The book is clearly written for a younger audience than myself, so yes the story was a bit simple, and yes maybe the characters could be developed more. However, given I am probably not the target audience age-wise, I do love DnD. I have a teenage sister who is getting into DnD too, and so this idea of having an after-school club for it would be awesome. It's also nice to have a story about kids that doesn't involve them being stuck to a device at every possibility!

Hope there are more issues to be released, as I would like to see where the author takes it. It's just a fun story that lets you disengage from real life and relax for a while, exactly what I want when I read a comic.

I had a tough time putting this graphic novel down. We see a girl start a new school, and have a rough first day. Luckily, they get asked to join a Dungeons and Dragons club, which changes their life in more ways than one. When the members find out the future of the club is threatened, they work together to find some way to save it. As this graphic novel comes to a close, life for Val will never be the same.

Definitely acquiring this one for the library -- we have a robust Dungeons and Dragons club at school and this will be right up their alley. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Table Titans Club is a cute and fun middle grade graphic novel. Readers who know what its like to be the new kid or what its like to just want to find their place will see a little bit of themselves in this book. Recommended for middle grade collections.

4.5 stars

If you like tabletop roleplaying games and adventure and friendship and finding a good group who “gets” you, then pick this up. And you know what, I don’t care how old you are, either. Yes, this is technically aimed at Middle Grade readers…but I am a 35 year old woman, and I LOVED this book.

Honestly, I’m hoping to read many many more installments of the Table Titans Club, because I loved watching this group come together and form a really cool party, both in game and out of game.

Okay, so I will say that I read this back in December, and I probably should have jotted down notes on the characters and other specific details I wanted to talk about in this review, especially since I knew I wasn’t going to review it until closer to release day (which is tomorrow, March 5th, by the way), but I didn’t so…this review is going to be mostly vibes.

So the original trio in the Table Titans Club are Alan, Andrew, and Darius. From what I remember, one of them befriends Val quickly and wants her to join the club because he thinks she’d be perfect for it, one of them is cautiously accepting, and then one of them is honestly kind of the stereotypical male jerk in the scenario. This third one–again, I can’t remember which is which because it has been a few months–has his own thoughts to how the game should be played, how characters and stories should be built, and who should be able to play.

Thankfully, through the course of the story, especially seeing how Val steps up to help keep the Table Titans Club from being shut down, the whole group becomes stronger because of the journey they undergo.

It was also great to see Val find a couple different ways to deal with her temper, not just by being a barbarian in the game, but also by joining the wrestling team.

This was just a cute story, and the art was cute as well. I am definitely excited to add this one to my shelves…and probably buy copies for my friends with kids.

This is such a fun and complete story. The art is perfect, with large art and characters, and a great size for the font and panels making it simple but easy to follow and very immersive. Val (Valeria Winters) is starting a new school. The first days can be overwhelming, but she had a great start. It's just her and her mom, who is very supportive of her daughter. A couple of boys ask her to be part of their Dungeons & Dragons club. As a daydreamer with lots of imagination with a passion for fantasy and superheroes she accepts it only to learn the club may end if no other teacher can help with it. The answer resides in the gym and Val is brave enough to face Coach Bitner from the Wrestling team and ask him to be their sponsor. It's not as easy as a simple question. There is more that Val needs to do and contribute to help her new friends keep her club. 

So awesome. This was the first time that I screamed for the second volume when I turned the last page of the teaser and saw what the next adventure is going to be. I can't wait for the second volume. As a gamer myself and a fantasy lover, I appreciated the mention of Tolkien, my favorite fantasy author, and a bit of the D&D history and TSR as a company. It's also a great way to introduce children to this game that requires the knowledge of a lot of rules and imagination. I love that they role play and we see them in costume (cosplaying) their characters. I love Val's character (a Druid with wolf ears). 

New school can be daunting, but Val is an amazing character. She is not the only one. We have more characters, the cast is great from the popular kid who worries what others think, in opposition to Val who is happy to be herself and doesn't care what others may think. Still, she does have a bad temper and can be hurt too. Accepting oneself is a valuable lesson and I want to be like Val in many situations. When she steps forward and wins a practice match with the wrestling kids, or when she says that she will always tell her mom the truth. She accepts her punishment with honor and knows when to apologize when needed. she's a great kid and she just wants to have friends and belong. 
Other themes explored: supporting each other, friendship, a sense of protection of community, positive competitivity, being respectful and polite,  being independent and confident, knowing what is the right thing to do. Clubs in school, the relevance and how kids can belong to something greater and develop more skills, being curious, communication to avoid misunderstandings, and partnership for the sake of friendship or community. 

Extra: There is a double page with the school library map with a key that can be explored in the classroom as an activity for students to do their own (of their school) or to compare and improve both (what is missing in this one what they wished they could have in theirs).

Awesome project and I am collecting his series. 

Thank you publisher and Netgalley for this e-copy while I wait for my physical one.

I was provided and e-arc from NetGalley to read and review.

Table titans club was super cute. There was lessons of friendship,communication,problem solving and how to have fun.
The main character Valeria was new at school but made friends very easily and early in the book. She then joins the table titans club to play dungeons and dragons, But a classmate named Kate doesn’t approve. And she wants in, only nobody knows. A conflict then arises between Kate and Val ,leading Val to temporarily leave the club. That’s when everyone pulls together for the better and does what it takes to get Val back in the club before it’s to late. Now the rest of the book you’ve got to read for yourself! Enjoy!

Both my sons are starting to learn the love of dungeons & Dragons so this book was right up there alley. They read this in less than a day and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Val is starting a new school, and feels like an outcast before she even walks in the door. She uses her vivid imagination to turn the slings and arrows of schoolyard snipes into an adventure, to get her through the day. Her day turns from bad to worse when she gets targeted by the class mean girl, Kate, for no apparent reason, but in a heartwarming twist of fate, the kids from the resident D&D club invite Val and her vivid imagination to join their campaign.

But Val's friendship with Andrew and the rest of the D&D players makes Kate hate her even more. When they need a new teacher to sponsor their club, Val steps up to do the unthinkable: strike a bargain with the most feared teacher on campus.

This was a fun middle school read, filled with friendships, support, conflict, resolution, and a wonderful message of believing in yourself and accepting others. There were missed messages and assumptions (that were unfounded); there were chances taken and of course working together for the greater good.

Recommended for middle-grade readers into D&D.

===

(Review by my child )

I really liked how it was a combination of RPG and school life.
Something I didn’t really like was it didn’t have any play mat or
miniatures in it. I didn't like how mean Kate was to Val, but I liked
how they became friends in the end.

I would recommend this book to all role-playing game fans out there.

=====

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Thank you to Holiday House for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Table Titans Club
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.57/10 overall

Characters - 6
The characters in this book were fine, but it didn't feel long enough to really get a scope of everyone's personalities. The ending hinted at a sequel, which might help each character to have more personal development, but then again, it could just as easily pigeonhole them into their designated roles.

Atmosphere - 7
The atmosphere in this book was decent. Nothing spectacular, but not lacking either.

Writing - 7
The writing was enjoyable. However, it didn't particularly stand out to me. The art really made this book for me.

Plot - 6
The plot was alright, but nothing unexpected really happened. It was fairly predictable, but still had feel-good vibes. I enjoyed the idea of looking at life through a fantastical lens though and I thought that was portrayed well.

Intrigue - 7
After reading the description, I knew I had to read this book. As much as D&D was hyped up as a big part of the book, there were only two scenes where the characters actually played the game. I was hoping to see them play more, especially after they added another new player. The book still held my enjoyment though, I just would have liked to see more of their D&D sessions, since most of the events revolved around the club.

Logic - 7
This book was reasonably logical. The events made sense and the characters had fun interactions with each other. I liked how there were a few moments where the main character wasn't in the scene, so the side characters had a chance to talk amongst themselves. It made the book feel a bit more realistic in that way.

Enjoyment - 6
Val definitely gave me some Mabel from Gravity Falls vibes that I didn't expect, but definitely added to my enjoyment. Overall, this was a good book, but nothing super special sticks out in my mind. :)

An enjoyable and representative story of middle school, with a great twist and some nice D&D intertwined. I loved Val’s imagination and the power of new friendships.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

I am not the target audience i am an adult, but i thought this book was interesting,

I loved the art it was super cute and well drawn
The plot is good the writing is fun
Val is an amazing Main character
I enjoyed her friendship with the table titans and this book kinda makes me wanna play D&D
I did kind of cringe when Val imagined things outside of the D&D game as a D&D game
Like cleaning up the mess in the locker room

Requested this one from NetGalley for my 9-year-old, who loves to read almost as much as I do. He flew through it!

This is what he has to say:

I feel like this is a very nice book.

I liked that it showed that you can do things if you have the courage to do them. One of the characters (Kate) wanted to join the Table Titans Club and the main character told her that she can join if she wants to. She eventually joined it, but she was nervous because she didn't know what to do or say. However, she eventually becomes more comfortable with it.

I also liked that it's Dungeons & Dragons because I'm also a druid, and the main character plays one, too.

I think the art's really good, and I like that it has some sound effects. It kind of makes the story look more real.

I would recommend this book to people who do and don't play Dungeons & Dragons, because it has a few life lessons and is also an interesting story.

This book will certainly appeal to young fans of Dungeons and Dragons, similar to Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was so fun! It really makes me wish I had broken out of my comfort zone and tried things like this in middle school (though I highly doubt we had a DND club) I really related to the main character being a bit rough around the edges, and just wanting to follow her interests where they led. Great little read!

What an absolutely aDORKable book for kiddos ... especially kids who LOVE playing DnD! Cannot wait to read more in this series and watch it take off in popularity with the kids.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

I was so lucky to receive a ARC by NetGalley
This book was so fun I would HAPPILY pick up every sequel

All the little Dungeons & Dragons kiddos out there are gonna eat this up! I loved the illustrations.

Let me first go on record to say that there had best be more in this series soon, as we loved it and need more Table Titans Club. You or your parents may know Scott Kurtz from the Eisner and Harvey award-winning webcomic PvP, which has run online for over 24 years, and this makes Scott uniquely qualified to put together a new graphic novel series based on a middle school Dungeon & Dragons club... - See BSCKids.com For Full Review

This is such a sweet story of making friends at a new school with the help of Dungeons and Dragons. Val is an 11-year-old with a lot of imagination, expressed through fantastic versions of situations. Val as a bear occurs a few times, as well as various adults as magical creatures or monsters. The Dungeons and Dragons club is a perfect fit for her, but the only members starting out - three boys - aren't quite sure at first.

The club scenes explain some aspects of D&D without feeling like a lesson. A reader with game experience won't feel the need to skip ahead. One with no game experience will pick up concepts like "initiative" and "alignment", so they're a little more ready to try playing.

I really appreciate that Val's D&D character is inclined toward finding non-violent solutions. It shows there are ways to play beyond just the combat rules, a lesson many gamers (myself included) could have used at her age.

I recommend this for any middle grade reader with the slightest interest in tabletop gaming. Middle school libraries should get copies as well.