The Amber Beast: A Dark Dungeon Core LitRPG

by Mathis Thorne

Some Dungeons just want to consume. This one wants to understand.

In a hole in a limestone hill, he opens his eyes for the first time.

He has a body he didn't ask for. Amber eyes, pointed ears, a tail. A dungeon — small, cold, empty. Something inside him says to expand, a voice tells him to grow. To learn.

Then the humans come. Armed, trained, using fire to burn everything he's built.

Kale gets curious. And takes them captive. Among them is Corvin, a young adventurer.

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A Dark Dungeon Core LitRPG.

- Non-human MC & System Progression
- Gritty Base-Building & Evolution
- Slow-burn MM Romance Subplot
- Body Horror & Captivity
- Book One of an ongoing series.

Content Warning: graphic violence, body horror, captivity, non-consensual experimentation. Rated 16+.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2026

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

The Amber Beast is the first in a series that combines litRPG and traditional fantasy storytelling. LitRPG is the default mode for events told from Kale’s perspective (though in the third-person); all the humans have more traditional storytelling, albeit with sometimes very short sections and the narrator usually clearly marked. This is also only the first part of the story, the part in an RPG where a player is exploring the world and level-building. Here I will be blunt: it feels like the real story is only just beginning when this book ends.

The commitment to the gamification aspect of the storytelling was solid. If that’s your thing, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy all the various ways Kale interacts and reacts to his dungeon environment.

In terms of writing, I was surprised at the spareness of all the words on the page and yet there were so very many pages. Perhaps some of that was due to how the characters interact with each other and how those interactions were conveyed in writing. There was a lot of attention paid to how little anyone actually said.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Lia Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evolution Meets D&D: A One-of-a-Kind Read

The book gave me the impression of an evolution-style game combined with an RPG, plus a bit of Dungeons & Dragons.

I haven't read anything in this style before, the sense of actually being a player in the game is truly distinct.

Personally, I loved the originality of the writing style and the overall concept.

[Chaos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for what it was. Maybe its my mood but I didnt fly through it. It also could have been the povs. There were quite a few and it got confusing even with them being labeled. Things sort of ran together. The plot was confusing and I didn't really get it. However, the beginning had me hooked and its why I kept reading. I may not have enjoyed this as much as I originally though, I will pick up other books by this author. I very much loved the cover too

[Matheus Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma de Dark Dungeon Core

The Amber Beast entrega um folego ao Genero de Dungeon Core. A história toma um rumo psicológico incrível quando ele captura um grupo de humanos, incluindo o jovem aventureiro Corvin, transformando o que seria uma simples construção de base em uma exploração tensa de curiosidade, sobrevivência e experimentação. Misturando um horror corporal visceral com um romance M/M de desenvolvimento lento.

[Nickita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the gaming aspect of this book. The characters were easily remembered. I enjoyed the different points of view.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.