The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.

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.

Okay, I finally did it. After seeing so many people raving about this book, I gave in to the hype. And folks… not only have I boarded the hype train—I’m driving it, baby.

From page one, this book grabs you by the underwear, gives you a wedgie, and doesn’t let go. It wastes no time throwing you headfirst into absolute chaos, and you better believe it never lets up. The premise is so wild it shouldn’t work—and yet, somehow, it absolutely does. We’ve got Carl, a recently single (and very bitter about it) Coast Guard vet, stuck with his ex’s very pampered cat, Princess Donut, when aliens suddenly vaporize every man-made structure on Earth and toss the survivors into a sadistic dungeon crawler that’s also a galaxy-wide reality TV show in videogame format. Yeah, you heard me. Imagine if The Hunger Games, Saints Row, Destroy All Humans, and Wipeout mated, had a baby, and birthed it into reality. That’s the energy of this book.

Carl is instantly likable—not your typical hero, but that’s the point. He’s messy, foul-mouthed, a bit of a disaster… and yet you’re rooting for him to win the entire time. And then there’s Princess Donut. Listen, I’m not a cat person AT ALL (hello, insane allergies), but I would totally be on a team with Donut. She’s a prissy, over-the-top showcat who is what Lisa Vanderpump (IYKYN) would be in cat form. She absolutely steals the show.

The humor is top-tier and a little crude (and spoke to my immature sense of humor). I found myself laughing out loud several times. Carl’s inner monologue is biting and darkly hilarious, and the way the book leans hard into its satire without ever losing emotional grounding is a feat. I kept thinking, “Okay, this can’t get weirder,” and then—BAM—drug-dealing llamas. Leveling systems. Exploding goblins. Sentient vending machines. And yet, it never feels random for the sake of random. Every absurd detail fits perfectly into the world Dinniman has built.

Speaking of worldbuilding: It’s perfection. This isn’t just goofy chaos for the sake of laughs (although there are plenty of those). There’s real lore here. The dungeon system has layers—both literally and narratively. Each level introduces new mechanics, rules, and absolute horrors, and it’s clear there’s a bigger story lurking beneath the surface. We get commentary on capitalism, exploitation, reality TV culture, and violence as entertainment, but Dinniman never beats you over the head with it. He lets the satire do the talking while keeping the action rolling.

Also, let’s talk about heart. Because somehow, amidst all the chaos and carnage, Dungeon Crawler Carl has a surprising amount of emotional depth. Carl’s grief, his connections with other survivors he encounters, his determination to retain his humanity in the face of literal annihilation—it’s all there. It’s not just a gore-soaked circus act; it’s about survival, morality, and the tiny, weird ways we stay tethered to ourselves even when the world goes to hell. Oh, and did I mention the found family vibes? There are plenty of those.

Is it fast-paced? Oh, hell yes. That’s my one “almost-complaint,” and it’s barely a critique, really. I was honestly glued to these pages. The story flies, but there were moments when I wanted to hit pause just to process what the hell just happened before we were off to the next bloody puzzle or boss fight. It reads like a video game speedrun, and honestly, that works for the story—it is a dungeon crawl, after all—but whew, maybe stretch first.

By the end, I wasn’t just entertained—I was invested. So invested that I broke my usual “don’t buy the whole series” rule and immediately grabbed books 3 through 5 (I already had book 2). Book 6? Already preordered. (RIP my TBR.) So, needless to say, I’m a Dungeon Crawler Carl convert. If you like irreverent humor, balls-to-the-wall storytelling, and characters that will crawl into your heart and refuse to leave, do yourself a favor: read this book.

Welcome, crawler. And as always: “Goddammit, Donut.”