Let me tell you about the most absurd premise I have ever encountered in a book and somehow loved every single page of it.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman follows Carl, an ordinary guy who wakes up to find that aliens have turned Earth into an 18-level dungeon and are broadcasting the whole thing as a reality TV show for their entertainment. Survivors — called crawlers — must fight their way through the dungeon to stay alive. But here’s the thing: it’s not enough to just survive. You have to do it in style. Ratings matter. The audience is watching. And if you’re boring? Well, that’s basically a death sentence.
Ridiculous? Absolutely. Entertaining? Beyond what I expected.
Why I picked it up? Honestly, it was the cover and the premise. A man and a cat on a dungeon crawl sounds chaotic enough to be fun. I was right.
The World
I know what you’re thinking. Alien reality TV show where humans survive dungeons? That sounds like a fever dream. But the worldbuilding actually holds together surprisingly well. The dungeon has its own internal logic: loot, achievements, levelling up, monsters, gear upgrades. The alien broadcast element adds a layer of dark, satirical humour, poking fun at reality TV, fame, and the lengths people will go to for an audience. It’s bizarre, but the rules are consistent, and once you accept the premise, you’re fully in.
Carl and Princess Donut
Now, let’s talk about the real stars of this book: Carl and Princess Donut.
Carl is your average guy thrust into extraordinary and completely unhinged circumstances. He’s resourceful, a little reckless, and keeps his head down just enough to stay alive while also somehow becoming famous in the process.
And Princess Donut? She is a cat. A talking, missile-firing, absolutely-will-not-be-told-what-to-do cat. She starts out as Carl’s sidekick, but somewhere along the way, she starts competing for the title of main character. Her personality is distinct, her confidence is sky-high, and her relationship with Carl is one of the most entertaining dynamics I have read in a long time. They complete each other, which is saying a lot considering one of them has paws. The banter between the two of them is hilarious and it never gets old.
Don’t expect conventional fantasy here. This is not that kind of book. And thank goodness for that.
What Worked Less For Me
My main gripe is with the supporting characters. Some of them, like the TV presenter and Carl’s mentor, Mordecai, feel like they have the potential to be fascinating, but they don’t quite get there in this first book. They hover somewhere between interesting and NPC-level flat. I found myself wanting to know more about them, especially Mordecai. Maybe this is just the nature of book one, setting pieces in place before fleshing them out in later instalments. I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
A Heads-Up About the Genre
If you have never read LitRPG or progression fantasy before, this is the moment to pause and consider whether that’s for you. The book integrates gaming elements throughout: looting, levelling up, stat boosts, gear upgrades. Carl gains levels by killing monsters or by looting to enhance his and Donut’s capabilities. It’s a core part of the experience, not just window dressing.
If you’re a gamer, this will feel very familiar and you will probably love it. If you’re a purely fantasy reader who prefers their magic systems without stat screens, this might take some adjustment.
Final Thoughts
I finished this book in two days. Two days. That says everything, really. Dungeon Crawler Carl is silly, self-aware, and surprisingly fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and that’s exactly why it works. There’s a sharp wit running through the whole thing, and underneath the absurdity, there’s actually a decent survival story with a genuinely great central duo.
If you’re a gamer who also enjoys reading, or if you’re already a fan of the LitRPG genre, this is an easy recommendation. And if you’re curious and willing to roll with a completely unhinged premise, it might just surprise you too.
Just don’t expect to put it down quickly. Consider yourself warned.
Rating: 4.5 Muse Points. Because apparently all it takes to get me hooked is a man, a sarcastic cat, and aliens with questionable taste in entertainment.
About the Author
Matt Dinniman is an American author best known for the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which began as a web serial on Royal Road before being published as a book series. The series has developed a devoted fanbase and has been praised for its humour, creative worldbuilding, and fast-paced storytelling.
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