The Badlands

Jacob Holtz has never been the adventurous type. But when he ends up dead and in the office of someone set on "growing his soul" (whatever that means), he'll get as much as he can handle (and probably more).  Thrown into a world where magic is real and Outsiders are kind of a big deal, Jay would have been pretty well set up-- if the queen hadn't taken an immediate dislike to him. Normally, Outsiders are given titles and opportunities that put them on the fast track to growth. Jay is not given that: instead, he's dubbed the Mayor of the Badlands, a former farming colony that's fallen on hard times. Forced to accept his new title (or pay the price for formally refusing a queen), Jacob is sent packing to his new home. He finds a place run into the ground by bad management and indifference, full of miserable people, dirt, and not much else.  Fueled only by spite, the mysterious System that promises power and glory (if he can stomach the price), and his wits, Jay hits the ground running-- but can he run fast enough to avoid death a second time?