Wednesday, September 9, 2026

It's time! The second MANA RUNNERS book comes out October 1!

 Introducing the second book in the Mana Runners series, DEATH HAS GONE ROGUE!


The hilarious sequel to the hit LitRPG dungeon crawler DEATH HAS JOINED THE PARTY!

Against all odds, Tavin Sorrel survived his first three dungeon floors as a level 1 Necrolord. He didn’t die to the opinionated lich who tried, and failed, to take over his body. He didn’t die to the mimic who ended up becoming his most reliable friend or the dragonborn Paladin who swore to kill him right before joining his party. He didn’t even die on the infamous death floor, a truly shocking feat that’s made him something of a celebrity on Mana Runners—the dungeon-running reality show where the entire world expected him to die.

But Tavin did not die. He leveled up and beat the boss that no one else could touch… which means now he has to deal with all the stuff he never thought he’d live long enough to worry about. Stuff like corporate sponsorships, screaming fans who keep demanding he turn them into his undead minions, and the actual secrets of the Endless Dungeon that Copper Runners like him aren’t supposed to know.

Turns out, when you survive the unsurvivable, you learn a lot of things you shouldn’t. Tavin still knows almost nothing about the mysterious beings the Endless Dungeon was built to imprison, but they know him. Now that they’ve named him as one of their own, he’s going to have to prove to the people in power that he’s not evil.

A not-evil lich. Good luck with that.

Preorder your copy now on Amazon!


Wait, where's the audio edition?

It's being recorded as we speak! We don't have an exact date yet because this book is a CHONK, and chonks take a long time to record, but it is at the studio and will be coming out later this year. We're also recording some fun bonus content, so be sure to watch your inbox for that. :D

I hope you like big books...

Thank you everyone for your patience. This book has been a long time coming, but I promise we did not spend our time idly! Travis and I have both been pushing hard to make sure DEATH HAS GONE ROGUE has more of everything you loved about book one. There are more levels, more jokes, more combat, more secret reveals, more everything!

We can't wait for all of you to see what we've cooked up for Tavin and his party in this new adventure, and the good news is that none of us will have to wait long! DEATH HAS GONE ROGUE is coming to ebook and Kindle Unlimited in just 22 days! We'll send another email on launch day to make sure you don't miss it. We'll also let you know when the audio edition is out, so keep an eye on your inbox, and we look forward to talking to you again very soon!


Sincerely, your friendly story purveyors,

Rachel Aaron, Author
Travis Bach, DM

Friday, May 29, 2026

Audio is here!

 

Whew, sorry that took so long! Turns out, a giant doorstop of a LitRPG novel takes a really long time to record. Who knew?


The wait was worth it, though! DEATH HAS JOINED THE PARTY is finally finished recording and it is hilarious. Our narrator, Nicholas Cain, did an amazing job with the characters, sound effects, and comedic timing. He really put in the effort and all the little details that make audiobooks so much fun. You've gotta hear this for yourself. Try the sample now at Amazon or directly from Audible.com!


Want even more awesome? Subscribers to my MANA RUNNERS mailing list get access to the audio production bloopers, which are hilarious and definitely not to be missed. 


Not on the list yet? Come on in! Signing up is free, we never share your info, and we never spam. It's just a free mailing list where we give out bonus content and share all the fun stuff we're doing with this series. Sign up now to hear the bonus audio bloopers and be the first to know when new books and features come out!


That's it for now! Book 2 is written and in the editing stage, so it won't be too much longer until we're back in the dungeon. Thanks for giving my stuff a try, and we'll see you in the next book!


Yours sincerely,

Rachel Aaron, Author

Travis Bach, DM



Wednesday, March 18, 2026

A wild new series has appeared!

Introducing the book that grabbed my brain and wouldn't let go...

Cover for DEATH HAS JOINED THE PARTY

Welcome, sentient races one and all, to the centennial season of the greatest collaboration between mortals and gods! The most thrilling, most deadly, most watched spectacle ever put on in any realm…Mana Runners!


The infinite dungeon below Whitepeak, famous City of Wizards, has reset itself once again, bringing new traps, new monsters, and new, never-before-seen challenges to this historic event. All of your favorite champions from Season Ninety-Nine are back and ready to face what is sure to be the most difficult season of Mana Runners ever attempted. From the lowest Copper Tier to the Platinums who shine at the top, every Runner is ready to lay down their lives defending you from the monsters that lurk beneath the mountain.


All of their sacrifices shall be recorded in the pages of history, but only those blessed with unique powers from the gods can reach the deepest floors. It’s the event that brings sentient races from all over the world together! The spectacle no one can afford to miss! And you can watch it all live thanks to Whitepeak College of Wizardry’s revolutionary sendernet: the only Sending spell network that broadcasts the can’t-be-missed action of Mana Runners straight into your home!


(The Mana Runners Centennial Season is produced by the Whitepeak Dungeon Committee and the Coalition of Rightfully Aligned Gods. Remember, the gods are always listening, so be sure to pray for your favorite Mana Runner to earn them blessings as they battle the unthinkable dangers of the Endless Dungeon!)

Death Has Joined the Party is a LitRPG novel based on the 5e SRD 5.1 - a public rules set for the world's most popular tabletop roleplaying game. Set in a world where magic has advanced to the information age and where levels are a thing you can list on your resume. It features an underdog protagonist shoved into the brutal world of celebrity dungeon crawling with the fate of the Prime Material Plane resting on his shoulders.


Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Terry Pratchett, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. If you like TTRPG humor and hilarious, action-packed Fantasy that isn’t afraid to throw someone into a mimic, this is the LitRPG novel for you!

Coming out May 1 in ebook, KU, and Audible audiobook!

Preorder available now!

We've Torn Down Heaven and saved the DFZ from multiple apocalypses. It's time to kick back with an old fashioned Eli Monpress-style Fantasy again... with a d20 twist!

I promised you something totally new after Bex was finished, and I think I've definitely delivered. Behold MANA RUNNERS! The insane gamer-humor tale that set up shop inside my brain and refused to leave until I made it a novel.


And what a novel it became! DEATH HAS JOINED THE PARTY might just be the funniest thing I've ever written. What started as a discussion at our D&D table about how a classic TTRPG Fantasy world would advance into the information age with televised dungeon runs and mass-produced magical items grew into one of the most fun stories I have ever had the pleasure to write.


Even better, I got my DMing husband, Travis Bach, to help me with all the mechanics, because this book has mechanics. It's also got stats, tables, and all the other fun, satisfying numbers that make LitRPGs so engrossing. And, of course, it's got the lovable characters, witty dialogue, and deep world building you can always expect from a Rachel Aaron novel.


If you've been interested in giving the LitRPG/Progression Fantasy genre a try, this is the book for you. If you're already a LitRPG fan and are ready to read a fun new take on all your favorite tropes, this is the book for you. If you've never heard of LitRPG and just want a hilarious story full of grumpy liches, sweetheart mimics, and a fascinating modern take on a magical Fantasy world, this is the book for you. If Eli Monpress was your favorite Rachel Aaron series and you're ready to go back to the good old days of funny fantasy, epic swordfights, and charming rogues, this is 1000% the book for you.


I know it's not my usual genre, but I had an absolute blast writing this book, and I really hope you'll give it a look. Or a listen! Because it's coming out in audio as well, and so far the recording is A.MAZ.ING. This whole process has been amazing, and I absolutely positivity cannot wait for you to read/listen to it!


Thank you for checking out this post and for being my reader/listener! You folks are why I do all of this. I hope you'll give DEATH HAS JOINED THE PARTY a try!


May the dice be ever in your favor, and we'll see you in the dungeon,

Rachel Aaron, Author

Travis Bach, DM


PS:

Since Mana Runners is so different from my other novels and it's based around a playable game, meaning we intend to post stat blocks and character sheets so you can run your own 5e adventures in the Mana Runners world, I'm creating a mailing list just for Mana Runners! If you want to get updates on the story, art sneak peaks, and information about upcoming gaming resources, click here for the the Mana Runners promo page and sign up for the new list to get all the awesome new stuff!


I hope to see you there!

- R

Thursday, March 5, 2026

The series is complete! The fifth and final Bex book, TEAR DOWN HEAVEN is out today!

 

Five thousand years of war and rebirth have all come down to this.

Bex and her army have made it to the precipice of Gilgamesh's Heaven. They've occupied the white mansions, taken the golden streets, freed the house slaves of Heaven's warlocks. The final fortress of the enemy stands right in front of them, but the demons' fight is far from over.

Though she defeated the Queen of War and freed her people from the Hells, Bex's sword is still silent, her horns are still missing, and her army is little more than a mob of terrified former slaves who can barely stand. What the demons need most are rest and recuperation, but time is not on their side. For all the battles they've won, Gilgamesh hasn't stopped racing toward the culmination of his grand—yet still unknown—ambition, and he's not about to let Bex's ragtag rebellion get in his way.

To save her people and reclaim their ancient home, the Queen of Wrath is going to have to take the fight to the enemy. It's finally time to end the war the Eternal King started five thousand years ago.

It's time to Tear Down Heaven.

Get your copy now in KU, ebook, and print!

The book is out today and I'm so excited, but alas, the audio version has not cleared review yet. We uploaded it 11 business days ago, which is the max Audible says their review process will take, but it's still stuck in the queue for reasons I frankly don't understand.

I'll post to let you know as soon as it's out, which hopefully won't be much longer. The last time review took this long it was out the next day, so fingers crossed. Thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry again. This audiobook is SO GOOD and it's a damn tragedy I can't give it to you right now.

For the rest of you, the whole series is completed and ready for you to enjoy! I hope you love this final chapter of Bex and Adrian's story. Let's go TEAR DOWN HEAVEN!