In life, Razgaif was a respected warrior and the War Chef responsible for keeping the Onyx-Ax Clan fed. He had learned to cook from his father, who was the War Chef before him. After dying in battle, Razgaif was resurrected and placed in the thrall of the Worm King, where he became Lord Commander Rottgor, the leader of the Death Knights. After centuries of servitude, committing unspeakable acts of violence and horror, Rottgor betrayed the Worm King and became a trusted servant of the new regime. Having lived for literal centuries, Rottgor is quite a bit worse for wear, being kept alive and together by dark magic. When Lady Cleo, heir to the throne, coerces (tricks) Rottgor into retirement, he is suddenly faced with a series of challenges that seem greater than any he’s faced in centuries. Can he adjust to being a living being again? Where will he live? What will he do? He has lived for so long and done so much, most of it unspeakable; yet, there are some distant memories of a time when he was happy. And those led him to a startling discovery. He knows what he needs to do: he needs to open a restaurant.

In Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife, Deston J. Munden’s latest novel, readers will follow Rottgor as he tries to remember what it was like to be an actual person and not simply a tool for use at someone else’s whims. As he attempts to make his dreams a reality, he recognizes and reforges existing relationships and discovers that he is also creating new ones. This is especially true of Astra, a young orphan whose past is almost as dark as his own, and who is also seeking what he realizes he also wants and needs: a home. Munden tells simple truths in fantastic settings, with equally fantastic characters, and leads readers to a conclusion that is as satisfying as a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup on a chilly, rainy day.
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