Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Blurb:
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.
Review:
My 2024 social media has been populated by two major series. Sun Eater, and Dungeon Crawler Carl. As the year draws to its end, I had time for one last read before diving into Wind & Truth (halfway through that one right now, and hopefully I can finish before the year ends). Of all the many awesome titles on my TBR, I decided to pick DCC. If Bookstagram, Booktube, and BookTwitter are to be believed, this is a crazy, fast-paced, entertaining read. What I didn’t expect, was how deeply thought-provoking it could be…
What I liked:
There is a lot to unpack in this section. So, I’ll start with my favorite part of the book. The setting.
Just like how The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy begins with a ridiculous event, so does Dungeon Crawler Carl. And like that classic, this one does not hold back the silliness, instead embracing it to create a modern sci-fi comedy classic. Dinniman’s exploration of reality TV, Gacha games, human empathy—and lack thereof—and so many more relevant subjects is as hilarious as it is thought-provoking. And Dinniman doesn’t waver from this. Right from the beginning, where we’re introduced to an everyman dealing with a break-up and an overdemanding pet, Dungeon Crawler Carl comments on what modern-day society has become. On the one hand, you have a very healthy, fit, and normal man; his situation, however, is all kinds of messed up. He is lonely. He lives alone with a pet that dictates a lot of his life. When the apocalypse hits, he doesn’t seem to miss his life or friends—if he had any—as much, easily adapting to this survival mode gameshow with its all too familiar loot box mechanics, overly capitalist rules, and televised brain rot. He comes across a host of zany characters, each having submitted absolutely to interstellar megacorporation overlords who have now complete control over all living creatures as well as entire planets that are essentially theirs to exploit in any way they see fit. Honestly, would you be surprised to read that last bit in a philosophical rant about our zeitgeist?
The commentary isn’t overt, but it’s there if you look for it. And it’s as depressing, even if it is sugarcoated with a colorful gaming skin. Especially that whole arc with the Meadow Lark group. I won’t spoil it for you, but that bit really left me with a few scars.
Anyway, moving on to the characters—Carl is your everyman with the small distinction of being resourceful and physically fit, albeit a little unassuming. His companion, Princess Donut, an over-the-top prize-winning cat who somehow ends up being the leader of the group. Honestly, it’s these two who made DCC an absolute blast to read. The characters are so relatable and crazy, they are what really drive the show. Their personalities really shine with every interaction, and not once do they break character. The clash of their opposite personas creates some hilarious moments, as well as mind-boggling situations that make this adventure a never-ending series of entertaining episodes.
The Dungeon with its broadcasts, reality talk shows, sponsorships, and other elements that were merely touched upon in this instalment but I’m sure will end up being a major part as we progress, really makes this world feel very… real. I’m serious when I say that between Hitchhiker’s Guide & Dungeon Crawler Carl, DCC seems a more likely scenario given what our world has become. These aspects, coupled with the LitRPG treatment end up creating this fast-paced adventure that almost never gives you a break. Even when you do get moments of respite, they feel exactly like checkpoints in your favorite game. You might pause, but you can’t wait to dive back into the action. This was my first LitRPG, and I don’t know how I’ll feel diving into another such series, because the way DCC handles the treatment seems perfect. I really felt like I was in a video game. But, at the end of the day, these are real humans stuck in this very unreal scenario, and as fun as things are, Dinniman plants ample scenes throughout to remind you what a dreadfully bleak scenario this really is. In fact, if corporate greed and social inequality aren’t taken care of, this might actually end up being a premonitory novel.
Lastly, the plot. It’s barely there. It’s mostly just our characters running from one epic moment to the next, levelling up and exploring more of the dungeon and its ridiculous world. The humor—character moments, prose, as well as snarky game content—is excellent. Especially if you have played these kinds of games, watched reality shows, or are just generally aware of pop culture. Despite one complaint (which I’ll get to in the next section), I have to admit that Dungeon Crawler Carl was one of the best books I’ve read all year.
What I didn’t like:
There were probably a few relatively slow moments in the book. I didn’t really mind those so much. But there was one thing that happened that I just can’t digest: The cliffhanger.
If you’ve read my reviews, you know that I hate cliffhangers. If I pick up a book, I want that book to end. Tease me about the next book after giving me a satisfying ending. Give me closure, before you tease the next one. That’s something I found missing from DCC.
Everything I said in the “What I Liked” section stays. Dungeon Crawler Carl is compulsively bingeable. But, on a personal note, I can’t get that sour taste of incompletion out of my mind. The book was going great until it reached the end. It’s not even like the book is heavily plot-based, and so the ending demands a narrative conclusion. The way the book plays out is more like serialized fiction, which makes the ending fitting in a way. Still, there was a sense of build-up even in the last chapter and epilogue, without a satisfying closure. My guess is that the urgency of constantly levelling up in the game, and the way the game itself is basically episodes spread across multiple floors, the story demands a consistently fast pacing, which doesn’t exactly slow down before the ending. That creates a faux build-up even in the end, leaving the ending feel like a less like a “the end” and more like a “to be continued”.
If you like cliffhangers and binging on series, this might be right up your alley. But for me, it’s a complaint. I’m still going to read the next book, no doubt.
Conclusion:
Dungeon Crawler Carl deserves every single praise it gets. The more I think about it, the louder its praises echo in my mind. I genuinely can’t wait to dive back into this series. Makes complete sense why so many people binge it. It’s just that damn good!
TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Almost everything about it.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Didn’t like the way the book ended
