Dungeon Crawler Carl: 200 Word Reviews #26

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is like a wide, cool, shallow pool you can enjoy on a hot summers day with a chilled beer in hand. It hits the spot, but there is very little waiting below the surface. This is not a criticism.

The plot follows Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as an alien mega-corporation takes possession of Earth, preparing to mine its natural resources, while running a televised gameshow dungeon crawl for any humans who chose to participate, and are still alive. Carl and Donut kill, level up, fight bosses and grow closer in the dungeon, trying not to lose hope along the way.

This is a fun story, and Dinniman writes it well enough you stay engaged to the end, but it is at heart a litRPG. He does not waste time on flowery prose or overly complex character interactions. The existential dread is certainly touched on, but kept to a minimum to make way for more wacky hyperviolence. Which is totally fine, so long as you accept the book for what it is.

Overall, I recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl if you want something exciting and unusual, without worrying too much about ontological depth./