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Dungeon Club #3
Final Face-off
In the third and final installment of the heartfelt Dungeons & Dragons graphic novel series by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma, the club battles new monsters—both real and imaginary—as their first campaign comes to an epic conclusion.
Tyler has a secret—Sunny, the imaginary friend he had when he was younger, hasn’t gone away. Not only that, she now acts as his butt-kicking character in his after-school D&D club, too. Whether it’s helping him deal with his rowdy cousin, Luis, or avoiding his archnemesis, Kelly, at school, Sunny always has his back, often encouraging soft-spoken Tyler to be a little more…bold.
Until one day Sunny pushes Tyler a little too far and he unexpectedly confesses his feelings to Sam, his outspoken and dreamy crush. Instead of a happily ever after, Tyler’s confession turns into gossip fodder for the entire school. Hurt and angry, Tyler banishes Sunny from his mind.
But the silence afterward is louder than Sunny’s presence ever was, and Tyler must look to the people in his real life to discover who he truly is—and who he wants to be.
Praise for Dungeons & Dungeon Club
A Harvey Award–Nominated series
“An absolutely wonderful story that exemplifies the joys, challenges, and lifelong memories forged between friends in the creative furnace of role-playing games. The vibrant, energetic art further elevates the beautiful dichotomy between epic, fantasy adventures and finding one's place in those awkward teenage years. I couldn't help but see much of myself and my own youth in parts of each character as they find their companions in real life through their imaginary adventures, and the sense of unparalleled bonding one finds within a good game group resonates deeply throughout this story. I absolutely loved it.” —Matthew Mercer, creator of Critical Role
“The power D&D has to help you explore and express yourself is on full display in this lovely story of friendship and growing up." —Kat Leyh, author of Snapdragon
“Perfectly captures the magic when the world you create with your friends becomes as real as the world around you.” —Tim Probert, author of the Lightfall series
“A thrilling and gorgeous adventure that goes straight for your heart.” —ND Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Nimona
“What Molly Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma pull off in Dungeon Club is nothing short of astounding. Contained within these magical pages are not one but two amazing fantasy and reality woven masterfully together by Ostertag's spellbinding storytelling. An adventure filled with fun, magic, and deep insight into the trials and tribulations of high school, Dungeon Club is what we in the D&D world would call a 'Critical Hit'! To everyone who knows that there's always adventure and a little bit of magic just around the corner, this book will be a treasured artifact for years and years to come!” —Brennan Lee Mulligan, creator of Dimension 20
“Middle grade readers intrigued by the cult classic RPG and fans fond of popular campaigns like Adventure Zone and Critical Role will enjoy the message of this series ‘Monsters are easier to fight when you’ve got people by your side.
Tyler has a secret—Sunny, the imaginary friend he had when he was younger, hasn’t gone away. Not only that, she now acts as his butt-kicking character in his after-school D&D club, too. Whether it’s helping him deal with his rowdy cousin, Luis, or avoiding his archnemesis, Kelly, at school, Sunny always has his back, often encouraging soft-spoken Tyler to be a little more…bold.
Until one day Sunny pushes Tyler a little too far and he unexpectedly confesses his feelings to Sam, his outspoken and dreamy crush. Instead of a happily ever after, Tyler’s confession turns into gossip fodder for the entire school. Hurt and angry, Tyler banishes Sunny from his mind.
But the silence afterward is louder than Sunny’s presence ever was, and Tyler must look to the people in his real life to discover who he truly is—and who he wants to be.
Praise for Dungeons & Dungeon Club
A Harvey Award–Nominated series
“An absolutely wonderful story that exemplifies the joys, challenges, and lifelong memories forged between friends in the creative furnace of role-playing games. The vibrant, energetic art further elevates the beautiful dichotomy between epic, fantasy adventures and finding one's place in those awkward teenage years. I couldn't help but see much of myself and my own youth in parts of each character as they find their companions in real life through their imaginary adventures, and the sense of unparalleled bonding one finds within a good game group resonates deeply throughout this story. I absolutely loved it.” —Matthew Mercer, creator of Critical Role
“The power D&D has to help you explore and express yourself is on full display in this lovely story of friendship and growing up." —Kat Leyh, author of Snapdragon
“Perfectly captures the magic when the world you create with your friends becomes as real as the world around you.” —Tim Probert, author of the Lightfall series
“A thrilling and gorgeous adventure that goes straight for your heart.” —ND Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Nimona
“What Molly Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma pull off in Dungeon Club is nothing short of astounding. Contained within these magical pages are not one but two amazing fantasy and reality woven masterfully together by Ostertag's spellbinding storytelling. An adventure filled with fun, magic, and deep insight into the trials and tribulations of high school, Dungeon Club is what we in the D&D world would call a 'Critical Hit'! To everyone who knows that there's always adventure and a little bit of magic just around the corner, this book will be a treasured artifact for years and years to come!” —Brennan Lee Mulligan, creator of Dimension 20
“Middle grade readers intrigued by the cult classic RPG and fans fond of popular campaigns like Adventure Zone and Critical Role will enjoy the message of this series ‘Monsters are easier to fight when you’ve got people by your side.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
24 people are currently reading
2664 people want to read
About the author
Lee Knox Ostertag
40 books2,465 followersI grew up in the forests of upstate New York, where I spent the first half of my childhood reading about fantastical adventures and the second half acting them out with foam swords at a live action roleplaying camp . I graduated in 2014 from the School of Visual Arts, where I studied cartooning and illustration, and I currently live in Los Angeles. My artistic interests include women in fiction, fantasy and sci fi, superheroes, and history.
I illustrate a twice weekly webcomic called Strong Female Protagonist with co-creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, which was listed as one of io9's Best New and Short Webcomics when it launched in 2012. I ran a successful Kickstarter in the summer of 2014 to print the first volume, which was distributed by Top Shelf comics and is now available in stores and online.
I'm currently working on a graphic novel with First Second named Shattered Warrior, coming out in Spring 2017.
I illustrate a twice weekly webcomic called Strong Female Protagonist with co-creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, which was listed as one of io9's Best New and Short Webcomics when it launched in 2012. I ran a successful Kickstarter in the summer of 2014 to print the first volume, which was distributed by Top Shelf comics and is now available in stores and online.
I'm currently working on a graphic novel with First Second named Shattered Warrior, coming out in Spring 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 2, 2025
me and my 4th grade bestie both felt melancholy as hell after this but we loved it so much
November 3, 2025
Overall so CUTE but i did not appreciate the emotional support stuffed animal slander.
November 4, 2025
I hate to say goodbye
October 27, 2025
I wasn't expecting to shed tears around 6am reading this! I loved this series. I wish it continued into high school.
February 19, 2026
The final Dungeon Club volume focuses on Tyler, his imaginary friend (and D&D character), and his crush on Sam. The close-up means some favorite characters from previous volumes take a backseat, but that's just fine because Tyler has a lot to work through. The D&D campaign running through the volume seems to have leveled up too, as it forces the characters to make hard decisions.
Dungeon Club continues to be a warm, friendly series that provides a place for outsiders and folks with big imaginations. I'm sad this is the final volume - a lovely series like this could go on forever.
Dungeon Club continues to be a warm, friendly series that provides a place for outsiders and folks with big imaginations. I'm sad this is the final volume - a lovely series like this could go on forever.
January 14, 2026
Another lovely one... Continuing their game.. Its sooo fun cute adorable... We could just go on reading it all day.. 🥺✨💓
I hope we are getting a 4th one soon 🤞🏻
I hope we are getting a 4th one soon 🤞🏻
February 9, 2026
mn hart breekt oprecht dat t over is ik volg deze serie al jaren t was insanely fire
January 3, 2026
I love this graphic novel series! The art is beautiful, and the character-driven stories are compelling. I like how each book focuses on the struggles of a different character. Tyler's plot is especially interesting to me, because it explores how the designs of our original characters might reflect back on us as their writers/artists.
We saw in the first graphic novel how Jess's choice of D&D character foreshadows their own gender exploration, and in the second, I found it remarkable how similar the two Sams D&D characters are to themselves outside of the game. In contrast, Tyler's D&D character is an imaginary friend founded on wish-fulfillment rather than self-insertion. Sunny is everything that Tyler is not, and rather than deciding that he must become more like her in order to succeed and be happy in life, Tyler learns to embrace who he is already.
Ultimately, he doesn't need a "disguise" to make his original characters more interesting or heroic, and that can lead readers to some fascinating discussions. When is it helpful to look to others (such as the fictional Sunny) for inspiration in our lives, and when does it become harmful to focus so much on the things that we are not? Moreover, at what point should our focus turn to self-acceptance and shaping fiction to reflect reality, rather than the other way around?
We saw in the first graphic novel how Jess's choice of D&D character foreshadows their own gender exploration, and in the second, I found it remarkable how similar the two Sams D&D characters are to themselves outside of the game. In contrast, Tyler's D&D character is an imaginary friend founded on wish-fulfillment rather than self-insertion. Sunny is everything that Tyler is not, and rather than deciding that he must become more like her in order to succeed and be happy in life, Tyler learns to embrace who he is already.
Ultimately, he doesn't need a "disguise" to make his original characters more interesting or heroic, and that can lead readers to some fascinating discussions. When is it helpful to look to others (such as the fictional Sunny) for inspiration in our lives, and when does it become harmful to focus so much on the things that we are not? Moreover, at what point should our focus turn to self-acceptance and shaping fiction to reflect reality, rather than the other way around?
October 24, 2025
magiskt bra. älskade den! nu måste jag köpa hela serien till mitt eget personliga bibliotek, inte bara skolbiblan.
December 25, 2025
An amazing ending to an amazing series ❤️😭
December 31, 2025
A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
November 13, 2025
Super cute ending to a beloved series!
October 22, 2025
This series is so cute
October 18, 2025
such a rollercoaster of emotions 🥹
February 17, 2026
Lee Knox Ostertag wrapped up this adventure with a bang! Xanthe Bouma has such skill in showing so much emotion and action in each frame. I'm really going to miss this middle school bunch as they head off to high school!
I have truly enjoyed the way each book shows the perspective of a different kid. Tyler left us with some big-time nervous energy at the end of Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club 2 - Time to Party. I was thrilled to learn more about his backstory and especially how his D&D character Sunny came to be. She has always been my favorite, in the D&D world of this series. Spunky, go-getter, natural leader... completely opposite of our dear pal, Tyler.
This final book in the series stuck to the original cast of characters with some new layers exposed. The D&D scenes were well-balanced with the real-life middle school life. The story flowed well, with a satisfying conclusion to the bully Kelly saga. (No spoilers! I promise!)
D one-shot!
Strengths: Atmospheric illustrations, action-packed D&D story, satisfying wrap-up of our dear characters' middle school experience. The final scene felt quite nostalgic. This is probably the 40-something in me talking, but I am a huge fan of a modern day graphic novel that has minimal cellphone presence. Tyler showed a lot of character growth in this story. I left this one feeling inspired and motivated to sign up for a beginner D&
Weaknesses: I had to scratch my head over this. I am a big fan of the Sams and we got a lot of one and very little of the other. She never really got her chance to shine in this series. My other yearning was to have a full-circle moment with Jess. She was our first perspective in book one, struggled with growing the group, yet flourished. I would have loved to get a bit more of her at the end.
I believe my library patrons will be grabbing this one off of the shelf, even as a stand-alone. Xanthe Bouma's art is very inviting and easy to jump in and out of each "world." I think kids will love her style, if they haven't found her work yet. There are so many different, well developed characters. If a kid has made it through all three, the will certainly find one that they can relate to.
This was my favorite in the series! (But I'm always a sucker for a story that ties up everything so neatly.)
I have truly enjoyed the way each book shows the perspective of a different kid. Tyler left us with some big-time nervous energy at the end of Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club 2 - Time to Party. I was thrilled to learn more about his backstory and especially how his D&D character Sunny came to be. She has always been my favorite, in the D&D world of this series. Spunky, go-getter, natural leader... completely opposite of our dear pal, Tyler.
This final book in the series stuck to the original cast of characters with some new layers exposed. The D&D scenes were well-balanced with the real-life middle school life. The story flowed well, with a satisfying conclusion to the bully Kelly saga. (No spoilers! I promise!)
D one-shot!
Strengths: Atmospheric illustrations, action-packed D&D story, satisfying wrap-up of our dear characters' middle school experience. The final scene felt quite nostalgic. This is probably the 40-something in me talking, but I am a huge fan of a modern day graphic novel that has minimal cellphone presence. Tyler showed a lot of character growth in this story. I left this one feeling inspired and motivated to sign up for a beginner D&
Weaknesses: I had to scratch my head over this. I am a big fan of the Sams and we got a lot of one and very little of the other. She never really got her chance to shine in this series. My other yearning was to have a full-circle moment with Jess. She was our first perspective in book one, struggled with growing the group, yet flourished. I would have loved to get a bit more of her at the end.
I believe my library patrons will be grabbing this one off of the shelf, even as a stand-alone. Xanthe Bouma's art is very inviting and easy to jump in and out of each "world." I think kids will love her style, if they haven't found her work yet. There are so many different, well developed characters. If a kid has made it through all three, the will certainly find one that they can relate to.
This was my favorite in the series! (But I'm always a sucker for a story that ties up everything so neatly.)
November 20, 2025
Final Face-off (should the O be capitalized?) concludes the Dungeon Club series, and unfortunately doesn't feel quite as strong as the previous installments.
The art style is still really charming (so many cute outfits on the characters!), and the in-game D&D action is still well-done.
Unfortunately, the out-of-game plot wasn't as well-written. It's always been harder to get a read on Tyler compared to the rest of the cast, and now that he's in the protagonist position, I found him kind of frustrating and difficult to sympathize with. The supporting characters, like Jess, Olivia, Sam, and Kelly, also feel oddly flat now. There's a confusing time-skip or two near the end that result in the reader not getting to see how/whether several important plotlines get resolved.
This series as a whole is fun and I'm very glad I read it, but Final Face-off doesn't live up to the standard set by the first two Dungeon Club books.
The art style is still really charming (so many cute outfits on the characters!), and the in-game D&D action is still well-done.
Unfortunately, the out-of-game plot wasn't as well-written. It's always been harder to get a read on Tyler compared to the rest of the cast, and now that he's in the protagonist position, I found him kind of frustrating and difficult to sympathize with. The supporting characters, like Jess, Olivia, Sam, and Kelly, also feel oddly flat now. There's a confusing time-skip or two near the end that result in the reader not getting to see how/whether several important plotlines get resolved.
This series as a whole is fun and I'm very glad I read it, but Final Face-off doesn't live up to the standard set by the first two Dungeon Club books.
October 28, 2025
Two of the main characters from the first two volumes were barely even in this. It makes no sense. I really didn’t like that, even when they were in a scene they barely got any dialogue. I loved the first two volumes and felt like they did a way better job on focusing on all the characters. This volume was 80% just about one character. I also don’t get why every volume is so short, if it were longer we would have gotten to actually have conversations with the other characters. Barely anything even happens in this. Really disappointing. I was so excited for this because I loved the friendships in the first two, why would you take that away in volume 3 and replace that with a focus on one character and his imaginary friend?
November 5, 2025
this series is one of my all time favorites, and this was a fantastic conclusion! the juxtaposition of scenes in the campaign and real life is exceptional, and it's so easy to be endeared to every one of the characters. seeing the whole of tyler's character arc was really sweet, and the layers of relatability continue to make this something I would recommend to any middle grade reader. it's heartfelt, and very fun! a perfect balance! and still really enriching for any d&d enthused reader, as I am exactly that, and it may even feel nostalgic if you started playing in middle school yourself. I highly recommend this entire series! I'm sad to see it's over, but I'm so happy to have a really well done middle grade dnd series to recommend, and revisit in the future.
November 27, 2025
Art and coloring still great! Tyler listens to the imaginary friend Sunny he has in his head and makes bolder life choices, just like he does as Sunny in their D&D game. He does have character growth and I enjoyed that he did tell the truth to Sam. I rated it a 4 because it felt like it had less substance than the previous two works. Latino rep with Tyler’s family culture. He realizes he is gay. Bullying. He and Sam end up together in the end (at least holding hands). My favorite part was actually the epilogue where it wraps up nicely - it shows their party of five playing D&D right before their first day of high school and them considering if they want to start a high school D&D club! Satisfying ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2026
I love this series so much. I was so happy that this installment focused on Tyler- after the last book, I really wanted to see more of his story. This was a sweet, relatable story. I loved Tyler's experience figuring out who he was, and the D&D game was awesome. Loved the continued storyline, and Sunny's battle scene is EPIC. I gasped aloud and read that scene several times.
Jess continued to be my favorite character. They didn't take up a lot of space in this book, but when they did appear, they were MVP. Loved their interaction with Kelly- peak respectful boundaries. We can have compassion without wanting to be friends. And Jess gently calling out Tyler was a major character development from the Jess in Book 1.
Excellent conclusion to an excellent trilogy
Jess continued to be my favorite character. They didn't take up a lot of space in this book, but when they did appear, they were MVP. Loved their interaction with Kelly- peak respectful boundaries. We can have compassion without wanting to be friends. And Jess gently calling out Tyler was a major character development from the Jess in Book 1.
Excellent conclusion to an excellent trilogy
January 17, 2026
In the 1 D&D campaign I played during the pandemic lockdown we were lucky to not lose any of our characters. I cannot imagine working on this character, this persona of yourself, and have them die in game…
RIP Sunny - you were a badass. We should all aspire to be like you: kind, strong, helpful.
I’m sad this series is over (yes, I am in my 30s reading a graphic novel trilogy that is targeted to a much younger demographic, mind yo biz). Readers of all ages need representation and stories they can relate to.
Thank you author & illustrator - your art matters 💟
RIP Sunny - you were a badass. We should all aspire to be like you: kind, strong, helpful.
I’m sad this series is over (yes, I am in my 30s reading a graphic novel trilogy that is targeted to a much younger demographic, mind yo biz). Readers of all ages need representation and stories they can relate to.
Thank you author & illustrator - your art matters 💟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2025
I am truly sad that this series is ending. The epilogue takes place the night before the group starts high school, which is a sensible conclusion, paired with the events in and out of the D&D game, but could also beg for a spin-off.
Also, I may have gotten misty-eyed at a couple points.
There is a plot element that I think is problematic, but I won't spoil it. There's also a comeuppance with the bully that ... I don't know, it feels too simple?
The art continues to be marvelous.
Also, I may have gotten misty-eyed at a couple points.
There is a plot element that I think is problematic, but I won't spoil it. There's also a comeuppance with the bully that ... I don't know, it feels too simple?
The art continues to be marvelous.
January 22, 2026
I love this book! Very cute art style, amazing seeing my favorite characters again - even if it was bittersweet knowing this was the last time. However, Kelly felt like a second grader. The way she acted, and bullied Tyler felt insanely juvenile. And the "betrayal" with Sam's "secret" was honestly the dumbest thing they could have thought of. Despite that - and I know, that was a lot - I still really love this book.
October 31, 2025
Um so actually this book is perfect and my heart is so happy and I want to own them all and re-read them all the time! If there’s more of them, I’ll read those too!
Only by the third book did I realize they’re rated for Elementary School readers, but my friend said “If it resonated with you, it’s for you!” But I bought the first one for my elementary school cousin just in case 😆.
Only by the third book did I realize they’re rated for Elementary School readers, but my friend said “If it resonated with you, it’s for you!” But I bought the first one for my elementary school cousin just in case 😆.
November 15, 2025
Ahh the awkward avoidance and lying about not liking things (and hurting people's feelings in the process) annoyed me, but I know that's just awkward teen. I appreciated the character development. I love the new character Tyler came up with that looks like him! And I'm glad he was honest with Sam in the end.
I love this series! The whole thing was very cute.
I love this series! The whole thing was very cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2025
Graphic Novel
Terrific finish to this series. Tyler finds his courage with help from Sunny but everything goes wrong when he shares secrets about others. The Club's eighth grade year certainly has some strong moments and sad times along with the fun. Hard to say goodbye to these characters. Hope she shares their high school adventures.
Terrific finish to this series. Tyler finds his courage with help from Sunny but everything goes wrong when he shares secrets about others. The Club's eighth grade year certainly has some strong moments and sad times along with the fun. Hard to say goodbye to these characters. Hope she shares their high school adventures.
December 23, 2025
A solid ending to this series! I wish we delved a little into Tyler's feelings, maybe saw him getting help or therapy, but I'm glad it turned out well in the end. I enjoyed seeing all the characters grow through the books, and while I of course wish for more in the series, I feel this is a good stopping point.
January 19, 2026
Since for every single one of these books I wrote a review I had to write one for this! I feel like my favorite one is this series. On every D&D thing I got was mostly for older kids,(and I'm only 8) but for younger D&D players, this is right for you! I also feel like this one is the saddest.(Not in abad way!) I also love the game stories.
January 26, 2026
Final Face-Off
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What a fantastic end to the series! I can't believe it's over now. 😭 I'm not sure there's really much I can say that wouldn't be a spoiler for the previous books, but I really enjoyed this series and I'm sad to see it end. However, this was about as good of an ending as I could've hoped for, so I'm happy. :)
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What a fantastic end to the series! I can't believe it's over now. 😭 I'm not sure there's really much I can say that wouldn't be a spoiler for the previous books, but I really enjoyed this series and I'm sad to see it end. However, this was about as good of an ending as I could've hoped for, so I'm happy. :)
December 3, 2025
The focus shifts to Tyler in this final volume of the D&D Dungeon Club trilogy in another excellent blend of roleplaying fantasy and middle school drama. Sad to see this series end, but it's a good ending!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews