My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 🚫


Floor 5 is total, complete UTTER CHAOS and I love it.

We are meeting some really intense characters in this one, and also one of my favorite characters- Samath (Samantha), a talking sex-doll head possessed by a demigod intent on killing us (and our mothers).

All the remaining crawlers are divided up into random groups in separate domes, tasked with taking 3 castles before their dome opens and they are free to descend to be next level. Naturally Carl & Donut are tasked with the hardest part - taking a floating castle with no possible way up and defended by angry gnomes. Sounds like a breeze, amirite?

There is a lot more stuff going on behind the scenes in this one, and we’re getting a sense that something may be a little off with Carl. This series is so much fun, but Matt Dinniman is starting to give me this little humanized glimpses into Carl’s past and I and feeling serious pain for him.

If you’re not currently reading this series, I highly recommend it. I’ve never had so much fun reading/listening to a book.


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!

In this installment of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, Carl & co are in a jungle, wreaking havoc on the system that runs the game as well as the hunters who pay to try to kill the crawlers. Donut is in fine form, as are all of the characters, and the pace continues to zip along. I like how the story has become more multi-layered as it's progressed, and that the characters develop and learn and become more fully realized all the time.

Thank you so much Berkley for this copy of the book. Book four in the Dungeon Crawler series starts off strong like the others and my favorite parts of this book were all the hilarious moments in Hump Town and the new obstacles with the castles. I don’t know how Matt comes up with all of this material, but he keeps me laughing and engaged in this series. I’m so relieved to see Carl and Donut succeeding and on the edge of my seat. Each book seems to have its own heartfelt and deep moments as well that really work with the story. I love the characters they meet along the way. I also really appreciate the bonus content at the end of each book that could be compiled as a book of its own. I’m going to recommend this series to anyone who loves video games and a funny spin on apocalyptic scenarios.

With each new part, this series keeps surprising me more and more — what was that ending?!

I think I laughed even more this time… though there were definitely some moments that hit me right in the feels.

Level five isn’t just about survival anymore. You can really feel the scale, the depth, and the inner logic of the world. I loved the idea of the four zones — each with its own atmosphere and challenges. It honestly felt like I was on a quest myself, never knowing what might come next.
That said… it was a bit overwhelming at times. When do my poor buns get a break?

The world is growing, the characters are growing, and there are more of them than ever.
This is way more than just a game now.

⭐️4,5/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Four books in, and Dungeon Crawler Carl is still exceeding every expectation with wild plotlines, unhinged characters, and the true horror of a goose. This installment follows Carl, Donut, and now Katia as they dive even deeper into the dungeon, and let me just say this book has four or five different climaxes. If you’re here for chaos (and you should be), buckle up.

What makes book four stand out is how the floor is handled. You never know what you’re going to get with each new level, and while this one is a bit more straightforward than the mystery-heavy floor in book three, that absolutely does not mean it’s tame. I’m keeping things vague to avoid spoilers, but trust me this floor is easier to follow, not easier to survive.

Once again, the characters shine. When an adult doll with serious murderous tendencies becomes part of the cast and you somehow don’t hate her. I believe that Matt Dinniman is playing wizard-level games with your psyche. Of course, no one dethrones our Queen Donut, but my goodness. Also... the ending? Gutted. I'm fine. Everything’s fine. Totally happy about the party. Really.

This book had me laughing constantly, gasping at every near-death escape, and shaking my head at the absurd brilliance of it all. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, you are seriously missing out.

"New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure." is everything fans have come to expect and more from the brilliant minds behind Dungeon Crawler Carl. This book is an absolute blast from start to finish, proving that even Carl's "failures" are pure gold.

The description hooks you immediately: a quest failed in less than five minutes? That's the kind of hilarious absurdity we've come to love from Carl and Princess Donut. Their dynamic remains the core strength, as they navigate a fifth floor that's just as wild and unpredictable as previous levels.

The setting for this floor sounds incredible – a floating fortress of warrior gnomes, a castle made of sand, a derelict submarine, and a haunted crypt! Each location promises unique challenges and opportunities for Carl and Donut to shine (or spectacularly fail, in Carl's case). The premise of "one bubble, four castles, fifteen days" sounds deceptively simple, but as always, it's never easy in this dungeon.

What truly elevates this installment is the forced teamwork. Carl and Donut can't go it alone this time, relying on the help of other "low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers." This addition of new, possibly unreliable allies ratchets up the tension and promises unforgettable character interactions and plenty of strategic (and likely comedic) blunders. The question of trust among these desperate survivors adds another fantastic layer to the already gripping narrative.

This book delivers on all fronts: non-stop action, laugh-out-loud humor, intriguing puzzles, and characters you can't help but root for. If you're a devoted fan of Dungeon Crawler Carl or just looking for your next highly addictive, imaginative, and wildly entertaining read, do yourself a favor and dive into "New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure." You won't be disappointed!

This was a fun one. Lots going on. And listened to the audio book for the first time. Enjoyed this book better than the last one with the trains. The bubbles and feral gods was cool.

The Gate Of the Feral Gods adds a new level (or 4) of world building to the Dungeon Crawler Carl universe showing us the bounds of the AI and the politics at hand within the series.

As Carl and the crew to work with other crawlers in a new type of challenge to guarantee their safety down to the next floor we are given insight to the intricacies of the dungeon which left me on the edge of my seat for the next floor.

Side note: do not skip the epilogue because this in itself adds a bonkers new layer.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the best series I’ve read this year and I’m so excited to see where this journey leads to.

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.

What a twist! That ending makes me want to dive right into the next book! This one, once again, is another unique level from the other three books. These characters keep growing and developing, the AI keeps getting snarkier, and the fight against the big corporations is getting heated! I love the various weapons, potions, and magic that shows up in here. And the gods be god-level in here, making life hell. And goddamnit Princess Donut. It’s just water!

Each book in this series has a unique setting and obstacle to overcome. The author has a seemingly endless talent for creating new scenarios, resulting in each book feeling fresh and exciting.

I am eating this series up! This story development is happening perfectly and I can see we are getting close to the end of the series which is so sad. The humor and satire has been done perfectly. Carl and Donut are the perfect duo. We had some flash back moments tied to the cookbook and I think that was perfect. I’m not ready for this series to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I’ve been reading through this series like lightning because it’s so funny and exhilirating

This was a great read! I have been hearing a lot of great reviews about this series and I look forward to reading more books from Matt Dinniman.

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,

This series is so much fun. You never know what to expect. The world building in this book is chefs kiss. So imaginary and fun. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a high stakes whacky story that will make you laugh out loud and also love the characters so much you want to see them succeed. The Level in this book is so bonkers and different than anything I have ever read. #PrincessPosse

I am so impressed! Right when I thought the series had peaked I read this and was floored again. I was so excited for the lore expansion in this book, and the emotional weight is heavier than ever. The tone of this book has an eerie quality that pairs so well with the chaos this series typically has. Carl is dealing with many more monsters at this point, but there are still the telltale signs of this series in the morality, purpose and grief. Donut the cat is, as always, still a diva legend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Gate of the Feral Gods
Author: Matt Dinniman

I have no chill when it comes to this series. NONE. Zero notes. All the stars. Permanent obsession. I will recommend this series until my dying breath. Dinniman continues to serve pure chaotic brilliance with equal parts heart, horror, and hilarity.

More character growth, more mind-melting twists, and somehow even more emotional gut punches between moments of complete absurdity and genius satire. The cast? Perfection. Every single character earns their spot on the page (shoutout to Princess Donut forever). And somehow, this installment makes me love them all more.

You want action? It's there.
Gut-wrenching worldbuilding? Check.
A cat in a crown with a sassy one-liner? Obviously.
Moments that punch you in the feelings when you least expect it? Absolutely.

If I could bottle the vibe of this series and wear it as perfume, I would.

Themes:
Reluctant hero
Found family in the weirdest places
Game mechanics meet high stakes
Satirical apocalypse
Chaotic good protagonists
Death games (but make it clever)
Epic questing with twisted rules
Ride-or-die friendships

Would I recommend it?
Yes. To everyone. Always. Read it, listen to it, gift it to your weird uncle—whatever it takes to get more people crawling the dungeon.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | ACE and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

I adore this series and have not shut up about it since I began. I enthusiastically recommend to people and look forward to more. I have purchased every one available for my home library.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

Donut and Carl are trapped in a bubble, and to escape, they must capture 4 castles to unlock the stairwell. Easy, right? As if. They are in the bubble with a bunch of low-level crawlers that are lucky to be alive.

This book was much easier to follow than Book 3 was. I wasn't a huge fan of the Iron Tangle, so having an easier layout made this more enjoyable. However, the plots are becoming increasingly complex and dark the further into the dungeon we go - not that it wasn't already dark, but even some of the NPCs are getting fleshed out, and man, they got it rough. There were a lot of overlapping characters and quests, and Dinniman has a tendancy to leave out important conversations until just before the action, giving us the sense of added mystery and suspense.

I love Donut and Mongo's relationship, especially how Mongo gets bouncy every time Donut does. Not that I can imagine what a bouncy cat looks like, but it sounds adorable.

My main issue with these books are that they are getting HEFTY. Books 3 and 4 averaged 550 pages, but books 5, 6, and 7 are averaging 700 pages. I get that the floors take longer to get through, but there are definitely some moments, especially hanging out in the safe room, that feel like they drag.

In addition to loving these books, I do also own the audiobooks of them, which I cannot recommend enough. It adds so much to the LitRPG vibe, hearing the New Achievements and the descriptions read in a video game style.

I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, and probably will end up buying the hardcovers.

In the past six months, we at Kaiju & Gnome have become big fans of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Book Kaiju Ed has even met the author and presumably gotten something signed by him in that time frame. I’ve enjoyed my time with the series and with the hardback edition of The Gate of the Feral Gods coming out in a few weeks (March 11 in the US), this seems like the perfect time to jump in and review it.

This is the fourth book in Carl and Donut’s adventures in the realms of interplanetary warfare and things are getting increasingly complicated. They find themselves in the midst of a proxy war between various alien alliances and the cogs of intergalactic capitalism. They are also now the fifth level which is an escalation over the past levels. This one is divided up into a quadrant system. Each quadrant has to be complete for the stairwells to the next level to open up. Once one quadrant’s combatants defeat their dungeon, they are welcome to help or hinder those in the other quadrants.

One of my favorite parts of Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook was that level four was the most complicated one yet. The idea of increasing complexity was awesome to me and really spoke to the part of me that loves building dungeons in DnD. This book was appropriately complex but it did feel like a step back from the subway system in DAC. I liked that it encouraged alliances between the characters but at the same time we’ve spent three books learning that Carl likes building relationships and truces. In the end, it felt like some of the complexity was sacrificed to encourage that alliance building but in an unnecessary way.

Carl, Donut, and Katia remain great characters and they were on great display in this book. If you would have told me before I read Dungeon Crawler Carl that Carl would be one of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi characters, I would have probably said you were crazy but he’s definitely moving up my rankings. He’s so human and struggles between his desire to survive but also to bring as many other characters with him to survival. I love his relationship with Donut and Katia and it makes these books a joy to read.

Donut remains my favorite talking animal character in recent history. I love how much her character has developed over this series and seeing that continue is definitely a huge reason to keep reading. This book has her gain one of my favorite classes, that of Glass Cannon, and forces her to take a role that is more outside of her comfort zone. Dinniman continues to use these changing classes to put Donut in a lot of fun scenarios and I’m excited to see what he brings in subsequent levels of the dungeon. Katia’s powers, which were viewed as a liability by some characters earlier in this series, are also increasingly interesting and I love seeing the ways that Carl and her come up with new ways to use them on each subsequent floor.

Overall, this was another enjoyable read in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Dinniman keeps turning up the heat and I’m so excited to see what comes next. If you are looking for a fun, easy-to-read series then these books should definitely be on your radar.