| Title | : | Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 446 |
| Publication | : | Published October 2, 2020 |
In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth--from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds to all the trucks and cars--collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.
The buildings and all the people inside, they've all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.
Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your views and your followers. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.
You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.
You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game, with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.
They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1) Reviews
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This book whispered sweet nothings to my soul. I tore through it like a fat man at an all you can eat buffet with 5 minutes til closing. The banter between Donut and Carl is hilarious, and the action and snark is top notch. Goddamnit Dinniman.
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"Goddammit, Donut!"
This Dungeon Crawl is hilarious. The Plot is not new: Extraterrestrial beings transform Earth in a giant, underground dungeon. If you make it to the top..., well in this case to the bottom, you survive or you just die in the process of getting there.
But this Dungeon Crawl is not about killing, it's about killing big and getting views. I loved every bit of it. Carl, the MC, trying to get through the dungeon alive and Princess Donut, his view-and-follower-addicted ex girlfriend's cat just make a hilarious duo.
If you like dungeon crawls and are open to a different, comical approach, then this is your go-to book! -
Me ha encantado. ¡Es una pasada!
¿Frikada? Muy grande. ¿Diversión? Al 100%. ¿Original? Hell yeah!
Personajes chulísimos, con carisma (29 puntos concretamente) y mucha imaginación. Subtramas que se mezclan con el arco principal y un no parar de pasar cosas. Realmente mantiene la acción prácticamente todo el rato y no es fácil porque no es especialmente corto.
En resumen: ¡Merece la pena muchísimo! Un disfrute constante, hace que pases horas y horas delante del "jodío" libro sin querer soltarlo. Ojo que no es autoconclusivo pero da igual, eso no le quita mérito.
¡Nuevo género desbloqueado! LitRPG. Es una mezcla entre libro y juego pero no de los de "elige tu propia aventura" sino que es un libro libro en el que los personajes es como si estuvieran en un juego. No pongas esa cara, casi seguro que ya has leído algo parecido a esto si has leído Ready Player One, lo que pasa es que aquí es MUCHO más explícito: puntos de atributos, cajas de botín, subir de nivel, etc... ¡Muy original! -
Worth it.
I put this off for a long long time because I thought for sure the whole entertainment, broadcast, system that Dinniman put together would have been utterly annoying. And I was right, but it everything fits together so well.
When I first saw that the system was a “funny” one I made a snide comment about how original it was and it always gets so old so fast. It didn’t. It just got better and better and even more than that, it was explained well.
We are supposed to hate the system and everything that’s behind it, and we do, but it somehow all ends up as a riveting read as well.
The cat is such a cat as well and I wouldn’t have Princess Donut any other way, a character that grows on you through the book. Most side characters leave a mark on the story that remains as well.
Don’t sleep on this. -
It's very well done, but I did not like it
This book is very well written. Matt Dinniman is an amazing writer.
But this book Dungeon Crawler Carl made me feel bad. I was impressed by the craft but I was on the verge of quitting all the way through. Now I'm done and I can say that almost every aspect of this book is masterful, but Had I never started it I might be a slightly happier person.
This alien invasion/ post apocalypse/ LitRPG/ horror-comedy is intense, and brutal, and hard to stomach. The terror, agonizing deaths, implied rape, cannibalism, baby killing, and genocide of all human life on earth was not lightened by a few clever one liners and zippy jokes. The gross out factor is high.
Matt Dinniman doesn't just kill his characters, he breaks and destroys them. He makes you watch it in detail. He twists the knife. and then he tells a joke about it. That he does this all very skillfully almost makes it worse.
Thanks, but no. I'm done with this series and I'm done with this author. -
This LitRPG is an apocalypse system-upgrade type. I have no idea if that's actually a thing, though it does distinguish it from isekai. I suppose? Anyway, Carl is present when the Earth is converted by murdering anyone inside—including inside vehicles. Aliens come Douglas Adams-like claiming the planet because we didn't file any injunctions in the galactic court (or something). But it turns out that the mineral thing used as an excuse isn't the point.
The point is a giant Dungeon-based reality show where all the survivors get to do an extended dungeon crawl gaining levels and loot and entertaining the masses. Carl was out trying to retrieve his errant cat, Donut. Er. Princess Donut, an award-winning Persian with personality for days. And one of the first things that happens is a special pet treat that upgrades Donut with tons of stat boosts and the ability to talk. And it gets wackier from there. Which is hard to believe, I know.
And as absurd as it sounds (yes, I know it sounds ginormously absurd), Dinniman is a comedic genius. I laughed out loud so much Melissa started asking questions. Seriously, Carl is the perfect straight man and any fastballs that get past Donut are served by the snarky system. I've highlighted a lot of the system messages so you should check those out if you want a feel for the tone.
I laughed entirely too much not to give this five stars. I was hugely entertained. I really hope Dinniman can keep this up over the whole series. There's not even a hint of strain so far.
A note about Chaste: Even though Carl is running around barefoot and in boxers (what do you wear in the middle of the night while chasing your cat?), there's no room for shenanigans. So there are none. I consider it pretty chaste as a result. -
Princess Donut has named your party The Royal Court of Princess Donut. Princess Donut has changed your title to Royal Bodyguard. Princess Donut has changed her title to Grand Champion Best in Dungeon."
From the point of view of “Princess Donut” -
"“It’s quite simple, really,” Donut said. “You need to assist me to this 18th level, so I can exit this hellscape and resume my rightful place as liege. I am assuming this rat creature won’t be able to travel with us,” she lifted her paw and pointed it at me, “so you have been promoted from manservant to bodyguard. Congratulations, Carl.”
From Carl’s p.o.v. –
"This game, this terrible, cruel game left scars that spanned centuries. I thought of the cheering crowds, watching this all from the safety of their homes. You will not break me. Fuck you all. You will not break me."
If you have ever played Dungeons & Dragons; if you have ever done a “dungeon crawl;” the premise of this adventure will feel quite familiar. What gives author Dinniman extra points are:
His imagination;
The backstory;
His sense of humor;
The pace of the action; and,
The world building. Aliens come to Earth. We learn (as does Carl) that they are here to mine the Earth for its rare minerals. But wait! There is more. They are doing so in a way that Earth’s human population is drastically reduced. The remaining fraction of 1 % find themselves “invited” to take shelter below ground. They learn subsequently that they must survive (as best they can) a multi-level maze filled with traps and monsters. For each “success” they receive greater powers and/or equipment. It isn’t long before they learn that this “challenge” is being broadcast galaxy-wide to all intelligent species who are as interested in it as many were to the show “Survivor.” Carl isn’t the best prepared for this – finding himself with his (ex?) girlfriend’s cat (Donut) as they enter. Among the things that Carl must cope with are: Donut may be smarter than he is; Donut can talk; and Carl was surprised and left without his pants or shoes. All will be explained.
Here are a few examples:
"A few more achievements popped up, all concerning us defeating the boss. Killing a borough boss. Killing a borough boss with a mixed group. Killing a borough boss in under 10 minutes. Killing a borough boss with more than 10 minions. None of the achievements offered any good loot except the silver boss box."
"They were giving us these incredible upgrades, but I also knew the monsters were going to keep pace with our progress. And while I felt overpowered, a part of me feared I was actually falling behind."
"“I thought this was the plan.” “Like I said, it’s part of it, but it’s not all of it. I can’t tell you the rest,” I said, pointing up at the ceiling, which had become the universal gesture for “The assholes are listening.” Since this scheme involved using a dungeon exploit, I wanted to keep it in my head. Even Donut didn’t know the full extent. Mordecai told us that the viewers couldn’t see our private chats, but Borant and the dungeon AI could. I didn’t want to risk them changing the rules on us at the last second."
Author Dinniman has jumped right into this LitRPG genre with panache and abandon. This is a fun sprint that has a lot of threads to it (even if it lacks any serious substance).
Read to be diverted and you may sign up for the series. -
4.75/5
One of the funniest book I've ever read
Unique take on the post apocalyptic litRPG book with humour on a whole another level. Almost all the jokes landed perfectly for me. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions.
Also, the audiobook narration by Jeff Hays was too damn good. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go with Audible for the rest of the series... -
This was a new genre for me! I've been playing video games for 35 yrs and reading for much longer, haha, so this was a neat way to experience that game feel in a book. This story is about Carl and Donut (a cat) trying to survive while making their way through a dungeon for the entertainment of aliens who have destroyed earth. It's part Running Man (these popular death games are being broadcast to the universe), Hunger Games (benefactors can drop in supplies to their favourite contestants), Diablo (a classic dungeon crawler game that leads ever-downward and in which the character can use potions and gets magic clothing) and whatever game lets you have a talking animal as a sidekick.
It's quite unique (for me, anyway) and definitely not for everyone. If you like RPGs then you'll mostly enjoy it. Even I found it a big repetitive by the end. And that's with a fantastically amazing narrator the likes of whom I've never experienced before. One star just for Jeff Hays. -
This book wasn't for me. It is funny and the premise is quite original, but those two elements alone don't make a complete story for this reader. For that, you need strong characters with good, clear motivations to sit alongside an intriguing and well-paced plot to carry you through the story. Even in comedies, these things are fundamental to me and both are things that I thought were lacking in this book.
This story is actually just a series of events that exist only to set up the next joke/weird/shocking thing. It, therefore, feels like the author is using a story to give his jokes a world to exist in, rather than using jokes to enrich his story and take it to new heights. Depending on your taste in books, this is where your mileage may vary. For me, I read books for the stories and am of the firm opinion that books should put the story first above everything else. If however, you are here for the laughs then you may enjoy this a lot more than I did.
Overall, I would probably give this book just 2-stars, but I'm rounding up to account for my own personal tastes getting in the way. -
The initial setup chapters were a bit awkward, but once past that it hit its stride - surprisingly fun (admittedly I went into this with pretty low expectations, but nonetheless). Certainly not erudite literature, but absolutely a fun pool / beach / airplane etc. read.
Edit: Having now read the series through book 4, can say it gets better from here - character growth and significant improvement in plot depth.
Edit 2: Through book 5, continues to improve. As series as progressed much less focus on the rpg/progression part and much more on character and plot development. Only downside is that I’ve caught up with the series and now have to wait … -
3.5 My first LitRPG. A book that reads like a gameplay loop. Carl is an ex-navy nerd stuck with his ex-girlfriend’s cat when earth in invaded by aliens and millions of people are forced into an intergalactic dungeon crawling game show. Suddenly it’s as if every rpg game convention is real and Carl and his now-sentient feline companion must battle all sort of beasties, level up their skills, and navigate follower counts and alien talk shows. It’s surprisingly fun and the cycle of monster fighting, opening loot boxes, and strategizing which skills to upgrade becomes as addictive as if you were playing the game itself.
On the whole, it’s a goofy role-playing adventure with a handful of genuine laughs. The banter between Carl and Princess Donut (the cat) is charming and it’s fun to witness the hero strategize his upcoming battles and maintain his follower count. But it also feels samey relatively quick. I actually enjoyed the loot and skill systems quite a bit, which is great because it accounts for a hefty chunk of the book’s sizable length. Bits of a larger plot begin to develop but this is only part one of a much larger story and the episodic nature of the storytelling can be unsatisfying. Fight monsters, open loot, level up skills, deal with other crawlers, and start again. By the end Carl has overcome only the first two of the fourteen floors, so it takes its time. The whole first few hours deal mainly with establishing rules, lots and lots of rules. But if that’s your thing then this will probably be a lot of fun. Some of the action was a little chaotic to follow easily and I found myself going back a few times. And there were times when Princess Donut was kind of annoying but the overall structure was complex and highly detailed. I never felt like I didn’t understand Carl’s choices, and as he fell into a brawler/engineer build, I found myself anticipating his next moves. Not high art but more intellectually engaging than I would have thought and the loot descriptions were always a highlight.
Aside from dropping a hundred hours on Dungeons of Dredmor years ago, I wasn’t super familiar with the genre but those loot driven RPGs are all similar enough that it doesn’t take much to get the idea. And lastly, the audiobook from Soundbooth read by Jeff Hays is just super high quality. Characters are distinct, punchlines land, and there are just enough sound effects to sweeten the fantastic setting. The format of feeling like your playing an RPG is different but pretty fun when you get in the groove. -
Rating 3.5 stars
I would describe this book as a cross between the Running Man and an episode of Ren and Stimpy. The world is apparently owned by a galactic company and they have now come to harvest the resources. Every building on the planet was crushed to paste as well as every person in those buildings. Within a second almost 99 percent of the people were killed. The company wants to squeeze every dollar out of this world so the rest of the people who are alive have the choice to become dungeon crawlers. A dungeon is created on this world and the people that go into the dungeon are participants in this galactic game show (Hence the Running man reference). This dungeon in my mind is more like a Tower climb but instead of going up they are going down. There is so much crazy stuff that happens it is impossible to describe (Hence the Ren and Stimpy reference). While I enjoyed Ren and Stimpy when I watched it I never went out of my way to watch an episode. It was the kind of show that would be better if you watched it stoned. Since this is a book I don't think being stoned would add to the reading or listening experience. All the jokes and situations were funny but that was all there was with this story. Everything that happened was to set up the next joke. Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It was mindless fun but there was nothing there for me to want to continue the story. -
My first dive into the LitRpg genre. Gotta say it was a welcoming introduction.
The premise itself is entertaining and interesting, although I have read one similar to it in omniscient reader view, but this book has a nice twist on this idea.
Being a pro gamer 100%, I LOVED the stats and the menues in addition to the upcoming class and race selection.
The dynamic between the two main characters is hilarious and unexpected. The book has many hilarious moments which tend to force a laugh out of you even if you are in a shit mood.
Lastly, gotta say the audiobook really elevated this experience, totally recommend. Excited for book two and what the dungeon has in store for Carl and Princess. -
I have heard about this book from different sources, but no one could have given justice to the absolutely wild ride that it was from beginning to end. This book takes place in Seattle, and the world simply implodes. Anyone who was in a building and app dying.
In order to live, people are offered an opportunity to go into a dungeon filled with levels, monsters, skills, and lots and lots of danger.
This book has quite a bit of heart, although admittedly there was a point when I nearly stopped reading because I thought that everybody was a jerk. The snarky cat is absolutely fantastic, and Carl has moments that are utterly poignant and human.
I cannot wait to read more from this author, and I hope that you will give the book a try as well. This is the first literary RPG that I was able to finish and I look forward to seeing what more this new to me genre has to offer. -
This was oddly great. good human. strangely awesome monsters. great references to so many things. the characters had actual depth.
looking forward to the next one for sure. -
A friend recommended this LitRPG series to me, and I had no idea when I started the first audio book that I was going to end up binging most of the series back to back. Love these books! Jeff Hays is a talented narrator who brings the characters and entertaining plot to life. He has rapidly risen the top of my favorite narrators list! So talented!!
The basics: Carl is minding his own business and actively trying to lure his ex's spoiled cat back into the house when everything crashes down around him...literally. Aliens invade earth and smash every structure to pancake piles of rubble in seconds. Portals open....those who survived can choose to stay on Earth's surface and die, or venture into the dungeon and become part of the most watched reality television show in the galaxy. 18 floors of monsters, dangerous games, traps and tricks. The surviving humans have to navigate each floor and find a staircase down to the next level before time runs out and the floor collapses.
Carl and his sidekick cat Princess Donut don't have anything to lose....so they learn to fight and survive.
The audio book is 13.5 hours long and Jeff Hays does a phenomenal job of voice acting! The voices he does for each character are perfect.
This is the first series by Matt Dinniman that I've read/listened to. I'm definitely reading more! I love the mix of fantasy with a gaming/RPG twist and humor. So fun to listen to! -
Against my better judgement
I don’t really like most dungeon based books or LitRPG. But this has enough wacky, sideways looking, insanity to keep me interested.
The beginning is the usual weird way to explain how humans are suddenly in dungeons. A bit complex, but a serviceable start. It also sets you up for some running gags that are quite clever.
Then the cat learns to talk.
That’s when the whole thing really begins to shine.
A little visceral for more squeamish readers, but there isn’t any sex. They do describe some...part...rather graphically, and there is a video that is discussed that isn’t PG-13. Kind of adult-ish concepts.
I am definitely going to buy the next book. That’s the real recommendation. -
Great Humor! Great story
If I told you to read this book because of the talking cat... would you listen? You should. The cat is the side-kick (emphasis on the kicking) to the main character Carl... pugilist supreme.
The story follows an interesting narrative where the earth is turned into a dungeon delve and also a game show. The monsters follow themes to make fun of Earth as well as ideas across the universe... and views are everything.
It’s a very well written story that dives into those components well, and the humor and execution is astounding. Do recommend. -
What a great audiobook!
Exactly what I needed. I basically wanted a fast paced fun vibe book similar to Project Hail Mary and this delivered. Onto the second book already.
I'm pretty bad for only going for books with heaps of reviews and being in everyone's 5 star list but this one has totally changed my mind.
Basically its a post apocalyptic dungeon crawler reality show with a talking cat names Princess Donut. Sounds ridiculous but its amazing.
Love love love. -
Epic rock music starts blasting and the crowd goes wild. Fog machines work on overdrive, giving the whole studio an ominous look. The music rises to a crescendo as the lights flair up, showing the host enter, stirring up the fog as they move towards a large mahogany desk. The music fades out together with the applause.
JG: Welcome, welcome, welcome! This is our show Last Level Tonight, thank you for joining us. I am your host, Jack Gulliver! Our main guest tonight is Miss Slagathor who followed Carl and Donut around as an invisible third party member. Well, except that she was neither in the party nor interfered with anything, so maybe more like some weird stalker ghost lady, which given how pale she is, isn't that far fetched.
Laughter cascades through the crowd as a large display is being lowered from the ceiling. The display lights up brightly. An image of a bedsheet with two holes for eyes appears in the middle with the word "Slagathor" written under it and the crowd starts cheering.
S: Hi Jack and hi enthusiastic crowd. Thank you for having me!
JG: So, Slagathor, what did you think of our two main protagonists?
S: Oh Jack, I adored them both, though you can probably guess that Donut is and will always be my favorite of the two. She is just the perfect kittycat!
Sounds of approval can be heard from the audience.
JG: She is, isn't she? And what did you think of their adventures? After all, you've been stalking-- I mean following them around since the very beginning.
S: I think all of it was equally messed up and grotesquely funny at the same time. It had a bit of a Hunger Games/Battle Royale/Maze Runner/Sword Art Online vibe, but without actually copying any concrete ideas. Instead the story evolved on its own and became its own thing. The idea was unique, well executed and crazy intense. Or just crazy in general. I can't decide honestly. In any case, this was one of the best adventures I've been on, as wrong as that may sound!
JG: I'm glad to hear this! But where there is good, there must be bad. Tell me, was there anything you weren't particularly fond of?
S: Oh, that's a difficult question, Jack. I'm not sure, but I'll admit, that I'm still cruising through the book-high I got from it. The only thing I can think of was the feeling you'd get with any book that acts akin to a TV series. None of the books work as a stand-alone story in any way, nor do they have a definite, satisfying end. They are more episodic, but given the story, this was to be expected. Still, this can be an issue to some and it is one of my pet peeves as well, even if I came prepared for it. For me, this book was near perfect, I loved the writing style, loved the characters and loved the story and I'm proud to say that it easily made it to my favorites shelf, but I can see how parts of it could cause issues for others. Like all that gore and the brutality or cruelty of some situations. This story is definitely not for the faint hearted.
JG: Alright, unfortunately that's all the time we have for today. Thank you, Slagathor for joining our show and see you all next week!
Epic rock music starts blasting again while the crowd erupts in applause. The camera slowly fades to black as the noise fades out. -
This amused the crap outta me. 😆
-
So freaking funny. Low key upset how good this is cuz I’m gonna be spending so much time during the next few weeks catching up
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Read this fucking book, holy hell it’s a good read
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A fun guilty pleasure book for anyone with a love of video games and who enjoys post apocalyptic themes. The story is not very complex but it is entertaining. It also does not shy away from adult language or themes, which I enjoyed. Very contemporary in its references. Like I said it's a guilty pleasure, I am just enjoying the ride.
The narrator and this "Soundbooth Theatre" production company does a spectacular job with going the extra mile on the sound effects it really adds to the immersion. -
Alert
First, my review, then it’s time for a new copypasta:
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
I am not a bot even though my reviews are identical. Of course, that is what a bot would say trying to pass itself off as human. But I would argue that trying to pass as human is enough to at least qualify as a reviewer.
I enjoyed this book, so my goal is to promote it and help the author. I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. It is my opinion that Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. Or not if you don’t think this book is for you. That choice is all yours and the beauty of art appreciation. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers -
This was freaking hilarious. My favorite thing was probably the fact that it's a story about a man's adventures with his cat but the video game stuff was awesome, too.
I listened to the Audible narration and it was so excellent. The combat got a little repetitive but for the most part I was hanging on every word. This book had me laughing out loud. But there were some heavy, darker themes, too. The story really had me invested. But I kind of wish this were a standalone and it had ended. It was so good but I'm wondering how long it can sustain at the same level of humor and remain entertaining? I guess I'll keep listening and find out! -
I guess the main thing that comes to mind is that you might feel similarly about this series as you did about Eric Ugland's The Good Guys. Me personally, I can't say I'm a fan.
The MC was an idiot and a loser that never felt like a real person so much as the typical loser protagonist of a gamelit story but with some boo-hoo backstory tidbits mixed in. It seemed like the author equates comedy with stupidity, which is what reminded me so much about Eric Ugland. The snarky system prompts and the overall feeling that the story was trying too hard and still failing to be funny just got really old and annoying very fast.
At the end of the day, we are left with an idiot character who can't get anything done without relying on nonsensical asspull items and his ex-girlfriend's cat.
I won't be reading more of this series.
