What do you think?
Rate this book
This Used To Be About Dungeons #1
This Used To Be About Dungeons: Volume 1
This is a tale that used to be about dungeons...
Now it's mostly about walking in the woods with a friend, looking for mushrooms to put in your soup. Maybe haggling with the squash seller, or taking care of a neglected garden, or even just putting some jam on a good shortbread biscuit. And yes, sometimes you still go down into the dungeons with your friends, and you kill monsters there, disarm traps, avoid spiked pits, etcetera, etcetera. But when you come out now, it's not really about the gold and loot. It's about realizing you've got a good cure for that old shepherd's cough, or maybe you even found the perfect magic trinket to give to the local kids who helped you out when your cat was sick.
Just remember that dungeons are always going to be there. Yes, sometimes you might need to make a journey to one of the Spirit Gates or a pilgrimage with the local Cleric of Symmetry to a holy shrine. But your tour through the local lairs can wait. There's a big world out there, a mostly tame place with lots of magic and even more to do and see...
Join me, won't you?
Now it's mostly about walking in the woods with a friend, looking for mushrooms to put in your soup. Maybe haggling with the squash seller, or taking care of a neglected garden, or even just putting some jam on a good shortbread biscuit. And yes, sometimes you still go down into the dungeons with your friends, and you kill monsters there, disarm traps, avoid spiked pits, etcetera, etcetera. But when you come out now, it's not really about the gold and loot. It's about realizing you've got a good cure for that old shepherd's cough, or maybe you even found the perfect magic trinket to give to the local kids who helped you out when your cat was sick.
Just remember that dungeons are always going to be there. Yes, sometimes you might need to make a journey to one of the Spirit Gates or a pilgrimage with the local Cleric of Symmetry to a holy shrine. But your tour through the local lairs can wait. There's a big world out there, a mostly tame place with lots of magic and even more to do and see...
Join me, won't you?
652 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2023
192 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Wales
24 books134 followersAlexander Wales is the pseudonym of Ben Friesen. Ben is a writer and stay-at-home dad located in Duluth, MN with his wife, their son, and cat.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 23, 2023
This one falls right into my comfort reading space, which is to say it's a fairly wholesome, cosy sort of read that's less concerned with creating a twisty-turny plot than with spending time hanging out with people doing things they like doing. Gotta say, though, for a book called This Used To Be About Dungeons, the majority of this first volume is in fact about dungeons, or at least about our characters doing things related to dungeons, having conversations about dungeons, and so on.
Also, pretty much every main character has at least one neurodivergent trait, which makes me like 'em more. No idea whether it's deliberate, but it's definitely there.
Also, pretty much every main character has at least one neurodivergent trait, which makes me like 'em more. No idea whether it's deliberate, but it's definitely there.
March 3, 2025
Disclaimer 1: I'm not a fan of the cozy-fantasy genre.
Disclaimer 2: I didn't like the audiobook narrator.
It's a two-star book, but for the reasons mentioned above it's a one-star for me. Still gave the official two stars, for fairness' sake.
I was very impressed with several aspects of Wales' writing in Worth the Candle, but I thought his general character writing was by far the worst part. So imagine my surprise when I discovered the author's next work is 100% mundane character drama, in the form of a slice-of-life cozy-fantasy story.
I was actually intrigued by the idea. It was as if Wales had read my mind and said "Oh, you think I can't write character drama? check this out!", but then I actually read it.
Plot? gone. Action? gone. Creativity so rich it shows hints of genius? gone. A deep character study about processing catastrophic personal trauma? gone. Clever meta? gone. Original world-building times a hundred? gone.
So what is left? a bunch of young adults in a generic fantasy world who spend 90% of the book discussing their relationships, each thinking and speaking with Wales' hyper-rational, obsessively-analytical thought process. And yes, they each have their own unique world view, but they all approach everything with the exact same thought process.
I don't know what Wales was thinking, and it breaks my heart that he can't see how mediocre and immature this aspect of his writing is.
There's a scene of a character explaining to another character why becoming friends with them is the rational thing to do, and the other character agrees. Wales claimed (through Juniper) that he isn't autistic, but there were portions of this book where I thought I could almost see the lord spectrum himself manifesting in front of my eyes.
The group in Worth the Candle was a "harem", but it was presented really well as a meta joke forced on Juniper by the DM. But here comes this book, and it's a harem again. Now I think Wales just likes harems. So thanks for that.
Disclaimer 2: I didn't like the audiobook narrator.
It's a two-star book, but for the reasons mentioned above it's a one-star for me. Still gave the official two stars, for fairness' sake.
I was very impressed with several aspects of Wales' writing in Worth the Candle, but I thought his general character writing was by far the worst part. So imagine my surprise when I discovered the author's next work is 100% mundane character drama, in the form of a slice-of-life cozy-fantasy story.
I was actually intrigued by the idea. It was as if Wales had read my mind and said "Oh, you think I can't write character drama? check this out!", but then I actually read it.
Plot? gone. Action? gone. Creativity so rich it shows hints of genius? gone. A deep character study about processing catastrophic personal trauma? gone. Clever meta? gone. Original world-building times a hundred? gone.
So what is left? a bunch of young adults in a generic fantasy world who spend 90% of the book discussing their relationships, each thinking and speaking with Wales' hyper-rational, obsessively-analytical thought process. And yes, they each have their own unique world view, but they all approach everything with the exact same thought process.
I don't know what Wales was thinking, and it breaks my heart that he can't see how mediocre and immature this aspect of his writing is.
There's a scene of a character explaining to another character why becoming friends with them is the rational thing to do, and the other character agrees. Wales claimed (through Juniper) that he isn't autistic, but there were portions of this book where I thought I could almost see the lord spectrum himself manifesting in front of my eyes.
The group in Worth the Candle was a "harem", but it was presented really well as a meta joke forced on Juniper by the DM. But here comes this book, and it's a harem again. Now I think Wales just likes harems. So thanks for that.
October 6, 2024
Audio: Amazing job narrating this one. 5 Stars
Story: Great idea, incredibly poorly written. SO much unnecessary blah blah. I HATED the cleric character, so annoying, one of those kind of people that think they are right ALL the time, nosy and gossipy. I wish the dragon ate her. Unnecessarily long and all the back and forth on the same topics....I did not like any of the characters, and all of them had a level of coldness, manipulation, and rudeness. They keep talking about money over and over or talking about dungeons over and over.....just do them or not.....anyway, maybe it would have been better with more adventure and less talking....then the whole system ruling and God's and crap...such a waste of time and over sharing of useless information. I don't mind the slice of life, but their life is so extremely boring and pitiful. Anyway, not for me. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!!
Story: Great idea, incredibly poorly written. SO much unnecessary blah blah. I HATED the cleric character, so annoying, one of those kind of people that think they are right ALL the time, nosy and gossipy. I wish the dragon ate her. Unnecessarily long and all the back and forth on the same topics....I did not like any of the characters, and all of them had a level of coldness, manipulation, and rudeness. They keep talking about money over and over or talking about dungeons over and over.....just do them or not.....anyway, maybe it would have been better with more adventure and less talking....then the whole system ruling and God's and crap...such a waste of time and over sharing of useless information. I don't mind the slice of life, but their life is so extremely boring and pitiful. Anyway, not for me. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!!
July 12, 2024
This is a great example of the recently emerged subgenre of Cozy Fantasy. The setting is a semi-utopia, with at least as good a quality of life as the real world for a lot of the characters. There is a single chapter that has a trigger warning (which is justified) but I would say that even with that the overall content is appropriate Young Adult reading. The cast was a good size, with a lot of variety. There was enough action and conflict that I never felt bored, but the relatively low stakes and safety made me feel comfortable.
I laughed a lot, smiled a lot, and had a great time throughout.
I would happily read another million words in this setting exploring the lives of a cast of new characters, but I also really liked how this story wrapped up.
I laughed a lot, smiled a lot, and had a great time throughout.
I would happily read another million words in this setting exploring the lives of a cast of new characters, but I also really liked how this story wrapped up.
November 23, 2023
Great book! I started reading this book in Royal Roads and was super excited to read it again! Loved the magic system and great character development as well! Nice cozy read that is well developed and super interesting!
October 2, 2023
You'll love it if you know what you're getting into.
Alexander Wales is known for being a Rational Fiction writer. That is, in the vien of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. He's done alot of thinky stories, prime example being Worth the candle, which was a huge, thinky, very meta grim dark epic.
This story is his approach to the slice of life genre, and he really embraces it. The focus is characters doing everyday things, like cooking, relationships, buying at the market, and yes, sometimes explorering dungeons. Alexander has managed to stick to a calm, warm slice of life style for the story, while sprinkling in alot of his trade mark elements of his more thinky work. Characers think about things, and make an effort to make the more logical decisions, but the situations aren't super complex, so you don't get paragraphs of exposition breaking down a decision. The world the characters live in feels very concrete, but the world building isn't a drag, its a natural result of the characters living their lives. The strongest point, is that all the characters are very well thought out, with their own specific qualities and point of views, and unique interactions between all of them. Though I never felt like they had manufactured drama, any tension feels like a very natural progression of each characters point of view.
The story really sticks to its slice of genre. Plot progression is slow, drama is there, but minimal and never melodramtic. The world has hardships, and challenges, but ultimately, its a pleasent world. I'm reminded a bit of the manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō. The hard times are behind, things aren't perfect, but they are pretty chill.
So yeah, if you are looking for a slice of life book that is occasionally about dungeons, this the book for you.
Alexander Wales is known for being a Rational Fiction writer. That is, in the vien of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. He's done alot of thinky stories, prime example being Worth the candle, which was a huge, thinky, very meta grim dark epic.
This story is his approach to the slice of life genre, and he really embraces it. The focus is characters doing everyday things, like cooking, relationships, buying at the market, and yes, sometimes explorering dungeons. Alexander has managed to stick to a calm, warm slice of life style for the story, while sprinkling in alot of his trade mark elements of his more thinky work. Characers think about things, and make an effort to make the more logical decisions, but the situations aren't super complex, so you don't get paragraphs of exposition breaking down a decision. The world the characters live in feels very concrete, but the world building isn't a drag, its a natural result of the characters living their lives. The strongest point, is that all the characters are very well thought out, with their own specific qualities and point of views, and unique interactions between all of them. Though I never felt like they had manufactured drama, any tension feels like a very natural progression of each characters point of view.
The story really sticks to its slice of genre. Plot progression is slow, drama is there, but minimal and never melodramtic. The world has hardships, and challenges, but ultimately, its a pleasent world. I'm reminded a bit of the manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō. The hard times are behind, things aren't perfect, but they are pretty chill.
So yeah, if you are looking for a slice of life book that is occasionally about dungeons, this the book for you.
January 8, 2024
This is a pretty typical cozy/slice-of-life type fantasy, with more focus on the characters and day-to-day interactions than on an epic, got to save the world from the dark lord-type quest. In keeping with that, the story was mostly conflict free, with most of the action taking place during the two dungeon delves. Outside of that there was not a lot going on, mostly trying to sell items found in the dungeons and prepping for the next dungeon run. Conflicts between characters was very minimal and resolved pretty quickly, or at least glossed over and not brought up again.
The characters were...not that great? I didn't particularly like any of them and would find them annoying in real life. Another review had mentioned them all having neurodivergent traits, which I thought was well done as it comes out in their actions and conversations rather than being straight up characterized or defining them. However, there wasn't a lot of character growth, you learn more about each characters backstory as the story goes on, but none of them really change by the end, for better or worse.
I thought the world-building was great, it was spaced out so it wasn't some huge info-dump at the beginning, and mostly learned through character conversations, with the less educated characters "discovering" how the world works alongside the reader.
There wasn't really an ending, the story just kind of stopped. In fact the whole narrative arc is kind of flat, with no real climax or resolution to speak of. It kind of felt that the author decided he was just done with the writing, threw in a short cliffhanger end chapter and called it a day.
Overall it was enjoyable and easy to read, but the ending left me unsatisfied.
The characters were...not that great? I didn't particularly like any of them and would find them annoying in real life. Another review had mentioned them all having neurodivergent traits, which I thought was well done as it comes out in their actions and conversations rather than being straight up characterized or defining them. However, there wasn't a lot of character growth, you learn more about each characters backstory as the story goes on, but none of them really change by the end, for better or worse.
I thought the world-building was great, it was spaced out so it wasn't some huge info-dump at the beginning, and mostly learned through character conversations, with the less educated characters "discovering" how the world works alongside the reader.
There wasn't really an ending, the story just kind of stopped. In fact the whole narrative arc is kind of flat, with no real climax or resolution to speak of. It kind of felt that the author decided he was just done with the writing, threw in a short cliffhanger end chapter and called it a day.
Overall it was enjoyable and easy to read, but the ending left me unsatisfied.
December 30, 2024
This Used to be About Dungeons
I am really starting to enjoy lit RPG books, despite being very new to the genre. Alfric, the adventurer, is putting together a medieval oceans-11-type crew to journey into their towns dungeon, where characters will be granted loot etc. synonymous with video games and/or Dungeons & Dragons type games. This did seem to drag on a lot so I think a faster paced story would have suited me better.
I really enjoyed the wholesome elements of friendship and low stakes fantasy, as well as the cozy cottage core vibes of cooking and a home design in a magical way.
This isn’t my preferred reading style, I do urge anyone to give lit RPG a try before discounting it.
I am really starting to enjoy lit RPG books, despite being very new to the genre. Alfric, the adventurer, is putting together a medieval oceans-11-type crew to journey into their towns dungeon, where characters will be granted loot etc. synonymous with video games and/or Dungeons & Dragons type games. This did seem to drag on a lot so I think a faster paced story would have suited me better.
I really enjoyed the wholesome elements of friendship and low stakes fantasy, as well as the cozy cottage core vibes of cooking and a home design in a magical way.
This isn’t my preferred reading style, I do urge anyone to give lit RPG a try before discounting it.
September 14, 2023
I have been reading this story since it began on the author's patreon and I have loved it since the start.
The core of the story is a slice of life look at a group of young adults who are trying to figure out what they're doing in life. The pace is slow and everything gets built out naturally on the backdrop of a uniquely built world. The stakes get raised as the story goes on, but the focus on the characters is never lost. It's a found family story for people who are utterly tired of every hack trying to write about found family.
I love this series and recommend it to you with abandon.
The core of the story is a slice of life look at a group of young adults who are trying to figure out what they're doing in life. The pace is slow and everything gets built out naturally on the backdrop of a uniquely built world. The stakes get raised as the story goes on, but the focus on the characters is never lost. It's a found family story for people who are utterly tired of every hack trying to write about found family.
I love this series and recommend it to you with abandon.
March 5, 2024
I love this series. Cozy found family dungeoneering with emotional intelligence - what’s not to love?
September 26, 2023
This was one of those books where I just couldn't bring myself to put it down for a sec.It was a very light read and I loved the way the book progressed, taking one step at a time, with no unnecessary drama.
The book dealt with five character who formed a party with the help of our mc, a dude who loved the entire concept of being an adventurer or a dungeoneer as they called it, he reminded me a lot of Lindon from the first book of cradle an over eager teen who has a passion for something with the tenacity to pursue it, and despite what the book title might have you think I'd like to emphasize that "this really is about dungeons". I'm looking forward to volumes in this and I appreciate the work put in to make this book readable, free of errors and quite enjoyable.
The book dealt with five character who formed a party with the help of our mc, a dude who loved the entire concept of being an adventurer or a dungeoneer as they called it, he reminded me a lot of Lindon from the first book of cradle an over eager teen who has a passion for something with the tenacity to pursue it, and despite what the book title might have you think I'd like to emphasize that "this really is about dungeons". I'm looking forward to volumes in this and I appreciate the work put in to make this book readable, free of errors and quite enjoyable.
October 24, 2024
Audible edition review
Too little plot. Very slow.
I knew going in that this was a highly recommended slice of life book. I expected something like Legends and Lattes about a woman opening a bookstore. Instead we get a 20 hour story about a dungeoneering party who decide to make their living dungeoneering who do 2 short dungeons in the entire course of the book. I don't actually think doing the dungeons even made up 5% of the book. The first dungeon feels like it can't have taken 30 minutes of audiobook time.
Soooo much of this is just exposition and world-building. One of the characters is a priest so you get paragraph after paragraph about the religion of the world. One is a druid so you get all the cultural clashes of someone in tune with nature vs random people. And they just talk about all this. Constantly.
Now I'm not averse to slide of life stories but there has to be some underlying plot. This just lacks that. Like they all say "I want to do another dungeon." "Oh, I want to do 2 back to back." "Oh yes." theeeen one does some gardening, one goes to town for a chat with the meat seller for dinner, one goes to inspect the local wildlife and then they sit down for a couple of hours to try and fail to work out a team name. Nothing happens.
If this book was 8 hours long that'd be fine but it's 23 hours. I could read 3 good books with a beginning, middle and end in that time rather than "2 weeks in the lives of lazy 20-somethings". Even if the title set my expectations this fell underneath them.
The narration was fine but the accents seemed to fluctuate in intensity depending on how much she remembered to do them.
Too little plot. Very slow.
I knew going in that this was a highly recommended slice of life book. I expected something like Legends and Lattes about a woman opening a bookstore. Instead we get a 20 hour story about a dungeoneering party who decide to make their living dungeoneering who do 2 short dungeons in the entire course of the book. I don't actually think doing the dungeons even made up 5% of the book. The first dungeon feels like it can't have taken 30 minutes of audiobook time.
Soooo much of this is just exposition and world-building. One of the characters is a priest so you get paragraph after paragraph about the religion of the world. One is a druid so you get all the cultural clashes of someone in tune with nature vs random people. And they just talk about all this. Constantly.
Now I'm not averse to slide of life stories but there has to be some underlying plot. This just lacks that. Like they all say "I want to do another dungeon." "Oh, I want to do 2 back to back." "Oh yes." theeeen one does some gardening, one goes to town for a chat with the meat seller for dinner, one goes to inspect the local wildlife and then they sit down for a couple of hours to try and fail to work out a team name. Nothing happens.
If this book was 8 hours long that'd be fine but it's 23 hours. I could read 3 good books with a beginning, middle and end in that time rather than "2 weeks in the lives of lazy 20-somethings". Even if the title set my expectations this fell underneath them.
The narration was fine but the accents seemed to fluctuate in intensity depending on how much she remembered to do them.
September 11, 2025
I think I found my limit on cosy fantasy, I enjoy healthy relationships and boundaries but there didn’t seem to be any of the trials and tribulations that usually accompanies the build up to this, it’s just kind of jumped into a very agreeable relationship.
The book lacked drama, like nothings happening??? I can deal with slice of life and often love it but even daily life has something to it and this lacked that certain je ne sais quoi.
I will say I enjoyed the dungeon runs and learning about different entads and ectads, and honestly I liked the little group they had at the end and I believe this could have been excellent if it had the right pacing. 600+ pages is a lot for a build up for potential drama?
I’ve heard there’s a second book but will I read it? Uncertain but I’m curious if it picks up.
‘“the truth is that magic can’t get me the things that I want and dungeons can’t either. Being alone was fun, but at some point, it stopped being fun. I want a family again.”’
‘In quiet moments, when he was feeling the pain of her departure, he wished that she would somehow die. He didn’t wish violence on her and of course had no intention of taking offensive action against her, but if she could just… not exist anymore. He felt guilty for these thoughts, but that didn’t stop them from coming.’
The book lacked drama, like nothings happening??? I can deal with slice of life and often love it but even daily life has something to it and this lacked that certain je ne sais quoi.
I will say I enjoyed the dungeon runs and learning about different entads and ectads, and honestly I liked the little group they had at the end and I believe this could have been excellent if it had the right pacing. 600+ pages is a lot for a build up for potential drama?
I’ve heard there’s a second book but will I read it? Uncertain but I’m curious if it picks up.
‘“the truth is that magic can’t get me the things that I want and dungeons can’t either. Being alone was fun, but at some point, it stopped being fun. I want a family again.”’
‘In quiet moments, when he was feeling the pain of her departure, he wished that she would somehow die. He didn’t wish violence on her and of course had no intention of taking offensive action against her, but if she could just… not exist anymore. He felt guilty for these thoughts, but that didn’t stop them from coming.’
June 1, 2025
So, maybe the nerdiest thing I'll type for a long time (please, let this be the nerdiest thing I type... 🙏😅), but I like how this book is able to capture the mechanics of playing a TTRPG without feeling mechanical; it hits all the beats of a party of friends playing D&D (or whatever) but never actually talks about stat blocks, modifiers or character traits. Surprisingly hard to nail the feel of an RPG in a cozy little story.
I liked the characters and the RPG feel of the book, but the overall score suffers a bit because (1) the book just sort of ends nowhere near a logical stopping point for the story, and (2) the "downtime" between dungeons (~90% of the book... also analogous to a good D&D game) gets repetitive for the different characters. Main Character 1 has these personality traits, and they have this monologue on Topic A, and NPC 2 makes a comment to/about them.... then five chapters later, Main Character 1 has the same unchanged personality traits, and they have the same monologue but now on Topic B, and NPC 6 makes the same comment to/about them. 😴
The book could have been 100 pages shorter, and I don't think it would've suffered. The only exception to this is (probably) Isra, for whom I have no notes. More Isra, please.
I liked the characters and the RPG feel of the book, but the overall score suffers a bit because (1) the book just sort of ends nowhere near a logical stopping point for the story, and (2) the "downtime" between dungeons (~90% of the book... also analogous to a good D&D game) gets repetitive for the different characters. Main Character 1 has these personality traits, and they have this monologue on Topic A, and NPC 2 makes a comment to/about them.... then five chapters later, Main Character 1 has the same unchanged personality traits, and they have the same monologue but now on Topic B, and NPC 6 makes the same comment to/about them. 😴
The book could have been 100 pages shorter, and I don't think it would've suffered. The only exception to this is (probably) Isra, for whom I have no notes. More Isra, please.
September 23, 2024
This is the story about what happens between the dungeon crawls – forming an adventuring party, hoping that abilities and personalities don’t clash, deciding how and where to travel, selling loot and buying supplies. And dealing with everyday life. There are dungeons in this book but it’s primarily about the people.
And the people are wonderful: Hannah, the gregarious cleric, Verity, the introverted and talented bard, Mizuki, the often sarcastic sorcerer, and Isra (my personal favorite), a young woman who has discovered she’s a Druid – she’s socially awkward among people but animals listen to her requests.
The pace is leisurely, the tone comfortable, the world-building well-developed, and we really get to know our heroes. The ending was a little abrupt for me, but I would cheerfully follow the future adventures of this crew. It’s not LitRPG, but fans of those books would enjoy this, I think.
And the people are wonderful: Hannah, the gregarious cleric, Verity, the introverted and talented bard, Mizuki, the often sarcastic sorcerer, and Isra (my personal favorite), a young woman who has discovered she’s a Druid – she’s socially awkward among people but animals listen to her requests.
The pace is leisurely, the tone comfortable, the world-building well-developed, and we really get to know our heroes. The ending was a little abrupt for me, but I would cheerfully follow the future adventures of this crew. It’s not LitRPG, but fans of those books would enjoy this, I think.
April 1, 2025
Fun, low-stakes slice of life book about a group getting together to explore dungeons in a fantasy world, with a higher focus on the time BETWEEN the dungeons and life beyond adventure. A ton of fun, and honestly, probably a five star book for me.
EXCEPT.
The ebook was eighteen kinds of fucked up, and 1) was rotated in such an odd way I had to read the whole book with my reader held sideways, and 2) was set up so that every single paragraph was on a new page, regardless of length- leading to some pages literally having five words on them.
That being said, the book itself is great, and I powered through the problems and devoured the story! Was just a mildly painful experience that is worth warning about. Will be cautiously investigating future releases to see if the problem has been fixed.
EXCEPT.
The ebook was eighteen kinds of fucked up, and 1) was rotated in such an odd way I had to read the whole book with my reader held sideways, and 2) was set up so that every single paragraph was on a new page, regardless of length- leading to some pages literally having five words on them.
That being said, the book itself is great, and I powered through the problems and devoured the story! Was just a mildly painful experience that is worth warning about. Will be cautiously investigating future releases to see if the problem has been fixed.
February 6, 2025
Good Cozy Dungeon Book
I loved this little world and the people wandering around in it. Looking forward to the next one
I enjoyed the interpersonal drama, the different perspectives, and the coming together of very different personalities
I love Isra
I enjoyed the way the religion was done in this. Multiple gods, different paths, most people follow them all to some extent but some people just don't like it feel a connection to some of the gods. And the history of the world is interesting; I'd like to learn more about that.
I was a bit disappointed to see this is the only book out so far, but I'm looking forward to the next one and I'll definitely be picking it up when I see it available.
I loved this little world and the people wandering around in it. Looking forward to the next one
I enjoyed the interpersonal drama, the different perspectives, and the coming together of very different personalities
I love Isra
I enjoyed the way the religion was done in this. Multiple gods, different paths, most people follow them all to some extent but some people just don't like it feel a connection to some of the gods. And the history of the world is interesting; I'd like to learn more about that.
I was a bit disappointed to see this is the only book out so far, but I'm looking forward to the next one and I'll definitely be picking it up when I see it available.
August 5, 2025
I don't usually like "cozy fantasy" but enjoyed this one. It had a bit of action, but also the non-action parts still felt like they were moving something forward. The characters were all genuinely enjoyable.
Things I really liked:
1. The blossoming friendship between the characters takes a realistic time to develop. They're not insta-bffs. They take time to feel each other out, make missteps, and are unsure about their feelings.
2. How dungeoneering works in the world - it's like a hobby that anyone can try out a bit but some people do professionally.
3. The pacing of information - No infodumps. Background info like people or professions are brought up naturally in conversation and become relevant later in the book.
Things I really liked:
1. The blossoming friendship between the characters takes a realistic time to develop. They're not insta-bffs. They take time to feel each other out, make missteps, and are unsure about their feelings.
2. How dungeoneering works in the world - it's like a hobby that anyone can try out a bit but some people do professionally.
3. The pacing of information - No infodumps. Background info like people or professions are brought up naturally in conversation and become relevant later in the book.
August 20, 2024
A beautiful book about adventuring, family, and friendship. To run dungeons, you need a group. Aleric arrives in town with purely that intention - and quite a bit of baggage (the emotional kind). But he quickly finds he's not the only one.
The characters and their development is amazing, though this book isn't exactly fast paces, you are so invested in every little chat and friendship that it feels like it is. There's danger and dungeon crawling, and magic, and politics, but its also all so very human and the found family is just unmatched. UNMATCHED.
The characters and their development is amazing, though this book isn't exactly fast paces, you are so invested in every little chat and friendship that it feels like it is. There's danger and dungeon crawling, and magic, and politics, but its also all so very human and the found family is just unmatched. UNMATCHED.
October 8, 2024
Did not realize that one of the main characters would be a cleric of LGBTQ+ who complains that people make "assumptions" about her sexuality.
You get the full cleric experience, too. Very interested in talking about her "religion."
Any good points I might've enjoyed were overshadowed by the multiple hours long sermons on this characters journey of sexual self discovery that has nothing to do with the plot, or at least I assume so, as I did not finish this book. After the 3rd identical conversation, I was done.
You get the full cleric experience, too. Very interested in talking about her "religion."
Any good points I might've enjoyed were overshadowed by the multiple hours long sermons on this characters journey of sexual self discovery that has nothing to do with the plot, or at least I assume so, as I did not finish this book. After the 3rd identical conversation, I was done.
October 16, 2025
So - this is an odd book. There isn't a whole lot of . . well, driving force. It's a slow meander for a handful of characters that slowly sorts itself out and people get to know each other.
In fact, my least interesting part is possible the person being set up as the antagonist. I don't know that I need an evil or self-interested plot in the midst of this . . not quite dungeon story.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, couldn't really tell you why, but maybe we'll talk about it later cause it's that kind of thing.
In fact, my least interesting part is possible the person being set up as the antagonist. I don't know that I need an evil or self-interested plot in the midst of this . . not quite dungeon story.
Anyway, I enjoyed it, couldn't really tell you why, but maybe we'll talk about it later cause it's that kind of thing.
March 15, 2024
This kind of reminded me of literary fiction, in a way. What's the plot? People walking around, planning things, some things happen, some things didn't happen. Conversations. Have I ever read a fantasy novel that was essentially trope free? I don't think so, but this one came close. VERY soothing. I really hope there's another book in this series, I enjoyed my time in this world with these characters.
March 18, 2025
This was wonderful to read, very fun and cozy. I love how the author subtly develops characters and gives scenes time to breathe. Planning dinner is given the same care as fighting a monster. Pacing can be slow, but I felt that it was perfect for this kind of slice of life story. By the time I felt that conflict was lacking, I turned the page and there it was.
A highlight of the book is the world building, very cool ideas. I also just really enjoyed the prose.
A highlight of the book is the world building, very cool ideas. I also just really enjoyed the prose.
January 8, 2024
Book one
Other people may love this book. Not me!
The table of content is sideways and one per page.
The chapter headers are all sideways.
I saw more like that in the book.
I can't read this mess!
The format is all screwed up and messes with my anxiety.
I will be giving this one a hard pass till the format issue gets fixed!
0/10 No chance to read it.
Other people may love this book. Not me!
The table of content is sideways and one per page.
The chapter headers are all sideways.
I saw more like that in the book.
I can't read this mess!
The format is all screwed up and messes with my anxiety.
I will be giving this one a hard pass till the format issue gets fixed!
0/10 No chance to read it.
Read
October 24, 2024DNF
It was just too meh for even a cozy fantasy. There is a way to create engaging stories with no conflict, with no battles or war and only dialogue and conversation, but this ain't it chief.
No stars because I don't think I should review it, because its competently made, just not my cup of tea.
It was just too meh for even a cozy fantasy. There is a way to create engaging stories with no conflict, with no battles or war and only dialogue and conversation, but this ain't it chief.
No stars because I don't think I should review it, because its competently made, just not my cup of tea.
October 2, 2023
Good characterisation, but very slow.
Short action segments are spaced after thirds of the book (1st dungeon at ~30%, 2nd at ~65%, etc). While the characters are well fleshed out, it does make for extremely slow pacing with not much really driving the plot.
Short action segments are spaced after thirds of the book (1st dungeon at ~30%, 2nd at ~65%, etc). While the characters are well fleshed out, it does make for extremely slow pacing with not much really driving the plot.
January 17, 2024
A very good surprise
I came in without any expectations , and was very happy with the book. It has a group of 5 raiding dungeons, banter, fights and loots.
The writing is also very good.
I came in without any expectations , and was very happy with the book. It has a group of 5 raiding dungeons, banter, fights and loots.
The writing is also very good.
February 3, 2024
Highly recommended
I really enjoyed the setting, characters and plot of this book. I'm really ready for more. I hope you are making progress on the second installment.
I was sad to see it end where it did
I really enjoyed the setting, characters and plot of this book. I'm really ready for more. I hope you are making progress on the second installment.
I was sad to see it end where it did
March 9, 2024
A slice-of-life fantasy that focuses more on the characters and their development than on epic fight scenes or crazy adventures. The world was interesting and the characters were all loveable in their own way. I’ll definitely read part 2
November 21, 2024
I am 47 pages in and I don’t care about any of this. Not the world. Not the characters. Not the plot. The author needs to learn to trim the word count by the tens of thousands because this simply felt repetitive, dull, and poorly formatted.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews