Dead Must Die
Simon died once. He'll be damned before he dies twice.
Simon never asked to become the new dungeon master of the Barrow, but a millennia-old teenager stuck in the skull of a dead lich has few life options. After bonding with the Barrow’s dungeon core, he learns they are near death from hunger and only by consuming the life energy and experiences of sentient beings can they survive.
Lucky for Simon a party of murderous adventurers invades the Barrow in search of treasure and glory. They look to be a perfectly tasty meal until one transforms into a mentally unstable fanatic whose specialty is killing the undead in all its forms, especially teenagers stuck in skulls bonded to dungeons.
If Simon can’t master his new powers, defeat invaders bent on plunder and convince the Barrow to take a kinder, gentler approach to feeding, then he will die a second time. And this time it’ll be permanent.
Dead Must Die is a Short Novella set in the Bestselling The Realms universe. It takes place sometime after Barrow King but before the soon to be released Scourge of Souls - Book Three of the Realms.
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C.M. Carney
C.M. Carney’s fascination with fantasy and adventure began at the tender age of ten, sparked by an editorial that linked Dungeons & Dragons to dark forces lurking beneath the surface. Unfazed by such warnings, Carney’s mother bought him the game, and the seeds for a lifelong passion were planted. He was soon hooked on exploring realms of imagination, where myth and magic took center stage and where stories could shape the very world around him.
Before embracing the world of full-time writing, Carney spent nearly two decades as a creative executive working in the animation and special effects industry, gaining invaluable experience in bringing fantastical visions to life. But after years of helping others tell their stories, he decided it was time to bring his own to the page. With his background in visual storytelling, he brought a cinematic quality to his writing, immersing readers in worlds that felt both vast and intimate.
The Realms
In The Realms, the lines between myth and reality blur, pulling readers into a world where ancient legends meet modern adventures. The series unfolds in a universe where players navigate both the grandeur of epic quests and the gritty, personal stakes of characters who must grow and adapt within a gamified landscape. From the very first pages, it’s clear that The Realms is not just a place—it’s a journey, one where every choice is consequential, and every step taken builds toward something far greater than the characters ever imagined.
The Realms consists of eight primary books, and includes one additional book that complement the series but is not considered mandatory reads and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
