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changenotcoins 's review for:
Dungeon Crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: LitRPG/Sci-Fi Fantasy/Apocalypse Comedy
Format: Print, but seriously considering the audio next time 👀
Best For: Gamers, meme lovers, D&D nerds, people who think Borderlands humor is peak
Okay, I get it now. After so many people told me to read Dungeon Crawler Carl, I finally did it, and they were RIGHT. This book is pure chaotic, dungeon crawling, apocalyptic, talking cat madness, and I ate up every second of it.
Carl, recently dumped and stuck with his ex’s show cat, is just vibing in her pink crocs when BOOM, there is an alien invasion. Humanity’s wiped out in minutes, and the survivors are thrown into a dungeon deathmatch that’s livestreamed across the galaxy. So now it’s Carl, his underwear, and Princess Donut (who can now talk and is both entitled and hilarious) vs. lava llamas, exploding goblins, and a suspiciously Twitch stream esque intergalactic audience. It’s ridiculous. It’s genius.
💥 "Welcome, Crawler. Survival is optional. Entertainment is mandatory." 💥
What makes this book so addictive isn’t just the nonstop action or the insane creature designs (shoutout to the rogue old people crew and safe room politics), but the tone. It manages to be both laugh out loud funny and surprisingly emotional. I’m talking actual reflection on grief, purpose, ethics in a kill or be killed reality show, and whether a talking cat should get her own catchphrase (she should).
Carl and Donut have real heart behind the banter. Their dynamic is a perfect balance of annoyed roommates and reluctant soulmates (but, like, not romantic, unless you count one being a cat with diva energy). There’s also this ominous undertone that not everything is as it seems, like aliens playing dirty, dungeon NPCs acting a little too real and like it’s setting up something much bigger. 👀
Now, is this book a literary masterpiece? Nope. It’s not trying to be. But it is one of the most entertaining, original, and wildly fun books I’ve read in a long time. Matt Dinniman keeps it simple enough with the RPG mechanics so even casual gamers can keep up, and the achievement system is chef’s kiss.
Favorite achievement unlocked:
“Congratulations! You’ve earned your first achievement: Crazy Cat Lady.”
😂
If you’ve ever played Diablo, watched The Hunger Games, or laughed at Rick and Morty, this book is for you. And if you haven’t? Read it anyway. You just might find yourself yelling “Goddammit, Donut!” along with the rest of us.
Genre: LitRPG/Sci-Fi Fantasy/Apocalypse Comedy
Format: Print, but seriously considering the audio next time 👀
Best For: Gamers, meme lovers, D&D nerds, people who think Borderlands humor is peak
Okay, I get it now. After so many people told me to read Dungeon Crawler Carl, I finally did it, and they were RIGHT. This book is pure chaotic, dungeon crawling, apocalyptic, talking cat madness, and I ate up every second of it.
Carl, recently dumped and stuck with his ex’s show cat, is just vibing in her pink crocs when BOOM, there is an alien invasion. Humanity’s wiped out in minutes, and the survivors are thrown into a dungeon deathmatch that’s livestreamed across the galaxy. So now it’s Carl, his underwear, and Princess Donut (who can now talk and is both entitled and hilarious) vs. lava llamas, exploding goblins, and a suspiciously Twitch stream esque intergalactic audience. It’s ridiculous. It’s genius.
💥 "Welcome, Crawler. Survival is optional. Entertainment is mandatory." 💥
What makes this book so addictive isn’t just the nonstop action or the insane creature designs (shoutout to the rogue old people crew and safe room politics), but the tone. It manages to be both laugh out loud funny and surprisingly emotional. I’m talking actual reflection on grief, purpose, ethics in a kill or be killed reality show, and whether a talking cat should get her own catchphrase (she should).
Carl and Donut have real heart behind the banter. Their dynamic is a perfect balance of annoyed roommates and reluctant soulmates (but, like, not romantic, unless you count one being a cat with diva energy). There’s also this ominous undertone that not everything is as it seems, like aliens playing dirty, dungeon NPCs acting a little too real and like it’s setting up something much bigger. 👀
Now, is this book a literary masterpiece? Nope. It’s not trying to be. But it is one of the most entertaining, original, and wildly fun books I’ve read in a long time. Matt Dinniman keeps it simple enough with the RPG mechanics so even casual gamers can keep up, and the achievement system is chef’s kiss.
Favorite achievement unlocked:
“Congratulations! You’ve earned your first achievement: Crazy Cat Lady.”
😂
If you’ve ever played Diablo, watched The Hunger Games, or laughed at Rick and Morty, this book is for you. And if you haven’t? Read it anyway. You just might find yourself yelling “Goddammit, Donut!” along with the rest of us.