Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by oxfordcommas91
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Listen, is this book a literary masterpiece? No, it's not. But wow did I have fun.
I have to give it to Dinniman for creating a really unique concept for a novel. We've seen the concept recently of video games being converted into TV shows (some silly, some serious), but this works surprisingly well for a book. While some elements got slightly repetitive, especially early on, I was surprised by how much character development and complex plot points that the author was able to weave in to gaming format.
The whole idea of this book is so outlandish - in the middle of the night, all humans indoors are vaporized by an alien race mining your world and those who are outdoors either have to try to tough it out on the surface or to descend into a "dungeon" where you have to survive in a reality/game show style tv-show. Carl, our main character, a retired military bro who recently got dumped by his girlfriend, takes said ex-girlfriend's cat (Princess Donut) into the dungeon with him, and to his surprise, Donut becomes his teammate who can now talk and strategize like a human.
These books definitely seem geared towards dudes who aren't typical readers, and who need a familiar genre (video gaming) to lure them away from their Playstation. But I think it actually appeals to a much wider audience than just that group and can be a great introduction for readers who maybe are just dipping their toes into the action/sci-fi/fantasy genre.
The one downside was that there were some moments of crude/dirty humor that definitely wasn't very politically correct. It isn't the primary mode of getting laughs, but there were a few jokes that made me slightly uncomfortable as they poked fun in ways that weren't super appropriate. Along those lines, the book is a bit dark and the humor is definitely in some of these dark scenarios. So if that makes you uncomfortable, it might not be the book for you.
Overall, I found it to be an absolute treat and laugh out loud funny. I wasn't expecting to like it, but there was just something about it that just really hooked me and I kept coming back for more. Immediately picked up book 2!
I have to give it to Dinniman for creating a really unique concept for a novel. We've seen the concept recently of video games being converted into TV shows (some silly, some serious), but this works surprisingly well for a book. While some elements got slightly repetitive, especially early on, I was surprised by how much character development and complex plot points that the author was able to weave in to gaming format.
The whole idea of this book is so outlandish - in the middle of the night, all humans indoors are vaporized by an alien race mining your world and those who are outdoors either have to try to tough it out on the surface or to descend into a "dungeon" where you have to survive in a reality/game show style tv-show. Carl, our main character, a retired military bro who recently got dumped by his girlfriend, takes said ex-girlfriend's cat (Princess Donut) into the dungeon with him, and to his surprise, Donut becomes his teammate who can now talk and strategize like a human.
These books definitely seem geared towards dudes who aren't typical readers, and who need a familiar genre (video gaming) to lure them away from their Playstation. But I think it actually appeals to a much wider audience than just that group and can be a great introduction for readers who maybe are just dipping their toes into the action/sci-fi/fantasy genre.
The one downside was that there were some moments of crude/dirty humor that definitely wasn't very politically correct. It isn't the primary mode of getting laughs, but there were a few jokes that made me slightly uncomfortable as they poked fun in ways that weren't super appropriate. Along those lines, the book is a bit dark and the humor is definitely in some of these dark scenarios. So if that makes you uncomfortable, it might not be the book for you.
Overall, I found it to be an absolute treat and laugh out loud funny. I wasn't expecting to like it, but there was just something about it that just really hooked me and I kept coming back for more. Immediately picked up book 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism