The Department of Adventuring: Into the Deep by Three Kobold in a Trench Coat (Book Review #2094)

Blending epic fantasy, urban adventure, and laugh-out-loud absurdity, The Department of Adventuring: Into the Deep is an unforgettable debut that feels like Dungeons & Dragons was tossed into a blender with The X-Files, Good Omens, and just a dash of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

At the center of this chaotic, magical romp is Anakin, a cleric of not one but two draconic gods—Bahamut and Tiamat. Yes, both. It’s complicated. Anakin isn’t just a divine spell-slinger; he’s a federal agent working for the Department of Adventuring (DOA), a clandestine government division that tackles magical crimes and arcane threats in a modern United States where fantasy and reality have fully merged.

The plot kicks off with the shocking return of Moloch, the Queen of the Undead, a legendary lich whose reign of terror was thought to be buried in the past. Now reawakened, she threatens to plunge the world into chaos once again. With his magical badge, healing spells, and a ragtag team of fellow adventurers, Anakin must face ancient evil, interdepartmental bureaucracy, suspiciously talkative artifacts, and existential crises—all while trying not to get eaten by something from another plane.

The book is endlessly creative, filled with quirky side characters, clever world-building, and a surprising emotional core. There’s humor on nearly every page, but the jokes are never at the expense of plot or character development. The lore is rich, drawing on classic RPG tropes while subverting them in smart, satirical ways.

What makes Into the Deep stand out isn’t just its originality—it’s the sincerity beneath the snark. The stakes feel real, and the relationships between the characters are heartfelt, even when they’re absurd. Anakin’s dual allegiance to opposing gods is a fantastic metaphor for moral conflict and identity, explored with more depth than you’d expect from a book this funny.

Perfect for fans of Critical Role, The Dresden Files, or Terry Pratchett, this is one adventure you’ll want to roll initiative for.

Written by Jeyran Main

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