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212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2019
Dungeon Deposed 3 by William D. Arand is, without a doubt, a masterpiece of monotony. If you’ve made it this far into the *Dungeon Deposed* series, congratulations—you’ve either developed a superhuman tolerance for unremarkable plots, or you’re holding out hope that something, anything, will change in this third installment. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Arand stays true to form by delivering exactly what you would expect, which is to say, more of the same.
Let’s talk about the “plot,” if we can even call it that. Once again, we follow the protagonist, Ryker, as he builds his dungeon empire, collects more women for his harem, and solves every problem with ease. The stakes? Non-existent. The tension? What’s that? There’s no sense of urgency because, of course, Ryker is a super-powered demigod who can snap his fingers and make everything go his way. It’s like watching someone play a video game on cheat mode—but instead of being fun, it’s as tedious as watching paint dry.
Arand seems committed to following the same formula of “Ryker meets obstacle, Ryker destroys obstacle, Ryker gains another conquest, repeat.” The plot doesn’t go anywhere, nor does it feel like it wants to. Why bother with growth or change when you can just keep recycling the same tired scenarios? Every event feels more like a checkpoint in a simulation than a meaningful part of a story. Ryker’s journey is less of an adventure and more of a victory lap around a track with no finish line.
Ah, Ryker. The man, the myth, the total lack of depth. He’s the quintessential overpowered protagonist, except with even fewer flaws and absolutely no reason for readers to care about him. He starts out powerful, remains powerful, and ends powerful, with no real emotional growth or struggle along the way. His godlike ability to breeze through every challenge isn’t just dull—it’s downright infuriating. And heaven forbid we get any introspection or vulnerability from him; Ryker is about as emotionally complex as a rock, and that’s probably an insult to rocks.
The supporting characters are even more forgettable. The harem of women around Ryker exists for one reason only: to fawn over him and provide fan service. They don’t evolve, they don’t contribute meaningfully to the plot (which, to be fair, is practically non-existent), and they certainly don’t challenge Ryker in any way. Every relationship is one-note, with the women serving as interchangeable accessories to his greatness. It’s as if Arand didn’t even try to make them feel like real people with their own thoughts or desires. If you’re hoping for strong female characters with agency, keep dreaming.
One of the most baffling aspects of *Dungeon Deposed 3* is the potential of its world-building—potential that is completely squandered. The dungeon-setting concept should be a fertile ground for creativity, but instead, we’re left with a bland, uninspired environment that feels like it was designed by someone who spent five minutes thinking about it and then promptly gave up. The mechanics of the dungeon, the politics of the world, and the relationships between factions are all glossed over in favor of, you guessed it, more scenes where Ryker does whatever he wants with zero consequences.
The dungeon itself, which should be a dynamic and fascinating character in its own right, is treated like a glorified backdrop for Ryker’s escapades. We get brief glimpses of how it operates, but they’re quickly shoved aside in favor of more repetitive, mind-numbing action. If you were expecting to see the dungeon evolve in any interesting ways, prepare to be disappointed.
Arand’s writing is functional at best, but even “functional” feels generous. His prose is utilitarian, with no flair, no creativity, and no emotional resonance. The dialogue is flat, and every character sounds the same: bland, lifeless, and perpetually in awe of Ryker. There’s no sense of individuality in the way people speak, and as a result, the conversations are about as engaging as listening to someone recite a grocery list.
The pacing of the book is just as problematic. Every chapter blends into the next without any sense of momentum. You could read the first five pages of a chapter, skip to the last five pages, and miss nothing important. Arand seems content to pad the book with filler scenes that add little to the story, making it a slog to get through. If your goal is to induce boredom, mission accomplished.
In the end, Dungeon Deposed 3 is a monument to mediocrity. It’s a repetitive, shallow, and uninspired addition to a series that shows no interest in evolving or challenging its readers. Ryker’s journey is a boring power fantasy, where nothing matters because the protagonist can’t lose, the world-building is wasted, and the characters are as two-dimensional as paper cutouts.
If you’re someone who enjoys endless harem-building, mindless action, and a protagonist who faces zero adversity, then sure, this book might be for you. But for anyone hoping for a story with heart, depth, or even a glimmer of originality, Dungeon Deposed 3 is not just a disappointment—it’s an exercise in patience. Proceed with caution, or better yet, save yourself the trouble and skip this one entirely.