Death: Genesis

Death is only the beginning in this brutal and bloody post-apocalyptic fantasy about humanity's next phase. In pursuit of his abusive father's approval, Zeke Blackwood pushed himself to the very pinnacle of his chosen obsession. Since childhood, all he'd ever wanted to do was play baseball, and through hard work, discipline, and no small degree of talent, his goal of reaching the major leagues was finally in sight. But then a horrific car accident ruined his arm, eliminating any hope of a professional baseball career. Consumed by depression, Zeke gave up on his future, preferring to wallow in self-pity. That is, until an opportunity came along for him to prove his worth. When his chronically ill younger brother needed a kidney, Zeke didn't hesitate to offer one of his own-only to die on the operating table. But eons later, after Earth has been ravaged by disasters both natural and man-made, Zeke is reborn. Guided by the mysterious Oberon, he soon finds himself in the Radiant Isles, a magical land populated by legendary creatures and horrifying monsters alike. A war rages between good and evil, and Zeke-along with the rest of humanity-has been recruited onto the front lines. Fully healed from the wounds of his previous life, Zeke battles his way through an army of trolls and other subterranean beings, all the while increasing his skills, improving his strength, and gaining superhuman abilities. Finding allies in Abby, an archer who teaches him about his strange new circumstances, and Pudge, a helpless cub who's become soul-bonded to him, Zeke must keep collecting victories if he's to survive in this merciless world. The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Reborn into a world of magical skills and superhuman abilities, a young man battles the forces of darkness, in this action-packed, post-apocalyptic fantasy. On Earth, Zeke Blackwood was a star athlete who devoted his every waking minute to baseball . . . before his tragic death and the devastation of the planet. Eons later, he was resurrected in a magical realm known as the Radiant Isles. There, Zeke survived two years of unrelenting combat through sheer grit and determination. Battling trolls in a labyrinth of caverns, he gained superhuman abilities with every victory, ultimately equipping him for a war between good and evil. Now, along with his companions-a beautiful archer named Abby and Pudge, a dire bear cub who's become soul-bonded to him-Zeke engages in quests to help the defenseless against the monstrous creatures and near-immortal beings who prey upon them. But his latest selfless act has brought him into conflict with the Crystal Spiders, an assassins' guild that's been kidnapping people for some unknown purpose. Before Zeke can unravel that mystery, he's summoned by Silas Martel-a monk of the mighty Temple of the Sun Goddess and spymaster for its head priestess and ruler of the Radiant Isles, demigod Lady Constance-for a dangerous mission. He must rescue Constance's daughter from Abraham Micayne, Lord of the Dead. The treacherous task will take Zeke, Abby, and Pudge through zombie-infested lands, with the Crystal Spiders in hot pursuit. And even though every brush with death only makes Zeke more powerful, nothing can prepare him for the macabre horrors of Micayne's dominion . . . The second volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A young warrior risks his very humanity to stop a demonic infestation and protect his newfound family in this post-apocalyptic, action-adventure fantasy. Chosen by the enigmatic deity Oberon to be a soldier in a war between good and evil, Zeke Blackwood has become one of the deadliest warriors in the Radiant Isles. With supernatural strength and otherworldly resilience, he's carved a path of destruction through the realm, defeating both horrifying monsters and skilled sorcerers and acquiring devastating powers no mere human could ever hope to control. Determined to apply his abilities to protecting his companions, Zeke has run afoul of the Isles' elite-otherworldly beings revered as demigods, who treat the population as expendable pawns in their twisted power struggles. Zeke won't have to face them alone though. Accompanied by a hulking alchemist, an undead princess, a soul-bonded dire bear named Pudge, and the beautiful archer Abby, he may just be able to beat the odds and emerge victorious. But after an encounter with a shadow assassin bound to the mysterious Crystal Spiders, Zeke and his party find themselves thrust into conflict with a dangerous warlock intent on tearing open a portal between the Radiant Isles and a dark, demon-filled dimension. Now, they must journey through a perilous desert fighting a gauntlet of vicious, bloodthirsty creatures, or risk losing the entirety of the Isles to demonic forces. And to defeat the threats arrayed against him, Zeke will have to draw upon raw, magical energies that could increase his power-or kill him . . . The third volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

As legions of undead swarm the Radiant Isles, a young warrior makes a chilling decision for the fate of the people, in this post-apocalyptic fantasy. For years, Zeke Blackwood fought tooth and nail to defend the powerless and avenge the fallen, becoming one of the strongest people in the world and a match for any monster or magic-wielding sorcerer in the Radiant Isles. One life-or-death battle after another forged him into the ideal solder, meant for a war between good and evil. But when an encounter with the demon realm leaves him transformed, his body shattered, he's forced to follow a far more dangerous path. As a cambion, Zeke stands on the thresholds of both Heaven and Hell, belonging to neither. Consumed with frustration at the tireless conflict between the mighty entities vying for supremacy throughout the Isles, he seeks the Portal of Ascension, a gateway that will allow him to escape the mortal realm once and for all. Meanwhile, Abraham Micayne has unleashed hordes of undead creatures in a quest to slaughter the living-or turn them into servants damned to do his foul bidding. Zeke understands this is a fight he can't win, no matter how powerful he becomes. The people of the Radiant Isles will have to face this apocalypse on their own. Now, to reach the Portal of Ascension, Zeke and his companions-his soul-bonded dire bear, Pudge; the unliving Talia Nightingale; and the archer Abby-must search high and low to uncover its location as they battle brigades of demons and other monstrous beings. But even greater enemies hunt the portal, and Zeke will face opposition from a rather unlikely source . . . The fourth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A young warrior enters a deadly realm to become the ultimate champion in the battle of good against evil in this post-apocalyptic fantasy for fans of RPGs. Zeke Blackwood was one of the most powerful beings in the Radiant Isles, wielding supernatural abilities earned through countless battles. A unique fusion of human and demon, he waded through oceans of blood as he fought against a tide of undeath that consumed the hearts and souls of everyone it touched. Now, with the Isles lost, Zeke and his companions have ascended to the Eternal Realm. Transformed by their ascent and scattered across the lands, each must endure their own trials as they struggle to cope with their new powers in an unfamiliar world. Awakening in a frozen landscape, Zeke is enslaved by the remnants of a formerly mighty dwarven civilization and must once again traverse a labyrinth of tunnels inhabited by vicious kobolds, indomitable golems, and a host of other monstrous creatures. Along the way, he tests his untapped magical and combat skills in an ongoing quest to gain ever more power. With each victory, his strength grows as he struggles to defy his captors and plan an escape to reunite with his friends. Meanwhile, those friends-his soul-bonded dire bear, Pudge; the undead Talia Nightingale; and the alchemist Tucker-encounter allies and enemies of their own. But Zeke's former lover, Abby, has chosen a different path. Guilt-ridden after betraying Zeke, she has fallen under the thrall of the Radian Host, servants of the Sun Goddess. Indoctrinated to serve their crusade, Abby suffers through brutal training to become their weapon-and Zeke may be their eventual target . . . The fifth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A young half-human, half-demon warrior in pursuit of power becomes the reluctant leader of a rebellion in this action-packed post-apocalyptic fantasy. To his dwarven captors, Zeke Blackwood is just another slave working the mines. They're unaware he's a Cambion, or human-demon hybrid, who's been charged with increasing his power as he battles the monstrous beings beneath the mountains of Min Ferilik. Forced by the dwarves into hard labor, gladiatorial games, and dangerous quests, Zeke continues to grow more powerful, becoming a champion meant for deployment in a forthcoming war between good and evil. But Zeke has his own agenda. His friends-the beastkin Pudge, the undead Talia Nightingale, and the alchemist Tucker-are scattered across the Eternal Realm, enduring their own trials in order to survive and thrive. Once Zeke has acquired enough power, he'll take revenge against his enslavers and reunite with his companions. And when he's forced on an expedition to the Sea of Corruption, he finds that very power is suddenly within his grasp. Fighting his way through hordes of monsters, Zeke encounters an even deadlier entity: the spirit of the demon Eveline. Cursed for all eternity to be a prisoner in the Sea of Corruption, the succubus persuades Zeke to help her escape. Bound to Eveline's manipulative and untrustworthy essence, he must guard himself from her influence-only to discover the demonic mana he wields threatens to consume his soul. It also gives him control over an army of kobolds and golems, all more than willing to overthrow the dwarven kingdom, free its slaves, and start a revolution . . . The sixth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A young warrior risks his life and soul to develop his arcane knowledge-and destructive power-in this dark fantasy adventure. Zeke Blackwood wields immeasurable power. A half-human, half-demon Cambion, he has fought his way through the Eternal Realm, becoming a legend in the process. A liberator of slaves and the leader of an army of loyal kobolds, he reluctantly takes on the responsibility of protecting those who've sworn to fight at his side, even as his other allies remain lost to him. Talia Nightingale has joined her undead brethren in the Deathguard, investigating a series of murders most foul. The alchemist Tucker lives among the Kirran, a race of dragonkin in desperate need of a potion to cure a wicked curse. And Abby, the woman Zeke once loved and who betrayed them all, has found purpose as the inquisitor for the Radiant Host, a cult of Sun Goddess worshippers seeking to cleanse the land of the impure. But Zeke's closest companions are soul-bonded to him: the bearkin Pudge and the demonic mind spirit Eveline. One shares his feelings; the other reads his thoughts. But neither influences him as much as his dual nature, divided between empathy for others and an insatiable lust for dominion. And with every monster he slays, the more power he accrues, forcing him to confront the darkness that lies in own heart . . . The seventh volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

In pursuit of magical power, a young warrior finds himself waging war on behalf of a subjugated people-and becoming a king-in this dark-fantasy adventure. Half-human, half-demon, Zeke Blackwood has become a legendary warrior and wielder of mana. To the kobolds he's Ak-toh-Savior. The centaurs call him Spear of the People. Both species have rallied to his side along with beastkin, elves, and other creatures who've sworn allegiance to him. They're willing to sacrifice themselves while he fulfills a quest on behalf of the god Oberon: to be the greatest fighter in the forthcoming apocalyptic battle between good and evil. But the realm is overrun with malice and cruelty. The Knights of Adontis enslave every species they consider subhuman, the very ones following Zeke. To liberate them, Zeke must unleash his wrath against enemies who wield demonic mana that threatens to corrupt his body and soul. As his kingdom of loyal subjects and soldiers grows larger and more diverse, he'll need to find the balance between reigning as a just ruler and a merciless tyrant. With every victory, Zeke's strength and skills grow, as does his ability to conjure destructive magic. Torn between his human and demonic natures, he's evolving into something far beyond either. Something unworldly, possessing incalculable power . . . A god. The eighth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Joining a long lost companion, a young champion embarks on a quest that will increase his godlike power-and challenge his humanity-in this dark fantasy. Zeke Blackwood wields mana beyond imagination. A human/demon hybrid, he walks the path of arcane destruction, slaughtering monstrous and mythical creatures in one conflict after another. With every victory, he's becoming more powerful-and less human. But despite the devastation he's left in his wake, he's also saved lives and become the reluctant king of a diverse community of beastkin, elves, kobolds, and other species. He protects them even as he follows the will of the god Oberon toward his destiny as a warrior in a forthcoming battle that could destroy the very fabric of reality. Journeying through the Kingdom of El'Kireth, Zeke finds a land embroiled in civil war. Armies of vampires and undead clash with one faction determined to expand their empire and turn all living beings into zombies. Leading the opposition is Zeke's old companion Talia Nightingale, who wants her people to survive but not at the cost of condemning everyone in the realm to undeath. She needs Zeke's help to not only stop the war but also save her wounded friend Adriel. Now, Zeke and Talia must conquer the trials of a dungeon to find the Seed of Life and Death. Inhuman, demonic, and unnatural beings attack them at every turn, but the dungeon's true dangers come from the pair's very own souls, born from their traumatic pasts and prophesizing dark futures that threaten to consume them. And outside the dungeon, an enemy they long believed dead prepares to take his revenge . . . The ninth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

A young champion declares war against a tyrannical empire, bringing him into conflict with the woman he once loved, in this dark fantasy adventure. After years of battling elite soldiers, slaying soul-crushing monsters, and acquiring powerful combat skills and destructive mana abilities, the realization of Zeke Blackwood's destiny is imminent. Everything he's endured since being reborn into a system of troll-infested caves has been to prepare him for ascension into the Ethereal Realm, where he'll stand against the forces of darkness that threaten all existence. Despite his near limitless power, Zeke still has obligations to the multicultural kingdom he founded, in which beastkin, kobolds, centaurs, elves, and other races fight for freedom and justice for all creatures. He refuses to leave his people at the mercy of the Imperium, a fascist regime built on the backs of the enslaved. The Imperium is led by those who believe humans are superior to every other sentient species throughout the realm. Their forces are ruthless, and none more so than the Radiant Host: zealots devoted to the Sun Goddess, who are more than willing to kill and die in her name. And Abby Summers, once Zeke's companion and lover, is the Host's High Inquisitor. But Zeke's armies are on the offense, tearing down one Imperium stronghold after another, freeing the subjugated, and slaughtering anyone who dares oppose them. They'll stop at nothing and spare no one-even Abby . . . The tenth volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than a million views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

To ascend to godhood, Zeke must first descend into Hell-and face torment like never before-in the penultimate volume of this dark fantasy adventure series. Zeke Blackwood lives for battle. Channeling powerful mana, the half-human, half-demon warrior has slain monsters, toppled empires, and brought would-be tyrants to their knees, destroying anything-and anyone-that dares cross his path. He believes his cause is a righteous one and executes those who don't follow his standards of morality. To some, he's a bringer of justice. To others, he's an exactor of revenge. But in actuality, Zeke is driven only by the desire to become strong enough to wage war against evil entities capable of unmaking the universe itself. To obtain such power, he must enter Hell and journey through its many circles. Surrounded by corruption and despair, assaulted by monstrous demons and specters, he endures agonizing torture. But the physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional suffering he'll feel when confronted by the multitude of his sins. Haunted by the family he failed to save, the friends he abandoned, the lover he couldn't forgive, and the millions of dead left in his wake, Zeke is finally forced to face himself, putting his willpower-unlike any the realm has ever seen-to its greatest test. In order to destroy legions of demons, exorcise his inner ones, and escape Hell, he'll need to become something even greater than the gods he's destined to fight: a Primordial . . . The eleventh volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series-with more than 700,000 views on Royal Road-now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!