher enttäuscht. Auf mich wirkte es etwas unfertig und uncharakteristisch für einige Figuren.