5/5 Stars. No notes.
Author: Matt Dinniman
Whenever my husband, Matt, and I take a drive, he prefers to listen to an audiobook or podcast instead of music. He prefers fantasy and science fiction, whereas I tend towards romantasy and romance novels. I usually read a different book on my Kindle and half listen to his books and podcasts on our drives.
Two weeks ago, Matt and I drove back to Arizona from a fun weekend in New Mexico with our two nieces. He suggested we listen to a book called Dungeon Crawler Carl, which he had finished reading right before our trip. I promised to listen for at least an hour before picking up my Kindle to read another book. How did he get me to promise? This description of the plot:
“A dude wearing nothing but boxers and a jacket is forced to compete in a televised dungeon crawl with his ex-girlfriend’s cat by aliens who have killed most of humanity. It mixes D&D, science fiction, fantasy, and video games. Not to mention a sadistic A.I.”
Twenty minutes later, I was utterly hooked, and we listened for the rest of the drive. The author, Matt Dinniman, creates a complex world fraught with danger that showcases the best and worst of humanity in one novel. The point-of-view character is Carl, a Coast Guard veteran who had just broken up with his girlfriend after she posted a picture online of her with her ex-boyfriend. He enters the dungeon with Princess Donut, a sarcastic tortoiseshell Persian cat who gains the ability to speak. Together, they must navigate mobs of monsters, complicated traps, puzzles, boss battles, and other crawlers to get to the next floor. Everything is designed to test their intelligence, strength, courage, cunning, and teamwork. Grumpy Carl and charismatic Donut work to level up their stats and get to choose new classes and races, all while the rest of the Galaxy watches.
From beginning to end, Dungeon Crawler Carl is filled with hilarious laugh-out-loud moments and fantastic character development. If you enjoy role-playing or video games, you will love Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Happy Reading!!
The Paper Forest 
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