I Should Read That

Book review

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic, intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world – or just get to the next level – in a video game-like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

I was bullied – bullied I tell you! – into reading Dungeon Crawler Carl by Scottish Husband, who is blasting through the series on audiobook. Not really, actually. In reality, after hearing him giggle to himself and then attempt to explain a variety of absolutely mad situations the characters found themselves in (an AI with a foot fetish???), I decided to give it a try.

First things first, this book will not be for everyone. The humor is dark and sometimes raunchy and the plot is extremely goofy. It is a LitRPG novel, the first I’ve read, which means it features mechanics found in many tabletop and video games. The entire plot is a fight to stay alive in increasingly ridiculous situations as the characters move through the dungeon. It’s a basically a video game in a book. As someone who has played a lot of RPGs and is an on again/off again World of Warcraft player, I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. The situations Carl and Princess Donut get into are familiar and hilarious. Why can you never manage to loot the items and armour you actually need? I think most RPG players will find something to love here.

Carl is a fun main character who takes the madness in stride. A newly-single veteran of the Coast Guard, he’s got the physical ability and cynicism to face the absolutely mad situation he’s in. However, Princess Donut steals the show. How could she not? Carl’s ex-girlfriend’s pampered, award-winning show Persian cat who gains the ability to speak (and shoot magic missiles out of her eyes)? She was always going to be my favourite. She’s snarky, smug, and a massive pain in the ass, but she’s also incredibly sweet, loyal, and adorable. She’s got big Sophia energy.

I wasn’t initially sure if I’d like Dungeon Crawler Carl, but I’m really glad I gave it a shot – I enjoyed the heck out of it. It’s a hoot and a ridiculously fun, fast-paced read. I’d highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as the narrator does a fantastic job! I’m really looking forward to diving into the second book.