Genre: LitRPG/Science Fiction/Fantasy

Author: Matt Dinniman

Rating: ★★★★★ so far

Is Dungeon Crawler Carl Worth the Read?

The short answer? YES.

For months, it seemed like I couldn’t walk into a bookstore without seeing a massive display of Dungeon Crawler Carl. Then I started seeing it everywhere online. People weren’t just recommending this series—they were talking about it like it had completely taken over their lives.

Naturally, I became curious.

What really caught my attention, though, was how many people were specifically recommending the audiobooks.

That was new territory for me.

One day, I was talking to my best friend about the series because, as usual, we were talking about books. I get a lot of my recommendations from her, and although she hadn’t started Dungeon Crawler Carl yet either, she told me something she kept hearing:

“Apparently, the audiobook is even better than reading the physical book.”

Well.

Challenge accepted.

My First Audiobook Experiment:

Later that week, I was browsing my audiobook app and realized I could get a free trial—which meant one free book.

So I used it on Dungeon Crawler Carl.

I was a little hesitant at first. I’m also working my way through the Red Rising series, and I thought starting another series at the same time might completely overwhelm me.

I could not have been more wrong.

I remember exactly where I was when I started listening.

The gym.

Instead of putting on my usual music, I decided to see what all the hype was about.

Within ten minutes, I was hooked.

And then I started laughing.

Not polite little internal laughs, either. I caught myself actually giggling in the middle of my sets while surrounded by people who probably wondered what on earth I was listening to.

I did not care.

Before long, Dungeon Crawler Carl became my go-to for car rides and gym sessions. Instead of adding another series to my reading workload, the audiobook gave me an entirely different way to experience a story.

And I was having an absurd amount of fun.

So…What Exactly Is Dungeon Crawler Carl?

Explaining this series without sounding completely unhinged is almost impossible.

Carl is an ordinary man who survives what is essentially the apocalypse alongside his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Donut.

Earth has been taken over, and the survivors are given a choice: remain on the devastated surface and fend for themselves or enter an underground dungeon that is being broadcast throughout the universe as an alien reality television show.

Yes.

An alien reality television show.

Carl and Donut enter the dungeon and must fight their way through increasingly dangerous levels before time runs out.

And Donut?

She’s a talking cat.

Actually, calling her a talking cat doesn’t begin to explain Princess Donut.

You will love her.

You will probably become slightly obsessed with her.

And eventually you, too, will want membership in the Royal Court of Princess Donut.

I don’t make the rules.

Completely Ridiculous—and Somehow It Works

The deeper Carl and Donut travel into the dungeon, the stranger everything becomes.

They encounter bizarre creatures, dangerous enemies, absurd scenarios, and things I genuinely never thought I would encounter in a book.

Drug-addicted llamas?

Sure.

Goblins?

Obviously.

An inventory system, character stats, achievements, new abilities, increasingly powerful weapons, and constant leveling up?

Absolutely.

This was my first real experience with LitRPG, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading—or listening to—a story structured around game mechanics.

Instead, I love it.

As Carl and Donut gain experience, acquire new skills, collect items, and figure out how to survive each level, I feel like I’m playing the game right alongside them.

Except I’m not the one being chased by homicidal monsters, so this arrangement works very well for me.

And Then There’s the Audiobook

My friend was right.

Listening to this series is an experience all its own.

Jeff Hays brings these characters to life in a way I wasn’t expecting. The different voices, personalities, timing, and delivery make it incredibly easy to forget that you’re listening to one narrator performing multiple characters.

And Princess Donut’s voice is permanently embedded in my brain now.

I find myself imitating her.

Frequently.

I will probably never hear the name Carl normally again.

If you’ve been curious about audiobooks but haven’t really known where to start, I genuinely think Dungeon Crawler Carl is a fantastic first one.

It certainly converted me.

The Most Fun I’ve Had with a Series in a Long Time

What surprises me most is how much pure fun I’m having.

I’ve read plenty of books that were beautifully written, emotional, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, or deeply meaningful.

This series is different.

It is completely bizarre, ridiculously entertaining, surprisingly clever, and somehow manages to make me care deeply about a man and his extraordinarily dramatic talking cat while they’re fighting their way through an intergalactic death game.

I have never read anything quite like it.

And maybe that’s why I can’t stop.

I’m currently on book three, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, so this is definitely not my final review of the series.

Think of this as my review from inside the dungeon.

So far?

I’m all in.

When I eventually make it through the entire series, you can absolutely expect a full series review here at the Hearth.

Until then, if you’ve been walking past those giant Dungeon Crawler Carl displays wondering whether the hype is justified…

Yes.

Enter the dungeon.

Just don’t blame me when you start talking like Princess Donut.

Storykeeper’s Verdict: Worth Entering the Dungeon