Jim Bambra reviewed The Book of Wondrous Inventions for Dragon magazine #136 (August 1988).[2] Bambra described The Book of Wondrous Inventions as "a real treat for lovers of wacky magical items," including such "zany labor-saving devices and weird war machines" as Melrond's Foolproof Dishwasher and Brandon's Bard-in-a-Box".[2] He also noted that the book contains plenty of "devices of mass destruction", as well as rules for creating magical items.[2]
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, comments on some items in the book such as "magic boom boxes" and "armored tanks": "Pretty funny, eh? Real knee-slappers."[1]
