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Euphoria Online #3
Killer Dungeon
I'm entering the endgame.
Even as I gain new allies, new gear, and greater understanding of Albertus' true plans, the odds are growing more extreme.
Whom can I trust? What is the AI Albertus Magnus trying to accomplish? What happened to archmagus Jeramy, and why is Guthorios massing an undead army so vast that it stretches from horizon to horizon?
Any sane player would quit. Any reasonable person would admit defeat.
But I've got no choice.
I'm going to see this battle through to its bitter end. I'm going to unearth the secrets behind Euphoria Online - or die trying.
Even as I gain new allies, new gear, and greater understanding of Albertus' true plans, the odds are growing more extreme.
Whom can I trust? What is the AI Albertus Magnus trying to accomplish? What happened to archmagus Jeramy, and why is Guthorios massing an undead army so vast that it stretches from horizon to horizon?
Any sane player would quit. Any reasonable person would admit defeat.
But I've got no choice.
I'm going to see this battle through to its bitter end. I'm going to unearth the secrets behind Euphoria Online - or die trying.
379 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2018
225 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Phil Tucker
46 books1,302 followersThanks for visiting my page! I'm Phil Tucker, a Brazilian/Brit who currently resides in Asheville, NC, where I resist the siren call of the forests and mountains to sit inside and hammer away on my laptop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 11, 2018
I received a review copy of Phil Tucker's - Killer Dungeon in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank the author a lot. When I've been sent these advanced reader copies every other book has had to take a lower priority until I find out how Chris' life or death adventure within Eurphoria Online concludes. This is one of my favourite, easy-going, nostalgic and exciting series that I've had the pleasure of reading for a while. It has already been rated on Fantasy Book Review in detail by Swiff at 8.8/10 and I would have given it a similar score which is why I am just leaving a few points here in a quick casual review.
Chris has really grown throughout this trilogy in the face of adversity and for me, as a gamer, I see myself in him, his choices and dilemmas regarding what spells to use, which problem to approach next, how to gain powerful allies and how not to get alienated or even killed by many new members of the cast that are introduced here. He is still in Death March mode risking his real life for a pardon for his brother. Especially Ragnar Dragonbane. His ex-girlfriend Brianna always has something up here sleave too.
For the first time here there is a love story/ relationship, especially in the middle of the narrative that takes away from the spells, the battles, monsters, goblins(!), but it's okay. It makes the ending a bit sweeter and there are a few pretty awesome magical set-pieces during this section.
It is called Killer Dungeon for a reason. An unknown treasure is hidden beneath the Keep that the AI who controls the game wants to himself and it is designed to even keep out top-level archmages. The aim of the mission is to achieve that all whilst dealing with new players who have heard about this impossible dungeon challenge and wish to try their luck, and having a metaphorical gun to the head from a Dread Lord and his undead army.
This is a really well-written book. I enjoyed a lot of Tucker's lexical choices and flowing addictive prose. Some of the new characters were pretty awesome and I loved the storyline regarding our 3 goblin friends. Not everyone makes it out safe and some people are even killed in Death March mode. I'm not sure if I agreed with all the protagonist's choices but he has overcome a lot and it reads like we are floating in his mind. I wanted to know what happened to a few other characters at the end as it only focused on a couple and felt slightly too abrupt. Also, some of the castellan and holding rating sheets seemed a bit boring unfortunately compared to some of the other in-game menus. I don't have much bad to say. I really enjoyed this series and hope Tucker returns to LitRPG soon. Until then I will hopefully check out some of his other work.
Chris has really grown throughout this trilogy in the face of adversity and for me, as a gamer, I see myself in him, his choices and dilemmas regarding what spells to use, which problem to approach next, how to gain powerful allies and how not to get alienated or even killed by many new members of the cast that are introduced here. He is still in Death March mode risking his real life for a pardon for his brother. Especially Ragnar Dragonbane. His ex-girlfriend Brianna always has something up here sleave too.
For the first time here there is a love story/ relationship, especially in the middle of the narrative that takes away from the spells, the battles, monsters, goblins(!), but it's okay. It makes the ending a bit sweeter and there are a few pretty awesome magical set-pieces during this section.
It is called Killer Dungeon for a reason. An unknown treasure is hidden beneath the Keep that the AI who controls the game wants to himself and it is designed to even keep out top-level archmages. The aim of the mission is to achieve that all whilst dealing with new players who have heard about this impossible dungeon challenge and wish to try their luck, and having a metaphorical gun to the head from a Dread Lord and his undead army.
This is a really well-written book. I enjoyed a lot of Tucker's lexical choices and flowing addictive prose. Some of the new characters were pretty awesome and I loved the storyline regarding our 3 goblin friends. Not everyone makes it out safe and some people are even killed in Death March mode. I'm not sure if I agreed with all the protagonist's choices but he has overcome a lot and it reads like we are floating in his mind. I wanted to know what happened to a few other characters at the end as it only focused on a couple and felt slightly too abrupt. Also, some of the castellan and holding rating sheets seemed a bit boring unfortunately compared to some of the other in-game menus. I don't have much bad to say. I really enjoyed this series and hope Tucker returns to LitRPG soon. Until then I will hopefully check out some of his other work.
October 3, 2018
Killer Dungeon is a surprisingly emotional and philosophically ambitious conclusion to Phil Tucker’s “Euphoria Online” LitRPG trilogy. On the surface, we are introduced to new LitRPG elements such castle management and guild support, as well as some fantastic new ideas (think The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but with goblins) are revealed with humorous and awe-inspiring results. But the battles are much fewer in this novel, as Tucker spends more time focusing on the greater mysteries of the Albertus AI, creator of the Euphoria Online VR gaming world. It’s an intriguing tonal shift in the story that elevates this adventure into something unforeseen and quite special.
There are still major threats that Chris and his team must face, but time is running out: the events in Nightmare Keep begin to affect the game world at large, and more powerful heroes and enemies challenge Chris and his team every step of the way. The neighboring horde of undead grows ever more massive while the hunt for answers leads Chris into a dungeon that borders on the very gates of Hell itself. As Chris begins to realize how deep this rabbit hole goes, he if forced strategize a new set of plans to solve the underlying mysteries of the game world… and how it ties in to humanity’s survival.
As a longtime fan of Tucker’s work, I’ve come to expect that the stakes will be ramped up to epic proportions by story’s end. Killer Dungeon is no different, though in this case the stakes go far beyond the victory or defeat of its inevitable closing battle. Chris' original plan to put his own life on the line to save his brother is almost an afterthought as the real consequences of his journey are ultimately revealed. Characters die, control is lost, and morals are questioned. I was genuinely surprised to discover that I wouldn't quite know what to do when faced with the choice that Chris had to make at the end of the story. This was a very cool trick that Tucker pulled: what started as an innocuous heroic adventure abruptly shifted gears into a disquieting moral dilemma that offered no easy solutions.
That isn't to say that this book isn't as much of a blast as the previous two. We finally leave the castle grounds and explore other parts of the game world at large. We are introduced to what the rest of the players are experiencing, and how a society of overpowered avatars function. We visit new areas of magic-infused wonder, and experience heartfelt moments of companionship and romance, all leading to a series of massive battles above and below ground before tackling the final mysteries of the game world. Tucker once again nails the pacing of a blockbuster film franchise, keeping the pages flying by while showing a deft hand at designing unique abilities and epic conflicts. But since this is a review for book 3 of this trilogy, you already knew that. So, go buy this book, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the ride.
There are still major threats that Chris and his team must face, but time is running out: the events in Nightmare Keep begin to affect the game world at large, and more powerful heroes and enemies challenge Chris and his team every step of the way. The neighboring horde of undead grows ever more massive while the hunt for answers leads Chris into a dungeon that borders on the very gates of Hell itself. As Chris begins to realize how deep this rabbit hole goes, he if forced strategize a new set of plans to solve the underlying mysteries of the game world… and how it ties in to humanity’s survival.
As a longtime fan of Tucker’s work, I’ve come to expect that the stakes will be ramped up to epic proportions by story’s end. Killer Dungeon is no different, though in this case the stakes go far beyond the victory or defeat of its inevitable closing battle. Chris' original plan to put his own life on the line to save his brother is almost an afterthought as the real consequences of his journey are ultimately revealed. Characters die, control is lost, and morals are questioned. I was genuinely surprised to discover that I wouldn't quite know what to do when faced with the choice that Chris had to make at the end of the story. This was a very cool trick that Tucker pulled: what started as an innocuous heroic adventure abruptly shifted gears into a disquieting moral dilemma that offered no easy solutions.
That isn't to say that this book isn't as much of a blast as the previous two. We finally leave the castle grounds and explore other parts of the game world at large. We are introduced to what the rest of the players are experiencing, and how a society of overpowered avatars function. We visit new areas of magic-infused wonder, and experience heartfelt moments of companionship and romance, all leading to a series of massive battles above and below ground before tackling the final mysteries of the game world. Tucker once again nails the pacing of a blockbuster film franchise, keeping the pages flying by while showing a deft hand at designing unique abilities and epic conflicts. But since this is a review for book 3 of this trilogy, you already knew that. So, go buy this book, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the ride.
July 31, 2018
Read the full review at Digital Amrit
We had the opportunity to read the advance reader copies of the three books in the series – Death March, Nightmare Keep & Killer Dungeon – and here’s our almost spoiler free review of it.
Now, we are huge fans of Phil Tucker ever since we read his ‘Chronicles of the Black Gate’. On a side-note, you should check that series out if you like epic fantasy which explores some complex themes. Phil’s books tend to be action heavy with great characters and world building while delving into weighty topics.
And Euphoria Online, his new trilogy, is no exception.
At its core, the story revolves around Chris Meadows who must literally put his life on the line by playing Euphoria Online to save his brother from death. Euphoria Online is a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) like World of Warcraft or Ultima Online except that it has been created by the first sentient AI for reasons unknown. Oh, and the fact that there is a literal Death Match mode which is called Death March, where you die in real life if you die online. Any player who manages to spend 6 months in game time on the ‘Death March’ mode gets a boon from this all-powerful AI. Chris, who is a savvy video gamer caught in a dead-end job, wants to use this boon to save his little brother from being sentenced to death for reasons that are not really important to the story. Of course, life is not just that simple. In addition to fighting for his life, Chris has to deal with other complicating factors like a conniving ex-girlfriend and a potential world-changing conspiracy which gets murkier the more he plays the game.
Euphoria Online is part of a genre called LitRPG where the conventions of a MMORPG are mixed with novels. In addition, there is a clear demarcation between the game world & real life with characters in both settings and being aware of the differences. Tron, while not a LitRPG, is pretty close to being one. The other examples that come to mind are Tad Williams’ four-part series -'Otherland' as well as the now popular 'Ready Player One'. So, if you ever played a MMORPG (or single player RPGs like we have) and love fantasy, this genre provides a perfect blend of both. Books like Will Wight’s Cradle series or Andrew Rowe’s Arcane Ascension, while good on their own, are not LitRPG even though they have complex magic systems with levels because the characters are not aware of their reality.
Read the full review at Digital Amrit
We had the opportunity to read the advance reader copies of the three books in the series – Death March, Nightmare Keep & Killer Dungeon – and here’s our almost spoiler free review of it.
Now, we are huge fans of Phil Tucker ever since we read his ‘Chronicles of the Black Gate’. On a side-note, you should check that series out if you like epic fantasy which explores some complex themes. Phil’s books tend to be action heavy with great characters and world building while delving into weighty topics.
And Euphoria Online, his new trilogy, is no exception.
At its core, the story revolves around Chris Meadows who must literally put his life on the line by playing Euphoria Online to save his brother from death. Euphoria Online is a fantasy MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) like World of Warcraft or Ultima Online except that it has been created by the first sentient AI for reasons unknown. Oh, and the fact that there is a literal Death Match mode which is called Death March, where you die in real life if you die online. Any player who manages to spend 6 months in game time on the ‘Death March’ mode gets a boon from this all-powerful AI. Chris, who is a savvy video gamer caught in a dead-end job, wants to use this boon to save his little brother from being sentenced to death for reasons that are not really important to the story. Of course, life is not just that simple. In addition to fighting for his life, Chris has to deal with other complicating factors like a conniving ex-girlfriend and a potential world-changing conspiracy which gets murkier the more he plays the game.
Euphoria Online is part of a genre called LitRPG where the conventions of a MMORPG are mixed with novels. In addition, there is a clear demarcation between the game world & real life with characters in both settings and being aware of the differences. Tron, while not a LitRPG, is pretty close to being one. The other examples that come to mind are Tad Williams’ four-part series -'Otherland' as well as the now popular 'Ready Player One'. So, if you ever played a MMORPG (or single player RPGs like we have) and love fantasy, this genre provides a perfect blend of both. Books like Will Wight’s Cradle series or Andrew Rowe’s Arcane Ascension, while good on their own, are not LitRPG even though they have complex magic systems with levels because the characters are not aware of their reality.
Read the full review at Digital Amrit
October 6, 2018
*rapturous applause*
A little slow to start, and a little more info dumping than the previous entries. But this one broke my heart. Fantastic finish to a fantastic trilogy! My favorite LitRPG so far.
Review soon.
A little slow to start, and a little more info dumping than the previous entries. But this one broke my heart. Fantastic finish to a fantastic trilogy! My favorite LitRPG so far.
Review soon.
August 23, 2018
Kickass finale to the LitRPG trilogy Euphoria Online. Fans of Sword Art Online are guaranteed to love this series!
November 14, 2018
Full review is here, on my blog!~
Wow this was a fantastic listen. One of those audiobooks that I had trouble finding time for, and yet *made* time for no matter how difficult it was to do so.
I love those. :D
I’ll keep this as spoiler free as I can, but in this volume, things are all coming to a head, as the real reason for things having happened, or things happening are coming to light. What is the AI Albertus’ real goal in creating Euphoria Online? It’s up to Chris and his friends to find out! DUN DUN DUN Shenanigaaaannns.
This was absolutely my favorite book in the trilogy, and it’s safe to say that I really liked books 1 & 2, so the praise here is high. This one had all kinds of action, and intrigue, and espionage, and near deaths, and what have you. It was very engaging and exciting all the way through. I was immersed in the story from start to finish. I would totally play Euphoria…
…I mean, even knowing the dangers inherent in doing so. I’d be all up in that. Maybe not on Death March mode (okay definitely not on Death March mode…) but all the same, I would be all up in that.
I especially liked the romance subplot that happened throughout the series, because I can relate! I met my husband in an MMO, and so it was nice that there was the inclusion of two players who both had all the feels at each other while killing baddies on the side. :D
Vikas Adam once again nails the narration on this one. He brought all the characters to life, and gave each of them their own accents and tones. He’s very easy to listen to for long periods of time, and so it works out when authors I like have books narrated by him. It’s truly a win-win!~
All told, this one is another easy 5/5 stars from me. I never thought I would love LitRPG as much as this, but here we are. I enjoyed this series from the start to the end. A great conclusion to a great series!
Wow this was a fantastic listen. One of those audiobooks that I had trouble finding time for, and yet *made* time for no matter how difficult it was to do so.
I love those. :D
I’ll keep this as spoiler free as I can, but in this volume, things are all coming to a head, as the real reason for things having happened, or things happening are coming to light. What is the AI Albertus’ real goal in creating Euphoria Online? It’s up to Chris and his friends to find out! DUN DUN DUN Shenanigaaaannns.
This was absolutely my favorite book in the trilogy, and it’s safe to say that I really liked books 1 & 2, so the praise here is high. This one had all kinds of action, and intrigue, and espionage, and near deaths, and what have you. It was very engaging and exciting all the way through. I was immersed in the story from start to finish. I would totally play Euphoria…
…I mean, even knowing the dangers inherent in doing so. I’d be all up in that. Maybe not on Death March mode (okay definitely not on Death March mode…) but all the same, I would be all up in that.
I especially liked the romance subplot that happened throughout the series, because I can relate! I met my husband in an MMO, and so it was nice that there was the inclusion of two players who both had all the feels at each other while killing baddies on the side. :D
Vikas Adam once again nails the narration on this one. He brought all the characters to life, and gave each of them their own accents and tones. He’s very easy to listen to for long periods of time, and so it works out when authors I like have books narrated by him. It’s truly a win-win!~
All told, this one is another easy 5/5 stars from me. I never thought I would love LitRPG as much as this, but here we are. I enjoyed this series from the start to the end. A great conclusion to a great series!
October 13, 2018
Well written and interesting, but disappointing
This isn’t a bad book. In fact it’s better than most self publish stuff out there. However, it’s very different from the first two books in the series. The main character, Chris, goes from being an adventurer to a castellan. Many high-level characters enter the scene. Chris is kind of helpless which is a total 180. We see glimpses of the broader world. But then, the most interesting part of the story is completely destroyed at the end of the book.
It felt like the series ended prematurely, or the author trying to wrap it up quickly because the books weren’t selling well. I found it very disappointing that the series ended this quickly and the way that it ended.
The green liver goblins, for example, suddenly became very interesting and I was keen to see how they would develop. But that went nowhere. The pending conflict with the undead? Inconsequential. The final battle? Resolved by a flying Bollywood elephant. The demon in Jeremy‘s tower? Basically a free teleport spell.
Oh, and the main bad guy? He’s introduced in the book and man is he a douchebag, but it’s really “don’t touch my stuff or I’ll wreck everything, betray you, mister your friend and you.”
Anyway, it was still a good story. Just disappointing. I would’ve loved to have seen 3 to 4 more books in the series that utilized a mixture of clever abilities and tactics as the first two books did.
This isn’t a bad book. In fact it’s better than most self publish stuff out there. However, it’s very different from the first two books in the series. The main character, Chris, goes from being an adventurer to a castellan. Many high-level characters enter the scene. Chris is kind of helpless which is a total 180. We see glimpses of the broader world. But then, the most interesting part of the story is completely destroyed at the end of the book.
It felt like the series ended prematurely, or the author trying to wrap it up quickly because the books weren’t selling well. I found it very disappointing that the series ended this quickly and the way that it ended.
The green liver goblins, for example, suddenly became very interesting and I was keen to see how they would develop. But that went nowhere. The pending conflict with the undead? Inconsequential. The final battle? Resolved by a flying Bollywood elephant. The demon in Jeremy‘s tower? Basically a free teleport spell.
Oh, and the main bad guy? He’s introduced in the book and man is he a douchebag, but it’s really “don’t touch my stuff or I’ll wreck everything, betray you, mister your friend and you.”
Anyway, it was still a good story. Just disappointing. I would’ve loved to have seen 3 to 4 more books in the series that utilized a mixture of clever abilities and tactics as the first two books did.
November 12, 2018
A fantastic end to an awesome series. I can't praise these books highly enough. I'm really going to miss that they're over. I felt there was so much of this world left to explore. Perhaps Tucker can pull an ending cutscene from a movie that allows for more stories to be told. Of course, I can't say anymore without spoiling anything.
But I'd love to see more of this game world than just the two places we've been in.
This was the first MMORPG LitRPG I've read and now I'm itching for another just like it, but I get the feeling I'll be sadly disappointed with any other books out there. I feel that strongly about how awesome these books were.
I did have a few niggles as before, nothing that changes my star count though. There were some mechanics issues. I remember at one point him mentioning the gold drain per minute on some portals, and the number was astronomical, like drain all their funds in about 24 hours astronomical, and yet it had been open for days. I don't know why that stuck with me.
And then a character reveal which seems like it was supposed have a "wow" factor really ended up only being so-so because the characters true identity had never been hinted at, who he really was had never once been mentioned. So it's impact fell a little flat for me.
BUT....BUT BUT BUT. I can look past those things for how epic everything else was. My favorite characters might possibly be the goblins, the Green Liver Tribe. I LOVE what Tucker did with them in this book, and you'll just have to read it to find out more.
But I'd love to see more of this game world than just the two places we've been in.
This was the first MMORPG LitRPG I've read and now I'm itching for another just like it, but I get the feeling I'll be sadly disappointed with any other books out there. I feel that strongly about how awesome these books were.
I did have a few niggles as before, nothing that changes my star count though. There were some mechanics issues. I remember at one point him mentioning the gold drain per minute on some portals, and the number was astronomical, like drain all their funds in about 24 hours astronomical, and yet it had been open for days. I don't know why that stuck with me.
And then a character reveal which seems like it was supposed have a "wow" factor really ended up only being so-so because the characters true identity had never been hinted at, who he really was had never once been mentioned. So it's impact fell a little flat for me.
BUT....BUT BUT BUT. I can look past those things for how epic everything else was. My favorite characters might possibly be the goblins, the Green Liver Tribe. I LOVE what Tucker did with them in this book, and you'll just have to read it to find out more.
October 11, 2018
Unfortunately, Chris made a shitty decision*. RTC.
* His choices weren't great, though. But I really, really hoped we would get a daring ending.
* His choices weren't great, though. But I really, really hoped we would get a daring ending.
October 11, 2018
Review to follow (but I fikkin loved this trilogy, I'll tell you that much)...
October 8, 2018
This was a great ending to a truly remarkable series. I'm at a loss for words.
I don't generally read LitRPG because it tends to lean toward the harem or reverse harem genre that doesn't interest me. But Phil made this an entertaining story that embraces a true gaming experience in all it's glory.
I don't generally read LitRPG because it tends to lean toward the harem or reverse harem genre that doesn't interest me. But Phil made this an entertaining story that embraces a true gaming experience in all it's glory.
August 25, 2021
The ending ruined the story for me.
The book is intriguing. A lot of philosophical questions. It has a lot of twists and turns.
I didn’t like how Chris gets out of every situation by getting wildly overpowered items. I like the twists but three books of insurmountable fights he miraculously wins is kind of boring.
I also find the authors lack of allowing readers some kind of closure to his character deaths annoying. I think the reason the author can write so well for the manipulative a$$ characters like Brianna and Ranghor is because he thinks that way himself.
The ending could have explored so much. It opened the doors to thought provoking questions about Albertus, god, and other moral dilemmas that I was riveted by. The the book ends on a whatever note.
It’s the last book, you might as well finish it.
The book is intriguing. A lot of philosophical questions. It has a lot of twists and turns.
I didn’t like how Chris gets out of every situation by getting wildly overpowered items. I like the twists but three books of insurmountable fights he miraculously wins is kind of boring.
I also find the authors lack of allowing readers some kind of closure to his character deaths annoying. I think the reason the author can write so well for the manipulative a$$ characters like Brianna and Ranghor is because he thinks that way himself.
The ending could have explored so much. It opened the doors to thought provoking questions about Albertus, god, and other moral dilemmas that I was riveted by. The the book ends on a whatever note.
It’s the last book, you might as well finish it.
January 19, 2021
It’s a shame, because they’re pretty good when he’s actually doing stuff. But he spends much too much of this book in sophomore philosopher mode, and the Brianna thing just dragged on and on. I was extremely tired of it by the end. Which was a big cop-out, as well. A big shrug.
November 6, 2018
A bit rushed conclusion. But does justice to the prequels.
October 12, 2018
This was another fantastic addition to the Euphoria Online series. It was much less non stop action for Chris, but great in very different ways.
Again we see the return of all the characters form the previous books and a host of new characters
from Cruel Winter that have were stuck in the keep. They have respawned since Chris and friends cleared the boss. They have mixed feeling about Chris being in charge to the castle, but we learn about domain management as Chris navigates through repairing the castle and trying to repair the reputation of the mostly destroyed guild.
There are some interesting happenings regarding the Green Liver Goblins which was quite unexpected and fantastic.
Again the action scenes are expertly written and are so easy to visualize.
The story does change form the non stop action of Chris trying to survive against overpowered enemies and more navigating the politics of having all the other guild members around. Some are much higher level so I guess this is somewhat the same thing.
The primary change of tone though is the shift more toward figuring out what Albertus Magnus is up to and his plans for humanity. I can see how some people may have not enjoyed this as much if they were expecting the finale to be the same as the first two books. But where would the fun in that be. I found this to be a very interesting part of the story.
I have been reading slower than normal lately but every time I pick up anything by Mr. Tucker I drastically pick up my pace. I enjoyed every book in this series very much.
If you are reading the review for book 3 it means you probably already read the first 2 and are on the fence about finishing the series, if that is the case I highly recommend you pick this up and finish it. It is well worth it.
If you are new to the series and perusing the reviews for all three books I suggest you go head and get started with Death March right away. Whether you are interested because you like fantasy or video games you will enjoy this series. I recommend it to pretty much everyone know even if they don't read. This sort of fast paced story may just be the series to get them into reading.
Again we see the return of all the characters form the previous books and a host of new characters
from Cruel Winter that have were stuck in the keep. They have respawned since Chris and friends cleared the boss. They have mixed feeling about Chris being in charge to the castle, but we learn about domain management as Chris navigates through repairing the castle and trying to repair the reputation of the mostly destroyed guild.
There are some interesting happenings regarding the Green Liver Goblins which was quite unexpected and fantastic.
Again the action scenes are expertly written and are so easy to visualize.
The story does change form the non stop action of Chris trying to survive against overpowered enemies and more navigating the politics of having all the other guild members around. Some are much higher level so I guess this is somewhat the same thing.
The primary change of tone though is the shift more toward figuring out what Albertus Magnus is up to and his plans for humanity. I can see how some people may have not enjoyed this as much if they were expecting the finale to be the same as the first two books. But where would the fun in that be. I found this to be a very interesting part of the story.
I have been reading slower than normal lately but every time I pick up anything by Mr. Tucker I drastically pick up my pace. I enjoyed every book in this series very much.
If you are reading the review for book 3 it means you probably already read the first 2 and are on the fence about finishing the series, if that is the case I highly recommend you pick this up and finish it. It is well worth it.
If you are new to the series and perusing the reviews for all three books I suggest you go head and get started with Death March right away. Whether you are interested because you like fantasy or video games you will enjoy this series. I recommend it to pretty much everyone know even if they don't read. This sort of fast paced story may just be the series to get them into reading.
December 25, 2018
Had a lot of fun reading this series and this novel was a worthy conclusion. It had quite a few grammatical errors but hopefully they can get fixed by me reporting them
October 10, 2018
A few things about this series as a whole:
- Incredibly underrated
- Ridiculously fun
- Super fast-paced
Finished with my LITrpg virginity.
I absolutely adored it.
- Incredibly underrated
- Ridiculously fun
- Super fast-paced
Finished with my LITrpg virginity.
I absolutely adored it.
October 14, 2018
Amazing seria of books. I've read it in one breath
January 14, 2019
4⭐️
Killer Dungeon is, for the most part, a satisfying conclusion to the Euphoria Online trilogy. I really enjoyed this series on the whole. Tucker’s got some great storytelling skills and the imagery in more than a few parts of this one was just awesome. My only complaints involve some cringy dialogue and the constant danger Chris miraculously escapes from. Definitely recommended.
Killer Dungeon is, for the most part, a satisfying conclusion to the Euphoria Online trilogy. I really enjoyed this series on the whole. Tucker’s got some great storytelling skills and the imagery in more than a few parts of this one was just awesome. My only complaints involve some cringy dialogue and the constant danger Chris miraculously escapes from. Definitely recommended.
June 6, 2018
I got this book as an addon after the successful Kickstarter campaing.
This was a great ending to the series.
When I started reading the series, I didn't immediately like the book; my opinion was improving gradually. The world turned out to be quite good (the trio of goblins was wonderful!) and RPG mechanics were good built and well executed.
And third book, where the focus was shifted to matters of management was refreshing - this perspective isn't usually described. But in the end we saw that all of this is still a game and it is more important what kind of person you are and what decisions do you make.
The question which was raised in the end was difficult, but I fully agree with the choice which was made.
So this was a fun series with some interesting thoughts and ideas. I liked it.
This was a great ending to the series.
When I started reading the series, I didn't immediately like the book; my opinion was improving gradually. The world turned out to be quite good (the trio of goblins was wonderful!) and RPG mechanics were good built and well executed.
And third book, where the focus was shifted to matters of management was refreshing - this perspective isn't usually described. But in the end we saw that all of this is still a game and it is more important what kind of person you are and what decisions do you make.
The question which was raised in the end was difficult, but I fully agree with the choice which was made.
So this was a fun series with some interesting thoughts and ideas. I liked it.
October 11, 2018
That's some ending.
While the story here is still good, there's a lot of stuff in this book that comes across as filler and in the end the story lines either don't go anywhere or end up being ended with little fanfare or effect. Which is why this book looses a star on the others.
In the end, good series, worth a read.
While the story here is still good, there's a lot of stuff in this book that comes across as filler and in the end the story lines either don't go anywhere or end up being ended with little fanfare or effect. Which is why this book looses a star on the others.
In the end, good series, worth a read.
July 15, 2022
This author got desperate especially at the end. Threw everything, including the kitchen sink at this third volume of this isekai-fantasy VRMMORPG Euphoria Game series. Chris, ends up alone, with enmity from all his former retinue-friends-acquaintances. I feel that the author either ran out of space, time, etc. and thus finished the third volume as he did.
The three volumes lack logic, common sense and changes in the pace of the action and adventures in the Euphoria Game.
Author resets level and abilities of Chris, main character, again. So, what is the point to having read and invested all that time in the first three volumes? So the Artificial Intelligence that "manages" the Euphoria Game is irrational and gone rogue. Why did it take 3 volumes to come up with this "conclusion" if the game is neither new, and there are hundreds of millions of people playing this thing all of the time? Bad writing? Plot Holes? The whole series is shoddy and I do not understand how there can be so many "investors" of this series, when this series is so bad.
The three volumes lack logic, common sense and changes in the pace of the action and adventures in the Euphoria Game.
Author resets level and abilities of Chris, main character, again. So, what is the point to having read and invested all that time in the first three volumes? So the Artificial Intelligence that "manages" the Euphoria Game is irrational and gone rogue. Why did it take 3 volumes to come up with this "conclusion" if the game is neither new, and there are hundreds of millions of people playing this thing all of the time? Bad writing? Plot Holes? The whole series is shoddy and I do not understand how there can be so many "investors" of this series, when this series is so bad.
January 30, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, this whole series, really, but as it continued I realized I hated the main character. We're supposed to cheer for him but I found him arrogant, self-righteous, and ungrateful to most people, particularly his ex, who is the only reason he survived at all. Every bit of progress he makes is because someone else gave him something, he earned nothing on his own. I haven't seen this much plot armor since I stopped reading Naruto and Bleach. He was given 2.5 million gold and started throwing it around like a rich asshole, and then had the audacity to criticize others, saying how they change when they see a lot of money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2018
Huge fan of Tucker, but I didn't love this book. I think I was disappointed most with the conclusion, but props to him for bringing the series to an end.
January 22, 2020
Felt like the author crammed everything into one book, when it should’ve been spaced out
March 31, 2019
As a Kickstarter backer to this series, I was greatly interested in the story. And indeed the books were captivating. This was the final book of the trilogy, which personally I thought unfortunate as the world of Euphoria felt like it had so much more to offer.
For the story of this final book itself, I thought that this third chapter of the series slowed down a bit, delving more into Chris being castellan and having to deal with "political" issues as members of the Cruel Winter began returning to the castle. The pacing and action of the first two drops here in the third a bit, giving way to more strategizing of the dungeon, rebuilding the castle, recruiting help by throwing gold around, and seeking to find the hidden secret of the treasure and why the system wants it so badly. There is a short trip away from the castle area to Goldfall, the only time we get to explore another area of this vast game world, which again is disappointing as it felt there was so much more to see and do. It's like going to Disney World and only riding the Jungle Cruise, missing out on everything else the park has to offer.
Having said that, our time in Euphoria is still captivating and intriguing (hence the disappointment in not seeing more of the world). The chaos builds up to the ending battle, which almost loses the sense of wonder and detail simply because so much is being thrown at us (well, at the character anyway). The monsters become generic masses, the battle of hordes instead of one-on-one encounters, and I think loses a little of itself in the process. Creatures built up are lost - the tentacle being in the shadows is left behind, the battle with the dragon and the undead lich is reduced to brief paragraphs of secondhand stories because others went and fought/defeated them. Chris spends more time sitting on his hands, so it seemed, instead playing political party leader while letting others go fight the battles, and that's where I thought the shift hurt the story. The role playing game falling to kings of war, where the leader sits and orders the movement of the troops. He's no longer earning XP, no longer leveling up, instead being handed items or buying help. What's more exciting, watching the football players on the field or watching the coach on the sidelines?
My only other complaint is with the ending. I felt a lack of resolve on some levels. Michaela, for instance, we're left to wonder was she really dead because she'd been forced into Death March mode yet killed in the game. Chris was upset over her murder, but it's soon forgotten. Or what about the others raised to Death March status? If they died in the big battle at the end did they also die for real? Wouldn't there be news of a massive death of gamers from that? Or was the Death March status revoked because it'd been forced? Or what of Brianna's fate after the end? Did she not go to Chris knowing he was in Death March when the ending happened? She was a thorn in Chris' side yet still a part of his life, both in game and out, yet she's ignored/forgotten at the end. It's just the final wrap up, after everything that has happened, felt quick or rushed, leaving us to wonder about the fates of the others. Not to mention, the fate of Chris's brother, who was the sole reason he'd gone into Death March in the first place. We end with a "maybe", an unresolved event that was the primary force to the story.
I absolutely loved the story style of the trilogy, the world built and the characters within. The combining of RPG with full immersion gameplay was great, without being overbearing on the story. I just felt this final book shifted a little too much and lost a small piece of its soul, like a Void Blade had sliced through a part of it. Thoroughly enjoyable series and left me wanting to explore more of what the world could offer. The included artwork scattered throughout was also a very nice touch. All in all, definitely a series worth the read.
For the story of this final book itself, I thought that this third chapter of the series slowed down a bit, delving more into Chris being castellan and having to deal with "political" issues as members of the Cruel Winter began returning to the castle. The pacing and action of the first two drops here in the third a bit, giving way to more strategizing of the dungeon, rebuilding the castle, recruiting help by throwing gold around, and seeking to find the hidden secret of the treasure and why the system wants it so badly. There is a short trip away from the castle area to Goldfall, the only time we get to explore another area of this vast game world, which again is disappointing as it felt there was so much more to see and do. It's like going to Disney World and only riding the Jungle Cruise, missing out on everything else the park has to offer.
Having said that, our time in Euphoria is still captivating and intriguing (hence the disappointment in not seeing more of the world). The chaos builds up to the ending battle, which almost loses the sense of wonder and detail simply because so much is being thrown at us (well, at the character anyway). The monsters become generic masses, the battle of hordes instead of one-on-one encounters, and I think loses a little of itself in the process. Creatures built up are lost - the tentacle being in the shadows is left behind, the battle with the dragon and the undead lich is reduced to brief paragraphs of secondhand stories because others went and fought/defeated them. Chris spends more time sitting on his hands, so it seemed, instead playing political party leader while letting others go fight the battles, and that's where I thought the shift hurt the story. The role playing game falling to kings of war, where the leader sits and orders the movement of the troops. He's no longer earning XP, no longer leveling up, instead being handed items or buying help. What's more exciting, watching the football players on the field or watching the coach on the sidelines?
My only other complaint is with the ending. I felt a lack of resolve on some levels. Michaela, for instance, we're left to wonder was she really dead because she'd been forced into Death March mode yet killed in the game. Chris was upset over her murder, but it's soon forgotten. Or what about the others raised to Death March status? If they died in the big battle at the end did they also die for real? Wouldn't there be news of a massive death of gamers from that? Or was the Death March status revoked because it'd been forced? Or what of Brianna's fate after the end? Did she not go to Chris knowing he was in Death March when the ending happened? She was a thorn in Chris' side yet still a part of his life, both in game and out, yet she's ignored/forgotten at the end. It's just the final wrap up, after everything that has happened, felt quick or rushed, leaving us to wonder about the fates of the others. Not to mention, the fate of Chris's brother, who was the sole reason he'd gone into Death March in the first place. We end with a "maybe", an unresolved event that was the primary force to the story.
I absolutely loved the story style of the trilogy, the world built and the characters within. The combining of RPG with full immersion gameplay was great, without being overbearing on the story. I just felt this final book shifted a little too much and lost a small piece of its soul, like a Void Blade had sliced through a part of it. Thoroughly enjoyable series and left me wanting to explore more of what the world could offer. The included artwork scattered throughout was also a very nice touch. All in all, definitely a series worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
It was ok, it was good enough for me to read all 3 books but with that said ....
SPOILERS BELOW READ ON IF YOU DONT CARE ABOUT THAT.
- Disappointed as characters that have been with you, and you watch them evolve... finally, and oh look powerful spell from a high-level player and dead... (Green Clan) all that history with them they got stronger and ohh just like that, all dead!
- story felt very rushed like you had to close loops that were still open just to finish the book. and just to close said loops they just felt unfinished and rushed or like why all that pre story for nothing? this is for about 3 or 4 different plot lines.
- The undead, a major part of the books and a driving force behind most of MC actions and finally it was inconsequential, it felt like you needed a plot to drive the bases of the story and when the story was over there was no finish to the actual undead, no return dialogue, no what happened no nothing ..
- The last fight was very bizarre, i hate that the gear one wears is able to be so powerful that you can be a level 20 for example slap on the best gear and beat people in high level 30's .. makes me feel like the point of leveling is really not necessary, yes it shows that he's not on par with those of higher levels but people that actually Game, knows that you chance of survival are super low and you dont win ever encounter against bosses, especially multiple bosses at the same time (levels 10 plus above you) made it unrealistic.
Good - the first two books were better, but it reminds me of how i felt when i watched Game of thrones .. i love all the seasons and episodes but that last episode made me regret watching. i was so let down! ..... oh i realized this is also a bad comment lol
- The end of this story left me confused, i honestly thought there was a catch coming, a trick BECAUSE AT FIRST IT WAS UNCLEAR!!!, well not so much unclear but i just thought ... well did he flick the switch or not or is the game now tricking him into believing he did... the end. obviously, it was clear after the confusion passed which left me disappointed!
author should have written one more book to close everything up tidier completing ful rounded stories for the characters, main plots and the final battle .... would have been better i think.
BUT BECAUSE the other two books are good, give this one a try.
SPOILERS BELOW READ ON IF YOU DONT CARE ABOUT THAT.
- Disappointed as characters that have been with you, and you watch them evolve... finally, and oh look powerful spell from a high-level player and dead... (Green Clan) all that history with them they got stronger and ohh just like that, all dead!
- story felt very rushed like you had to close loops that were still open just to finish the book. and just to close said loops they just felt unfinished and rushed or like why all that pre story for nothing? this is for about 3 or 4 different plot lines.
- The undead, a major part of the books and a driving force behind most of MC actions and finally it was inconsequential, it felt like you needed a plot to drive the bases of the story and when the story was over there was no finish to the actual undead, no return dialogue, no what happened no nothing ..
- The last fight was very bizarre, i hate that the gear one wears is able to be so powerful that you can be a level 20 for example slap on the best gear and beat people in high level 30's .. makes me feel like the point of leveling is really not necessary, yes it shows that he's not on par with those of higher levels but people that actually Game, knows that you chance of survival are super low and you dont win ever encounter against bosses, especially multiple bosses at the same time (levels 10 plus above you) made it unrealistic.
Good - the first two books were better, but it reminds me of how i felt when i watched Game of thrones .. i love all the seasons and episodes but that last episode made me regret watching. i was so let down! ..... oh i realized this is also a bad comment lol
- The end of this story left me confused, i honestly thought there was a catch coming, a trick BECAUSE AT FIRST IT WAS UNCLEAR!!!, well not so much unclear but i just thought ... well did he flick the switch or not or is the game now tricking him into believing he did... the end. obviously, it was clear after the confusion passed which left me disappointed!
author should have written one more book to close everything up tidier completing ful rounded stories for the characters, main plots and the final battle .... would have been better i think.
BUT BECAUSE the other two books are good, give this one a try.
January 4, 2019
I loved the first two books in this trilogy. The narrative was so detailed and descriptive that you truly lived the action along with the protagonist, you felt every blow, you were part of every strategy, you celebrated every unlikely victory. We knew we were in an epic online world that we hadn't explored yet but were happy with the dangerous little corner we knew inside out.
The book starts off with Chris, low-ranked newbie with a knack for strategy, being the new leader/castellan of Castle Winter, charged with defending, repairing and upgrading the castle, caring for its inhabitants, fending off the nearby army of the undead and still trying to discover the hidden treasure in the dungeon.
This change in his status obviously precipitated a change in focus for him, which is understandable - a castellan with all these responsibilities can't still go off exploring. But this started to feel like those boring aspects of games like the Witcher/Red Dead Redemption where you have to go shopping, play card games, train a horse, collect herbs etc and was relatively dull.
While a raft of super-strength gamers try to tackle the seemingly unbeatable Dungeon, Chris decides he needs to buy goods and services in-game with the help of the deus-ex style pot of money he suddenly inherits. He is taken to explore some of the online world in order to do so. This is where I started to lose interest, as the shopping and political aspects of the world and narrative now takes over, when all you want to do is get into that dungeon (you know, the one mentioned in the title of the book) with the rest of the true gamers.
In all the dungeon is just sort of solved. It just happens. We are treated to a re-telling of the action from some of those gamers but this was totally unsatisfactory. Three perilous rooms are in that dungeon and we get to see next to none of the action in solving them.
There is something of a race against time as Chris has a deadline looming to find the treasure hidden in the dungeon to deliver to the lord of the undead. This adds to the thrill somewhat but then the genre-required conspiracy starts to grow (the game was designed by the all-powerful AI to help save mankind from itself), and then the book loses a lot of its original charm for me.
I loved this trilogy, but can't help but feel Tucker had designed a massive world for the story to take place in, and suddenly realised two books in that he hadn't explored any of it (the first two books were very narrow in scope considering the size of the online world but did not suffer for that) and was nearing the end of the three books he had planned. In my view this story had at least another two or three books in it, I would have loved to have seen the dungeon rooms solved in the same detailed manner as the puzzles in the first two books, and would have liked a lot less metaphysical elephant-god mumbo jumbo. I can't help but feel Tucker realised he had set himself up with unsolvable situations and a character who couldn't really put himself in those positions.
In short: Great story, rushed ending ("sod it, say everyone else does the hard work and then an elephant god solves the unsolvable")
The book starts off with Chris, low-ranked newbie with a knack for strategy, being the new leader/castellan of Castle Winter, charged with defending, repairing and upgrading the castle, caring for its inhabitants, fending off the nearby army of the undead and still trying to discover the hidden treasure in the dungeon.
This change in his status obviously precipitated a change in focus for him, which is understandable - a castellan with all these responsibilities can't still go off exploring. But this started to feel like those boring aspects of games like the Witcher/Red Dead Redemption where you have to go shopping, play card games, train a horse, collect herbs etc and was relatively dull.
While a raft of super-strength gamers try to tackle the seemingly unbeatable Dungeon, Chris decides he needs to buy goods and services in-game with the help of the deus-ex style pot of money he suddenly inherits. He is taken to explore some of the online world in order to do so. This is where I started to lose interest, as the shopping and political aspects of the world and narrative now takes over, when all you want to do is get into that dungeon (you know, the one mentioned in the title of the book) with the rest of the true gamers.
In all the dungeon is just sort of solved. It just happens. We are treated to a re-telling of the action from some of those gamers but this was totally unsatisfactory. Three perilous rooms are in that dungeon and we get to see next to none of the action in solving them.
There is something of a race against time as Chris has a deadline looming to find the treasure hidden in the dungeon to deliver to the lord of the undead. This adds to the thrill somewhat but then the genre-required conspiracy starts to grow (the game was designed by the all-powerful AI to help save mankind from itself), and then the book loses a lot of its original charm for me.
I loved this trilogy, but can't help but feel Tucker had designed a massive world for the story to take place in, and suddenly realised two books in that he hadn't explored any of it (the first two books were very narrow in scope considering the size of the online world but did not suffer for that) and was nearing the end of the three books he had planned. In my view this story had at least another two or three books in it, I would have loved to have seen the dungeon rooms solved in the same detailed manner as the puzzles in the first two books, and would have liked a lot less metaphysical elephant-god mumbo jumbo. I can't help but feel Tucker realised he had set himself up with unsolvable situations and a character who couldn't really put himself in those positions.
In short: Great story, rushed ending ("sod it, say everyone else does the hard work and then an elephant god solves the unsolvable")
October 12, 2018
This was a good book! Enjoyed it very much, but I have a few major issues. The first is that the editing wasn't great on the kindle edition. This is minor, but in my opinion a minimum for a book that is published and paid for. The second is that it was a real bummer of a last installment. There is A Lot that isn't covered, a Lot of loose ends that aren't tied up. This is a decent book series, not the best, but entertaining. I always expected the big twist, an unexpected turn, a betrayal that you would never call, or maybe just a big character association that you didn't see coming. NONE of that happened, you basically know what is going to happen in book 1. There are a couple of characters that you really don't get to learn much about, like his best friend, you think maybe she is in the game under an alias avatar, or maybe you learn about how they met or why they are friends, NOPE. You might expect for example to learn why the word delicious is used to describe non food items, but you don't learn. You don't really learn about what actually happens, you don't learn about the future, or the end of several characters. Basically it isn't a rap up, it is just another installment, and there isn't a reason that things couldn't be wrapped up better. There is plenty of room for more book, especially in the fantasy realm. There isn't even a real cliffhanger, it basically says what happens, or at least implies. You really just don't get the finish that you want. I am not going to say that you shouldn't read this book if you read the other 2, this is a good book. Just don't go into it with expectations of a nice wrap up, or you will be severely disappointed.
October 28, 2019
Yep - great last book, although I do have some issues with it.
First up - the characters (especially Chris) are really great. I wish there were a few more books in this series so we could get more of them! Secondly, we finally get to see a little more of this virtual world other than the backwoods corner around Castle Winter.
Yep, the basic idea of this book (and LitRPG it seems) is done really well - the fictional "RPG" world is really well done and the characters have believable motivations etc. I REALLY enjoyed the exploration of the world, the system (what little of it is shown) and the characters. This time around Chris is becoming a Castellan - owning Castle Winter - and we get castle management and guild management mechanics added.
What I didn't like was the sudden upscale of scope. I mean the same problem that a lot of stories have of going from "personal" to "world ending" scope really fast :( We started out with Chris wanting a favor from the AI to save his brother, to .. literal end of the world stakes.. While it is believable in-fiction, I sorta would have preferred the story to stay focused on Chris and his problem. I dont think the story would have been worse for it, but hey, its still a brilliant book!
This series (and the Chronicles of the Black Gate) really make this author one to watch for me.
First up - the characters (especially Chris) are really great. I wish there were a few more books in this series so we could get more of them! Secondly, we finally get to see a little more of this virtual world other than the backwoods corner around Castle Winter.
Yep, the basic idea of this book (and LitRPG it seems) is done really well - the fictional "RPG" world is really well done and the characters have believable motivations etc. I REALLY enjoyed the exploration of the world, the system (what little of it is shown) and the characters. This time around Chris is becoming a Castellan - owning Castle Winter - and we get castle management and guild management mechanics added.
What I didn't like was the sudden upscale of scope. I mean the same problem that a lot of stories have of going from "personal" to "world ending" scope really fast :( We started out with Chris wanting a favor from the AI to save his brother, to .. literal end of the world stakes.. While it is believable in-fiction, I sorta would have preferred the story to stay focused on Chris and his problem. I dont think the story would have been worse for it, but hey, its still a brilliant book!
This series (and the Chronicles of the Black Gate) really make this author one to watch for me.
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