Dungeon Diving 104

Dungeon Diving #4

by Bruce Sentar

With Ken on the run and Crimson missing, he goes to the Elven world with Neldra and Fayeth to hide out until Crimson returns.
Lady Rendral isn’t quite what he expected, her reclusive life leads her to happily accept Ken and Fayeth for the summer. But the future Empress of the Elven people isn’t without her own struggles.
Political opponents push her and she hires Ken to dig up some dirt on those who would stymie her goals. Ken can see her struggle and works with Lady Rendral to topple her opposition.

Genres: Harem, Fantasy, Litrpg, Audiobook, Magic, Romance, Smut

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

Born 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...

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fourth in a LitRPG harem story that builds character and plot over time. Read in order.

So you know kind of what you are getting by this time, though the characters are split apart for this whole story. Ken and Fayeth are headed to spend their summer in the elflands for plot reasons and the rest of his party (i.e. harem) remain on earth to train at his family's compound. Oh, and Crimson is sealed off from Ken closing the portal with her still on the other side to save humanity.

So this is mostly Ken being a foreigner in elfland and "courting" the elf princess who needs him for plot reasons. Fayeth is playing the middle piece to connect the princess to his "adrel" (elf marriage construct with mystic elements). Since the princess needs Ken for plot reasons, he spends a lot of time skeptical of her motivations. And since he's all about love and trust in his party/harem, that makes him reluctant to just jump right in. That said, this whole book is aimed at getting him connected to the princess "in that way", so it isn't like there's any real tension there. Which is fine because she's kind of awesome and both powerful and vulnerable in all the right ways.

I'm giving this four stars for the interesting plot and strong pace despite the limited scope due to Ken's outsider status. It was good, but I found that I missed his other party members and their interactions. I did like the growth the author managed to deliver for Crimson in the few snippets from her PoV. I feel like I understand her attachment to Ken better (and the underlying desperation driven by her class power).

A note about Steamy: We only get two (plus small inserts here or there) explicit sex scenes in the book putting this just barely into the middle of my steam tolerance. Sentar excels at choosing the right moments to include for relationship development (as opposed to simple titillation).

[Jesse Baum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am surprised it managed to earn a second star

Disclaimer: I am a Patreon supporter and read this prior to a “rewrite”

TLDR: Ken gains many levels just to match his stats from the end of the last book which makes sense given he clearly is not the same Ken that has been in the previous books. Everything else with the elf trip was decent at worst to amazing in the better parts.



Review with potential spoilers:

First of all, as disclosed above, I read the original draft as Patreon supporter so some of my frustrations are due to the alleged rewrite being more of a second pass and polish than a true rewrite.

The good:
Revival magic was not changed from what it had been in the past to something overpowered for no reason other than ‘plot needs it to work differently now’. The princess is an awesome addition to the world. There were times where Ken showed his training and skills. There were more places that had major lols. Rough scenes have been polished and some scenes/mini-arcs that were lacking detail have been flushed out.

The bad:
Ken decided to go into situations that ALL of his previous training and past character logic would have dictated he avoid. Two specific situations that were pointed out as Ken breaking character and should have been rectified if this was a true rewrite. Ken’s stats at the beginning of the book take a major hit compared to his stats at the end of the last book. Only one stat stays the same after Ken gains 2 levels with the rest of them going down by at multiple points resulting in an overall loss of multiple levels of stats. This drop was pointed out in Patreon and I think rectified but found it’s way into the “rewrite” that was not posted on Patreon prior to release. Given I find it unforgivable for an author who has a large group of people supporting his work and giving feedback aimed to keep things consistent across multiple books in a series when the author is bouncing between multiple series, I am surprised I feel like I cannot rate this lower than 2 stars. Had Bruce taken the time needed to to not make it Ken went from collected lowish level master assassin, getting high level support to take on a dozen or so people 10-15 levels higher than himself, to reckless ‘plot armor for the win’ murder hobo who is willing to go into a situation where he’ll need to take on dozens of people 20-40 levels above him who are supported by dozens of people up to 20 levels above him without any high level support while bringing along the person the enemy is targeting without any high level support on hand, this could have easily been a 5+ star book. It is unfortunate that Bruce appears to be more focused on sticking to self imposed book limits and schedules then allowing for the additional time needed to get the story right and deal with what life throws at him. If 201 has the same core character changes without any reason other than ‘plot dictates to be that way’, I’ll unfortunately be forced to withdraw my support until the quality of Bruce’s work goes back to what it was for the first three books in this series and the first 8 books in Dragon’s Justice

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The author describes this book as a bit "darker" than the others in the series, and if so, stick with it. The absense of the (painfully) obvious "comic relief" (specifically Harley, but a lot less Bun-Bun and nose-bleed hentai grandpa is good too) makes this more readable for me. It's still about young people, but it feels less juvenile.

The decision to concentrate on the MC's POV was good, as the occasional shifts of focus weren't spreading the story too thin. Let's see what we get as the new school year starts.

[Roberto Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

The new location had potential, but it was wasted with cliche politics. The bit at the end was forced and predictable. The power balance is horrible, combat is boring. It all depends on who shows up, skill means nothing. The focus is all on the relationships and the setting is suffering for it.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance: 19-year-old assassin-trained MMC with...
1. druid healer FMC with bunny sidekick
2. half succubus warlock FMC
3. ambassador's daughter Saintess (tank) elf FMC
4. 25-year-old adventurer teacher FMC
5. 20-year-old elf princess FMC
6. (possible) Nekorian shaman FMC

[Kiba Snowpaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final Rating: 3.10/5.00

Starting score: 2.50
+0.22 for elven world-building that connects climate, resources, government, and daily life
+0.23 for Elysara's developing relationship and the conflict between affection and political need
+0.24 for Crimson's isolation, vulnerability, and gradual struggle for control
+0.16 for combat and infiltration that reward Ken's skills and tactical choices
+0.14 for useful developments in class abilities and different ways of interacting with the Dungeon
+0.12 for Fayeth, Ami, and the family interactions giving the smaller cast individual character
+0.10 for following the Nekorian rescue through to return, recognition, and cultural exchange
+0.11 for the major explicit encounter delivering physical detail and shared relationship development
+0.07 for resolving the immediate summer conflict while changing the wider series situation
-0.17 for the palace operation compromising Ken's established judgment
-0.08 for political opponents whose characterization remains shallow
-0.08 for relying on overwhelmingly powerful allies to settle the central conflict
-0.09 for sidelining much of the established party and its development
-0.08 for moving too quickly past Miriam's responsibility for exploitation
-0.08 for repeatedly cutting away from intimate encounters after building anticipation
-0.12 for contradictory character statistics across the transition from the previous volume
-0.09 for confirmed grammar, word-choice, and copy-editing errors
Calculated final score: 3.10/5.00

The relationships carry this summer adventure further than the political plot deserves. The elven world has practical needs, Elysara has a life beyond being an attractive addition to Ken's harem, and Crimson's separation from him develops the frightened woman inside the walking catastrophe. The trouble comes when an assassin trained to assess danger starts accepting plans that depend on protection he cannot control, while the opposition becomes easier to hate than to take seriously. My paws have solid ground beneath them during the personal scenes. Some of the plotting feels considerably thinner. Sexual teasing is frequent, several encounters are abbreviated or left offstage, and a later relationship milestone becomes fully explicit at length. The danger also includes trafficking, coercion, and brutal violence. The warmth and the ugliness have more conviction than parts of the plot connecting them.

The Elven World Has Reasons To Exist

The strongest world-building begins with something more useful than another ancient title: what people eat and how they survive. The Great Trees shelter cities from a punishing climate. Their shade determines where people live, where root vegetables grow, and where grain farming becomes possible. Water from the Dungeon supports the reservoirs the trees depend on. Metal scarcity affects equipment, construction, trade, and even exercise machines. That makes the elves feel like a civilization shaped by an environment, rather than humans given pointed ears and expensive curtains. From my frozen corner of HowlStrom, their dependence on protection from lethal heat is an interesting reversal, and it matters to the conflict. Illicit construction beneath the roots and misuse of water threaten something the entire population needs. The criminal investigation therefore connects private greed to public survival. Later discussions of importing metal have an actual purpose because the story has already shown where the shortages hurt. The Dungeon supplies livelihoods and infrastructure as well as monsters, and the world feels larger because ordinary necessities keep pressing against the fantasy.

Elysara Has To Earn Trust

Elysara, the Lady Rendral Ken has heard so much about, works because being useful to her is precisely what makes him suspicious. She needs his Trelican abilities to support the identity and future expected of her. He has arrived in her territory without Crimson, surrounded by powerful people whose loyalty belongs to the princess. A charming smile cannot erase that imbalance. Her father makes the situation worse by treating affection as another instrument of politics and encouraging Ken to wonder what happens if he refuses. Elysara wants companionship, but she also has responsibilities and a desperate practical need. Ken wants to believe her without becoming somebody's convenient solution. Their workouts, conversations, gifts, and excursions gradually put a person underneath the title without making the political pressure disappear. I find her most convincing when she can enjoy an ordinary moment while still knowing exactly what waits when she returns to work. Responsibility and exhaustion are familiar territory to me. I understand wanting an evening in which that burden can be put down.

Fayeth gives that relationship much of its warmth. She initially worries about being displaced, then recognizes the old friend beneath the royal presentation and becomes actively invested in bringing them together. Her pleasure in familiar food and showing Ken her home develops her beyond the tank role. Fay's determined welcome gives Ken a form of family affection that his formidable assassin household expresses rather differently. These domestic scenes show what the characters are trying to preserve between fights. Ami adds a quieter kind of individuality. Her insistence on being a butler, her pride in speed, and her practical competence give her more definition than constant romantic availability would. Her growing willingness to join the teasing emerges from that reserved personality. These people serve different emotional purposes. That is what makes a den feel inhabited.

The cost is how much of the established pack remains elsewhere. Charlotte's punishing healer training is a strong glimpse of her determination, and Des is clearly working on her own growth. Most of that development happens beyond the main story's attention. Harley, whose friendship and support role helped make the earlier party feel like something larger than Ken's romantic life, has especially little room. I miss the sustained interaction through which the original group challenged and changed one another. Showing that people trained successfully is a thinner substitute for letting their choices unfold. The new relationship receives far more attention than the old ensemble.

Crimson's Real Fight Is For Control

Crimson remains the most compelling character here. Her stranded sections put her in a particularly ugly form of isolation: she can survive battles she cannot properly remember, loses access to her supplies when her CID breaks, and cannot trust herself to remain mentally present. Limit Break gives her enormous force while interfering with the ordinary things she wants from life. The meaningful progression is her effort to direct herself, choose where to go, and resist the impulse to keep fighting when getting home matters more. Ken becomes an emotional anchor she can use even in his absence. I understand the pull between wanting company and keeping yourself apart because closeness feels dangerous. Crimson gives that conflict a concrete fantasy form without making strength cure it. Her ability to destroy an army has never taught her how to relax beside somebody she cares about.

The book also allows her sexuality and vulnerability to occupy the same character. Her desire to surrender some control is chosen, intimate, and tied to the exhausting burden of always being the dangerous person in the room. The choker and her responses to Ken carry that meaning into later scenes, which preserve limits. Progress does not make physical closeness instantly safe, and a moment of success can still break down. The patience required gives their relationship something to work through after the initial admission of attraction. I don't need her claws removed. I need to believe she can choose where they land. That is why her tentative control matters more to me than the next demonstration of how many enemies she can flatten.

The System Has Good Ideas And Bad Bookkeeping

Ken still gets worthwhile opportunities to think. Against Sirus, fire strengthens the enemy while smoke interferes with his vision. Ken uses that environment, mobility, concealment, and Mana Burn instead of trying to win a straightforward exchange of damage. Retreating when the situation becomes too exposed also fits his training. Selecting an area attack involves range, timing, and intended use. Elysara's monster forms open tactical combinations, while Trelican ability-sharing makes relationships mechanically consequential. Ken's extraordinary portal ability also remains beyond his current capacity. Being valuable enough for powerful people to pursue does not mean he can already perform the feat they want. The distinction between gaining levels and developing the stats to support them is useful too. Being carried through dangerous floors accelerates one part of advancement while leaving work to be done elsewhere.

The actual numbers, however, contain a clear continuity failure. At the end of the previous volume, Ken is level thirteen with base Strength 28, Agility 66, Stamina 51, Magic 44, and Mana 42. His first sheet here puts him at level fifteen with Strength 25, Agility 65, Stamina 50, Magic 44, and Mana 39. Four stats have fallen, and the displayed parenthetical bonuses remain unchanged. The surrounding explanation says his gains from being carried are small. It does not explain why established stats have disappeared. These are character attributes, not merely how much mana remains after casting a spell. That matters in a series asking me to care about painstaking training. Two levels gained should not quietly erase work already done. The bookkeeping undermines my confidence in how accurately the story is tracking that work.

The Nekorians add another valuable perspective on the same system. Felin's shamanic relationship with the Dungeon shows that a CID is one culture's interface rather than the only possible way to understand advancement. Their rituals join practical information with communal celebration. Ken's decision to help return displaced Nekorians gives that encounter a foundation. He accepts the inconvenience and the progression trade-off involved in getting them home, and the story follows through beyond opening a locked door. The rescued people have somewhere to belong. As an ice wolf, I can appreciate expressive ears and a dangerous set of feline teeth, but what earns the credit is that the encounter expands their place in the world. Their customs and knowledge have a practical role in Ken's growth.

The Darkness Raises Questions The Politics Sidesteps

The Underroot gives the elven setting a genuinely ugly underside. Trafficking, drug-assisted exploitation, and the treatment of people as merchandise make the stakes more immediate than arguments between titled families. I am willing to follow that darkness when the story gives it consequences, as Ken's work to return the Nekorians does. Miriam's treatment pulls the other way. She profits from the establishment, claims ownership over a purchased woman, and then turns her information and strength into immunity and employment. Ken objects to her receiving an unearned clean slate. The narrative soon gives much more energy to her usefulness, banter, and spectacular fighting than to the people who paid for her previous life. That bargain deserves a longer shadow. I want the discomfort of depending on someone like her to remain present after she starts winning fights for the right side. Paying someone to guard the den doesn't erase who they dragged into a cage.

The broader opposition is less interesting than the system supporting it. The nobles have motives involving status, money, access, and succession, but too much characterization collapses into entitlement. The younger duke's insistence that Elysara should belong to him is easy to despise and offers little psychological depth. Rikter projects menace through strength and intimidation without becoming particularly intricate. The Emperor's concerns about alliances, succession, and his daughter's position expose real vulnerabilities, even when he expresses them cruelly. The investigation's economic and institutional stakes increasingly give way to the question of which side can bring the strongest fighter into the room. Ken's tactical victories prove that skill can matter locally. The resolution of the main conflict gives overwhelming personal power far more authority than the intrigue that prepared it.

The Palace Plan Strains Ken's Credibility

My biggest problem with the final operation is Ken's handling of a known power gap. There are reasons for urgency: the opposing faction is consolidating control, the Emperor is exposed elsewhere, and the group wants to avoid a costly fight through its own people. The level checks also explain why a lower-level infiltrator can enter places an elite fighter cannot. The damaging decision comes later. Lyn accompanies the group and helps them through an encounter in which an ordinary guard is already too much for Ken to handle cleanly. She then offers to continue with them. He tells her to remain outside and divert attention instead. That leaves the people with the least margin for error entering the dangerous interior with the princess whose capture would give the enemy enormous leverage. Elysara wants to demonstrate leadership, and Ken wants to trust his partners. The security judgment still fails to convince me.

The Sirus fight shows Ken can recognize when a direct engagement has become a bad idea. The palace sequence needs that same ability to reassess danger. Protecting a disguise and buying time are useful, but the immediate encounter has just demonstrated the group's vulnerability. When the consequences become severe, the story's strongest allies can solve problems the infiltrators cannot. The problem is how heavily the operation depends on their established power eventually reaching him. My confidence in Ken as a careful assassin takes the damage. The story wants the tension of a desperate gamble without giving his decision to make that gamble enough persuasive weight.

The Intimacy Delivers Selectively

The major encounter involving Elysara and Fayeth earns its place through explicit detail, participation, and the sense of a relationship becoming shared. Fayeth remains emotionally present as the established partner; Elysara's wish to belong develops alongside her confidence and vulnerability. The harmonization gives their connection a consequence beyond a new name added to Ken's romantic roster. That is much closer to what I want from HaremLit: a good story and erotic writing that actually commits to the experience it has built toward. Their comfort outside the bedroom helps that explicit material feel connected to recognizable people.

Several other encounters stop short. An earlier Fayeth scene begins explicitly and then cuts away while it is still developing. Later, Elysara's playful use of her transformations builds a specific promise before the bedroom encounter disappears into the chapter break. Other sexual activity is reported through aftermath or brief reference. I find that selective follow-through less satisfying than the fully developed milestones in the preceding volumes. Frequent teasing cannot supply the missing physical and emotional development by itself. Crimson's limited intimacy has a different basis: the story gives her a concrete danger, makes it part of her conflict, and shows the couple working within it. That restraint belongs to her character arc. The abrupt cuts in encounters without that obstacle leave part of the writing unfinished for my taste.

The Prose Still Needs A Careful Edit

The errors are specific enough to deserve their own deduction. Ken says, “I had to hold myself back from rolling her eyes.” The pronoun should refer to his own eyes. During an infiltration, “Nobody was alerted to my present” uses the wrong noun. Charlotte's shyness is compared to something filed by a “course stone,” where the intended word is “coarse.” These scattered wording and copy-editing failures make otherwise straightforward prose less precise than it should be. I need sentences whose words and references reliably express what is happening. That is basic finishing work.

As an audiobook, the structure puts considerable weight on conversation. Workouts, meals, political explanations, and negotiations carry much of the story; the relationships give those exchanges their purpose. The brief stat blocks avoid dominating that structure. My score addresses the writing and storytelling, with vocal performance and recording quality left neutral. Faulty wording and inconsistent attributes belong to the writing deductions.

The summer leaves the series in a changed position. Its immediate political conflict reaches a conclusion, relationships develop, and contacts between peoples acquire practical significance. At 3.10/5.00, my judgment rests on strong personal development and useful world-building carrying a weaker chain of decisions through the main conflict. Crimson's struggle for control and Elysara's need to be wanted as a person deserve the attention they receive. Ken's tactical judgment, the political opposition, and the continuity need more care. The den has grown warmer, and the people inside it matter. I want the choices made to protect them to be just as convincing.

[Grumpy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuity issues abound

Ken and Fayeth travel to the Elven world for their summer holidays while Crimson fights her way back from that of the Nagas. The rest of Ken's party train with Ken's grandparents' and then other members of the newly revived clan. There's not much actual dungeon diving this time around, with most of the focus being on the surface of the Elven world. Similarly, there's very little time spent on the other human members of Ken's party.

Writing quality is a step back from book 3, with more frequent errors of mostly the same types as the earlier books. It's not as bad as book 2, at least. I really wish the author would learn the difference between lie and lay, and their respective conjugations; it's infuriating how often it is wrong. Misuse of "as" is another of his common errors that continues here; "as" is for connecting simultaneous actions, not sequential. Similarly, his common misuse of "though" and "yet" returns in this book after all but disappearing in book 3. There are also a few sections where it seems like there are bits missing from the prose. Dialogue remains occasionally inconsistent, with characters sometimes losing their individual ways of speaking and falling back to a sort of semi-formal voice that appears to be the author's default character voice.

There are also a number of inconsistencies, both within this book and between this and the earlier books, leading to continuity issues. This book suffers from a problem that all authors face: trying to move the plot in a direction that they desire while also having characters act in a consistent manner. Sadly here the author chooses plot progression over consistent characters and makes some of the Elves act like complete morons in the process, creating what I consider to be very large continuity issues. There's also a host of glaring continuity issues in the palace infiltration section near the end. Please, decide on the way things work in your world and then stick to it. Manufacturing drama at the expense of continuity is a bad trade-off. 

Power levels are becoming more of an issue, too, with the progression during the month or so over which this book takes place not making sense alongside the advancement rules established earlier in the series.

I enjoyed this until the palace infiltration, but the continuity issues there destroyed most of the good will I had built up. It also has more errors than book 3. I like the world building, story, and characters enough to continue the series, but I can't help feeling that a proofreader and continuity editor could have made it much, much better.

[Cody Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored books 1 through 3, but was a little worried about book 4. First because it's hard to maintain a high level of quality throughout a series, and second because I'd heard some rumours from early readers that they didn't care for the ending of the book.

And in the event...I loved this book too. I do have a couple criticisms:

First, while there is a small recap at the start, I felt like it could have stood to be about 30% larger, and especially included some capsule character bios. I honestly struggled a bit to match names to characters for some of the minor characters.

Second, the end is a little clunky. Specifically, the protagonist knows that Scarlet has survived and will undoubtedly be on her way to bail him out in a day or two, but he decides somewhat inexplicably to infilitrate the Elvish palace to reverse a coup without waiting for her (it's suggested they need to defeat the plotters very quickly, but it's never explained why they can't wait a day or two for reinforcements), bringing the Elvish princess along but (somewhat oddly) not any of the much stronger censors. Somewhat inevitably they get captured (it's not clear how they could have avoided this, and it doesn't seem like they were really even trying), and they end up in a really bad place, in large part because they brought the princess along but not a censor. Luckily, Scarlet shows up the next day and everything is fine, which isn't a complete deus ex machina (since it was clearly stated she was on her way), but...it makes everything pointless? Why not just wait for Scarlet from the start? Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly enjoyable scene and has good pacing, but when you stop and think about it, it makes very little sense.

Third, this was a somewhat classic "the party is split" story, and the book ends up focused on one of the three groups to the exclusion of the others, and (somewhat inevitably) ended up pausing all the ongoing plots to focus on some new threads relevant to this. Which is fine, but it means a lot of great characters and interesting plot threads were entirely ignored. In some ways this book felt less like a sequel and more like a spinoff "book 3.5 - what the protagonist did on his summer vacation".

Still! Great book, very enjoyable, this continues to be one of my favourite series. I continue to love the tone, setting, adroit use of litrpg tropes, and interesting world.

[William Moon, Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series, well written and good balance of LitRPG and HaremLit/sex

I have to say that this is a fun and well written series, particularly the character dialog, thoughts, and development. It has a very limited number of sex acts, but I feel the author hit a great balance. He also has put a lot of effort into realistic verbal teasing and seduction, developing a solid sense of **anticipation** (a seemingly difficult task for most writers, or something they forget), whether the scene is romantic, sexual, or combative. My wife isnt a fan of haremlit, but I still am recommending the series to her based on my enjoyment of the writing and the low volume, but reasonable amount of sex. Honestly, the teasing and sensuality in the non sex scenes makes it far more enjoyable even as a harem lit style book.

One grievance I had with this particular installment is what seems like a high volume of continuity errors. Particularly the issue with sharing powers of the Trelican. The author seems to be highly inconsistent in this book, though there have been some occasional minor slip ups in prior books in the series too. However, this factor is a main plot point in this book and it should've been more clearly defined and the author should've taken more care to follow the rules of his story (big pet peeve of mine for major plot points, especially since the author is the one making the rules... it's just carelessness). If you have editors or test readers, shame on them, if not, get some.

One other point of note, again particularly in this book, is the overuse of certain words in close proximity to each other. If you're using the same descriptors within a paragraph of each other, check your thesaurus. Shouldnt be too hard to read the small section and recognize when you're doing it.

[Jonathan Herling · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Brian Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series, probably more than I should, but its been a fun romp. Like the other books, it's patterned after a Japanese harem anime, and that's fine. I don't need the graphic sex, but it is part of the genre.

This particular story felt rushed. I am not going to give it away, you can read it and discover the story for yourself. That said, I thought the author spent a lot of time developing story elements that may or may not have been necessary to spend the time on. I thought they didn't spend as much time as maybe I would have liked on what was going on with Crimson, but that was fine. The ending, however, was rushed. It was like we spent a long time sitting in the top of the pool as the cork was pulled out the bottom. We had a mustachioed villain who was rather flat that I had no investment in, and then suddenly were seeing the villain defeated and everything comes together the way it should. I would have liked the villain to be maybe a little more thought out and a little more of a threat. Everything was on the periphery and the major crux of the story was focused on the physical enticement for a relationship between the Princess and Ken. I mean, okay, fine, but they needed probably another couple chapters to really play the story out well.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the story and will probably read the next one.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first step down in quality in the series. This whole book felt like it needed another month or two of work on it.

At first I thought this was going to be one of the better books in the series; with less comic relief, more focused story, and less POV jumps, but as the story went on It just kept fumbling the ball at nearly every opportunity.

As an example, the Elf world. The world itself is really cool, a massive desert planet with the only habitable locations being under massive trees that form oases that the elves live in. But the elves themselves are half-baked. Their culture is barely thought out and poorly explained; with the worst part being that you can tell the author thought they were the coolest thing ever and wants you to agree. But there just isn't enough there to like.

And Ken's intelligence fluctuates far too much throughout the plot. Going from handling his own in the highest levels of elven politics, to getting caught in traps and situations that he would have been able to solve easily back in book 1.

The whole book felt really unbalanced. There are few large scale problems with the book, but there are tons of small scale problems that just weigh the whole book down, and most of those problems have easy fixes. If the book had gotten the month or two of extra work on it that it needed this could have easily been the best book so far.

[Chad Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment of the Dungeon Diving installment. This one is a little side quest, so to speak, where we see Ken head to the Elven home world to meet their Queen while Crimson is stuck tackling the Naga after being closed in the Portal after last book.
With Crimson, we get to see what a total bad ass that she is when she single handedly dominates the Naga world on her way to get back to Ken. We are also introduced to her Limit Break skill and how Ken may be able to help her control it.
Ken is able to spend one on one time with Fayeth as she introduces him to the Eleven World, one embroiled in a tense political war with the current Emperor and a Noble group. We met the Eleven Queen, Lady Rendral, who needs Ken's Trelican ability and see how he can help another damsel in distress.
Although this was a different take than the previous books and Ken's time at Hayden, it was no less exciting and interesting. I enjoyed the time spent with the Elves. Mr. Sentar continues to enthrall me with his story and the characters, we see how his harem back at the Silver Fangs compound continues to develop as well in small snippets. I can't wait to see what happens as Ken and the girls start their second year at Hayden.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fourth part of the Dungeon Diving series has interesting pacing - the start felt really rushed which was a bit weird but at least nicely prevented 'recap syndrome', which is where the author spends a large part of each book to recap everything that happened before in a long series, and which I find super annoying. After that the book entered a nice pacing, with a good buildup and a nice ending, although it did make me wonder about the planned length of the series. Throughout the series we know that Ken is supposed to level to ca. level 65-70 to catch up to Crimson, but this 4th installment only covered a summer holiday and brought Ken up to level 25 or so, so by that speed there would need to be 12 parts just to allow Ken to catch up, before even getting into serious action!? Note that I'm not complaining, I think the buildup and leveling is nicely done, combined with building up a party and raid group, but it does feel a bit slow, in particular because we're told from the start that that's the plan. Anyway, in this part Ken visits the elves while Crimson gets to spend quality time with the archnemesis nagas. I liked the story, it's a bit basic but that's part of what makes it an easy and entertaining read.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I like the author's use of humor in his writings. I also like his writing style. He's not the most descriptive and there were a few times I had to read adjust my view of the surroundings as the event unfolds.
In this story after the Naga invasion of the safe zone through a portal that a scientist had been working on creating, things became chaotic and Crimson ended up on the wrong side of the portal when Ken managed to shut it. Portals are unavailable inside the dungeon, those who can portal do so only on the surface. When Ken becomes the only person who has the ability to create portals he becomes overly valuable, Ken doesn't have the mana to be able to use this ability. So with Crimson in the Naga world and everyone wanting Ken, the royal consort decides taking him to the Elven world as the best option. Things are not so harmonious in the elven world as one would think and Ken and Fayeth soon get involved in the politics.

[Alan K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series

So lucky I started this on a weekend. 4am on Sunday morning as I couldn’t stop reading from about 50% The story is progressing well, the characters are well balanced although I did miss Des and Charlotte in this book. This was the elven arc and covers the two months Ken spends with the elves at The Great Tree. The mix of action and slice of life was great. Most but not all of the intimate scenes were fade to black, as is usual with Bruce, introducing new characters into the bedroom gains extra details, but its a lot tamer than many harem books in this genre. Need to wait now for the next book in the series, although he releases a book each month, he cycles through his active series.

[Todd Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still like the characters. Ken is a great character, and the women he interacts with are fun as well. The foreshadowing of the catgirl shaman as well as his interactions with Elysara, Tish, and Neldra are a lot of fun.
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The politics, and the worldbuilding conceit of "levels trump everything always" drags it down. Not only has Ken fallen behind his party (the brief time Crimson is in the Nagato compound, both Charlotte and Des are beyond 20, while Ken has barely made 20, and that's with being powerleveled and his stats falling behind) but he's largely ineffectual throughout the story. Basically, either he has high level support, in which case the other side loses quickly, or else he doesn't, in which case he loses. There's a couple of exceptions to this, but largely that's it. That makes any specialness or abilities that the MC has feel useless and pointless. He might have a ton of *potential* but right now all he can do is run away and hope that the high level characters show up to insta-win. It's disappointing, and drags down the entire story, which is too bad because again - the characters are where this shines. Still interested in the series, but frustrated by this one.
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The ending picks it up to finish strong, but the overall plot of this one just didn't have the same je ne sais quoi that the others do.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken must try to stop a coup take over by a band of elf nobles during a war with the naga

Ken helps to stop the Naga from an invasion in the human world by closing a portal from the Naga world during a demonstration ending his first year at Haylon . He is swept up an taken to the elven world for 2 months for the summer . He falls in love with the daughter of the Emperor . During his stay the Naga wage war in the elven world . An band of elven nobles wage war in the elven world during the war a coup to take over the elven world while the Emperor is away . Ken must try to stop the coup at all cost .recommend reading excellent series .

[Donny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ken gets to visit the elven community a little ahead of plans. We follow Ken for the bulk of the story. We get some snippets of his party and Crimson, though.

Ken works to get a handle of sorts on his new ability, train and level, and fall into Elven politics.

I am still loving this series. It throws some anime tropes at you, but is still a fun story. It is very much a magic academy story at the moment. As they are heading into their sophmore year with book 5, we will be in school for the next few books. Which I am not minding at all.

I recommend giving this series a try if you have not already.

[Rocco Sgabellone · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite one yet

This was a series of firsts for mr. Sentar. Splitting up the harem mid series for the side characters to get a little time skip power up, and having an additional new member be a long distance member (at least until ken can control the portals). As usually Bruce introduces us to a new world in a way that feels more immersive. Usually writers focus mainly on major details that are so different or the same. Such as infrastructure and food. And while those are present, the small details he adds make all the difference. Like the different shape of the library ladder for instance. Excellent book mr. Sentar and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

[Imkmoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summertime with Elves and More

The Maid Cafe is a huge hit and the party must go on... Nega attack through an experimental portal that Ken closes, but Cam get stuck on their side. She goes on a killing spree killing and killing in an uncontrolled fit of anger. She will see her love, Ken, again.
Ken, escapes the guild leaders that now have uncontrolled access to him and his abilities, to the elven Kingdom to meet the princess.
...fall in love and gain eachothers abilities... save the Kingdom from a coop... save the King on the frontlines fighting Naga...
*Phew* what a busy Summer Vacation and can't wait to get back to school...

Read in 2 days

[Parad0x · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy addition to the series. I had to admit when it became clear Sentar was splitting the party, with the bulk of them not really featuring in this book, I was concerned. He did that in Dragon's Justice at least once and the result wasn't good. Oddly though this time it worked out fine and I didn't find myself missing Des, Charlotte, & Harley. That said, I'm glad they'll be back together for the next school year soon, and I hope Sentar doesn't make a habit of splitting them up. It would be a shame if this series ended up going downhill the same Dragon's Justice has.

[Clint Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice change for the series

Really like the change in location. Would be interesting to hear a bit more Bout Crimson and what she finds on the lower levels. Her outfit in a blinding white leather, with red hair might be a cool change. Thought the elves were engaging and the flow seemed a bit better. As much as I like the "old" party members, some just seem to be less in sync. Char with the bunny and the lesbian Bard as the 2 that stick out the most. Hope to see some advancement or changes there.

[Jennifer King · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good

If you like the previous books in the series, you're going to like this one if you didn't like the previous books. I don't know why you're reading this one or thinking about doing so because it's more of the same. Lots of action and adventure. It's nice to see the elfin homeworld. Some more decent characterization. Different characters are backstories are filled out a little bit more which is nice. I can't really tell you any more than that without ruining the plot for you. Hope this helps. Apologize for spelling errors. I'm writing this review with voice to text

[Attila Balázs Warza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid! I have to say, this series is surprisingly consistent when it comes to quality and enjoyability. Even though nothing truly memorable happened in this volume, overall, its atmosphere and the new characters made for a very enjoyable reading experience. The sex is becoming more tasteful and refined — if that wording even makes sense — but there is also less and less of it, which I am actually quite happy about. The volumes are relatively short, so there is no real risk of them becoming dragged out or boring at any point.

[Nina Immers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible

This is definitely in my top 5 favorite series of all time with this latest book. The protagonist goes to visit the elves during the summer and meets The elf princess And add her to his harem. Crimson finally gets back From Dealing with the Naga And advances Her hopes With Ken. The book ends in a great spot to pick up in the next 1. I hope this series is continued For a long time to come

[Sean Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than #3. Ken is adding to his party with the Elven princess.
Lots of political intrigue. Unfortunately, Crimson is largely missing in action as she fights through the Naga to get back home and find Ken. When Crimson does show up the book improves dramatically. The powerful warrioress is a force to be reckoned with, especially for those standing between her and her protege.
I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Gabe Regier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer Fun

Another great entry to this series. While it went in some directions I didn’t expect and I missed some of the original crew’s presence it is still one of the most fun series out there. There is something here for about everyone: comedy, drama, action and violence, flirting and spice.

[Robert Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining side quest!

In this book we get to see some of the elven world which was actually quite entertaining. I wasn't expecting it to be as far as it was considering how book three ended but it was still good.

Honestly I enjoyed seeing more of crimson's development than anything

[Marcus Wofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest installment of the Dungeon Divers is good,

But not great. A lot more excitement and a lot less slice of life, and I'm sure that that will excite some of you to no end. But that sol is what I have been looking for.
I hope Ard's Oath continues as before.
At least there is no Harley in this one.