I am DEVOURING THIS SERIES.

You know, the downside of being so into these books is that I am too invested to pause and take 20 minutes to review each one as I go and boyyyyyy am I going! I’m currently reading The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (book 6!!)


Carl and Donut (and Mongo!) are now past the introductory “training levels” and are now encountering new things like demigods and quests! The AI is still being a huge creeper to Carl and I fear he may never get shoes 😂

I love the characters so much and the narration is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever listened to. If this is made into a series, no one but Jeff Hays should be allowed to be the voice of the AI.

Let’s keep goingggg (but in reality I’m already like 1/3 of the way into The Eye of the Bedlam Bride 😩)





Notable tropes —

☠️ Apocalypse/End of the World
☠️ Deadly Game/Deadly Trials
☠️ Talking cat sidekick
☠️ Evil Overlords
☠️ High stakes fantasy
☠️"Don't talk to me or my son ever again" coded (Carl &
Donut)


Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | ACE for the finished reading copy. I'm excited to read the rest of the books in this series!

These books are so much fun, and the entertainment value is off the charts! I can’t express enough how amazing the audiobook is. I will never stop recommending it. Just go in with an unserious mindset, and you’ll have a great time!

“Donut: TALKING SMACK IS MY SPECIAL TALENT.”

We pick up pretty much right where book one left off. There’s a lot more world-building, which is always a plus. The stakes are higher, and there are some conflicting developments that definitely won’t blow up later (lol). I absolutely cannot get enough of Princess Donut!! She delivers so many hilarious moments and loves to hit Carl with her one-liners. Mongo doesn’t have many big moments yet, but I’m sure his time will come. I won’t go into too much detail because I like to keep things spoiler-free as much as possible.

“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.”

We’re introduced to a wide array of new characters, and it’ll be interesting to see how they come into play down the line. I also think Carl experiences a lot of character growth in this book. We get more insight into his past, and it’s clear he’s developing a stronger moral compass.

This book is just as wild, if not more so, than the first! During all the hilarious moments, there are some surprisingly serious themes woven in. It adds a layer of depth to the overall plot that I appreciated. Everyone keeps saying these books just keep getting better, and so far, I completely agree. I’m heading into book three now!

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

Second book in the series was even better than the first! Matt Dinniman really finds his stride in this story and plays with your intuition, takes you for a wild story and makes you laugh, cry, laugh because you cried, and cry because you laughed. When I started reading this series, I did not have any expectations given that I had not heard of the author or the books, but it has now become my all-time favorite fantasy series.

Matt, can I please play D&D with you?!?

I liked this one better than the last. I do wish the sex workers in the book were called sex workers and not otherwise.

I really enjoyed the evolution of Donut and Carl’s relationship through the book as well as getting more out of Carl and Donut’s back stories.

I am amazed by the authors ability to create so many new characters and scenarios as well as keep everything fresh and entertaining for the reader. The narrators do a fanstatic job of showing all the personalities and everything about this whole series is just fun and unique.

I really disliked book one so I won't be reading the sequels, despite having downloaded the first three. This series is aimed towards people interested in RPGs, gaming and reality TV. I'm not interested in any of these. I won't be reviewing this book on Goodreads, nor on Amazon, since I'm not going to be reading it.

I can't submit this feedback without a star rating, hence the average three stars. I wish that this had been a favorable review!

This book is pure JOY. As an animal lover, the cat named Donut has my heart. Book two contained some surprisingly emotional scenes and I loved everything about it. I have heard the audiobooks are excellent and I plan on sampling those to recommend them to my audiobook customers and followers.

I'm still sitting on the fence with this video game series. Scotch helps, but too much of that and I have to re-read the next day. 🤪

The author's imagination is certainly in overdrive the way he dreams up the creatures trying to kill off our crawlers, namely Carl and Princess Donut, our talking cat.

Two books down and only level four of the eighteen levels in the "game" have been reached. Book three for me was free, so on I go. I do believe all the books are available on Net Galley; free for a review. Whether or not I continue after book three, remains to be seen.

Once again I completed an immersive read with the audio book that I purchased and the e-book provided by NetGalley. This was again a really fun story. I don't think it was quite as good as the first book in the series but not by much. I plan to continue series. It's not like anything I have ever read and is a fun departure from the things that I usually read. The story telling and relationships are so genuine and an interesting juxtaposition to the absolutely insane plot throughout. But I love it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Usually when it comes to a sequel it’s either better than the first or not as good as the first book. This book was 5 stars just like the first for me. It’s entertaining, hilarious, sentimental, crazy, chaotic and diabolical. You never have any clue what will happen next and it keeps me on my toes because of it. The characters continue to develop and grow while new characters and plot lines are introduced. It’s bloody, gory, with lots of F bombs (and other bombs) and it’s just so wildly entertaining and so enjoyable to read.

This series is the gift that keeps on giving. In this book, beginner levels are over and the dungeon is teeming with new quests, characters, and crazy experience for Carl and Princess Donut. Level 3 of the dungeon feels right out of a DnD campaign with the creation of their "character build" and I loved it. The introduction to more drama with the companies involved grows too. Level 4 is next and I can't wait to dive into Book 3 to see what happens to our fave duo.

Just like book 1, Dungeon Crawler Carl, I ate this ish up. I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I did think it was a tad slower paced, despite it being a smaller page count than book 1. If this were a real video game there would have been quite a few of those scenes you can’t skip forward from and are stuck watching the storyline play out like a video.

I liked the addition of quests into the game and getting more NPCs involved like an epic spanning video game. Having towns/cities on Level 3 was a nice change from the dungeon settings of levels 1 and 2. Also I agree with Carl, clowns are the worst! Seeing how tv shows in the universe play within the dungeon was really fun and I’m looking forward to seeing the next “season” down on level 6. (This series is 8 books long so I don’t think it’s outlandish to assume Carl and Princess Donut are going to make it to level 6).

The influence of the crawlers is definitely growing, we saw that with Carl and the Skull Empire. The financial and political relationships from these alien governments is interesting and gives a bit of a break from the sometimes over the top gameplay.

I enjoy Heklas’s character and hope she isn’t untrustworthy in the end. Lucia Mar is batshit crazy but I’m looking forward to the AI eventually bringing her and her dogs in contact with Carl and Donut. I’m also going to need Mrs. McGibbons to meet us again, I’m curious what happened to all the biddies!

So that's two Dungeon Crawler Carl books read in two days which gives you an idea of how much I'm enjoying them! This one had some truly epic quests and emotional moments, and just as some of the mysteries in and beyond the dungeon start to become clearer, more and more questions arise! I'm just about to go straight on to book 3...

Will this man ever get any pants!? Not if he wants to stay popular with the viewers of this messed up alien vs human apocalyptic game. The adventures continue with Carl and Princess Donut. They face new challenges, interviews and meet some other players along the way as they level up!

Book 2 of this series, in which Carl and Donut and their allies continue to fight, this time in a medieval-style town. Not only do they need to survive the level, they've also now got quests to undertake and have level up in race and class. As with the first book, it's amusing, particularly if you know the tropes that are being used and occasionally skewered. Dino fans will like Donut's new pet, and we get more info on guide Mordecai and the politics behind the game and its creatures. Also, Carl continues to blow stuff up.

I picked up Carl's Doomsday Scenario on the recommendation of a bookseller I trust, and I’m so glad I did—this series is an unexpected gem. I devoured book one and had to resist immediately diving into book two only because of other reading obligations. That restraint didn’t last long. Book two picks up right where the first left off and may even surpass it, especially with the richer development of the supporting cast. Fast-paced, smart, and surprisingly funny, this series is perfect for making the hours of a long flight disappear. Highly recommended for fans of post-apocalyptic adventure with heart and humor.

The second book in Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series did not disappoint. Carl's Doomsday Scenario keeps the stakes high and the pages turning as well as keeps its readers invested in the series. Carl and Donut remain an unforgettable duo in this chaotic, dystopian game show from hell. I appreciated the absurd humor, brutal trials, and surprisingly emotional moments and look forward to the third book!

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman is not as long as some of the later books. It's a manageable 384 pages.

"Now on the third floor of the dungeon, Carl and his talking cat, Princess Donut, along with their dinosaur friend, Mongo, try to navigate their way through Over City, where monsters and undead circus performers roam the streets."

The story is still absurd and dark and looks at themes of trauma, neglect and power. It continues to make observations about the notion of 'reality tv'

Looking forward to more of Carl's adventures

There is just something irresistible about this series. Yes, it has humor, and friendship, tragedy, and if you read this series, be sure to block off a large amount of time and get all the books in the series because as soon as you finish this one, you will be craving the next book stat! I absolutely love Donut and Carl (and Mongo is adorable in a scary cute feathered raptor kind of way) and even the other characters feel real and grow on you. I shall keep rooting for Carl and Donut to get through this dungeon and kick the butts of the aliens who are in charge!

I’d do some real shady stuff for Carl and Donut. Book 2 picks up where book 1 ends and though it was a bit more on the ridiculous side I can see where Dinniman is going with it and I’ll definitely be starting book 3 asap. Carls speech on their last interview really hit home in the light of current events.