Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1) by Matt Dinniman
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl #1
Published by Ace on September 21, 2020
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 450
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
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The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
Includes part one of the exclusive bonus story “Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.”

Read if you like:

• Science fiction
• Video games
• Reality TV
• Dark humor
• Action
• Adventure

My thoughts:

Dungeon Crawler Carl is everything I didn’t know I was looking for in a book. It’s seriously fun, fast-paced, and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s so much more than that.

First, I loved the format of this book. The dungeon is part video game, part reality TV show and it worked so well. There are status updates and achievements, loot boxes and levels up. I loved the sense of humor woven throughout all of these things. The game has a built in AI that provides all the updates and achievements and it’s absolutely hilarious. I won’t spoil anything but let’s just say that the AI has a thing for Carl, one part of his anatomy in particular.

The AI isn’t the only hilarious things about the book. Carl and Princess Donut definitely get that distinction. (Yes, Princess Donut is a cat. It’s great.) Carl has such a twisted sense of humor and I loved it. Donut, on the other hand, wasn’t necessarily trying to be funny, it just happened. The situations these two got into made for some laugh out loud moments.

That’s not to say that Dungeon Crawler Carl is all fun and games. As the story progresses and Carl begins to learn more about the dungeon and it’s origins, things take a darker turn that I foresee playing a big role in future books. There is much more to the dungeon and  the game and I’m very curious to see where that part of the story is going.

I’m also eager to see how the dungeon changes Carl. As they get deeper, Carl starts to see what it takes to survive and how it changes people, even going so far as to make them turn on each other. Carl has a kind heart underneath his rough exterior and I hope he doesn’t lose that over the course of the series.

Overall, Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of those books that you just need to experience for yourself. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before and I am eager to dive into book two.

TL;DR

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a must-read for everyone. It’s a truly unique story that will capture your attention (and your heart) from start to finish. Carl and Princess Donut are two of the strangest characters and you won’t be able stop thinking about them. This series has serious potential and I can’t wait to see where it takes these two.

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