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The Rogue Dungeon #2
Civil War
Build. Evolve. Conquer. Welcome to the Civil War ...
Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has his sights set on taking down the tyrannical Dungeon Lord. But the reigning Troll despot is nearly as devious as Roark, and his followers are much higher level.
With forever-death on the line, civil war breaks out in the Citadel, pitting Roark’s new regime against Azibek’s horde of loyalists. To survive, Roark will have to outfox the Dungeon Lord, forge new, dirtier weapons and shady alliances, and above all, Evolve …
But while the Trolls are entrenched in their civil war, an outside threat is growing. Eyes from the IRL world are beginning to turn toward the Citadel. There’s something strange about this Roark, and they intend to find out what.
Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has his sights set on taking down the tyrannical Dungeon Lord. But the reigning Troll despot is nearly as devious as Roark, and his followers are much higher level.
With forever-death on the line, civil war breaks out in the Citadel, pitting Roark’s new regime against Azibek’s horde of loyalists. To survive, Roark will have to outfox the Dungeon Lord, forge new, dirtier weapons and shady alliances, and above all, Evolve …
But while the Trolls are entrenched in their civil war, an outside threat is growing. Eyes from the IRL world are beginning to turn toward the Citadel. There’s something strange about this Roark, and they intend to find out what.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2018
775 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
James A. Hunter
97 books1,117 followersJames Hunter is a full-time ink slinger, a member of SFWA, and the bestselling author of Vigil Bound, Rogue Dungeon, Shadowcroft Academy, Bibliomancer (The Completionist Chronicles Expanded Universe), and the litRPG epic Viridian Gate Online! In addition to writing, James also runs Shadow Alley Press, an industry leader that specializes in publishing LitRPG, Fantasy, and selection Science Fiction.
James is a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.
Find out more about James Hunter at www.ShadowAlleyPress.com
James is a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). He’s also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—’cause that’s totally a real thing. And a spaceship captain, can’t forget that. Okay … the last one probably isn’t true. When not writing or spending time with family, James occasionally finds time to eat and sleep.
Find out more about James Hunter at www.ShadowAlleyPress.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 26, 2018
Publishing Date: November 2018
Publisher: Shadow Alley Press
ASIN: B07K56G2T9
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher’s Description: Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has his sights set on taking down the tyrannical Dungeon Lord. But the reigning Troll despot is nearly as devious as Roark, and his followers are much higher level.
With forever-death on the line, civil war breaks out in the Citadel, pitting Roark’s new regime against Azibek’s horde of loyalists. To survive, Roark will have to outfox the Dungeon Lord, forge new, dirtier weapons and shady alliances, and above all, Evolve …
Review: It is tough to do a follow up in a series where the first one was really good. You gotta have your shjt mapped out in order to keep the story line interesting and the characters developing at a good pace. Did this dynamic writing duo succeed in delivering a grande follow up? Read on!
Someone at work asked me why my eyes are so red and I said “Really?”. That is what I say to people I don’t want to engage with but in the back of my mind, I am thinking “Fuk, stayed up till 3 am reading again.”. So yeah, you could say that I love this series so much that I am sacrificing health via sleep for enjoyment.
Roark is taking over and changing the game as everyone knows it, so stay tuned for the next in the series while catching up on your sleep.
Publisher: Shadow Alley Press
ASIN: B07K56G2T9
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
Publisher’s Description: Roark von Graf—former noble and hedge-mage, current mid-level mob in a MMORPG—has his sights set on taking down the tyrannical Dungeon Lord. But the reigning Troll despot is nearly as devious as Roark, and his followers are much higher level.
With forever-death on the line, civil war breaks out in the Citadel, pitting Roark’s new regime against Azibek’s horde of loyalists. To survive, Roark will have to outfox the Dungeon Lord, forge new, dirtier weapons and shady alliances, and above all, Evolve …
Review: It is tough to do a follow up in a series where the first one was really good. You gotta have your shjt mapped out in order to keep the story line interesting and the characters developing at a good pace. Did this dynamic writing duo succeed in delivering a grande follow up? Read on!
Someone at work asked me why my eyes are so red and I said “Really?”. That is what I say to people I don’t want to engage with but in the back of my mind, I am thinking “Fuk, stayed up till 3 am reading again.”. So yeah, you could say that I love this series so much that I am sacrificing health via sleep for enjoyment.
Roark is taking over and changing the game as everyone knows it, so stay tuned for the next in the series while catching up on your sleep.
August 17, 2020
An interesting concept, but it just doesn't work.
Generic monsters continue to fight foes 2-4 times their level and win easily. Mc spends 3 hours total blacksmithing and can far better gear than the enemies 2-4 times his level. He spent 5 hours grinding against heroes and gained 3 levels when he had been there for over a week, so what was he doing the rest of the time? He doesnt sleep, and his crafting sessions never last more than an hour so what was he doing the other 159 hours that week? But the biggest problem is that the big bad boss of the dungeon is level 40. You have a dungeon with a huge level curve, but none of the mobs on the first floor had seen a level 15 hero before? There should be level 30+ teams plowing through constantly to get to the lower floors. And the boss only ever sends mobs a handful of levels over the MC. He has a whole floor of mobs over level 30, and yet he sends weak trash against an outright rebellion against him. A litrpg fantasy world is a work of fiction, so there is a whole lot of wiggle room, but when hard numbers and facts are provided, it's a major derailment when the rules and reality the author has built is completely disregarded.
I tried to like it, but a mage character that invested most of his points into intelligence beating a strength focused character with strength based evolutions twice his level in a fistfight by setting an object on top of her that he could easily lift but somehow was too heavy for her to budge... was the final straw. Most of the absurdly unbalanced fights before that at least utilized some minimal effort to create an excuse for the MC to win, but that was just pathetic.
This reads like a first draft with absolutely no critical thought or reflection. The spelling errors and obvious swapped words seem to support that.
Generic monsters continue to fight foes 2-4 times their level and win easily. Mc spends 3 hours total blacksmithing and can far better gear than the enemies 2-4 times his level. He spent 5 hours grinding against heroes and gained 3 levels when he had been there for over a week, so what was he doing the rest of the time? He doesnt sleep, and his crafting sessions never last more than an hour so what was he doing the other 159 hours that week? But the biggest problem is that the big bad boss of the dungeon is level 40. You have a dungeon with a huge level curve, but none of the mobs on the first floor had seen a level 15 hero before? There should be level 30+ teams plowing through constantly to get to the lower floors. And the boss only ever sends mobs a handful of levels over the MC. He has a whole floor of mobs over level 30, and yet he sends weak trash against an outright rebellion against him. A litrpg fantasy world is a work of fiction, so there is a whole lot of wiggle room, but when hard numbers and facts are provided, it's a major derailment when the rules and reality the author has built is completely disregarded.
I tried to like it, but a mage character that invested most of his points into intelligence beating a strength focused character with strength based evolutions twice his level in a fistfight by setting an object on top of her that he could easily lift but somehow was too heavy for her to budge... was the final straw. Most of the absurdly unbalanced fights before that at least utilized some minimal effort to create an excuse for the MC to win, but that was just pathetic.
This reads like a first draft with absolutely no critical thought or reflection. The spelling errors and obvious swapped words seem to support that.
July 28, 2020
4/5 Another grand LitRPG romp. Rogue Dungeon is 2nd only to the Threadbear Trilogy out of all the LitRPG novels I have read (not a staggering amount but still). LitRPG is essentially a fantasy or sometimes sci fi novel that incorporates game mechanics into the world building. Characters will “level” up learn skills etc. Its becoming a guilty pleasure and favorite sub genre of mine. There’s even many spin offs of the sub genre as well. Rogue Dungeon is about a man who is transported/reincarnated as a low level troll in a dungeon of a video game. He slowly starts leveling up and building supporters in a quest to take over the dungeon he’s trapped in. Lots of humor and fun characters make it a quick breezy read. Recommended to light hearted fantasy fans and gamers.
October 8, 2019
3.75☆
May 16, 2024
This books is just plain fun. It's exciting and gripping. Such a wonderful easy read.
April 7, 2022
This still doesn’t really have a feel like the mc is trapped in a game. Good story though. Off to read book three from the three book box set.
7/10
7/10
November 26, 2018
This was an amazing book. I don't just say that because it scratches a particular itch I have by letting me "play" the MMORPG I've always wanted, but it's well written as well, and those don't always go together.
The story continues where it left off in Rogue Dungeon 1, as Roark the accidental interdimensional traveler tries to find a way out of the video game he's trapped in, to get back to his world and save his people. Fortunately for us, the path home is through the player's hearts, whether that's by passing through the rib cage or just left of the spine. There are spike traps, acid pits, and upgrades for him to craft in a story that reminds me of a smarter Dungeon Keeper without being a comic book villain, and I loved every minute of it.
The pacing was perfect, giving me a breather when I needed it, and then surprising me by darting forward. The dialogue was sharp, the plot clever, there were sufficient shades of morality to be intellectually stimulating, and I felt genuinely satisfied by the ending, even though there's still more to come. I laughed out loud several times. I'd start with the first one if you haven't read it yet, if only because some of the wit and jokes build on themselves, and it gives you an appreciation of how far the characters have come. Well worth the read.
The story continues where it left off in Rogue Dungeon 1, as Roark the accidental interdimensional traveler tries to find a way out of the video game he's trapped in, to get back to his world and save his people. Fortunately for us, the path home is through the player's hearts, whether that's by passing through the rib cage or just left of the spine. There are spike traps, acid pits, and upgrades for him to craft in a story that reminds me of a smarter Dungeon Keeper without being a comic book villain, and I loved every minute of it.
The pacing was perfect, giving me a breather when I needed it, and then surprising me by darting forward. The dialogue was sharp, the plot clever, there were sufficient shades of morality to be intellectually stimulating, and I felt genuinely satisfied by the ending, even though there's still more to come. I laughed out loud several times. I'd start with the first one if you haven't read it yet, if only because some of the wit and jokes build on themselves, and it gives you an appreciation of how far the characters have come. Well worth the read.
July 1, 2022
My first impression of the second volume is that it is not as good as the first volume. The title of this volume is Civil War, because Roark, the main character, First Floor Boss, later gains a deeper floor and lastly goes for all of the Citadel fighting the Dungeon Boss Lord.
This fantasy-isekai VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) Hearthworld, has a rather weird contradiction: The Dungeon where Roark started out, called the "Cruel Citadel" is an underground dungeon. Usually Citadel's are Fortress built into impregnable towers or resemble a fortified small city. If the authors made this "citadel" underground, the title should have used crypt, vault, mausoleum, sepulcher, catacombs, etc. There are much cooler names for buried places, than naming an underground dungeon "little city" or fortified stronghold "Fortress" (Citadel). Citadel is also a contradiction, because the players can access it freely, so it is not impregnable or inaccessible like a Citadel is supposed to be.
Roark needs to conquer the Cruel Citadel Dungeon because he wants to return to his world. While being Dungeon Boss, supposedly receives the ability to teleport to faraway places. Because this novel series lasts six volumes, most probably, this ability is not as easy as Roark thought it would be. It is kind of Pyrrhic to think that Roark is fighting to become one of the strongest NCP's instead of fighting to get rid of a real tyrant, in his "real world". It's not like he's going to have his powers when he travels back (otherwise, he would have had his powers and abilities when he was isekaied/teleported into this game world).
Supposedly, VRMMO's in the future, those who use virtual reality cabins will use biometric countermeasures to stop people from using more than one account. At the end of this second volume, the guy hired to control the anomaly, had eight cabins at his disposal. Either you have the biometric controls or you don't, but you can't have both at the same time.
This fantasy-isekai VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) Hearthworld, has a rather weird contradiction: The Dungeon where Roark started out, called the "Cruel Citadel" is an underground dungeon. Usually Citadel's are Fortress built into impregnable towers or resemble a fortified small city. If the authors made this "citadel" underground, the title should have used crypt, vault, mausoleum, sepulcher, catacombs, etc. There are much cooler names for buried places, than naming an underground dungeon "little city" or fortified stronghold "Fortress" (Citadel). Citadel is also a contradiction, because the players can access it freely, so it is not impregnable or inaccessible like a Citadel is supposed to be.
Roark needs to conquer the Cruel Citadel Dungeon because he wants to return to his world. While being Dungeon Boss, supposedly receives the ability to teleport to faraway places. Because this novel series lasts six volumes, most probably, this ability is not as easy as Roark thought it would be. It is kind of Pyrrhic to think that Roark is fighting to become one of the strongest NCP's instead of fighting to get rid of a real tyrant, in his "real world". It's not like he's going to have his powers when he travels back (otherwise, he would have had his powers and abilities when he was isekaied/teleported into this game world).
Supposedly, VRMMO's in the future, those who use virtual reality cabins will use biometric countermeasures to stop people from using more than one account. At the end of this second volume, the guy hired to control the anomaly, had eight cabins at his disposal. Either you have the biometric controls or you don't, but you can't have both at the same time.
October 14, 2024
The Rogue Dungeon series continues to be the most "RPG" of the LitRPG books I've vread. The story bogs down a smidge relative to Book 1 as everyone grinds through fights and levels and side quests. I've seen other reviewers complain that Roark's accomplishments don't make sense in the logic of the RPG game world he's in, and they might have a point. Sure, Roark is bringing the attitude of a real human whose real life is on the line to a world that's normally populated by bits of code and people for whom it's just a game, but there's only so much that creative thinking can do against hard stats. A level 16 character is always going to be at a huge disadvantage against a level 26 character, and a level 2 spell will always be inferior to a level 4 spell, no matter what unorthodox things Roark did to gain those levels and those skills. So some of his victories are pretty unbelievable even in the context of everything that's going on. But it's still a pretty fun ride. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I sense a highly predictable romance arc coming between Roark and Xera, the weirdly and yet predictably sexy troll Reaver. Yawn. I hope she turns out to be a lesbian troll.
Did I like it enough to continue the series? Yes, but I have to admit part of that might be because I'm feeling kind of unmotivated in my reading lately, and some mindless fun seems like just the ticket. If I were in a more bookish place right now, I might be passing it by in favor of some of the many other promising books on my list.
I sense a highly predictable romance arc coming between Roark and Xera, the weirdly and yet predictably sexy troll Reaver. Yawn. I hope she turns out to be a lesbian troll.
Did I like it enough to continue the series? Yes, but I have to admit part of that might be because I'm feeling kind of unmotivated in my reading lately, and some mindless fun seems like just the ticket. If I were in a more bookish place right now, I might be passing it by in favor of some of the many other promising books on my list.
November 24, 2018
This is the 2nd book in the series The Rogue Dungeon and it is a litRPG novel by James Hunter. I am fast becoming a great fan of this type of novel and Civil War is a really exciting novel as we find our cast of characters Roar, Kaz, Mac and Zyra working really hard to evolve and gain more attributes both in physical enhancements as well as magical powers in order to defeat the dungeons tyrant Azibek and his horde of loyalist hangers on. Furthermore Roark is gaining all the knowledge he can acquire in order to return to his own land in Traisbin to overthrow the tyrannical king Marek who had killed everyone Roark ever cared for. Roark was taking the citadel under his control one floor at a time and gaining strength and support as he went along. In order to succeed our group of heroes need to forge new weapons, make new alliances and evolve whilst keeping an eye out for the world outside the game who had their own eyes on Roark the Griefer. The gamers were getting very annoyed by Roark and were out for his blood but Roark had his friends watching his back all the time, and ready to die instead of him. Roark inspired loyalty in those who followed him unlike the tyrants who ruled through fear. I just love a book with a cause and have a penchant for rebels and uprising, hoping to see the underdog win in the end and this is why I am enjoying this series so much! Onwards to the next book since this one stopped at a most crucial point in our story!!
November 28, 2018
More than 5 stars
Roark, the noble mage time-traveler picks up where he left off in book one. At his side are his loyal friends: the adorable chef Kaz, the affectionate salamander Mac, and the beautiful deadly assassin Zyra. Roark also forms new alliances that include an alliance with crusty old Griff, who’s training proves invaluable.
This is a fast paced story that pivots between the MMORPG characters of Hearthworld and the real life players better known as heroes. As if this isn’t enough, the creators of the game get involved and this brings a whole new dimension to this turbo charged story.
I’m not a game player and have little to no knowledge of the MMORPG world but this book grabbed me with a force that had me playing this game in my mind. Especially helpful to me were the charts and notifications that popped up throughout the whole book to inform the readers in great detail of new levels, congratulations on achievements made, warnings, etc. I had fun as this book captivated and fascinated me like no other series has in this way. By the end of this book my brain was fried in a most delicious way...loved it. Deserves 5 stars and then some.
Roark, the noble mage time-traveler picks up where he left off in book one. At his side are his loyal friends: the adorable chef Kaz, the affectionate salamander Mac, and the beautiful deadly assassin Zyra. Roark also forms new alliances that include an alliance with crusty old Griff, who’s training proves invaluable.
This is a fast paced story that pivots between the MMORPG characters of Hearthworld and the real life players better known as heroes. As if this isn’t enough, the creators of the game get involved and this brings a whole new dimension to this turbo charged story.
I’m not a game player and have little to no knowledge of the MMORPG world but this book grabbed me with a force that had me playing this game in my mind. Especially helpful to me were the charts and notifications that popped up throughout the whole book to inform the readers in great detail of new levels, congratulations on achievements made, warnings, etc. I had fun as this book captivated and fascinated me like no other series has in this way. By the end of this book my brain was fried in a most delicious way...loved it. Deserves 5 stars and then some.
January 30, 2019
Stellar addition to the series
This brought the series to a whole new level.
I loved how the characters developed steadily throughout the book and never seemed to lag behind individually. Roark is amazing in this book, I dont want to go jnt ok details cause of spoilers but man does he definitely take it up several notches of kick assery and coolness. Kaz and Zyra have both worked there way into my heart also by becoming such loyal friends to him. I wont say more but man the depth of character development was awesome.
I truly enjoyed the pacing of the book also because even in between the bursts of action and fighting it never got full and boring. I wasnt able to put the book down until I had finished it because it was that engaging of a read.
There is so many fun and amazing twist and turns in this story that i didnt see coming. My mind got blown on more then one occasion from a flyer out of left field.
I can't recommend this book enough. It is a must read for sure specially of you have read the first, and if you haven't read the first shame on you go get it now and read it to.
This brought the series to a whole new level.
I loved how the characters developed steadily throughout the book and never seemed to lag behind individually. Roark is amazing in this book, I dont want to go jnt ok details cause of spoilers but man does he definitely take it up several notches of kick assery and coolness. Kaz and Zyra have both worked there way into my heart also by becoming such loyal friends to him. I wont say more but man the depth of character development was awesome.
I truly enjoyed the pacing of the book also because even in between the bursts of action and fighting it never got full and boring. I wasnt able to put the book down until I had finished it because it was that engaging of a read.
There is so many fun and amazing twist and turns in this story that i didnt see coming. My mind got blown on more then one occasion from a flyer out of left field.
I can't recommend this book enough. It is a must read for sure specially of you have read the first, and if you haven't read the first shame on you go get it now and read it to.
July 21, 2022
ehhhh.
I like that that author is trying to have the MC solve these insurmountable problems with competency, but it’s just not realistic. The author essentially devalues the entire level structure to make it work. I get team work and cleverness but power should amount to something and it doesn’t in these books. To make matters worst the MC is a magic based character that doesn’t really us it. What started out as a somewhat interesting magic system is boring now. It’s cool that MC is using resources to overcome but it also sucks reading a story where the MC isn’t powerful enough to fight his own battles. Unless the MC takes the first half of the next book to crazy level himself and subjects I already know it will be more of the same unrealistic battles that rely on pure luck and ineptitude from his enemies.
I like that that author is trying to have the MC solve these insurmountable problems with competency, but it’s just not realistic. The author essentially devalues the entire level structure to make it work. I get team work and cleverness but power should amount to something and it doesn’t in these books. To make matters worst the MC is a magic based character that doesn’t really us it. What started out as a somewhat interesting magic system is boring now. It’s cool that MC is using resources to overcome but it also sucks reading a story where the MC isn’t powerful enough to fight his own battles. Unless the MC takes the first half of the next book to crazy level himself and subjects I already know it will be more of the same unrealistic battles that rely on pure luck and ineptitude from his enemies.
November 19, 2019
Im fairly certain the fights for the overseer position are supposed to build tension through the "no respawns"-feature. What the author doesn't seem to realize is that it's the other way arround. Main characters of most books have a "Sorry, you can't die, like, ever"-enchantment. Respawn is one of many great ways around that. While books like Re:Zero utilize the respawn system to astonishing effects, here the author doesn't seem to understand it's strength.
Too many attempts to build tension and justify progress with insignificant fights. More actual progress instead of just showing some random fight and "congratulations, you skipped 6 levels!" would have been much appreciated.
Love most of the Heroes vs Mobs fights though.
Too many attempts to build tension and justify progress with insignificant fights. More actual progress instead of just showing some random fight and "congratulations, you skipped 6 levels!" would have been much appreciated.
Love most of the Heroes vs Mobs fights though.
October 1, 2025
OK, still not bad, but definitely not up to the first book's standard.
Less engaging, a bit disjointed at times, and just lacks the same spark.
And, I've got to say, *spoiler alert* the final boss battle just was way too easy. Of course, I'm rooting for the MC, but the victory of such a magnitude should, by the laws of the craft, extoll a rather steep price first. As it is, I feel pretty much robbed of an emotional rollercoaster well-deserved by all the preceding buildup, making the ending smudged and almost anticlimactic.
As a side note, the text could use some more editing and proofreading. I mean, "expresso machine"? Really? From the authors whose characters in the sequel series spend a non-trivial amount of time arguing about grammar?
Less engaging, a bit disjointed at times, and just lacks the same spark.
And, I've got to say, *spoiler alert* the final boss battle just was way too easy. Of course, I'm rooting for the MC, but the victory of such a magnitude should, by the laws of the craft, extoll a rather steep price first. As it is, I feel pretty much robbed of an emotional rollercoaster well-deserved by all the preceding buildup, making the ending smudged and almost anticlimactic.
As a side note, the text could use some more editing and proofreading. I mean, "expresso machine"? Really? From the authors whose characters in the sequel series spend a non-trivial amount of time arguing about grammar?
November 28, 2018
For the Saaaaaalt!
Now then, where do I begin?
A deep breath I suppose. And hold. And breathe out.
Wow.
I'll say that again. Wow.
You know you are reading a Hunter tome because you stop, look up, check the world is still there. Look back down and it says 92% . And the joy of the last few hours of adventure pales before you. You are nearly done. The colours, the sounds, the smells and the magic are almost gone feom your life. Again.
The cure for this cursed existence? Viridian gate, Yancy Lazarus, dragon rpgs or space dramas. Or Mr H and Ms H getting a move on and writing the 'War of the Citadels' Roarke vs Lowen!!!!
For the Saaaalt!
Now then, where do I begin?
A deep breath I suppose. And hold. And breathe out.
Wow.
I'll say that again. Wow.
You know you are reading a Hunter tome because you stop, look up, check the world is still there. Look back down and it says 92% . And the joy of the last few hours of adventure pales before you. You are nearly done. The colours, the sounds, the smells and the magic are almost gone feom your life. Again.
The cure for this cursed existence? Viridian gate, Yancy Lazarus, dragon rpgs or space dramas. Or Mr H and Ms H getting a move on and writing the 'War of the Citadels' Roarke vs Lowen!!!!
For the Saaaalt!
December 19, 2018
A great sequel to an amazing first book.
The civil war of the title is between Roark (the main character) with his minions on the first floor and those loyal to the current boss of the citadel Roark ended up in.
There is little in this story about anything happening back on Roark’s original world, but we do get some sections dealing with out world, which fitted well with the story and did not take you out of moment.
The main adversary from the new world in the first book is back and causing additional problems for our “hero” for those that enjoyed him before (like me).
Highly recommend for those who enjoyed the first book.
The civil war of the title is between Roark (the main character) with his minions on the first floor and those loyal to the current boss of the citadel Roark ended up in.
There is little in this story about anything happening back on Roark’s original world, but we do get some sections dealing with out world, which fitted well with the story and did not take you out of moment.
The main adversary from the new world in the first book is back and causing additional problems for our “hero” for those that enjoyed him before (like me).
Highly recommend for those who enjoyed the first book.
February 5, 2019
I liked most of the story (a few of my disliked tropes popped up and I had to cringe until they went away), but it somehow feels really short and it tends to switch back and forth from a hard game system with clear rules to a soft magic-system, i.e. the MC will sometimes defeat his OP enemies with his willpower alone, while he fails against lesser foes when the story calls for that. This book does a lot to improve on book 1 by adding glimpses of "our world" which makes the setting feel less claustrophobic. I just wish it had time for more of the good stuff, like leaving the dungeon, improving the dungeon, making new friends, getting some worldbuilding etc. Maybe in book 3?
June 12, 2019
Review from my boyfriend and myself.
My boyfriend and I listened to this book together We loved it very much. We were trying to figure out if this would be a duology or a series. Now that we know, we can't wait for book three! Listening to these books with him has given me a better understanding of D&D. He loves to play the game. Maybe now I can play with him!
The narrator was fantastic. He was great in the first book too, so I had no doubt he'd be great in this one. I hope that he'll be narrating the third book too when it comes out. It wouldn't be told the same without him. Fully loved it and fully recommend.
My boyfriend and I listened to this book together We loved it very much. We were trying to figure out if this would be a duology or a series. Now that we know, we can't wait for book three! Listening to these books with him has given me a better understanding of D&D. He loves to play the game. Maybe now I can play with him!
The narrator was fantastic. He was great in the first book too, so I had no doubt he'd be great in this one. I hope that he'll be narrating the third book too when it comes out. It wouldn't be told the same without him. Fully loved it and fully recommend.
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June 12, 2019Review from my girlfriend and myself. (Written by my girlfriend with my input.)
My boyfriend and I listened to this book together We loved it very much. We were trying to figure out if this would be a duology or a series. Now that we know, we can't wait for book three! Listening to these books with him has given me a better understanding of D&D. He loves to play the game. Maybe now I can play with him!
The narrator was fantastic. He was great in the first book too, so I had no doubt he'd be great in this one. I hope that he'll be narrating the third book too when it comes out. It wouldn't be told the same without him. Fully loved it and fully recommend.
My boyfriend and I listened to this book together We loved it very much. We were trying to figure out if this would be a duology or a series. Now that we know, we can't wait for book three! Listening to these books with him has given me a better understanding of D&D. He loves to play the game. Maybe now I can play with him!
The narrator was fantastic. He was great in the first book too, so I had no doubt he'd be great in this one. I hope that he'll be narrating the third book too when it comes out. It wouldn't be told the same without him. Fully loved it and fully recommend.
July 8, 2019
Great story!
I am really enjoying this series! The premise is interesting and while there are a lot fights and battles, it is not too dark (thought there is mention of torture, we are thankfully not given details).
The main character, Roark, is believable: he struggles some when he takes a questionable action and realizes it is something his main enemies would do. He also has to reevaluate his loner stance and realizes being afraid of losing people is not a good enough reason to push everyone away; we will all die at some point, having friends along the way is one of the things which make life worth living.
I am really enjoying this series! The premise is interesting and while there are a lot fights and battles, it is not too dark (thought there is mention of torture, we are thankfully not given details).
The main character, Roark, is believable: he struggles some when he takes a questionable action and realizes it is something his main enemies would do. He also has to reevaluate his loner stance and realizes being afraid of losing people is not a good enough reason to push everyone away; we will all die at some point, having friends along the way is one of the things which make life worth living.
Currently reading
January 8, 2020Good read, great series
This one started a bit slower than I wanted it to, but it was by no means dull. There's a typo or two here and there, but seriously theyre hard to catch and relatively unobtrusive. The quality of the writing and storytelling from these authors is imprccable. The story is a unique, fun twist on the typical litRPG setting and that in itself makes this series worth a go. The behavior of the heroes is a bit of a vanity, but it's one I can stand because the story doesn't suffer for it. All in all I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next entry.
This one started a bit slower than I wanted it to, but it was by no means dull. There's a typo or two here and there, but seriously theyre hard to catch and relatively unobtrusive. The quality of the writing and storytelling from these authors is imprccable. The story is a unique, fun twist on the typical litRPG setting and that in itself makes this series worth a go. The behavior of the heroes is a bit of a vanity, but it's one I can stand because the story doesn't suffer for it. All in all I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next entry.
November 30, 2018
Alright alright
A good solid book. There are too few litrpg that tackle things from a monstrous perspective yet James and now eden fielded that excellently and while Roark may be human at his core he can be a bit beastial too. No real errors or typos that I caught but hell if I missed something screenshot it and send it to hunter thru Facebook. Add a bit of snark to the message as well just for fun. Though I'm sure I didn't miss much. A must read get it yesterday if you havent got it today.
A good solid book. There are too few litrpg that tackle things from a monstrous perspective yet James and now eden fielded that excellently and while Roark may be human at his core he can be a bit beastial too. No real errors or typos that I caught but hell if I missed something screenshot it and send it to hunter thru Facebook. Add a bit of snark to the message as well just for fun. Though I'm sure I didn't miss much. A must read get it yesterday if you havent got it today.
November 30, 2018
Fun Sequel in a fun series
I enjoy this GameLit story because it looks at the lives of mobs in dungeons in a different way. There are stories with the dungeon itself as a protagonist- and this story isn’t like that. It’s about a boss of one of the wings of the dungeon considering how to conquer the rest. As well as improve life for his loyal followers... while dealing with invasions from “heroes”.
I enjoy this GameLit story because it looks at the lives of mobs in dungeons in a different way. There are stories with the dungeon itself as a protagonist- and this story isn’t like that. It’s about a boss of one of the wings of the dungeon considering how to conquer the rest. As well as improve life for his loyal followers... while dealing with invasions from “heroes”.
December 11, 2018
Excellent read. Finished it in less than 24 hours! Looking firward to find out what happens next with Roark and the crew! Would have preferred a more drawn out conclusion perhaps, a bigger final fight!
Excellent read. Finished it in less than 24 hours! Looking forward to finding out what happens next with Roark and the crew! Would have preferred a more drawn out conclusion perhaps, a bigger final fight? Seemed rushed! But over all a grand experience
Excellent read. Finished it in less than 24 hours! Looking forward to finding out what happens next with Roark and the crew! Would have preferred a more drawn out conclusion perhaps, a bigger final fight? Seemed rushed! But over all a grand experience
December 26, 2018
Great Next Step
I like the main character. He’s got a different attitude to him than the way most nobility is portrayed. I liked the IRL scenes. Brief as they were they gave the needed view from the “creators” side of things. The character growth is nice and progressive. Not growth then devolving back and forth as some like to do. Overall very entertaining. Can’t wait for the next one.
I like the main character. He’s got a different attitude to him than the way most nobility is portrayed. I liked the IRL scenes. Brief as they were they gave the needed view from the “creators” side of things. The character growth is nice and progressive. Not growth then devolving back and forth as some like to do. Overall very entertaining. Can’t wait for the next one.
January 13, 2019
Great follow up to book one
If you're into litRPG, you need to check out this series. If you're not into litRPG, or have never heard of it, read this series...it may just convert you.
The storyline is great, from Roark's backstory to the characters in the dungeons; from the heroes to the Dungeon Lord battling Roark and his clan, it is an imaginative, roller-coaster ride you will not want to exit.
If you're into litRPG, you need to check out this series. If you're not into litRPG, or have never heard of it, read this series...it may just convert you.
The storyline is great, from Roark's backstory to the characters in the dungeons; from the heroes to the Dungeon Lord battling Roark and his clan, it is an imaginative, roller-coaster ride you will not want to exit.
February 25, 2019
Whoops I finished this a while ago, but forgot to do a review.
I really like this series. The idea is what would happen if a person was transported from a Fantasy world with magic and war and everything to a video game with magic and war and everything.
It is a new twist on the LitRPG genre, and James does a great job of telling the story. It is interesting throughout, and I enjoy the characters in the story.
Rating: 4.2 You should check this one out if you like LitRPG.
I really like this series. The idea is what would happen if a person was transported from a Fantasy world with magic and war and everything to a video game with magic and war and everything.
It is a new twist on the LitRPG genre, and James does a great job of telling the story. It is interesting throughout, and I enjoy the characters in the story.
Rating: 4.2 You should check this one out if you like LitRPG.
September 4, 2022
The extra POV chapters in this book were a nice addition, especially the hilarious first chapter and the last chapter's tease for things to come. No POV scenes from Roark's friends yet, but I'm still hoping the sequels will have something.
The climax seemed to come out of the blue, but looking back I can see how that fit well with rest of the stuff that happened.
Overall, this was a good follow up.
The climax seemed to come out of the blue, but looking back I can see how that fit well with rest of the stuff that happened.
Overall, this was a good follow up.
December 10, 2018
Continues to deliver
A fun romp through the dungeon that is more Gameloft than dungeon core.
Perhaps because of how the first book was setup, this book seemed to rush through some of the action scenes but it made up by the setups in between.
Looking forward to see where the series will go.
A fun romp through the dungeon that is more Gameloft than dungeon core.
Perhaps because of how the first book was setup, this book seemed to rush through some of the action scenes but it made up by the setups in between.
Looking forward to see where the series will go.
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