Dungeon Runners
Part of the collectionDungeon Runners→Five fast, funny, richly illustrated fantasy quests where an underdog team races through monster-filled dungeons, perfect for newly confident readers.
- Books5
- Arcs1
- Span2023–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
Dungeon Runners is a five-book (and growing) highly illustrated fantasy series written by Blue Peter Award-winning author Kieran Larwood and illustrated by Waterstones Prize-winner Joe Todd-Stanton, published by Nosy Crow. It follows an unlikely team of young heroes competing in the Dungeon Running League, racing rival crews through monster-filled dungeons of mazes, traps and treasure. Each volume changes the terrain, sky-cities, underwater courses, a vampire dungeon, a treacherous forest, so the visual storytelling and challenges stay fresh, while the team's bonds, rivalries and confidence build across the run. Larwood pitches his Podkin-style worldbuilding younger and faster, and Todd-Stanton's expressive art carries the monster design and dungeon geometry. Fast, funny and full of teamwork, it is ideal for newly confident readers who want their fantasy richly illustrated.
Five fast, funny, richly illustrated fantasy quests where an underdog team races through monster-filled dungeons, perfect for newly confident readers.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Funny
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
Read in publication order. The adventures are individually accessible, but the team dynamic, rivalries and dungeon-running setup build from Hero Trial.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- INarrative arcBooks 1–5 · 2023–2026Moderate sensitivity
The Dungeon Running League
The underdog team rises through the Dungeon Running League across five richly illustrated fantasy adventures.
The Dungeon Runners run reads as one continuing team-adventure arc through the Dungeon Running League. Hero Trial establishes the underdog trio and the sport-shaped fantasy setup; Sky Battles lifts the challenge into a cloud-city and introduces a rival crew; Ocean Chase turns on one team member's fear of water; Fang Attack briefly tips into vampire-dungeon horror and is the most intense entry; and Forest Frenzy sends the team racing through a monster-filled forest against their rivals. The threat, monsters, traps, battles, survival tests, is exciting but stays within a safe middle-grade envelope thanks to the large type, dense illustration and constant humour. Fang Attack aside, the series is bedtime-friendly for the age range; sensitive children may prefer to start with Hero Trial and decide whether to continue.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 7–9
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–10
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Adult crossover
Low
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Moderate overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
Similar in feel
Different shelves, same wavelength.
- Barb the Brave →
- Bumble and Snug →
- Super Happy Magic Forest →
Read this after…
Series that pick up where Dungeon Runners leaves off.
- Podkin One-Ear →
About the author