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Dungeon Crafting #1
The Crafter's Dungeon
Sandra had been a merchant traveling through the human lands of Muriel, though that wouldn’t have been her chosen profession. What she would’ve loved to become was a crafter, producing wondrous creations with her own two hands; however, she didn’t want to become a master in just one craft – she was interested in them all.
Unfortunately, Sandra was born with a deformity in her hands that made them appear frozen in a claw-like pose; as a result, she couldn’t grip anything with any sort of strength or dexterity, meaning that she wasn’t able to craft anything but the most simple of things that required very little in the way of hand-based manipulation. To top it off, while most people could access and manipulate at least one or two of the basic elemental energies, she could see them all – but was unable to manipulate a single one.
Despite these setbacks, Sandra spent the majority of her twenty-six years of life visually learning the processes, techniques, and secret formulas for every aspect of crafting she could discover. And it was that pursuit of knowledge that ultimately led to her untimely death.
Reborn in the shape of a tiny Dungeon Core, Sandra learned about the purpose behind dungeons and Cores from an assigned dungeon helper; at the same time, she also discovered that she had much more freedom than most other Dungeon Cores. The repercussions of her mere existence could end up being far-reaching, but the most important thing she learned had nothing to do with the other Cores, the different races, or even the real purpose behind her being brought back to life as a strange glowing gem.
Sandra didn’t care about any of that, though – all she cared about was that she could finally do some crafting.
This Dungeon Core story contains LitRPG/GameLit elements such as statistics and leveling and a heavy crafting emphasis. No profanity and no harems.
Unfortunately, Sandra was born with a deformity in her hands that made them appear frozen in a claw-like pose; as a result, she couldn’t grip anything with any sort of strength or dexterity, meaning that she wasn’t able to craft anything but the most simple of things that required very little in the way of hand-based manipulation. To top it off, while most people could access and manipulate at least one or two of the basic elemental energies, she could see them all – but was unable to manipulate a single one.
Despite these setbacks, Sandra spent the majority of her twenty-six years of life visually learning the processes, techniques, and secret formulas for every aspect of crafting she could discover. And it was that pursuit of knowledge that ultimately led to her untimely death.
Reborn in the shape of a tiny Dungeon Core, Sandra learned about the purpose behind dungeons and Cores from an assigned dungeon helper; at the same time, she also discovered that she had much more freedom than most other Dungeon Cores. The repercussions of her mere existence could end up being far-reaching, but the most important thing she learned had nothing to do with the other Cores, the different races, or even the real purpose behind her being brought back to life as a strange glowing gem.
Sandra didn’t care about any of that, though – all she cared about was that she could finally do some crafting.
This Dungeon Core story contains LitRPG/GameLit elements such as statistics and leveling and a heavy crafting emphasis. No profanity and no harems.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2019
1277 people are currently reading
906 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Brooks
83 books468 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 8, 2024
Lately, I have become a fan of Jonathan Brooks. His books are a bit technical but interesting.
The Crafter's Dungeon surprised me with the idea of why and how dungeons appeared. And I am now interested in knowing how technologies came into the magical world.
The Crafter's Dungeon surprised me with the idea of why and how dungeons appeared. And I am now interested in knowing how technologies came into the magical world.
July 11, 2019
DNF
I don't even understand what the hell went on this book. I'm sure it makes sense for anyone who knew what they were getting into, but I didn't and it was weird and not good. a regular story about a woman who has messed up hands who .. turns into a dungeon? yeah ok. not.
I don't even understand what the hell went on this book. I'm sure it makes sense for anyone who knew what they were getting into, but I didn't and it was weird and not good. a regular story about a woman who has messed up hands who .. turns into a dungeon? yeah ok. not.
September 19, 2019
I really liked this book. The story was refreshing to me. I enjoyed many surprises as I watched the dungeon come into being. How it happened was not at all what I expected. Make no mistake, this book is about crafting and discovery and yet there are certainly moments of excitement too. l hope this story line continues into another book. I am sure I will be one of it's first readers. For all those who enjoyed crafting in the various online games where it was permitted, I think you will find something here that makes you want to be right there swinging your smithy hammer, or carving and honing the riser on your newest bow.
While it's great to find a dedicated crafting dungeon, there are always going to be those who will want to destroy and spoil. This too can be solved by clever defensive crafting. The discoveries go on and on.
To the author: Thanks for a great read.
While it's great to find a dedicated crafting dungeon, there are always going to be those who will want to destroy and spoil. This too can be solved by clever defensive crafting. The discoveries go on and on.
To the author: Thanks for a great read.
December 31, 2021
I kind of liked this as it's something completely out of my usual, and as a TTRPG nerd and someone who has plays a lot of of 4X and management games I could kind of see what it was going for.
I wasn't a huge fan of Winx though, she was terrible at her job and I don't think she added anything meaningful to the story that a disembodied "tutorial" couldn't have done (like the instructional text boxes, but a "Welcome to being a Dungeon Core"). Both she and Sandra were also kind of bad at the being friends thing, ignoring each other for hours or weeks at a time until suddenly they wanted company/ information/ to be annoying. It just wasn't an interaction I was in to.
Also while the creature stat boxes were fun at first it soon grew tiresome to read through the same lists with slightly different numbers over and over. It would have been better to only include that information if/ when it became relevant.
Mostly what I enjoyed was story and characters more than the niche "I'm a dungeon core now" premise. I wanted to know how Sandra was going to not get immediately destroyed, I wanted to know more about the characters she bonded, I wanted to know more about the world itself and how it was in the state it was.
Basically this book was balanced between crunchy RPG stats and a fully fledged fantasy book. I think I prefer my reads leaning more on fantasy story and characters than on info boxes and amassing ever greater power, but if that's your jam this could work for you.
I wasn't a huge fan of Winx though, she was terrible at her job and I don't think she added anything meaningful to the story that a disembodied "tutorial" couldn't have done (like the instructional text boxes, but a "Welcome to being a Dungeon Core"). Both she and Sandra were also kind of bad at the being friends thing, ignoring each other for hours or weeks at a time until suddenly they wanted company/ information/ to be annoying. It just wasn't an interaction I was in to.
Also while the creature stat boxes were fun at first it soon grew tiresome to read through the same lists with slightly different numbers over and over. It would have been better to only include that information if/ when it became relevant.
Mostly what I enjoyed was story and characters more than the niche "I'm a dungeon core now" premise. I wanted to know how Sandra was going to not get immediately destroyed, I wanted to know more about the characters she bonded, I wanted to know more about the world itself and how it was in the state it was.
Basically this book was balanced between crunchy RPG stats and a fully fledged fantasy book. I think I prefer my reads leaning more on fantasy story and characters than on info boxes and amassing ever greater power, but if that's your jam this could work for you.
July 2, 2019
Dungeons galore
I know I've mentioned this before but Jonathan Brooks has really come a long way since this first dungeon books.
This one takes the genre in a different, yet very entertaining way. My single complaint is that it prevents him from writing follow ups in his other 3 ongoing series.
Definitely keeping my eyes open for the next one.
I know I've mentioned this before but Jonathan Brooks has really come a long way since this first dungeon books.
This one takes the genre in a different, yet very entertaining way. My single complaint is that it prevents him from writing follow ups in his other 3 ongoing series.
Definitely keeping my eyes open for the next one.
July 14, 2019
If you're like me, and really like the crafting side of LitRPG, then you definitely don't want to miss this book. Generally, I'm a bit hesitant about reading dungeon core books, because there isn't a lot of crafting, very little problem solving (well, beyond the how to build more deadly traps for unsuspecting adventurers), and other than minor story progression, not much seems to happen in them. However, after seeing the description of this one, I just had to give it a try, and honestly, I can't complain in the least about the decision. This was one really good story. Of course, if you're not the crafting type, then this one won't appeal to you quite as much, but I've never seen a dungeon core book where crafting played a major role, and I find I really like it. I have gathered up other dungeon books by this author, and shall give those a try too now, though I'd pretty much stopped reading dungeon core books because of their distinct lack of things I enjoy so much in LitRPG titles, though it may be time to re-examine that decision.
October 9, 2019
The dungeon core style of gamelit books already adds a twist to the basic genre, but the author does a good job with this take on the sub-genre with the attitude and personality of his main character carrying the book through what is obviously the earlier stages of a much bigger story.
The narrator's performance was notably stronger with the female characters, but was still sufficiently distinctive with the rest of the cast and served to nicely enhance my overall enjoyment of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable listen, but will probably seem even stronger when placed in the context of a larger series and I will look out for further books in the series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
The narrator's performance was notably stronger with the female characters, but was still sufficiently distinctive with the rest of the cast and served to nicely enhance my overall enjoyment of the book.
Overall, this was an enjoyable listen, but will probably seem even stronger when placed in the context of a larger series and I will look out for further books in the series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
May 14, 2021
Sandra is a young woman, the daughter of a traveling merchant, who loves crafting. She tries to learn everything she can in theory, because her hands are deformed, and she can't actually do the things she learns. Then she dies and reincarnates as a dungeon core.
Usually, only the worst people become dungeon cores, but Sandra is something new. She's only interested in crafting, but goes along with her mentor, Winx, and works on expanding, and defending her dungeon, which is her home.
It was a pleasant read, and I liked both Sandra and Winx. The crafting angle was a fun change of pace. I liked the creativity of the world building, and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes. I want to know why Sandra was turned into a dungeon core, and I want to know more about Kelerim.
Usually, only the worst people become dungeon cores, but Sandra is something new. She's only interested in crafting, but goes along with her mentor, Winx, and works on expanding, and defending her dungeon, which is her home.
It was a pleasant read, and I liked both Sandra and Winx. The crafting angle was a fun change of pace. I liked the creativity of the world building, and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes. I want to know why Sandra was turned into a dungeon core, and I want to know more about Kelerim.
May 24, 2021
3.5 stars, not a bad start to a series. Not a 4 as it has to build for sure but a good start. It was a little light on action at times but still enjoyable. I will continue with the series...
April 16, 2021
Fast read. Enjoyed this creatively advanced story based on dungeons and dragons games. Bought the first three volumes from Amazon kindle.
January 31, 2024
Okayish. Didn't really understand what the book was going for. Hardly any action, just a lot of description. Felt like a lot of padding
March 5, 2021
Are asking yourself, "What IS A Dungeon Core Novel?"
What IS A Dungeon Core Novel? It's a fair question, I think. I had never even heard of "A Dungeon Core" before this novel appeared in my Amazon recommendations a week or so ago.
The answer to the question is both quite simple and quite complex really. A Dungeon Core, at least in this series of books, is the soul of a deceased person; who is given the powers, responsibility, and task to build a Dungeon by a Deity called The Creator. That's the simple answer. The complex, and far more interesting answer, is the novel you are looking at.
This novel is a subset of the LitRPG genre. I would say that if you've ever enjoyed being the GM of a Tabletop RPG or playing the computer game "Dungeon Keeper," you will likely enjoy this novel.
What IS A Dungeon Core Novel? It's a fair question, I think. I had never even heard of "A Dungeon Core" before this novel appeared in my Amazon recommendations a week or so ago.
The answer to the question is both quite simple and quite complex really. A Dungeon Core, at least in this series of books, is the soul of a deceased person; who is given the powers, responsibility, and task to build a Dungeon by a Deity called The Creator. That's the simple answer. The complex, and far more interesting answer, is the novel you are looking at.
This novel is a subset of the LitRPG genre. I would say that if you've ever enjoyed being the GM of a Tabletop RPG or playing the computer game "Dungeon Keeper," you will likely enjoy this novel.
July 2, 2019
Good book, but lots of typos
The typo's almost lowered the book to 3 stars because there were so many, and most weren't spelling but grammar. So sentences didnt make sense and you were left uncertain what was being said.
But the book itself was pretty good and family friendly! (Yay!) I will definitely read more in the series and hopefully it will get better through hiring and editor =).
The typo's almost lowered the book to 3 stars because there were so many, and most weren't spelling but grammar. So sentences didnt make sense and you were left uncertain what was being said.
But the book itself was pretty good and family friendly! (Yay!) I will definitely read more in the series and hopefully it will get better through hiring and editor =).
February 26, 2021
A great book
I have read a few litRPG books but this is my first dungeon core style book. After going speaking with the super friendly author and while getting both the ebook and audio book free, I couldn't put off reading it any longer. Once I did I read somewhere t in one go. It was fantastic! I didn't put it down and I'm anxious to start the next.
I have read a few litRPG books but this is my first dungeon core style book. After going speaking with the super friendly author and while getting both the ebook and audio book free, I couldn't put off reading it any longer. Once I did I read somewhere t in one go. It was fantastic! I didn't put it down and I'm anxious to start the next.
July 4, 2019
I do t know why I keep trying to read. Dungeon core books. I got 82% of the way in and just didn't care enough to finish it. It's well written but it's just not for me.
July 7, 2020
Quite enjoyable, although listening to this was made harder by the abundance of tables, listening to the narrator repeats practically the same table over and over for some minor change is tiring.
April 26, 2024
Sandra has always been passionate about crafting. Blacksmithing, enchanting, jewellery making, leatherwork - she has made it her life's mission to learn everything she can. Unfortunately her disability means she's never been able to craft anything herself. But she makes do - right up until she's killed chasing a new lead.
When she's reborn as a dungeon core, Sandra is left awed when she discovers her new abilities will let her build and make all she wants - she only needs time and a little bit of creativity before she's able to pursue her passion; crafting.
This was a low angst fun read. I liked the concept a bit more than the execution. The stats and game mechanics were a bit lacking. I didn't really follow all of it and took to skipping most of the tables that were included. But I enjoyed the idea of Sandra pursuing her crafting passion and just wanting to learn and teach and make.
The room building and creation of the different crafting stations was fun and I liked Sandra coming up with ways to get around her limitations. I would've liked it a bit better if her dungeon fairy, Winxa was able to brainstorm freely with her. The whole she can't give advice to Sandra got a bit old. Honestly their relationship in general was a bit clunky. I would've liked to see more conversations and Sandra was being less of a jerk to her. She spent a lot of time just blocking out her conversations which was pretty rude.
As for the plot I was really getting into things when the point of view switched to Kelerim. A half orc/half dwarf being who has been outcast from both sides of his heritage and has no where else to go. I liked Kelerim but the switch was kind of abrupt. I really got into his story though and was annoyed that he I wanted to see Kelerim contribute a bit more to the development of the dungeon. He doesn't really seem to have any input or feedback and it would've been cool to see him and Sandra have more of a give and take rather than Sandra just give, give, giving.
Interesting concept and one I'd enjoy reading more of. 3 stars.
When she's reborn as a dungeon core, Sandra is left awed when she discovers her new abilities will let her build and make all she wants - she only needs time and a little bit of creativity before she's able to pursue her passion; crafting.
This was a low angst fun read. I liked the concept a bit more than the execution. The stats and game mechanics were a bit lacking. I didn't really follow all of it and took to skipping most of the tables that were included. But I enjoyed the idea of Sandra pursuing her crafting passion and just wanting to learn and teach and make.
The room building and creation of the different crafting stations was fun and I liked Sandra coming up with ways to get around her limitations. I would've liked it a bit better if her dungeon fairy, Winxa was able to brainstorm freely with her. The whole she can't give advice to Sandra got a bit old. Honestly their relationship in general was a bit clunky. I would've liked to see more conversations and Sandra was being less of a jerk to her. She spent a lot of time just blocking out her conversations which was pretty rude.
As for the plot I was really getting into things when the point of view switched to Kelerim. A half orc/half dwarf being who has been outcast from both sides of his heritage and has no where else to go. I liked Kelerim but the switch was kind of abrupt. I really got into his story though and was annoyed that he I wanted to see Kelerim contribute a bit more to the development of the dungeon. He doesn't really seem to have any input or feedback and it would've been cool to see him and Sandra have more of a give and take rather than Sandra just give, give, giving.
Interesting concept and one I'd enjoy reading more of. 3 stars.
September 6, 2022
This series is ok but not as good as the author’s other series. While I enjoyed the premise of the books, there were a few really annoying things about Sandra the MC and her fairy that detracted significantly from the story and is the reason I rated it only 3 stars.
First, the fairy is virtually useless, for some ridiculous reason she is prevented from explaining a lot of things to the dungeon, and some really important things which she can tell the dungeon, she forgets to tell Sandra. I would have preferred that she be omitted completely than for the author to have introduced such an annoying and incompetent character.
Second, Sandra often comes off as a bit stupid or incompetent herself. She doesn’t make common sense optimal decisions designed to protect herself and as such often barely survives numerous situations. This makes the story seem contrived in many places because it feels like many of the close call situations could have easily been avoided with better planning and decisions.
The final issue I have with the audiobook is that the narrator is awful especially when compared with the male reader of the other books by this author. She has a very poor range of voices and the voices she uses do not match what you would imagine the characters to sound like.
It is a shame that an otherwise really interesting series is ruined by these things.
First, the fairy is virtually useless, for some ridiculous reason she is prevented from explaining a lot of things to the dungeon, and some really important things which she can tell the dungeon, she forgets to tell Sandra. I would have preferred that she be omitted completely than for the author to have introduced such an annoying and incompetent character.
Second, Sandra often comes off as a bit stupid or incompetent herself. She doesn’t make common sense optimal decisions designed to protect herself and as such often barely survives numerous situations. This makes the story seem contrived in many places because it feels like many of the close call situations could have easily been avoided with better planning and decisions.
The final issue I have with the audiobook is that the narrator is awful especially when compared with the male reader of the other books by this author. She has a very poor range of voices and the voices she uses do not match what you would imagine the characters to sound like.
It is a shame that an otherwise really interesting series is ruined by these things.
July 15, 2020
I did this one audio book style.
I have been reading a lot of rpglit lately. I really enjoy them.
This one was middle of the road for me.
My biggest thing with audio books is the voice of the reader. The woman reading this one left me wanting. For me there was something just not comfortable in the tone. Hard to pin it down, her voice just wasn't on my frequency.
That aside...
the story itself is quite interesting. My first experience with the dungeon being the main character. This book is about a sentient dungeon and how it grows and protects itself. I found that to be a very novel idea. The part i did not like was every time the dungeon grows there is a list of all its current and newest capabilities. In a book book you can just skip that part and get back to the story, in an audio book, while driving you are forced to listen to it. It is boring and personally, not needed every time. List the new capabilities if you want but to rehash the same stuff over and over. A cheap way to add words so you can claim a bigger book maybe but a definite turn off for me.
so this was book one of a series. I would like to give book two a shot but not if it is the same reader. So i will look for a hold in your hand version but i dont think i will do it audio agian.
I have been reading a lot of rpglit lately. I really enjoy them.
This one was middle of the road for me.
My biggest thing with audio books is the voice of the reader. The woman reading this one left me wanting. For me there was something just not comfortable in the tone. Hard to pin it down, her voice just wasn't on my frequency.
That aside...
the story itself is quite interesting. My first experience with the dungeon being the main character. This book is about a sentient dungeon and how it grows and protects itself. I found that to be a very novel idea. The part i did not like was every time the dungeon grows there is a list of all its current and newest capabilities. In a book book you can just skip that part and get back to the story, in an audio book, while driving you are forced to listen to it. It is boring and personally, not needed every time. List the new capabilities if you want but to rehash the same stuff over and over. A cheap way to add words so you can claim a bigger book maybe but a definite turn off for me.
so this was book one of a series. I would like to give book two a shot but not if it is the same reader. So i will look for a hold in your hand version but i dont think i will do it audio agian.
May 3, 2021
An excellent start to an excellent series
I read a lot of books, and in fact I read this one some time ago and I usually don't review the first book in a series until either it's past book 4 or the series is over since I've been disappointed too many times. Seeing as book five is out and I adore book four let me run this down. The Crafter's Dungeon is the dungeon core novel you didn't know you wanted. It blows Dakota Krout's Dungeon Series out of the water. The main character Sandra really is loveable and adorable and dangerous. The other characters added over the course of time are just as enigmatic and entertaining and unlike many series they grow in importance. They develop and so does Sandra, she's not just one dimensional like some dungeon cores in other series, and she has a purpose that she sticks too.
The series as on the whole is a great deal of fun, as Sandra works to help people who despise her for some existing (not that anyone can blame them). I won't spoil the plot but if you like good writing, good fantasy, or are just looking for something to take you away to a world where magic is life and dangers abound then I highly suggest Jonathan Brooks' The Crafter's Dungeon.
I read a lot of books, and in fact I read this one some time ago and I usually don't review the first book in a series until either it's past book 4 or the series is over since I've been disappointed too many times. Seeing as book five is out and I adore book four let me run this down. The Crafter's Dungeon is the dungeon core novel you didn't know you wanted. It blows Dakota Krout's Dungeon Series out of the water. The main character Sandra really is loveable and adorable and dangerous. The other characters added over the course of time are just as enigmatic and entertaining and unlike many series they grow in importance. They develop and so does Sandra, she's not just one dimensional like some dungeon cores in other series, and she has a purpose that she sticks too.
The series as on the whole is a great deal of fun, as Sandra works to help people who despise her for some existing (not that anyone can blame them). I won't spoil the plot but if you like good writing, good fantasy, or are just looking for something to take you away to a world where magic is life and dangers abound then I highly suggest Jonathan Brooks' The Crafter's Dungeon.
April 26, 2021
Sandra was a young woman with deformed hands. Unable to create anything she spent her time learning the techniques needed to create potions and magic items. And then, while on the quest for knowledge of the Vampiric Siphon technique, she finds out that knowledge comes at a price, in this case her life.
When she 'wakes' Sandra has become a Dungeon Core - and this is where readers who have little or no knowledge of LitRPG or older RPG games should probably put the book down as in many ways it is an insiders quirky look at a game type many find baffling.
It reminded me immediately of "Dungeon Keeper" which was released way back in 1997 by Bullfrog Productions. I have only the barest knowledge of board game RPGs but I've been up to my neck in dungeons since the days of the ZX81 as far back as 1981 (I still have many of the original games, as well as two working ZX81s, and even a thermal printer.)
But, for those who have no knowledge of endless pull-down menus, interminable time delays and the constant search for resources, it will make little or no sense.
I was amazed to find that it is not a standalone and that 'Dungeon Core' books abound - I doubt that I'll be reading more of them - one is enough!
"The Crafter's Journal" by Jonathan Brooks is not particularly well written but it doesn't need to be as I assume that target audience will lap it up.
As well as all the crafting there is a slight storyline tacked on - when the inevitable invasion of the dungeon occurs Sandra is not alone!
It's probably a 2 Star book but as it brought back some pleasant memories of many wasted hours in various dungeons, I've upped it to 3 Stars.
When she 'wakes' Sandra has become a Dungeon Core - and this is where readers who have little or no knowledge of LitRPG or older RPG games should probably put the book down as in many ways it is an insiders quirky look at a game type many find baffling.
It reminded me immediately of "Dungeon Keeper" which was released way back in 1997 by Bullfrog Productions. I have only the barest knowledge of board game RPGs but I've been up to my neck in dungeons since the days of the ZX81 as far back as 1981 (I still have many of the original games, as well as two working ZX81s, and even a thermal printer.)
But, for those who have no knowledge of endless pull-down menus, interminable time delays and the constant search for resources, it will make little or no sense.
I was amazed to find that it is not a standalone and that 'Dungeon Core' books abound - I doubt that I'll be reading more of them - one is enough!
"The Crafter's Journal" by Jonathan Brooks is not particularly well written but it doesn't need to be as I assume that target audience will lap it up.
As well as all the crafting there is a slight storyline tacked on - when the inevitable invasion of the dungeon occurs Sandra is not alone!
It's probably a 2 Star book but as it brought back some pleasant memories of many wasted hours in various dungeons, I've upped it to 3 Stars.
December 3, 2020
This was by far one of most difficult books to rate. By reading the summary I thought the book will be ok (3 stars maybe 4). Once I realized the summary doesnt really have much to do with the majority of the book, the book got a lot more interesting. Then I got bored with how slowly the events were developing, and that's when I thought "yeah 2 stars, 3 at best." Then I realized how much attention to detail the author put into that book. Personally I think the last quarter of the book should have accounted for more than a quarter. If I could rate the book 4.5 stars I would.
Overall, although the plot developed a little slow, overall the book is really good! The author was able to paint a really good picture of what the world is like the boundaries of all the fantasy elements. (Still half considering to rate it 5 stars.)
edit: changed the review to 5 stars after seeing some of the unjust 2 and 1 star reviews.
Overall, although the plot developed a little slow, overall the book is really good! The author was able to paint a really good picture of what the world is like the boundaries of all the fantasy elements. (Still half considering to rate it 5 stars.)
edit: changed the review to 5 stars after seeing some of the unjust 2 and 1 star reviews.
March 11, 2023
The author has a very clear and detailed idea of how magic, crafting, and dungeons work in his world and will explain it all in painstaking detail. Unfortunately there is very little actual plot to go with it.
We meet Sophia when she is still a human, with two club hands and a loving and protective faster. She learns crafting wherever they go but cannot craft anything herself due to her disability. And then she's dead, two hundred years have passed, she's a dungeon core, and who cares. I know time skips are a common dungeon core trope but I still hate it.
As a dungeon core, Sophia levels, expands, and figures out how to craft various things. That's 80% of the book. She has an exposition fairy and eventually an outcast from a nearby village joins up. They all have the same personality, same voice.
If you want a detailed dungeon leveling system, Crafter's Dungeon is great. But that's about it.
Content Warning: Fantasy racism
We meet Sophia when she is still a human, with two club hands and a loving and protective faster. She learns crafting wherever they go but cannot craft anything herself due to her disability. And then she's dead, two hundred years have passed, she's a dungeon core, and who cares. I know time skips are a common dungeon core trope but I still hate it.
As a dungeon core, Sophia levels, expands, and figures out how to craft various things. That's 80% of the book. She has an exposition fairy and eventually an outcast from a nearby village joins up. They all have the same personality, same voice.
If you want a detailed dungeon leveling system, Crafter's Dungeon is great. But that's about it.
Content Warning: Fantasy racism
July 30, 2021
Ugh….
Too much talk, talk, talk. I just wanted the dungeon to shut up and get on with things. I don’t want to read any more in this series because it’s kind of boring. Who is the intended audience?? 11-13 year olds?
I have to give the author credit for trying a new take on the Dungeon Core series, but I felt like I was supposed to feel sorry for everyone. From the Orcs raiders who were seemingly only trying to protect their village, to the ants who were trying to colonize....why is the reader subjected to this? The Dungeon suffers from emotional ties to it's past....but with the time between everything it's just annoying.
When you are starting to hope that the invaders will kill the dungeon core just to shut it up with it's hand-wringing it's time to not read any more in the series.
Too much talk, talk, talk. I just wanted the dungeon to shut up and get on with things. I don’t want to read any more in this series because it’s kind of boring. Who is the intended audience?? 11-13 year olds?
I have to give the author credit for trying a new take on the Dungeon Core series, but I felt like I was supposed to feel sorry for everyone. From the Orcs raiders who were seemingly only trying to protect their village, to the ants who were trying to colonize....why is the reader subjected to this? The Dungeon suffers from emotional ties to it's past....but with the time between everything it's just annoying.
When you are starting to hope that the invaders will kill the dungeon core just to shut it up with it's hand-wringing it's time to not read any more in the series.
June 21, 2020
A captivating read
This was the first dungeon book of its kind I've read so the concept was unique. Both the MC & the world building were complete and the story flow kept my interest; I hated the times life caused me to put the book down. I particularly enjoy books where the main character, powerless in the beginning, finds herself in a new situation with unexpected powers and utilizes ingenuity & thoughtfulness to begin bringing beneficial change to her world.
This was the first book by this author I read and I'm looking forward to working my way thru several more, starting with book 2 of this series.
This was the first dungeon book of its kind I've read so the concept was unique. Both the MC & the world building were complete and the story flow kept my interest; I hated the times life caused me to put the book down. I particularly enjoy books where the main character, powerless in the beginning, finds herself in a new situation with unexpected powers and utilizes ingenuity & thoughtfulness to begin bringing beneficial change to her world.
This was the first book by this author I read and I'm looking forward to working my way thru several more, starting with book 2 of this series.
March 11, 2021
Crafter's Paradise
Dungeon Core books, so far, haven't been something that I enjoy. But, with Jonathan Brooks' writing style, excellent editing, and world building (dungeon building?) techniques, I gave The Crafter's Dungeon a chance. By combining dungeons and crafting, Brooks found a way to pull concepts from of the best of both worlds. Were I to.find a place where I could craft in peace, learn new/old techniques, be healed if hurt... Wow! The only thing this dungeon lacks is a great library!
Dungeon Core books, so far, haven't been something that I enjoy. But, with Jonathan Brooks' writing style, excellent editing, and world building (dungeon building?) techniques, I gave The Crafter's Dungeon a chance. By combining dungeons and crafting, Brooks found a way to pull concepts from of the best of both worlds. Were I to.find a place where I could craft in peace, learn new/old techniques, be healed if hurt... Wow! The only thing this dungeon lacks is a great library!
May 2, 2025
Meh, kind of boring.
The idea of a crafters dungeon is pretty cool. The execution however left a lot to be desired for me.
The dungeon fairy was a bit of an idiot; constantly forgetting to tell the dungeon important information, acting like she didn't want to be there.
The mechanics behind the dungeon work didn't make a lot of sense to me, so I chose to use in my brain "system fuckery" and moved on.
I can see an overarching plot forming for the series but couldn't see a plot for this book until the last quarter of the book.
I hope you liked it better than I did.
The idea of a crafters dungeon is pretty cool. The execution however left a lot to be desired for me.
The dungeon fairy was a bit of an idiot; constantly forgetting to tell the dungeon important information, acting like she didn't want to be there.
The mechanics behind the dungeon work didn't make a lot of sense to me, so I chose to use in my brain "system fuckery" and moved on.
I can see an overarching plot forming for the series but couldn't see a plot for this book until the last quarter of the book.
I hope you liked it better than I did.
August 6, 2020
Per the two star rating, this was ok. I was entertained during portions of the book but for a lot of it I just thought to myself, "this is a quick read... push through." I feel like there is talent and an interesting world and greater story hinted at, but this book was just too heavy into what I'll call the magic system without enough focus on plot and character. I won't move beyond it in the series.
July 22, 2022
Competently written and edited, but unfortunately I was bored out of my tree reading it. A novel of this length I'll normally read in a day, but this one took me over a week to finish as not only didn't it hook me but I found myself actively putting off reading it. For me, this one lacks not only the action and edge-of-the-seat suspense that a good DungeonCore can bring but it also lacks the spark of ingenious creation that good crafting lit needs.
November 16, 2022
The book had moments that were so surprising and thrilling. I cheated and did the audiobook and the reader was really good. I'm not sure if I would have been into this otherwise. It would work as anime, and manhwa better I think. I would have love to see more of the orc life style and more orc stuff to be honest. I'm REALLY REALLY looking forward to her creating bodies that can at least write humanoid bodies.
I've always been into the symbiotic nature of dungeons. So, for me this was.......... kind of everything. I have over 50 max level characters in warcraft mostly for crafting on my dead server LMaoooooooooo. Where I basically was the server at one point.
update- I made it to book 6 and am Still VERY interested in the series. I found myself even a little mad that I caught up and no new book.
It has it's slow moments and you find yourself wanting more views of this or that person more than Sandy which an be a little slow. But every book normally pays off. In very person-relatable ways. You never have the feel that you don't care about the things that the person cares about because the author did such a good job making you care about it.
I've always been into the symbiotic nature of dungeons. So, for me this was.......... kind of everything. I have over 50 max level characters in warcraft mostly for crafting on my dead server LMaoooooooooo. Where I basically was the server at one point.
update- I made it to book 6 and am Still VERY interested in the series. I found myself even a little mad that I caught up and no new book.
It has it's slow moments and you find yourself wanting more views of this or that person more than Sandy which an be a little slow. But every book normally pays off. In very person-relatable ways. You never have the feel that you don't care about the things that the person cares about because the author did such a good job making you care about it.
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