5/5 ⭐️ Donut would absolutely demand I rate it this high.

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario picks up immediately after the events of the first book, throwing Carl, Princess Donut, and the remaining crawlers into the next brutal level of the dungeon. This floor introduces new mechanics, alliances, factions, races, classes, and one of my favorite aspects of the series so far, the deeper RPG elements. Watching characters choose and evolve their races and classes made the world feel even more immersive, like the story fully committed to the “video game meets apocalypse” concept.

One thing I really appreciated was how seamless the transition between books felt. The first book naturally flows into this one without feeling repetitive or like a reset, which can happen a lot in long fantasy/sci-fi series. Each book has its own identity and focus, but it still feels like one continuous descent into madness.

Carl continues to be one of the strongest parts of the series for me. In the first book, his mindset was very much “you won’t break me,” but in this one you can really start seeing the shift toward something darker and more dangerous brewing underneath. There’s this growing anger and determination in him where it starts feeling less like survival and more like: fine… then I’ll become the thing that breaks you first. The progression feels earned, not forced, and it makes his character arc incredibly compelling.

And Donut continues to absolutely steal the show. Her “former child actor” energy kills me every time. She somehow manages to be hilarious, dramatic, emotionally manipulative, and wildly competent all at once. The banter between her and Carl remains one of the best parts of the series because underneath all the sarcasm and insanity, there’s real loyalty and affection there.

I also really loved the circus storyline/subplot in this book. It added this bizarre, chaotic atmosphere that fit perfectly with the series’ tone, equal parts funny, disturbing, and completely unhinged. That’s honestly what this series does best: it somehow balances absurd humor with genuinely dark emotional stakes.

And once again, Jeff Hays deserves his own paragraph. I’m still blown away that one narrator is doing all of this. Every voice is so distinct that I genuinely forget I’m listening to a single person. His performance adds so much personality and energy to the story that it elevates the audiobook from “good” to genuinely addictive.

This series continues to surprise me with how much heart it has underneath the violence, chaos, and absurdity. I came for the insane premise, but I’m staying for the characters.