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The City and the Dungeon #2
The War Throughout the Dungeon: And Those Who Hate and Love
Shocked by the discoveries in the furthest reaches of the Dungeon, the City prepares to delve even deeper for answers. A surprise attack by the subterranean Undercity throws them into chaos, and a massive war soon rages throughout the Dungeon itself. The Undercity proves a wily foe, and against all odds the City finds itself struggling to gain the upper hand. And all the while, the Dungeon remains capricious, mysterious, and deadly.
Alex Kenderman is recruited by the supreme commander of the City, Mansa Musa Red, to lend his tactical expertise to the war effort. He and his party must fight against Underdwellers and the Dungeon itself to obtain victory, before it is too late. But two sinister questions remain:
Why did the Undercity start the war?
And who will win it?
Alex Kenderman is recruited by the supreme commander of the City, Mansa Musa Red, to lend his tactical expertise to the war effort. He and his party must fight against Underdwellers and the Dungeon itself to obtain victory, before it is too late. But two sinister questions remain:
Why did the Undercity start the war?
And who will win it?
- GenresFantasy
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2020
59 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 12, 2020
Basically a perfect score buy it.
The City and the Dungeon was my first real taste of LitRPG and it stratched that itch like no other story has since.
It's been awhile since the 1st book came out and in line of pretty much every recent disappointment I was hesitantly pessimistic about the delivery. Well let me tell you now no worries.
The lightning of discover had new world to dive into never strikes twice that's just all reality especially in this genre's but in the war in the dungeon the author does an amazing job of expanding the lore and incorporating The grand design hinted at in the 1st book.. Nothing felt old or recycled.
Whether intentional or not, this series hits all the right nostalgia buttons for me.
If you were ever a kid at a scholastic book fair blowing cash like a man with A-day left live you know exactly what I'm talking about. (Garth Nix, Jonathon Mayberry, Gary Paulson)
What I mean by that iis even though this story scratches that litRPG itch, it also belongs on the bookshelf next to the classic books that I grew up reading. I think this series in particular will stand the test of time As something that still gets read 10 years from now or if this genre ever fizzles out.
The City and the Dungeon was my first real taste of LitRPG and it stratched that itch like no other story has since.
It's been awhile since the 1st book came out and in line of pretty much every recent disappointment I was hesitantly pessimistic about the delivery. Well let me tell you now no worries.
The lightning of discover had new world to dive into never strikes twice that's just all reality especially in this genre's but in the war in the dungeon the author does an amazing job of expanding the lore and incorporating The grand design hinted at in the 1st book.. Nothing felt old or recycled.
Whether intentional or not, this series hits all the right nostalgia buttons for me.
If you were ever a kid at a scholastic book fair blowing cash like a man with A-day left live you know exactly what I'm talking about. (Garth Nix, Jonathon Mayberry, Gary Paulson)
What I mean by that iis even though this story scratches that litRPG itch, it also belongs on the bookshelf next to the classic books that I grew up reading. I think this series in particular will stand the test of time As something that still gets read 10 years from now or if this genre ever fizzles out.
October 13, 2020
The sequels you wait for so long are not always the best. Close, but not always.
I've been a huge fan of the original (except for the horrible scaling in spectrum), and so the arrival of the second book was anticipated. M. Schmidt introduced a few changes - notably some descriptions of internal mechanics - but overall tried to respect the general style of the original book.
It is mostly good, but there's a fair number of small things that need pointing out. There's a lot of deus-ex-machina prepared. I mean, even if it is not used, the Black Throne is far too much of a telegraphed thing. And yes, the fact that it ends up not used makes it worse. There's also a lot of plot shuffle as some elements need to be resolved, some don't... and in the end, the titular War isn't even correctly explained. We're given half-reasons, but they do not feel entirely sufficient.
Another element is the romantic subplotS. Plural, of course. It feels a bit awkward in some cases. It is well used, but it does feel artificial, and that's what costs the book the fifth star it should have earned.
That said, I need a book 3, of course. Just to give it 5 stars again.
I've been a huge fan of the original (except for the horrible scaling in spectrum), and so the arrival of the second book was anticipated. M. Schmidt introduced a few changes - notably some descriptions of internal mechanics - but overall tried to respect the general style of the original book.
It is mostly good, but there's a fair number of small things that need pointing out. There's a lot of deus-ex-machina prepared. I mean, even if it is not used, the Black Throne is far too much of a telegraphed thing. And yes, the fact that it ends up not used makes it worse. There's also a lot of plot shuffle as some elements need to be resolved, some don't... and in the end, the titular War isn't even correctly explained. We're given half-reasons, but they do not feel entirely sufficient.
Another element is the romantic subplotS. Plural, of course. It feels a bit awkward in some cases. It is well used, but it does feel artificial, and that's what costs the book the fifth star it should have earned.
That said, I need a book 3, of course. Just to give it 5 stars again.
October 13, 2020
More plot, more mechanics
The city and the dungeon is back, and boy was this a tense book. The war starts early, not leaving as much time for delving as in book 1. And still more of the dungeon is revealed.
We get new monsters, new bosses, new skills, new areas, new traps, new classes, more strategies for facing the dungeon (like book 1’s “Dig for Victory” and the new “Pudding Farming”) while learning more about how the dungeon really works and its origins.
And through it all there’s a sense of looming dread, that something is about to go very very wrong.
Book 2 has everything book 1 had, just in the grander scale. So buy it if you enjoyed the first one.
The city and the dungeon is back, and boy was this a tense book. The war starts early, not leaving as much time for delving as in book 1. And still more of the dungeon is revealed.
We get new monsters, new bosses, new skills, new areas, new traps, new classes, more strategies for facing the dungeon (like book 1’s “Dig for Victory” and the new “Pudding Farming”) while learning more about how the dungeon really works and its origins.
And through it all there’s a sense of looming dread, that something is about to go very very wrong.
Book 2 has everything book 1 had, just in the grander scale. So buy it if you enjoyed the first one.
October 17, 2020
The unfortunate thing about sequels is that they never seem to live up to the first novel (or am I cursed?).
The world building in this second book is still astounding and I love all the new things that are thrown at us. However, there is a lot of what seems like forced drama to me, as well as a more jumbled pace. The multiplier romance subplots were also an interesting surprise that didn’t always felt like they belonged to me.
I still really liked the book and eagerly await the next one.
The world building in this second book is still astounding and I love all the new things that are thrown at us. However, there is a lot of what seems like forced drama to me, as well as a more jumbled pace. The multiplier romance subplots were also an interesting surprise that didn’t always felt like they belonged to me.
I still really liked the book and eagerly await the next one.
May 2, 2021
A Tough One To Enjoy
The author, Matthew Schmidt, has a unique voice and vision in the LitRPG space. The first book left a heck of an impression on me, and every few months, I’d think about the world and its characters. When I saw the next entry was available, I immediately bought and read it. Unfortunately, War Through the Dungeon failed to resonate with me.
The main issue: writing structure. To be clear, there aren’t many typos or issues with editing. That’s all solid. It’s how we are told the story that’s an issue. Chapters are shattered into tiny blocks of story, separated by horizontal rules. It left me feeling like I was reading a dream, as you skip between set pieces or plot points without any connective tissue. The characterization thereby suffers since everything feels more vague and overall less substantial.
Speaking of plot, the first book was about exploring this new world and discovering mysteries of The Dungeon. Sure, that’s cliche for the series... but I personally love it. In this entry, we jump completely away from the world and instead follow political intrigue and a war between cities. For me, that’s unpleasant and frankly dull.
But... when there’s a book three, I’m gonna give it a shot. I really, honesty want the author to continue writing. He’s on to something. I just hope the next novel has a better flow and more adventure.
The author, Matthew Schmidt, has a unique voice and vision in the LitRPG space. The first book left a heck of an impression on me, and every few months, I’d think about the world and its characters. When I saw the next entry was available, I immediately bought and read it. Unfortunately, War Through the Dungeon failed to resonate with me.
The main issue: writing structure. To be clear, there aren’t many typos or issues with editing. That’s all solid. It’s how we are told the story that’s an issue. Chapters are shattered into tiny blocks of story, separated by horizontal rules. It left me feeling like I was reading a dream, as you skip between set pieces or plot points without any connective tissue. The characterization thereby suffers since everything feels more vague and overall less substantial.
Speaking of plot, the first book was about exploring this new world and discovering mysteries of The Dungeon. Sure, that’s cliche for the series... but I personally love it. In this entry, we jump completely away from the world and instead follow political intrigue and a war between cities. For me, that’s unpleasant and frankly dull.
But... when there’s a book three, I’m gonna give it a shot. I really, honesty want the author to continue writing. He’s on to something. I just hope the next novel has a better flow and more adventure.
January 8, 2022
A direct continuation from book one, it is likewise well executed from a technical standpoint. The war itself seemed more a vehicle for examining political machinations in an oligo-anarchic system, as the backroom maneuvering took up more pixels than the fighting. I can tell you that I would have fought that very differently, but the half-assery of the execution was probably the point.
Discussion of religion became much more overt in this installment, so take that however it works for you. I'm unclear on why there are so many pagan religions represented in the classes considering the primacy of the monotheistic theme in the story. Perhaps if a third book shows up some of hinted story elements will be be further developed.
Discussion of religion became much more overt in this installment, so take that however it works for you. I'm unclear on why there are so many pagan religions represented in the classes considering the primacy of the monotheistic theme in the story. Perhaps if a third book shows up some of hinted story elements will be be further developed.
November 15, 2020
More action, mysteries, and political intrigue in the Dungeon
I read this right after reading the first book. Discovering new depths of the Dungeon, new monsters, and new mysterious enemies with Alex's party was great. The other members of the party get more development, too. I will admit the middle section of the book seemed a bit slow; there were a number of war meetings and logistics that I thought could have been skipped without harm to the plot. But once things got into the climax, the action really picked up again for a satisfying finish. Looking forward to the next installment!
I read this right after reading the first book. Discovering new depths of the Dungeon, new monsters, and new mysterious enemies with Alex's party was great. The other members of the party get more development, too. I will admit the middle section of the book seemed a bit slow; there were a number of war meetings and logistics that I thought could have been skipped without harm to the plot. But once things got into the climax, the action really picked up again for a satisfying finish. Looking forward to the next installment!
February 3, 2021
So so sequel
Only giving 5 stars cause I love this series but this 3rd book goes way way off topic. It’s supposed to be about: finding Alice’s dad, delving and finding awesome loot or classes or answers. This book basically starts at 80% completion. Way too much filler like why put politics, taxes or the surface, or random long conversations about nothing in it? They went into the deep only once after beating the 75th floor last book why not dive deeper and write a book about that? The war only started happening at 80% as well. Honestly leave politics and filler out this series as so much potential.
Only giving 5 stars cause I love this series but this 3rd book goes way way off topic. It’s supposed to be about: finding Alice’s dad, delving and finding awesome loot or classes or answers. This book basically starts at 80% completion. Way too much filler like why put politics, taxes or the surface, or random long conversations about nothing in it? They went into the deep only once after beating the 75th floor last book why not dive deeper and write a book about that? The war only started happening at 80% as well. Honestly leave politics and filler out this series as so much potential.
October 14, 2020
Enjoyable book
Like the first, it was an enjoyable read. Glad we can experience faster turn around on the rest of the series.
Has a nice setting compared to most lit RPG. One thing I hope we see more of are abilities, equipment, and monster special abilities moving forward. I seen it reference that this is about the range of young adult novels but at the same time I feel other authors try to be too extreme or edgy for no reason,
Like the first, it was an enjoyable read. Glad we can experience faster turn around on the rest of the series.
Has a nice setting compared to most lit RPG. One thing I hope we see more of are abilities, equipment, and monster special abilities moving forward. I seen it reference that this is about the range of young adult novels but at the same time I feel other authors try to be too extreme or edgy for no reason,
October 23, 2020
Good finish, but hard to get to
Enjoyed the ending, but could have done without 60%of the books body. A lot of rabbit holes and plot gaps. In some places things are explained to painful excess and in others its like the author just lets you figure it out and play catch up. Also, the writing style changes often, one moment it is like reading a letter and the next its 3rd person again. Makes it a bit hard to keep up with.
Enjoyed the ending, but could have done without 60%of the books body. A lot of rabbit holes and plot gaps. In some places things are explained to painful excess and in others its like the author just lets you figure it out and play catch up. Also, the writing style changes often, one moment it is like reading a letter and the next its 3rd person again. Makes it a bit hard to keep up with.
November 28, 2020
Just as good as the first!
This series is one of my favorites. I read the city and the dungeon at least 5 times, and I have already read this book twice. What I love most about these books is that you feel as if you are peering through a window into a vastly complex world, revealed naturally through the interactions of the characters. Keep writing!
This series is one of my favorites. I read the city and the dungeon at least 5 times, and I have already read this book twice. What I love most about these books is that you feel as if you are peering through a window into a vastly complex world, revealed naturally through the interactions of the characters. Keep writing!
June 1, 2021
An enjoyable continuation of the City and the Dungeon. The book did get a little tedious with politics and religion. Two things I am not really interested in when trying to escape in to a fantasy genre novel.
The narrator was a little difficult to connect with. I enjoyed the reader of the first book much better.
The narrator was a little difficult to connect with. I enjoyed the reader of the first book much better.
April 13, 2023
Second book in the series.
A LOT politics and not so much dungeon crawling. At the beginning it was fun but I missed the group dynamics of the first book. Also all the america stuff was a let down for me. Taxes? Really?
Hope it gets back to the strengths of the first books in the next episode.
A LOT politics and not so much dungeon crawling. At the beginning it was fun but I missed the group dynamics of the first book. Also all the america stuff was a let down for me. Taxes? Really?
Hope it gets back to the strengths of the first books in the next episode.
October 21, 2020
Thought provoking
The war for the Dungeon takes on even greater twists and turns. Character arcs progress, we pay a visit to the Surface, and so much stuff happens, it's ridiculous! Looking forward to the next. Not your typical LitRPG by a long shot.
The war for the Dungeon takes on even greater twists and turns. Character arcs progress, we pay a visit to the Surface, and so much stuff happens, it's ridiculous! Looking forward to the next. Not your typical LitRPG by a long shot.
December 9, 2020
Yay
After a prolonged wait the City and the Dungeon are back. World politics rears it’s ugly head and drama ensues. War comes. I enjoyed reading it as much as the first novel and I look forward to reading the next book. Enjoy
After a prolonged wait the City and the Dungeon are back. World politics rears it’s ugly head and drama ensues. War comes. I enjoyed reading it as much as the first novel and I look forward to reading the next book. Enjoy
May 28, 2021
Complicated
My hats off to the author on this one. Schmidt took on an incredibly complicated plot and setting. It wasn't necessarily executed as well as I would have hoped, but I have to admire the risks he took with how big this story feels it was trying to be.
My hats off to the author on this one. Schmidt took on an incredibly complicated plot and setting. It wasn't necessarily executed as well as I would have hoped, but I have to admire the risks he took with how big this story feels it was trying to be.
November 16, 2020
Solid follow up
In addition to the title I appreciate the insight shown in the depth of the work and character’s personality and motivations. Great work.
In addition to the title I appreciate the insight shown in the depth of the work and character’s personality and motivations. Great work.
February 28, 2021
Very entertaining read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like dungeons magic with lots of action and twist.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like dungeons magic with lots of action and twist.
June 2, 2021
An Excellent Second Installment
If you liked the first book, you’ll like this one. There’s not much combat at first, but that’s not a bad thing! Go, read!
If you liked the first book, you’ll like this one. There’s not much combat at first, but that’s not a bad thing! Go, read!
October 13, 2022
A fantastic sequel
The second tale of the City and the Dungeon expands on the fascinating world and complex characters. With the horrors of war and political intrigue interspersed between delving adventures I couldn't put it down.
The second tale of the City and the Dungeon expands on the fascinating world and complex characters. With the horrors of war and political intrigue interspersed between delving adventures I couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews