Normally, when reading a book series, I try to mix in other books between installments to avoid burnout. However, after the ending of volume 5, I just wanted to dive straight into the next one. It felt exactly like a video game where you tell yourself "just one more level," even though it's already 1 AM. And I genuinely think this sixth installment is the best one in the series so far.

Following the level skip of the seventh floor in the last book, Carl and Donut now find themselves on the eighth floor – Kuba. But instead of fighting their way through the city in the usual manner, this entire floor is nothing less than a trading card game. On one hand, they have to travel the world and capture powerful creatures—much like in Pokemon—and then use them to engage in card-based battles. It's a wild mix of Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, and Slay the Spire.

The nearly 800 pages practically read themselves; I simply couldn't put the book down. From my perspective, the trading card approach is a highly engaging shift that really freshens up the narrative. Plus, it’s incredibly satisfying to watch the protagonists grow stronger and stronger, just like in a video game. A classic, gamified omnipotence fantasy.

On top of that, we get a lot more lore about the world outside the dungeon. While it previously felt like the mere content of a reality game show, the story has now escalated to have consequences for the entire universe—complete with all the corresponding tropes.

I will most likely jump straight into the next book! ^[1]