So I first listened to the audiobook for DCC back at the end of 2024 and absolutely LOVED IT! Jeff Hayes narration is hands down some of the best vocals I have experience in audiobook consuming. I recommend the book a lot - specifically the audio so when the eARC became available due to its lending rerelease with a traditional publisher I had to read it again to see if the experience was difference without the narration.

Well, I am happy to say that while I’ll still recommend the audio for the full effect the physical eyeball reading experience is still top notch and a 5 Star read! I loved the little illustrations throughout the book as well as it just added to the picture you create in your mind.

Matt Dinniman has such a way with words and the ability to capture the reader and drag them into the story. The world he created envelopes the reader where you don’t want to come out of it. It’s no wonder that those who find the series binge it and then go into significant reading slumps.

Now not everyone is into LitRPG or even RPGs at all and personally, I am a D&D player but I have had friends read it who do everything they can not to get exposed to RPGs (lol) and they still love it! I mean Dammit, how can you not fall in love with Princess Donut? It’s every cat lovers dream realized when they fantasize about their cat.

So for those that are wondering if it meets all the hype? Well as a person who actively tries to avoid overly hyped books because they are always a let down, this is the one book and series that any ounce of hype is 100% deserved. So go grab some popcorn and enter the world of DCC- you’ll be glad you did!


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Berkley Pub through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I got recommended this novel by a friend and per usual, I entered it with as little knowledge as possible and a bit of trepidation because I knew there were at least six books in the series and that it wasn't completed. But I am glad I did because this book is an absolute banger.
I read it in two sittings. I started the audiobook at work and it had me chuckling and trying to keep a straight face so as not to disturb those around me. It didn't take long until I was invested in the storyline, knowing I would continue and need to read every book Matt Dinniman writes about Carl, Princess Donut and Mango.
This book is right up my alley. It follows an RPG style storyline and gives me 8-bit 90's side scroller video game vibes and I am here for it. It is so simple and yet brilliant in its plot that I'm surprised it hasn't been written before now, but at the helm of Matt Dinniman it is perfection. The dialogue is witty and there is just great fun vibes, even though the storyline is a bit grim.
I highly recommend the audiobook as the narrator is amazing, and a clear schedule so you can finish it quickly. And luckily, there are six more novels ready, with a projected three more to come!
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Ace for the ARC. I was excited when I saw this in read now, because I have heard so much about this book from so many people. I like reading web novels, so I thought this would be for me, but I am not really into video games or dnd so this was not the book for me.

***5.0 Stars***

Overall,
Exactly what I needed when I needed it.this book is considered a litrpg and it is the first of its kind that I have read. What I will tell you without spoilers is that the world changes as we know it. Our main character has a choice to make and enters the game. The game which is very similar to how games are played or how different video games are played. I had so much fun with this book and the main characters are laugh out loud funny. Matt Dinniman has a great imagination. I will 100% be continuing with this series!

***Thank you Netgalley and Tor for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my free and honest review***

I definitely recommend the. Audiobook of this course as it adds more game play to the book.

I was skeptical about this book because I am not the biggest fan of LitRPG type books, but I kept hearing about how good it was. Boy, do I wish I’d been less stubborn and read this sooner! The book is hilarious, and well-written. The leveling and game comments are handled in an engaging manner and I cant wait to see what happens next! I’ve heard that the audiobooks are well-produced as well, so I may go back through the series a second time to hear them.

I read and liked this book originally in 2024, but I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley in 2025.

What a wild, hilarious, brutal ride! From page one, I was hooked. Carl is the perfect reluctant hero. He's sarcastic, clever, and somehow completely relatable even in the most bizarre situations. Donut steals every scene with her sass and heart. As a cat owner myself, she is absolutely just like my own and I feel immense compassion for her and sympathy for Carl. This book sets up an epic premise with razor-sharp humor, insane world building, and surprisingly touching moments. I'm absolutely obsessed with this!

In the end how could you ask for more from entertainment. These books were outrageouly fun, engaging and addictive. On to the next. I'll absolutely be buying hard copies.

I had heard so many rave reviews of this book from a wide variety of readers that I was very excited to read it for myself. Unfortunately there were some things that just really didn’t work for me. The humor was pretty hit or miss for me, especially one distasteful joke made at the expense of people with special needs. Also, for a good chunk of the book I worried that all the female characters were going to be caricatures or overly sexualized, it was over a third of the way through the book before a decent female character was introduced. As someone who is not a gamer of any kind, I actually did enjoy the litRPG elements of the book and found them pretty easy to understand. I did also like the relationship between Carl and Donut and their banter. I found the second half of the book significantly more enjoyable than the first and I am interested in checking out the next book to see if the improvement continues.

When I saw the covers, they put me off; I just didn’t feel like reading a book by a guy in boxers.

BUT

I gave it a chance, and after reading the prologue, I thought, "This is so interesting and original!"

And I didn’t even notice how I reached the end...

I was laughing and picturing a whole show in my head!

I loved the duo of Princess Donut and Carl; it’s something else. I already love talking animals, and their charisma just shines through.

I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about dungeons with different creatures, where everything feels like a video game, a show where everyone is watching the players, and there’s a charismatic cat.

It's worth reading just for the cat.

I'll definitely keep reading series🙌🏻

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I thought that Dungeon Crawler Carl was going to be a nice funny book to start off my 2025 year with some good vibes. What I got was yes a very funny book, but also a book that feels extremely human around every turn and is much more complex then what it seems.

The story follows Carl who is in his underwear with his ex-girlfriend’s treasured cat Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk. The aliens have come, and destroyed all the human structures, and now there is a dungeon and a game show that both Carl and Princess Donut have to survive. If they make it to level 18 they can take Earth back, or die trying.

So the biggest perk of this story is Princess Donut, she is not only the best party member anyone can ask for, but is such a fun character in general. I can be convinced to read any book that has a solid cat character in it. Once I saw that people loved Princess Donut, I was sold. I wish I could read this all over again because there were so many fun moments.

However don’t let this story trick you because it definitely has its complex story beats as well. This tale has some really dark twists and will keep you guessing on who is the next enemy. Also what is the next twist in this sick and twisted dungeon. I have no other words for this story then it just feels human in many ways.

At the end of the day this is a sneaky survival story with the wrapping of a reality TV show mixed with a video game. This truly hit all the beats that I look for within a book, and I can recommend it enough. It might be dedicated to a hippo, but if you are ready to constantly see, “Goddamnit Donut” then I implore you to give this book a try!

A highly unique approach to an apocalypse. As a big fan of d&d I really enjoyed this.
Some of the humour is quite grotesque but I assume it’s the theme of the book/series.

Dinniman having the alien overlords form their opinion on human life based of the worst of the worst and bottom of the the barrel social media, worlds events etc. is chefs kiss. The bosses are whacky and the book descends into absolute chaos while keeping the characters from jumping the shark.


Looking forward to the next book






https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6824499198

r/audible made me do it!

After seeing this recommended literally hundreds of times on Reddit I decided to give this a try. I've not read LitRPG before so felt a little intimidated. I will say that the initial worldbuilding was a bit dry for me in places (menus, lootboxes, etc). However I laughed out loud as this story progressed. I enjoyed Carl & Donut's relationship so much. The narration is unreal & adds so much to the story; highly recommend!

There is a ton of violence, gore, crude humor, and gross stuff in this book so take that into consideration before picking up this series.

I had seen this book around for a while but didn’t think it was for me. Oh, I was wrong! I ended up using my Audible credit on the audiobook just to give it a chance, and I’m so glad I did. It was amazing! The audio is actual perfection. I highly recommend it. There are some extra tidbits in the physical copy that you won’t want to miss, so I recommend doing both formats. I even convinced my husband to listen to it, and he just finished book one last night. He loved it too!

This was the craziest, funniest, most completely out-there story I’ve read in a long time. I had so much fun and laughed out loud more times than I can count. The apocalyptic world it’s set in is so unserious (at least for now), and it’s incredibly entertaining. There are so many amazing characters *cough Princess Donut cough* along for the ride. Just a heads up, there are some very dark and gory moments throughout. It’s not a completely light read, even with all the humor. When your reward for a new achievement is that you're still alive, you know it's intense. The banter between Princess Donut and Carl is top-notch!

I’m not a gamer, which is why I was hesitant to start this. I’ve seen so many people compare it to D&D, saying if you like that, you’ll love this. I don’t know anything about D&D, and I still loved it! Also, can someone please explain the Cincinnati connection? There are a few shout-outs to the city, and I need to know why! The author isn’t from here, but it was a fun little surprise since we live in the area.

Is this book out there? Yes! Will you have the best time? Absolutely. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook while reading along. That’s how I’ll be enjoying the rest of the series. If you're looking for something entertaining and funny, give this a shot. It’s not my typical read, but I’m 100% in now!

Thank you, Ace and Netgalley, for the e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Goddammit Donut, this book is so fun! What a zany adventure full of crazy characters and even crazier happenings! I could not put this down once I started it. And now I must immediately read the whole series. I can't wait to see whats on the lower floors and what new boxes they'lll unlock.

This man deserves a medal. putting LIT into LITRPG. if you ever want to read anything, this is the only option. it's a 5/5

This book healed my anxiety and gave me a consistent sleep schedule, It was a blast and Matt knows how to write a book.

I LOVE THIS SERIES. I finish these books so fast because they have such great characters, pacing, worldbuilding, and conflicts. They are funny but still tackle some serious concerns. The characters fight with, for, and against each other and you never know what is going to happen next. Carl and Princess Donut are an absolute DELIGHT.

Wow, where do I even start with reviewing this book?! It starts off absolutely absurd, and honestly just continues from there. I enjoyed every bit of this book. I was so happy when it got picked for my work book club. Carl is such an interesting character, with obvious moral values, that you see him struggle with (I want to see him struggle more if I'm being honest), but I'm assuming more of that plays out in later books. Obviously Princess Donut, the Queen Anne Chonk, is a favorite character. I refuse to trust anyone that does not adore her. I was a little surprised at the end at how few levels they got through, I was expecting more, but I'm not mad about it. The book was so much fun that I absolutely look forward to reading more of the series.

This was soooo good! I didn’t fully know what I was getting myself into, I saw it was about the apocalypse being televised and that it looked like it had running man vibes. This was so much better than I expected. I laughed so many times.

The world building is great, the scenes were depicted perfectly and it felt like a movie the entire time. The character development is exceptional and I loved everyone we encounter.

If you’re offended by cussing then you might want to pass on this, because there is a lot.

As much as I wanted to get into this book I just could. I tried many times. I'm sure this is not the average experience.