# The Demon Overlord's Retirement Plan

By M. H. Foster · A Gentle Apocalypse, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-demon-overlord-s-retirement-plan-82362e78/

Galornus Prime has spent enough lifetimes fighting heroes. Hiding behind the identity of Willem Porter, he heads for Lower Middleton to grow turnips and keep his powers to himself. Trouble follows him into retirement: protecting the village from grasping officials and merchants could reveal who its new farmer really is.

## What makes it funny?

Galornus still thinks of himself as a terror of nations, but his goat Prometheus shows him little respect, and a neighbor with roses gives him fresh trouble. A reader in a LitRPG book group singles out the appeal of a demon lord choosing retirement over conquest.

### The comedy at work

The first-person narrator discusses his repeated deaths as performance reviews and treats battles with heroes as a problem of outdated work procedures. That calm managerial voice makes the ancient struggle between good and evil sound like a job he has held for far too long.

### Try this if…

Village disputes, troublesome animals and a powerful outsider learning to live among neighbors carry the appeal. Readers who enjoy an episodic fantasy series will have more room to settle in here than those looking for a tightly finished standalone story.

### Good to know

The light tone includes a darker starting point: Galornus takes an unwilling man's body. Reactor's reviewer notes that he does little reckoning with the harm he causes. The story continues beyond this volume, and the Grand Central edition adds a bonus dungeon adventure.

## What to expect

- Genre: Fantasy
- On the shelf: Cozy fantasy
- Kind of humor: Dry wit · Situational comedy
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel
- Published: 2025

## A few distinguishing details

- A demon overlord tries to stay retired
- A goat unimpressed by its fearsome owner
- Immortal battles described in office jargon

## Sources & further reading

- Review: [Reactor review](https://reactormag.com/book-review-the-demon-overlords-retirement-plan-by-m-h-foster)
- Reading sample: [Publisher excerpt](https://hodderscape.co.uk/blogs/exclusive-author-content/the-demon-overlords-retirement-plan-extract)
- Book information: [Series bibliography](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/m-h-foster)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/m-h-foster/the-demon-overlords-retirement-plan/9781538787823)
- Reader discussion: [Reader discussion](https://facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books/permalink/28556483633948268)
- Publisher: [Hodderscape publisher](https://www.hachette.com.au/m-h-foster/the-demon-overlords-retirement-plan)