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The Wraith's Haunt #1
Dungeon Lord
Dark forces have extended Edward Wright an offer of incredible power at a terrible cost... ...and Edward has chosen to make them regret it. When Edward is swept into the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord, the Dark's most powerful servant, he has no servitude in mind. He'll oppose the evil plans of the Dark god Murmur, whatever it takes. Through only his wits and his guts to help him survive a weakened arrival, Edward must rise to power if he is to earn the right to live another day. But in the battle between Dark and Light, what can Edward choose if both sides are cruel, uncaring monsters? Cold gods laugh in the distant world of Ivalis. Heroes chase after power and experience, while Kings send their armies to their deaths in the name of the Dark and the Light. But no one expects the rise of the Dungeon Lord... And in the world of Ivalis, maybe a single man can forge his own path.
319 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2017
1595 people are currently reading
1940 people want to read
About the author
Hugo Huesca
17 books414 followersHugo Huesca is a science fiction and fantasy writer. He has been reading avidly for the better part of two decades and writing fiction since he was ten. He is a swimmer, a tequila drinker and a fanatic of ridiculous science fiction book covers from fifty years ago.
Some quotes on Hugo Huesca from those who know him:
"Are you rich yet?" A family member, one day after Hugo self-published his first short story ever. (The answer is no.)
"He's the devil." A College professor.
"What do you mean there were TWO dragons?" His D&D group before a TPK.
"What are you doing in my house? No, I'm not giving you a quote for your biography, please leave before I call the police." Some random person.
Some quotes on Hugo Huesca from those who know him:
"Are you rich yet?" A family member, one day after Hugo self-published his first short story ever. (The answer is no.)
"He's the devil." A College professor.
"What do you mean there were TWO dragons?" His D&D group before a TPK.
"What are you doing in my house? No, I'm not giving you a quote for your biography, please leave before I call the police." Some random person.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
May 18, 2019
This was a fun LitRPG fantasy. The focus was mostly on action and the development of the main character as he dealt with his new life as a Dungeon Lord! For the most part this was typical LitRPG stuff the only exception was the few times when the action in the story took on a slightly darker feel that was more akin to something one would find in horror stories. Which is to say that some of the villains in this tale were quite creepy and dark. Which balanced well with a likeable enough main character and some interesting support characters.
The plot of this story was pretty good. Edward Wright's life in the real world takes a turn for the worse when he snaps and assaults his horrible boss but things get really strange when the cop taking him to prison morphs into some sort of weird creature and offers Edward an alternative to prison. That alternative is the chance to live life in the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord. The offer is being made on behalf of the dark God, Murmur, who is seeking to recruit some fresh blood from new worlds to combat the new unstoppable warriors who have been popping up in service to the Light and wiping out all the minions of the Dark! Determined to seize a chance at a strange new life, but not to serve the evil Murmur, Edward agrees on the condition that he is free to do as he likes with his new powers. The servant of Murmur agrees to his conditions and the Faustian bargain is struck!
It ended up being a fun story as Edward was a fairly easy main character to like. He was not your typical whiny LitRPG hero but rather was a good guy who was determined to do his best to be a new sort of Dungeon Lord and to help those who ended up dependant on him. The twist was that life in Ivalis was more complicated than Edward initially expected and so following the path of the Light rather than the Dark was not as simple as he imagined it would be.
The worldbuilding and the writing were both good without being anything spectacular but that did mean that while this was not a great story it was a fun ans enjoyable one and I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series to see what Ivalis throws at its strange new Dungeon Lord next!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: Jeff Hays was responsible for the majority of the narration but Annie Ellicott voiced a few, but not all, of the female characters. I felt both gave a decent performance of this. If I had an issue it was with the production. Sometimes things felt a bit echoey when the dialogue was being spoken.
The plot of this story was pretty good. Edward Wright's life in the real world takes a turn for the worse when he snaps and assaults his horrible boss but things get really strange when the cop taking him to prison morphs into some sort of weird creature and offers Edward an alternative to prison. That alternative is the chance to live life in the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord. The offer is being made on behalf of the dark God, Murmur, who is seeking to recruit some fresh blood from new worlds to combat the new unstoppable warriors who have been popping up in service to the Light and wiping out all the minions of the Dark! Determined to seize a chance at a strange new life, but not to serve the evil Murmur, Edward agrees on the condition that he is free to do as he likes with his new powers. The servant of Murmur agrees to his conditions and the Faustian bargain is struck!
It ended up being a fun story as Edward was a fairly easy main character to like. He was not your typical whiny LitRPG hero but rather was a good guy who was determined to do his best to be a new sort of Dungeon Lord and to help those who ended up dependant on him. The twist was that life in Ivalis was more complicated than Edward initially expected and so following the path of the Light rather than the Dark was not as simple as he imagined it would be.
The worldbuilding and the writing were both good without being anything spectacular but that did mean that while this was not a great story it was a fun ans enjoyable one and I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series to see what Ivalis throws at its strange new Dungeon Lord next!
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: Jeff Hays was responsible for the majority of the narration but Annie Ellicott voiced a few, but not all, of the female characters. I felt both gave a decent performance of this. If I had an issue it was with the production. Sometimes things felt a bit echoey when the dialogue was being spoken.
April 23, 2018
I took another stab at a LitRPG book. Bullseye!
This was a "let's have some action" from start to finish. When you're in "I'm stuck in this game!" situation you likely won't chill out by the river looking at the sunset, as many other games suggest. Sure, you've been kidnapped and brought to the magical world so let's relax with NPCs and drink with bards.
"I gotta get some XP, and get it fast!" would be a more proper response. Such is our young new hero, Edward.
There are plenty of things that go 'bump' in the dark here and the best way to beat them is by out-leveling them to irrelevance. At least, that's the idea ;)
But, before that, the beginning. Probably a better start.
When your boss is an asshole and you hate yourself every day for working there - beating the living shit out of him still may not be the best course of action. It is certainly awesome and will make you feel a whole lot better, agreed.
That is, until the boys in blue arrive. Then you're pretty much screwed.
Life of Ed is complicated.
Of course, it is not going to become simpler anytime soon as the Dark God Murmur will extend Edward an offer. An offer he really cannot afford to refuse.
Ed finds himself in a fantasy world. The same one his high-level character conquers every night. But he's a level 1 newbie now. And he may not really be on the side of good guys. Maybe.
It's complicated :-)
On an unusual note - There's a really unexpectedly graphic scene of sex present. Well, in a 15-hour long book it's hardly a surprise but the level of details was unusual.
Nevertheless, if you're not a Gods-fearing zealot who preaches the ban of nonmarital sex you're golden. Just thought I should point this out as it's not really commonly seen in LitRPG. It's not like Gods are watching from above and judging you ;-)
The great writing style of Huesca paired with awesome narration = success. Jeff introduced Annie Ellicott here who added more awesomeness. I watched their live cast (check YouTube) before I even heard Queen of Spiders Amphiris in the book! I had loads of fun seeing them work together. Jump to mark 40:00 to see it all in action.
I really enjoy the magic Soundbooth Theater production brings. It's a reality that they can't do the impossible - if the story isn't there or it just plain sucks, no amount of good narrative skills will save it. But Jeff does seem to work with the winners only. Or is making them, not sure :-)
It was a great job by everyone involved, either way. I will enjoy the sequel for sure.
Dungeon Lord (The Wraith's Haunt #1)
by Hugo Huesca (Goodreads Author), Jeff Hays (Narrator), Annie Ellicott (Narrator)
Verdict: Loads of fun! Can't wait for the sequel!
This was a "let's have some action" from start to finish. When you're in "I'm stuck in this game!" situation you likely won't chill out by the river looking at the sunset, as many other games suggest. Sure, you've been kidnapped and brought to the magical world so let's relax with NPCs and drink with bards.
"I gotta get some XP, and get it fast!" would be a more proper response. Such is our young new hero, Edward.
There are plenty of things that go 'bump' in the dark here and the best way to beat them is by out-leveling them to irrelevance. At least, that's the idea ;)
But, before that, the beginning. Probably a better start.
When your boss is an asshole and you hate yourself every day for working there - beating the living shit out of him still may not be the best course of action. It is certainly awesome and will make you feel a whole lot better, agreed.
That is, until the boys in blue arrive. Then you're pretty much screwed.
Life of Ed is complicated.
Of course, it is not going to become simpler anytime soon as the Dark God Murmur will extend Edward an offer. An offer he really cannot afford to refuse.
Ed finds himself in a fantasy world. The same one his high-level character conquers every night. But he's a level 1 newbie now. And he may not really be on the side of good guys. Maybe.
It's complicated :-)
On an unusual note - There's a really unexpectedly graphic scene of sex present. Well, in a 15-hour long book it's hardly a surprise but the level of details was unusual.
Nevertheless, if you're not a Gods-fearing zealot who preaches the ban of nonmarital sex you're golden. Just thought I should point this out as it's not really commonly seen in LitRPG. It's not like Gods are watching from above and judging you ;-)
The great writing style of Huesca paired with awesome narration = success. Jeff introduced Annie Ellicott here who added more awesomeness. I watched their live cast (check YouTube) before I even heard Queen of Spiders Amphiris in the book! I had loads of fun seeing them work together. Jump to mark 40:00 to see it all in action.
I really enjoy the magic Soundbooth Theater production brings. It's a reality that they can't do the impossible - if the story isn't there or it just plain sucks, no amount of good narrative skills will save it. But Jeff does seem to work with the winners only. Or is making them, not sure :-)
It was a great job by everyone involved, either way. I will enjoy the sequel for sure.
Dungeon Lord (The Wraith's Haunt #1)
by Hugo Huesca (Goodreads Author), Jeff Hays (Narrator), Annie Ellicott (Narrator)
Verdict: Loads of fun! Can't wait for the sequel!
Overall
Performance
Story
June 13, 2018
What is the point of having LitRPG details if it's not a game? It doesn't provide anything useful, except for translating game-limits.
Also, first 3/4ths of the book has no lording, nor dungeoning, then at the end of the book we learn that dungeon lords can destroy any city at a whim, but don't because reasons, and the wet paper towel of a MC we've been following suddenly becomes competent. Also, he thinks it's fine to cooperate with a religious genocidal fanatic, but a political genocidal fanatic is beyond the pale, as is a man-eating giant spider who he first spends some time crippling. ... morals, fuck yeah!
Again I am beset by the greatest horror a fantasy author can inflict on their audience: bad moral philosophy.
Also, first 3/4ths of the book has no lording, nor dungeoning, then at the end of the book we learn that dungeon lords can destroy any city at a whim, but don't because reasons, and the wet paper towel of a MC we've been following suddenly becomes competent. Also, he thinks it's fine to cooperate with a religious genocidal fanatic, but a political genocidal fanatic is beyond the pale, as is a man-eating giant spider who he first spends some time crippling. ... morals, fuck yeah!
Again I am beset by the greatest horror a fantasy author can inflict on their audience: bad moral philosophy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
ETA Crap! I forgot to think of an obvious edge lord joke! This is an official invite to make up your own in the face of my failure...
Edward is a schlump. And a victim of his own gormlessness. The author tries to build sympathy by showing his boss to be a madman and Ed putting up with it because he can't be bothered to find a new job. Dude, even with all the tech layoffs, the demand for computer people is still huge. And retail is desperate for people who will actually show up and do a day's work so a stupid lateral move would be child's play. Being schlumped into a stupid position serving an obviously evil god is just stupid. And having him show so little volition once dropped into fantasy dystopia dropped my last thread of engagement.
Edward is a schlump. And a victim of his own gormlessness. The author tries to build sympathy by showing his boss to be a madman and Ed putting up with it because he can't be bothered to find a new job. Dude, even with all the tech layoffs, the demand for computer people is still huge. And retail is desperate for people who will actually show up and do a day's work so a stupid lateral move would be child's play. Being schlumped into a stupid position serving an obviously evil god is just stupid. And having him show so little volition once dropped into fantasy dystopia dropped my last thread of engagement.
November 8, 2017
Misleading
Not really a dungeon book or Litrpg tbh it may have some aspects ok it but I feel the author is just using the Litrpg tag to generate some interest
Not really a dungeon book or Litrpg tbh it may have some aspects ok it but I feel the author is just using the Litrpg tag to generate some interest
December 16, 2018
Any time I finish a book in less than a week, it must be good. I know many of you think that's slow, but with my schedule, I'm happy to read a book a month, so to finish in 5 days is amazing. It means that I was thoroughly engaged and pushed off other more necessary projects to read.
Such is the case with Dungeon Lord. It was a bit choppy at first, and many time I felt like dialogue or things happened because the author was pushing us toward his program rather than letting things happen naturally.
I was also a bit disappointed that at the 50% mark, we still hadn't gotten to what I THOUGHT the book was about (building a dungeon, growing followers, and leveling up).
"But you gave it 5-stars, why are you talking about bad things?"
Well no book is perfect, and I'm just sharing my thoughts. BUT, and that's a big BUT, those things are petty and little once the full story unveiled itself.
This book was creative, flipped tropes on their heads, utilized an enemy I'd never seen before--one so dastardly and powerful that it could wipe out humanity if left unchecked.
The chapters were ultra engaging and had me saying "just one more" long into the night. 3 nights in a row I didn't sleep until 3 AM.
I can't wait to read the next one.
I do wish that there had been more Dungeon building as even the title seems to promise or that the author would have brought his friends from the real world into play in this book (as I expected would happen), but again, that doesn't change the fact that I can't recommend this highly enough.
It's definitely a LitRPG, perfect for people who like skills and stats and leveling. But don't expect too much leveling, or even enough battles to warrant the ability to level. There are only 3 battle conflicts in the entire story, and one is over in a flash.
But I've sneaked a peak at the other two books covers and blurbs and it does seem to promise that our hero will be doing some leveling and becoming a powerful Dungeon Lord. At least I hope so.
Such is the case with Dungeon Lord. It was a bit choppy at first, and many time I felt like dialogue or things happened because the author was pushing us toward his program rather than letting things happen naturally.
I was also a bit disappointed that at the 50% mark, we still hadn't gotten to what I THOUGHT the book was about (building a dungeon, growing followers, and leveling up).
"But you gave it 5-stars, why are you talking about bad things?"
Well no book is perfect, and I'm just sharing my thoughts. BUT, and that's a big BUT, those things are petty and little once the full story unveiled itself.
This book was creative, flipped tropes on their heads, utilized an enemy I'd never seen before--one so dastardly and powerful that it could wipe out humanity if left unchecked.
The chapters were ultra engaging and had me saying "just one more" long into the night. 3 nights in a row I didn't sleep until 3 AM.
I can't wait to read the next one.
I do wish that there had been more Dungeon building as even the title seems to promise or that the author would have brought his friends from the real world into play in this book (as I expected would happen), but again, that doesn't change the fact that I can't recommend this highly enough.
It's definitely a LitRPG, perfect for people who like skills and stats and leveling. But don't expect too much leveling, or even enough battles to warrant the ability to level. There are only 3 battle conflicts in the entire story, and one is over in a flash.
But I've sneaked a peak at the other two books covers and blurbs and it does seem to promise that our hero will be doing some leveling and becoming a powerful Dungeon Lord. At least I hope so.
November 23, 2018
I greatly enjoyed this book and I think litrpg as a genre needs more stories of this caliber. The main character of this book is an everyman without being a whining beta male loser. Something that is very refreshing for me. I don't want to sound too negative...I really enjoy litrpg genre stories, but I honestly cannot stand at least 50% of the protagonists.
Maybe part of the glow I feel is a result of coming off of a mediocre book and into this one, but in addition to appreciating the general quality of the story and writing, I just straight up enjoyed this thing. The characters were varied and all had good distinction. The enemies were pretty unique and the way the main character interfaced with the "game" was also refreshing.
I am a big fan of portal fantasy as well as litrpg, so I felt like this was the best of both worlds. Most importantly, the MC was in game so to speak before the 10% mark on my kindle. The transition was well done and gave a pretty good justification for who Edward was and what his mindset might be as he leaves his old life behind. Few things bother me more than a story that wastes 20% or so of the story on pretext only to ignore all of it as soon as the person gets in game.
The game mechanics are a little more ambiguous than average at this stage, but the game world has a very deep sense of history. Rather than seeing a bunch of explicitly laid out game rules with a generic world and flat characters, this book provides various and interesting characters and a world that truly seems to exist with a history of its own. So I have no problem staying occupied while the game rules are uncovered over time.
This was the best book 1 of a new series that I've come across in months, so I'm very excited. I would recommend this to anyone who is after some fantasy litrpg action with some horror elements sprinkled in.
Maybe part of the glow I feel is a result of coming off of a mediocre book and into this one, but in addition to appreciating the general quality of the story and writing, I just straight up enjoyed this thing. The characters were varied and all had good distinction. The enemies were pretty unique and the way the main character interfaced with the "game" was also refreshing.
I am a big fan of portal fantasy as well as litrpg, so I felt like this was the best of both worlds. Most importantly, the MC was in game so to speak before the 10% mark on my kindle. The transition was well done and gave a pretty good justification for who Edward was and what his mindset might be as he leaves his old life behind. Few things bother me more than a story that wastes 20% or so of the story on pretext only to ignore all of it as soon as the person gets in game.
The game mechanics are a little more ambiguous than average at this stage, but the game world has a very deep sense of history. Rather than seeing a bunch of explicitly laid out game rules with a generic world and flat characters, this book provides various and interesting characters and a world that truly seems to exist with a history of its own. So I have no problem staying occupied while the game rules are uncovered over time.
This was the best book 1 of a new series that I've come across in months, so I'm very excited. I would recommend this to anyone who is after some fantasy litrpg action with some horror elements sprinkled in.
March 1, 2018
If you are a fan of the Literary Role-Playing Game (LitRPG) genre, you will enjoy listening to "Dungeon Lord" which is the first book in what appears to be a future series of books taking place in this new and unique fantasy world. Hugo Huesca does an exceptional job in crafting a world full of fresh, different, believable and multi-dimensional elements; both characters and environments. Add in the amazing production quality and narration from both Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott of Soundbooth Theater and you are given the best of both worlds. Jeff and Annie do not overpower the story, but instead both story and narration come together to form an amazing fantasy tale that keep me entertained and surprised along the way.
What happens when a group of people from the same office are a part of an online guild where one's physical world boss takes out his gaming frustrations on the staff when they mess up? This is where one of our characters early on takes matters into his own hands and unbeknownst to him, he discovers he is given the option of working for the side of dark or potential long-term impressment. I do not want to spoil the story, so you will have to read of this sounds interesting. What complicates matters even more is that Ed (our main character) has always battled the dark and has been a hero of light in all his gaming. Once injected into this fantasy world, mimicking the game he was playing online, he need to make the right decisions as this is no longer simply a game, but truly a battle for both life and death. This new game Ed has been placed within only has the option of "perma death", so there is no return when you make the wrong choice. Will he continue to fight for the side of evil or will his light side win over the day?
For me the book's opening, world, and characters made it a listening pleasure. I'm not one for books that are focused solely on the darker side of fantasy (I always played the Paladin), yet the author includes a fair amount of humor, light-hearted antics, and even some romance to break up the mood when needed. The book itself did not feel overly dark nor gloomy, but there was always the pull between the two forces upon our main character; think Luke Skywalker from StarWars. I enjoyed a few of the characters that are often classified as being more on the side of evil such as witches, but we are also given a few that are not including a bard; yes, a bard. When Edward begins to build his new party, one is reminded more of the island of misfit toys than a band of heroes; which is not a bad thing for this journey. Each of the characters needs to depend on the other strengths and weaknesses for them to survive. The author did a great job of integrating the various characters along with their many quips into this band waning to save the land from a much more powerful and menacing creature; the mindbrood. I often found myself laughing out loud observing the actions and interactions between the drone creatures and the other characters.
There is a fine-line one needs to walk when they have the desire to be both a hero and a instruments of the dark. Early on when you are trying your hardest to make friends and alliances while always being challenged by others for the podium of evil, the struggle is real for Ed. In this book, not only is the mindbrood one of the big encounters, but also the many encounters with hordes of spiders (I do not like spiders) and a few other evil classed monsters. For me the book set up the situation quite well and at times felt predictable, yet in the end, the author did a good job of surprising me with the unexpected. I very much enjoyed the premise and the view we are given into the birth and difficulties of establishing a new and power dungeon that will be able to hold off the forces of future adventurers and heroes. There was always this feeling of gloom throughout the story but is did not feel oppressive. One gets a good sense of changes occurring in the world and with the main character as the dark weighs on his heart and soul. The question of will he succumb to the dark or be able to overcome its pull and follow the light? This and much more is answered in the past of this book.
If you are at all familiar with Jeff Hays and/or Soundbooth Theater productons, you know what to expect from one of their releases. The audio is some of the best available and the team ensure that they only give the best to their listening customers. I liked the inclusion of some of the sound effects which were not overdone and helped make the book pop. It is the little subtly things that make Soundbooth Theater one of my favorite audiobook publishers, they focus on what is important to listeners and make sure everything to they do is right. I did not notice any audio artifacts and both characters narrated their parts very well. If I had one suggestion, it would have been to have the spider queen's voice a bit slower as it was more difficult to comprehend if you are one who listens to audiobook at more than their normal speed; like myself.
For parents and younger readers, this book includes a plethora of vulgar language. There are also scenes of sex and humor incorporating sexual innuendos. If you are easily offended by either of these, I would suggest you find a different series to listen too.
In summary, when I was done with this book, I wanted to jump right into the second one in the series to see where our main character would go next. However, at the time of this review, it does not yet exist in audiobook format. The book itself can be read as a standalone novel, yet at its end we are presented with many paths or directions the team could go in future releases. I look forward to more book in this series and highly recommend it to others who enjoy the LitRPG genre.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
What happens when a group of people from the same office are a part of an online guild where one's physical world boss takes out his gaming frustrations on the staff when they mess up? This is where one of our characters early on takes matters into his own hands and unbeknownst to him, he discovers he is given the option of working for the side of dark or potential long-term impressment. I do not want to spoil the story, so you will have to read of this sounds interesting. What complicates matters even more is that Ed (our main character) has always battled the dark and has been a hero of light in all his gaming. Once injected into this fantasy world, mimicking the game he was playing online, he need to make the right decisions as this is no longer simply a game, but truly a battle for both life and death. This new game Ed has been placed within only has the option of "perma death", so there is no return when you make the wrong choice. Will he continue to fight for the side of evil or will his light side win over the day?
For me the book's opening, world, and characters made it a listening pleasure. I'm not one for books that are focused solely on the darker side of fantasy (I always played the Paladin), yet the author includes a fair amount of humor, light-hearted antics, and even some romance to break up the mood when needed. The book itself did not feel overly dark nor gloomy, but there was always the pull between the two forces upon our main character; think Luke Skywalker from StarWars. I enjoyed a few of the characters that are often classified as being more on the side of evil such as witches, but we are also given a few that are not including a bard; yes, a bard. When Edward begins to build his new party, one is reminded more of the island of misfit toys than a band of heroes; which is not a bad thing for this journey. Each of the characters needs to depend on the other strengths and weaknesses for them to survive. The author did a great job of integrating the various characters along with their many quips into this band waning to save the land from a much more powerful and menacing creature; the mindbrood. I often found myself laughing out loud observing the actions and interactions between the drone creatures and the other characters.
There is a fine-line one needs to walk when they have the desire to be both a hero and a instruments of the dark. Early on when you are trying your hardest to make friends and alliances while always being challenged by others for the podium of evil, the struggle is real for Ed. In this book, not only is the mindbrood one of the big encounters, but also the many encounters with hordes of spiders (I do not like spiders) and a few other evil classed monsters. For me the book set up the situation quite well and at times felt predictable, yet in the end, the author did a good job of surprising me with the unexpected. I very much enjoyed the premise and the view we are given into the birth and difficulties of establishing a new and power dungeon that will be able to hold off the forces of future adventurers and heroes. There was always this feeling of gloom throughout the story but is did not feel oppressive. One gets a good sense of changes occurring in the world and with the main character as the dark weighs on his heart and soul. The question of will he succumb to the dark or be able to overcome its pull and follow the light? This and much more is answered in the past of this book.
If you are at all familiar with Jeff Hays and/or Soundbooth Theater productons, you know what to expect from one of their releases. The audio is some of the best available and the team ensure that they only give the best to their listening customers. I liked the inclusion of some of the sound effects which were not overdone and helped make the book pop. It is the little subtly things that make Soundbooth Theater one of my favorite audiobook publishers, they focus on what is important to listeners and make sure everything to they do is right. I did not notice any audio artifacts and both characters narrated their parts very well. If I had one suggestion, it would have been to have the spider queen's voice a bit slower as it was more difficult to comprehend if you are one who listens to audiobook at more than their normal speed; like myself.
For parents and younger readers, this book includes a plethora of vulgar language. There are also scenes of sex and humor incorporating sexual innuendos. If you are easily offended by either of these, I would suggest you find a different series to listen too.
In summary, when I was done with this book, I wanted to jump right into the second one in the series to see where our main character would go next. However, at the time of this review, it does not yet exist in audiobook format. The book itself can be read as a standalone novel, yet at its end we are presented with many paths or directions the team could go in future releases. I look forward to more book in this series and highly recommend it to others who enjoy the LitRPG genre.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
March 4, 2018
I got one of the wonderful new litrpg audiobooks and happy about it. It was great!
***** Everything below may contain SPOILERS *****
A Dungeon Lord book grips and holds attention from the first page till the very end.
In the beginning, we manage to get acquainted with Edward Wright, one man in group players in Ivalis-online. Next day after the attack and finishing the dungeon Lord Edward has problems on his work, half of them he does by himself. His life turns upside down, and then he receives an offer to become a new dungeon lord. Well… why not?
He doesn’t know the rules. He doesn’t have any support except his bard and witch. He doesn’t have any clues what’s going on and in what the hell he was dropped. These aren’t much to start such an adventure, but he does, and he manages to do it well.
I like how all this happened. Even though this is a litrpg book, I forgot about it during listening. It looks like 100% fantasy novel. Magic and magic abilities, spells, dark creatures, inquisitions, corruption and many other things that are just so perfect in here! Only when Ed was activating his Eye and check talents, spells, and experience points, I remembered what book do I listen. The plot is gripping, fast-moving, with twists and unexpected scenes. Sometimes the POV changes, and it adds more driving to the story. The most valuable thing is everything happens in a logical way.
Edward is a good leader regardless he doesn’t have enough experience in it. He learns to trust and changes in the person whom can other trust as well. What I like about him is a brave temper. He surrounds himself with different kind of characters, knowing their basic strength and weak sides. And here I want to mention that the author made it up very well and done a great job to connect his characters in a beautiful working team.
Even though this is a dark fantasy, I had a very light and clear vision of surrounding world. It has its beauty in fields and cities, and the more important our heroes don’t walk somewhere far away from this living worlds.
This is a good book full of funny and interesting moments, strong characters, and twists. I want to know more and move forward this story, and for me, this is a signal that I really like the book.
***** Everything below may contain SPOILERS *****
A Dungeon Lord book grips and holds attention from the first page till the very end.
In the beginning, we manage to get acquainted with Edward Wright, one man in group players in Ivalis-online. Next day after the attack and finishing the dungeon Lord Edward has problems on his work, half of them he does by himself. His life turns upside down, and then he receives an offer to become a new dungeon lord. Well… why not?
He doesn’t know the rules. He doesn’t have any support except his bard and witch. He doesn’t have any clues what’s going on and in what the hell he was dropped. These aren’t much to start such an adventure, but he does, and he manages to do it well.
I like how all this happened. Even though this is a litrpg book, I forgot about it during listening. It looks like 100% fantasy novel. Magic and magic abilities, spells, dark creatures, inquisitions, corruption and many other things that are just so perfect in here! Only when Ed was activating his Eye and check talents, spells, and experience points, I remembered what book do I listen. The plot is gripping, fast-moving, with twists and unexpected scenes. Sometimes the POV changes, and it adds more driving to the story. The most valuable thing is everything happens in a logical way.
Edward is a good leader regardless he doesn’t have enough experience in it. He learns to trust and changes in the person whom can other trust as well. What I like about him is a brave temper. He surrounds himself with different kind of characters, knowing their basic strength and weak sides. And here I want to mention that the author made it up very well and done a great job to connect his characters in a beautiful working team.
Even though this is a dark fantasy, I had a very light and clear vision of surrounding world. It has its beauty in fields and cities, and the more important our heroes don’t walk somewhere far away from this living worlds.
This is a good book full of funny and interesting moments, strong characters, and twists. I want to know more and move forward this story, and for me, this is a signal that I really like the book.
February 10, 2018
3 Stars for Story, 3.7 Stars for Narration by Jeff Hays & Annie Ellicott
Mini-Review:
I really do enjoy Jeff Hays' voices for the characters but I am not a fan of his regular narrator voice. It just doesn't work for me. Oh wells. Overall, the narration was great. I am probably in the minority about it.
Dungeon Lord is a LitRPG adventure story. Edward Wright makes a deal with a "devil", the dark god Murmur. He is transported to another world and made into a dungeon lord. Ed's suppose to be Murmur's servant, but he isn't the type to be the bad guy. Nothing has prepared him to be a dungeon lord or how things work in Ivalis but ignorance won't stop him from figuring things out and fighting against evil.
This story starts off strong and really caught my interest. Then it gets bogged down. I've been spoiled by listening to several books with excellent story pacing and this one doesn't have it. I think a part of the issue is that this particular story does not translate well to an audiobook. I may like it more by just reading print. I will find out when I check out the sequel.
The story has promise but it may not work due to conflicts in the world rules that the author has in place. Everyone likes a story about a guy fighting against the system. Even if that system is an all powerful god that can yank you out of one world, transform you and throw you into another land. I have a hard time believing that Ed can be good just because he's a good guy.
Mini-Review:
I really do enjoy Jeff Hays' voices for the characters but I am not a fan of his regular narrator voice. It just doesn't work for me. Oh wells. Overall, the narration was great. I am probably in the minority about it.
Dungeon Lord is a LitRPG adventure story. Edward Wright makes a deal with a "devil", the dark god Murmur. He is transported to another world and made into a dungeon lord. Ed's suppose to be Murmur's servant, but he isn't the type to be the bad guy. Nothing has prepared him to be a dungeon lord or how things work in Ivalis but ignorance won't stop him from figuring things out and fighting against evil.
This story starts off strong and really caught my interest. Then it gets bogged down. I've been spoiled by listening to several books with excellent story pacing and this one doesn't have it. I think a part of the issue is that this particular story does not translate well to an audiobook. I may like it more by just reading print. I will find out when I check out the sequel.
The story has promise but it may not work due to conflicts in the world rules that the author has in place. Everyone likes a story about a guy fighting against the system. Even if that system is an all powerful god that can yank you out of one world, transform you and throw you into another land. I have a hard time believing that Ed can be good just because he's a good guy.
February 7, 2019
This book/series is definitely not for me. The convoluted, messed up political and religious morals and actions were a bit much. Plus, it was supposedly a game world yet the leveling system wasn't quite right. I had no care or interest for any of the characters except the little babtkin minion, Klek, he was adorable. I kept reading the book just to see how it ended. I was not invested in the emotionally skewed MC and his so-called "fight" or bet with the Dark God Murmur to prove he didn't have to be "evil" to be a dungeon Lord. Frankly, the entire group, Dungeon Lord and minions, could have died in the beginning and it wouldn't have bothered me a bit. Not because they were bad per say, I just would have been as happy with that scenario in the book as any other. Not going to finish the series and hopefully I can find something better to read.
November 11, 2017
Great Story
This was a fantastic spin on dungeon litrpgs. Highly entertaining with great pacing, plot, and poise. Can’t wait for the next installment.
This was a fantastic spin on dungeon litrpgs. Highly entertaining with great pacing, plot, and poise. Can’t wait for the next installment.
December 5, 2017
Litrpg lite a fun quick read that is a nice intro to a new series can’t wait for the next one
January 3, 2021
A great read with an unusual twist to fantasy/sci-fi light genre. Would read again
October 28, 2021
This is a great series. I found all the novels incredibly entertaining.
April 8, 2019
This was an enjoyable read. The text was a 3.5, but the audiobook experience brought it up to a 4, if not 4.5. I'll get to that in a minute.
The series feels very much like if Dungeon Keeper or Orcs Must Die were a story. Complete with the fact it is a game on Earth, but when Ed is brought into the game's world, it's a real world that merely understands magic in terms similar to the game; stats and sheets and EXP, but beyond that everything is real. It's interesting. As the story unfolded, I found Ed's reactions fairly realistic; I'd be doing the same thing in his shoes (albeit not focusing on combat!). His solutions to problems are interesting, the unique monster that's at the center of the plot is creepy and definitely twinges my body horror love.
Downsides are that the setting isn't that deep or interesting. Two human kingdoms that hate eachother, an incredibly harsh Light side and a deceptive, corrupting Dark god, and everyone stuck in the middle. I've seen giant spiders done everywhere else, and some of the minor characters weren't that interesting. Still there's room to grow and flesh to add, as Ed was merely stuck in one little location.
However, I must talk about the audiobook. The Soundbooth Theater's production team did a great job. Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott had fine performances, but the studio then added effects. Internal thoughts had a light echo, monster voices had a dissonant sibilance that was just unpleasant, mild sound effects among the monsters' voices, and at one point a character was noted as yelling from a distance, so his voice was made distant! It was the perfect accent of effect on top of a good narration; no music or effects that drown out the narration.
I'll be starting the next book right away.
The series feels very much like if Dungeon Keeper or Orcs Must Die were a story. Complete with the fact it is a game on Earth, but when Ed is brought into the game's world, it's a real world that merely understands magic in terms similar to the game; stats and sheets and EXP, but beyond that everything is real. It's interesting. As the story unfolded, I found Ed's reactions fairly realistic; I'd be doing the same thing in his shoes (albeit not focusing on combat!). His solutions to problems are interesting, the unique monster that's at the center of the plot is creepy and definitely twinges my body horror love.
Downsides are that the setting isn't that deep or interesting. Two human kingdoms that hate eachother, an incredibly harsh Light side and a deceptive, corrupting Dark god, and everyone stuck in the middle. I've seen giant spiders done everywhere else, and some of the minor characters weren't that interesting. Still there's room to grow and flesh to add, as Ed was merely stuck in one little location.
However, I must talk about the audiobook. The Soundbooth Theater's production team did a great job. Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott had fine performances, but the studio then added effects. Internal thoughts had a light echo, monster voices had a dissonant sibilance that was just unpleasant, mild sound effects among the monsters' voices, and at one point a character was noted as yelling from a distance, so his voice was made distant! It was the perfect accent of effect on top of a good narration; no music or effects that drown out the narration.
I'll be starting the next book right away.
September 7, 2020
4 A Most Noble Chicken-Related Quest Stars
Dungeon Lord is the first book in the Wraith’s Haunt LitRPG series by Hugo Huesca.
Hugo Huesca masterfully crafted an inventive take on the LitRPG genre I’ve come to enjoy. I’ve only seen a few other dungeon master/lord themed novels while perusing what it has to offer. Alas, all the other candidates I’ve encountered have been lackluster at best.
Edward Wright has been chosen by the Hungry One, the Dark god of Ivalis, to replace the Dungeon Lord he recently defeated while playing Ivalis Online. Turns out it wasn’t simply a video game. Ed’s not particularly copacetic with the whole ‘forces of evil’ aligning with Dark entails, but as he soon comes to find out those in league with the Light will only offer distrust and death to a Dungeon Lord.
Someone seeks to incite a war between Lotia and Heiliges, claiming its in an effort to bring freedom to Staveros. Is this the truth? Or yet more lies and convoluted god trickery?
It was definitely an interesting take on RPG mechanics. The differences between skills, and the rules guiding the ‘system’ or ‘Objectivity’. Packed full of surprises and mystery, following a man attempting to hold onto his weighted morals while building and amassing his power.
Dungeon Lord is the first book in the Wraith’s Haunt LitRPG series by Hugo Huesca.
Hugo Huesca masterfully crafted an inventive take on the LitRPG genre I’ve come to enjoy. I’ve only seen a few other dungeon master/lord themed novels while perusing what it has to offer. Alas, all the other candidates I’ve encountered have been lackluster at best.
Edward Wright has been chosen by the Hungry One, the Dark god of Ivalis, to replace the Dungeon Lord he recently defeated while playing Ivalis Online. Turns out it wasn’t simply a video game. Ed’s not particularly copacetic with the whole ‘forces of evil’ aligning with Dark entails, but as he soon comes to find out those in league with the Light will only offer distrust and death to a Dungeon Lord.
Someone seeks to incite a war between Lotia and Heiliges, claiming its in an effort to bring freedom to Staveros. Is this the truth? Or yet more lies and convoluted god trickery?
It was definitely an interesting take on RPG mechanics. The differences between skills, and the rules guiding the ‘system’ or ‘Objectivity’. Packed full of surprises and mystery, following a man attempting to hold onto his weighted morals while building and amassing his power.
December 20, 2018
I guess this genre isn’t for me as I’m scratching my head why so many people give this book 5/5 . Is this really equal to the best book they have ever read?
Anyone who writes a book should be applauded but not everyone has the innate talent that takes a good idea and can bring it alive in words. Not every book can be a good book. This is certainly my feeling about this book. The descriptions to try and bring the world and characters alive are very weak and rudimentary. The action scenes are terribly described. However, kudos to the author for giving it a go.
Anyone who writes a book should be applauded but not everyone has the innate talent that takes a good idea and can bring it alive in words. Not every book can be a good book. This is certainly my feeling about this book. The descriptions to try and bring the world and characters alive are very weak and rudimentary. The action scenes are terribly described. However, kudos to the author for giving it a go.
March 30, 2019
Exceptionally boring.
January 24, 2025
3.5 ⭐ This was good! I enjoy the setup and like the group he is getting set up. I hope to see more in the next installment, but as a ramp up this is good!
May 8, 2025
Standard litrpg with a surprisingly strong horror subplot.
March 5, 2024
Exceedingly basic litrpg. Also, despite online rec I relied on, series not just unfinished but unlikely to be finished - no new releases since 2019.
July 23, 2024
3.9
I like it enough to read the rest of the series.
I like it enough to read the rest of the series.
June 16, 2020
I did not know what I expected, to be honest.
This book was such a chore to read through. When a character was transported to a new world filled with magic, wonders and new possibilities, you would expect to feel super excited for the character and fascinated by this new world you are about to embark your journey in. This was not how I felt about this book, which is surprising, considering all of the praises this story has gotten.
Setting:
I don't know if it's because I've read too many LitRPG novels already, but I just felt like there was not anything truly distinctive about this story compared to many others, despite all of the new stuff the author invented. The setting is the same old ambiguous Medieval society. Replace "Objectivity" with other fancy magic words like "Daos", "the System", or "Cosmic energy", and voilà, the new magic system is suddenly not new anymore. Batlins are the new Goblins, and so on and so forth. The only interesting aspect of this world was the mindbroods and the Dark gods, both of which we sadly don't get to see often.
Plot:
Despite bearing the name "Dungeon Lord", the dungeon engineering actions only happen after reading through almost 60% of the story. All the stuff before that is mostly the MC stumbling from one situation to another, with a little explanation about the world and the magic system sprinkled in between. This could have still been interesting, but it was not. The best way I could describe this is that it feels like you're going through the tutorial before playing the game. If you were the MC, then the side characters would be like the NPCs, only spilling the exposition of the story when being interacted with. There was this lack of ambience and emotions throughout the story. No sense of wonder, tension, nor curiosity. The few action scenes that we have were also not executed well. They did not really convince me much that the MC was in any real danger because, again, there was this lack of tension.
Characters:
Initially, I thought that the characters are somewhat interesting, albeit a little boring. I was actually pretty engaged with the MC in the first few pages when he kicked his bosses' ass for being a typical asshole to his friends. The development of the side characters, however, was not really good. They all felt so wooden. Despite making them his minions, the MC didn't spend much time to get to know them personally and only have some inklings of their background. We can barely see glimpses of anything deeper behind their caricatures.
And I especially lost all respects for the story when the author had the MC hook up with the first female character that he saw when entering this new world, even when the MC admitted before that he killed her lover and wrecked her future. I have no problems with sex itself, but I definitely have a problem with it when IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Why the hell would you have sex with someone who admitted to having killed the people you loved?. And the funny thing is that the MC didn't even like her in the first place. There was zero chemistry between them. It was such a cheap development to the characters that by then, I pretty much stopped reading and put this book down.
I have honestly read way better LitRPG stories than this for FREE on RoyalRoad. That pretty much said a lot things about this book.
This book was such a chore to read through. When a character was transported to a new world filled with magic, wonders and new possibilities, you would expect to feel super excited for the character and fascinated by this new world you are about to embark your journey in. This was not how I felt about this book, which is surprising, considering all of the praises this story has gotten.
Setting:
I don't know if it's because I've read too many LitRPG novels already, but I just felt like there was not anything truly distinctive about this story compared to many others, despite all of the new stuff the author invented. The setting is the same old ambiguous Medieval society. Replace "Objectivity" with other fancy magic words like "Daos", "the System", or "Cosmic energy", and voilà, the new magic system is suddenly not new anymore. Batlins are the new Goblins, and so on and so forth. The only interesting aspect of this world was the mindbroods and the Dark gods, both of which we sadly don't get to see often.
Plot:
Despite bearing the name "Dungeon Lord", the dungeon engineering actions only happen after reading through almost 60% of the story. All the stuff before that is mostly the MC stumbling from one situation to another, with a little explanation about the world and the magic system sprinkled in between. This could have still been interesting, but it was not. The best way I could describe this is that it feels like you're going through the tutorial before playing the game. If you were the MC, then the side characters would be like the NPCs, only spilling the exposition of the story when being interacted with. There was this lack of ambience and emotions throughout the story. No sense of wonder, tension, nor curiosity. The few action scenes that we have were also not executed well. They did not really convince me much that the MC was in any real danger because, again, there was this lack of tension.
Characters:
Initially, I thought that the characters are somewhat interesting, albeit a little boring. I was actually pretty engaged with the MC in the first few pages when he kicked his bosses' ass for being a typical asshole to his friends. The development of the side characters, however, was not really good. They all felt so wooden. Despite making them his minions, the MC didn't spend much time to get to know them personally and only have some inklings of their background. We can barely see glimpses of anything deeper behind their caricatures.
And I especially lost all respects for the story when the author had the MC hook up with the first female character that he saw when entering this new world, even when the MC admitted before that he killed her lover and wrecked her future. I have no problems with sex itself, but I definitely have a problem with it when IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Why the hell would you have sex with someone who admitted to having killed the people you loved?. And the funny thing is that the MC didn't even like her in the first place. There was zero chemistry between them. It was such a cheap development to the characters that by then, I pretty much stopped reading and put this book down.
I have honestly read way better LitRPG stories than this for FREE on RoyalRoad. That pretty much said a lot things about this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
Is the dungeon lord good or evil?
A fun story that takes the main character from playing video games to becoming one of the characters _in_ the world of the game. A character who happens to be replacing one who he just killed in the game. The world’s game mechanics operate differently from the video game he loved, and he has only vague knowledge of the lore and customs of his newly-adopted land. What could go wrong?
We get to discover this as the main character learns and makes his mistakes. He survives with a growing posse of minions by the end of the book.
A fun story that takes the main character from playing video games to becoming one of the characters _in_ the world of the game. A character who happens to be replacing one who he just killed in the game. The world’s game mechanics operate differently from the video game he loved, and he has only vague knowledge of the lore and customs of his newly-adopted land. What could go wrong?
We get to discover this as the main character learns and makes his mistakes. He survives with a growing posse of minions by the end of the book.
June 17, 2025
Excellent. Great characters, story and dialogue. Surprisingly deep for a litRPG, don't be put off by its association with the genre, you could fit this in with traditional books in terms of quality.
The book avoids using the RPG system as a crutch to hide bad writing, it doesn't magically make people better instead it provides somehow an immersive way of the characters to perform impossible feats whilst still feeling grounded, which is an achievement of itself. The protagonist has earned everything given to him, which is refreshing from most books where the protagonist defeats everyone with ease.
Excellent story that builds up across the series, it's clear there was a plan here and once you see the pieces align it boosts the whole series. I cant think of a single plot-hole or case where characters go against their best interest because the narrative demanded it which is also rare.
The book avoids using the RPG system as a crutch to hide bad writing, it doesn't magically make people better instead it provides somehow an immersive way of the characters to perform impossible feats whilst still feeling grounded, which is an achievement of itself. The protagonist has earned everything given to him, which is refreshing from most books where the protagonist defeats everyone with ease.
Excellent story that builds up across the series, it's clear there was a plan here and once you see the pieces align it boosts the whole series. I cant think of a single plot-hole or case where characters go against their best interest because the narrative demanded it which is also rare.
October 7, 2020
I have read the first 4 books in the series, i rate it at about 3,5/4 stars, the overall story is good the world and plot makes sense and keeps my interest, the main character does not get overpowered like in most LitRpgs, and he is a good person with out being a total "Goody Two-Shoes" that only ever makes the right choice.
So why not 5 stars? ...the story has a problem where it meanders around a few times and makes me loose interest and follows side characters (that are not at all needed for the story), book 3 was bad at this, and i almost stopped reading.
So why not 5 stars? ...the story has a problem where it meanders around a few times and makes me loose interest and follows side characters (that are not at all needed for the story), book 3 was bad at this, and i almost stopped reading.
November 7, 2017
Not as bad as I thought it would be
There are a few errors, like a foot catching on the MC's best while he was walking. Almost positive it should have been a branch.
Didn't really like the two spells a day. Why be a mage or witch if that is all you have?
The bard needed to be used in the story more. Right now he is nothing more than a superficial character.
I will read book two if it shows up on KU.
There are a few errors, like a foot catching on the MC's best while he was walking. Almost positive it should have been a branch.
Didn't really like the two spells a day. Why be a mage or witch if that is all you have?
The bard needed to be used in the story more. Right now he is nothing more than a superficial character.
I will read book two if it shows up on KU.
November 13, 2017
A fun quick read
Although this book seems to be written as an intro to a dungeon building series it could very well be a standalone story. The primary conflict of the story was resolved and although there are some loose ends, they're not exactly critical to the book.
There were pleasantly few mistakes and all in all in was a quick enjoyable read. I'm not anxiously awaiting the next book but I would read it if it came along.
Although this book seems to be written as an intro to a dungeon building series it could very well be a standalone story. The primary conflict of the story was resolved and although there are some loose ends, they're not exactly critical to the book.
There were pleasantly few mistakes and all in all in was a quick enjoyable read. I'm not anxiously awaiting the next book but I would read it if it came along.
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