Kieran Larwood: Dungeon Runners
About Author
Kieran Larwood lives on the Isle of Wight where he enjoys exploring rockpools, climbing trees and writing. He was a Reception teacher before becoming a full-time author. His stories are inspired by a life-long love of fantasy stories, which began when, as a young boy, he picked up a copy of The Hobbit and saw the map inside. It just goes to show you never know where opening a book will lead…
Joe Todd-Stanton grew up in Brighton and was taught to draw by his mother, who is also an illustrator. He studied illustration at UWE Bristol, and has since worked for OUP, Usborne Publishing, and Aquila magazine. His book, The Secret of Black Rock, won a 2018 Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Interview
Inspiring young gamers to read with Dungeon Runners (Nosy Crow)
February 2025
Kieran Larwood, award-winning author of The Legend of Podkin One-Ear series, visits ReadingZone to talk about his series for younger readers, Dungeon Runners, a gaming-inspired fantasy series for children aged seven years plus.
The series includes Dungeon Runners: Level 1 - Hero Trial and Dungeon Runners: Level 2 - Sky Battles.
The action-packed plots and gaming elements in these stories, including magical objects to earn, puzzles to solve and strange creatures that help or hinder, keep readers guessing and involved. The books are illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton.
We spoke to Kieran Larwood to find out more about the series, and how to encourage children to create their own Dungeon Runners setting and monsters!
Q&A with Kieran Larwood, introducing Dungeon Runners
"My real hope is that the books will ignite a spark and get children to fall in love with reading. There are positive messages
about friendship, teamwork and sportsmanship, too."
1. Sky Battles is your second Dungeon Runners book. Can you tell us more about the series and what inspired the idea?
The stories are set in the fantasy world of Zerb, where entering dungeons, solving puzzles and battling monsters is a team sport, watched by thousands. A young fan called Kit forms his own team and tries to take on the professionals, with lots of action along the way!
The idea of Dungeon Running came about during lockdown, when my son and I decided to come up with a story that combined the game of Dungeons & Dragons we had been playing and the sports he loves to watch.
2. Yes, there's a strong gaming element to these stories - how do the books draw in children who love gaming - and those who don't?
I've tried to take the aspects of gaming which seem to be really popular, such as: levelling up, finding loot, boss battles and league tables, and mix them with a really good story. There's lots of action, excitement and humour along with amazing illustrations by Joe Todd Stanton, all of which will hopefully attract the widest range of readers possible.
3. How do the two presenters, Jenna the giant and Dirk the orc, keep young readers hooked? What else do you introduce to keep them turning the pages?
Joe had the idea to put the presenters' dialogue in speech bubbles, so it reads more like a comic, which I think enhances the visual side of the book, and also breaks up the text.
I've added in other elements too, such as puzzles, action sequences and jokes. The chapters are short and punchy, with cliffhangers to keep the pages turning and the font has been specially selected as dyslexia-friendly.
4. The setting in the latest book, in a cloud city, is very dramatic. How do you begin creating your settings - and what are your world building tips for young writers?
The first thing I always recommend doing is to draw a map of your fantasy world. In the case of Zerb, my son and I added in as many different locations for dungeons as we could think of, and then I picked the birdkin city as a setting for the second adventure. I had lots of fun designing it with bird-people in mind, especially all the bird-themed monsters in the dungeon!
5. What kinds of creatures will the Dungeon Runners face in these adventures - any favourites?
Because the setting is a city inhabited by bird-folk, I tried to reflect that in the types of monster. There are lots of birds, ranging from giant rocs to tiny mechanical hummingbirds, but my favourite is the bird-headed monster known as the Crowgre.
6. What is a good way for young writers to start creating their own Dungeon Runners-style monster?
It's great to use the type of dungeon as a starting point, so think about whether it's up a mountain or in the ocean (or anywhere else you can imagine). Then think about how you could take an everyday creature from that environment and make it terrifying! Change the size, combine in with another beast, or give it some deadly powers. The possibilities are endless…
7. What do you feel the illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton bring to the Dungeon Runners adventures? Do you have a favourite character or image in the new adventure?
It's so great to see how Joe has interpreted the characters and the scenes and brought them to life. I love his style of illustration, and I think it will appeal to readers who like comic books or manga. They definitely make the books a bridge between those types of media and more traditional middle grade books.
I love how Joe has drawn the birdkin in the new book, especially the dastardly villain: Rook Blackheart.
8. Other than a great adventure, what do you hope children will take from the Dungeon Runners adventures?
My real hope is that the books will ignite a spark and get children to fall in love with reading. There are also lots of positive messages about friendship, teamwork and sportsmanship, too.
9. What else do you have planned for the Triple Trouble team? Where will they go next?
I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I think I'm allowed to say that the third book will have something to do with the sea…
10. What do you enjoy in your downtime and what kinds of games have you enjoyed playing with your own children? Can gaming teach children skills for the real world?
I love reading (of course!) and drawing. Since writing the first Dungeon Runners book, I have also fallen in love with Dungeons & Dragons and now play every week!
My children and I play lots of board games, such as Carcassone and Talisman, as well as a spot of D&D. I think role playing games are an excellent way to develop the imagination and storytelling skills, and board games develop all sort of other types of thinking, as well as teamwork and fair play. Everyone should play more games together!
Dungeon Runners Book 1: Hero Trial (Nosy Crow)
Hero Trial is the first book in the Dungeon Runners series, where we meet Kit, Sandy and Thorn as they compete to join the high stakes Dungeon Runners, facing a range of challenges and learning new skills and teamwork along the way. Here's Kieran Larwood to introduce Hero Trial.
Dungeon Runners: Sky Battles
Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial
