Dungeon Crawler Carl follows Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s prize-winning cat, Princess Donut, after Earth is suddenly destroyed and transformed into an intergalactic reality TV-style dungeon crawl. Humanity’s survivors are forced to compete in a deadly, video game-like competition filled with monsters, quests, loot, achievements, and increasingly unhinged chaos, all while the entire universe watches for entertainment. Think Hunger Games meets Dungeons & Dragons meets a deeply cursed video game… with a talking cat in a tiara.
I listened to the audiobook for this one, which is actually unusual for me because I normally prefer dramatized audiobooks. But Jeff Hays is an absolute legend. I genuinely have no idea how one person manages to do that many distinct voices so well. The narration elevated an already fantastic story into something completely addictive. Every character felt unique, alive, and over-the-top in the best possible way.
Carl was easily my favorite part of the book. He’s selfless almost to a fault, but what makes him interesting is that he doesn’t really see himself that way. At the start, he has this mentality of “you won’t break me,” and watching the cracks begin to form underneath that stubborn determination made his character feel layered and real. You can already feel the groundwork being laid for a much bigger character arc, and I’m honestly excited (and slightly terrified) to see where it goes.
And then there’s Donut, who completely steals scenes whenever she appears. She’s dramatic, ridiculous, surprisingly competent, and somehow an absolute badass all at once. The witty banter between Carl and Donut was probably my favorite part of the entire book. Their relationship gave the story so much heart underneath all the violence and insanity.
What surprised me most was how effortlessly this book balances humor, action, emotional moments, and complete absurdity. One minute I was laughing at an achievement notification and the next I was genuinely stressed for the characters. I absolutely flew through this book and immediately wanted to continue the series the second it ended.
If you like chaotic energy, dark humor, RPG/video game mechanics, found family dynamics, and characters you can’t help rooting for, this series is ridiculously fun