It all comes down to this: kill or be corpsed.
Clyde Hatchett has known he’s had a corpse-king inside him, slowly trying to take over his body and raise an army of undead for a while now. And while that may seem like a rather, um, urgent matter to attend to, it’s only now, after being forced out of Glaton by his best friends and then having to rescue someone’s sister from a bad marriage, that he’s actually in a place to deal with it.
And he better deal with it quickly, since his entire left hand is starting to look like it belongs to the Crypt-Keeper.
But Gloomguard, where the mage Clyde needs lives, operates on a completely different plane than anywhere else in Vuldranni. Everyone is out for themself, and there’s no such thing as doing a favor. So in order to even talk to the mage, Clyde must embark on a series of preposterous quests he doesn’t have time for and isn’t guaranteed to survive.
High Gloom is the gritty sixth installment in the Bad Guys LitRPG series. If you like fast-moving adventure, profound magic, and witty necromancers, you’ll love Eric Ugland’s latest novel.
The series
In the world of LitRPG, not every hero wears a shining armor, and not every villain is truly evil. In The Bad Guys, Eric Ugland turns the genre on its head by bringing readers into a virtual realm where morality is as fluid as the game's mechanics.
Read full series description
At the heart of the series is Clyde Hatchett—a charming, slightly crooked anti-hero with a knack for getting himself into (and out of) trouble. He’s no stranger to a life of low stakes and high rewards, but when he's thrust into a game-like world where everything is more than just a game, he must navigate the perilous landscapes of guilds, magic, and unpredictable alliances. The rules? They’re as slippery as the people Clyde encounters, and trust? Well, that’s even harder to come by.
The world-building in The Bad Guys feels both refreshingly chaotic and perfectly structured. Readers are swept into a universe where each decision feels like it could tip the balance of power—and possibly Clyde’s life. Every corner holds new challenges, from cunning enemies to bizarre quests, and even the most unlikely allies. It’s a world where survival requires both wit and the willingness to bend the rules, even break them entirely.
Ugland’s blend of fast-paced action, sharp wit, and unexpected character development elevates this series beyond simple escapism. Themes of redemption, loyalty, and the very nature of what it means to be "good" or "bad" run through the story like an undercurrent, giving it depth without sacrificing the fun and thrill of the game-world adventure. As Clyde’s journey unfolds, readers are invited to question who the real "bad guys" are—and whether they should be rooting for the ones that seem the most like the enemy.
For fans of LitRPG, The Bad Guys offers something different. It’s not just about leveling up or defeating the next boss—it’s about discovering who you really are when the game isn’t what you expected, and the stakes are higher than anyone imagined. Full of heart, humor, and a healthy dose of chaos, this series will leave you questioning the line between player and character, hero and villain.
Dive into the unpredictable world of The Bad Guys, where nothing is quite as it seems, and everything is up for grabs.
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#3 · 2020Skull and Thrones 
#4 · 2020War of the Posers 
#5 · 2020Seas the Day 
#6 · 2020High Gloom 
#7 · 2021Back to One 
#8 · 2022Trick Of The Night 
#9 · 2022Darktown Funk 
#10 · 2023On a Throne of Lies 
#11 · 20242 Lies, 2 Thrones 
#12 · 2027The Bad Guys Book 12 Be the first reviewer
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