The Dark Profit Saga by
J. Zachary Pike

Consisting of Orconomics, Son of a Liche and Dragonfired, this series is a fantasy satire perfect for anyone who has wished for a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign in novel format. It is written as an ensemble cast with multiple points of view, but the main protagonist and throughline is Gorm, a Dwarf and disgraced professional hero who befriends a Goblin and gets dragged into a quest with a party of misfits.

The world is your ‘stereotypical’ D&D fantasy with all the races and monsters you would expect (some of them strategically and hilariously renamed) and a few you wouldn’t, with one main caveat: Arth’s economy functions around professional heroics. Every adventurer is registered with the Heroes Guild and every quest is bound in bureaucracy. F.O.E.s (Forces of Evil) are declared and quests to defeat them are written up and logged. The loot from such quests is professionally evaluated, to be traded on The Wall, then divvied up between the shareholders when completed. The banks (such as Goldson Baggs and J.P. Gorgon) hold all the power, and the ear of the king.

Shadowkin races (Orcs, Gnolls, Goblins etc, your usual ‘enemy’ races) can apply to be Non-Combatant Paper-carriers (NPCs) if they are gainfully employed, though they are still considered second-class citizens by most. These papers provide some protection from roving bands of adventurers looking to level up by collecting points on their hero license, but a single misstep can lead to revoked status and a dead NPC.

A witty and incredibly fun fantasy adventure, with Nove’s principles of irony guiding the way, our heroes will both succeed and fail as if on the roll of a dice. With puns and nods to the real world abound, this series holds space for the serious moments while keeping an overall upbeat and silly tone.

The themes feel particularly relevant to our own modern world: Deep-rooted racism, economic issues, corrupt leadership and what it truly means to be a hero are shown in multiple facets. This is one of my favourite aspects of the fantasy genre in general, and this series is a masterful example of exploring difficult real-world themes without them feeling overwhelming.

As a player of Table-top Role Playing Games (TTRPGs) myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy. The variety of character viewpoints gives a well-rounded view of the world without being too much; from the lawyer-monks of Adchul who can’t wish you a good day without a disclaimer, to an Orcish community that follows the path of the aggressive seller. The characters are vibrant and interesting, and it feels like watching a D&D actual play.

I would highly recommend this series to TTRPG fans, though if you are a general lover of fantasy, you will likely enjoy it too, even though you might miss some of the more TTRPG-specific jokes. A funny and clever trilogy that kept me invested from start to finish.