This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite series!

<i>Carl's Doomsday Scenario</i> builds on what was established in the first book: characters gain experience, learn, grow, and develop bonds; the roles of NPCs are further developed; and we start to see how much off-screen politics affect how the Dungeon runs.

On to book three!

A fantastic follow up to the first, continue in Carl and Donut’s adventures in the dungeon! The world building from book 1 really extends in this one. Mordecai becomes a much more prominent character, much to his own dismay,

As a former MMORPG player, I enjoyed the quests that Carl and Donut find themselves taking on — and of course they don’t exactly play by the traditional rules!

I picked up the next book as soon as I finished this one! Definitely recommend!

Decidedly not for me. I wish I understood the hype but the humor isn’t funny to me and the writing is weak.

5 ⭐️

Once again, Carl, Princess Donut, and Mongo were absolutely delightful to follow along with on their dungeon crawl, led by the grumpy-yet-helpful Mordecai. This book was a lot more in depth with the adventures - less just killing creatures for funsies, more quests for knowledge (but also still killing creatures for funsies). I really liked the expansion of characters they’re getting to know, and learning how the dungeon floors interact with each other and the greater galaxy.

Jeff Hays continues to amaze me with his incredible audiobook narration. His range of voices is truly astonishing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Ace for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. As with book 1, I felt compelled to listen to the audiobook for Jeff Hays, but also enjoyed looking at the chapter pictures in the ebook.

I received a copy of Carl's Doomsday Scenario, along with several other books in this series, well after publication date but it was much appreciated since I had recently finished the first book, Dungeon Crawler Carl. Dungeon Crawler Carl is a litRPG series that takes role playing games to the next level, in story format, where we the reader get to join along and watch Carl as he fights for his life in this highly publicized, gravely dangerous, and hilariously absurd dungeon crawl.

Carl's Doomsday Scenario is the second book in the series and continues off right where we left Carl and friends as they move from floor to floor defeating monsters and bosses that become incrementally more unhinged and dangerous. This series is funny in a crass and dry kind of way that reminds me of the good old days of Adult Swim. These books read like a fever dream narrated by Seth McFarlane. And it is no surprise to me that it was recently announced that Seth McFarlane has optioned to write and produce a tv series based on this series. I cannot wait to continue reading the series and eventually watching the show, I am fully committed to this epically absurd series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely for my copy; all opinions are my own.

📚✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨📚
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario — Matt Dinniman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Listen… I thought Dungeon Crawler Carl was wild. I thought I was ready for Book 2. I was not ready.

Book 2 turns the chaos dial all the way up, then throws the dial into the dungeon pit for good measure. The stakes? Bigger. The floors? Deadlier. The humor? Even darker (and somehow more absurd). The heart? Yep—still there, still sneaking up on you when you least expect it. Princess Donut is the sassiest, most overconfident feline queen you’ll ever meet—equal parts diva, chaos agent, and unexpectedly loyal ride-or-die.

As a romantasy reader, I’m usually here for pining glances and banter that leads to kissing. In this book, the banter is still top tier—but it’s mostly about surviving increasingly unhinged situations, and I was absolutely here for it. The best lines were delivered by the cat. There’s more world-building, more hints at the bigger cosmic game, and some truly jaw-dropping set pieces that had me yelling “WHAT” at my Kindle like it could answer me.

🐾 Sidekick supremacy
😂 Laughing because the alternative is screaming or sobbing
🎲 Glitchy game world, but deadlier and weirder
🐾 Sidekick who deserves their own merch line
🔥 “We’re doomed but let’s do it with style” energy
🌌 That creeping sense there’s way more going on than we’ve seen

If Book 1 was a chaotic rollercoaster, Book 2 is that same rollercoaster—but now it’s on fire, in space, and somehow there’s a cat driving. Goddammit Donut!

#CarlsDoomsdayScenario #DungeonCrawlerCarlSeries #MattDinniman #BookReview #Bookstagram #BookishHumor #Gamelit #SciFiFantasy #IndieFantasy #BookishLife #ReadersOfInstagram #ReadMoreFantasy #FantasyReader #TBRPile #BookAddict #BookLover #CurrentlyReading #NoSpoilers #BookwormLife #RomantasyReaderOutOfHerElement #SFFBooks #CatSidekickGoals #ApocalypseButMakeItFunny #SeriesReview #NetGalley

This series is becoming my whole personality. It’s all I want to talk about and it’s the number one series of the year for me. I’m so grateful to @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to read the first 3 in the series.

When I tell you I was sat for book 1, this one just showed up out of nowhere and blew me away. The last 30% or so was insanity, there’s no other way to describe it, and I loved every second. I’m diving into book 3 immediately.

4.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.

In the sequel to Dungeon Crawler Carl, Carl and Princess Donut take on floor 3 where they must grind mobs to level up, shop for supplies, and avoid starting quests at all costs...which of course they fail to do.

Carl, Princess Donut, and Mongo make such a fun and interesting party to follow through the dungeons. This entry in the series follows a classic RPG plotline: stumbling into a village and accidentally getting involved in quests from every NPC you pass. The same quippy writing style of the first one is there, but the interjections of "achievements" are not as frequent which makes some of the action sequences drag a bit. The first quest and second quest could have been separate books to allow for more room to breath and better pacing, but overall I had a fun silly goofy time with this book.

Another fantastic book in the series. The author has a knack for putting his characters in unwinnable situations and then allowing them a sliver of a chance to win their way through by brains, brawn, and sheer guts. Not unscathed, but still among the living.

I got an ARC of this book.

Doughtnut’s adventures continue. Face it, I am reading this for Doughnut and her royal court. Carl is very much miscatergorized as the MC. The newest addition to the court is Mongo. The tiny dinosaur/chicken hybrid. I don’t think I could love a character in this series as much as I do Doughnut, and while that is still true, the addition of Mongo gives Doughnut more depth. I adore her so much. Now that she has her own pet she has just another layer to love.

Carl continues to not have pants and have the AI continue to objectify his feet. I do ship the AI and Carl at this point. It is such a weird dynamic and I adore it.

The plot just keeps getting weirder and topping itself, while staying within normal ranges of weirdness. I can’t wait to see what is next. The circus plot and having soap operas happening in the world is fascinating. Makes me think of some of the stranger aspects of Saga. It weirdly makes sense if they were in the same universe. The way that everything is playing out is just amazing. I have no idea what is going to happen next and even when I catch on a little ahead of schedule, it is just weirder and funnier than I had anticipated.

The side characters are just as vibrant and wild as Doughnut (and Carl). I get so excited meeting the new characters and seeing the whole world. Each floor is so unique, but has the common threads that keep me going and learning without falling too far behind. I am going to need to get more people reading this book so I have people to talk to about it as I am reading. The newest book is coming out soon, I don’t have much longer to catch up!

Overall, I am already reading book three and you need to catch up.

I am always slightly hesitant when I start a second book in a series because it rarely matches the excitement, energy, and vibe of the first book. Carl's Doomsday Scenario is NOT that book. If anything, the sequel to Dungeon Crawler Carl is even better than the first. In fact, this may be the first time I have ever given a second book in a series a 5 star rating (and would rate higher, if possible).

Picking up exactly where the first book left off, readers are thrown right back into the dungeon with our favorite characters as they finally are able to choose their race and class. From there, it is pure delightful mayhem. I love the writing, the characters, the humor, the action - all of it. Basically this series is perfection and no notes are needed.

Have I recommended this book series to everyone I know? Yes. Has my husband been up all night for two nights in a row now trying to catch up to me reading the first book? Yes. Have I ordered all the Dungeon Crawler Carl merch I can get my hands on? Also, yes.

Read this series. It is the most entertaining, hilarious, page turning, you better clear your schedule adventure that I have read in a very very long time.

Not a standalone and MUST be read in order.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley/Ace, and Matt Dinniman for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great sequel to Dungeon Crawler Carl. We're now out of the tutorial and covering one floor per book. While I didn't love this one *quite* as much as the first, this is still a solid five stars from me.

No spoilers, but we get to see even more of Mordecai in this book and I am here for it! We are also introduced to Katia in this book, who I'm a bit mid on in this book. She's fine, but I'm not loving what she's bringing at this point (having read the third book by the time I'm writing this review, I absolutely do come around to her). I think that's why I didn't enjoy this one quite as much of the first. This was still an addictive good time and I once again finished this in a day and immediately started on the next.

such a fun & enjoyable read - not for those looking for something deep or serious.

it's like playing a video game but in book form.

this book does a great job building on book one; we get to see more of the characters, their personalities and the world they inhabit,

Thank you to the publisher Berkley / Ace, NetGalley and the author for a copy of Carl's Doomsday Scenario in exchange for my unbiased review.

I had the best time reading Dungeon Crawler Carl, much to my surprise, and was pumped to start book two. The shenanigans were even higher and funnier in this book. I caught myself laughing out loud SO many times. The story progresses to the next dungeon level, where we learn a little more about the who/what/why of the dungeon world, meet some CRAZY new characters, and of course get to spend time with everyones favorite cat. I blew through this, and have already grabbed book 3!

I enjoyed following Carl and Donut through another level of the dungeon, but this one wasn’t as fun for me as the first book. The sheer number of side characters, alien species, and factions became overwhelming.

Out of curiosity, I even asked AI if this book has more characters and species than The Lord of the Rings trilogy—and the answer was yes! Yet there’s no index or map to help keep track of everything.

I do have Book 3 (thank you, NetGalley), so I’ll definitely be reading it and hoping for a less chaotic storyline!

Carl and Princess Donut are back and ready to take readers on another rip-roaring adventure. Are they consenting to this? Not really, but there weren't a lot of other options. The storyline deepens, and we get to meet some new characters and get to know others a bit better.

Matt Dinniman did a fantastic job of stretching this story in a way that keeps the reader guessing!

Do NOT go into reading this without first reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. These are NOT stand-alone books, and while there are some reminders of previous happenings, it is not worth it to skip a wonderful book.

While I think this was not quite as great as the first and definitely not as great as the third (my favorite thus far), I highly recommend this whole series and I have only read the first three books!

Thank you to Net Galley, Berkley, and Ace for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

this book is relentless with its obstacles. just when you think carl, donut, and mongo might catch a break on the third floor, another challenge appears. the escalating conflicts made their connection feel precious and hard-won.

the over city's urban wasteland introduces circus quests and murder mysteries that showcase dinniman's range. what surprised me was how game mechanics become metaphor. rpg elements aren't just plot devices but commentary on agency and identity when the world treats you like entertainment.

the found family dynamic between carl, donut, and mongo evolves beautifully. each character learns to protect the others in ways that feel authentic to their personalities. donut maintains her aristocratic cat energy while showing genuine care, and carl's growth from reluctant survivor to protective leader feels earned rather than forced.

the book tackles exploitation and spectacle without losing its humor. balances satirical commentary on reality tv culture with genuine emotional stakes. manages to critique how suffering becomes entertainment while delivering laugh-out-loud moments and real character development.

what impressed me most was the moral complexity. the story explores maintaining humanity and empathy in a system designed for spectacle, asking hard questions about heroism and survival without becoming preachy.

perfect for readers wanting litrpg with substance, fans of terry pratchett's approach to serious themes through humor, or anyone craving stories about ordinary people finding strength through connection.

excellent continuation when you want character development that deepens rather than repeats the first book's beats.

arc received from ace books via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

I'm loving this series. The fun story line and the cat.....I mean it's so funny yet serious as the world is no longer there and playing the "game" is dangerous.

""I want to try one of Miss Beatrice's favorite drinks. Either a Sex on the Beach or a Long Island Iced Tea. Or that one. What is it, Carl? She always says it's her Kryptonite." "A Dirty Shirley," I said. "Yeah, I want to try that one." "Cats don't drink cocktails," I said. "Cats don't shoot lasers from their eyes, either, but here we are, Carl. Mama needs a night off."' - Sassy Donut is the best Donut.

Why do I imagine Mordecai as Elfo from Disenchantment? He was this optimist lifer in the dungeon tasked to train and support Carl and Donut in the dungeon. While Mordecai was trying to be as helpful as possible, Carl and Donut constantly tested his patience.

In this episode, Carl and Donut started to understand the dynamics behind the game and how they could milk the situation to get themselves in a better position. More gore, more potions, more monsters - these levels were delivering the chaos I was waiting for.

Book #2 of the series. The wacky, crazy, stressful, and hilarious story continues. Now on the 3rd Floor, Princess Donut and Carl face more difficult challenges and quests. Again amazing on audio. Really enjoyed it, but just didn’t love it as much as Book #1. Think I just really like world building.

4.25 ✨ rounded down.