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Dungeon World #3
Dungeon World 3
Following a miraculous resurrection, Fred – the half-Human/half-Dungeon-Core hybrid – managed to reunite with Deecy, his helpful Dire Wolf guide and companion. Not only that, but he was able to perform an equally miraculous resurrection of Eisa, the Human woman that had professed her love for him just moments before the tragic event of their deaths.
But would she be the same as she was before, or would she be forever changed by the unique process that had brought her back?
Accompanied by a friend from Fred’s past, the group journeys to the west in search of the Core Power Guild and the townspeople of Gatecross. Along the way, Eisa discovers the strange new abilities that she now possesses – abilities that are very similar to Deecy’s, the shape-shifting Dire Wolf that travels with them. Eventually, they arrive in the Deadlands, a constantly decaying landscape filled with undead monsters of all types; information on the Guild’s whereabouts are easily found, but Fred and his friends aren’t forgotten by the Nature and Earth Cores that he had inadvertently destroyed.
Is anywhere in the world safe enough to create a dungeon that will keep his friends – and those he loves – protected from the threat that the Factions pose to them?
Only the broken Shards of the Dungeon Cores he left behind know the answer to that.
But would she be the same as she was before, or would she be forever changed by the unique process that had brought her back?
Accompanied by a friend from Fred’s past, the group journeys to the west in search of the Core Power Guild and the townspeople of Gatecross. Along the way, Eisa discovers the strange new abilities that she now possesses – abilities that are very similar to Deecy’s, the shape-shifting Dire Wolf that travels with them. Eventually, they arrive in the Deadlands, a constantly decaying landscape filled with undead monsters of all types; information on the Guild’s whereabouts are easily found, but Fred and his friends aren’t forgotten by the Nature and Earth Cores that he had inadvertently destroyed.
Is anywhere in the world safe enough to create a dungeon that will keep his friends – and those he loves – protected from the threat that the Factions pose to them?
Only the broken Shards of the Dungeon Cores he left behind know the answer to that.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2019
574 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Brooks
92 books496 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 27, 2019
Does not disappoint
As usual, Jonathan Brooks' delivers another great dungeon core book. Really enjoying where the story seems to be headed and with the hope the characters are developing.
Well done.
As usual, Jonathan Brooks' delivers another great dungeon core book. Really enjoying where the story seems to be headed and with the hope the characters are developing.
Well done.
April 19, 2020
Dungeon Core Human fleeing danger
Fred and his "family" fight to survive the angry cores and human settlements trying to kill them. While the whole time they are looking for their friends from the village that they helped to fight with in the last book. When they finally find them, they start a War they need to get all humans to fight and love it die.
The storyline has gotten much better and I'm excited to see what happens next.
Fred and his "family" fight to survive the angry cores and human settlements trying to kill them. While the whole time they are looking for their friends from the village that they helped to fight with in the last book. When they finally find them, they start a War they need to get all humans to fight and love it die.
The storyline has gotten much better and I'm excited to see what happens next.
February 4, 2023
Made the error of buying a “complete series” bundle sight unseen. First book was okay, second was meh, third is a slog so I’ve turned it into speed reading practice. Don’t care enough to finish the series.
August 23, 2019
Best yet
This is the kind of book series i enjoy mc makes mistakes and is learning from them even allowing others a chance to shine
This is the kind of book series i enjoy mc makes mistakes and is learning from them even allowing others a chance to shine
April 17, 2026
Title: Dungeon World 3 — Higher Stakes, Wider Horizons, and a Series Testing Its Own Foundations
Hook and Thesis
Dungeon World 3 by Jonathan Brooks pushes the series into a more unsettled and transitional phase, combining resurrection fallout, travel narrative, dungeon-core experimentation, and faction pressure into a story that broadens the world while exposing the series’ recurring weaknesses. The central thesis of this review is that the novel succeeds in expanding scope and raising the stakes, but it does so with uneven plotting, thin characterization, and a growing tendency to rely on premise and mechanics more than emotional depth.
Introduction
By the third book, Dungeon World is no longer just a novel about a strange hybrid protagonist learning how to survive. It has become a series about consequences spreading outward: from Fred’s accidental destruction of dungeon cores, to shifting alliances, to a world increasingly forced to react to something unprecedented. This installment continues directly from the previous book’s dramatic events and attempts to transform personal survival into a larger, more mobile, more dangerous fantasy journey.
Basic Plot Summary
After a miraculous resurrection, Fred reunites with Deecy and brings Eisa back to life as well, though the process leaves lasting consequences. Accompanied by allies from both his present and past, he heads west in search of the Core Power Guild and the displaced people of Gatecross. Along the way, Eisa develops strange abilities tied to the same hybridized transformation that made Deecy unique.
Their journey leads them into the Deadlands, a rotting region filled with undead and instability, where they discover that the threat against them has not faded. The Nature and Earth factions still want retribution, and Fred must once again ask whether there is any place in the world safe enough to build something lasting for the people depending on him.
Analysis / Evaluation
This is a book of movement, transition, and redirection. Unlike the previous volume, which centered more clearly on dungeon defense and preparation, this one leans into travel, survival, and discovery. That gives it a broader sense of world, but also makes it feel less focused. Many of the novel’s strongest moments come from what it implies about the future rather than what it resolves in the present.
The book is at its best when it uses Fred’s hybrid nature to complicate the world’s assumptions about both dungeon cores and humans. It becomes less effective when it falls into repetitive patterns of fleeing, reacting, and enduring yet another threat without enough structural variation. There is forward motion, but not always the kind that feels dramatically satisfying.
Characters
Fred remains a sympathetic protagonist because he is still learning, still making mistakes, and still trying to do right in circumstances that keep getting larger than him. His internal split between human instinct and dungeon-core logic continues to be the most interesting thing about him.
At the same time, the criticisms from readers are understandable. Fred can feel underdefined in some scenes, more like a functional viewpoint for the plot than a sharply rendered personality. He is likable, but not always vivid.
Eisa’s return is one of the book’s biggest character developments, but it is also one of its most divisive. Her resurrection introduces intriguing possibilities, especially through the changes she undergoes, yet it also lowers narrative tension because death begins to feel less final. Deecy remains one of the more distinctive companions, and several readers seemed to find the side cast appealing in concept, even if not always fully developed in practice.
Setting
The setting is one of the book’s major strengths. The Deadlands, the westward journey, and the broader world beyond Gatecross all help the series feel less confined. This installment does a better job of giving readers the sense that Fred exists inside a larger ecosystem of ruined places, factions, and ancient consequences.
That said, the worldbuilding sometimes feels more functional than immersive. It is interesting, but often presented in broad strokes rather than textured detail. Some readers described it as feeling a bit like an old RPG overworld: effective, understandable, but not always rich.
Structure
The structure is more fragmented than in book two. Broadly, it works like this:
The opening is abrupt and dramatic, but several readers noted that it feels rushed rather than fully earned. After that, the book settles into a travel-survival rhythm that is sometimes engaging and sometimes meandering. It often feels like a bridge novel: important for where the series is going, but not always compelling on its own terms.
Themes
The strongest theme here is transformation. Fred is not just building dungeons anymore; he is altering people, relationships, and systems around him. Resurrection, mutation, hybridization, and survival all feed into the question of what someone becomes after crossing boundaries they were never meant to cross.
Another major theme is belonging. Fred is still caught between human and dungeon worlds, and that identity tension gives the series some of its best emotional weight. There is also an undercurrent of escalation: the sense that individual mistakes are becoming societal consequences.
Writing Style
Jonathan Brooks continues to write in a straightforward, accessible prose style. The mechanics are clear, the systems are usually understandable, and the pacing rarely becomes unreadable even when it slows. However, the same criticisms that followed the earlier books still apply here: too much exposition, too much telling, and not enough deep character embodiment.
The stat-heavy sections continue to divide readers. Some appreciate the detail, while many others find them intrusive. The fact that these can often be skimmed or skipped softens the problem, but it does not eliminate it.
Tone
The tone is more unsettled and grim than before, but still fundamentally PG in its emotional presentation. There is danger, death, and decay, yet the emotional register remains relatively clean and restrained. For some readers, that makes the book approachable. For others, it makes it feel juvenile or underpowered compared to the seriousness of the events.
Impact
As a series installment, Dungeon World 3 has real importance. It expands the geography, deepens Fred’s uniqueness, and points the narrative toward something larger than local defense. Its long-term importance may be greater than its immediate entertainment value.
As a standalone reading experience, though, it is less impressive. It reads like a book designed to reposition the series rather than deliver its own complete arc.
Praise and Critique
Praise:
- Expands the world beyond Gatecross and gives the setting more range.
- Continues exploring Fred’s hybrid nature in interesting ways.
- Raises the stakes and points toward larger future conflict.
- The Deadlands and faction pressure help the world feel more dangerous.
- Still offers a distinctive take on dungeon-core fantasy.
Critique:
- Plot can meander and feel like setup rather than payoff.
- Resurrection weakens tension and reduces fear of permanent loss.
- Supporting characters remain thinner than they should be.
- Stats and exposition continue to interrupt flow for many readers.
- The opening major event feels rushed and underbuilt.
- Emotional and romantic execution remains awkward for some readers.
Evaluation
Overall, this is a mixed but worthwhile entry. It is more ambitious than some readers give it credit for, but also more uneven than its rating suggests. If book two felt like the series learning how to be a dungeon-core defense story, book three feels like it is trying to become a broader epic. Whether that works depends on how much patience the reader has for transition-heavy storytelling.
Comparison
Compared with Dungeon World 2 , this book is less focused and less mechanically satisfying, but broader in scope. Compared with Brooks’ stronger work in The Crafter's Dungeon or even some of the healer books, this series still feels rougher in its characterization. Compared with more traditional dungeon-core stories, however, it remains more unusual because Fred is never just a core or just a hero; the series’ best quality is still that unstable hybrid identity.
Conclusion
Dungeon World 3 is not the cleanest or strongest book in the series, but it is an important one. It broadens the world, increases the long-range stakes, and keeps Fred’s strange place in that world central to the story. It also makes clear that the series still leans heavily on concept and mechanics to carry what its character work sometimes cannot.
For readers already invested in Fred and the world’s unusual dungeon-core logic, this is a worthwhile continuation. For readers already frustrated by thin characterization, exposition, and system sprawl, this book is unlikely to change their minds. It is a transitional fantasy novel with real promise, but only intermittent payoff.
Hook and Thesis
Dungeon World 3 by Jonathan Brooks pushes the series into a more unsettled and transitional phase, combining resurrection fallout, travel narrative, dungeon-core experimentation, and faction pressure into a story that broadens the world while exposing the series’ recurring weaknesses. The central thesis of this review is that the novel succeeds in expanding scope and raising the stakes, but it does so with uneven plotting, thin characterization, and a growing tendency to rely on premise and mechanics more than emotional depth.
Introduction
By the third book, Dungeon World is no longer just a novel about a strange hybrid protagonist learning how to survive. It has become a series about consequences spreading outward: from Fred’s accidental destruction of dungeon cores, to shifting alliances, to a world increasingly forced to react to something unprecedented. This installment continues directly from the previous book’s dramatic events and attempts to transform personal survival into a larger, more mobile, more dangerous fantasy journey.
Basic Plot Summary
After a miraculous resurrection, Fred reunites with Deecy and brings Eisa back to life as well, though the process leaves lasting consequences. Accompanied by allies from both his present and past, he heads west in search of the Core Power Guild and the displaced people of Gatecross. Along the way, Eisa develops strange abilities tied to the same hybridized transformation that made Deecy unique.
Their journey leads them into the Deadlands, a rotting region filled with undead and instability, where they discover that the threat against them has not faded. The Nature and Earth factions still want retribution, and Fred must once again ask whether there is any place in the world safe enough to build something lasting for the people depending on him.
Analysis / Evaluation
This is a book of movement, transition, and redirection. Unlike the previous volume, which centered more clearly on dungeon defense and preparation, this one leans into travel, survival, and discovery. That gives it a broader sense of world, but also makes it feel less focused. Many of the novel’s strongest moments come from what it implies about the future rather than what it resolves in the present.
The book is at its best when it uses Fred’s hybrid nature to complicate the world’s assumptions about both dungeon cores and humans. It becomes less effective when it falls into repetitive patterns of fleeing, reacting, and enduring yet another threat without enough structural variation. There is forward motion, but not always the kind that feels dramatically satisfying.
Characters
Fred remains a sympathetic protagonist because he is still learning, still making mistakes, and still trying to do right in circumstances that keep getting larger than him. His internal split between human instinct and dungeon-core logic continues to be the most interesting thing about him.
At the same time, the criticisms from readers are understandable. Fred can feel underdefined in some scenes, more like a functional viewpoint for the plot than a sharply rendered personality. He is likable, but not always vivid.
Eisa’s return is one of the book’s biggest character developments, but it is also one of its most divisive. Her resurrection introduces intriguing possibilities, especially through the changes she undergoes, yet it also lowers narrative tension because death begins to feel less final. Deecy remains one of the more distinctive companions, and several readers seemed to find the side cast appealing in concept, even if not always fully developed in practice.
Setting
The setting is one of the book’s major strengths. The Deadlands, the westward journey, and the broader world beyond Gatecross all help the series feel less confined. This installment does a better job of giving readers the sense that Fred exists inside a larger ecosystem of ruined places, factions, and ancient consequences.
That said, the worldbuilding sometimes feels more functional than immersive. It is interesting, but often presented in broad strokes rather than textured detail. Some readers described it as feeling a bit like an old RPG overworld: effective, understandable, but not always rich.
Structure
The structure is more fragmented than in book two. Broadly, it works like this:
1. Resurrection and immediate fallout.
2. Travel and adaptation.
3. Discovery of new abilities and changing relationships.
4. Arrival in a hostile new region.
5. Expansion of faction conflict and setup for larger war.
The opening is abrupt and dramatic, but several readers noted that it feels rushed rather than fully earned. After that, the book settles into a travel-survival rhythm that is sometimes engaging and sometimes meandering. It often feels like a bridge novel: important for where the series is going, but not always compelling on its own terms.
Themes
The strongest theme here is transformation. Fred is not just building dungeons anymore; he is altering people, relationships, and systems around him. Resurrection, mutation, hybridization, and survival all feed into the question of what someone becomes after crossing boundaries they were never meant to cross.
Another major theme is belonging. Fred is still caught between human and dungeon worlds, and that identity tension gives the series some of its best emotional weight. There is also an undercurrent of escalation: the sense that individual mistakes are becoming societal consequences.
Writing Style
Jonathan Brooks continues to write in a straightforward, accessible prose style. The mechanics are clear, the systems are usually understandable, and the pacing rarely becomes unreadable even when it slows. However, the same criticisms that followed the earlier books still apply here: too much exposition, too much telling, and not enough deep character embodiment.
The stat-heavy sections continue to divide readers. Some appreciate the detail, while many others find them intrusive. The fact that these can often be skimmed or skipped softens the problem, but it does not eliminate it.
Tone
The tone is more unsettled and grim than before, but still fundamentally PG in its emotional presentation. There is danger, death, and decay, yet the emotional register remains relatively clean and restrained. For some readers, that makes the book approachable. For others, it makes it feel juvenile or underpowered compared to the seriousness of the events.
Impact
As a series installment, Dungeon World 3 has real importance. It expands the geography, deepens Fred’s uniqueness, and points the narrative toward something larger than local defense. Its long-term importance may be greater than its immediate entertainment value.
As a standalone reading experience, though, it is less impressive. It reads like a book designed to reposition the series rather than deliver its own complete arc.
Praise and Critique
Praise:
- Expands the world beyond Gatecross and gives the setting more range.
- Continues exploring Fred’s hybrid nature in interesting ways.
- Raises the stakes and points toward larger future conflict.
- The Deadlands and faction pressure help the world feel more dangerous.
- Still offers a distinctive take on dungeon-core fantasy.
Critique:
- Plot can meander and feel like setup rather than payoff.
- Resurrection weakens tension and reduces fear of permanent loss.
- Supporting characters remain thinner than they should be.
- Stats and exposition continue to interrupt flow for many readers.
- The opening major event feels rushed and underbuilt.
- Emotional and romantic execution remains awkward for some readers.
Evaluation
Overall, this is a mixed but worthwhile entry. It is more ambitious than some readers give it credit for, but also more uneven than its rating suggests. If book two felt like the series learning how to be a dungeon-core defense story, book three feels like it is trying to become a broader epic. Whether that works depends on how much patience the reader has for transition-heavy storytelling.
Comparison
Compared with Dungeon World 2 , this book is less focused and less mechanically satisfying, but broader in scope. Compared with Brooks’ stronger work in The Crafter's Dungeon or even some of the healer books, this series still feels rougher in its characterization. Compared with more traditional dungeon-core stories, however, it remains more unusual because Fred is never just a core or just a hero; the series’ best quality is still that unstable hybrid identity.
Conclusion
Dungeon World 3 is not the cleanest or strongest book in the series, but it is an important one. It broadens the world, increases the long-range stakes, and keeps Fred’s strange place in that world central to the story. It also makes clear that the series still leans heavily on concept and mechanics to carry what its character work sometimes cannot.
For readers already invested in Fred and the world’s unusual dungeon-core logic, this is a worthwhile continuation. For readers already frustrated by thin characterization, exposition, and system sprawl, this book is unlikely to change their minds. It is a transitional fantasy novel with real promise, but only intermittent payoff.
"Dungeon World 3 works best not as a climax, but as a widening fracture line — one that shows how far Fred’s choices have spread, and how much bigger the conflict is becoming."
Overall Assessment:
Strengths: world expansion, hybrid-identity theme, stronger long-term stakes, interesting setting ideas
Weaknesses: meandering plot, weak tension due to resurrection, thin character depth, stat overload, uneven structure
Recommended For: readers already invested in the series, dungeon-core fans who like travel and world expansion, LitRPG readers comfortable with setup-heavy middle books
January 24, 2020
I was a bit disappointed by this book, feeling like it was the weakest book so far. Thankfully after just completing the book after this I was motivated to finally share my thoughts on both books.
The plot of this one is a bit... odd. Without giving anything away, it opens with a somewhat extreme event, followed by a time lapse. The actual point of this event is to create a reason for the group to travel, but without any build up to what should be a huge event, it feels rushed and weak. Thankfully after that point the story continues at it's normal pace, but the opening left me with a sour taste that permeated the rest of the story.
Character growth isn't that large of a focus is this novel, as most characters are comfortably fleshed out, though the author does add to the cast and give some love to fleshing out the crew a bit more evenly.
The most redeeming characteristic of this book is how, through the re-introduction of travel, you really get a feel for the world, experiencing new areas and gaining more information. It still feels like you're traveling though a bit of an 8 bit RPG overworld due to how basic the information is, but it's a welcome change.
In the end, while this book is the weakest in the series, it has some redeeming characteristics and I'm happy to report that the next book is far superior.
The plot of this one is a bit... odd. Without giving anything away, it opens with a somewhat extreme event, followed by a time lapse. The actual point of this event is to create a reason for the group to travel, but without any build up to what should be a huge event, it feels rushed and weak. Thankfully after that point the story continues at it's normal pace, but the opening left me with a sour taste that permeated the rest of the story.
Character growth isn't that large of a focus is this novel, as most characters are comfortably fleshed out, though the author does add to the cast and give some love to fleshing out the crew a bit more evenly.
The most redeeming characteristic of this book is how, through the re-introduction of travel, you really get a feel for the world, experiencing new areas and gaining more information. It still feels like you're traveling though a bit of an 8 bit RPG overworld due to how basic the information is, but it's a welcome change.
In the end, while this book is the weakest in the series, it has some redeeming characteristics and I'm happy to report that the next book is far superior.
January 5, 2020
I think the stats problem has gotten worse. I'm sure now that the author is a numberphile (person that has a fetish for numbers). I'm starting to think that the persons who read this also have a number fetish. I'm here for the stories and adventure, but when I browse through reviews I don't see people complaining about the stats, that means they like it.
You don't need stats because the author explains what changed afterwards anyways.
This book is immature. I understand the dungeon guy is artificially autistic because he didn't interact with people growing up. But this girl blushing because her mud golem is naked is beyond childish. I hope I don't have to read no blushing maidens getting flustered at hand holding.
Well I'm done and this was a "meh". The writing hasn't improved (only the stats have). The character doesn't seem to have matured much, and something was off while reading this book. I can't say what it was, but it was there. I will probably read the sequel and skip any stats I see to know how this improbable alliance will flourish (they were all supposed to be killed).
2/5 Stars
You don't need stats because the author explains what changed afterwards anyways.
This book is immature. I understand the dungeon guy is artificially autistic because he didn't interact with people growing up. But this girl blushing because her mud golem is naked is beyond childish. I hope I don't have to read no blushing maidens getting flustered at hand holding.
Well I'm done and this was a "meh". The writing hasn't improved (only the stats have). The character doesn't seem to have matured much, and something was off while reading this book. I can't say what it was, but it was there. I will probably read the sequel and skip any stats I see to know how this improbable alliance will flourish (they were all supposed to be killed).
2/5 Stars
January 17, 2022
This is the book that lost me as a reader for this series.
As I mentioned in my reviews for books 1 & 2, this is an enjoyable but flawed series. Enjoyable because the overall premise is interesting, but flawed because the premise alone (or maybe the world-building as well to some small extent) is carrying the story. The question then became how long can I overlook things like a lack of character development, a meandering plot that doesn't seem to be leading anywhere, and a plethora of other problems?
With this book taking the protagonist back to the wild with only a small group of companions so that we can get back to something of a magical survival story, it turns out this was the answer to that question. In a move that feels like it was abandoning the progress made in the earlier novel, I just lost interest in this book and the series as a whole as the premise just didn't interest me as it once did.
It's a shame because there was promise here, but I think a bit more work on storytelling fundamentals like character and plot in order to better execute that premise would have gone a long way.
As I mentioned in my reviews for books 1 & 2, this is an enjoyable but flawed series. Enjoyable because the overall premise is interesting, but flawed because the premise alone (or maybe the world-building as well to some small extent) is carrying the story. The question then became how long can I overlook things like a lack of character development, a meandering plot that doesn't seem to be leading anywhere, and a plethora of other problems?
With this book taking the protagonist back to the wild with only a small group of companions so that we can get back to something of a magical survival story, it turns out this was the answer to that question. In a move that feels like it was abandoning the progress made in the earlier novel, I just lost interest in this book and the series as a whole as the premise just didn't interest me as it once did.
It's a shame because there was promise here, but I think a bit more work on storytelling fundamentals like character and plot in order to better execute that premise would have gone a long way.
October 24, 2019
The latest instalment of this series feels even more hectic than the previous one, the situations that the main character and his friends find themselves in continue to escalate even more and some of his friends undergo some very significant changes during this book, while the main character finds new goals beyond his original desire for revenge against those dungeon cores responsible for the deaths of his parents.
The narrator's performance in this one does not change significantly from the previous books, doing a good job of enhancing the story.
Overall, this series seems to be going from strength to strength with each book building significantly on the foundations of the first one.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
The narrator's performance in this one does not change significantly from the previous books, doing a good job of enhancing the story.
Overall, this series seems to be going from strength to strength with each book building significantly on the foundations of the first one.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
July 3, 2020
So this are great listens, i had them in audiobook and taking off the statistics that are part of the LitRPG world. but this what makes it fun, then the narrator was great, so again it keeps the growth of the main character, and he is in search for his people, in this search creates a new dungeon that now because it’s in a convergence makes things complicated. The council of dungeons will make an example. of this unusual dungeon that is steeling properties from dungeons, and giving back things that make dungeons better, also found weird thing getting to the city that will be a central point of this book and the next .
Great book again, it slows down in the middle, but pick ups with really interesting information at the end. So i read the next before writing this summary, that has no spoilers.
like it !
Great book again, it slows down in the middle, but pick ups with really interesting information at the end. So i read the next before writing this summary, that has no spoilers.
like it !
September 13, 2019
This series has potential but this book fell flat
Overall the story is interesting and unique. The execution needs work. The series just becomes a lot less interesting when the MC can just resurrect anyone who dies with new powers and abilities. Moreover, there’s a pattern in book 2 and book 3. The MC finds himself facing overwhelming numbers of hostility forces. He makes a dungeon with subpar defenses and somehow survives. This gets pretty boring. He doesn’t invest in becoming personally stronger or in creating stronger dungeons. But he insists on fighting people and creatures that are stronger than him. He makes several other very questionable decisions. Also the l
Overall the story is interesting and unique. The execution needs work. The series just becomes a lot less interesting when the MC can just resurrect anyone who dies with new powers and abilities. Moreover, there’s a pattern in book 2 and book 3. The MC finds himself facing overwhelming numbers of hostility forces. He makes a dungeon with subpar defenses and somehow survives. This gets pretty boring. He doesn’t invest in becoming personally stronger or in creating stronger dungeons. But he insists on fighting people and creatures that are stronger than him. He makes several other very questionable decisions. Also the l
September 14, 2019
More Human-Dungeon hybrid adventures.
This entry in the Dungeon World flows directly from the previous one. After his self-resurrection at the end of the previous book, Fred goes searching for the people who got wronged by his actions - his former guild members. There's the required dungeon action, special core shenanigans, acquisition of a new element, and threats that can't be simply solved by the judicious expenditure of mana.
And more people are wondering who the fuck is that guy, and how does he do it. All in all, a solid entry, and proof that M. Brooks is getting into his writing groove and doing it right.
This entry in the Dungeon World flows directly from the previous one. After his self-resurrection at the end of the previous book, Fred goes searching for the people who got wronged by his actions - his former guild members. There's the required dungeon action, special core shenanigans, acquisition of a new element, and threats that can't be simply solved by the judicious expenditure of mana.
And more people are wondering who the fuck is that guy, and how does he do it. All in all, a solid entry, and proof that M. Brooks is getting into his writing groove and doing it right.
January 17, 2020
The antagonist is too ambiguous. The magical LitRPG system seems to make sense but the secondary system overlapping the primary one for the protagonist is kind of annoying when shared around with his whole party and loses its uniqueness. I like the main character but we don’t really get to know him well enough. Brief flashes of insight at seemingly inopportune moments. Still enjoy the concept because of its originality and attempt to be different feels organized enough that I will continue. These long series often start to feel like the author has gotten lazy and doesn’t follow a plan or outline. Don’t have the feeling here with is crucial.
March 17, 2021
Fred Searches For His People
Fred and his companions continue their adventures while Fred learns more about both his Dungeon Core and his human nature and makes decisions which may have millennium spanning consequences.
I strongly recommend reading books one and two of the series, before reading this novel. Sure, you can read the recap Mr. Brooks has placed before Chapter One, but wouldn't that be a bit like going to a high class restaurant and eating the menu as the appetizers before your meal?
I recommend this series to those who enjoy the high fantasy genre, LitRPG genre, and RPGs.
Fred and his companions continue their adventures while Fred learns more about both his Dungeon Core and his human nature and makes decisions which may have millennium spanning consequences.
I strongly recommend reading books one and two of the series, before reading this novel. Sure, you can read the recap Mr. Brooks has placed before Chapter One, but wouldn't that be a bit like going to a high class restaurant and eating the menu as the appetizers before your meal?
I recommend this series to those who enjoy the high fantasy genre, LitRPG genre, and RPGs.
September 23, 2025
Another one down - again, bought as a set, I'm unsure if I'd have continued otherwise. These are really 2's masquerading as 3's I think. We're just moving from plot to plot sometimes, decisions are... getting better I guess, but still sometimes leave me wondering. Characters are thin, but okay. Plot is going places, I think I see how it's all going to play out, but it could surprise me
Side note: just realized this author also wrote the Healer books. Those are much better (I bought and blew through them all on kindle over a week and a bit or so), although some of the same problems - but much less. So, there's that.
Side note: just realized this author also wrote the Healer books. Those are much better (I bought and blew through them all on kindle over a week and a bit or so), although some of the same problems - but much less. So, there's that.
August 26, 2019
The worm turns
First of all I was not expecting book 3 so soon. Mr. Brooks you are clearly a prolific writer. You just came out with another book not too long ago. Kudos man. Loved this book. The action was nice, the expositions were well done. It could have been a bit longer though. I now see that this book was more about staging than anything else. So I imagine the next one is going to be the war. Now me personally I am hoping for some fantasy Pearl Harbor level kind of action in the next one. Salute.
First of all I was not expecting book 3 so soon. Mr. Brooks you are clearly a prolific writer. You just came out with another book not too long ago. Kudos man. Loved this book. The action was nice, the expositions were well done. It could have been a bit longer though. I now see that this book was more about staging than anything else. So I imagine the next one is going to be the war. Now me personally I am hoping for some fantasy Pearl Harbor level kind of action in the next one. Salute.
August 29, 2019
Great series...cant wait for book 4!
Finishing a good book is always bitter sweet because you dont want it to end and have to wait who-knows-how-long for the next book to come out.
Spoiler alert! Note to author:
You need to grammar check your work better. Lots of very awkward phrasing in this book that made it hard to read at times. Also, your rules for when Fred can and cant summon monsters and build things are confusing and seemingly contradictory at times. Might try to clear that up some?
Finishing a good book is always bitter sweet because you dont want it to end and have to wait who-knows-how-long for the next book to come out.
Spoiler alert! Note to author:
You need to grammar check your work better. Lots of very awkward phrasing in this book that made it hard to read at times. Also, your rules for when Fred can and cant summon monsters and build things are confusing and seemingly contradictory at times. Might try to clear that up some?
September 16, 2019
Fred's continuing adventures and discovery of what it truly means to be a half-human, half-dungeon core continue to hold my interest like my first coffee of the day! A man between two worlds is a common theme in stories for generations and one that many of us can connect with.
This series is an original take on the current dungeon core genre that I have enjoyed the ups and downs; been emotionally pulled in throughout the 3 books; and am looking forward to seeing how things play out in Allroads in the next book!
This series is an original take on the current dungeon core genre that I have enjoyed the ups and downs; been emotionally pulled in throughout the 3 books; and am looking forward to seeing how things play out in Allroads in the next book!
January 14, 2021
The stakes in this book felt higher which made me enjoy it more. There was minimal time skips that seemed very appropriate. I am slightly apprehensive on where this book will lead; knowing other books in this genre have taken a nose dive going from small story to government opposing world changing stories. I hope this series does not follow the same path. Also let people actually die. I had no fear that anyone is going to die permanently and will have no fear in the future unless people actually die.
4 stars
4 stars
September 19, 2023
Fred somehow revives himself after the Earth core's self destruction and manages to revive a dead Eisa, using the same technique he used to create Deecy. The rest of the town folk are gone and now Fred and Eisa need to find them and survive the Earth and Nature Factions out to kill them. Fred's journey to find out who killed his parents is still paused for now.
The stats are TOO MUCH in this series, but I'll be honest, Brooks knows this and puts them in a separate small chapters, so I just skipped the worst of the stats chapter
The stats are TOO MUCH in this series, but I'll be honest, Brooks knows this and puts them in a separate small chapters, so I just skipped the worst of the stats chapter
September 3, 2019
Okay but Not
I really want the Author to write more of Crafter and Station Core. This series first two books was great...but is now becoming a chore to follow. The resurrection of his dead friends and the constant fighting with no new adventures, loot, and abilities was not that fun to me, even though it perked my interest at the end. Leaving this book as a cliff hanger is really turning me off of this series.
I really want the Author to write more of Crafter and Station Core. This series first two books was great...but is now becoming a chore to follow. The resurrection of his dead friends and the constant fighting with no new adventures, loot, and abilities was not that fun to me, even though it perked my interest at the end. Leaving this book as a cliff hanger is really turning me off of this series.
August 30, 2019
Good solid read
Like the basic concept very much and nice twists and suprises. Maybe moving the character sheets to an appendix with a short description of the changes will help this unfamiliar with games connect better. But a very enjoyable read and can't wait for the next book!
Like the basic concept very much and nice twists and suprises. Maybe moving the character sheets to an appendix with a short description of the changes will help this unfamiliar with games connect better. But a very enjoyable read and can't wait for the next book!
September 14, 2019
This book is an awesome continuation of the series. I kind of wonder though is this setting up the premise for a new faction to enter the world. You have dungeons who essentially farm the humans. Now there will be Human Dungeons that will farm the dungeon cores. I can't wait to see where Mr. Brooks takes this story.
December 21, 2019
Really enjoyed the first two books, but the world building collapsed under the weight of its own previously established rules as the author began to violate his own system in order to boost the power of one of the main characters.
Maybe you can ignore this, but it bothered me so much I couldn't keep going.
Maybe you can ignore this, but it bothered me so much I couldn't keep going.
May 23, 2020
Binge Worthy!
So Dungeon World has been keeping me up at night.
Lol I’m binge reading this series.
I won’t leave a book a report, I’m not a writer.
It’s different from most LitRPGs in storyline and character creation.
You’ve got dungeons, stats, crafting, diving, adventure and escapes with a tiny bit of true love developing.
So Dungeon World has been keeping me up at night.
Lol I’m binge reading this series.
I won’t leave a book a report, I’m not a writer.
It’s different from most LitRPGs in storyline and character creation.
You’ve got dungeons, stats, crafting, diving, adventure and escapes with a tiny bit of true love developing.
August 14, 2022
A fun entry that really feels like the series is hitting its stride.
I really enjoyed this book for what it was and the it continues to deliver exactly what it promises with dungeon core LitRPG. I don’t care for the execution of the romance and Fred’s cluelessness, but once it’s established I think the generally supportive vibes are actually pretty good. It just was painful getting there.
I really enjoyed this book for what it was and the it continues to deliver exactly what it promises with dungeon core LitRPG. I don’t care for the execution of the romance and Fred’s cluelessness, but once it’s established I think the generally supportive vibes are actually pretty good. It just was painful getting there.
January 26, 2020
Enjoyed the change
He is seeming to grow quite a bit this book. Lots of twists that were seen, but some that were not. I like the increased lore and background, but not overwhelming.
He is seeming to grow quite a bit this book. Lots of twists that were seen, but some that were not. I like the increased lore and background, but not overwhelming.
March 20, 2024
Another good entry. I thought more would happen in this book but it felt like the point of this book was to firm his resolve on what he actually wants to do. There are some dungeon building elements but this atypical dungeon stuff is a little hard to get used to.
Read
January 23, 2020Fantastic book and series
Love the characters, love the possibilities. Well written, leaves you wanting more. Can't wait to see what comes next. .
Love the characters, love the possibilities. Well written, leaves you wanting more. Can't wait to see what comes next. .
February 28, 2020
I couldn't finish it... Just not my thing.
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