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Caverns and Creatures #6

Critical Failures VI

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In the wake of their recent loss, the Caverns & Creatures gang are left hanging. Do their choices amount to more than waiting around to die of thirst and leaping to a quicker death? Probably, or else this would have been a much shorter book.

493 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2018

327 people are currently reading
291 people want to read

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Robert Bevan

138 books722 followers

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5 stars
621 (42%)
4 stars
559 (38%)
3 stars
230 (15%)
2 stars
49 (3%)
1 star
12 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for Goth Gone Grey.
1,154 reviews47 followers
April 19, 2018
The continuing saga of gaming gone wrong, or perhaps right?

Is this serious writing with deep meaning that will be discussed with hushed reverence for centuries to come? No.

Is this filled with moral and ethical quandaries that will lead to it being taught in advanced literature classes, with essays debating the significance of seemingly minor elements? Also no.

Is this rich with scatological humor, non-politically correct terminology spouted out by PC's and utterly ridiculous situations? That. All that.

The series continues to roll a natural 20 on mayhem and bodily substances, with current culture references to help build the game. Maybe you've been a DM where the players went so far off script that a Disney movie was the only thought you had to continue, and who doesn't love a good Scooby Doo ending? You'd probably enjoy this: players stuck in a role-playing game, their actions based on their rolls, questing for dice to break free.

The pirates and their over the top homosexual slurs were a bit over the top for me, the rest of the book liberally covered in Cooper's bodily substances. The various story arcs work together well, becoming more intricate as the series unfolds.

This series brings back every silly, hysterical, immature D&D game night I've ever had. It's scatological, base humor that happens to have a plot as well, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. Write faster!

Profile Image for Steven Latta.
79 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2018
A huge improvement from book 5, and easily on par with the hysterical books 1 - 4. You can really tell that Bevan has stepped up his storytelling. While the first 5 books in the series had fairly linear storylines, with book 6, there are some real twists and turns going on. This includes some reveals that concern events in the prior books. Overall, this book is a return to the level of humor the series has been known for, more intricate plotting and some real character development. If the earlier books didn't offend you right off the series, this one probably won't either. That said, the type of humor hasn't changed from the earlier books either. If you enjoyed those, you'll love this one. If you haven't read any of the Critical Failures books, well starting with book 6 probably isn't a good idea anyway. The level of crude offensiveness in these books is very high. You've been warned.
Profile Image for Bram.
264 reviews74 followers
April 21, 2019
I felt that this book meandered on for way to long without a clear direction in sight. It wasn't until the very last chapters that you got a feeling of where this book was heading, and I didn't care for it.

Other than that, it's another romp of our beloved idiots, behaving like lunatics while being badass and getting from problem to problem with the roll of a dice. There were plenty of farts and plenty of swearing to keep me going until the next installment comes around. 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Ben Mckenna.
97 reviews
May 22, 2018
I wasn't sure where Robert Bevan was going to take his characters at the end of the last book. He left us with tragedy and a bunch of the characters in dire circumstances.

This novel picks up right away and through various twists of fate 4 quests emerge and diverge, throwing the cast towards what feels like different corners of the world. They also vary a lot, with a traditional D&D quest for one group and an almost Oceans 11 plot for another. This is one of those places where Bevan has managed to mostly keep the books pretty fresh after 6 novels. He's playing with different groupings in each book, and throwing different circumstances at them as well. We're seeing some groundwork laid in books 4 and 5 come to fruition here with characters realizing things about each other. I think we're seeing him become a better writer with each book.

Through it all, we still have all the characteristic Bevan humor. Dick and fart jokes abound. It can feel like nothing is safe at times from a joke.

But then again that is why most of us keep reading, right? If you weren't going to like his humor you probably wouldn't make it through book 1 or 2.
2 reviews
July 6, 2019
Another cliffhanger ending..... wouldn't be so bad except these books always take about as long as the original star wars movies to get to audible.....i hope he keeps going for a very long time!!

I have finished other series books and it's ALWAYS rather depressing to know that this is it..... there's no more..... the story is done.... so i seriously hope Robert keeps writing these for a very very long time!!! Waiting for the next C & C on audible drives me crazy sometimes knowing that the print book is OUT and I'm just waiting on production!!! Then i get the next one and it's just like xmas!!! Then it's finished and back to waiting.......
Profile Image for Dave.
Author 3 books32 followers
April 14, 2018
Perfect mix of character development, story progression, and Cooper-shitting-himself jokes. An excellent installment...if you're a fan of the series, this is a must-read.
Profile Image for Shaun.
427 reviews
May 17, 2018
This series is silly and ridiculous

I love it. I wish I had a son or a nephew to corrupt with these book. Looking forward to Book 7.
Profile Image for Oron.
328 reviews4 followers
July 16, 2020
What a fun episode that was!
This is a fun series, which sometimes feels like a guilty pleasure, but sometimes it's much more than crude fun.
I think this one was one of the best parts, with high action, RPG situations and good use of the litepg elements.
For most of the novel the party was split, with some unlikely pairings and every subgroup having over-the-top horrible adventure.
Me like. Next part please.
Profile Image for Swords & Spectres.
439 reviews17 followers
July 25, 2020
As anyone who has seen my earlier reviews of this will know, I am addicted and absolutely love this series. Has me laughing out loud at points, something no other books has ever really accomplished. Especially not on a regular basis.

Book 6 sees our party split up again, each following their own paths to, hopefully, accomplish similar goals.

This book explores even more of the Caverns and Creatures world with our characters getting up to such things as: coming up against a 'Frozen' inspired villain, fighting spectral shadows in a dying forest alongside horny pixies, ostrasization and much more.

As ever the laughs come thick and fast and the supporting cast really adds some flair to the whole thing.

The humour is, as one would expect with this series, crass, at times childish and mostly the sort of 'college humour' you see in American fratboy films. In short, you either love it or you hate it.

Anyone that is a fan of Dungeons and Dragons should really give this series a chance. Especially if the current Covid climate is keeping you from your games and you need a bit of laugh out loud escapism.
Profile Image for Ebony Irby.
360 reviews4 followers
March 9, 2019
I was so excited when this was uploaded to Audible. I thought, "yes, we're finally going to get an ending!". Boy was I wrong. This book was all over the place following everyone's different story after they escaped from the Crescent shadow. The addition of new storylines, characters, and adventures caused this to drag on and on. I vowed that once I finished this book, it would be the end of the series for me cause I feel like at this point the author is just dragging it out. But wouldn't you know, the last five minutes of the story had such a HUGE cliffhanger, that I am "forced" to buy the next book! LOL, ok. truth be told, what happened at the end is what I was waiting on the whole time. So of course I'm going to see how this plays out. I truly do love the characters, and it would be cool to see how it all comes together to get them back home, I just wish it would happen already and stop leaving me hanging!
Profile Image for Jeffery Hogan.
4 reviews
April 25, 2018
More hilarity realistic depiction of group dynamics

Bevan has a masterful understanding of the ebb and flow of the game, as well as group dynamics.

His characters are all a little too much of what they are, bit rather than being a distraction, it comes off as a genuine person being very committed to their role playing character. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and anxiously await the next.
Profile Image for Hank.
42 reviews4 followers
January 10, 2019
It's raunchy, gut-wrenching, immature, and offensive, BUT, not at all boring. Normally I'm put off by such disgusting perversion and toilet humor, but in this case, the author merely uses it as decoration for an interesting story filled with I diverse cast of clueless characters, adventure, mystery, and surprising plot twists. I should also admit, that some of the jokes caught me off guard, and made me laugh out loud. I look forward to book 7 with great anticipation.
Profile Image for Ross Alon.
517 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2019
It's almost like the litRPG version of "The Boys", where everyone's an a-hole, and only gives a shit about themselves.
Yet this book is funny, and fun. I nund myself want to keep on reading, without caring much for the characters.

The plot itself is a mixture of crazy ideas of, every rpg player wants to do, or force his DM to do, this time with a twist (don't want to spoil).

This in not the best book in the work, but the series is fun.
1,177 reviews4 followers
November 29, 2019
What more can I say, I love these books - southern humor at its best.
Love how the author continues to develop Katherine, love the humor (be honest, who doesn't laugh at a fart joke). Robert Bevan has developed a bunch of believable characters with real life flaws, the kind of folk who gather at night with beer, chips and dips to play dungeons and dragons, as anyone who has played will attest.
Gotten #7 on the Kindle already, now wheres them Doritos.
Profile Image for Fred Wagner.
449 reviews
February 21, 2019
Have been a tough reviewer I seem to recall on this series. Well, tough in my world anyway. So this book seemed like a 5-star'r for a long while. But then it seemed like it would be going nowhere really save into the next book whenever that may be. That it wouldn't ALSO be a bit of a stand-alone novel unto itself. That it serves only to serve the series and not itself. This happened once before. Well, thank goodness for at least the final 2 chapters. Sure. This novel isn't much of a stand-alone. BUT it does at least provide for an interesting (if confusing naturally) ending and a sort of cliffhanger based on revealed circumstances and character development and overall plot. It put into question the entire series in a manner of speaking. Anyway, overall this book was AT LEAST as foul and crude in its humor as the preceding 5 books. Probably far moreso. But it was all done tastefully.... NOT!! Lol. This humor can NOT be done tastefully!! But for a sick mind like my own it does tickle me short hairs. Hehe. I wouldn't wish that ALL of my reading material were of this nature. Of course not! However, it is good (for me at least) to have such humorous overexposure every once in a while. Perhaps even a bit more often than that. So 5 stars Mr. Bevan! And amazing narration Mr. Sleep (did I get that correct??)!! Now just need wait for future books. #7 being next all things being equal. I hate the wait!! Especially waiting the extra time for the Audible editions. Oh, well. C'est la vie!
Profile Image for Hakan Jackson.
635 reviews7 followers
February 18, 2019
I really like where this serious is going. Normally I would be afraid of what I call the Gilligan's Island effect, where the goal is to get home and you get bored after watching the characters fail over and over to reach that goal. That normally includes the audience hoping they get home and after a while feel hopeless for the characters. That isn't true with this series. I don't want them to go home. I want to keep exploring the world they are in. I can't wait to see what happens next. With how unpredictable the series has been so far, I just know I'll be surprised.
104 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2018
Masterful

This was the best book in this series yet. I definitely was still guessing right up until the scene with the high cleric. Amazing work as this series continues. Well written, funny, and surprising. I still have too warn that you have to enjoy bawdy humor to truly enjoy and this is definitely not a book for non-adults.
Profile Image for Ryan.
15 reviews
May 25, 2019
Another awesome book 👌 👍

Another awesome book 👌 👍 well written, although for being the end of the series it left allot of questions unanswered... And so I will make sure to read the next book that doesn't come in the series and hopefully get some answers 😁. Love this series though hate to have it come to an end, and would love to see it as a movie series!
1 review
April 23, 2018
Awesome

An excellent installment for an awesome series! Twists and turns, different storylines intertwining beautifully as the story comes together in the end. And, as always, dick jokes.☺
315 reviews3 followers
June 4, 2018
Another giggle inducing ride with the C&C crew. Lots of typical Bevan humor, more leveling up, and some real character development. On theme keeps you guessing throughout the story. No spoilers from me. Just read it.
3 reviews
July 2, 2018
Well worth the read. Good for a laugh.

Think Dresden Files married Bolders Gate and their love child hooked up with your smart D&D friend. Well. Their child wrote this book.

If you have never played D&D give it a go.

If you HAVE played D&D you have to read this.
Profile Image for Joseph Spuckler.
1,510 reviews31 followers
October 8, 2020
The Gang is still trying to get home. Split up again and freed from the Enchanted Island The two groups end up on separate quests. Cooper and Katherine remain my favorites while the others come and go. Some good deep themes and juvenile humor.
Profile Image for Daniel D..
497 reviews
March 2, 2020
Less moments of satire, still fun.

The following contains SPOILERS. It is a not very good summary of the story. I don't want to spend much time writing this.

The party were left jailed in cages floating over the empty air of a many miles high floating island known as the Moon of the Crescent Shadow. They manage to escape, but get separated in the process.

Cooper and Chad fall of the their cells into the desert. Ravenous, Julian's familiar, goes after them to make sure they are alright. They don't die, but are now stranded on their own. Luckily the desert grows food when the sand is stricken with water, and Cooper has the "flask of endless water". They fight some Orcs, Cooper obtains an intelligent bloodthirsty axe, Naabi, which compels him to go back to her homeland and destroy the one who imprisioned her in the axe. Chad is useless, but he goes along and sometimes helps a little. They find that Naabi is a pixie queen, and the pixies she led them up to help them to defeat the dark lord, who they find after nearly dying in the hands of a group of assassin goblins. The dark lord was actually one of the avatars of Mordred, who nearly kills them as well, but they manage to capture him by putting a bag of shit in his head. See, they can't kill him, or else he will merge back with his other avatars and become even stronger. And the smell encourages him to leave this avatar's conscience, so he cannot use any spells.

The rest of the party is rescued. Dave and Captain Righteous follow up on a lead that a Wizard was selling the magical dice they need to go back home. They "convince" the wizard to help them, but Dave was infected by lycanthropy when he had eaten infected meat he found on the floor (he was 3 days without eating). Out of control, he turns on the Wizard and kill him. Maddened by the disease, he attack the rest of his friends from the Whore's Head Inn and flees when outnumbered. Lycanthropes are pariahs in the city, so he has to hide in the sewers, where he is capture by a group of other wererats.

Stacey and Julian go after the another lead on the dice. They start their search in the floating island, manage to get one after jerking off a dwarf in a flying bathtub. Then when they go for the other in the possession of another wizard, they are scammed of their own die, and ended up empty handed. They even need to flee from the island as guards are after them, so they jump off using an improvised bed sheet as a paraglider.

Tim is dead, and his sister Katheryn gather what is left of him, a pile of shit and some body parts (he was eaten by a baselisk), and asks for those who would follow her into a quest to resurrect him. Randy and Denise join her. That quest is a travel to the nearby temple in order to purchase a resurrect spell. Unfortunately that spell is hella expensive, and now they really do go out on a quest in order to obtain an artifact in the hands of a powerful sorceress, the Ice Queen. They risk their life fighting pirates in the sea, manage to acquire a boat for themselves, no small feat, and then through some disgusting cleverness and a little bit of luck, they kill the Ice Queen. The frozen island's ice now starts to melt and they quickly escape, returning back to the temple. However, the corpse in the pile of shit turns out it wasn't Tim at all.

The story ends when they realize Tim never died. They now need to find him and Dave, who has also gone rogue.
Profile Image for Spike Porter.
28 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2023
I purchased the first 7 books on sale thinking this would be a good series and I was wrong. These books are laden with homophobic, sexist, racist, and masterbutory comments. While I understand the characters are from Mississippi, there is no joke here, it's just goes over the line...constantly. The overall concept of the story is excellent but the execution is horrible. The author writes like a 14 year old boy. Character development might be the worst thing of this series next to the racism. None of the characters have any redeeming value, you honestly don't like any of them. You can connect with them because they're just a bunch of morons which removes any vision of realism. Tim is a drunken ass how treats everyone like garbage, Cooper, Julian, Tony the Elf, Frank, Cat, Stacy... well, no need to name them all, they're horrible.

There is no escape for this series. You can not lose yourself because you keep getting annoyed by the piss poor writing and crappy characters. I paid for these books so I decided to listen to all of them, hoping they would get better... but they don't. They actually get worse over time.
Profile Image for Melissa.
562 reviews12 followers
April 14, 2025
After a year and a half break from this series, I'm fully back on board. Robert Bevan is proof that you can joke about anything as long as you're actually funny. In this series and book in particular, you will find jokes about the following: pedos, rape, racism, murder, abortion, eyeball eating, homophobia (.... and heterophobia?!?), shit and various other bodily functions. I'm certainly missing a few. But they are funny. Many try, few actually succeed. This is the most immature, filthy, silly series I've ever read and I love every second of it.

What makes it so special is the narration. Absolutely top notch from Jonathan Sleep and the ONLY way to get through the series. He takes it to the next level. All of the voices and sound effects are perfect.

Onto the next one. God help me.
Profile Image for Tory Thai.
865 reviews5 followers
April 21, 2023
My favorite garbage book series still delivers. I realize this book has humor that is questionable and in poor taste but it's dark and blunt, gross humor is just pure entertainment.

For what this book aims to do, it does it perfectly for me. It's just pure entertainment. I've definitely laughed out loud when working through this, especially during some of the more unexpectedly crude moments.

This is an extremely well written junk food book, for all it's potty humor, it delivers amazing descriptive writing that is easy to picture what is going on, great world building, absolutely bonkers character still and a engaging plot that goes all sorts of interesting places.
238 reviews
April 2, 2019
This book is heavily dependent on remembering the previous books, because it jumps right into the story without reminding the reader about how the characters got into the mess they're in. It has been so long between books that I wish the author had included some type of prologue. I think the concept of the books has been explored and nearly exhausted. This book ends abruptly. It's obvious that the author plans another book. I certainly hope the author doesn't try to drag this out to 20 volumes.
6 reviews
December 15, 2019
Funny if you like D&D

I like this series because I play dungeons and dragons( caverns & creatures in the book )
But it's not for everyone if you don't like crude humour or foul language avoid
If you have been reading the series you know what your in for
It's the continuing adventures of a group of friends stuck in a strange world and their attempts to beat the cavern master and get back to the real world .
Profile Image for Colin.
Author 5 books140 followers
December 5, 2020
The sixth installment is just as raunchy and crazy as the others . . .

I enjoy the Critical Failures series. Installment 6 is as raunchy and crazy as the others, but the plot becomes more complex, and I feel like the writing gets better as the series goes on. Also, some definitely interesting twists, but the party makes little progress on getting out of the game and back to real life . . .
Profile Image for Jack Vinson.
936 reviews47 followers
April 25, 2018
More goofy, raunch fun

More goofy fun from the gang that have found themselves transported into their fantasy roll playing game. I’ve enjoyed the series, and I wonder how much longer these guys are going to be stuck in their alternate universe. I’ll have to read at least one more installment to find out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews

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