A review by bookishpriest
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

 Dungeon Crawler Carl is a fast-paced, funny, clever satire of reality television and the exploitative, extractive capitalism of our world. It's also, easily, the most bingeable series of books I've read in ages. 

Aliens decide to strip Earth of the resources they need and humanity is given a choice: Attempt to survive on a blasted and desolate surface or enter the dungeon. Those who enter the dungeon find a globe-spanning complex full of danger that they are expected to navigate, like characters in a role-playing game. Their experiences are televised - and monetized - for the entertainment of the universe. Carl sets out with Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend's cat who is now a powerful magic-user, to attempt to survive this trial.

The relationships between characters in this book and their experiences are a cutting commentary on human exploitation for entertainment. Social media, reality TV, and our increasing desire for "real" tears in our entertainment make the at-first-absurd dungeon seem closer and closer to reality the further you read.

This commentary is played out against the whacky, bizarre events and encounters that, for me, are most reminiscent of old school role-playing games and some of the wild fantasy novels of the 1970s and 1980s.

This is the first book in a series which has six installments so far. I'm reading ebooks, but have heard clips of the audiobooks and the narration is absolutely phenomenal.

If you're a fan of fantasy, RPGs, and a funny, fast-paced read with some deep moments, Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl is definitely worth a look!