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Morcster Chef #1-3
Morcster Chef: Complete Series Bundle
Don't miss the Morcster Chef Complete Series Box Set, a slice-of-life Fantasy / LitRPG perfect for fans of adventure and cooking!
Adventurers seek dungeons for riches. Heroes storm great fortresses. Gods clash far above.
Arek cooks lasagna and tops it with a dash of finely chopped basil.
An orc who has seen more than his fair amount of fighting, Arek wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days cooking and away from the chaos of combat.
However, when Ming and her group of adventurers hire him as their full-time chef, his plans of avoiding violence crumble. He longs to leave his blood-soaked mistakes in his past, but old friends and foes have different ideas.
Morcster Chef is a Fantasy / LitRPG lite series with a cooking element that is perfect for the Holiday Season. It contains status windows and other RPG elements, but it is not set within a videogame.
This Series also contains real recipes, and we highly recommend you give them a taste if you’re hungry!
Adventurers seek dungeons for riches. Heroes storm great fortresses. Gods clash far above.
Arek cooks lasagna and tops it with a dash of finely chopped basil.
An orc who has seen more than his fair amount of fighting, Arek wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days cooking and away from the chaos of combat.
However, when Ming and her group of adventurers hire him as their full-time chef, his plans of avoiding violence crumble. He longs to leave his blood-soaked mistakes in his past, but old friends and foes have different ideas.
Morcster Chef is a Fantasy / LitRPG lite series with a cooking element that is perfect for the Holiday Season. It contains status windows and other RPG elements, but it is not set within a videogame.
This Series also contains real recipes, and we highly recommend you give them a taste if you’re hungry!
- GenresFantasy
1143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2024
57 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Actus
61 books198 followersActus has been writing fantasy stories since the age of twelve, and he's been telling them since he could talk. He's currently working on three main series - Morcster Chef, Steamforged Sorcery, and My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror. You can find his works on RoyalRoad & Patreon as well as on Amazon.
In addition to his passion for writing, Actus is capable of clearing a two story building with a single jump. That isn't true, but writing about himself in third person gives Actus delusions of grandeur.
In addition to his passion for writing, Actus is capable of clearing a two story building with a single jump. That isn't true, but writing about himself in third person gives Actus delusions of grandeur.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 24, 2024
So the question is do I read all three books or skip the first 2 since I've already listened to the first 2 of 'em. I think today it's gonna all 3 snce it's been awhile and I know that I'm gonna have a good time!
Bk1
I seriously love Cleaver's Edge a novel, laced with RPG elements. Arek (our protagonist) just wants to cook, possibly even opening up his own restaurant! Cooking is a joy for him, and a pretty great way to hide from his bloody past! His disability? Nobody will hire an Orc! As money's gotten tight, he's hired on with a G-rank adventurer team to be their personal chef while they're dungeon crawling... no fighting required, just cooking, and that's the way Arek wants it. And of course nothing goes according to plan, starting with the very first time Arek and the Happy Sunflower adventuring group go into their 1st dungeon together!
Ohhhh and the food is sublime. (In fact there's several recipes in the story that we cook fairly regularly, using the same cooking techniques.) Btw, the recipes are included too!
And as for Peter Berkrot? he serves up a Top Notch, tasty, narrative delight! So get the book, and Bon Appétit!
Here's a quote I found amusing:
"If you ever do open a restaurant, you betcha your big green ass I'll be sure to be dining there as soon as I can!"
Bk2
I love, love, love this gamelit book! Actus, put us back into the Into the Fire where Cleaver's Edge left off! And I mean right back into it, as the team (The Happy Sunflower adventuring team) are just finishing up their celebratory meal for a job well done... Arek's magic has come back and he's afraid of it, what it'll do to him, what it could turn him into! So confronted with this dilemma they decide to cook and eat some more 😆 yay, more recipes!
Actus walks a fine line between stats and recipes... between fighting off monster hordes and cooking and Actus does it perfectly! How amazing is that!
So get the book to find out what's going on! And why I grin every time the Happy Sunflower team has'ta announce themselves... every time Peter Berkrot has'ta say it! Need I say it... I NEED the next book!
Bk3
I was gonna wait 'til the audio version was released but I truly couldn't hold on a minute longer. And true to their name the 4 adventurers the Happy Sunflowers started the book off with a lighthearted snowball fight. The book is is full of action and cooking with recipes. The recipes are simple, few ingredients but all delicious and even if you're camping and you forgot your bag of "colding" you could make 'em. All the while Arek and the Happy Sunflowers are dungeon crawling and trying to get evidence on the Howler guild.
So seize the book and watch the story unravel. With or without Peter Berkrot narration. The book is amazing!
Here's a couple of quotes that amused me.
“It can talk?” Arek asked dryly, predicting the guard’s words. “It can talk?” the guard mimicked, then clapped a hand over his mouth with a clang. “It’s psychic?”
“Butter knife launcher,” Belmont muttered to himself, nodding. “No. Do not make a butter knife launcher."
“Anything is edible once,” Malissa said with a smirk.
Bk1
I seriously love Cleaver's Edge a novel, laced with RPG elements. Arek (our protagonist) just wants to cook, possibly even opening up his own restaurant! Cooking is a joy for him, and a pretty great way to hide from his bloody past! His disability? Nobody will hire an Orc! As money's gotten tight, he's hired on with a G-rank adventurer team to be their personal chef while they're dungeon crawling... no fighting required, just cooking, and that's the way Arek wants it. And of course nothing goes according to plan, starting with the very first time Arek and the Happy Sunflower adventuring group go into their 1st dungeon together!
Ohhhh and the food is sublime. (In fact there's several recipes in the story that we cook fairly regularly, using the same cooking techniques.) Btw, the recipes are included too!
And as for Peter Berkrot? he serves up a Top Notch, tasty, narrative delight! So get the book, and Bon Appétit!
Here's a quote I found amusing:
"If you ever do open a restaurant, you betcha your big green ass I'll be sure to be dining there as soon as I can!"
Bk2
I love, love, love this gamelit book! Actus, put us back into the Into the Fire where Cleaver's Edge left off! And I mean right back into it, as the team (The Happy Sunflower adventuring team) are just finishing up their celebratory meal for a job well done... Arek's magic has come back and he's afraid of it, what it'll do to him, what it could turn him into! So confronted with this dilemma they decide to cook and eat some more 😆 yay, more recipes!
Actus walks a fine line between stats and recipes... between fighting off monster hordes and cooking and Actus does it perfectly! How amazing is that!
So get the book to find out what's going on! And why I grin every time the Happy Sunflower team has'ta announce themselves... every time Peter Berkrot has'ta say it! Need I say it... I NEED the next book!
Bk3
I was gonna wait 'til the audio version was released but I truly couldn't hold on a minute longer. And true to their name the 4 adventurers the Happy Sunflowers started the book off with a lighthearted snowball fight. The book is is full of action and cooking with recipes. The recipes are simple, few ingredients but all delicious and even if you're camping and you forgot your bag of "colding" you could make 'em. All the while Arek and the Happy Sunflowers are dungeon crawling and trying to get evidence on the Howler guild.
So seize the book and watch the story unravel. With or without Peter Berkrot narration. The book is amazing!
Here's a couple of quotes that amused me.
“It can talk?” Arek asked dryly, predicting the guard’s words. “It can talk?” the guard mimicked, then clapped a hand over his mouth with a clang. “It’s psychic?”
“Butter knife launcher,” Belmont muttered to himself, nodding. “No. Do not make a butter knife launcher."
“Anything is edible once,” Malissa said with a smirk.
February 6, 2024
Cleaver's Edge (Morcster Chef #1) by Actus, narrated by Peter Berkrot
Cleaver's Edge is a lovely slice of life, RPG style fantasy with great recipes and lighthearted adventures.
Our main character, Arek, just wants to cook and his dream (however far-fetched it may be ) is to open a restaurant of his own! Cooking, and sharing his food and recipes, is what makes him happy. The main problem he faces, is that he's an Orc. After a chance meeting, with a hungry Mage named Ming, Arek is hired on with a G-rank adventurer team, the Happy Sunflowers, to be their personal chef while they're dungeon crawling. The bonus, as Arek sees it, is that there is no requirement that he fight. He's just there to cook. Best laid plans and all...
This book has serious moments of food porn. We get to read how Arek prepares the food, and then we get a brief aside with the actual recipe so that we too can make the meal. Ming is a quirky delight and quickly became my favorite side character. Arek is genuinely kind and working hard at redeeming himself from his past mistakes.
Into the Fire (Morcster Chef, #2) by Actus, narrated by Peter Berkrot
Into the Fire starts up right where Cleaver's Edge left off, the Happy Sunflower team are still finishing their well deserved celebration meal for a job well done when Arek realizes that his magic has returned and the runes on his claws are back in full force. Arek is deeply concerned about what this means and what it could turn him into! Luckily for us, Arek cooks to de-stress.
Actus does balances between fighting off monster hordes and cooking well and this series stays entertaining and engaging with characters you care about and want to succeed.
Best Served Cold (Morcster Chef, #3) by Actus, narrated by Peter Berkrot
The final book in the series begins with Arek and the Happy Sunflowers in a lighthearted snowball fight before they begin dungeon crawling and trying to get evidence on the Howler guild so they can stop them before they can complete their evil plans.
The final book in the series was well done and the overall series plot came to a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion. This series was just what I wanted, a cozy, but fun adventure with found family good food (and recipes).
This was a solidly fun cozy fantasy with a lovely group of friends / found family. I gave it 3.8 stars rounded to 4.
Cleaver's Edge is a lovely slice of life, RPG style fantasy with great recipes and lighthearted adventures.
Our main character, Arek, just wants to cook and his dream (however far-fetched it may be ) is to open a restaurant of his own! Cooking, and sharing his food and recipes, is what makes him happy. The main problem he faces, is that he's an Orc. After a chance meeting, with a hungry Mage named Ming, Arek is hired on with a G-rank adventurer team, the Happy Sunflowers, to be their personal chef while they're dungeon crawling. The bonus, as Arek sees it, is that there is no requirement that he fight. He's just there to cook. Best laid plans and all...
This book has serious moments of food porn. We get to read how Arek prepares the food, and then we get a brief aside with the actual recipe so that we too can make the meal. Ming is a quirky delight and quickly became my favorite side character. Arek is genuinely kind and working hard at redeeming himself from his past mistakes.
Into the Fire (Morcster Chef, #2) by Actus, narrated by Peter Berkrot
Into the Fire starts up right where Cleaver's Edge left off, the Happy Sunflower team are still finishing their well deserved celebration meal for a job well done when Arek realizes that his magic has returned and the runes on his claws are back in full force. Arek is deeply concerned about what this means and what it could turn him into! Luckily for us, Arek cooks to de-stress.
Actus does balances between fighting off monster hordes and cooking well and this series stays entertaining and engaging with characters you care about and want to succeed.
Best Served Cold (Morcster Chef, #3) by Actus, narrated by Peter Berkrot
The final book in the series begins with Arek and the Happy Sunflowers in a lighthearted snowball fight before they begin dungeon crawling and trying to get evidence on the Howler guild so they can stop them before they can complete their evil plans.
The final book in the series was well done and the overall series plot came to a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion. This series was just what I wanted, a cozy, but fun adventure with found family good food (and recipes).
This was a solidly fun cozy fantasy with a lovely group of friends / found family. I gave it 3.8 stars rounded to 4.
November 11, 2024
A cozy LitRPG with an adventurer orc chef. This one is better written than a lot of LitRPG-adjacent stuff that I’ve read. But the grammar and style could still be improved by a good editing pass. The inevitable fight scenes get a bit tedious and predictable. The cooking scenes are more believable and the author gets full marks for including the recipes. Reading the entire series straight through might be a bit too much morcster chef at once, but overall still an enjoyable bit of escapist fluff if you like low-stakes LitRPG style reading.
July 18, 2025
fun
An orc chef is found camping in the wilderness and hired to cook for an adventuring party. They quickly get swept up in politics and intrigue that pills on their collective pasts. They conquer a corrupted dungeon, rank up, train, gain mentors, win cooking contests, win an auction and become targets, save besieged city, go on vacation, try their hand at business, and foil a coup plot.
It’s a fun humorous story. The pacing is steady, the world and characters are interesting, and the narrator a pleasure. It is a complete trilogy, self contained story. Please enjoy.
An orc chef is found camping in the wilderness and hired to cook for an adventuring party. They quickly get swept up in politics and intrigue that pills on their collective pasts. They conquer a corrupted dungeon, rank up, train, gain mentors, win cooking contests, win an auction and become targets, save besieged city, go on vacation, try their hand at business, and foil a coup plot.
It’s a fun humorous story. The pacing is steady, the world and characters are interesting, and the narrator a pleasure. It is a complete trilogy, self contained story. Please enjoy.
Read
June 11, 2024Prepare to be hungry
Beautifully written, wonderful characters - I will miss them. Unlikely scenario that works wonderfully. I also gained a lot more appreciation for cooking.
Beautifully written, wonderful characters - I will miss them. Unlikely scenario that works wonderfully. I also gained a lot more appreciation for cooking.
March 24, 2025
Loved It
I really enjoyed this bookset. The story, the characters, and the world building was truly something else and all together made up a truly wonderful reading experience.
I really enjoyed this bookset. The story, the characters, and the world building was truly something else and all together made up a truly wonderful reading experience.
April 12, 2025
Every D&D player will love this series!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews