A Pub in the Underworld: A Slice-of-Life LitRPG Adventure

The Cozy Abyss, Book 1

By: Harmon Cooper

Narrated by: Matthew Wolf

Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Death is only the beginning for one warrior as he encounters adventure, friendship, and romance in the afterlife in the epic first book of this cozy LitRPG.

There are three levels to the afterlife. The best level is the Celestial Plains at the top. At the bottom is the worst level, known as the Chasm. And in between lies the Underworld. That’s where Sylas Runewulf, a brave soldier who gave everything to his kingdom, finds himself after he dies.

Following the guidance of a mysterious blue prompt, Sylas journeys to the town of Ember Hollow to breathe new life into a quaint local pub. Along the way, he meets a clever apothecary named Mira, who helps him acclimate to the ins and outs of the realm, and Patches, a corpulent cat who’s slightly . . . shall we say, unusual.

Dubbing the pub “The Old Lamplighter,” Sylas hopes it will be a safe haven for other weary souls. Of course, it doesn’t feel that safe when the prompt reappears with a warning: [You have 89 days until the invasion.]

As Sylas works to decipher the troubling message, he faces more challenges, travels far and wide, and befriends wayward demons, magical creatures, and lost warriors. He also builds a community around his humble pub—one that he must soon defend, or they’ll all face a fate much worse than death . . .

Blending fantasy LitRPG with a slice-of-life story about starting over, A Pub in the Underworld is the first adventure in Harmon Cooper’s Cozy Abyss series. Join Sylas and Patches on their charming journey of discovery, friendship, and defense against the unknown in a world where even the smallest decision could shape the fate of a community caught between realms.

©2024 Harmon Cooper (P)2024 Podium Audio

the world

I really enjoyed the story, the world. my favorites were the fire spirt and the cat. the way parts of the story focus on patches is really cool

Good chill story

This was a fun chill story with decent characters I'm looking forward to the next installment.

feeling empty inside

feeling empty and that is a good thing, just finished this amazing slice of life story and feel like I had to say goodbye to a friend and I'm anxiously waiting their next visit.

the narration is top notch. the story telling brings this world to life and the characters growth and development made the story come to life.

its good

a nice cozy story that is very different from the other ones right now . the narrator is solid

loved it!

absolutely loved this new series, I felt like it really leaned into what makes a novel a cozy fantasy and did really well drawing inspiration from inside the genre

pretty good

Enjoyed the story and performance a lot. Only thing I would gripe about is that a number of the creatures the MC fought didn't have any description to them. We weren't really give a description for some of the few that were fought, but through how the combat occurred we'd learn that it had claws or something like that. I would have liked to see more of a description of the creature either before or during those kinds of scenes.

Stop by the Tavernly Realm for a pint!

I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy by Harmon Cooper. Matthew Wolf does a great job with the narration, and I really loved the story. It has great characters (especially Patches), and just the right amount of crafting and adventure to keep the story interesting and fun. Can't wait for Book 2!

If you enjoyed Legends and Lattes, you're sure to love this one.

Its definitely a slice of life story

I appreciate how this book is very different from others. Theres are other things but the top must be: how in the hell, no one thought check/ verify, why the cat was doing what he was doing. if at no ither time then they figured out, how the cat was helping. SHRUG

Slice of Life with Actual Stakes

I'd like to start off by saying this is my first experience with this author and narrator, so I can't compare this to any of their other works.

This book was a fun journey. It's a slice of life, isekai, litrpg with real stakes, and an isekai situation that ACTUALLY makes sense.

It's unique in it's isekai aspect, in my experience at least, MC isn't some special person who was hand picked from billions to join this world and become the protag. No, he was your above average (imo) warrior who took the next step in his journey. The slice of life aspect was very enjoyable. I truly cared about his pub, his little outskirts town, and his friends. Very well written characters, as well. (Trying to keep it relatively vague, because I'm having a hard time not spoiling things). It's probably more considered progression fantasy than litrpg, but absolutely amazingly done.

The side characters have just as much depth as the MC and it was refreshing listening to the dialogue and interplay between characters in this story.

The combat was very well done as well, there's not a whole lot of it, but what's in there adds to the story instead of becoming the focus. It doesn't feel forced or like it bogs down the story.

Patches!!! I'm not a cat person, but I found myself falling in love with that "pub cat", as Silas calls him. Very well done, there's a few chapters from his POV and I found myself wanting more.

The most unique thing about this book, imo, is the system. I have never seen a system done like this. I don't want to give too much away, but personal power is also currency. Literally. I was a bit confused on how that would work at first, but it's explained well enough, without hand holding, that you can get it and completely believe that's how that "world" would really go about it. It makes sense for the setting.

The narrator has a great range, each character sounded and felt different. He was able to really bring them to life and help me feel immersed in the story.

Overall this book deserves a listen. It's well worth it and I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

Do not regret the time I got to spend listening.

Very fresh take on an iseki RPG, fleshed out characters, and vibrant personalities to keep you engaged. The only thing that displeased me about this book is that it ended and I'll have to wait for more of the story!