#379
Jan 4, 2026
Books
This week I read:
Volume 1 of Tower Dungeon by Tsutomu Nihei
I’d heard good things about this, so when my brother offered me a spare copy while I was visiting for Christmas, I took it. The setting has a very strange aesthetic, with elabourate costumes, masks, and really tall nobles; visually, it feels Dark Souls-esque. This volume’s really just an introduction, a taste of the world and the (aptly named) tower dungeon, which seems to be some sort of test or trial. There’s enough there that I’m interested in seeing more, so I’ll likely pick up the next few volumes.
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
This is a kind of expanded version of the Library of Babel, which it frequently references. It’s shorter than I was expecting, I didn’t check the page count before putting it on my wishlist so I was expecting something more novel-sized, but having read it now there’s not really enough story here to pad it out, it’s a good length for what the author was doing.
Roleplaying Games
The Halls of Arden Vul
This and last week were mostly odd jobs: visiting places, consulting sages, depetrifying statues, joining up empty spaces on the map, and so on.
They also completed the 10th Trial of Arden, and were a bit surprised by how easy it was; but they are doing it on easy-mode by going in as a party of high-level adventurers armed to the teeth with magic items, rather than sending one champion in alone. It still counts for the big reveal of the 12th Trial though.
Miscellaneous
It’s a new anime season, and there’s not really much that catches the eye this time. I’ll definitely watch season 2 of Frieren, but maybe not anything else.