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Dungeon Speedrunner: A LitRPG Progression Fantasy
Beat the record. Bend the rules. Break the curse.
At Haverford Academy, the greatest dungeon divers earn fame, fortune, and a place in the record books. As the last member of the Bradford family, I want my shot at all three. After a rocky start, I unlock Dungeon Speedrunner, a special ability that rewards dangerous challenges and impossible times with incredible stats.
Now I can level faster, grow stronger, and tackle routes nobody else would dare attempt. Better yet, I’m building a team of powerful women who believe in me, fight beside me, and are becoming something I haven’t had in a long a family.
But every step forward brings me closer to the truth behind the Bradford curse and the secret one group will do anything to protect.
I finally have something worth fighting for—and nobody’s taking it away from me.
At Haverford Academy, the greatest dungeon divers earn fame, fortune, and a place in the record books. As the last member of the Bradford family, I want my shot at all three. After a rocky start, I unlock Dungeon Speedrunner, a special ability that rewards dangerous challenges and impossible times with incredible stats.
Now I can level faster, grow stronger, and tackle routes nobody else would dare attempt. Better yet, I’m building a team of powerful women who believe in me, fight beside me, and are becoming something I haven’t had in a long a family.
But every step forward brings me closer to the truth behind the Bradford curse and the secret one group will do anything to protect.
I finally have something worth fighting for—and nobody’s taking it away from me.
708 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2026
About the author
Shane Hammond
67 books94 followersHey there! I'm Shane, and I love writing fantasy. I've been reading fantasy all my life, and I've always wanted the chance to tell the stories that I wanted to share. So here I am! With my stories, you can expect a fleshed-out and detailed world full of interesting characters that you can't help but root for. Thanks for checking me out, and I hope you enjoy my work!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 18, 2026
This book was just OK for me. I finished it, but I'm on the fence about reading a sequel. The MC has some sort of grand destiny in play, and I tend not to enjoy those series.
The MC is a guy from a long family of dungeon runners that all seem to die in the dungeon. He's apparently the last known male family member, and he's attending a dungeon running academy to learn the ins and outs of dungeon delving. This brings me to another not favorite tropes, the academy trope. He's romantically immature and at times oblivious. He has one lover by the end of the book, another that's agreed she wants to be in the harem but hasn't done more than kiss the MC. There's a third, the childhood friend that's joined the party but hasn't said a word about the harem to date. And then there's the one teacher, because you apparently can't write an academy series without the MC hooking up with a teacher eventually. So there was a lot that was predictable.
The LIs are just ok. The first is his actual roommate and a 3 tailed kitsune, who joins the school after week 1 and takes the MC's now departed roommate's place. Why the school would put her with the MC when there was other rooms is never explained. They eventually become lovers. The second is one of the class prodigies and a tank, who acts very tsundere for half the book. Now she's kissing him and considered herself a full harem member despite not going further.
There are a lot of plot holes and logic failures in the book for me. The first LI is a frontline caster, so she's expected to melee as well as throw spells, but after getting a really nice sword and practicing with it, she's mostly just a caster and stays in the back. The whole "Speedrunner" ability the MC has and the rewards it hands out are broken as all get out, and feels more like a mechanism to push the player's development faster so the author could get to more of the story than it did a real thing.
Lastly, and this impacted my ability to enjoy the book enough that I almost didn't read it in the first place, I loathe the speed run mentality in MMO games. Nothing ruins a dungeon run for me in an MMO faster than people trying to hurry up to beat some imaginary clock in their heads. It just makes the game more stressful instead of being enjoyable.
The MC is a guy from a long family of dungeon runners that all seem to die in the dungeon. He's apparently the last known male family member, and he's attending a dungeon running academy to learn the ins and outs of dungeon delving. This brings me to another not favorite tropes, the academy trope. He's romantically immature and at times oblivious. He has one lover by the end of the book, another that's agreed she wants to be in the harem but hasn't done more than kiss the MC. There's a third, the childhood friend that's joined the party but hasn't said a word about the harem to date. And then there's the one teacher, because you apparently can't write an academy series without the MC hooking up with a teacher eventually. So there was a lot that was predictable.
The LIs are just ok. The first is his actual roommate and a 3 tailed kitsune, who joins the school after week 1 and takes the MC's now departed roommate's place. Why the school would put her with the MC when there was other rooms is never explained. They eventually become lovers. The second is one of the class prodigies and a tank, who acts very tsundere for half the book. Now she's kissing him and considered herself a full harem member despite not going further.
There are a lot of plot holes and logic failures in the book for me. The first LI is a frontline caster, so she's expected to melee as well as throw spells, but after getting a really nice sword and practicing with it, she's mostly just a caster and stays in the back. The whole "Speedrunner" ability the MC has and the rewards it hands out are broken as all get out, and feels more like a mechanism to push the player's development faster so the author could get to more of the story than it did a real thing.
Lastly, and this impacted my ability to enjoy the book enough that I almost didn't read it in the first place, I loathe the speed run mentality in MMO games. Nothing ruins a dungeon run for me in an MMO faster than people trying to hurry up to beat some imaginary clock in their heads. It just makes the game more stressful instead of being enjoyable.
November 10, 2026
Except for the fact that the up scaling is all over the place. I found it a decent read.
Although I did find it a little confusing when the academy allowed a forth year team to challenge a first year team. Especially with a deep dive.
Aren’t they supposed to be protecting the first year’s? And where’s the glory in beating a first year? It’s a lose lose situation for the forth year team.
Also why is there always a teacher in lust for the MC?
But I still will be reading the next book.
Although I did find it a little confusing when the academy allowed a forth year team to challenge a first year team. Especially with a deep dive.
Aren’t they supposed to be protecting the first year’s? And where’s the glory in beating a first year? It’s a lose lose situation for the forth year team.
Also why is there always a teacher in lust for the MC?
But I still will be reading the next book.
October 7, 2026
Another fantastic start from Shane
I'm loving everything about this book already and the ending has a light cliffhanger that makes me to dive right into the next one. Fantastic characters but the story is the real winner here. I'm normally not a fan of the more dungeon crawler books but this one had me locked in.
I'm loving everything about this book already and the ending has a light cliffhanger that makes me to dive right into the next one. Fantastic characters but the story is the real winner here. I'm normally not a fan of the more dungeon crawler books but this one had me locked in.
October 6, 2026
Exciting and Enjoyable
What can I say once again Shane Hammond presents us with an amazing book. I actually sighed when it ended, good pace very well written characters and progression arc. Enjoyable to the last page.
What can I say once again Shane Hammond presents us with an amazing book. I actually sighed when it ended, good pace very well written characters and progression arc. Enjoyable to the last page.
November 1, 2026
A very solid entry from the author again. The MC, LIs, the politics, intrigue everything is very well done and i really enjoyed reading this book and am waiting for more from the next books in this series. The ending is something done perfectly and it came from no where and surprised me very much.
October 5, 2026
Amazing book, great character development
I Loved how the system was done. I loved the character development. I loved how the ending was unexpected and exciting to read.
I Loved how the system was done. I loved the character development. I loved how the ending was unexpected and exciting to read.
October 5, 2026
Great story
This was an amazinfun read. I sincerely hope this goes longer then the 3 book norm. Shane great job on this one.
This was an amazinfun read. I sincerely hope this goes longer then the 3 book norm. Shane great job on this one.
October 8, 2026
What a dungeon diving book and academy book should be.
October 10, 2026
this was fun
I like that the MC didn’t get an ability that made him OP. I enjoyed that the MC is using a War scythe instead of the common weapons. The characters were great.
I like that the MC didn’t get an ability that made him OP. I enjoyed that the MC is using a War scythe instead of the common weapons. The characters were great.
October 18, 2026
Was fine, just a little tropey and on the nose. About 75% in a childhood friend nobody has mentioned or thought of just shows up…
October 22, 2026
Wow this was great
I've been in a slump. Reading boo after book that was poor or just ok. From the moment I started this book I was hooked? Great read.. Can't wait for the next one
I've been in a slump. Reading boo after book that was poor or just ok. From the moment I started this book I was hooked? Great read.. Can't wait for the next one
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews