Sometimes, you’re a little late to the party. Five years late, in my case. But it’s better late than never, and I’d be remiss to not extend an invite to everyone on the internet for this particular shindig.

Recommended Videos

I recently joined a gamer-themed book club with a few friends, and our first book on the docket was Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. I’ll admit: I’m not as big a reader as I used to be (or as I’d like to be), and I came into this series without any expectations. Yet, somehow, this book far exceeded any expectations I could’ve had.

The Dungeon Crawler Carl series occupies a space in the fantasy/science-fiction world called Literary Role Playing Game, or LitRPG for short. The name is self-explanatory for anyone who’s played an RPG video game; these books throw their characters into fantasy worlds using elements from this game genre, usually mechanics like stats, magic, or quests. Character progression may take the form of leveling up, and they often have access to HUDs and inventories, so it feels like you’re watching someone play a video game—but you’re reading, instead.

The premise of Dungeon Crawler Carl is simple: It’s like The Hunger Games set in our reality, and if The Hunger Games behaved more like a video game. That game, called Dungeon Crawler World: Earth, is developed by aliens and requires players, otherwise known as Crawlers, to level up their stats and attacks by fighting monsters, acquiring magical gear, and descending floors of a dungeon. Our main protagonist Carl—a 6’3″ 230lb ex-Coast Guard member—is one of hundreds of thousands of humans who’ve been thrown into the dungeon, and millions of aliens watch from the comfort of their own planet as he fights to stay alive. Oh, and he has a cat. Her name is Donut. Princess Donut, that is. Well, actually, her full name and title is Grand Champion, Breed Winner Regional, National Winner Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk. Oh, and she talks.

It’s probably better not to ask too many questions at the start, but you have to trust me on this: If you’re a fan of video games, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a must-read. This 2020 title began as a web series but has fully transformed into a seven-book series after finding major success with readers online. It brings all the action-packed adventure of the best digital RPGs out there, with a level of wit and humor that will have you chuckling between boss fights.

Our book club meets tonight, and I’m bringing donut holes as a snack. Not that that’s of any relevance to you, dear reader (thought I’ll taunt you with sugary balls of fried dough nonetheless). But what is of relevance is the fact that I didn’t read just one of these books, despite today’s meeting covering only book one. Instead, I committed a cardinal sin of book clubs: I read both the first and second in the series. Book three is currently sitting on my bookshelf, eyeing me from across the room. Books four through six are in a box somewhere along a postal route, waiting patiently to be delivered to my mailroom this afternoon. When they arrive, they’ll join their brethren on my bookshelf, which I’ve already cleared so the series can have its very own row among my little assortment of books.

Don’t you love a good book set? Image by Rachel Samples via Destructoid

That’s right—the series is so good it’s getting its own shelf. Does that really drive home just how good I think this book is? …No? Okay, well, let me break it down.

Dinniman’s humor is downright delectable. The items and weapons that the books’ characters can find throughout the dungeons come with their own “in-game” descriptions, and the “game’s” AI, the one generating these descriptions, is a snarky son of a bitch. Canonically, it has been trained on human culture (read: meme culture) and apparently used internet trolls as its greatest source of inspiration. Oh, and it also has a foot fetish. Like I said, it’s probably best not to ask too many questions—just roll with it.

If you’re not much of a reader, I still highly recommend picking this book up or its audiobook counterpart, which several members of my book club recommended. The chapters are relatively short, making it easy for those with reduced attention spans (myself included). And with almost every chapter ending on a cliff-hanger, it’ll make you want to keep reading even long after your bedtime has passed. I know, because I’ve spent many mornings groggy—though not regretful—after staying up way too late to see Carl and Donut through a boss fight or fateful encounter.

Although I’m only two books in, I can confidently say there’s more than meets the eye with this series. Dinniman has already begun peeling back the curtain a bit behind Dungeon Crawler World’s shiny exterior, adding a bit of intrigue to the world-building aspects of the series. That’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers, but if you like plots with layers to them, this one’s for you.

Without any more spoilers, I want to know, Destructoid readers: Have you read any books from this series yet? And if so, are you in love with it as much as I am? Sound off in the comments below.

Like our content? Set Destructoid as a Preferred Source on Google in just one step to ensure you see us more frequently in your Google searches!

Post Tag: Books Dungeon Crawler Carl Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy Join The Conversation