3.5🌟🌟🌟💫stars!

I feel like I may have gotten my fill of this litRPG story. 😂 Carl and Donut rise to a new floor: the Over City. It’s vast, grim, and full of traps. Although Dinniman has tried to open up the dungeon by christening the level “Over-city” and introducing an artificial solar cycle, the world still feels like a stage—each street, each mob, each rule. The game does feel like it has weight. Time ticks. Each move counts.

The tale blends laughs, dread, and heart. Donut, bold and sharp, brings flair. Her class—“Child Star”—adds charm and edge. Carl, now a “Bomb Guy,” must think fast and act smart. Their bond here continues to grow strong. They fight, joke, and care. It’s not just fun—it’s trust.

Although the game rules run deep, seemingly harmless entities come out as duplicitous, there are twists and turns, I found myself trailing off when stats and loot boxes and levels came up. Layers of rules keep getting introduced. Each skill, each stat, each quest shapes the path.

I am not one to cheer this kind of videogamey depth. I did feel lost in the grind. The pace can jump—fast, then slow. At times, the plot feels packed, like too much in one bite. New entities, characters, players are introduced most of whom seem fleeting and superficial despite their detailed stats and powers, and characteristics.

Dark themes lurk. Death, loss, and fear creep in. Yet the tale keeps its spark. Jokes break the gloom, but not all land. Some scenes shock just to shock. Lots of blood and gore but not a lot of meaning. Still, most serve the plot and show how bleak this world can be.

The book dares to mix tones—jokes, gore, grief. I don’t mind the gore but there has to be substance. Hard to vibe with that. For those who do, it might hit hard and float their boat.

Narration was great-5 stars!