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Cooking with Disaster #2
Sewer Skewers
A new challenge is thrown down. The world’s secret is revealed. All Probabilities were wrong.
Nacho had zero intentions to make friends. He certainly had no plans to be put in the unenviable position of being the leader of a guild. But if there’s one thing that he excels at, it certainly isn’t cooking. No, he’s far better at rolling with the punches, and making sure the people around him survive. When literal monsters are everywhere, that’s the kind of person you want in charge.
But this world isn’t what he’s been expecting. Things are different. He is different. By succeeding so much, so fast, Humanity has unlocked the next stage of the Juxtaposition, years before they’re ready for it. A Legendary weapon is up for grabs, and the first guild to grab it will solidify their stranglehold of Kansas City. All Nacho needs to do is find a path to something he’s never heard of before, look for something that shouldn’t exist, and keep his people alive.
Time to hold on tight, and chase that dragon.
Nacho had zero intentions to make friends. He certainly had no plans to be put in the unenviable position of being the leader of a guild. But if there’s one thing that he excels at, it certainly isn’t cooking. No, he’s far better at rolling with the punches, and making sure the people around him survive. When literal monsters are everywhere, that’s the kind of person you want in charge.
But this world isn’t what he’s been expecting. Things are different. He is different. By succeeding so much, so fast, Humanity has unlocked the next stage of the Juxtaposition, years before they’re ready for it. A Legendary weapon is up for grabs, and the first guild to grab it will solidify their stranglehold of Kansas City. All Nacho needs to do is find a path to something he’s never heard of before, look for something that shouldn’t exist, and keep his people alive.
Time to hold on tight, and chase that dragon.
392 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2024
10 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Dakota Krout
76 books2,876 followersAuthor of the best-selling Divine Dungeon, Completionist Chronicles, and Full Murderhobo series, Dakota Krout was chosen as Audible's top 5 fantasy pick of 2017, has been a top 5 bestseller on Amazon, and a top 6 bestseller on Audible.
He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.
Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come! -Dakota Krout
He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.
Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come! -Dakota Krout
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 8, 2024
Extremely American.
The series feels like someone's trying to copy the Dungeon Crawler Carl style, but failing.
Way too many forced puns and forced attempts at humor. Please, enough already.
Story is flat and predictable. World is weird and the way the main character deals with enemies is just extremely naive. It's remarkable how the former super-assassin doesn't actually kill anyone, isn't it? The whole showdown with the evil guild leader was simply a huge exercise in anti-climactic disappointment... Death by a trap after whopping all the good guys. Yey...
It's actually a kind of cool DCCish premise for a story and somewhat different angle on the litRPG genre, in my opinion. Oh well, too bad.
The series feels like someone's trying to copy the Dungeon Crawler Carl style, but failing.
Way too many forced puns and forced attempts at humor. Please, enough already.
Story is flat and predictable. World is weird and the way the main character deals with enemies is just extremely naive. It's remarkable how the former super-assassin doesn't actually kill anyone, isn't it? The whole showdown with the evil guild leader was simply a huge exercise in anti-climactic disappointment... Death by a trap after whopping all the good guys. Yey...
It's actually a kind of cool DCCish premise for a story and somewhat different angle on the litRPG genre, in my opinion. Oh well, too bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2024
Sewer Skewers
Things have gone quite differently than the probability vision. Nacho has been able to gather quite a few people together and the barbarism from his vision has mostly been avoided. Things are looking up. That is when the Patrons announce that they are starting a quest for a spear that will allow you to injure something, or someone, above your tier. He may not want the spear for himself, but he needs to keep it out of the hands of his enemies.
This dark litrpg still keeps it fun with Dakota’s punny humor. Nacho is becoming more confident with himself as a simple cook and starts thinking of himself less as an ex assassin. The three main characters make the series, but the background characters are starting to shine as well. I’m sad to see this is only a trilogy, but I’m excited to see how it wraps up next book. Andrews does a great job with narration.
Content Warning: cannibalism
Things have gone quite differently than the probability vision. Nacho has been able to gather quite a few people together and the barbarism from his vision has mostly been avoided. Things are looking up. That is when the Patrons announce that they are starting a quest for a spear that will allow you to injure something, or someone, above your tier. He may not want the spear for himself, but he needs to keep it out of the hands of his enemies.
This dark litrpg still keeps it fun with Dakota’s punny humor. Nacho is becoming more confident with himself as a simple cook and starts thinking of himself less as an ex assassin. The three main characters make the series, but the background characters are starting to shine as well. I’m sad to see this is only a trilogy, but I’m excited to see how it wraps up next book. Andrews does a great job with narration.
Content Warning: cannibalism
May 22, 2024
Not for everyone but I am thoroughly enjoying this series. I find myself actually laughing out loud. The series is fun and perfect for light reading,at least for me, going into summer.
October 10, 2024
I wish this was longer than a trilogy. I hope that Krout has another trilogy in store for this world. So punny.
February 21, 2024
Sewer Skewers (Cooking with Disaster) by Dakota Krout:
Sewer Skewers (Cooking with Disaster) by Dakota Krout offers readers a unique blend of culinary adventure and fantasy in a world where cooking is a deadly art. While the premise holds promise, the execution in this installment struggles to maintain the same level of excitement and engagement found in Krout's previous works, resulting in a narrative that feels underwhelming and lacking in depth.
Krout's writing style remains engaging, with descriptive prose and vivid imagery that brings the culinary world to life. However, the plot feels disjointed and unfocused, with meandering subplots detracting from the overall narrative flow.
In this book, readers follow the protagonist, a fledgling chef with dreams of culinary greatness, as they navigate the treacherous world of gourmet cooking. While the concept is intriguing, the plot fails to deliver on its potential, with repetitive cooking challenges and lackluster character development overshadowing any sense of excitement or adventure.
The world-building in this installment is minimal, with little expansion on the rules and mechanics of the culinary world. This lack of depth hampers the reader's immersion in the setting and detracts from the overall experience.
Moreover, the characters in Sewer Skewers feel underdeveloped and one-dimensional. The protagonist lacks depth as a character, with their culinary aspirations serving as the primary driving force behind their actions. The supporting cast fares no better, with shallow motivations and limited character arcs.
When critically analyzing the character arcs, it becomes apparent that Sewer Skewers fails to create meaningful growth or evolution for its cast. The protagonist's journey feels stagnant, with little in the way of personal development or introspection. The supporting characters fare even worse, serving as little more than background noise in the protagonist's culinary adventures.
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)
Sewer Skewers (Cooking with Disaster) may appeal to fans of culinary-themed fantasy, but it ultimately lacks the depth and substance needed to leave a lasting impression. As the series progresses, one can only hope for a return to form in future installments.
March 25, 2025
Dakota Krout, known for his engaging world-building in series like "The Ritualist" and "Divine Dungeon," takes a sharp turn into culinary chaos with "Cooking with Disaster." Unfortunately, in "Sewer Skewers," the second installment of this trilogy, the recipe for success seems to be missing a few crucial ingredients.
While Krout's signature humor is present, it often manifests as a barrage of cheesy puns and overly-familiar American pop-culture references that feel jarring and detract from the story's immersion. This reliance on surface-level humor overshadows any potential for deeper world-building, leaving the reader with a sense of superficiality.
The protagonist, Nacho, is a particularly disappointing element. Once a formidable assassin, he's been relegated to a largely passive role, spending more time in the kitchen than on the battlefield. This dramatic shift in character feels like a disservice to his previous badass persona. When combat does occur, Nacho's contributions are minimal, further cementing his status as a largely ineffective supporting character.
The narrative's focus on cooking, while a unique premise, ultimately fails to deliver a compelling experience. The lack of engaging action and the shallow world-building leave much to be desired. It feels as if the author is prioritizing comedic relief over narrative substance, resulting in a frustratingly uneven experience.
Despite my reservations, I intend to finish the trilogy, driven by a sliver of hope that the final installment may redeem the series. However, based on "Sewer Skewers," I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this book. Fans of Krout's previous works seeking the intricate world-building and engaging combat of "The Ritualist" or "Divine Dungeon" may find themselves disappointed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
While Krout's signature humor is present, it often manifests as a barrage of cheesy puns and overly-familiar American pop-culture references that feel jarring and detract from the story's immersion. This reliance on surface-level humor overshadows any potential for deeper world-building, leaving the reader with a sense of superficiality.
The protagonist, Nacho, is a particularly disappointing element. Once a formidable assassin, he's been relegated to a largely passive role, spending more time in the kitchen than on the battlefield. This dramatic shift in character feels like a disservice to his previous badass persona. When combat does occur, Nacho's contributions are minimal, further cementing his status as a largely ineffective supporting character.
The narrative's focus on cooking, while a unique premise, ultimately fails to deliver a compelling experience. The lack of engaging action and the shallow world-building leave much to be desired. It feels as if the author is prioritizing comedic relief over narrative substance, resulting in a frustratingly uneven experience.
Despite my reservations, I intend to finish the trilogy, driven by a sliver of hope that the final installment may redeem the series. However, based on "Sewer Skewers," I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this book. Fans of Krout's previous works seeking the intricate world-building and engaging combat of "The Ritualist" or "Divine Dungeon" may find themselves disappointed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
March 7, 2024
Ohhhh man, 😯 I loved this action-driven story! As Nacho, his intimate friends, and members of his guild hole up to build their strength and stats in the book. Which absolutely turns from the Apocalypse for moment to be kinda a slice-of-life adventure, a trope I really love! Until the fighting begins anew and then they're back to the fight against the Apocalypse which is doin it's darnedest to end what's left of the human race. With a whole bunch of new skills Nacho now has the ability to feed and house the entire guild to stave off starvation in the protection of his guild. And Nacho of course also has ability to buff up everyone before the fight begins, to buff with food!
You're gonna need to add this book to your library and of course grab the audio edition 'cause MacLeod Andrews is the perfectly pitched narrator to make a great story even greater!
I love finding fun quotes and damn did I have a plethora to choose from, not even counting all the bad puns. Don't even get me started on the puns:
"...he youthful assassin had the ethics of a starving rabies-riddled badger with an addiction to adrenaline."
"Opinions are like elbows. Almost everyone has at least one, it's pointed, and it can hurt when it’s thrown around.”
"...what’s the word? Ulcerous with rage."
“You have a pot on your head, Nacho,” Old Bill shouted from another table. “Ha! Our fearless leader is a pot-head!”
You're gonna need to add this book to your library and of course grab the audio edition 'cause MacLeod Andrews is the perfectly pitched narrator to make a great story even greater!
I love finding fun quotes and damn did I have a plethora to choose from, not even counting all the bad puns. Don't even get me started on the puns:
"...he youthful assassin had the ethics of a starving rabies-riddled badger with an addiction to adrenaline."
"Opinions are like elbows. Almost everyone has at least one, it's pointed, and it can hurt when it’s thrown around.”
"...what’s the word? Ulcerous with rage."
“You have a pot on your head, Nacho,” Old Bill shouted from another table. “Ha! Our fearless leader is a pot-head!”
August 30, 2024
Review of Book 1 and halfway into Book 2.
Though the series seems to be cooking themed, apart from food named puns there's not really any cooking or even focus on cooking, other than some vague plan of the MC that he never really seriously works towards.
The prose is easy, though with lots of telling and very little showing. MC has to monologue explain everything rather than take readers along the journey. Character also are very pedestrian with nothing really unique to set them apart. Reuben esp was annoying with his constant need to pun (none of which I found funny) without consideration to the situation. Stereotypical villain and a unmemorable supporting cast, just fails to add any value.
Between cannibalism and putrid mana meats the series does a lot to put me away from anything vaguely appetizing, which is ironic considering the name and purported theme.
Gave up halfway into Book 2.
Though the series seems to be cooking themed, apart from food named puns there's not really any cooking or even focus on cooking, other than some vague plan of the MC that he never really seriously works towards.
The prose is easy, though with lots of telling and very little showing. MC has to monologue explain everything rather than take readers along the journey. Character also are very pedestrian with nothing really unique to set them apart. Reuben esp was annoying with his constant need to pun (none of which I found funny) without consideration to the situation. Stereotypical villain and a unmemorable supporting cast, just fails to add any value.
Between cannibalism and putrid mana meats the series does a lot to put me away from anything vaguely appetizing, which is ironic considering the name and purported theme.
Gave up halfway into Book 2.
April 28, 2025
This book felt a bit rushed. I enjoyed the banter, I enjoyed the interactions of the main cast. I liked the fight scenes. Yet, I felt like some character arcs were rushed. I suppose they wanted to tie up these loose ends before going to the“main event” as it were. Nevertheless, it left the story feeling a bit rushed, and not quite smooth. Also, everyone was commenting on how annoying and weird one character was, but we barely got any lines from the guy. I’m willing to believe he’s gross guys, but you gotta SHOW me he is, not just telling me. Overall, I enjoyed myself, and will read the next book, but I hope it will go down smoother than this one.
February 15, 2024
I liked the second book more than the first, which was mostly world building. Admittedly it is a strange world and the building was by necessity extreme. I liked this one because it had a lot of meat to it. Many things got done that in this genre could possibly have been painfully spread out across 24 books. Some story lines were shut down while others were expanded, leaving a lot of room to expand. Book 3 should be incredible!
June 26, 2024
More of the same. There's not quite enough advancement for it to feel like that sort of story. There's some cooking, but a lot of the litrpg elements feel more about the math than the action. We had a bit of character work but without any tangible growth. Book 1's big saving grace was this element of Nacho's change from an assassin to a satiation player. This time around he just sort of limped along in the role. It just didn't feel like we had enough direction.
July 15, 2024
This series was recommended to me. I wasn't sure how I felt about LitRPG, but the author, Dakota Krout, sold me. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough on the first book and the second was just as addictive.
It's lighthearted, but with some sweetness. I'll leave the food puns to the author, but I recommend it highly.
It's lighthearted, but with some sweetness. I'll leave the food puns to the author, but I recommend it highly.
August 25, 2024
Author Dakota Krout continues his RPG, progressive fantasy centered around--a cook. Turns out, in this universe, becoming a cook is the best thing you can do. The cook, Nacho, can give buffs to all his teammates. He also has a very mean set of pans--that he wears for armor.
On top of it all, there are puns galore--whether you like them or not.
On top of it all, there are puns galore--whether you like them or not.
October 7, 2024
DNF.
Half way to its boring end I remembered that life was too short to spend it on meaningless things or bland experiences.
Boring, lacking substance, lacking personality, lacking anything that might look interesting. I'd go as far as saying it's lacking talent, yet I don't have it either so it's hard to tell. :)
no no no no no nonsense
BTW, I want my money back. :/
Half way to its boring end I remembered that life was too short to spend it on meaningless things or bland experiences.
Boring, lacking substance, lacking personality, lacking anything that might look interesting. I'd go as far as saying it's lacking talent, yet I don't have it either so it's hard to tell. :)
no no no no no nonsense
BTW, I want my money back. :/
February 8, 2024
I thought this book was pretty funny. I feel that the author (Dakota Krout) is pretty good at making puns. I don't always get them, that's okay. The Author usually explains them to us. A nice, light and fun read.
Can hardly wait for the 3rd book to come out.
Can hardly wait for the 3rd book to come out.
February 12, 2024
The juices in this one take a while to marinate. And they are marinated in loads and loads of (mostly) food-related puns and jokes. Possibly too many.
Of course, the main character is Nacho, and his friends are Brie and Rueben.
Of course, the main character is Nacho, and his friends are Brie and Rueben.
February 26, 2024
Loved this one, too. I'm only disappointed that the cover art doesn't show his actual armor. But I also respect the fact that I can't imagine a high quality looking cover of our MC wearing his real ridiculous armor. 😂 But i still want to see it!
March 20, 2024
Great sequel. This was fast paced and full of fun. I really loved the characters. Krout does a good job injecting humor into his books and this one is no different. The story was very enjoyable. I’m excited for the end of this trilogy.
October 15, 2024
An easy read with good pacing. The puns are terrible but they do add some lightness. It didn't really feel like much progress was made until near the end of the book, but I'm interested to see where things go from here.
February 13, 2024
Characters: 3.5*
Plot: 3*
Universe: 4*
Plot: 3*
Universe: 4*
February 28, 2024
Excellent continuation of the story
February 28, 2024
What a second book I enjoyed this book overall a very fun ride. This book should definitely be on your list to check out.
March 7, 2024
I love this fast paced dungeon romp. The Audio Artist is fantastic, Totally Delicious!
March 20, 2024
This one was a bit better than the first book, and I enjoyed how the it went. Justice for Young Bill!
March 30, 2024
This was a nice continuation of the story. We get further into the post-apocalyptic issues but still with humour.
April 16, 2024
4* enjoyable but moving on to other books might pick up series again in the future
April 22, 2024
OMG I AM LOVING THIS SERIES! Anyone who hasn't read it.....you need too.
June 7, 2024
Onto the crosshumans!
June 29, 2024
Lots of action and dungeon dives. This definitely has an interesting twist on cooking as a method of getting ahead and fighting off monsters.
November 1, 2024
Still fun, though not quite as interesting to me, as the first book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews