Department of Dungeon Studies

A Magic Academy LitRPG

By: J Pal

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Magic school isn't cheap. To be a Mage, he must work smart and learn fast.

Fate dealt Nox the Alchemist unfavorable cards, but he has learnt to compensate for his shortcomings with scholarly pursuits, tenacity, and sheer grit. Fortunately, for him Woodson University and their scouts are always seeking individuals with his work ethic.

The Department of Dungeon Studies sees the value of the mind and its ability to overcome all limitations. After all, they stripped the divine of their titles. The department turned gods into Dungeon Lords and their domains into Dungeons.

Now, the department can teach Nox how to use magic to stand strong in a broken world. It will give him the tools to achieve his ambitions and his limitations will force him to the forefront of arcane discovery.

Unfortunately, more immediate challenges await Nox, too. He lacks the means to pay the university’s ridiculous tuition. Only alchemy and smart business deals will earn him the hundreds of gold coins he needs.

Join Nox on his journey from Novice to Archmage in this Arcane Academy LitRPG series from J Pal, bestselling author of The Houndsman and They Called Me Mad. It features a unique magic system which involves cultivating a solar system in one's core, Detailed spell crafting and alchemy, Dungeon diving, arcane archery, a magic university setting and so much more.

©2024 Aethon Books (P)2024 Aethon Audio

I really enjoyed listening/reading this book by J Pal. And I loved it!!!

I almost always enjoy reading a book by J Pal and listening to Eric Jason Martin's narration is always pleasurable. I loved this story it's like a Mage school and a slice-of-life adventure got married and made this fine story. But don't get me wrong there's plenty of action too. Where Nox and his very strange best friend Willin finally get the break they needed to get stronger, and both of 'em were accepted by a famous magic school, Woodson University... but they're not gonna be walkin' down easy street either as they need to find a way to make enough money to pay the exorbitant tuition fees. And don't even get me started on the family, his brothers as they're out to get 'em.
Grab the book to find out what happens...Ohhhh where, oh where is book 2...

Good Story let down by bad narrator

I am about half way though the book. The story so far is good.

The narrator is ok at best. His narrator voice is like a the host from the black and white Twilight Zone how. Many times, he breaks a sentence in the middle making the sentence sound wrong. Female voices are not well done. Male voices are good but sometimes he switches to the narrator voice in the middle of a quote which makes following difficult.

great story and magic system

Story was really good. Addition of the magic school elements ticks some familiar Harry Potter boxes. magic system is different but is not dwelled on so the flow of the story doesn't suffer. looking forward to future books

Beautiful Performance and Wonderful Title

First of all, Eric Jason Martin knocked it out of the park. Each character had a unique voice and manner of speaking that made them instantly identifiable. I particularly enjoyed Pudge's VO. Just very well done and from an audio production standpoint I have absolutely not complaints.

The story was a bit jarring at first, but I think that was intentional with a warm open right into the final rounds of a tournament. I do think there was perhaps a bit more grandstanding than needed in the opening with his mother, but I understand the needs of exposition. It did set up the conflict with his family well and make his separation from them feel right. Once he gets to the school things really start to pick up with a wide cast of dynamic characters. I won't spoil too much but his heavy course load and the concept of requirements did a wonderful job of getting the intricacies of the magic across to us.

The magic itself is a heavenly body/mana mix where one forms a core concept into a 'star' and gradually builds a solar system around said star. Each star/planet has a spell at the center that the user can evolve over time through either predefined spell progressions or knowledge of spell design. There is an alternative progression system in the 'sigil' that the MC and others possess, which grows based on what marks you have and what you do to progress them. My only criticism on that aspect of the power is its a bit heavy handed in solving some of the MCs issues. Still, over all his abilities seem mostly in line with his peers so I can't complain overmuch .

Overall very enjoyable story and looking forward to the next installments.

Not sure I'll continue

This was okay, but tanked hard for me in the last chapter. I didn't buy the relationship with his mother in the end, and after everything he went through, accepting the 'gift' felt like swallowing ash.

He almost rescued it by realising she was weak, but then rolled it all back by accepting her gift. it felt like a betrayal of the character Pal had spent the entire book building - one fiercely independent and prideful.

Anabel is also nothing burger character. Relationships in stories are always iffy for me, because you have to make me believe the protagonist is genuinely attracted... and Pal didn't.

I'm not sure I'll continue this. Usually the progression is what keeps me going for stories like this I don't particularly love, but even that is turned boring and tedious - literally school work.

Just not great.

Unique magic system.

Good story, magic system is unique. had a decent story line, and waiting for the next book.