Tag: Matt Dinniman

Caramel loves role playing games and enjoys science fiction so it was natural that he would appreciate Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series. He read and reviewed the first book Dungeon Crawler Carl a while back. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about the second book in the series: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario, originally published in 2021. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you have already told us a bit about the dungeon crawler Carl, a while back. Today we are talking about his new adventures. 

Caramel: Yes, this is book two. Remember Carl is in a dungeon, which is basically a reality TV show for the galaxy. The Earth has been overrun by an alien civilization and they killed most of the living beings on the planet. The rest are living terribly difficult lives. And a few get selected or nominate themselves to be in a dungeon and the rest of the galaxy watches them as entertainment. In the first book Carl and his teammate Princess Donut got through the first two levels of the dungeon. This book is about Level Three. 

S: Alright! Remind me again, how many levels are there supposed to be?

C: I think there are eighteen levels or so and nobody has ever passed the thirteenth one. But if anyone can finish the last level, they will be saved! Whatever that means for the aliens running the show. And who knows if they will even keep their promises? 

S: I agree, it is not clear that one can trust these aliens. But anyways, Carl does not seem to have a choice, so he will continue on. 

C: Right. Yeah, and he’s very, very good at throwing hands.

S: What does that mean?

C: Punching. Unarmed combat. Though he still has no pants!

S: Wait, what?

C: Yeah, when the world sort of ended, it was like 3 am, so he was in his underwear, and was outside because of the cat named Princess Donut, now sentient and intelligent. So he didn’t have time to go get dressed. 

S: I am sensing here a tribute to readers who love Captain Underpants!

C: I don’t know that series too well, so I cannot really judge that comment. 

S: Okay, forget it. So in this book, do Carl and Princess Donut make new allies? 

C: Yes, and no. They sort of make one, and they make another one, but then that one dies, in a bad way. I don’t want to say more and spoil things.

S: So Caramel, this was a really long book. But you managed to read it all!

C: Yep. It is 371 pages! And that is three hundred and seventy one pages of absolute awesomeness! So of course I read it! 

S: Well, I am glad you are enjoying it because there are a lot more books in the series and you can read them one by one. 

C: Yay! That is exactly what I want to do. So the first book was about the first two levels but this one is about only one level. So if there are eighteen levels, then there would be a lot more books to go if they cover one level a book. So maybe I can expect at least fifteen more books!

S: Yes, your math is correct. And it does seem like that one level a book rule holds till book eight, which is the last one out so far. But the author claims there will only be ten books. So those last couple books will probably cover a lot of ground. 

C: But they are not written yet? That is interesting. But I bet at least one of them will get written by the time I get that far. Or maybe I can challenge myself and see if I can read faster than that. 

S: Hmm, we will see. You do have the third book in line, and you are waiting to get started, right? 

C: Yep. So maybe we can wrap this up so I can get started already?

S: Sounds good to me! Okay, what do you want to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

For his first post after summer break, Caramel is talking to Sprinkles abut Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, a book originally published in 2020. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, this was a really long book, but you read it quite fast…

Caramel: Yes, I did. It was very captivating, almost like a dungeon you cannot get out of. Sorry that was a poor joke.

S: Well, it is not clear why that’s a joke, even, so maybe it would help if you told us a bit about the book first.

C: Good point. So the book is about a guy named Carl, as you can imagine, and the world has ended.

S: Wait, what do you mean?

C: Well, the book starts when Carl is in a dungeon. Then there is a flashback and we learn that the Earth was lost, due to some weird legal issue, kind of like in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, actually. And so an alien corporation took over the planet and crushed every roof on the planet and almost everyone died.

S: That’s pretty bleak. At least The Hitchhiker’s Guide was funny.

C: Well, this is quite funny too, at times. But so the planet is taken and the remaining humans are given a chance to participate in a reality TV show that is a dungeon crawl. It is kind of a role playing game where the players have D&D-like skills and traits.

S: Oh I see, that is why Carl is a dungeon crawler, right?

C: Yep. And his partner is a cat named Princess Donut.

S: Wait, a cat?

C: Yes, she is a show cat, and through one of the weirdnesses of the show they are in, she can speak.

S: That is interesting!

C: Yes, very.

S: So the book is about Carl and Princess Donut going through the dungeon?

C: Not only them. The reality TV show is called Dungeon Crawler World: Earth. And apparently it is one of many this corporation has been running, in many different planets. And in the book there are many other crawlers that Carl and Princess Donut meet. In the beginning there were thirteen million who started. And then by the second chapter a couple million have been eliminated, and it goes like that.

S: That sounds cruel.

C: Yes, well, they took over the planet and they don’t seem to care about the living beings on it. More than 90% of the population just died during the takeover, and about twenty million or so humans remain. About thirteen million of these go to the dungeon for a chance to be free.

S: This is kind of like The Hunger Games and Dungeons & Dragons got together and had a terrible baby.

C: Oh yes, and also remember the Purging Trials from the Powerless books that Marshmallow reviewed. Put them all together and then mix…

S: It is a pretty bleak future.

C: Yes.

S: Was it not too depressing?

C: Not too much. After all I know it is fiction. And it is really funny sometimes. But maybe the very young bunnies should not read it. Still it is a good book.

S: And apparently there are quite a few sequels.

C: Which I will need to read…

S: Okay, we will see about that. So Caramel, maybe this is a good time to wrap up this review, what do you think?

C: Sure.

S: What do you want to tell our readers?

C: We are back! Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!