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Dungeon Diving #2
Dungeon Diving 102
Classes continue at Haylon academy. Ken has identified who's behind the attacks on his Fieore and is determined to remove that particular problem, yet Haylon rules prevents him from taking it into his own hands.
As they dive deeper into the dungeon, Crimson prepares him and the rest of the first years on how to camp in the dungeon. When their camping exercise is interrupted, Ken's done and this time he means business.
Ken is going all out and his abilities tell him one thing, Ken was never trained as an adventurer. Ken was trained as an assassin.
As they dive deeper into the dungeon, Crimson prepares him and the rest of the first years on how to camp in the dungeon. When their camping exercise is interrupted, Ken's done and this time he means business.
Ken is going all out and his abilities tell him one thing, Ken was never trained as an adventurer. Ken was trained as an assassin.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2023
About the author
Bruce Sentar
61 books901 followersBorn and raised in the agricultural midwest, I moved every year after school even as far as Shanghai before settling down with my wife in Chicago.
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
April 14, 2023
This is second in a LitRPG school story that picks up right where the first left off. Definitely read in order.
You know what you're getting with this having read the first. And also seeing the cover. Ken and his party continue to develop. Political things around the anti-elf faction picks up a bit. Ken's grandparents step up and get involved. Okay, that last is a new development and a totally awesome one.
Crimson continues to be the weakest part of the story, as she is completely over the top in pretty much every way. This installment we get some of her PoV that reveals a bit more of her motivation and personality and that helped me a lot with her character. Surprisingly so, actually.
And, of course, we have some progress on the harem part of the story. Sentar does a good job keeping everyone distinct and making Ken work for his relationships. So that's a good thing if you give the harem itself a pass. In all, I'm giving this five stars for delivering to expectations and then some.
A note about Steamy: There are way fewer explicit scenes than Sentar could have gotten away with. There are a handful on page, putting this on the high end of my steam tolerance, but still comfortably within it. Frankly, I think the author does a good job in picking those to go into and those to elide. Though, yes, the elf physiology was a little extra if I think about it too much...
You know what you're getting with this having read the first. And also seeing the cover. Ken and his party continue to develop. Political things around the anti-elf faction picks up a bit. Ken's grandparents step up and get involved. Okay, that last is a new development and a totally awesome one.
Crimson continues to be the weakest part of the story, as she is completely over the top in pretty much every way. This installment we get some of her PoV that reveals a bit more of her motivation and personality and that helped me a lot with her character. Surprisingly so, actually.
And, of course, we have some progress on the harem part of the story. Sentar does a good job keeping everyone distinct and making Ken work for his relationships. So that's a good thing if you give the harem itself a pass. In all, I'm giving this five stars for delivering to expectations and then some.
A note about Steamy: There are way fewer explicit scenes than Sentar could have gotten away with. There are a handful on page, putting this on the high end of my steam tolerance, but still comfortably within it. Frankly, I think the author does a good job in picking those to go into and those to elide. Though, yes, the elf physiology was a little extra if I think about it too much...
April 21, 2023
More harem fun, as Ken and his women keep dungeon diving. He and Crimson get closer, the elves are worried about his power. The anti elf people get more desperate. Ken learns more about his family.
Not bad for this sort of thing.
Not bad for this sort of thing.
April 12, 2023
My new favorite Sentar series
I really really liked the first book of this series, and I was hoping that the second was as good or possibly better. It's hard to say which I liked more, but both books were really fun to read and I didn't have a lot of negatives after I finished. The only things that I have a problem with are the leveling speed is a bit slow if we ever want to see Ken dive with Crimson, and I'd expect that the best storylines will come when he does since it's basically a whole new world for everyone. My only other concern is Harley, I personally don't really like her that much, she's supposed to be comic relief I guess, but she's mostly just whiney and annoying, i don't see how things will end smoothly either with her, because at some point she will have to leave Kens party. But other than those two things, I truly enjoy my time reading this series.
I really really liked the first book of this series, and I was hoping that the second was as good or possibly better. It's hard to say which I liked more, but both books were really fun to read and I didn't have a lot of negatives after I finished. The only things that I have a problem with are the leveling speed is a bit slow if we ever want to see Ken dive with Crimson, and I'd expect that the best storylines will come when he does since it's basically a whole new world for everyone. My only other concern is Harley, I personally don't really like her that much, she's supposed to be comic relief I guess, but she's mostly just whiney and annoying, i don't see how things will end smoothly either with her, because at some point she will have to leave Kens party. But other than those two things, I truly enjoy my time reading this series.
May 7, 2026
Humour/Mood: 2/5
Character depth and development: 2/5
Emotional impact: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
This volume had a shaky start, but the second half more than made up for the initial stumbling.
I generally appreciate it when a sequel starts with a short recap of previous events, since you never know how much time has passed between the release of each instalment, or even between reading them. In this case, however, I feel it was a bit excessive that even around the 40% mark it was still constantly mentioning and reminding us of things from the first book. I know this can serve to consciously deepen the events, but in the case of a 300-page novel, I don’t really see the need for it. On top of that, the first half was overwhelmingly built around sex, without a proper story. I wouldn’t have a problem with that if it were only a tool for shaping the story, but unfortunately, by now it has become as much a part of the novel as, for example, the LitRPG elements.
Fortunately, the second half of the novel once again focuses on the plot and action, bringing in the protagonist’s grandparents. For me, they absolutely saved this volume… A constantly horny grandfather and four grandmothers, each with their own distinct, well-developed personalities, as the active leaders of an assassin-ninja dynasty? Is there a more entertaining combo than that?
So, this series is still entertaining and provides a pleasant way to spend time. I just hope it won’t be suffocated too much by all the sex.
Character depth and development: 2/5
Emotional impact: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
This volume had a shaky start, but the second half more than made up for the initial stumbling.
I generally appreciate it when a sequel starts with a short recap of previous events, since you never know how much time has passed between the release of each instalment, or even between reading them. In this case, however, I feel it was a bit excessive that even around the 40% mark it was still constantly mentioning and reminding us of things from the first book. I know this can serve to consciously deepen the events, but in the case of a 300-page novel, I don’t really see the need for it. On top of that, the first half was overwhelmingly built around sex, without a proper story. I wouldn’t have a problem with that if it were only a tool for shaping the story, but unfortunately, by now it has become as much a part of the novel as, for example, the LitRPG elements.
Fortunately, the second half of the novel once again focuses on the plot and action, bringing in the protagonist’s grandparents. For me, they absolutely saved this volume… A constantly horny grandfather and four grandmothers, each with their own distinct, well-developed personalities, as the active leaders of an assassin-ninja dynasty? Is there a more entertaining combo than that?
So, this series is still entertaining and provides a pleasant way to spend time. I just hope it won’t be suffocated too much by all the sex.
April 6, 2024
Still enjoying the series but there are a few places where it feels like the author literally left out a paragraph or two. Like characters rapidly shift from one thought or action to another entirely different one and there’s no explanation. But getting past that, it’s enjoyable
June 21, 2025
Romance:
April 17, 2023
Great second book in the series.
The second Dungeon Diving book is just as amazing as the first. The concept of following an adventure group as the learn how to delve the dungeon and develop their skills, like all the RPG games we played as kids, is amazing and this second installment of the series continues to build on a great beginning.
I really enjoyed the DD 102. You continue to see Ken honed into a stud adventure and build the group he has around him. You get introduced to some tertiary characters that play a larger role in the book and likely will continue to be apart of the larger series as Ken continues to build both his own group and make connections with other groups. We get to see a continuation of his unique and growing relationship with Crimson and what it might entail and develop into in the future.
The most enjoyable component by far is the further introduction of Ken’s family and the development of what the Nagato family can do. The inklings of the grandparents adventure group is exciting and looks to be a group on a whole other level. When finding out that the Nagatos are a truly feared and established family, it leads you to be even more excited about what that can lead to in further books.
This book ends with the final test for Ken in the dungeon and beyond as they are truly tested as both a group and a family. I can not wait until the next book comes out and we see what the Nagato family has in store the Ken and the girls as they prepare to restart the Nagato family business and for what the denziens of the Dugeon and Haylon can throw at them.
The second Dungeon Diving book is just as amazing as the first. The concept of following an adventure group as the learn how to delve the dungeon and develop their skills, like all the RPG games we played as kids, is amazing and this second installment of the series continues to build on a great beginning.
I really enjoyed the DD 102. You continue to see Ken honed into a stud adventure and build the group he has around him. You get introduced to some tertiary characters that play a larger role in the book and likely will continue to be apart of the larger series as Ken continues to build both his own group and make connections with other groups. We get to see a continuation of his unique and growing relationship with Crimson and what it might entail and develop into in the future.
The most enjoyable component by far is the further introduction of Ken’s family and the development of what the Nagato family can do. The inklings of the grandparents adventure group is exciting and looks to be a group on a whole other level. When finding out that the Nagatos are a truly feared and established family, it leads you to be even more excited about what that can lead to in further books.
This book ends with the final test for Ken in the dungeon and beyond as they are truly tested as both a group and a family. I can not wait until the next book comes out and we see what the Nagato family has in store the Ken and the girls as they prepare to restart the Nagato family business and for what the denziens of the Dugeon and Haylon can throw at them.
April 29, 2026
I think the author writes certain parts of the story well, and other parts of the story don't work as well.
For things I didn't like... kind of fundamental to a LitRPG is the RPG elements, and I feel like they're not that well fleshed out in this story. From the ground up, I'm kind of struggling to understand how dungeoneering ever really took off in this world. It's a world of classes, skills, exp, etc, but people aren't inherently able to check any of that. It seems like the CID is a recent invention that enables leveling up and all of this, but it just begs the question of how people figured out any of it before. Even ignoring how people clued into suddenly developing superhuman abilities in the first place, tell me how they initially found out starting skills like "earth stomp" or "shadow bolt". I glossed over it in the first book, but considering the mystery around the MC's class is so important to the overall plot, it really makes one question the rest of it. I feel like it just doesn't make that much sense. Continuing on with the RPG element, I'm definitely questioning the experience distribution as it stands so far. If I remember correctly, in the first book did give him experience, but in this book While some RPG aspects do get mentioned fairly often (e.g. the loot dropping from monsters) overall it feels like it's generally neglected, until it's brought up to further the plot. I also have to add that I find the rate of progression (both realized and anticipated) somewhat... confusing. Moving on, I feel like this book started off kind of rocky. The writing felt stiff, and there was still recap stuff being brought up until like 100 pages in. I'm reading them back-to-back, so it's a bit more egregious for me, but still I think a recap like that is better put in as like a prologue chapter. Charlotte was more involved in this book, but I still don't like her, and I feel like she doesn't offer much. I was dismayed to read that the next book is going to focus on her even more. I thought at some points the author is trying way too hard to make the MC be a badass, and it was starting to put me off a little bit. Also, I don't know if I was into all of this nonsense about My last complaint was just... the audience for this book is obviously men. Knowing that, and knowing how haremlit and related genres can be, I tend to brush off certain things, like how every character is described by their (giant) rack, or whether their curves are sinful or innocent. But there are still moments that strike me as misogynistic, like
Moving on to what I thought was good. I think the action scenes and the stuff that happens in the dungeon are usually done better. I feel like the writing kind of loosens up then, and the author lets the MC (and the rest of the cast) shine, but in a way that isn't as forced as some of the dialogue is. I think the plot is interesting, and it does feel like there are a few different pieces moving in interesting directions. I enjoy most of the characters. I've already mentioned my dislike of Charlotte, but I'm also a little conflicted with Crimson. I think Crimson is probably my favorite character, I feel like she's got the most going on. I'm curious about her backstory, how she became the strongest diver in the world (solo) at just 25. But there are some parts of how their relationship is developing/being written that seem kind of off to me. At one point she says she wants him to see her as a sexual object, and I thought "that's a weird way to phrase it", but I take the general meaning. But the way they're so openly flirting, or how casually he'll touch/hug her in public has me like "uhh..." but I guess who's going to stop her? I enjoyed the grandparents.
Overall, I do enjoy the action, most of the characters, and the overall plot. It's just that some of the smaller things pile up and bring the story down. I think the pacing in this book was a little slower than in the first book, but I think part of that is because the author is trying to pay a proper amount of attention to the harem aspect of the book, and develop those characters/relationships, which I can appreciate. I understand why the author would want to portray the MC as a badass capable of anything, but I hope in the following book(s) they find a way to portray it more naturally. I am curious to see what happens next!
For things I didn't like... kind of fundamental to a LitRPG is the RPG elements, and I feel like they're not that well fleshed out in this story. From the ground up, I'm kind of struggling to understand how dungeoneering ever really took off in this world. It's a world of classes, skills, exp, etc, but people aren't inherently able to check any of that. It seems like the CID is a recent invention that enables leveling up and all of this, but it just begs the question of how people figured out any of it before. Even ignoring how people clued into suddenly developing superhuman abilities in the first place, tell me how they initially found out starting skills like "earth stomp" or "shadow bolt". I glossed over it in the first book, but considering the mystery around the MC's class is so important to the overall plot, it really makes one question the rest of it. I feel like it just doesn't make that much sense. Continuing on with the RPG element, I'm definitely questioning the experience distribution as it stands so far. If I remember correctly, in the first book did give him experience, but in this book While some RPG aspects do get mentioned fairly often (e.g. the loot dropping from monsters) overall it feels like it's generally neglected, until it's brought up to further the plot. I also have to add that I find the rate of progression (both realized and anticipated) somewhat... confusing. Moving on, I feel like this book started off kind of rocky. The writing felt stiff, and there was still recap stuff being brought up until like 100 pages in. I'm reading them back-to-back, so it's a bit more egregious for me, but still I think a recap like that is better put in as like a prologue chapter. Charlotte was more involved in this book, but I still don't like her, and I feel like she doesn't offer much. I was dismayed to read that the next book is going to focus on her even more. I thought at some points the author is trying way too hard to make the MC be a badass, and it was starting to put me off a little bit. Also, I don't know if I was into all of this nonsense about My last complaint was just... the audience for this book is obviously men. Knowing that, and knowing how haremlit and related genres can be, I tend to brush off certain things, like how every character is described by their (giant) rack, or whether their curves are sinful or innocent. But there are still moments that strike me as misogynistic, like
Moving on to what I thought was good. I think the action scenes and the stuff that happens in the dungeon are usually done better. I feel like the writing kind of loosens up then, and the author lets the MC (and the rest of the cast) shine, but in a way that isn't as forced as some of the dialogue is. I think the plot is interesting, and it does feel like there are a few different pieces moving in interesting directions. I enjoy most of the characters. I've already mentioned my dislike of Charlotte, but I'm also a little conflicted with Crimson. I think Crimson is probably my favorite character, I feel like she's got the most going on. I'm curious about her backstory, how she became the strongest diver in the world (solo) at just 25. But there are some parts of how their relationship is developing/being written that seem kind of off to me. At one point she says she wants him to see her as a sexual object, and I thought "that's a weird way to phrase it", but I take the general meaning. But the way they're so openly flirting, or how casually he'll touch/hug her in public has me like "uhh..." but I guess who's going to stop her? I enjoyed the grandparents.
Overall, I do enjoy the action, most of the characters, and the overall plot. It's just that some of the smaller things pile up and bring the story down. I think the pacing in this book was a little slower than in the first book, but I think part of that is because the author is trying to pay a proper amount of attention to the harem aspect of the book, and develop those characters/relationships, which I can appreciate. I understand why the author would want to portray the MC as a badass capable of anything, but I hope in the following book(s) they find a way to portray it more naturally. I am curious to see what happens next!
December 22, 2024
Final Rating: 3.56/5.00
Starting score: 2.50
+0.24 for distinct, developing relationships
+0.22 for tactical party combat and the first boss payoff
+0.19 for progression through training, skills, and stat growth
+0.18 for explicit intimacy with Fayeth that carries emotional meaning
+0.16 for giving Crimson vulnerability, accountability, and depth
+0.14 for the Nagato grandparents, family history, and humour
+0.11 for committing to a genuinely dark turn with emotional consequences
+0.11 for expanded elven, Emperor-class, CID, and dungeon lore
+0.08 for keeping Harley useful, independent, and separate from Ken's harem
-0.11 for resolving mass assassination too quickly through the Nagato code
-0.06 for secret-dynasty power making Ken's exceptionalism increasingly convenient
-0.05 for repetitive recap in the opening stretch
-0.04 for Eden and her father remaining thin antagonists
-0.11 for verified grammar, wording, and editing problems
Calculated final score: 3.56/5.00
Stronger Pack, Sharper Blades, Dirtier Morality
This sequel did more for me than simply send Ken five floors deeper. It forces several things I liked in the first audiobook to collide: his need to protect people, assassin training, growing harem, Emperor class, Crimson's obsession with pushing him, and the question of what happens when dungeon violence escapes the dungeon. The adult content remains substantial. Sexual banter is frequent, intimacy recurs, and later the book gives Fayeth a long, fully explicit relationship milestone instead of hiding behind a fade to black. The violence also becomes much darker, including attempted murder, deliberate assassination, mass killing, and characters confronting what it means to be frighteningly good at taking human lives. I like that combination when both halves commit. Compared with 101, this feels less like an extended introduction and more like a book willing to put blood on the snow and ask what the pack does afterward. My main frustration is that it asks that question, then sometimes accepts an answer too quickly.
The Harem Finally Starts Acting Like A Relationship Structure
The strongest improvement is the way Des, Charlotte, and Fayeth stop feeling like three routes leading to the same romantic destination. Fayeth initially makes Charlotte feel displaced because both women express care through practical support, but the conflict has character logic behind it. Fayeth has actually been taking over chores because she thinks Charlotte needs room to pursue Ken, while Charlotte interprets that as evidence she is becoming unnecessary. That is the friction I want in HaremLit. Sharing somebody does not erase insecurity, temperament, or different ways of showing affection. Ken also learns that Des and Fayeth actively come after what they want while Charlotte requires him to move toward her. Their relationship advances because he recognizes that difference and gives her trust, responsibility, and affection rather than waiting for every woman to behave identically.
That part hit closer to my den than the power fantasy. I understand the instinct to prove I can carry my own weight and the fear that needing another person creates a place where I can be hurt. Des runs straight into that wall when danger makes her realize Ken has become part of her support system. She hates the implication that relying on him might mean becoming weaker. Ken has the inverse problem. He keeps trying to protect everyone by carrying danger alone, and his women repeatedly tell him that a pack does not work that way. "If everyone beside me has claws, treating them like they need to stay behind me isn't protection. It's refusing to trust the pack." Harley also works better here. She remains gay, stays outside Ken's harem, develops her own messy romantic life, and still earns her place as support. Late in the book, even Des rejects the idea that Harley is a weak link and recognizes that the joking exterior hides someone committed to improving with the group.
Progression That Means More Than A Level Number
The numerical leveling is slow, but I do not consider that a flaw by itself because the book gives Ken other measurable ways to improve. The fire rescue is the turning point. He abuses Absorb to pull magical fire into himself until his mana channels are dangerously overpressurized, and healing cannot simply erase the damage. The story establishes that this foreign mana differs from the EXP-type mana gained by killing inside the Dungeon. That gives his power an actual cost and also explains why killing people outside it is not some secret infinite experience farm.
Crimson then turns the injury into one of the best progression sequences so far. Instead of waiting in bed, Ken asks to train using dangerous pre-CID methods. The suppression cuffs, physical drills, weapon changes, potions, and pressure on his mana channels produce only seven stat points, but the book correctly frames those points as enormous because natural stat growth normally takes serious time. I prefer this to handing him several levels because the plot needs a bigger number. Strength comes from suffering, experimentation, and exploiting what his class can do.
The final boss cashes in that training. Fayeth tanks the giant boggart, Charlotte keeps everyone alive and controls space, Harley fuels the party, Des supplies damage, and Ken uses melee aggression and spell absorption to shut down healing and help break the final damage check. Nobody is there merely to clap while the Emperor wins. When the core begins throwing escalating lightning, everyone is doing the job the previous hundreds of pages trained them to do. "That is when the pack feels right: five sets of teeth, one target."
Sex, Soul Harmonization, And Why Fayeth Works
The sexual material is more integrated into relationship development than the horny opening suggests. Des and Ken are already physically established, so their intimacy often represents the comfortable, lust-heavy side of an ongoing relationship. Charlotte moves much more slowly. Fayeth sits between those extremes because elven culture gives physical intimacy a spiritual vocabulary through harmonization. The story spends time establishing how she reads closeness, why she sleeps better near Ken, and why she actively wants Charlotte included rather than displaced.
Her first fully developed scene with Ken lands immediately after the Skull Fragments slaughter, and that placement matters. He comes home numb and soaked in rain after deliberately killing an entire building full of people. His women care for him before Fayeth takes her own time with him. The intimacy is explicit and physically committed, but it is also comfort, reassurance, and a relationship threshold. By morning, Fieore has become Adrel, a marriage-like state in which Fayeth believes their souls have reached full harmony. This meets my standard far better than sex that is pure anatomy with no emotional identity or romance followed by a closed door. The scene knows these are two specific characters, and it changes something afterward.
The Assassin Dynasty Is Both The Best And Worst New Direction
Ken learns that the Nagatos are not adventurers who merely know assassin techniques. His family ran an assassination organization for generations, possesses hidden wealth and dungeon access, and has enough influence that powerful institutions treat the family carefully. The reveal is entertaining because the grandparents are entertaining. They are terrifying, competent, weird, affectionate, sexually shameless, and so casually lethal that Crimson finally meets people who do not automatically bend around her reputation.
The guildhouse massacre is where this direction proves it has teeth. Ken is not defending himself in a chaotic fight. His grandmother weakens an entire building and orders him to kill everyone inside. He does. The narration explicitly calls what follows a slaughter, and Ken realizes with some fear that he is extremely good at killing people. That darkness works for me because it is not sanitized. My fur was not bristling because the book became violent. Violence can be where a story earns its strongest emotional pressure.
My deduction comes from what happens next. In the rain, Ken recognizes that this was different, that he could have walked away, and that the blood changed something in him. Then the Nagato philosophy arrives with a clean answer: assassins kill for stability, the guild qualified under their rules, therefore purpose makes the killing bearable. The scene gives him a code, but it resolves a moral fracture before the fracture has enough time to spread. Even the typo in that same moment, "Lighting flashed in the sky," briefly undercuts an effective image before the book correctly uses "Lightning" a few lines later. I wanted the darkness to sink its fangs deeper.
The ending repeats that tension. Fayeth finally kills Eden and immediately admits that she does not feel better. Revenge has failed to perform emotional magic. Then the story is already moving toward the next family enemy, the estate, training, and celebration. "Blood can belong in the snow. I just need the story to remember who spilled it."
Crimson Finally Feels Like A Person
Crimson benefits enormously from receiving interior perspective and being allowed to fail. After the fire, she does something that would have seemed almost impossible in 101: she bows to Ken and apologizes for pushing him too far. She still responds by helping him train even harder, because she is still Crimson, but there is now guilt beneath the sadism and fear beneath the confidence.
Her attraction to Ken also becomes more interesting because the story acknowledges the uncomfortable part. She is older, vastly more powerful, and currently his teacher. His grandparents challenge her about that authority, and her own viewpoint makes clear that her teasing is turning into feelings she does not fully trust. She needs Ken for something connected to her ability and future in the Dungeon, but she is increasingly attached to him as a person. That gives their chemistry danger beyond "hot teacher likes special boy." I still do not want the Emperor class or destiny doing the romantic work for them. This volume at least gives Crimson enough fear, jealousy, restraint, and self-awareness that she has started earning her place.
The World Gets Bigger, But So Does The Convenience
The lore expansion is substantial. Plant-grown elven CIDs explain the economic motive behind the anti-elf conspiracy because their technology threatens Gransmen's business. The elven Great Trees, harsh climate, soul-harmonization customs, imperial secrecy around the Emperor class, the naga problem, the first safe zone, boss loot, and pre-CID training make the world more connected than it was in 101.
The problem is that Ken is accumulating layers of exceptionalism faster than the Dungeon is accumulating floors. He is the Emperor class, has a level-forty-five Demon Lord secondary class, was personally chosen by Crimson, is tied to important elven society, and now turns out to be heir to a legendary assassin dynasty with hidden wealth, dungeon access, and old enemies. I enjoy power fantasy, but inheritance can become narrative credit with no interest payments. The more advantages arrive through bloodline and secret history, the more important it becomes that Ken's choices and earned skills remain the reason he matters.
Eden and her father never become as interesting as the damage they cause. The CID monopoly gives them a coherent motive, but greed, entitlement, and escalating attempts to murder Fayeth do most of their characterization. By the end, they function as targets for Ken's family more than adversaries with enough interior life to make the conflict psychologically difficult. The Kaiming connection opens a larger threat, but it does not make Gransmen deeper.
The Prose Still Needs A Proofreader
The editing problems from 101 have not disappeared. Early on, "his motivation to attack the elves and disrupting negotiations got clearer" breaks parallel construction. A few pages later, the book again uses the awkward disconnected connector, "Though, it didn't escape my notice..." rather than attaching the thought naturally to the preceding sentence. Later we get "Fayeth pat me consolingly" instead of "patted," and the storm scene gives us "Lighting flashed" when the meaning is clearly lightning. These are real copy-editing failures in a book that already likes fragments, abrupt connectors, and fast viewpoint shifts.
The wording can also drop into juvenile shorthand. During one fight, Ken mentally labels three male enemies by function while the only woman becomes "Bitch." That does not make the fight sharper; it makes his internal narration sound fourteen for a moment. The opening stretch also spends too much time re-explaining why Ken is at Haylon, Crimson's importance, the Demon Lord ritual, his class, and relationship terminology. A sequel needs reorientation. This occasionally sounds like the audiobook is worried I forgot the previous chapter, not merely the previous volume.
Audiobook Experience
I am leaving narration neutral in the arithmetic. I did not come away with a specific mispronunciation, character-voice failure, volume problem, or production defect strong enough to penalize, nor a narrator-specific strength concrete enough to reward. What stood out in audio came mainly from the writing. The short stat blocks remain easy to process, abilities recur enough to stay legible without becoming long character-sheet dumps, and the party's different goals keep dialogue scenes clear. The weaker prose also becomes audible: disconnected connectors, repeated recaps, and movement between Ken's first-person narration and third-person viewpoints can create a small mental gear change. The switches are worthwhile when they reveal something Ken cannot know, especially with Crimson and Des.
Conclusion
This is a stronger sequel in the places that matter most to me. The party finally feels like a pack with different needs rather than combat roles waiting to become girlfriends. Progression has pain and method behind it. The final boss uses the whole team. Fayeth's explicit relationship milestone delivers physical detail, emotion, and consequence together. Crimson develops vulnerability. The grandparents are ridiculous in exactly the entertaining way dangerous old monsters should be. Harley remains Harley without the story trying to straighten her into Ken's bed.
The biggest new weakness is also the most interesting material. Turning Ken into heir to a secret assassin dynasty gives the series sharper teeth, but the book sometimes mistakes having a code for having resolved a moral problem. I want those deaths to echo longer through the den. I want Ken's choice to protect his people to keep colliding with the question of what protection allows him to become. If the series keeps that conflict alive instead of letting "Nagato business" answer every difficult question, there is something stronger waiting below these early floors.
At 3.56/5.00, I am still descending. The tracks in the snow are darker now, the pack is tighter, and somewhere below Haylon the Dungeon is still opening its jaws. I just hope the next lesson is not that having sharper claws means every problem looks better bleeding.
Starting score: 2.50
+0.24 for distinct, developing relationships
+0.22 for tactical party combat and the first boss payoff
+0.19 for progression through training, skills, and stat growth
+0.18 for explicit intimacy with Fayeth that carries emotional meaning
+0.16 for giving Crimson vulnerability, accountability, and depth
+0.14 for the Nagato grandparents, family history, and humour
+0.11 for committing to a genuinely dark turn with emotional consequences
+0.11 for expanded elven, Emperor-class, CID, and dungeon lore
+0.08 for keeping Harley useful, independent, and separate from Ken's harem
-0.11 for resolving mass assassination too quickly through the Nagato code
-0.06 for secret-dynasty power making Ken's exceptionalism increasingly convenient
-0.05 for repetitive recap in the opening stretch
-0.04 for Eden and her father remaining thin antagonists
-0.11 for verified grammar, wording, and editing problems
Calculated final score: 3.56/5.00
Stronger Pack, Sharper Blades, Dirtier Morality
This sequel did more for me than simply send Ken five floors deeper. It forces several things I liked in the first audiobook to collide: his need to protect people, assassin training, growing harem, Emperor class, Crimson's obsession with pushing him, and the question of what happens when dungeon violence escapes the dungeon. The adult content remains substantial. Sexual banter is frequent, intimacy recurs, and later the book gives Fayeth a long, fully explicit relationship milestone instead of hiding behind a fade to black. The violence also becomes much darker, including attempted murder, deliberate assassination, mass killing, and characters confronting what it means to be frighteningly good at taking human lives. I like that combination when both halves commit. Compared with 101, this feels less like an extended introduction and more like a book willing to put blood on the snow and ask what the pack does afterward. My main frustration is that it asks that question, then sometimes accepts an answer too quickly.
The Harem Finally Starts Acting Like A Relationship Structure
The strongest improvement is the way Des, Charlotte, and Fayeth stop feeling like three routes leading to the same romantic destination. Fayeth initially makes Charlotte feel displaced because both women express care through practical support, but the conflict has character logic behind it. Fayeth has actually been taking over chores because she thinks Charlotte needs room to pursue Ken, while Charlotte interprets that as evidence she is becoming unnecessary. That is the friction I want in HaremLit. Sharing somebody does not erase insecurity, temperament, or different ways of showing affection. Ken also learns that Des and Fayeth actively come after what they want while Charlotte requires him to move toward her. Their relationship advances because he recognizes that difference and gives her trust, responsibility, and affection rather than waiting for every woman to behave identically.
That part hit closer to my den than the power fantasy. I understand the instinct to prove I can carry my own weight and the fear that needing another person creates a place where I can be hurt. Des runs straight into that wall when danger makes her realize Ken has become part of her support system. She hates the implication that relying on him might mean becoming weaker. Ken has the inverse problem. He keeps trying to protect everyone by carrying danger alone, and his women repeatedly tell him that a pack does not work that way. "If everyone beside me has claws, treating them like they need to stay behind me isn't protection. It's refusing to trust the pack." Harley also works better here. She remains gay, stays outside Ken's harem, develops her own messy romantic life, and still earns her place as support. Late in the book, even Des rejects the idea that Harley is a weak link and recognizes that the joking exterior hides someone committed to improving with the group.
Progression That Means More Than A Level Number
The numerical leveling is slow, but I do not consider that a flaw by itself because the book gives Ken other measurable ways to improve. The fire rescue is the turning point. He abuses Absorb to pull magical fire into himself until his mana channels are dangerously overpressurized, and healing cannot simply erase the damage. The story establishes that this foreign mana differs from the EXP-type mana gained by killing inside the Dungeon. That gives his power an actual cost and also explains why killing people outside it is not some secret infinite experience farm.
Crimson then turns the injury into one of the best progression sequences so far. Instead of waiting in bed, Ken asks to train using dangerous pre-CID methods. The suppression cuffs, physical drills, weapon changes, potions, and pressure on his mana channels produce only seven stat points, but the book correctly frames those points as enormous because natural stat growth normally takes serious time. I prefer this to handing him several levels because the plot needs a bigger number. Strength comes from suffering, experimentation, and exploiting what his class can do.
The final boss cashes in that training. Fayeth tanks the giant boggart, Charlotte keeps everyone alive and controls space, Harley fuels the party, Des supplies damage, and Ken uses melee aggression and spell absorption to shut down healing and help break the final damage check. Nobody is there merely to clap while the Emperor wins. When the core begins throwing escalating lightning, everyone is doing the job the previous hundreds of pages trained them to do. "That is when the pack feels right: five sets of teeth, one target."
Sex, Soul Harmonization, And Why Fayeth Works
The sexual material is more integrated into relationship development than the horny opening suggests. Des and Ken are already physically established, so their intimacy often represents the comfortable, lust-heavy side of an ongoing relationship. Charlotte moves much more slowly. Fayeth sits between those extremes because elven culture gives physical intimacy a spiritual vocabulary through harmonization. The story spends time establishing how she reads closeness, why she sleeps better near Ken, and why she actively wants Charlotte included rather than displaced.
Her first fully developed scene with Ken lands immediately after the Skull Fragments slaughter, and that placement matters. He comes home numb and soaked in rain after deliberately killing an entire building full of people. His women care for him before Fayeth takes her own time with him. The intimacy is explicit and physically committed, but it is also comfort, reassurance, and a relationship threshold. By morning, Fieore has become Adrel, a marriage-like state in which Fayeth believes their souls have reached full harmony. This meets my standard far better than sex that is pure anatomy with no emotional identity or romance followed by a closed door. The scene knows these are two specific characters, and it changes something afterward.
The Assassin Dynasty Is Both The Best And Worst New Direction
Ken learns that the Nagatos are not adventurers who merely know assassin techniques. His family ran an assassination organization for generations, possesses hidden wealth and dungeon access, and has enough influence that powerful institutions treat the family carefully. The reveal is entertaining because the grandparents are entertaining. They are terrifying, competent, weird, affectionate, sexually shameless, and so casually lethal that Crimson finally meets people who do not automatically bend around her reputation.
The guildhouse massacre is where this direction proves it has teeth. Ken is not defending himself in a chaotic fight. His grandmother weakens an entire building and orders him to kill everyone inside. He does. The narration explicitly calls what follows a slaughter, and Ken realizes with some fear that he is extremely good at killing people. That darkness works for me because it is not sanitized. My fur was not bristling because the book became violent. Violence can be where a story earns its strongest emotional pressure.
My deduction comes from what happens next. In the rain, Ken recognizes that this was different, that he could have walked away, and that the blood changed something in him. Then the Nagato philosophy arrives with a clean answer: assassins kill for stability, the guild qualified under their rules, therefore purpose makes the killing bearable. The scene gives him a code, but it resolves a moral fracture before the fracture has enough time to spread. Even the typo in that same moment, "Lighting flashed in the sky," briefly undercuts an effective image before the book correctly uses "Lightning" a few lines later. I wanted the darkness to sink its fangs deeper.
The ending repeats that tension. Fayeth finally kills Eden and immediately admits that she does not feel better. Revenge has failed to perform emotional magic. Then the story is already moving toward the next family enemy, the estate, training, and celebration. "Blood can belong in the snow. I just need the story to remember who spilled it."
Crimson Finally Feels Like A Person
Crimson benefits enormously from receiving interior perspective and being allowed to fail. After the fire, she does something that would have seemed almost impossible in 101: she bows to Ken and apologizes for pushing him too far. She still responds by helping him train even harder, because she is still Crimson, but there is now guilt beneath the sadism and fear beneath the confidence.
Her attraction to Ken also becomes more interesting because the story acknowledges the uncomfortable part. She is older, vastly more powerful, and currently his teacher. His grandparents challenge her about that authority, and her own viewpoint makes clear that her teasing is turning into feelings she does not fully trust. She needs Ken for something connected to her ability and future in the Dungeon, but she is increasingly attached to him as a person. That gives their chemistry danger beyond "hot teacher likes special boy." I still do not want the Emperor class or destiny doing the romantic work for them. This volume at least gives Crimson enough fear, jealousy, restraint, and self-awareness that she has started earning her place.
The World Gets Bigger, But So Does The Convenience
The lore expansion is substantial. Plant-grown elven CIDs explain the economic motive behind the anti-elf conspiracy because their technology threatens Gransmen's business. The elven Great Trees, harsh climate, soul-harmonization customs, imperial secrecy around the Emperor class, the naga problem, the first safe zone, boss loot, and pre-CID training make the world more connected than it was in 101.
The problem is that Ken is accumulating layers of exceptionalism faster than the Dungeon is accumulating floors. He is the Emperor class, has a level-forty-five Demon Lord secondary class, was personally chosen by Crimson, is tied to important elven society, and now turns out to be heir to a legendary assassin dynasty with hidden wealth, dungeon access, and old enemies. I enjoy power fantasy, but inheritance can become narrative credit with no interest payments. The more advantages arrive through bloodline and secret history, the more important it becomes that Ken's choices and earned skills remain the reason he matters.
Eden and her father never become as interesting as the damage they cause. The CID monopoly gives them a coherent motive, but greed, entitlement, and escalating attempts to murder Fayeth do most of their characterization. By the end, they function as targets for Ken's family more than adversaries with enough interior life to make the conflict psychologically difficult. The Kaiming connection opens a larger threat, but it does not make Gransmen deeper.
The Prose Still Needs A Proofreader
The editing problems from 101 have not disappeared. Early on, "his motivation to attack the elves and disrupting negotiations got clearer" breaks parallel construction. A few pages later, the book again uses the awkward disconnected connector, "Though, it didn't escape my notice..." rather than attaching the thought naturally to the preceding sentence. Later we get "Fayeth pat me consolingly" instead of "patted," and the storm scene gives us "Lighting flashed" when the meaning is clearly lightning. These are real copy-editing failures in a book that already likes fragments, abrupt connectors, and fast viewpoint shifts.
The wording can also drop into juvenile shorthand. During one fight, Ken mentally labels three male enemies by function while the only woman becomes "Bitch." That does not make the fight sharper; it makes his internal narration sound fourteen for a moment. The opening stretch also spends too much time re-explaining why Ken is at Haylon, Crimson's importance, the Demon Lord ritual, his class, and relationship terminology. A sequel needs reorientation. This occasionally sounds like the audiobook is worried I forgot the previous chapter, not merely the previous volume.
Audiobook Experience
I am leaving narration neutral in the arithmetic. I did not come away with a specific mispronunciation, character-voice failure, volume problem, or production defect strong enough to penalize, nor a narrator-specific strength concrete enough to reward. What stood out in audio came mainly from the writing. The short stat blocks remain easy to process, abilities recur enough to stay legible without becoming long character-sheet dumps, and the party's different goals keep dialogue scenes clear. The weaker prose also becomes audible: disconnected connectors, repeated recaps, and movement between Ken's first-person narration and third-person viewpoints can create a small mental gear change. The switches are worthwhile when they reveal something Ken cannot know, especially with Crimson and Des.
Conclusion
This is a stronger sequel in the places that matter most to me. The party finally feels like a pack with different needs rather than combat roles waiting to become girlfriends. Progression has pain and method behind it. The final boss uses the whole team. Fayeth's explicit relationship milestone delivers physical detail, emotion, and consequence together. Crimson develops vulnerability. The grandparents are ridiculous in exactly the entertaining way dangerous old monsters should be. Harley remains Harley without the story trying to straighten her into Ken's bed.
The biggest new weakness is also the most interesting material. Turning Ken into heir to a secret assassin dynasty gives the series sharper teeth, but the book sometimes mistakes having a code for having resolved a moral problem. I want those deaths to echo longer through the den. I want Ken's choice to protect his people to keep colliding with the question of what protection allows him to become. If the series keeps that conflict alive instead of letting "Nagato business" answer every difficult question, there is something stronger waiting below these early floors.
At 3.56/5.00, I am still descending. The tracks in the snow are darker now, the pack is tighter, and somewhere below Haylon the Dungeon is still opening its jaws. I just hope the next lesson is not that having sharper claws means every problem looks better bleeding.
April 30, 2025
Uff, I had high expectations after book 1 and got pretty badly disappointed.
First of is he becoming an assassin now? Cause that feels like bait and switch. Im more interested in the dungeon and him being an adventurer than this „new path“. He told his grandma to reactivate the organization so quickly, basically saying he would be focusing on killing criminals for money instead of going for deep dungeon explorations with Crimson. I don’t think he even understands what he’s agreed on in the spur of the moment. And I can already see him going on year long dives, completely forgetting about this decision. This whole part felt off. The focus should be on being an adventurer, that can assassinate people if need be, not the other way around. The titel is „Dungeon Diving“!
This harmony thing with Fay was amusing, but a little ridiculous when the Mc started believing it as well. I mean come on. You know each other for 2 weeks and he has 2 other girls. Are their heartbeats also synchronized? The relationships with Charlotte and Des are moving at reasonable paces, but this… There are just some things that dont fit a HaremLit.
Also the leveling pace is off. After the 3 students, 4 thugs and the whole da*n guild, how is Ken not level 5 already and why is everyone in his party suddenly at the same level when Ken clearly was further ahead last book and the distance between Ken and them should have gotten only bigger. I hate it when authors write power ups and levels so haphazardly. Why write a litRPG in the first place? There is progression fantasy, in which the details about the characters power are purposefully left out and it is only minorly different from litRPG. If you don’t care about levels and exp and won’t bother to consider them while writing, then why not just leave them out?
And even if we ignore the details, the speed is still not enough. At this rate I don’t see them getting to level 20-30 in just 4 years without serious plotarmor and throwing unreasonable amounts of exp at them later on. I mean he barely gained 1 level this book. How long is this series supposed to be? 50 books?
All said, compared to the first book this was not good. There are too many plotholes, that could have easily been avoided.
First of is he becoming an assassin now? Cause that feels like bait and switch. Im more interested in the dungeon and him being an adventurer than this „new path“. He told his grandma to reactivate the organization so quickly, basically saying he would be focusing on killing criminals for money instead of going for deep dungeon explorations with Crimson. I don’t think he even understands what he’s agreed on in the spur of the moment. And I can already see him going on year long dives, completely forgetting about this decision. This whole part felt off. The focus should be on being an adventurer, that can assassinate people if need be, not the other way around. The titel is „Dungeon Diving“!
This harmony thing with Fay was amusing, but a little ridiculous when the Mc started believing it as well. I mean come on. You know each other for 2 weeks and he has 2 other girls. Are their heartbeats also synchronized? The relationships with Charlotte and Des are moving at reasonable paces, but this… There are just some things that dont fit a HaremLit.
Also the leveling pace is off. After the 3 students, 4 thugs and the whole da*n guild, how is Ken not level 5 already and why is everyone in his party suddenly at the same level when Ken clearly was further ahead last book and the distance between Ken and them should have gotten only bigger. I hate it when authors write power ups and levels so haphazardly. Why write a litRPG in the first place? There is progression fantasy, in which the details about the characters power are purposefully left out and it is only minorly different from litRPG. If you don’t care about levels and exp and won’t bother to consider them while writing, then why not just leave them out?
And even if we ignore the details, the speed is still not enough. At this rate I don’t see them getting to level 20-30 in just 4 years without serious plotarmor and throwing unreasonable amounts of exp at them later on. I mean he barely gained 1 level this book. How long is this series supposed to be? 50 books?
All said, compared to the first book this was not good. There are too many plotholes, that could have easily been avoided.
September 17, 2026
Oh the errors!
This continues the story of our hero, Ken, and his training, dungeon diving, and harem building at the all-girls adventuring academy.
Writing quality is still very poor, even for self-published KU. I noticed problems with tense, singular-plural mismatches, disconnected pronouns, dangling participles, missing hyphens, incorrect connectors, missing commas, incorrectly placed words, extra words, incorrect use of compound words, and so on. And that's all in the first chapter (eight pages)! Some other chapters are slightly better -- the errors seem to be in clusters -- but they introduce more errors as well, such as using adjectives where adverbs are required, and incorrect use of I, as, that, both, yet, metamorphosis, and transitive lay, for example. The problem of disconnected connectors at the start of sentences (and sometimes paragraphs) remains, and begins as early as the first page. Overall I'd guess it averages out to somewhere between one and two errors per page. This _really_ needs a competent proofreader!
Continuity and consistency issues continue in a similar way as in the first book, as do the issues with dialogue. There is a rather large plot hole. There are also some sections with needless and distracting repetition. And what's with the main character (from a family described as "traditional Japanese") suffering from a misunderstanding of what sushi is and how Japanese people normally eat it? The sushi restaurant scene was embarrassing, like when someone who knows nothing about computers tries to write a realistic hacking scene without having done any research.
I want to like this series more than I actually do. Some of the characters are likeable, some of the world is interesting, and some of the story is exciting, but the poor writing quality, inconsistencies, and continuity problems keep putting up barriers to enjoying the books. I wish I could ignore these issues, but instead each problem destroys immersion and pulls me out of the story, and reading it becomes more frustrating than enjoyable.
The author has plenty of good ideas for stories and characters, and this could easily be a five-star book with a good proofreader and continuity editor. Instead it feels like a missed opportunity.
This continues the story of our hero, Ken, and his training, dungeon diving, and harem building at the all-girls adventuring academy.
Writing quality is still very poor, even for self-published KU. I noticed problems with tense, singular-plural mismatches, disconnected pronouns, dangling participles, missing hyphens, incorrect connectors, missing commas, incorrectly placed words, extra words, incorrect use of compound words, and so on. And that's all in the first chapter (eight pages)! Some other chapters are slightly better -- the errors seem to be in clusters -- but they introduce more errors as well, such as using adjectives where adverbs are required, and incorrect use of I, as, that, both, yet, metamorphosis, and transitive lay, for example. The problem of disconnected connectors at the start of sentences (and sometimes paragraphs) remains, and begins as early as the first page. Overall I'd guess it averages out to somewhere between one and two errors per page. This _really_ needs a competent proofreader!
Continuity and consistency issues continue in a similar way as in the first book, as do the issues with dialogue. There is a rather large plot hole. There are also some sections with needless and distracting repetition. And what's with the main character (from a family described as "traditional Japanese") suffering from a misunderstanding of what sushi is and how Japanese people normally eat it? The sushi restaurant scene was embarrassing, like when someone who knows nothing about computers tries to write a realistic hacking scene without having done any research.
I want to like this series more than I actually do. Some of the characters are likeable, some of the world is interesting, and some of the story is exciting, but the poor writing quality, inconsistencies, and continuity problems keep putting up barriers to enjoying the books. I wish I could ignore these issues, but instead each problem destroys immersion and pulls me out of the story, and reading it becomes more frustrating than enjoyable.
The author has plenty of good ideas for stories and characters, and this could easily be a five-star book with a good proofreader and continuity editor. Instead it feels like a missed opportunity.
March 25, 2026
The story/series itself is my #1 series of all time in the spicy romance category. I really like how the story evolves from just college schooling to interdimensional politics and then international danger. I enjoy the world building and explanations the author gives on the rules of the system and dungeons.
The world is set basically in modern times (cars, cell phones, internet) but the dungeons is basically this cosmic entity god like thing, where all the dungeons on earth eventually connect to the main dungeon branch, like a tree, the deeper you go, which again will connect to other worlds eventually, so that's how you get elves and other species.
My ONLY complaint is with the audio book version. I listened to the audio books (books 1-7) about 4 times within 15 months perhaps (because its my fav), then they change the two voice actors AND also deleted the original audiobooks with the new voice actors. No offence to the new VA, but they suck for this series. (Jessica Threet and Christopher Boucher) All the female characters sound too similar and just feel wrong for their personalities. I highly recommend torrenting the original version, since you can't just download it anymore, with Lewis Alexander and Rozelyn Rader. These voice actors do a fantastic job making all the characters feel and sound very unique. Why the author decided to change is beyond me but is the biggest mistake he's ever made.
The world is set basically in modern times (cars, cell phones, internet) but the dungeons is basically this cosmic entity god like thing, where all the dungeons on earth eventually connect to the main dungeon branch, like a tree, the deeper you go, which again will connect to other worlds eventually, so that's how you get elves and other species.
My ONLY complaint is with the audio book version. I listened to the audio books (books 1-7) about 4 times within 15 months perhaps (because its my fav), then they change the two voice actors AND also deleted the original audiobooks with the new voice actors. No offence to the new VA, but they suck for this series. (Jessica Threet and Christopher Boucher) All the female characters sound too similar and just feel wrong for their personalities. I highly recommend torrenting the original version, since you can't just download it anymore, with Lewis Alexander and Rozelyn Rader. These voice actors do a fantastic job making all the characters feel and sound very unique. Why the author decided to change is beyond me but is the biggest mistake he's ever made.
November 12, 2024
This book starts where the other ended. I like that the author is taking the slow route in building the Harem. The first book was about the relationship with the warlock of the group (Names don't always stay with me). This one is about continuing that relationship but also growing the relationship with the elf who is the groups tank.
There were a couple of instances where a paragraph or two was left out. All in all this is a very enjoyable book. I may not appreciate the idea that there are honorable assassins and that the Nagato family just happens to be one of those.
Ken after another some more attempts on the lives the elf in the group and also by extension his whole party comes to realize that he was raised an assassin and that in order to get the justice that he requires he is going to have to go that route in dealing with some powerful enemies in addition to diving the dungeon and gaining levels for him and his group. Each woman is very different with unique personalities.
There were a couple of instances where a paragraph or two was left out. All in all this is a very enjoyable book. I may not appreciate the idea that there are honorable assassins and that the Nagato family just happens to be one of those.
Ken after another some more attempts on the lives the elf in the group and also by extension his whole party comes to realize that he was raised an assassin and that in order to get the justice that he requires he is going to have to go that route in dealing with some powerful enemies in addition to diving the dungeon and gaining levels for him and his group. Each woman is very different with unique personalities.
April 10, 2023
Domo arigato, Grampa Nagato, you're much better comic relief than was Harley in book one. Her antics were enough to put me off in that book, but she is dialed back here. I had some hope of her being completely marginalized, but I'll take this. I'm not sure what her future is in Ken's orbit, but as it stands she's a weak link and a potential security risk.
Lots of future books are hinted at, so it looks like this series is meant to persist for a while. The author has stated that the harem will stay "small" for a while, so I think he's learned from the corner he painted himself into in the Dragon's Justice books. The harem in those got totally out of hand.
At this pace the 4-year program at Haylon will take 16 books, so I expect time skips at some point. Otherwise that's about double my regular attention span for a series; I guess we'll see.
Lots of future books are hinted at, so it looks like this series is meant to persist for a while. The author has stated that the harem will stay "small" for a while, so I think he's learned from the corner he painted himself into in the Dragon's Justice books. The harem in those got totally out of hand.
At this pace the 4-year program at Haylon will take 16 books, so I expect time skips at some point. Otherwise that's about double my regular attention span for a series; I guess we'll see.
November 27, 2024
A second volume less exciting than the first, which is quite normal.
The narration sometimes takes liberties with the clearness of the first part, sometimes changing point of view in a strange way, but it remains quite readable.
The hot polygamous romance is an important point of the story but does not overshadow the main stakes of the story. The sex scenes are ultimately quite rare and have little interest (this is almost always the case.)
One of the strong points of the story is that it regularly makes revelations about important things without ever creating artificial mysteries as is often the case in Urban Fantasy.
Overall it is still quite fun, the characters are... well characterized.
But this is an episode in which we move away from the dungeon too often for my taste, a dungeon that would become almost boring without the many human enemies of Ken's team.
Next!
The narration sometimes takes liberties with the clearness of the first part, sometimes changing point of view in a strange way, but it remains quite readable.
The hot polygamous romance is an important point of the story but does not overshadow the main stakes of the story. The sex scenes are ultimately quite rare and have little interest (this is almost always the case.)
One of the strong points of the story is that it regularly makes revelations about important things without ever creating artificial mysteries as is often the case in Urban Fantasy.
Overall it is still quite fun, the characters are... well characterized.
But this is an episode in which we move away from the dungeon too often for my taste, a dungeon that would become almost boring without the many human enemies of Ken's team.
Next!
December 24, 2025
Once again Dungeon Diving 102 is another whelming book. However, unlike the previous book, which was very fine™ 102 has higher highs and lower lows. Starting with the positives there is something about Bruce Sentar's writing that I now not only enjoy but find to be of very high quality. His character interactions. While most author just focus on character arcs or backstory, Setar is able to have his characters have very believable and enjoyable interactions. So that even when they act differently when they are in different groups or talking with other people, it never feels out of character. Which is an incredibly rare skill.
On the other hand, the characters themselves do tend to fall a little flat when not in a group. I still wouldn't say that they are bad, but with how quickly the cast is growing and the length of these books I get the feeling that they are either going to get dropped from the story or heavily flanderized.
The action is a bit better in this book but not by a significant amount, same with the plot. Now that most of the setup is done a lot more stuff happens, but that isn't entirely a good thing. I could take or leave most of the plots in the book. Honestly, I think that the author should have just picked 2 and stuck with them. Probably the school stuff and the dungeon. But with learning that Ken is from a family of assassins, the Elven ambassador stuff, and the people trying to assassinate the elves, it doesn't add enough to the story to justify how cluttered it makes the book. With how short these books are Sentar really needs to focus hard on what makes them work and stick to that and cut the rest.
On the other hand, the characters themselves do tend to fall a little flat when not in a group. I still wouldn't say that they are bad, but with how quickly the cast is growing and the length of these books I get the feeling that they are either going to get dropped from the story or heavily flanderized.
The action is a bit better in this book but not by a significant amount, same with the plot. Now that most of the setup is done a lot more stuff happens, but that isn't entirely a good thing. I could take or leave most of the plots in the book. Honestly, I think that the author should have just picked 2 and stuck with them. Probably the school stuff and the dungeon. But with learning that Ken is from a family of assassins, the Elven ambassador stuff, and the people trying to assassinate the elves, it doesn't add enough to the story to justify how cluttered it makes the book. With how short these books are Sentar really needs to focus hard on what makes them work and stick to that and cut the rest.
April 9, 2023
A great harem read!
This is rapidly turning into Sentar's best series, better than the first few volume of Dragon's Justice ( high praise indeed! ). If you enjoy a decent story with elements of D&D magic and high speed romance with sex that doesn't fade into black then this is quite possibly the best fantasy novel I ever read, and I am old enough to have read Elric in first edition paperbacks! Read Dungeon Diving 1 first though, it lays out the scenario for the series. Both are available as Kindle Unlimited and Amazon ebooks. You won't regret it. There are elves, naga and hints of vampire involvement to "make up" for those who don't like harem novels and prefer "reverse harem" vamps, lycantropes and the like. Again , Read This!
This is rapidly turning into Sentar's best series, better than the first few volume of Dragon's Justice ( high praise indeed! ). If you enjoy a decent story with elements of D&D magic and high speed romance with sex that doesn't fade into black then this is quite possibly the best fantasy novel I ever read, and I am old enough to have read Elric in first edition paperbacks! Read Dungeon Diving 1 first though, it lays out the scenario for the series. Both are available as Kindle Unlimited and Amazon ebooks. You won't regret it. There are elves, naga and hints of vampire involvement to "make up" for those who don't like harem novels and prefer "reverse harem" vamps, lycantropes and the like. Again , Read This!
April 10, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It continues to slowly build up the relationships between the MC and the party/harem, rather than adding more and more girls. The story itself is a continuation of the first and ends at the end of the first semester, which implies many more books in the series. It has its funny moments as well. Occasionally chapters would be told from another characters perspective rather than the MC, which I really liked. It illuminated some things in interesting ways. I'm really looking forward to the next books in the series.
April 15, 2023
A great second book in the series. The MCs levels, fights in the dungeon and out of it, we learn a bit more about his tutor Crimson, he gets a better bond with his harem and we have some nice scenes with his grandparents.
For the long run i think the author should start to add a good villain. We need someone that is a real threat and not too dumb. Also the dungeons loot could be a bit more exciting.
But everything else is fun and I was pleased to read that the author also had fun to write the series and hopes for a lot more books to come.
For the long run i think the author should start to add a good villain. We need someone that is a real threat and not too dumb. Also the dungeons loot could be a bit more exciting.
But everything else is fun and I was pleased to read that the author also had fun to write the series and hopes for a lot more books to come.
May 4, 2023
Ken is the first male to attend Haylon College one of the top 4 in the country .
Ken gets his chance to attend one of the top colleges in the country. The most celebrated adventure of all time Crimson is teaching at Haylon College an she just invited Ken to attend the college an all girl college an he is the first male to ever attend the all girl college. She is personally going to teach him at the college he's going to be one of her students in her class . This is his chance to make his grandfather an grandmother's proud .recommend reading excellent series .
Ken gets his chance to attend one of the top colleges in the country. The most celebrated adventure of all time Crimson is teaching at Haylon College an she just invited Ken to attend the college an all girl college an he is the first male to ever attend the all girl college. She is personally going to teach him at the college he's going to be one of her students in her class . This is his chance to make his grandfather an grandmother's proud .recommend reading excellent series .
July 31, 2023
Better than book one
The series is starting to hit its stride and I found this book better than the first. The first book felt too familiar to Bruces other “Book One’s”. I hope he does keep the harem tight and small so that when he adds other species (which you know he will) Ken’s harem will still be a manageable size unlike dome of this other books where the harem goes well into double digits. The grandparents are a good addition to the humour, and the characters are well enough established that they now feel more “filled out”.
The series is starting to hit its stride and I found this book better than the first. The first book felt too familiar to Bruces other “Book One’s”. I hope he does keep the harem tight and small so that when he adds other species (which you know he will) Ken’s harem will still be a manageable size unlike dome of this other books where the harem goes well into double digits. The grandparents are a good addition to the humour, and the characters are well enough established that they now feel more “filled out”.
November 19, 2023
Nice Continuation
The harem aspect is what it is. The sex hasn't become the primary focus which is important to me. The Litrpg and dungeon are still the key to the story.
Ken grew but not exponentially. Nice to see the family get involved. Author did nothing to kill the story, but kept it growing.
As of now the author has stayed away from any type of repetitive nature that occurred in Dragon's Justice. I went to bed having nightmares about the words "mine, mate".
On to book 3.
The harem aspect is what it is. The sex hasn't become the primary focus which is important to me. The Litrpg and dungeon are still the key to the story.
Ken grew but not exponentially. Nice to see the family get involved. Author did nothing to kill the story, but kept it growing.
As of now the author has stayed away from any type of repetitive nature that occurred in Dragon's Justice. I went to bed having nightmares about the words "mine, mate".
On to book 3.
April 11, 2023
We get more fun and adventure with Ken and his party as they descend the dungeon and level up. They do have some more difficulties with the AEF. The methods of dealing with it were cathartic.
Ken's grandparents do visit his academy. And hijinks were had.
The series sets up several plot threads for the future that can be slowly dealt out over the next few books.
I am looking forward to the next entry.
Ken's grandparents do visit his academy. And hijinks were had.
The series sets up several plot threads for the future that can be slowly dealt out over the next few books.
I am looking forward to the next entry.
April 12, 2023
Good book and series
Loved this book. Little bit of progression and growth and lots of funny on top. I find that all of the characters are unique and individual. no cookie cutter harem here. The humor in parts was certainly over the top. A lot of fun especially considering the genre. I was certainly like to see a few more stats and Powers listed but we get what we get. Some of it seems a bit nebulous It's still a wonderful series and I look forward to the next book.
Loved this book. Little bit of progression and growth and lots of funny on top. I find that all of the characters are unique and individual. no cookie cutter harem here. The humor in parts was certainly over the top. A lot of fun especially considering the genre. I was certainly like to see a few more stats and Powers listed but we get what we get. Some of it seems a bit nebulous It's still a wonderful series and I look forward to the next book.
May 16, 2023
Can't Get Enough
I just couldn't put it down. With rest of Ken's family joint in, it just made me keep reading. Really wish we could find out the big problem Crimson is having and Ken can help her with. Maybe if we knew what the problem is, it would make the reader feel more involved we the book? I know that would make me wanna figure out how she's going to get him to help her. I'd really want to read more then. Great job!
I just couldn't put it down. With rest of Ken's family joint in, it just made me keep reading. Really wish we could find out the big problem Crimson is having and Ken can help her with. Maybe if we knew what the problem is, it would make the reader feel more involved we the book? I know that would make me wanna figure out how she's going to get him to help her. I'd really want to read more then. Great job!
January 10, 2024
The story is good, but the prose is pretty mediocre. There's a lot of cringe inducing lines in this story, at least to me. Also, the anthropomorphized bugs bunny caricature is not endearing, like at all. And i don't know if it's true, but i read somewhere that rabbits don't even like carrots all that much, preferring instead softer food, so now it bothers me that that is all that stupid rabbit seems to be fed. But that's on me i guess.
June 17, 2024
Hard being the only guy in an all Girls School
This was just so much fun, start to finish. Over coming the different challenges while keeping their harem working smoothly, now add assassins.
Ken has 3, make that 4 women in his life, that Love him and he them.
He has to make a choice for his future that will make life better and much harder, but does he want to drag his team/ loves with him...
Read in 3 days
This was just so much fun, start to finish. Over coming the different challenges while keeping their harem working smoothly, now add assassins.
Ken has 3, make that 4 women in his life, that Love him and he them.
He has to make a choice for his future that will make life better and much harder, but does he want to drag his team/ loves with him...
Read in 3 days
November 11, 2024
Simple and fun read. The writing is... I'm not sure what the word i'm looking for but I think it's abrupt? I don't mind it much. There's just not as much description going on while reading it. The story progresses quickly, and I do enjoy it that way. It just a different feeling of writing. Either way, loved the story. I like Ken's grandparents. They're awesome. I'll definitely keep reading this series.
April 12, 2023
great addition
I really enjoyed this entry especially with his grandparents addition and the nuance of his background. My only concern is the seemingly really really slow progression. Last book crimson stated as being level 57? Ken is level 5 in this book so it feels like light years away and almost unobtainable. Hopefully that speeds up. Otherwise awesome entry
I really enjoyed this entry especially with his grandparents addition and the nuance of his background. My only concern is the seemingly really really slow progression. Last book crimson stated as being level 57? Ken is level 5 in this book so it feels like light years away and almost unobtainable. Hopefully that speeds up. Otherwise awesome entry
April 12, 2023
Good Read
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series and can't wait for some more to come out. Got to find poor misunderstood Harley a romantic interest too. Its terrible she is not getting in on the action. Maybe she could help get the others ready for Ken. Then try some D for herself to see what all the fuss is about.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series and can't wait for some more to come out. Got to find poor misunderstood Harley a romantic interest too. Its terrible she is not getting in on the action. Maybe she could help get the others ready for Ken. Then try some D for herself to see what all the fuss is about.
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