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Demon Core: A Dungeon-Core LitRPG
Shattered by tragedy, consumed with rage, a young man surrenders his soul for the power to destroy humanity in the first novel of this dark fantasy series.
After the death of his beloved mother, Swain is left at the mercy of his drunken father. His only respite from all the beatings and abuse lies in the words he scribbles down, seeking beauty in an ugly world through poetry. He has no friends until one day he meets a girl near his mother’s grave. A restless spirit who calls herself Goose, over the years she encourages Swain’s creativity, eventually helping him tap into a magical ability he never knew he a dark energy entwined with his despair, fueled by his anger, and controlled by his poetic verse.
But this revelation is swiftly followed by a cruel betrayal that devastates Swain. Unleashing his power, he transforms into the Demon King and spreads a plague across the land, infecting every living creature in his path. He knows there’s beauty to be found among the base and selfish people he encounters—the graceful dancer, the perfectionist painter, the master chef—and he twists their artistic desires to serve him. Hollowed out and reborn as undead entities, they join the corrupted army of inhuman beings bent on conquering those the Demon King believes allowed the world to become a horrid ruin.
Ruhr, the half-elf river-sorceress adventurer, is in the city when it’s besieged by demonic forces. The invasion is her opportunity to earn royal wealth and favor. But while her water magic purifies the monstrous legion, the Demon King marches on to remake the world according to his warped vision of beauty . . .
The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 300,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Audible and wherever ebooks are sold!
After the death of his beloved mother, Swain is left at the mercy of his drunken father. His only respite from all the beatings and abuse lies in the words he scribbles down, seeking beauty in an ugly world through poetry. He has no friends until one day he meets a girl near his mother’s grave. A restless spirit who calls herself Goose, over the years she encourages Swain’s creativity, eventually helping him tap into a magical ability he never knew he a dark energy entwined with his despair, fueled by his anger, and controlled by his poetic verse.
But this revelation is swiftly followed by a cruel betrayal that devastates Swain. Unleashing his power, he transforms into the Demon King and spreads a plague across the land, infecting every living creature in his path. He knows there’s beauty to be found among the base and selfish people he encounters—the graceful dancer, the perfectionist painter, the master chef—and he twists their artistic desires to serve him. Hollowed out and reborn as undead entities, they join the corrupted army of inhuman beings bent on conquering those the Demon King believes allowed the world to become a horrid ruin.
Ruhr, the half-elf river-sorceress adventurer, is in the city when it’s besieged by demonic forces. The invasion is her opportunity to earn royal wealth and favor. But while her water magic purifies the monstrous legion, the Demon King marches on to remake the world according to his warped vision of beauty . . .
The first volume of the hit LitRPG fantasy series—with more than 300,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Audible and wherever ebooks are sold!
- GenresFantasy
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2023
29 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 5, 2025
Demon Core: A Dungeon-Core LitRPG by D. M. Rhodes
Strengths
Atmospheric, poetic darkness. The prose channels Swain’s tortured psyche in haunting verse and imagery, giving the narrative an emotional weight rarely seen in dungeon-core stories.
A morally challenging MC. Swain is a deeply flawed, anti-heroic figure—driven, bitter, destructive—who avoids the trappings of “reluctant hero” or sanitized villainy. His path is brutal and uncompromising.
Solid world-building. The tone and setting feel cohesive and vivid, grounding the fantasy elements in lived emotions and consequences.
Caveats
POV fragmentation. Multiple shifts in point of view—sometimes within the same chapter—can undercut emotional immersion and disrupt the narrative flow. A more disciplined structure might have deepened reader investment.
Dungeon-core undeveloped. Despite the title, the core mechanics of “dungeon building” recede to the background. Fans expecting gameplay systems or architectural detail may find the genre tropes glossed over.
Conclusion
It tells the haunting tale of Swain: orphaned and abused, he finds solace in poetry until tragedy and betrayal awaken a dark power. Consumed by rage, he becomes the Demon King, spreading corruption and molding art—and artists—into twisted reflections of his vision. Opposing him is Ruhr, a half-elf river sorceress whose water magic may be the world’s only hope.
Strengths
Atmospheric, poetic darkness. The prose channels Swain’s tortured psyche in haunting verse and imagery, giving the narrative an emotional weight rarely seen in dungeon-core stories.
A morally challenging MC. Swain is a deeply flawed, anti-heroic figure—driven, bitter, destructive—who avoids the trappings of “reluctant hero” or sanitized villainy. His path is brutal and uncompromising.
Solid world-building. The tone and setting feel cohesive and vivid, grounding the fantasy elements in lived emotions and consequences.
Caveats
POV fragmentation. Multiple shifts in point of view—sometimes within the same chapter—can undercut emotional immersion and disrupt the narrative flow. A more disciplined structure might have deepened reader investment.
Dungeon-core undeveloped. Despite the title, the core mechanics of “dungeon building” recede to the background. Fans expecting gameplay systems or architectural detail may find the genre tropes glossed over.
Conclusion
★★★☆☆
Demon Core stands out with its poetic darkness, emotional intensity, and morally complex protagonist. For readers craving vivid fantasy that leans into horror and character, it delivers. But if you’re after LitRPG mechanics or immersive dungeon-building systems, this installment underdelivers. It’s a compelling first volume for atmosphere and character drama—but the dungeon-core promise remains largely latent.
Dark, poetic, and brutal—Demon Core isn’t your typical dungeon-core LitRPG. Swain’s fall into darkness is raw and atmospheric, and the prose lingers like a bruise. I loved the mood and moral complexity, but the constant POV shifts broke immersion and the dungeon-core mechanics felt underdeveloped. Still, if you want grim fantasy with a tortured anti-hero at its heart, this delivers.
April 24, 2025
Demon Core has a lot going for it—especially if you're into darker LitRPGs. The vibe is grim and unrelenting, with brutal moments and a constant sense of danger. The worldbuilding is solid, and the stakes feel real. I was genuinely intrigued by the setting and wanted to see where things went.
But a few things held it back for me. The constant point-of-view shifts—sometimes multiple times in the same chapter—made the story feel scattered and disconnected. It was hard to build any emotional investment when I kept getting yanked into a new headspace.
Also, for a dungeon-core book, it really glosses over the actual dungeon-building aspect. It’s there, but it’s not fleshed out or central the way you’d expect. That was a big letdown, especially since that’s a huge part of what makes the subgenre fun.
Cool concept, strong atmosphere—but the storytelling structure and lack of core dungeon content made it hard to fully enjoy.
But a few things held it back for me. The constant point-of-view shifts—sometimes multiple times in the same chapter—made the story feel scattered and disconnected. It was hard to build any emotional investment when I kept getting yanked into a new headspace.
Also, for a dungeon-core book, it really glosses over the actual dungeon-building aspect. It’s there, but it’s not fleshed out or central the way you’d expect. That was a big letdown, especially since that’s a huge part of what makes the subgenre fun.
Cool concept, strong atmosphere—but the storytelling structure and lack of core dungeon content made it hard to fully enjoy.
February 9, 2025
I think this is a book that you will either love or hate. I’m not usually a fan of multiple POVs but I really like how this author did it. The story is a poetic mixture of litrpg, light horror and fantasy. From the description of the story, I didn’t think I’d like it and I originally skipped it when it first came out. I ended up being able to listen to it for free with my audible membership and I will definitely be buying the second.
April 16, 2024
Not my cup of tea it's all horror and nightmare stuff seen from the perspective of a twisted young mind.
December 19, 2022
Two things initially kept me from reading this novel. 1. "Demon King" in the title alluding to the common fantasy trope of a world with kingdoms, mixed races, a demon King, and hero. Second was "dungeon core" alluding to a stationary mc who nurtures subordinates to defend the dungeon as adventurers come barging in for loot or to prevent overflow monsters.
And while the novel turns out is fitting of this name, oh boy, I was wrong to glance over it. The novel takes these stale feeling generes and makes the characters feel so unique. The action feels dark and gritty instead of the unfortunately common light-hearted feel in these novels. The villainous main character feels twisted, proactive, and actually evil unlike many pseudo villain leads. And poetic writing greatly enhances the mood. Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy.
And while the novel turns out is fitting of this name, oh boy, I was wrong to glance over it. The novel takes these stale feeling generes and makes the characters feel so unique. The action feels dark and gritty instead of the unfortunately common light-hearted feel in these novels. The villainous main character feels twisted, proactive, and actually evil unlike many pseudo villain leads. And poetic writing greatly enhances the mood. Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy.
October 17, 2023
This was such an intriguing read. The story was well-written, fascinating, and engaging. I was very enthralled with the author's creativity and way with words particularly with the poems in the story. I really appreciate as well the multiple POVs. They added more depth and insight to the story.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
November 19, 2024
This is a beautifully written series, easily one of my favorite dungeon core / litrpg books (tied with Final Core by the same author). It was so refreshing to read a series in this genre that had unique and non-cliche characters that you grow to know and love, even with the horrendous acts they’re apart of. Absolutely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews