The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon, Vol. 1

The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon Light Novel #1

by Hinagi Asami, Kureta (Illustrator)

Ready for Anything—Except This

Strapped for cash, Souya signs up for a shady gig straight out of a video warp to a fantasy world with a team of experts and ascend a dungeon tower to make off with its spoils. However, an accident in the transfer process leaves him stranded there alone. Desperate for support, he recruits a host of adventurers—from elven sisters banished from their forest, to a Goddess of Deception and Secrecy partial to lazing about as a cat—to form a party that can brave the tower’s perils. Caught between corrupt nobles and merchants outside the dungeon and deadly monsters within, can this motley band rise to the challenge? Or will Souya’s adventure end before it even begins?

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Manga

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2019

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 bumped up for being an isekai story that, according to the afterword, deliberately eschews all video game markers. It also largely avoids harem trappings and being too much of an overt power fantasy, and while this could change in volume two, on the whole it's easy to see why this won a best new fantasy novel contest.

[Pablo García · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new light novel series, written in 2019. It is longer than most series, at over 300+ pages, with only 4 chapters. Even though it is an isekai (teletransported to another world), the beginning and the main character Souya, are different and somewhat original. The first series of explorations to this alternate reality world proved that humans were corrupt and depraved, so in humanity's last chance they send one last team that is different. Most of the team is lost, and only Souya survives.
This new world has values, rules and traditions which start with a completely different language. Different legal tender and a lot of different species and religious beliefs. They also have magic.
Souya is supposed to complete the tower dungeon in the year he has to complete his mission. Humanity wants access to the medicinal plants and things found in this dungeon. Because Souya is alone, without any help from the artificial intelligence machines brought. (Most of the luggage brought was lost or stolen). (The guns brought have no more bullets, cause adventurers in this world stole them).
Author uses the cooking, tent raising, etc. as fillers. Japanese cuisine is interesting and delicious but if you always use the same ingredients, then it becomes tedious. I know that the locals, especially the beat-spirit-folk enjoy the new flavors of Japanese cuisine but as readers we are not eating, not sharing so thus these repetitive experiences become extremely monotonous.
So Souya, makes an adventurer team with strangers, locals from this world. In his team, he as a cat (Mithlanica), that is also a God, and apparently transforms into human form.
Four observations: 1) Compasses don't necessarily work in other planets, it is because Earth has metal in several layers of the Earth's core. This metal magnetizes our core and thus, compasses allow us to find out directions while on Earth. Other planets don't necessarily have the same composition in the layers of those planets and worlds. Especially if they are magic intensive planets. 2) The illustrations are on the "rough drafts side". I think they could be made better. But maybe it is part of the style that the author wants for his light novel series. 3.) Out of over 7 billion people they had to send a wimp, that has no ability to fight, and only worries about cooking. If that is the best that Japan has to offer to the Universe, just that thought makes me want to cry. 4.) The only reason the exploration team from Earth was sent was to conquer the Tower Dungeon. The least that the author has done, with his main character is to challenge the Dungeon. :(
Thanks to the author, I got the feeling that the people from this alternate reality world are as bad as the people (Earthlings) that came in the first exploration. It is always a pity, that having the opportunity to create a new world with no mistakes, people with dark souls and absolutely no imagination, choose to make dystopias - Hell Worlds, worse than our world today. It's as if they only have sh´t in their heads.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Souya, a young adult who apparently did something in the Middle East (soldier?), needs money to pay for the surgery of his younger sister and takes a shady job into another world to gather an unknown ingredient deep from a dungeon. Opening a portal takes a lot of energy, things go wrong, he ends up alone with two somewhat damaged AI computers and there is not going to be backup for a year. The first arc in the book is about Souya making a bit of a name and acquiring the blessing of god or goddess - necessary to enter the dungeon. The second about him getting involved two banished elven princesses and the trouble that came along.

The story shows some good world building and decent characters filled with subtle jabs and references at the genre. My kind of humour. The cynical MC with a temper and a golden heart who has a tendency to act before thinking at times is certainly one I like. His skill between the first and second arc seem a bit inconsistent, being stronger in the first then the second one. At times the story seems to add random titbits not related to the story, and the MC is obsessed with food and cooking, although it seems mostly for comic relief.

All in all, a highly entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next volume.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise, with excellent world building and solid writing, marred by the tendency to waylay the plot with chapters and chapters of food porn. The main love interest’s lack of personality descriptions in direct contrast to the overabundance of her chest descriptions is also a disappointment. Then there’s the budding harem. These aspects take away from the unique isekai premise of an alternate present where portal technology is a reality. Nobody is reincarnated. The MC is not OP. Instead, the MC is cheeky and clever. I wanted to like the story, and mostly did, but the vapid female characters irritated me.

[aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another series of light novels that I've really been getting into lately. This one finds the lead, Souya ending up in another dimension working for the government in order to find some resource from that world. He ends up gaining compatriots from this world in order to explore the dangerous dungeon. It is another good series and I look forward to the next volume.

[Samuel Faraday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most original, fun isekai light novel I’ve read in a long time. It’s not a masterpiece by any means, but it is extremely fun to read as sort of a ‘popcorn book’. Its tone is very light, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Finally, our MC’s AI companions are just too cute. Too cute.

[Patrick Hearn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was…rough. It has a lot of potential, but the writing was almost offensively bad at points. It feels like the lower fantasy of a 14-year-old boy. I don’t think I’ll be picking up the second in the series. I don’t regret reading it, but I wouldn’t put myself through that again.

[Dustin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A nothing of a main character, a handful of annoying side characters, and a plot that can best be described as "Oops, all setbacks". This is Re: Zero levels of miserable.

[Karsun B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this story and concept it's different from other fantasy or in particular isekai novels.

[Michael Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this for my son. It's fine. There's a surprising amount about cooking.