The apocalypse will be televised! 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.
I never in a million years thought I would read a LitRPG novel. Not because I was against them in any sort of way. Despite my love of playing RPG games on my Xbox, they just never seemed like my sort of novel. Then I was recommended, very vehemently I might add, by a friend to read Dungeon Crawler Carl and that completely changed.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is more than a LitRPG novel. It is an experience. ESPECIALLY if you have the immense fortune to listen to it in audiobook format, which I recommend wholeheartedly. Reading the book is great, yes, but Jeff Hayes’s voice-acting is superb in and of itself and adds a whole new layer of excellence (and chaos – looking at you AI) to the book.
From the moment we first meet Carl and Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk (yes that is her legal name) readers/listeners are on a hell of a ride. The gist is this:
The world is over – Earth is no longer Earth – it is now the setting of a multilevel dungeon game show where the former inhabitants (that make it to the starting point) must fight for their lives to get to the next level. If a crawler wins, they get to have control of Earth. Aided by quests and a random and CRAZY assortment of gear and special items, Carl and Princess Donut fight tooth and nail (as in fang and toenail – you’ll understand when you read it) to survive.
Dinniman knows what he is doing and he knows how to work an audience. From the characters to the creatures to the vast and chaotic items that the characters explore, everything feels just like you’re in a video game. I cannot stress how fun this book is and how hilarious it is.
The book (and the rest of the series) is excellent. The audiobooks are sensational. If you love RPGS or video games in general and want to have an adventure that will not only keep you on your toes but also have you laughing (or crying) every couple of pages, then please for the love of the book’s AI read this. Or rather, listen to it. It will change you. Into what, I ‘m not sure. But it will change you.
The Book Wench 