Book Review: Dungeon Incursions by Adam Bright (Dungeon Incursions Book 1)

Author: Adam Bright

Genre: Apocalyptic LitRPG

Tropes: System Apocalypse, Dungeon Breaks, Party Formation, Real-World Setting, Skill Progression

Spice Level: None

Format: eBook

Series: Dungeon Incursions Book 1

    On the way home from archery practice, Lance and his friends witness monsters attacking their town and instinctively jump into action. When their kills immediately reward them with coins, it becomes clear that the world as they knew it is over. The apocalypse has begun—ushering in dungeon incursions and a game-like system in classic LitRPG fashion.

    This is a fun, fast-paced post-apocalyptic LitRPG that starts right at the moment everything falls apart. There are no system prompts, no lengthy explanations, and no dramatic speeches—just monsters suddenly invading a quiet town and chaos unfolding in real time. While I haven’t read a huge number of LitRPGs set in the modern real world, they remain some of my favorites, and this one fits squarely into that niche.

    That said, there were a few elements that felt odd to me. Most notably, there are no visible stat sheets. Characters can tell they’re improving their skills through use, but they can’t see numerical levels or progress bars. Additionally, all upgrades are coin-based, and arrows cannot be retrieved when looting, effectively making them single-use items. I personally would have liked to at least see an option to purchase stat sheets or system access through the in-game shop—even if that wasn’t available immediately.

    A quick heads-up: this is a very short read at just 112 pages. Book one focuses almost entirely on establishing the party, lightly sketching out the characters, and completing an initial dungeon run. Very little happens beyond setup. I do already have book two, so I’m hoping the story gains more depth and momentum as the series progresses.

    One final note: the MMC was my least favorite character in the book. He’s abrasive and honestly kind of a jerk, and I’m very much hoping for significant character development moving forward.

You’ll like this book if you enjoy:

• System apocalypse stories that start immediately when the world ends
• LitRPGs set in the modern, real world
• Dungeon incursions and early party formation
• Fast, easy reads that focus on setup rather than deep lore
• Skill-based progression without heavy stat crunching

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: A Sovereign’s Scorn by Luke W. Logan (Dragon's Dilemma Book 1)

Author: Luke W. Logan

Genre: Fantasy LitRPG

Tropes: Monster Protagonist, Underdog to Overpowered, Gender-Bender, Hidden Identity, Slow Burn Progression

Spice Level: 🌶🌶 – Moderately low spice with a few explicit scenes

Format: Paperback

Series: Dragon’s Dilemma, Book 1

 

   Typhoeus was born the runt of his dragon litter and cast out of the dragonspires into the foothills, forced to survive among the lesser monsters that Creation has populated the world with. Typhoeus is Level-capped until he reaches the age of 100, while human adventurers—unrestricted by such limits—regularly invade his cave in hopes of capturing the “evil dragon runt” for their guild.

    To survive, Typhoeus assumes an alternate form: a carefully designed human female body, crafted to appear unremarkable based on human artwork he sourced from passing caravans. As “Typh,” he must navigate the adventurers’ world from the inside, pairing up with another level-1 adventurer to level discreetly and avoid suspicion.

    I received a paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. The novel opens from the perspective of Typhoeus’s mother before quickly shifting focus to Typheous himself for the remainder of the story. 

    One notable element is the gender-bender aspect. Typh is male as a dragon, but his human form is female. Internally and in narration, Typh is always referred to as male, while other characters perceive and refer to him as female. Personally, I found this perspective split somewhat distracting and felt it took away from immersion at times.

    This is largely a low-spice LitRPG, though there are a handful of explicit scenes scattered throughout. These scenes are technically female/female in presentation, though Typh is still referred to as male internally. I chose to skip these moments, as they felt cringy to me—but more importantly, they are entirely skippable and do not impact the plot or character progression.

    Outside of that aspect, I loved this book. A LitRPG told from a monster’s perspective—rather than yet another human adventurer—is a refreshing change of pace. It’s a clear underdog-to-triumph story, even if Typh is already OP once in human form. I’m very interested to see where the series goes next.

⭐ You’ll like this book if you enjoy:

• LitRPG with non-human or monster protagonists
• Underdog stories with steady progression and power growth
• Fantasy worlds with detailed leveling systems
• Hidden identity and dual-form characters
• A fresh twist on traditional adventurer narratives

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $4.99 by clicking here.