Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the first novel in a series of the same name, and I’ve gotta say, I’m into it. I hesitated initially because of the whole cat-in-a-dungeon thing, but I promise you that Princess Donut is fine. More than fine, really. But that’s a different story.

Quirky Cat

March 15, 2025

2–3 minutes

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Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl #1
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace (Reprinting)
Released: August 27, 2024 (Reprinting)
Received: Review Copy
Find it on Storygraph | More Science Fiction | Post Apocalyptic

Book Summary:

Carl’s life was in the process of falling apart when the unthinkable happened. One minute, he’s outside in the middle of winter, chasing after his soon-to-be-ex’s cat; the next minute, he’s in the middle of the apocalypse.

Oddly enough, the apocalypse came in the shape of a classic dungeon, complete with quests, weapons, and monsters. Given the choice between freezing to death or entering the dungeon, Carl didn’t hesitate.

My Review:

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the first novel in a series of the same name, and I’ve gotta say, I’m into it. I hesitated initially because of the whole cat-in-a-dungeon thing, but I promise you that Princess Donut is fine. More than fine, really. But that’s a different story.

This series is full of monsters, drama, and humor. In other words, it’s a fun dungeon-crawler-esque story perfect for gamers. Or for fans of The Omniscient Reader’s Dilemma (side note: if you’re having Dungeon Crawler Carl withdrawal, this manwha may be perfect for you).

In a way, this series is slightly unhinged. It leans heavily into dungeon chaos, AI commentary (there’s an AI to generate all text for items and the like), and human drama. It’s a lot, but it’s quirky and fun. It shouldn’t work, but it really does.

There are some fairly tense moments in Dungeon Crawler Carl, so please keep that in mind. While Princess Donut is fine, there are some other potential trigger warnings for readers, so take a minute to look deeper if you’re concerned.

I am happy to report that I have the next two books of Dungeon Crawler Carl sitting in my TBR stack, so I’ll be getting to them sooner rather than later.

Highlights:

Dungeon Crawler Series
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Dark Humor
Sassy Cat

Trigger Warnings:

The cat is okay
Lots of human death
Death & Gore

Thanks to Ace for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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