This Used To Be About Dungeons: Volume 2

This Used To Be About Dungeons #2

by Alexander Wales

This is a tale that used to be about dungeons...

But these days it's more about sharing a pot of tea, or teaching someone the proper way to make a sandwich, or deciding whether your mysterious egg needs more sunlight. Yes, you still venture into dungeons--two in one day, if you're feeling ambitious--and there are still monsters to fight and treasures to find. But when you come out, what matters isn't the treasures you've gathered, it's whether everyone's coming to temple day or if you can all find something fancy enough to wear to the opera.

Sometimes life throws you curveballs, like ex-girlfriends who can bend time showing up at your door. But that's why you need your friends around you - the ones who'll eavesdrop from upstairs windows to make sure you're okay, or teach you about clerical symmetry, or share their family's special fermented seed bars (though you might know them better as chocolate).

There's danger out there in the dungeons, sure. But there's also warm houses filled with good company, temple sermons about broken plates, and maybe even a dragon egg about to hatch...

Come see what we've built together, won't you?

Genres: Fantasy

587 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Alexander Wales is the pseudonym of Ben Friesen. Ben is a writer and stay-at-home dad located in Duluth, MN with his wife, their son, and cat.

Reviews

[Audrey Nester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the characters are well thought out and in-depth. I enjoy the party atmosphere and conversations/ jokes between the characters. This is a great comfort read. Alfric is quickly becoming my favorite character, and I find myself looking forward to the chapters in his perspective. I am interested and wished we saw more on the dealings with Lola (hopefully we will see more in the future additions).

I do have a few gripes that I am struggling with:
1. I find the pairing of Verity and Isra strange as it seems like Isra hasn't been around a ton of people in her life surviving alone in the woods, so it's odd that she would already be falling for Verity. It also seems a bit like Verity would be taking advantage of this situation if that is the case with Isra not having many experiences in relationships whether that be friendly or romantically.
2. I see Mizuki and Alfric's relationship in an older brother and little sister bond that an eventual romantic relationship.
3. I'm hoping that we don't see 2 different romantic relationships in a 5-person team. Just because they are in a party together, I don't think that means that they need to have relationships within the party instead of branching off. Not to mention, they haven't been together long, and romantic feelings are coming up between quite of few of the members.

[Moller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I said that I reached my limit on cosy fantasy with these books but I genuinely cannot explain how I have gotten hooked on a book where nothing happens. It’s literally slice of life but I like all the characters, I like how they interact with each other, and yes I do want to see Isra learn to cook! Sue me!

Plus the end actually had some tension going on which was extra interesting. It’s extraordinarily easy to pick up and put down whenever and it’s great as a book to read between books.

‘the thing that I like about dungeons is that we’re doing them together. We’re friends, and I think if we did anything that I didn’t care for all that much—like, I don’t know, making dresses or having a pottery business—I would enjoy it because I was doing it with the four of you.”’

‘But look at the reflection of pride: it’s doubt. If you pin your self-worth on your capability, then when you find yourself incapable, or even just less than perfectly capable, your sense of self-worth might plummet.”’

[Drew Ising · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement over the first... half (? it's hard to know how to consider the print version of the books considering how they started) of the book. The party members were much more believable as a team, and each had chances to shine in and out of dungeons.

There are still some times when it seems like the chapters were written or published out of order, when a character says or does something that is a repeat of an event/situation from "book" 1, rolling back some part of their intervening character arc.

Probably the most confusing part, from an editing standpoint, is the last Mizumi chapter. Based on how the book ended, it didn't really seem to have a purpose other than to partially throw a wet blanket over a pretty clever and exciting climax.

All the food they describe in the book sounds delicious, and makes me want to host dinner parties a la my wife's former graduate advisors lab dinners or a Mandracchia™ Pizza Friday.

[Michelle Nelms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the team

This is such a pleasant series so far. I am already looking forward to the next one

I love the complexity of the characters and their interpersonal relationships. I loved meeting Alfric's parents.

Getting more information about the world and its politics was neat. And the juxtaposition of Ria against Verity's mom was perfect.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so cozy. It’s a really great blend of fantasy and slice of life. This book continues the character development of the first, further builds out the world, and has a really satisfying (though open ended) arc with Lola and her team. A total comfort read.