| Title | : | The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 632 |
| Publication | : | First published June 14, 2021 |
You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.
A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.
It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.
Here's the thing. It's never easy. Carl and his team can't go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.
The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #4) Reviews
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Un libro más de esta saga que estoy disfrutando muchísimo desde la primera a la última página.
Similar a los anteriores: personajes de 10, mucha diversión, mucha acción y unas subtramas chulísimas.
Una pequeña pausa y continúo con el quinto (y a día de hoy último publicado) -
Dinniman delivers again!
A very unique story told brilliantly, Carl and his squad get up to more shenanigans and things get crazy as usual. There were some aspects of the story in this that didn’t quite sit well with me but everything still made sense. And the ending/epilogue more than made up for anything else that may have been lacking.
I liked this one more than the previous one but not as much as the first two, still becoming one of the greatest series out there. -
This is fourth in the series that you should really read in order for full impact.
This time, the survivors are all split up into different bubbles. Which means Carl and Donut have to work with the tools at hand. And some of them are real tools. Plus, it looks like the System went for level averaging, so the others in our team's space are under-leveled and some have been coasting.
A running theme has been Carl's determination to save as many as he can for the next level "because it's right", sometimes jeopardizing his own chances and taking very real risks to do so. I kind of liked how it worked this time out, though. I liked that the coasting losers he runs into responded with some backbone and gained enough functionality to turn themselves around—and be useful for the plans and plots Carl and Donut made. And I particularly enjoyed how Donut was as much a part of their turn around as Carl.
And I seriously liked Carl turning the doomsday plot device on its head and using it as a tool just like any other. This book is a continuation of the pivot to the more serious as Carl starts deliberately sabotaging the game itself. He's using all the hints and foreshadowing the dungeon has been throwing out to turn things on those exploiting his planet for entertainment. There's some serious ju-jitsu in this one with Carl wrecking things the aliens didn't know were on the table and I just loved every minute of that.
This comes in a solid five stars even as things turn a bit darker for the series. I predict that will continue. Which I find apprehensive because I'm not a fan of the dark places this could go. It's a certainty that friends and people we have come to care about will die. Things are too dangerous and the setup too overpowering for this not to happen and still take the setting seriously. It's going to be a question of whether I can get past those kinds of things to stay with a team I've come to really enjoy.
A note about Chaste: Still very chaste. Katia was a possibility as a romantic interest, but the emotional beats at this point are solidly sisterly. I'm okay with that. -
Here is where we left our heroes
"“Another floor ending with a big explosion,” Katia said after the train disappeared. “Spoiler alert, Katia,” Donut replied. “It’s always going to end with an explosion.”"
And here is where this new level begins:
"We had to step out of the way as a group of tall camels strode by on steampunk-like, metal and spring stilts."
Dinniman is no Douglas Adams (*The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) but he is in much the same vein. Instead of Earth being destroyed for a “superhighway,” here it is being “mined” for its entertainment value as millions of humans (and a few “others”) are put through a multi-level dungeon for the entertainment of galactic citizens and corporations who can: watch; cheer; and participate in various ways from betting to sending “gift boxes” to specific “dungeon crawlers.”
Our “hero,” Carl, is a survivor of the first several levels of this challenge (see books 1-3). He now has a reputation for blowing things up and, maybe, for being crazy. He is also resourceful and increasingly resentful of the corporations and empires behind this “sick show.” "I had a better design in my head, but it would take too long to build. As always, safety came last.” Just the way we want it!
Dinniman is remarkable for maintaining his original momentum and his zeitgeist. -
4.75/5
A page-turning laugh riot with Exciting setups for the next one.
My second favorite entry in this series after book 1.
This book had everything that was in the previous entry, Carl executing a crazy-ass dangerous plan, Donut owning the talk shows and Katia doing everything in her power to keep them safe... And more... Secondary characters had some much-needed page time.
There are some minor issues like some scenes felt a bit dragged and this book could have been even better if they cut down some pages.
And... The setup they made for the next entry is exciting as fu*k. Book 5 ASAP... -
This series continues to be brilliant!!!
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I've loved the Crawler Carl books up to book 4. Yes, it starts out strong with a devious new level, but it eventually finds itself stuck in the sand.
I think this level makes sense in theory, but like the subway tracks in book 3 it gets too tangled up. The level is overly complicated, and I think it's telling that Carl didn't take out the underwater castle. I have a feeling Matt just didn't want to tackle something that was already complex.
The air castle is fine, but it's the mess that happens between that and the sand castle that slows things down. Carl decides to kill a show host, which takes away five days of grinding while his case is evaluated.
After that we have the mess with the dozens of feral gods who trash the level, and the fight with the guy who was the only one to get a celestial box.
The only reason he makes number 1 on the top ten is because of something he does later in the book. I won't spoil it, but it had nothing to do with the level itself.
For whatever reason, I just couldn't get into this book as much as the previous three. I ended up reading two complete books in the middle of this one (the new Hondo Jinx and the latest from Daniel Schinhofen). I finally forced myself to finish it late last night.
I'm not giving up on the series, and what Matt is trying to do is commendable. He's turned dungeon diving on it's head, and I expect a lot of new authors will follow his lead in the years to come.
4/5* -
Another fantastic entry into a stellar series, but man, the audiobook of this was top notch and took it to a whole other level. Huge props to Soundbooth Theatre for an incredible production.
This might be my favourite of the series so far. -
ALL HAIL PRINCESS DONUT!
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a series that I absolutely love and I have been reading back-to-back. The bizarre combination of reality television, Dungeons and Dragons (or more properly World of Warcraft), The Hunger Games, and more creates a truly unique setting. Plus, it has a talking cat. What more could you possibly want from this scenario?
I really enjoy this book having Carl start to fight back against the system as best he can. He may not be very good at it but he manages to kill at least one of the administrators without reprocussions and is planning to wreck the game as best he can.
There's also hints that Earth could be restored.
But can it?
Good book! -
Oh my
Massive levels of destruction. Truly monumental kills.
Good lord, the author is twisted.
And the Epilogue turns sets up some really messed up future events.
Next, please? -
The fourth part of Dungeon Crawler Carl took me a long time to read, which had nothing to do with the book. Carl and Donut are on the fifth floor and I liked this one a lot more than the previous with the trains. The ending is one of the best ones in the series so far and I'm curious to what Carl is up to. Can't wait for the next part!
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3.5 , I'd give it a 3 but I did take a great break in the middle of reading this book. The shine seem to be off and I believe I've enjoyed it less than the previous books.
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Instead of the usual epic rock music, a heavy dubstep beat starts blasting, gradually getting louder, overshadowing the cheer of the crowd. 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 so much for joining us. I am your host, Jack Gulliver! Our main guest tonight is the lovely Miss Slagathor, as usual. After the wild Tangle, our heroes Carl and Donut were thrown yet again into a different environment. Slagathor, what did you think of the 5th level in the series?
Slagathor's ghost avatar bounces happily on the screen.
S: Oh Jack, after the chaotic and unnecessarily complicated Tangle, this level was a breath of fresh air! Sure, it wasn't as straightforward as 1-3, but with the added drawing you could easily visualize the layers. So instead of getting lost in the insane amount of info, we could now focus on the characters and their developments over the course of those 13 days.
JG: Were there some developments you were particularly fond of?
S: Of course! I loved the change Katia went through, considering where she started in book 3. It made Also Mongo and Donut seem to be working better and better together, which is nice to see.
JG: And what do you think about Carl?
S: Oh, he's becoming quite a scary and driven dude, isn't he? But he is actually making progress in his plans, so I'm really curious to see after what we've seen from him on this floor, what he is planning on doing on the next.
JG: Was there anything you didn't like this time around?
S: Nothing major, honestly. I think the story flowed quite well and there is no lack of creativity for sure. I just hate that we ended with such major cliffhangers with no next book in sight, haha. But I guess this is the curse of any ongoing series, am I right?
JG: Unfortunately that's true. Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you, Slagathor for joining our show and see you all on the next level!
Heavy dubstep music starts blasting again while the crowd erupts in applause. The camera slowly fades to black as the noise fades out. -
Full of sarcasm and humour, this is a unique and refreshing series that is unlike no other I've read. Fully entertaining from end to end. High quality prose, taut plot and brilliant pacing... I loved this series so much that I made a full blog post.
Highly recommended!
https://fanfiaddict.com/2021/07/07/se... -
A little too much chaos
I had a hard time staying interested in this one. Things got better near the end. I hope things are more cohearant in the next installment. -
Of course there's a Sharktopus. Carl is a juggernaut and he finally takes a stand! A sneaky, crazy risky, highly satisfying stand.
I can't wait for the next floor. -
Notes:
- I love how weird & wacko the world/characters are in the series. It's really great mix of the cool & bizarre.
- Action sequences were good, but I felt detached to most of the "here's another setup for the next" phase. -
Her Royal Highness is back !!!!
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At this point anything I say in a review shouldn't detour the journey for anyone but I feel like Dinniman just keeps getting better and better with his writing and the overall plot. The epilogue completely blew my mind. No spoilers but I'm more than excited for what this means.
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Great!
A really great series and I’m thoroughly enthralled by it. I can’t recommend it enough. If you want a fun series this is it! -
Welp, that's it for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series until the next book is released in December.
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4*
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This one was hella good. Just ramping up!
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Again, surprising good. Anyone that doesn’t like litrpg books probably may not enjoy, because it is 5% that, but otherwise an entertaining and fairly intelligent fun read - with poly depth hinted at in prior books starting to make its appearance now.
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Best series out there. Hands down. This story doesn't slow down in book 4 either. Going straight into book 5, because I can't get enough.
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So much happened in this instalment (not just the pure survival and getting to the stairwell) and the Book is a great device in showing just how awful the dungeon has been since we're so front and centre with Carl and Donut's current circumstance - really puts it more into perspective.
Dying to know how this series will end - it's both so familiar and out of left field that each instalment is never quite I expected. -
Dinniman does it again! Dungeon Crawler Carl has quickly become my highest rated book series of all time and just might be the best book series I have ever read (the sentimental part of me wants to hold on to The Dresden Files as my all time favorite, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do so). This 4th entry contains all of the adventure, action, humor, and thrill of the past books and continues to deliver inventive and engaging twists and developments that continually catch the reader off guard. This novel, and moreover this series, contains everything anyone can want in a piece of fiction: relatable evolving characters, whimsy, world-changing stakes, drama, emotional complexity, humor, and intricate story developments all wrapped up in world-class prose. It is quite simply a masterpiece, the closest to perfection I have seen a book come (especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genre).
I would encourage *anybody* who enjoys fiction to pick up Dungeon Crawler Carl (or better yet, listen to what is easily the highest quality and best executed audiobook I’ve ever listened to with an incredible narration by Jeff Hays). Do yourself a favor and pick this up, especially if you enjoy fantasy or sci-fi. -
Oh my, I am totally enjoying this series! Dungeon Crawler Carl books 1,2,3, and 4 were all entertaining! I finished them so quickly! The world-building is progressing nicely, but the characters are my favorite! I love Carl and Princess Donut! This series has a lot of humorous dialog and just the right amount of game stats, for all you Litrpg lovers!
And a shout out to Sound Booth Theater, featuring Jeff Hays, for an outstanding audio production!
The storytelling was awesome AND the narration was superb!
