There isn't much time left for Lucian North to save his brother.
Discovering a new way to grow exponentially stronger, Lucian forms an unsteady alliance with the angel Danira, one that he hopes could grow into something more.
Matters are complicated once Lucian is given a deadline by the Council of Death: produce his predecessor, who has mysteriously disappeared, or be tortured until he relinquishes his mantle.
Hunted by parasites, injuresouls, fallen angels, and now his own kind, Lucian must level up in a way he's never fathomed before, crafting everything from mechas to bone armor designed to withstand even the strongest attack. He must forge new alliances, realize the impermanence of the alliances he already has made, and even become a Death Hunter if he hopes to save his brother from certain doom.
But that's not all that's at stake.
As Lucian grows closer to his goal, he's blindsided by an attack that he never saw coming. He's also asked to do something that will reignite a war between the Progeny of Light and the Progeny of Darkness.
The decision Lucian makes will have grave consequences for his future, and that's before his final discovery, one that threatens the very existence of his family.
It's going to be an uphill battle from start to finish. And while Lucian is always up to the challenge, he may not be ready for the consequences.
Death's Mantle
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.