Imagine the entire world gets flattened in an instant. Anyone inside a structure is instantly killed, but you were lucky enough to be outside when it happened, barefoot, in your underwear. But you’re alive! But now you’re stuck in an alien reality TV dungeon free-for-all with all the other survivors. It’s the whole world versus you. Oh, and your ex-girlfriend’s cat, she’s on a team with you. But she’s not just a cat anymore; she’s been enhanced with human (ish) intelligence. But she’s still a cat, so she’s really annoying. Sound bad? Well, that’s life for Carl now. If he doesn’t die and makes it through the 18th level of the dungeon, he’ll become the ruler of Earth. But no one ever makes it that far, so he’s screwed. Enjoy his adventures until he inevitably dies in Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.
[Warning: My review of Dungeon Crawler Carl contains some spoilers!]
Welcome to the Dungeon, kill, kill, kill
As if Earth’s reality TV isn’t bad enough, Carl has been trapped in an even more annoying version where technology has progressed to the point of feeling like magic to the people trapped inside the game. Carl and Princess Donut (that’s the cat) start the game so befuddled that it’s amazing they aren’t finished off before page 50. But between Carl’s sexy feet (don’t ask, you have to read to understand) and Donut’s charm, the two not only make it through but soon emerge as fan favorites. This is important because just like in the Hunger Games, fans lead to sponsors, which lead to gifts that help you survive in the dungeon.
The game might be designed to turn the players into ruthless killing machines, but Carl is determined not to let it win. He plans on staying true to himself, even if it gets him killed. And it probably will. But Carl soon realizes that there are games within the game. He might not have all the information yet, but if he keeps his eyes and ears open, he might find a way to actually win on his terms.
Dungeon Crawler Carl has a premise that’s both crazy and somehow not
As crazy as an alien version of the Hunger Games sounds, it also kinda makes sense. We usually like to imagine that aliens are either really kind and benevolent or power crazy and bent on destruction (to be fair, the aliens in Dungeon Crawler Carl are closer to the latter). But why wouldn’t they be just like us: Cruel and selfish, combined with an obsession with money. It sounds only too likely, honestly.
There are good aliens, too, in Dungeon Crawler Carl, like Mordecai, who really tries to help Carl and Donut. But the good aliens seem to be at the mercy of the corporate titans, who are only concerned with money. Again, it feels only too relatable. I think what makes the concept work so well is that Dinniman took something very human and exaggerated it to the point where it’s ludicrous. The very human core of the concept keeps it relatable and believable, while the exaggeration allows it to feel alien. I’m a little sad, though, that most aliens seem to operate at the humor threshold of a 15-year-old boy. I was hoping for more out of E.T.
Lots of humor keeps Dungeon Crawler Carl from becoming a depressing slog
Let’s face it, this could have been a really depressing book. Or a terrifying one. Or a heavy one that keeps you awake, questioning everything. But instead, it’s a hilarious one that keeps you turning pages to see what stupid thing is going to happen next. I laughed so much reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. I felt so bad for Carl. As the mother of two teenage boys (and wife to a man who didn’t mature much past there…), I can fully relate to being trapped in a world where everything is a bad sex joke. It’s exhausting. But it can also be funny. Carl’s frustration with the game’s AI, the game itself, and of course, Donut were all very relatable for me (even Donut, who is remarkably similar to a 7-year-old I also live with).
To be honest, now that I think about it, aside from the “kill, kill, kill” message every night (although then again, my husband does ask me to please go on a murder spree with him when he gets frustrated), my life is a lot like Carl’s. No wonder I thought this book was so good. Part of what makes the book funny is Carl’s complete frustration with the craziness that surrounds him. He knows how stupid it all is, but he’s completely powerless to change it, so he just keeps moving forward. And somehow he just nails it. Oh my god, I’m Carl! I have a feeling that a lot of moms out there could relate to Carl, believe it or not. I don’t think middle-aged moms were Dinniman’s intended audience, but trust me, ladies, you will connect with Carl on a deep level, and you will enjoy this book.
Get ready for a long series
So let me admit something: I read a lot. Like, a lot a lot (that’s not the confession). But I don’t usually pick what I read, I just take the books my editor gives me and work my way through a pile (that’s the confession). To go into each book with the most open mind possible, I don’t do any research on a book before I start reading. So I often get roped into series by my editor because I didn’t check ahead of time, and by the time I finish the first book, I’m hooked.
That’s exactly what happened with Dungeon Crawler Carl. I totally thought it was a one-and-done book. But after one intense reading session, I suddenly realized that there were only 100 pages or so left, and there was no way that the story was wrapping up in that amount of time.
So I stopped and looked it up, and yep, seven books with an eighth coming out in a couple of weeks. And that won’t even come close to wrapping up the series. I was both dismayed and thrilled at the same time. Thrilled because yeah! I have at least seven more books to spend with Carl and Donut. And dismayed because, wow, I have at least seven more books to read now. Now my dismay wasn’t really that I have so many books to read, that’s always a win, it was that I didn’t have them to read right now, I have to bug my editor for them. So just make sure when you start Dungeon Crawler Carl, that you have more than just the first book ready to go, because I promise, you’re gonna wanna keep reading.
Rating: 9/10
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is available now!
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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