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Dungeon Diving #1
Dungeon Diving 101
The Dungeon is a place of magic and mystery, a vast branching, underground labyrinth that has changed the world and the people who dare to enter its depths. Those who brave its challenges are rewarded with wealth, fame, and powerful classes that set them apart from the rest.
Ken was determined to follow the footsteps of his family and become one of the greatest adventurers the world has ever known. He knows that the only way to do that is to get into one of the esteemed Dungeon colleges, where the most promising young adventurers gather.
Despite doing fantastic on the entrance exam, when his class is revealed, everyone turns their backs on him, all except for one.
The most powerful adventurer, Crimson, invites him to the one college he never thought he’d enter. Haylon, an all girls college.
Ken sets out to put together a party and master the skills he'll need to brave the Dungeon's endless dangers. But he soon discovers that the path ahead is far more perilous than he could have ever imagined.
Ken was determined to follow the footsteps of his family and become one of the greatest adventurers the world has ever known. He knows that the only way to do that is to get into one of the esteemed Dungeon colleges, where the most promising young adventurers gather.
Despite doing fantastic on the entrance exam, when his class is revealed, everyone turns their backs on him, all except for one.
The most powerful adventurer, Crimson, invites him to the one college he never thought he’d enter. Haylon, an all girls college.
Ken sets out to put together a party and master the skills he'll need to brave the Dungeon's endless dangers. But he soon discovers that the path ahead is far more perilous than he could have ever imagined.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 9, 2023
1354 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Sentar
50 books780 followersBorn and raised in the agricultural midwest, I moved every year after school even as far as Shanghai before settling down with my wife in Chicago.
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
I have always enjoyed Wuxia stories and became thrilled when I discovered harem stories spreading to western books. I've written down my day dreams for years as an idle hobby. Inspired by the harem genre I'm finally fleshing them out into full blown novels.
I'm excited to share my stories with you as I turn them into novels and series.
Connect with me on Facebook for updates on my latest books.
https://www.facebook.com/Bruce-Sentar...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
January 19, 2023
This is another LitRPG with the Harem subgenre. It's modern times but with the twist that there's a huge Dungeon (capital letter fully warranted) that people dive for fun, resources and profit. So you have phones, TV, and dungeon universities that everyone wants to get into. And Ken, the lucky dog, gets into an otherwise all-female academy for reasons that don't matter.
I actually liked how the background of the story kind of expects poly relationships, particularly among delving teams. This makes no rational sense, but I didn't mind it as background you just have to give the story. It telegraphs how Ken's harem is going to form and lets us know that everyone else is fully cognizant of it as well. I do like that the bard of their party is firmly lesbian, though, and never waivers on that. It felt organic and interesting and her worry that they might want to replace her felt genuine (and their reassurance even more so).
The story is a mix of school and LitRPG dungeon delving and the plot is active enough to hold interest as well. I was engaged from start to finish, and was pleased to find that the harem bits weren't overdone or excuse for a sex romp. So I'm going with five stars, though you should be aware that's overlooking all the drawbacks of the subgenre.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene and minor shenanigans along the way, putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. Which is weirdly amazing for a no-apologies harem story. What can I say, it fit and I liked how Ken's relationship with each of his girls is unique in its own way.
I actually liked how the background of the story kind of expects poly relationships, particularly among delving teams. This makes no rational sense, but I didn't mind it as background you just have to give the story. It telegraphs how Ken's harem is going to form and lets us know that everyone else is fully cognizant of it as well. I do like that the bard of their party is firmly lesbian, though, and never waivers on that. It felt organic and interesting and her worry that they might want to replace her felt genuine (and their reassurance even more so).
The story is a mix of school and LitRPG dungeon delving and the plot is active enough to hold interest as well. I was engaged from start to finish, and was pleased to find that the harem bits weren't overdone or excuse for a sex romp. So I'm going with five stars, though you should be aware that's overlooking all the drawbacks of the subgenre.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene and minor shenanigans along the way, putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. Which is weirdly amazing for a no-apologies harem story. What can I say, it fit and I liked how Ken's relationship with each of his girls is unique in its own way.
January 18, 2023
I've been for the most part extremely bored of the harem genre. There's just soooo many mediocre books out there it's hard to filter through and find the good ones. Luckily there's a few authors that normally I can count on, like Bruce Sentar, Michael Dalton, Deacon Frost etc. But this one really brought me back to why I originally got into the harem genre when I first read Eric Valls Summoner (He's not one I read anymore though). There's a few sub genres that I really enjoy and they are Academy, Dungeon diving and Gamelit, this has pretty much all of that and actually has an MC that doesn't completely suck like a majority of this genre lately. My only real problem is that Sentar starts off really well making the women in his harem have different and interesting personalities, but later on he just adds far too many women, so the originals fall off a bit and personalities blend together too much. *Spoilers ahead* But luckily everything else about this novel hit the bullseye on what I love, the academy aspect was cool and didn't impede the dungeon diving at all and I love when I can see stats on an MC, it makes it easier for my mind to rationalize power ups later on, and lets not forget his fighting style is very assassin like which to me is a huge bonus since in my late teens and early 20s I was a huge World of Warcraft addict and was a Rogue throughout almost all of it, so my love for any assassin character in books is enhanced by a good bit. All in all I am really excited for the rest of this series, I powered through these 400 pages in an evening and almost forgot to eat dinner with how engrossed I was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Harem litrpg. These are all about the same. In this case, there is an interesting idea about a living dungeon with a guiding intelligence.
January 17, 2024
I was hesitant to put this up because DD101 is marketed as a LitRPG novel with quasi-porn elements. But fortunately - surprisingly - it was a good, entertaining story and aside from a couple of racy scenes everything else interpersonal played out as simple romance.
There's a bit of a Harry Potter Hogwarts vibe in that the scenario involves a.) an unusually talented protagonist who is thrust into b.) an exclusive training academy, but those two elements are relegated to background detail rather than becoming shameless clone material, so it manages to stand on its own amply.
No, this is not high literature but rather light entertainment, of particular interest to geeks like me who like to play PC games - and who are only something like 35 years Johnny-come-lately to the advent of the whole RPG subculture.
[In that context I really wish the author would publish a list of recommended RPG titles for utter beginners to learn the ropes. Other than a few hours with Baldur's Gate and with Skyrim - in both of which I still don't really know what I'm doing, particularly in terms of employing magic as weaponry - I would like some recommendations.]
And as a complete Noob to Role-Playing Games much of the detail about "leveling" and "AoE" (Area of Effect, something I had to look up,) "spam healing" (still not clear on that one,) and "debuff" was over my head. But having to shine these on and/or make some ballpark guesses as to their meanings was not a big negative.
Far worse was the author's consistent embrace of the bizarre, quasi-religious aversion to sex-specific pronouns and their replacement with the grammatical illiteracy of the plural "their" or "them." This repeatedly created confusion as to who the hell, specifically, was being referred to. And so the reader is forced to stop reading, pull himself out of the entire story milieu (See what I did there? Gasp!) and try to unravel the utterly needless and politically-motivated wokewashed mangling of the English language.
Just write the damned pronouns already. No, it is not going to cause your readers to flop to the floor in grand mal seizures, or break an arm or Put Someone's Eye Out. We're all big kiddies out here in reader-land. We can take it. 'Swear.
In the case of Charlotte's rabbit-familiar, the author's aversion to picking an either-or gender and just sticking with it relegates the character (and the rabbit IS a character, a rather vivid one,) to a generic and impersonal "it." Umm, why, exactly? That whole cultish neo-Moral-Majority practice should be ditched for the dramatic overall improvement of the readability of the book. The degree to which people will acquiesce to the diminution of their work - for the sake of that irrelevant, fringe political cult - always ceases to amaze me. But it is a head-scratcher.
Another criticism - which limits me to rating this as only "light entertainment" - is that there is next to no detail of the surroundings within the story. And given that much of it takes place in a massive, subterranean dungeon world populated by bizarre monsters, it leaves the whole book seeming a little shallow. To draw an analogy to CGI software (pun there if you want one,) it's like choosing to initiate a final render at 50% resolution instead of 100%. If he'd have fleshed this out more and maybe added more suspense (Ken and Crimson are both a little too indestructible,) it would've felt more like a full-blown fantasy novel.
Still good entertainment, and given that the author names entertainment as his goal in his Afterword, mission accomplished. But aside from the pronoun-mangle problem this is a surprisingly well-conceived and -written book. So he could've taken it to another level, IMO.
There's a bit of a Harry Potter Hogwarts vibe in that the scenario involves a.) an unusually talented protagonist who is thrust into b.) an exclusive training academy, but those two elements are relegated to background detail rather than becoming shameless clone material, so it manages to stand on its own amply.
No, this is not high literature but rather light entertainment, of particular interest to geeks like me who like to play PC games - and who are only something like 35 years Johnny-come-lately to the advent of the whole RPG subculture.
[In that context I really wish the author would publish a list of recommended RPG titles for utter beginners to learn the ropes. Other than a few hours with Baldur's Gate and with Skyrim - in both of which I still don't really know what I'm doing, particularly in terms of employing magic as weaponry - I would like some recommendations.]
And as a complete Noob to Role-Playing Games much of the detail about "leveling" and "AoE" (Area of Effect, something I had to look up,) "spam healing" (still not clear on that one,) and "debuff" was over my head. But having to shine these on and/or make some ballpark guesses as to their meanings was not a big negative.
Far worse was the author's consistent embrace of the bizarre, quasi-religious aversion to sex-specific pronouns and their replacement with the grammatical illiteracy of the plural "their" or "them." This repeatedly created confusion as to who the hell, specifically, was being referred to. And so the reader is forced to stop reading, pull himself out of the entire story milieu (See what I did there? Gasp!) and try to unravel the utterly needless and politically-motivated wokewashed mangling of the English language.
Just write the damned pronouns already. No, it is not going to cause your readers to flop to the floor in grand mal seizures, or break an arm or Put Someone's Eye Out. We're all big kiddies out here in reader-land. We can take it. 'Swear.
In the case of Charlotte's rabbit-familiar, the author's aversion to picking an either-or gender and just sticking with it relegates the character (and the rabbit IS a character, a rather vivid one,) to a generic and impersonal "it." Umm, why, exactly? That whole cultish neo-Moral-Majority practice should be ditched for the dramatic overall improvement of the readability of the book. The degree to which people will acquiesce to the diminution of their work - for the sake of that irrelevant, fringe political cult - always ceases to amaze me. But it is a head-scratcher.
Another criticism - which limits me to rating this as only "light entertainment" - is that there is next to no detail of the surroundings within the story. And given that much of it takes place in a massive, subterranean dungeon world populated by bizarre monsters, it leaves the whole book seeming a little shallow. To draw an analogy to CGI software (pun there if you want one,) it's like choosing to initiate a final render at 50% resolution instead of 100%. If he'd have fleshed this out more and maybe added more suspense (Ken and Crimson are both a little too indestructible,) it would've felt more like a full-blown fantasy novel.
Still good entertainment, and given that the author names entertainment as his goal in his Afterword, mission accomplished. But aside from the pronoun-mangle problem this is a surprisingly well-conceived and -written book. So he could've taken it to another level, IMO.
April 9, 2024
Book one
I went into this book knowing that it was a harem story. I've run across a couple of reviews that have claimed that some of the harem stories also have some of the best dungeon, or portal, or iskial stories. So I figured I would give a couple a real shot.
The dungeon parts are decent. Good detail and length. With some loot as well.
Outside of the dungeon there are definitely parts that need more detail or even some detail.
I'd have liked to know what happened on his first date.
The sex, I'm going to be honest, I thought it was pretty bad. I got tired of all the euphemisms.
In my personal opinion if you are going to write sex scenes it's okay to use the proper terms.
I laughed when later in the book the MC referred to his penis as the mighty dragon. All I could think was dude must be packing a half an inch because it sure seemed like he was trying to compensate.
I'm not bothering to see if this is on Royalroad. However I will say that there are a few more books in the series that have been published.
If I found any mistakes they will be posted on Goodreads.
5/10 Not horrible but not the best either.
I went into this book knowing that it was a harem story. I've run across a couple of reviews that have claimed that some of the harem stories also have some of the best dungeon, or portal, or iskial stories. So I figured I would give a couple a real shot.
The dungeon parts are decent. Good detail and length. With some loot as well.
Outside of the dungeon there are definitely parts that need more detail or even some detail.
I'd have liked to know what happened on his first date.
The sex, I'm going to be honest, I thought it was pretty bad. I got tired of all the euphemisms.
In my personal opinion if you are going to write sex scenes it's okay to use the proper terms.
I laughed when later in the book the MC referred to his penis as the mighty dragon. All I could think was dude must be packing a half an inch because it sure seemed like he was trying to compensate.
I'm not bothering to see if this is on Royalroad. However I will say that there are a few more books in the series that have been published.
If I found any mistakes they will be posted on Goodreads.
5/10 Not horrible but not the best either.
September 13, 2023
record scratch sound effect. Nope! DNF on page 6
First sentence of page one this anime inspired RPG spoof leans way, way too far into the " Comedic Dirty old man" trope. Embarrassingly so. The 'humorously' perverted old man is the MC's grand pa and sets up that the MC is about to go to college to learn to be an adventurer (Wouldn't that make it a trade school, not a college?) and that the MC is an orphan, and he's expected to start his own harem.
Actually as far as clever, efficient exposition smoothly inserted into the introduction that was some of the best I've ever read but the shuddering cringe of Grand-pa opening porno mags at the kitchen table is just NOT what I'm in the mood for. Audios this series, (waves bye-bye)
The very start of a book tells you what you're in for. it sets the tone, and I'll pass thank you.
First sentence of page one this anime inspired RPG spoof leans way, way too far into the " Comedic Dirty old man" trope. Embarrassingly so. The 'humorously' perverted old man is the MC's grand pa and sets up that the MC is about to go to college to learn to be an adventurer (Wouldn't that make it a trade school, not a college?) and that the MC is an orphan, and he's expected to start his own harem.
Actually as far as clever, efficient exposition smoothly inserted into the introduction that was some of the best I've ever read but the shuddering cringe of Grand-pa opening porno mags at the kitchen table is just NOT what I'm in the mood for. Audios this series, (waves bye-bye)
The very start of a book tells you what you're in for. it sets the tone, and I'll pass thank you.
February 28, 2023
This book is very similar to the author's other series, Saving Supervillains. Take a good looking guy, put him around a lot of women, and watch what happens.
Ken is the grandson of an assassin. His parents died in the dungeon (there's only one dungeon on this world) and so he was raised by his grandparents. When a person turns eighteen they get to touch the dungeon stone and learn their class. Ken has an unusual class called an aberration.
The leading dungeon delver, Crimson, picks him and takes him to an all girls academy. Yep. He's the only guy at an all girl academy. No guesses for how that turns out.
The world is almost like Earth. Cars, phones, and similar items are mentioned but never seen. The class spends most of their time in the dungeon learning how to survive.
The story is fine if a bit predictable. The book is a quick read with above average editing and stats for those who like to see stat sheets. I could do without the explicit scenes but I know they sell books. They're easy to skip if you're so inclined. There is just enough humor to keep the story light.
5/5* (for the story, not the explicit scenes that I skipped)
Ken is the grandson of an assassin. His parents died in the dungeon (there's only one dungeon on this world) and so he was raised by his grandparents. When a person turns eighteen they get to touch the dungeon stone and learn their class. Ken has an unusual class called an aberration.
The leading dungeon delver, Crimson, picks him and takes him to an all girls academy. Yep. He's the only guy at an all girl academy. No guesses for how that turns out.
The world is almost like Earth. Cars, phones, and similar items are mentioned but never seen. The class spends most of their time in the dungeon learning how to survive.
The story is fine if a bit predictable. The book is a quick read with above average editing and stats for those who like to see stat sheets. I could do without the explicit scenes but I know they sell books. They're easy to skip if you're so inclined. There is just enough humor to keep the story light.
5/5* (for the story, not the explicit scenes that I skipped)
July 12, 2024
Do you like generic isekai harem anime? Then you'll like this book.
This book isn't bad, but it isn't great either. It's kinda "meh" in my opinion. It genuinely feels like a generic isekai anime that fails to stand out from anything else.
The harem aspect is driven home quite quickly, and the "spicy" parts just felt a little cringe.
This book was just not my thing, but I can understand there being a market for it with the abundance of Japanese light novels.
This book isn't bad, but it isn't great either. It's kinda "meh" in my opinion. It genuinely feels like a generic isekai anime that fails to stand out from anything else.
The harem aspect is driven home quite quickly, and the "spicy" parts just felt a little cringe.
This book was just not my thing, but I can understand there being a market for it with the abundance of Japanese light novels.
November 25, 2024
I have always loved initiatory stories. I played Dungeons and Dragons in my youth.
These are the only two excuses I can present in court to explain how much I loved this book.
I didn't read it, I devoured it.
However, the "harem" label, the slightly racy AI-created cover and the improbable (but brilliant) idea on which the book is built should have acted as a deterrent.
But as soon as I read the first few pages, I was drawn into a vortex from which I only emerged two days later.
It is very intelligently written, modern, very funny, totally fanciful.
I refuse to analyze in depth the joy that this reading gave me, so as not to spoil the following ones. And it is obvious that the book has flaws (fans of very elaborate worlds or detailed descriptions, move on.)
It is likely that the following episodes will be less jubilant than this first part. It doesn't matter: what's taken is taken and is no longer to be taken.
Thank you Bruce Sentar, this was an incredibly fun read!
These are the only two excuses I can present in court to explain how much I loved this book.
I didn't read it, I devoured it.
However, the "harem" label, the slightly racy AI-created cover and the improbable (but brilliant) idea on which the book is built should have acted as a deterrent.
But as soon as I read the first few pages, I was drawn into a vortex from which I only emerged two days later.
It is very intelligently written, modern, very funny, totally fanciful.
I refuse to analyze in depth the joy that this reading gave me, so as not to spoil the following ones. And it is obvious that the book has flaws (fans of very elaborate worlds or detailed descriptions, move on.)
It is likely that the following episodes will be less jubilant than this first part. It doesn't matter: what's taken is taken and is no longer to be taken.
Thank you Bruce Sentar, this was an incredibly fun read!
April 4, 2024
First time reading from the author. The story feels compelling and fairly well written. I am a fan of smutty books but I prefer it when it’s just an addition to the story and not the focus, which is done well in this book.
September 2, 2024
I stopped during the selection
Look, anime-styled action doesn't translate well to the written. He "flashed," etc. Also, there's way too much tell when the writer should just show. I'm honestly clueless how this book has so many upvotes.
Look, anime-styled action doesn't translate well to the written. He "flashed," etc. Also, there's way too much tell when the writer should just show. I'm honestly clueless how this book has so many upvotes.
August 9, 2025
Amazing!!!!!!
December 25, 2025
Way better then I expected.
So I didnt really know what to expect going into this but its actually really well done. Reading this after reading a few amateurish Japanese light novels with similar "themes" I was reminded how much better writing can be, even in this genre!
The hook is set and im on to book 2 next!
So I didnt really know what to expect going into this but its actually really well done. Reading this after reading a few amateurish Japanese light novels with similar "themes" I was reminded how much better writing can be, even in this genre!
The hook is set and im on to book 2 next!
June 22, 2025
Romance:
December 21, 2024
Title: Dungeon Diving 101 – A LitRPG Harem Fantasy Worth Delving Into
Introduction:
Greetings, fellow adventurers and storytellers! It's Kiba Snowpaw, your resident Ice Wolf from the frostbitten world of HowlStrom. With my 38+ years of life navigating through blizzards, stories, and over 400 audiobooks, I've sniffed out countless tales. Today, I’ll dive paws-first into Dungeon Diving 101 by Bruce Sentar, a LitRPG fantasy that fuses modern tech, dungeon-crawling action, and a harem of unique characters. Let’s see if this treasure chest of a novel delivers epic loot or a stack of wooden coins.
---
Basic Plot Summary:
Ken, our plucky protagonist, dreams of becoming a legendary dungeon delver like his family before him. In a world where the Dungeon—a vast, mystical labyrinth—reshapes life and society, adventurers gain fame, fortune, and powerful classes. Despite acing his entrance exams, Ken’s “aberration” class makes him an outcast. That is until Crimson, the most powerful adventurer, takes him under her wing and invites him to Haylon, an all-girls academy. Ken’s journey through the academy and Dungeon begins, rife with danger, discovery, and a harem of fascinating companions.
---
Originality:
While dungeon-crawling and harem elements are well-trodden tropes, Dungeon Diving 101 brings a fresh perspective by blending them with modern tech and social dynamics. Imagine smartphones, RPG mechanics, and a labyrinth filled with loot—all seamlessly integrated. The novel balances its LitRPG stats with character-driven storytelling, ensuring it appeals to both genre enthusiasts and newcomers.
---
About the Writer:
Bruce Sentar, known for his harem-centric stories, steps up his game here. Hailing from the Midwest, Bruce has carved a niche by merging progression fantasy with character-driven plots. Compared to other authors in the LitRPG scene, such as Shane Hammond or Annabelle Hawthorne, Bruce’s style is less about overwhelming stats and more about weaving relationships into the narrative. It’s a risky move, but one that pays off.
---
Analysis/Evaluation:
Character Development:
Main Characters:
Ken: A relatable underdog with a mix of determination and humility. His evolution from unsure student to capable delver is satisfying to follow.
Crimson: The enigmatic mentor whose confidence and power command respect. Her chemistry with Ken adds depth to the story.
Supporting Characters:
The harem members are distinct and well-rounded, from the fiery warrior to the quiet, bookish mage. Special mention goes to the bard, a lesbian whose arc avoids clichés, offering genuine representation.
Character Arcs and Relatability:
Each character contributes meaningfully to the plot. Their struggles and growth mirror real-life challenges, making them more than just stats or archetypes.
---
Structure and Mechanics:
Bruce Sentar builds his world carefully. The integration of LitRPG mechanics—stats, levels, loot—is handled subtly, enhancing immersion without overwhelming the reader. The alternating focus between academy life and dungeon expeditions ensures a balanced pacing.
---
Impact:
"Dungeon Diving 101" challenges genre conventions. Its emphasis on relationships and teamwork over flashy power-ups gives it a unique identity. It doesn’t just aim to entertain—it aims to engage.
---
Hook and Thesis:
The central hook—a young adventurer navigating the perils of a dungeon and an all-girls academy—strikes a balance between humor, action, and drama. The thesis? Growth comes not just from battle but from bonds.
---
Praise and Critique:
What Howls:
- Engaging World-Building: Modern tech meets ancient magic in a believable, immersive world.
- Relatable Characters: Ken’s struggle to prove himself resonates deeply.
- Dungeon Design: The labyrinth’s evolving challenges keep the stakes high and the reader invested.
What Leaves Frostbite:
- Uneven Detail: While the Dungeon is vividly described, the outside world feels underexplored.
- Predictability: Some plot points, especially regarding Ken’s harem, are easy to foresee.
---
Personal Enjoyment:
As a wolf with a penchant for both stories and progression mechanics, I devoured "Dungeon Diving 101." While the harem elements leaned on clichés at times, the humor and character interactions more than made up for it.
---
Highlights and Drawbacks:
Highlight: The dynamic between Ken and Crimson—a blend of mentorship, camaraderie, and subtle tension.
Drawback: The novel’s pacing occasionally stalls during academy segments.
---
Comparison:
Similar to Dungeon Heroes by Shane Hammond, "Dungeon Diving 101" thrives in its dungeon mechanics but stands out through its character relationships. It lacks the intricate stats of Master Class by Annabelle Hawthorne but compensates with heart and humor.
---
Overall Conclusion:
"Dungeon Diving 101" is more than a LitRPG—it’s a story about growth, relationships, and the thrill of adventure. While not without flaws, its heart and creativity shine through. Whether you’re a dungeon-crawling veteran or a curious newcomer, this book is worth exploring.
Rating:
Story: 4.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Characters: 4.7 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Mechanics: 4.3 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Overall: 4.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Stay frosty, my adventuring pack. Until next time, may your dives be deep and your loot legendary!
Introduction:
Greetings, fellow adventurers and storytellers! It's Kiba Snowpaw, your resident Ice Wolf from the frostbitten world of HowlStrom. With my 38+ years of life navigating through blizzards, stories, and over 400 audiobooks, I've sniffed out countless tales. Today, I’ll dive paws-first into Dungeon Diving 101 by Bruce Sentar, a LitRPG fantasy that fuses modern tech, dungeon-crawling action, and a harem of unique characters. Let’s see if this treasure chest of a novel delivers epic loot or a stack of wooden coins.
---
Basic Plot Summary:
Ken, our plucky protagonist, dreams of becoming a legendary dungeon delver like his family before him. In a world where the Dungeon—a vast, mystical labyrinth—reshapes life and society, adventurers gain fame, fortune, and powerful classes. Despite acing his entrance exams, Ken’s “aberration” class makes him an outcast. That is until Crimson, the most powerful adventurer, takes him under her wing and invites him to Haylon, an all-girls academy. Ken’s journey through the academy and Dungeon begins, rife with danger, discovery, and a harem of fascinating companions.
---
Originality:
While dungeon-crawling and harem elements are well-trodden tropes, Dungeon Diving 101 brings a fresh perspective by blending them with modern tech and social dynamics. Imagine smartphones, RPG mechanics, and a labyrinth filled with loot—all seamlessly integrated. The novel balances its LitRPG stats with character-driven storytelling, ensuring it appeals to both genre enthusiasts and newcomers.
---
About the Writer:
Bruce Sentar, known for his harem-centric stories, steps up his game here. Hailing from the Midwest, Bruce has carved a niche by merging progression fantasy with character-driven plots. Compared to other authors in the LitRPG scene, such as Shane Hammond or Annabelle Hawthorne, Bruce’s style is less about overwhelming stats and more about weaving relationships into the narrative. It’s a risky move, but one that pays off.
---
Analysis/Evaluation:
Character Development:
Main Characters:
Ken: A relatable underdog with a mix of determination and humility. His evolution from unsure student to capable delver is satisfying to follow.
Crimson: The enigmatic mentor whose confidence and power command respect. Her chemistry with Ken adds depth to the story.
Supporting Characters:
The harem members are distinct and well-rounded, from the fiery warrior to the quiet, bookish mage. Special mention goes to the bard, a lesbian whose arc avoids clichés, offering genuine representation.
Character Arcs and Relatability:
Each character contributes meaningfully to the plot. Their struggles and growth mirror real-life challenges, making them more than just stats or archetypes.
---
Structure and Mechanics:
Bruce Sentar builds his world carefully. The integration of LitRPG mechanics—stats, levels, loot—is handled subtly, enhancing immersion without overwhelming the reader. The alternating focus between academy life and dungeon expeditions ensures a balanced pacing.
---
Impact:
"Dungeon Diving 101" challenges genre conventions. Its emphasis on relationships and teamwork over flashy power-ups gives it a unique identity. It doesn’t just aim to entertain—it aims to engage.
---
Hook and Thesis:
The central hook—a young adventurer navigating the perils of a dungeon and an all-girls academy—strikes a balance between humor, action, and drama. The thesis? Growth comes not just from battle but from bonds.
---
Praise and Critique:
What Howls:
- Engaging World-Building: Modern tech meets ancient magic in a believable, immersive world.
- Relatable Characters: Ken’s struggle to prove himself resonates deeply.
- Dungeon Design: The labyrinth’s evolving challenges keep the stakes high and the reader invested.
What Leaves Frostbite:
- Uneven Detail: While the Dungeon is vividly described, the outside world feels underexplored.
- Predictability: Some plot points, especially regarding Ken’s harem, are easy to foresee.
---
Personal Enjoyment:
As a wolf with a penchant for both stories and progression mechanics, I devoured "Dungeon Diving 101." While the harem elements leaned on clichés at times, the humor and character interactions more than made up for it.
---
Highlights and Drawbacks:
Highlight: The dynamic between Ken and Crimson—a blend of mentorship, camaraderie, and subtle tension.
Drawback: The novel’s pacing occasionally stalls during academy segments.
---
Comparison:
Similar to Dungeon Heroes by Shane Hammond, "Dungeon Diving 101" thrives in its dungeon mechanics but stands out through its character relationships. It lacks the intricate stats of Master Class by Annabelle Hawthorne but compensates with heart and humor.
---
Overall Conclusion:
"Dungeon Diving 101" is more than a LitRPG—it’s a story about growth, relationships, and the thrill of adventure. While not without flaws, its heart and creativity shine through. Whether you’re a dungeon-crawling veteran or a curious newcomer, this book is worth exploring.
Rating:
Story: 4.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Characters: 4.7 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Mechanics: 4.3 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Overall: 4.5 ⭐ / 5 ⭐
Stay frosty, my adventuring pack. Until next time, may your dives be deep and your loot legendary!
January 11, 2023
Refreshing litrpg
This did not feel like a typical Bruce sentar novel but that’s kind of a good thing here with a change in style and scenery and a different pace compared to past novels. This was also a nice refreshing take on litrpg. Typically litrpg’s get so focused on stats levels and skills the characters fall flat and the world feels dreary and one note. This world feels interesting. Modern world and modern technology but mixed with dungeons. Typically I hate dungeon focused novels because the concept bores me endlessly. The dungeon itself in this book was still the least riveting part because I personally don’t find the concept interesting. But I can surely admire when the dungeons role and layout is well written. And writing the dungeon into the fabric of the world by using it as something more substantial than just a typical dungeon was well written compared to the majority of them out there.
Also I must note that I audibly laughed out loud reading “uzumaki nagato”
The shameless reference was absolutely welcome and having uzumaki as the last name for our protagonist in this story made myself as a fan of the anime happy.
Final note the litrpg mechanics are not obtrusive and in your face, but are subtle and assume a readers ability to remember which is nice. All in all a very well done start to a series. My only gripe is that I was hoping ken would get higher than level 3 considering our first comparison to peak strength is 57. The slowness of his progression makes me wonder how it will unfold.
This did not feel like a typical Bruce sentar novel but that’s kind of a good thing here with a change in style and scenery and a different pace compared to past novels. This was also a nice refreshing take on litrpg. Typically litrpg’s get so focused on stats levels and skills the characters fall flat and the world feels dreary and one note. This world feels interesting. Modern world and modern technology but mixed with dungeons. Typically I hate dungeon focused novels because the concept bores me endlessly. The dungeon itself in this book was still the least riveting part because I personally don’t find the concept interesting. But I can surely admire when the dungeons role and layout is well written. And writing the dungeon into the fabric of the world by using it as something more substantial than just a typical dungeon was well written compared to the majority of them out there.
Also I must note that I audibly laughed out loud reading “uzumaki nagato”
The shameless reference was absolutely welcome and having uzumaki as the last name for our protagonist in this story made myself as a fan of the anime happy.
Final note the litrpg mechanics are not obtrusive and in your face, but are subtle and assume a readers ability to remember which is nice. All in all a very well done start to a series. My only gripe is that I was hoping ken would get higher than level 3 considering our first comparison to peak strength is 57. The slowness of his progression makes me wonder how it will unfold.
April 20, 2024
I almost thought I would actually finish it. This is quite low on the explicit stuff thats usually the focal point of books with such covers. The writing is good enough to keep your interest, although the details are not consistent - sometimes too many, other times not at all.
It is the characters that in the end put me off. There is nothing unique about most of them, and for a few that are decent (including the MC to be fair), no effort is made to dive deeper into their minds. One of the side characters also dominates too much with half the dialogues being her own in whichever scene she's involved in. I get that you want to have a chatty, bubbly character, but that can't come at the expense of other characters, or at the expense of annoying the reader who is in no way interested in reading the drivel of dialogues from said character.
There is also lack of drive or an overarching goal/plot for either the characters or the story - apart from the obvious wanting to get stronger and dive deeper.
Overall, decently written - I can see why so many people have read it - but without an interesting end goal, unique progression elements, or worthwhile characters, I personally didn't see any reason to continue reading it.
It is the characters that in the end put me off. There is nothing unique about most of them, and for a few that are decent (including the MC to be fair), no effort is made to dive deeper into their minds. One of the side characters also dominates too much with half the dialogues being her own in whichever scene she's involved in. I get that you want to have a chatty, bubbly character, but that can't come at the expense of other characters, or at the expense of annoying the reader who is in no way interested in reading the drivel of dialogues from said character.
There is also lack of drive or an overarching goal/plot for either the characters or the story - apart from the obvious wanting to get stronger and dive deeper.
Overall, decently written - I can see why so many people have read it - but without an interesting end goal, unique progression elements, or worthwhile characters, I personally didn't see any reason to continue reading it.
February 22, 2023
Enjoyable first book
I have read this author's works in the past and have enjoyed them. And this book was no different. The MC is a likable character with admirable morals. All of the secondary characters so far are unique and fun. Some outright funny. Harley comes to mind. I don't find other readers comparisons to the authors other works To be Accurate. Sure there are some similarities as their both harem books and involved powers but much of the fun part of the mechanics of the world are completely different. And as of yet we still don't know the full extent of the MC's abilities. Just rumors Of what he will be able to do. Most of the book of course is the setup The world and the school that he resides in And To layout some of the political machinations. Like i said I enjoyed the book I certainly wish it was longer cause... well I was enjoying it. Now I have to wait for the next one.
I have read this author's works in the past and have enjoyed them. And this book was no different. The MC is a likable character with admirable morals. All of the secondary characters so far are unique and fun. Some outright funny. Harley comes to mind. I don't find other readers comparisons to the authors other works To be Accurate. Sure there are some similarities as their both harem books and involved powers but much of the fun part of the mechanics of the world are completely different. And as of yet we still don't know the full extent of the MC's abilities. Just rumors Of what he will be able to do. Most of the book of course is the setup The world and the school that he resides in And To layout some of the political machinations. Like i said I enjoyed the book I certainly wish it was longer cause... well I was enjoying it. Now I have to wait for the next one.
April 13, 2023
When getting 18 the MC goes to a Dungeon Academy to learn dungeon diving. He impresses the hero of dungeon driving and becomes her protege. Due to that he get into the Haylon Academy, which was girls only to that point.
He learns dungeon diving, discovers political intrigues and gets a harem of girls.
I was a lover of academy stories long before Harry Potter. Therefore I really liked this book. The girls are diverse in character, his mentor is fun and the mood is good.
It is a harem trope so there is a lot of innuendo and also a single sex scene - stay away if you are repelled by something like that.
He learns dungeon diving, discovers political intrigues and gets a harem of girls.
I was a lover of academy stories long before Harry Potter. Therefore I really liked this book. The girls are diverse in character, his mentor is fun and the mood is good.
It is a harem trope so there is a lot of innuendo and also a single sex scene - stay away if you are repelled by something like that.
May 7, 2024
Got a chapter and a half into this and simply couldn't do it. I had low expectations given the obviously AI generated cover, but it somehow didn't even reach those.
I can't say for absolute certainty, but I have a very strong suspicion that this was written with heavy LLM influence. There are inconsistencies within the very first chapter about the main character's backstory and current living situation that made it impossible for me to trust this author. Unless he's simply banging out these stories in one draft without revision. I know this is meant to be some light-hearted smut, but we should still have standards for good storytelling.
I can't say for absolute certainty, but I have a very strong suspicion that this was written with heavy LLM influence. There are inconsistencies within the very first chapter about the main character's backstory and current living situation that made it impossible for me to trust this author. Unless he's simply banging out these stories in one draft without revision. I know this is meant to be some light-hearted smut, but we should still have standards for good storytelling.
June 22, 2024
DNF. The author's books are pretty hit and miss. This is the worst one I've attempted so far. He likes these harem books but I think he might be a sub so he struggles with writing a masculine male MC. In this story the world is ostensibly an oriental culture, but the only reason you may think that is the names. In all other aspects it's more like a radical, gynocentric, feminist eutopia. Women dominate. Our hapless MC is a mealy mouth wuss that would make any man's skin crawl to be around. He's also an idiot which makes it harder. So tired of having the brilliant girls around him pointing out obvious things he hasn't figured out. Terrible.
January 23, 2023
excellent
It was a book I really enjoyed reading from the beginning to end although it did have its bit of ‘exploits’ it was more about the excellent writing I would recommend it to anyone
It was a book I really enjoyed reading from the beginning to end although it did have its bit of ‘exploits’ it was more about the excellent writing I would recommend it to anyone
March 8, 2023
Perfect balance
Conflict, progression, humor and just enough sexual tension to make you flip to the next page this book has it all. Ken had established himself as a morale character and I can’t wait to watch his story unfold. Looking forward to next book.
Conflict, progression, humor and just enough sexual tension to make you flip to the next page this book has it all. Ken had established himself as a morale character and I can’t wait to watch his story unfold. Looking forward to next book.
April 12, 2025
# Пересказ
## Мир и контекст
Действие происходит в современном мире с элементами LitRPG и хarem-фэнтези. В центре сюжета — Подземелье (Dungeon), огромный подземный лабиринт, полный магии, монстров и сокровищ. Подземелье изменило общество: люди, которые в него спускаются (дайверы), получают богатство, славу и уникальные классы, определяющие их способности. Чтобы стать профессиональным дайвером, нужно поступить в специализированный колледж, где обучают навыкам выживания и боя.
Главный герой, Кен Нагато (Ken Nagato), — молодой парень, мечтающий пойти по стопам своей семьи, известной своими подвигами в Подземелье. Его цель — стать великим авантюристом, но его путь начинается с серьёзных трудностей.
---
## Начало: Кен и его класс
Кен сдаёт вступительный экзамен в один из престижных колледжей Подземелья и показывает отличные результаты. Однако, когда система раскрывает его класс — **"Убийца теней" (Shadow Assassin)**, — все отворачиваются от него. Этот класс считается слабым и "мусорным", так как у него низкий потенциал для роста и ограниченные способности на высоких уровнях. Класс убийцы требует скрытности и точечных атак, что не соответствует популярным ролям вроде танков или магов, которые ценятся в командах.
Кен оказывается изгоем, пока его не замечает **Кримсон (Crimson)** — легендарная дайверша, одна из самых сильных авантюристов в мире. Она видит в Кене скрытый потенциал и приглашает его поступить в **Хейлон (Haylon College)**, элитный женский колледж, куда парней обычно не берут. Кримсон становится его покровительницей, но её мотивы остаются загадкой.
---
## Хейлон и формирование команды
В Хейлоне Кен — единственный парень среди девушек, что создаёт напряжённую атмосферу. Его класс и пол делают его мишенью для насмешек, но он решает доказать свою ценность. Кен начинает собирать команду для дайвинга, что необходимо для выживания в Подземелье, где одиночки редко добиваются успеха.
### Ключевые члены команды:
1. **Фиора (Fiore)**:
- Роль: Танк.
- Характер: Лояльная, сильная, прямолинейная девушка, которая становится первым союзником Кена. Она верит в него, несмотря на его "слабый" класс, и их дружба быстро крепнет.
- Способности: Высокая защита, умение принимать удары и защищать группу.
2. **Мия (Miya)**:
- Роль: Целитель/поддержка.
- Характер: Спокойная, но с острым языком, она присоединяется к Кену из любопытства и желания выделиться. Её способности спасают команду в критические моменты.
- Способности: Лечение, баффы, восстановление маны.
3. **Харли (Harley)**:
- Роль: Маг/дистанционный боец.
- Характер: Энергичная, немного эксцентричная, с чувством юмора. Она добавляет в группу лёгкость и становится важной частью их динамики.
- Способности: Огненные заклинания и атаки по площади.
Кен, как убийца, берёт на себя роль разведчика и дамагера, наносящего быстрые удары из тени. Его класс требует хитрости, а не грубой силы, что заставляет его учиться стратегическому мышлению.
---
## Первые шаги в Подземелье
Большая часть книги посвящена обучению в Хейлоне и первым погружениям в Подземелье. Кен и его команда тренируются в безопасных зонах лабиринта, где сталкиваются с низкоуровневыми монстрами (например, гоблинами, скелетами или гигантскими пауками). Эти бои показывают, как группа учится работать вместе:
- **Фиора** стоит на передовой, принимая удары.
- **Мия** лечит и поддерживает баффами.
- **Харли** наносит урон издалека.
- **Кен** использует скрытность, чтобы атаковать уязвимые точки врагов или разведывать ловушки.
Однако их первые погружения не обходятся без проблем. Кен сталкивается с ограничениями своего класса: его атаки эффективны только против одиночных целей, а мана быстро заканчивается. Это заставляет его искать нестандартные решения, например, использовать окружение (ловушки, узкие коридоры) для усиления своих ударов.
---
## Конфликты и интриги
Помимо монстров, Кен сталкивается с социальными трудностями:
1. **Вражда в Хейлоне**: Некоторые студентки (например, высокомерная **Шелли**) презирают Кена за его класс и присутствие в женском колледже. Они устраивают мелкие провокации, а в Подземелье даже пытаются подставить его команду.
2. **Загадка Кримсон**: Кримсон наблюдает за Кеном, но её намерения неясны. Она даёт ему советы, но кажется, что она тестирует его на что-то большее. Есть намёки, что она знает о прошлом его семьи.
3. **Семейные тайны**: Кен узнаёт, что его семья не просто дайверы — у них есть связь с древними традициями убийц, что может быть связано с его классом. Это пока не раскрывается полностью, но задаёт интригу.
Одним из ключевых конфликтов становится нападение на Фиору. В Подземелье их команда сталкивается с другой группой, которая пытается устранить Кена из-за его потенциала. Фиора получает серьёзные ранения, защищая его, что заставляет Кена осознать свою ответственность как лидера. Он использует навык "Shadow Strike" (Удар из тени), чтобы одолеть врагов, но понимает, что его класс требует большего контроля.
---
## Личная жизнь и хarem-элементы
Как и ожидается от Брюса Сентара, в книге есть хarem-компонент, но он не доминирует над сюжетом. Кен начинает строить отношения с девушками из своей команды:
- **Фиора**: Их связь самая глубокая. Она первая, кто поддержал Кена, и между ними возникает романтический намёк, хотя до откровенных сцен дело не доходит.
- **Мия**: Её интерес к Кену скорее интеллектуальный, но она флиртует, проверяя его реакции.
- **Харли**: Её игривость добавляет лёгкости, но её чувства к Кену пока на уровне дружбы.
Романтика в *Dungeon Diving 101* остаётся мягкой — одна интимная сцена с Фиорой, акцентированная на их эмоциональной связи, а не на физической стороне. Это соответствует стилю Сентара, где хarem — дополнение к приключениям, а не их основа.
---
## Кульминация
К концу книги Кен и его команда участвуют в первом крупном испытании — командном погружении, организованном Хейлоном. Они должны пройти несколько уровней Подземелья, сражаясь с боссом (например, гигантским каменным големом или демоническим волком). Испытание проверяет их слаженность:
- Кен разрабатывает план, используя свою скрытность для разведки.
- Фиора сдерживает босса.
- Харли ослабляет его магией.
- Мия поддерживает всех лечением.
Бой напряжённый: Кен едва не погибает, когда пытается нанести финальный удар, но его команда спасает его. Победа приносит им уважение в Хейлоне и первый значимый лут — магические предметы, усиливающие их классы (например, кинжал для Кена, повышающий урон в тени).
Однако в финале появляется новая угроза: Кен узнаёт, что нападения на его команду не случайны. Кто-то (возможно, из конкурирующей школы или связанный с семьёй Кена) стоит за атаками, и Фиора остаётся их главной мишенью. Книга заканчивается на моменте, когда Кен клянётся защитить свою команду и раскрыть, кто за этим стоит.
---
## Ключевые моменты для памяти перед *Dungeon Diving 102*
1. **Кен и его класс**:
- Класс "Убийца теней" считается слабым, но Кен учится использовать скрытность и стратегию. Его навыки: "Shadow Strike", базовая маскировка.
- Он — единственный парень в Хейлоне, под покровительством Кримсон.
2. **Команда**:
- Фиора (танк) — самый близкий союзник, ранена из-за атак на Кена.
- Мия (целитель) — поддержка, с намёком на интерес.
- Харли (маг) — добавляет огневую мощь и юмор.
3. **Подземелье**:
- Лабиринт с уровнями, монстрами и лутом. Первое испытание показало потенциал команды, но они пока новички.
4. **Угроза**:
- Нападения на Фиору организованы кем-то неизвестным. Это связано с Кеном и, возможно, его семьёй.
- Кримсон знает больше, чем говорит.
5. **Романтика**:
- Эмоциональная связь с Фиорой, лёгкий флирт с Мией и Харли. Хarem только начинается.
---
## Что ожидать в *Dungeon Diving 102*
- Кен продолжит расследовать, кто стоит за атаками на Фиору, и раскроет больше о своём классе и семье.
- Команда станет сильнее, возможно, появится
## Мир и контекст
Действие происходит в современном мире с элементами LitRPG и хarem-фэнтези. В центре сюжета — Подземелье (Dungeon), огромный подземный лабиринт, полный магии, монстров и сокровищ. Подземелье изменило общество: люди, которые в него спускаются (дайверы), получают богатство, славу и уникальные классы, определяющие их способности. Чтобы стать профессиональным дайвером, нужно поступить в специализированный колледж, где обучают навыкам выживания и боя.
Главный герой, Кен Нагато (Ken Nagato), — молодой парень, мечтающий пойти по стопам своей семьи, известной своими подвигами в Подземелье. Его цель — стать великим авантюристом, но его путь начинается с серьёзных трудностей.
---
## Начало: Кен и его класс
Кен сдаёт вступительный экзамен в один из престижных колледжей Подземелья и показывает отличные результаты. Однако, когда система раскрывает его класс — **"Убийца теней" (Shadow Assassin)**, — все отворачиваются от него. Этот класс считается слабым и "мусорным", так как у него низкий потенциал для роста и ограниченные способности на высоких уровнях. Класс убийцы требует скрытности и точечных атак, что не соответствует популярным ролям вроде танков или магов, которые ценятся в командах.
Кен оказывается изгоем, пока его не замечает **Кримсон (Crimson)** — легендарная дайверша, одна из самых сильных авантюристов в мире. Она видит в Кене скрытый потенциал и приглашает его поступить в **Хейлон (Haylon College)**, элитный женский колледж, куда парней обычно не берут. Кримсон становится его покровительницей, но её мотивы остаются загадкой.
---
## Хейлон и формирование команды
В Хейлоне Кен — единственный парень среди девушек, что создаёт напряжённую атмосферу. Его класс и пол делают его мишенью для насмешек, но он решает доказать свою ценность. Кен начинает собирать команду для дайвинга, что необходимо для выживания в Подземелье, где одиночки редко добиваются успеха.
### Ключевые члены команды:
1. **Фиора (Fiore)**:
- Роль: Танк.
- Характер: Лояльная, сильная, прямолинейная девушка, которая становится первым союзником Кена. Она верит в него, несмотря на его "слабый" класс, и их дружба быстро крепнет.
- Способности: Высокая защита, умение принимать удары и защищать группу.
2. **Мия (Miya)**:
- Роль: Целитель/поддержка.
- Характер: Спокойная, но с острым языком, она присоединяется к Кену из любопытства и желания выделиться. Её способности спасают команду в критические моменты.
- Способности: Лечение, баффы, восстановление маны.
3. **Харли (Harley)**:
- Роль: Маг/дистанционный боец.
- Характер: Энергичная, немного эксцентричная, с чувством юмора. Она добавляет в группу лёгкость и становится важной частью их динамики.
- Способности: Огненные заклинания и атаки по площади.
Кен, как убийца, берёт на себя роль разведчика и дамагера, наносящего быстрые удары из тени. Его класс требует хитрости, а не грубой силы, что заставляет его учиться стратегическому мышлению.
---
## Первые шаги в Подземелье
Большая часть книги посвящена обучению в Хейлоне и первым погружениям в Подземелье. Кен и его команда тренируются в безопасных зонах лабиринта, где сталкиваются с низкоуровневыми монстрами (например, гоблинами, скелетами или гигантскими пауками). Эти бои показывают, как группа учится работать вместе:
- **Фиора** стоит на передовой, принимая удары.
- **Мия** лечит и поддерживает баффами.
- **Харли** наносит урон издалека.
- **Кен** использует скрытность, чтобы атаковать уязвимые точки врагов или разведывать ловушки.
Однако их первые погружения не обходятся без проблем. Кен сталкивается с ограничениями своего класса: его атаки эффективны только против одиночных целей, а мана быстро заканчивается. Это заставляет его искать нестандартные решения, например, использовать окружение (ловушки, узкие коридоры) для усиления своих ударов.
---
## Конфликты и интриги
Помимо монстров, Кен сталкивается с социальными трудностями:
1. **Вражда в Хейлоне**: Некоторые студентки (например, высокомерная **Шелли**) презирают Кена за его класс и присутствие в женском колледже. Они устраивают мелкие провокации, а в Подземелье даже пытаются подставить его команду.
2. **Загадка Кримсон**: Кримсон наблюдает за Кеном, но её намерения неясны. Она даёт ему советы, но кажется, что она тестирует его на что-то большее. Есть намёки, что она знает о прошлом его семьи.
3. **Семейные тайны**: Кен узнаёт, что его семья не просто дайверы — у них есть связь с древними традициями убийц, что может быть связано с его классом. Это пока не раскрывается полностью, но задаёт интригу.
Одним из ключевых конфликтов становится нападение на Фиору. В Подземелье их команда сталкивается с другой группой, которая пытается устранить Кена из-за его потенциала. Фиора получает серьёзные ранения, защищая его, что заставляет Кена осознать свою ответственность как лидера. Он использует навык "Shadow Strike" (Удар из тени), чтобы одолеть врагов, но понимает, что его класс требует большего контроля.
---
## Личная жизнь и хarem-элементы
Как и ожидается от Брюса Сентара, в книге есть хarem-компонент, но он не доминирует над сюжетом. Кен начинает строить отношения с девушками из своей команды:
- **Фиора**: Их связь самая глубокая. Она первая, кто поддержал Кена, и между ними возникает романтический намёк, хотя до откровенных сцен дело не доходит.
- **Мия**: Её интерес к Кену скорее интеллектуальный, но она флиртует, проверяя его реакции.
- **Харли**: Её игривость добавляет лёгкости, но её чувства к Кену пока на уровне дружбы.
Романтика в *Dungeon Diving 101* остаётся мягкой — одна интимная сцена с Фиорой, акцентированная на их эмоциональной связи, а не на физической стороне. Это соответствует стилю Сентара, где хarem — дополнение к приключениям, а не их основа.
---
## Кульминация
К концу книги Кен и его команда участвуют в первом крупном испытании — командном погружении, организованном Хейлоном. Они должны пройти несколько уровней Подземелья, сражаясь с боссом (например, гигантским каменным големом или демоническим волком). Испытание проверяет их слаженность:
- Кен разрабатывает план, используя свою скрытность для разведки.
- Фиора сдерживает босса.
- Харли ослабляет его магией.
- Мия поддерживает всех лечением.
Бой напряжённый: Кен едва не погибает, когда пытается нанести финальный удар, но его команда спасает его. Победа приносит им уважение в Хейлоне и первый значимый лут — магические предметы, усиливающие их классы (например, кинжал для Кена, повышающий урон в тени).
Однако в финале появляется новая угроза: Кен узнаёт, что нападения на его команду не случайны. Кто-то (возможно, из конкурирующей школы или связанный с семьёй Кена) стоит за атаками, и Фиора остаётся их главной мишенью. Книга заканчивается на моменте, когда Кен клянётся защитить свою команду и раскрыть, кто за этим стоит.
---
## Ключевые моменты для памяти перед *Dungeon Diving 102*
1. **Кен и его класс**:
- Класс "Убийца теней" считается слабым, но Кен учится использовать скрытность и стратегию. Его навыки: "Shadow Strike", базовая маскировка.
- Он — единственный парень в Хейлоне, под покровительством Кримсон.
2. **Команда**:
- Фиора (танк) — самый близкий союзник, ранена из-за атак на Кена.
- Мия (целитель) — поддержка, с намёком на интерес.
- Харли (маг) — добавляет огневую мощь и юмор.
3. **Подземелье**:
- Лабиринт с уровнями, монстрами и лутом. Первое испытание показало потенциал команды, но они пока новички.
4. **Угроза**:
- Нападения на Фиору организованы кем-то неизвестным. Это связано с Кеном и, возможно, его семьёй.
- Кримсон знает больше, чем говорит.
5. **Романтика**:
- Эмоциональная связь с Фиорой, лёгкий флирт с Мией и Харли. Хarem только начинается.
---
## Что ожидать в *Dungeon Diving 102*
- Кен продолжит расследовать, кто стоит за атаками на Фиору, и раскроет больше о своём классе и семье.
- Команда станет сильнее, возможно, появится
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2025
Completion Level: 100%
Story: 4.9
Story telling: 3.5
Characters: likeable
Character development: adequate
Side character development: minimal
TLDR Conclusion: Recommended
Highlights: Bun-Bun, romance, sex
Lowlights: Making out in front of grandma (vol 3), many mistakes by the author
Liked:
+ The story
+ The characters
Didn't like:
- story telling
- conversation issues (inappropriate use of profanity)
-=Overall Assessment=-
Overall I would have to say that this is my favorite series so far, that's not to say it's perfect or amazing, but it has everything I look for: fantasy, romance (real romance, with proper progress and pacing) and sex.
Story telling
The author is pretty bad at story telling and conversation, he keeps adding profanity at all the wrong times, completely failing to use them properly. But also lots of other conversation issues.
His pen name might be English but sometimes it doesn't feel like English is the author's first language, his mastery of it is quite lacking, like mistakes that no native English speaker could ever make, even when drunk, lots of missing words, typos, contradictions, using singular instead of plural, or just not using the right word (like present instead of presence)
After a couple of volumes it seems he toned down the swearing and learned to use it more appropriately, but after about 6 volumes the books started to have more and more irrelevant content and by 204-301 very little between conversations was worth reading, just tons of pointing out the obvious, recaps, reminders, pointless speculation, etc. in short waffling (the art of talking while saying nothing), this was highly disappointing and annoying.
In the afterword of 301 he says he doesn't have an editor, but is proofreading that expensive ? at the very least he could write his books in MS Word, it has a pretty good spell check and even sentence structure correction.
Also whenever Kens stats change, he should print it out and tape it to his laptop, because he so often forgets what changes, like after 3 years he's somehow still 19.
Pacing
No issues in the first few volumes but then the amount of irrelevant text in between conversations steadily grows until by vol. 204-301 around 20-30% of the text is garbage.
Like when Des and Ken were having an important conversation but the author made Ken speculate/wonder about the orkai home world in the middle, which has nothing to do with anything that was said, so yeah that ruined the pacing.
Recommendation
Recommended to fans of fantasy, romance and smut.
Not recommended to haters of harems.
Story: 4.9
Story telling: 3.5
Characters: likeable
Character development: adequate
Side character development: minimal
TLDR Conclusion: Recommended
Highlights: Bun-Bun, romance, sex
Lowlights: Making out in front of grandma (vol 3), many mistakes by the author
Liked:
+ The story
+ The characters
Didn't like:
- story telling
- conversation issues (inappropriate use of profanity)
-=Overall Assessment=-
Overall I would have to say that this is my favorite series so far, that's not to say it's perfect or amazing, but it has everything I look for: fantasy, romance (real romance, with proper progress and pacing) and sex.
Story telling
The author is pretty bad at story telling and conversation, he keeps adding profanity at all the wrong times, completely failing to use them properly. But also lots of other conversation issues.
His pen name might be English but sometimes it doesn't feel like English is the author's first language, his mastery of it is quite lacking, like mistakes that no native English speaker could ever make, even when drunk, lots of missing words, typos, contradictions, using singular instead of plural, or just not using the right word (like present instead of presence)
After a couple of volumes it seems he toned down the swearing and learned to use it more appropriately, but after about 6 volumes the books started to have more and more irrelevant content and by 204-301 very little between conversations was worth reading, just tons of pointing out the obvious, recaps, reminders, pointless speculation, etc. in short waffling (the art of talking while saying nothing), this was highly disappointing and annoying.
In the afterword of 301 he says he doesn't have an editor, but is proofreading that expensive ? at the very least he could write his books in MS Word, it has a pretty good spell check and even sentence structure correction.
Also whenever Kens stats change, he should print it out and tape it to his laptop, because he so often forgets what changes, like after 3 years he's somehow still 19.
Pacing
No issues in the first few volumes but then the amount of irrelevant text in between conversations steadily grows until by vol. 204-301 around 20-30% of the text is garbage.
Like when Des and Ken were having an important conversation but the author made Ken speculate/wonder about the orkai home world in the middle, which has nothing to do with anything that was said, so yeah that ruined the pacing.
Recommendation
Recommended to fans of fantasy, romance and smut.
Not recommended to haters of harems.
January 28, 2024
Nice RPG/HarmLit, good story and not overdone on either side
I'm really enjoying not only this series, but the author's writing style. He's done a great job developing characters as people and not just fuckbunnies. The protagonist doesnt simply jump into bed with each women interested in him, but builds relationships and progresses slowly with all but one, and even that character is well developed as to how and why that occurs, in a completely realistic and non-cliche manner.
I particularly liked how the author created a fantasy-esque setting in a modern world, and for the most part does a good job explaining how the two things coexist. However, I would like to understand more how and why firearms and more lethal, modern tech and weapons havent made the dungeon, and/or why governments dont/didnt just post up around the entrances with tanks, etc. and control more of the trade and taxation around dungeon loot. While he has touched on it a little bit, it would be nice to get a better understanding of it in this world, and if/why maybe some of those weapons didnt get as developed and/or some of the wars that inspired them didnt happen because of the dungeon's appearance ~100ish years ago. Maybe Crimson will be forced to give a world history affected by the dungeon lesson at some point (or Marlow will have to give it because Crimson refuses). A little more world building here please!
Moat enjoyable about the author's style is that he builds characters and their interactions in a very realistic manner. The banter and conflicts are really common among normal people that I've known and watched, and the thoughts and concerns of the characters are varied to the personalities, and make sense. Very well done.
Lastly, the author builds anticipation in a careful way, whether about the story, the combat, or the sex. I've not been sure about the direction or outcomes of most of the conflicts, and could easily see this as taking a different path. He also builds the sensuality of the relationships through teasing (both physical and verbal) in a way that teens and young adults do and doesnt just jump right to sex. It's all very well developed and makes the story and characters much better and more believable.
I'm really enjoying not only this series, but the author's writing style. He's done a great job developing characters as people and not just fuckbunnies. The protagonist doesnt simply jump into bed with each women interested in him, but builds relationships and progresses slowly with all but one, and even that character is well developed as to how and why that occurs, in a completely realistic and non-cliche manner.
I particularly liked how the author created a fantasy-esque setting in a modern world, and for the most part does a good job explaining how the two things coexist. However, I would like to understand more how and why firearms and more lethal, modern tech and weapons havent made the dungeon, and/or why governments dont/didnt just post up around the entrances with tanks, etc. and control more of the trade and taxation around dungeon loot. While he has touched on it a little bit, it would be nice to get a better understanding of it in this world, and if/why maybe some of those weapons didnt get as developed and/or some of the wars that inspired them didnt happen because of the dungeon's appearance ~100ish years ago. Maybe Crimson will be forced to give a world history affected by the dungeon lesson at some point (or Marlow will have to give it because Crimson refuses). A little more world building here please!
Moat enjoyable about the author's style is that he builds characters and their interactions in a very realistic manner. The banter and conflicts are really common among normal people that I've known and watched, and the thoughts and concerns of the characters are varied to the personalities, and make sense. Very well done.
Lastly, the author builds anticipation in a careful way, whether about the story, the combat, or the sex. I've not been sure about the direction or outcomes of most of the conflicts, and could easily see this as taking a different path. He also builds the sensuality of the relationships through teasing (both physical and verbal) in a way that teens and young adults do and doesnt just jump right to sex. It's all very well developed and makes the story and characters much better and more believable.
May 24, 2024
This fantasy series about team-based RPG dungeon diving is a bit similar to Saving Supervillains by the same author; well-written, with interesting characters, easy to read, but also a bit of a weird mix of casual haremlit fantasy and the occasional sexy time on one hand with cold-blooded mass murder on the other, here supported by a generous helping of 'assassin grandparents'. For now we'll just have to accept that murdering your enemies is apparently just totally necessary, perhaps because in the author's settings all the jails are really full? As with most of these haremlit stories there is also a bit of tension between juvenile fantasy and the equal rights for all the genders and minorities that you might have come to expect. I think in this series the author has actually managed to balance all of that fairly well, with interesting / funny / cute male and female characters (and a bunny! and a lesbian!) with actual personalities, and managed to avoid making the main character too overpowered from the start. The magic system, while being very game-like, is refreshingly simple, without any of the deep 'cultivation' mumbo jumbo that annoyed me in the Mage's Cultivation series. Besides the murdering the other main weird thing, in my humble opinion, is the Crimson main character who is a bit too over the top in way too many directions, and hence is much less lifelike than most other characters. Oh, and the interesting dualism of most of the story taking place 'in the dungeon', which is apparently a real place, although if it was just a virtual game environment where the team would log in to play together the story would basically be exactly the same yet much more realistic. Or would it? Does this mean that you could experience 95% of this story somewhere in World of Warcraft? Probably, yes? Moving on, this first part of the series is a pretty smooth intro, with a magic school setting, our main character building up a team with some cool girls, and the first leveling in the dungeon (I accidentally typed elving, there's that too). Recommended easy read.
February 4, 2024
This is my first foray into this particular genre of novel (based on the recommendation of a friend of mine) and I must say I was very pleasantly surprised at just how much I enjoyed this read.
Outside of the Guardians of the Flame series from way back when, this is the first book (of a series I intend on finishing) that dealt with the actual mechanics of what it is like to be what is essentially an AD&D character. Despite the fact that this is a LitRPG/Harem novel, the author took time to develop each of the main characters pretty thoroughly and make sure each was a truly unique character in his story. While I am sure that there will be a lot more world building in the sequel books to this adventure, I'm glad the author focused on developing the characters to the point he did before getting crazy with world building.
I was engrossed in the story enough that I really didn't realize that I was done with the first book in the series until I actually saw my Kindle screen flash over to the "rate this book" screen we all see at the end of each book. This style of story won't be for everyone, but give it a try, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. :-)
Outside of the Guardians of the Flame series from way back when, this is the first book (of a series I intend on finishing) that dealt with the actual mechanics of what it is like to be what is essentially an AD&D character. Despite the fact that this is a LitRPG/Harem novel, the author took time to develop each of the main characters pretty thoroughly and make sure each was a truly unique character in his story. While I am sure that there will be a lot more world building in the sequel books to this adventure, I'm glad the author focused on developing the characters to the point he did before getting crazy with world building.
I was engrossed in the story enough that I really didn't realize that I was done with the first book in the series until I actually saw my Kindle screen flash over to the "rate this book" screen we all see at the end of each book. This style of story won't be for everyone, but give it a try, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was. :-)
March 19, 2025
So the first half really didn’t grab me. I didn’t hate it, but I had no plans of actually getting the next book.
There were writing decisions that made me go back cause I thought I missed something only to realize I didn’t, they were just dropping some knowledge but were treating it like we already knew.
There were also times where decisions made no sense. The MC is clearly getting special treatment, but they don’t want others to think he’s getting it?
Crimson one of the main female characters, I’m still not sure I exactly like her. She plays a big role, but due to the obvious future lover story line they got going, it just feels weird.
The second half, maybe even the last third of the book, was when I started to enjoy the story. It felt like the MC actually had some agency.
It also helped that’s when the MC started to fight more and figure things out.
It was the last bit that has made me get the second book. I’m not sure if I’ll continue, but I at least think it can get better from here.
There were writing decisions that made me go back cause I thought I missed something only to realize I didn’t, they were just dropping some knowledge but were treating it like we already knew.
There were also times where decisions made no sense. The MC is clearly getting special treatment, but they don’t want others to think he’s getting it?
Crimson one of the main female characters, I’m still not sure I exactly like her. She plays a big role, but due to the obvious future lover story line they got going, it just feels weird.
The second half, maybe even the last third of the book, was when I started to enjoy the story. It felt like the MC actually had some agency.
It also helped that’s when the MC started to fight more and figure things out.
It was the last bit that has made me get the second book. I’m not sure if I’ll continue, but I at least think it can get better from here.
December 31, 2025
This was just an okay book.
The characters were just sort of interesting, the cover is clearly AI generated, as far as a harem story? Sure there are elements of it, but if you're looking for some smut, this isn't it.
Something that bugged me was that from the beginning of the book they say there is a delegation of elves coming to the academy, but they don't show up until like 76% of the way through the book. And when they do, of course she instantly thinks the only male in the academy is proposing to her.
Overall, there's no real plot other than, "Let's level up." There's no urgency, there's no overall threat to deal with, there's no antagonist, there's just nothing really happening in this story. Sure the guy is looking for his class and that's mildly interesting but when it's finally revealed, it's just a disappointment.
Though I will say that the "ritual" scene did pique my interest.
If you are looking for a harem book to read, I say give this one a pass, it's only mildly interesting.
The characters were just sort of interesting, the cover is clearly AI generated, as far as a harem story? Sure there are elements of it, but if you're looking for some smut, this isn't it.
Something that bugged me was that from the beginning of the book they say there is a delegation of elves coming to the academy, but they don't show up until like 76% of the way through the book. And when they do, of course she instantly thinks the only male in the academy is proposing to her.
Overall, there's no real plot other than, "Let's level up." There's no urgency, there's no overall threat to deal with, there's no antagonist, there's just nothing really happening in this story. Sure the guy is looking for his class and that's mildly interesting but when it's finally revealed, it's just a disappointment.
Though I will say that the "ritual" scene did pique my interest.
If you are looking for a harem book to read, I say give this one a pass, it's only mildly interesting.
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