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Blade & Bastard Light Novel #2
BLADE & BASTARD, Volume 2: Wireframe Dungeon & Dragon with Red Dead
Scorch marks blacken the wireframe dungeon, and the smell of burnt meat hangs in the air. Iarumas’s party stumbles upon a corpse, more charcoal than flesh, and Raraja insists on dragging it out. Murmur—Chant—Pray—Invoke. A large-framed girl named Berkanan gulps the fresh air of her second chance at life. Her confidence is low and her skills as a fledgling mage are inadequate, but despite all that, she has a serious goal—kill the red dragon that burned her party alive. This dragon, an interloper from the lower levels of the dungeon, has become so notorious that even the most seasoned parties refuse to engage. Even so, Garbage and Raraja agree to aid Berkanan, and Iarumas lends his support. The chances of failure are high, but in the dungeon, immolation is not a permanent end…as long as someone is willing to pay. Can Iarumas’s party douse the flames of the dragon, or will they all succumb to a menacing red death?
- GenresLight NovelFantasy
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2023
5 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 24, 2024
This isn't quite as good as the first book - shifting the main point of view away from Iarumas makes some sense, but Raraja and new character Berka aren't quite as compelling (and in fact the latter was a bit annoying), and I feel like the whole "Garbage thinks she's a dog" angle has been taken as far as it can go. But I still enjoy the old school D&D sensibility and will more than likely read volume three when it comes out.
September 2, 2024
This book solidifies that the author somewhat enjoys sexualizing female characters. The characters are not only introduced using repetitive sexualized descriptions but there’s also a questionable scene that I don’t think was necessary. I think Garage’s name should have been the first clue but Iarumas and Raraja don’t see them in a sexualized manner which makes this story somewhat bearable. Anyways, I’m reading this series for the mystery into Iarumas’ and Garbages’ past.
In this volume a new character joins Iarumas’ party, Berkanan who resolves to kill a red dragon lurking in the lower levels of the dungeon. However Berkanan isn’t strong, so while being in Iarumas’ party she strengthens her resolve and grows as a character. Amidst all this Garbages’ probable origins are slowly unraveling and a larger conflict may be on the horizon.
The plot in this volume is unlike the first. It’s more structured and engaging, although common. It’s executed primarily through Garbage, Raraja and Berkanan. Their interactions and support are what moves this story along and helps build their personalities. Iarumas’ on the other hand, is rarely present in the story and acts as an adult guiding and protecting his children. This is something Iarumas’ also accepts and I personally would love to see this bond grow further.
The writing style is still very similar to volume one, with repetitions, multiple point of views and a somewhat calm measured pacing. The action scenes are a bit underwhelming because the writing doesn’t invoke a sense of urgency or movement. Also I personally would have loved to see Iarumas and Ainikki fighting because they are portrayed as very strong and skilled. Although I understand the characters, want the younger ones to learn and grow first.
There are quite a bit of recurring characters in this volume. They appear almost as fast as they leave to help solidify certain changes, growth and perspectives. There are a few new side characters added, I believe to help solidify the intensity or danger of the red dragon but honestly it didn’t help much.
Overall, this was a good and fast read. It isn’t something high on my reading list but one I will continue because I’m interested in Iarumas’ character. I hope volume three gives his character some more story and that Garbages’ name changes. I’m not too fond of that name or word at all; it brings back some rough memories.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
In this volume a new character joins Iarumas’ party, Berkanan who resolves to kill a red dragon lurking in the lower levels of the dungeon. However Berkanan isn’t strong, so while being in Iarumas’ party she strengthens her resolve and grows as a character. Amidst all this Garbages’ probable origins are slowly unraveling and a larger conflict may be on the horizon.
The plot in this volume is unlike the first. It’s more structured and engaging, although common. It’s executed primarily through Garbage, Raraja and Berkanan. Their interactions and support are what moves this story along and helps build their personalities. Iarumas’ on the other hand, is rarely present in the story and acts as an adult guiding and protecting his children. This is something Iarumas’ also accepts and I personally would love to see this bond grow further.
The writing style is still very similar to volume one, with repetitions, multiple point of views and a somewhat calm measured pacing. The action scenes are a bit underwhelming because the writing doesn’t invoke a sense of urgency or movement. Also I personally would have loved to see Iarumas and Ainikki fighting because they are portrayed as very strong and skilled. Although I understand the characters, want the younger ones to learn and grow first.
There are quite a bit of recurring characters in this volume. They appear almost as fast as they leave to help solidify certain changes, growth and perspectives. There are a few new side characters added, I believe to help solidify the intensity or danger of the red dragon but honestly it didn’t help much.
Overall, this was a good and fast read. It isn’t something high on my reading list but one I will continue because I’m interested in Iarumas’ character. I hope volume three gives his character some more story and that Garbages’ name changes. I’m not too fond of that name or word at all; it brings back some rough memories.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
November 6, 2024
Stepping back into the world of "Blade & Bastard" with Volume 2 felt like a comfortable return to a familiar dungeon crawl. While this volume picks up directly where the first left off, I found myself more at ease with the author's distinctive style. The somewhat disjointed narrative, which initially felt jarring, now feels like part of the series' unique charm. I'm also growing more fond of the characters and their quirky personalities.
As a fan of the original Wizardry game, I can't help but draw parallels between the game's mechanics and the way the story unfolds. This connection enriches my reading experience and helps smooth over any rough edges in the writing.
One of the highlights of this volume is Berkanan's character development. She's clearly becoming a central figure, and her growth adds another layer of depth to the story. The increased action and focus on character development overall made for a more engaging read.
Though I'm still acclimating to some of the conventions of light novels, I'm thoroughly enjoying this Wizardry-inspired adventure. The series captures the spirit of classic dungeon crawlers while offering a fresh perspective with its unique characters and intriguing world.
As a fan of the original Wizardry game, I can't help but draw parallels between the game's mechanics and the way the story unfolds. This connection enriches my reading experience and helps smooth over any rough edges in the writing.
One of the highlights of this volume is Berkanan's character development. She's clearly becoming a central figure, and her growth adds another layer of depth to the story. The increased action and focus on character development overall made for a more engaging read.
Though I'm still acclimating to some of the conventions of light novels, I'm thoroughly enjoying this Wizardry-inspired adventure. The series captures the spirit of classic dungeon crawlers while offering a fresh perspective with its unique characters and intriguing world.
February 22, 2024
So the ending wasn't what I expected as it breaks form the typical gaming Light Novel self insert fantasies that plague the scene. Like as if this was a book about actual people and not just a standard RPG game harem book like the rest. Honestly Iarumas does the LEAST in this book.
It DOES have an eyeroll scene where Garbage gets naked and that's about the only thing that mars this story. However it's not a typical scene where the male MC is leering at her. (Iarumas is actually not even around. He's inside the tavern. Getting drunk.)
Also like the fact the author contacted Woodhead about Wizardry (Would have liked Greenberg too) to ask questions.
Also you can make a Berkanan build in game. If it works or not is up to the RNG.
It DOES have an eyeroll scene where Garbage gets naked and that's about the only thing that mars this story. However it's not a typical scene where the male MC is leering at her. (Iarumas is actually not even around. He's inside the tavern. Getting drunk.)
Also like the fact the author contacted Woodhead about Wizardry (Would have liked Greenberg too) to ask questions.
Also you can make a Berkanan build in game. If it works or not is up to the RNG.
November 12, 2023
Very good 2nd book
If you were a fan of the first, this only fleshs out the story even more and leaves you waiting in anticipation for the next
If you were a fan of the first, this only fleshs out the story even more and leaves you waiting in anticipation for the next
April 12, 2025
The current novel shifts its focus away from the previous installment's main character (Iarumas, employed by many to haul corpses from the dungeon) to instead tread new ground alongside a critically undertrained, backwoods mage girl. The narrative reason for the shift is unclear. The artistic reason, however, is more obvious: the author felt the need to partake, or indulge, in the trope of an unusual, attractive, shy young woman believed capable of great things.
Berkanan stands a full head taller than everyone else, has a speech impediment, and lacks social graces such that her body is routinely on show for anyone who cares to look. In the background, BLADE & BASTARD v2 is about the mysterious appearance of a red dragon on a shallow level of the local dungeon, and how nobody is skilled enough to slay it. But in the foreground, the slow and stumbling Berka finds her way into Iarumas' party, and for reasons not entirely distinct, takes on the task of killing said dragon.
Berka isn't a good character; she lacks a reliable motive, she fails to communicate her most basic needs, and her capacity to grow and improve is forcibly manifest through an array of cliches and well-worn plot devices. Of course, that's not supposed to be the point. Berka is supposed to be funny. She's new to town; she's a mage who knows very little magic; and, in descriptive terms, she's a curvy woman and a mockery of the stock adventurer. Except, nothing about the character's excessive mumbling, inadequate fighting, and cheesecake moments are modestly amusing.
BLADE & BASTARD v2 either abandons or minimizes the novel series' most prominent story hooks. Nothing more is said about Iarumas' amnesiac history. The idea that readers should disregard how or why the most compelling character in the whole town has no idea who he is represents a poor grasp of long-form storytelling. Further, very little is presumed about Sister Ainikki, whose mysterious strength and knowledge is only spied by the inexperienced rogue, Raraja. The young thief ponders who this elf nun truly is, but only in passing. Smarter character building might position readers to query why she's so fixated on Iarumas, why she's so physically powerful, and why she hides knowledge of both.
The book's latent interest in Garbage feels clumsy. Following a secretive meeting among amulet-wielding sneaks and following another assassination attempt in the dark of night, readers watch as Iarumas and his crew slowly clue into the possibility that Garbage is more than she seems. Is she related to royalty? Where does her strength come from? What does the nefarious Church of Fang have to gain by executing this random whelp of a warrior? All worthy questions. However, since this discourse is limited to a four-page conversation, three-quarters of the way through the book, readers needn't expect much.
The sad reality is that Garbage is the book's strongest character. However muddled and simplified this novel series' story dynamics, the tale of an abandoned child, who grew to become stronger than any other creature, is an amusing hook. Too bad the author doesn't seem to care.
BLADE & BASTARD v2 isn't a particularly compelling read, but one can muscle their way through in due time. The action scenes occasionally lack reasonable character blocking, but the energy and urgency are legitimate. The trouble is that getting the characters and the story to a point at which this energy and urgency feel genuine requires stamping through an array of blather. For example, the book's magic-oriented power scales are complete nonsense. The language, the structure, and the tiering of the spellcasting is entirely opaque, and none of the explanations offered (e.g., origin, area of effect, strength) are consistent or feel at all reliable. How can a fantasy book with multiple spellcasters lack uniformity in its use of magecraft?
To that end, the inclusion of fantasy language as parenthetical asides to purportedly boost immersion is extraordinarily odd. For example, readers will encounter awkward notes in the way of: "she gained a lot of courage (hit points)" (page 103), "he hadn't lost focus (HP)" (page 163), and "it was a lethal blow (critical hit)" (page 182). Such pseudo-stats, one posits, aim to render the fantasy environment more literal. The problem is that these call-outs are random, inconsistent, and lack any real definition or purpose. The translation, adaptation, and editorial team should've axed them entirely.
BLADE & BASTARD v2, again, tries hard to be fun, but doesn't get anywhere close. Berka is a hazard of a character, and she comes across more like an offensive burlesque than a comical extrapolation. Iarumas hardly speaks in the whole novel, rendering his utility as a highly skilled and masterful dungeon-diver nearly extinct since he leaves all of the difficult tasks to everyone else. And the book's exceedingly narrow stakes (kill the red dragon) are open and obvious from the get-go, making the story's inevitable resolution far more drawn out than necessary.
Berkanan stands a full head taller than everyone else, has a speech impediment, and lacks social graces such that her body is routinely on show for anyone who cares to look. In the background, BLADE & BASTARD v2 is about the mysterious appearance of a red dragon on a shallow level of the local dungeon, and how nobody is skilled enough to slay it. But in the foreground, the slow and stumbling Berka finds her way into Iarumas' party, and for reasons not entirely distinct, takes on the task of killing said dragon.
Berka isn't a good character; she lacks a reliable motive, she fails to communicate her most basic needs, and her capacity to grow and improve is forcibly manifest through an array of cliches and well-worn plot devices. Of course, that's not supposed to be the point. Berka is supposed to be funny. She's new to town; she's a mage who knows very little magic; and, in descriptive terms, she's a curvy woman and a mockery of the stock adventurer. Except, nothing about the character's excessive mumbling, inadequate fighting, and cheesecake moments are modestly amusing.
BLADE & BASTARD v2 either abandons or minimizes the novel series' most prominent story hooks. Nothing more is said about Iarumas' amnesiac history. The idea that readers should disregard how or why the most compelling character in the whole town has no idea who he is represents a poor grasp of long-form storytelling. Further, very little is presumed about Sister Ainikki, whose mysterious strength and knowledge is only spied by the inexperienced rogue, Raraja. The young thief ponders who this elf nun truly is, but only in passing. Smarter character building might position readers to query why she's so fixated on Iarumas, why she's so physically powerful, and why she hides knowledge of both.
The book's latent interest in Garbage feels clumsy. Following a secretive meeting among amulet-wielding sneaks and following another assassination attempt in the dark of night, readers watch as Iarumas and his crew slowly clue into the possibility that Garbage is more than she seems. Is she related to royalty? Where does her strength come from? What does the nefarious Church of Fang have to gain by executing this random whelp of a warrior? All worthy questions. However, since this discourse is limited to a four-page conversation, three-quarters of the way through the book, readers needn't expect much.
The sad reality is that Garbage is the book's strongest character. However muddled and simplified this novel series' story dynamics, the tale of an abandoned child, who grew to become stronger than any other creature, is an amusing hook. Too bad the author doesn't seem to care.
BLADE & BASTARD v2 isn't a particularly compelling read, but one can muscle their way through in due time. The action scenes occasionally lack reasonable character blocking, but the energy and urgency are legitimate. The trouble is that getting the characters and the story to a point at which this energy and urgency feel genuine requires stamping through an array of blather. For example, the book's magic-oriented power scales are complete nonsense. The language, the structure, and the tiering of the spellcasting is entirely opaque, and none of the explanations offered (e.g., origin, area of effect, strength) are consistent or feel at all reliable. How can a fantasy book with multiple spellcasters lack uniformity in its use of magecraft?
To that end, the inclusion of fantasy language as parenthetical asides to purportedly boost immersion is extraordinarily odd. For example, readers will encounter awkward notes in the way of: "she gained a lot of courage (hit points)" (page 103), "he hadn't lost focus (HP)" (page 163), and "it was a lethal blow (critical hit)" (page 182). Such pseudo-stats, one posits, aim to render the fantasy environment more literal. The problem is that these call-outs are random, inconsistent, and lack any real definition or purpose. The translation, adaptation, and editorial team should've axed them entirely.
BLADE & BASTARD v2, again, tries hard to be fun, but doesn't get anywhere close. Berka is a hazard of a character, and she comes across more like an offensive burlesque than a comical extrapolation. Iarumas hardly speaks in the whole novel, rendering his utility as a highly skilled and masterful dungeon-diver nearly extinct since he leaves all of the difficult tasks to everyone else. And the book's exceedingly narrow stakes (kill the red dragon) are open and obvious from the get-go, making the story's inevitable resolution far more drawn out than necessary.
September 16, 2025
Interesting developments in the Dungeon and in Scale. Iarumas, Raraja, and Garbage hve added an new member to their party - Berkanan, a mage from the East. Beranan's first dungeon foray was a disaster - she was the only member of the party to not be burned up completely by the roaming red dragon they encountered. So she has a score to settle with that dragon after she was resurrected. Their party had an additional member join in the hunt - Sister Ainikki came along when they went a hunting. Besides the dragon hunt, the party also learned a little bit about Garbage's past and the folks hunting for her. A nice addition to the series!
May 17, 2025
It's still an entertaining story, and the new character was entertaining enough, but not as good as the first book. Will give the 3th book a shot, but I think the story would have made more of an impact if I knew more about the games it is based on.
I only know some basic lore regarding making the games, but not story details and characters, which is a pity because I'm sure I'm missing Easter eggs and cool references...
I only know some basic lore regarding making the games, but not story details and characters, which is a pity because I'm sure I'm missing Easter eggs and cool references...
July 3, 2024
It's slow at times, but a good read nonetheless. The introduction of a new character in this book hints at the fact that we will eventually get a full party, and even though the clarification of "oh look, this is actually this character's HP" do get tiring, it can be overlooked in favour of the plot.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews