nice to meet you, I'm Death
books in which Death, or a god of Death, or the Grim Reaper (or a Grim Reaper), is personified. This list will NOT include the works of Neil Gaiman (ew)
created by notlizlemon
last updated June, 2026
Comments
books like have given me such peace with my childhood phobia of death, thank you for this list!!
awww!!!! that is such an unexpectedly sweet comment, i'm so glad they have helped you!!!
What a great theme and title (and heck yeah for leaving out NG).
thank you!! when i was researching, his name kept coming up but i was like NAUR. not today, satan.
this was exactly my reaction researching for my audiobooks narrated by the author 😭😭 so many lists recommended him and omfg. no way in hell
oh this is such a cool list liz 🖤😈
thank you!! still adding to it, would love any suggestions anyone has
I’ve got a couple! The Deathless One by Emma Hamm & Even in Death by Randi Garner (book 2 in a series where you need to read book 1)
It looks like the same god is featured in book 1 of that series, so I will add that one (The Goddess Of)! And I added The Deathless One. Thank you!!
Omg thank you for this! I love books around death like this.
I love this! I see you’re still adding books, but I can recommend Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E Cooney and The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark if they’re not already on your list!
thank you!!!
"Hello, Death! I like your hat" (sorry, I had to)
Little Thieves fits on this list 🫶
Thank you Goosie!!!
i found another one! Death's Daughter by S. A. Barnes 🖤
Ahh thank you Goosie!!
This is such a great list, Liz!! Katabasis by R.F. Kuang also fits
You’re so right. I forgot about Yama!!
The funny thing with this list is you could include almost the entire Discworld series. iirc, only two don't have Death in them.
I knowww. I just checked - I got distracted and forgot the last one, so I just added it, but I had decided to just include the Death subseries since those have him so prominent
Very very cool. I like this list notbritishlemon
Such a good list. It has been a while, but I wonder if the comic Pretty Deadly might suit this list?
checked it out, it looks great! added!
I'll take a look, thank you!!
A Shadow in the Ember would definitely fit! The MMC is basically the God of Death (called Primal, which is a superior god)
added, thank you!!
I'm so happy to see The Many Deaths of Laila Starr on here! I read it years ago and it has always stuck with me. Beautifully written and illustrated!!
I also recommend A Fig For All The Devils by CS Fritz. One of my favorite depictions of The Grim Reaper!
thank you, added!!
All of my favorite books with a personification of Death are already on this list. I'm so excited to read more!
Yayyy, I love that!!
One of the earliest ones I read was A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore & after that I realized how much I enjoyed seeing what people's perspectives on death personified are. While I understand the reason for a certain author's works not being on here - that depiction was one I was fond of (but now have complicated feelings about due to him being a piece of trash).
I really hope this gets chosen to become a quest but even without the prospect of a badge, I know I want to check these books out.
Aww that is so kind, thank you so much! One of those things you never imagine even being proposed until J+L come in with another banger idea 🤩 i love this app and the creativity of everyone here, so honestly even having a list be nominated was such a sweet surprise and I am confident we are going to get some incredible new quests no matter what!!! Re NG, I hear ya, I hate that my boy Terry Pratchett and Good Omens and even my beloveds David Tennant and Michael Sheen have taken hits bc of that pos. I read Masters of Death last year and looooved it, the humor is very fun but the emotionality/depth is there too, if you haven’t read that one already!
Agreed! There were so many good ones that no matter what are chosen, the Pagebound community will be winning.
I was so disappointed that so many beloved pieces of media were impacted by NG's actions.
I have not read Masters of Death yet. I'll prioritize that one based on your recommendation & add it to my plan for the year. Thanks!
Of course, look forward to seeing what you think!!
YES! One of my favorite plot devices! 🤩🤩🤩
Some manga recs:
Death note by Toshiki Inoue Future Diary (mirai nikki) by Sakae Esuno Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo) by Etoo Miyuki I'm the Grim Reaper by Graveweaver (also webtoon)
I added Death Note and I’m the Grim Reaper. Wanted to ask you about Future Diary and Hell Girl since I just have the blurbs to go by :) For Future Diary, Is the ‘god of time and space’ Death? Is there another character representing Death? And for Hell Girl, what’s her deal? Is she like a demon? I guess, what makes her a representation of death rather than a paranormal murderer? Thanks so much for your recommendations!!
For future Diary, the ’god of time and space’ is god of the living’s. The person who wins will be the ’god of time and space’
Hell girl is a dead spirit. She transports people trough hell.
Ooh thank you!! 🖤
I just finished one that would fit this list. A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara
Ooh I thought I had that one on here, thank you! Just added
Since a grim reaper suffices I feel like Afterlove by Tanya Byrne would be a neat addition though that one has more than one reaper
Thank you, adding now :)
The Loving Reaper comics would fit this list! And make me absolutely sob.
Added, thank you!
oo "Death and the Taxman" would fit nicely here! i just had to add it from GR but it's a very fun little read 😄
Added, thank you!
omg! death personified, my beloved...
i think my current read land of the beautiful dead fits so well here.
Thank you! Just added!
can’t believe I didn’t find this list until now, I love it!❤️🔥
Alexis Henderson's latest, When I Was Death, is a perfect fit for this too if you're still taking recs!
thank you so much!! always taking recs!! 💖
Love this list!! If you're looking for more recs, Ann Liang's To Dream in Darkness would fit this theme as well ♡
Thank you so much!!
This list is awesome! If you're still taking recommendations, The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James would be a great addition!
Aww thank you!! Always taking recs!!
