Welcome to the Gun Show!

The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world’s subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

At this point in this series, I’ve accepted that chaos is simply baked into the DNA of these books. Each one is loud, unhinged, and packed with more wild set pieces than most video games throw at you in a few hours of gameplay. This book continues that trend with the same manic energy and gleeful absurdity the series is known for. And honestly, it’s fun. Ridiculous, yes, but genuinely fun.

That said… I’m starting to feel the repetition.

This time around, Carl, Donut, and the rest of the crew dive into the fourth floor of the dungeon, which is basically a nightmarish labyrinth of mashed-together subway systems from across the world. The Iron Tangle is a creative setting. It’s confusing and dangerous and full of creatures that feel like the result of letting late-night Reddit commentors high on weed design monsters. In short, it fits the vibe of the series perfectly and I wouldn’t expect anything less.

There’s never a dull moment. As if we were playing a video game we get new mechanics, new threats, new loot drops, new sponsorship antics, and per usual, the momentum goes at a breakneck pace. (as one would expect.)

But after three books in a row, I’m noticing how much these stories blend together. I couldn’t tell you which boss showed up in which book or what specific level mechanics belonged to which floor. Everything sort of melts into one long campaign, which is fine if you’re reading for the spectacle, but a little disappointing if you want deeper character evolution.

Carl especially feels static. He’s still the same guy he was in book one, for better or worse. Donut continues to be the hilarious, dramatic diva-cat we all adore, but even she hasn’t shifted all that much. The formula works—the series clearly knows its audience—but I do find myself wanting fresh perspectives or a different lens now and then. I would love to see the world through the eyes of other crawlers, even temporarily. New POVs could bring some depth and break up the repetition.

The action is entertaining. The humor lands more often than not. The twists are bonkers (one of the things I love), but the sense of “I’ve seen this before” is creeping in. Not enough to ruin the experience, just enough to keep me from wanting to binge the series back-to-back. In fact, I think this series works better with space between books. When I let a few months pass, I’m more willing to embrace the chaos and enjoy the ride without the déjà vu. It’s like revisiting a favorite video game (which, again, makes sense considering the type of book this is).

Still, this installment adds a few new tricks that keep it from feeling too stale. The idea of the crawlers working together more cohesively is a great shift, the stakes feel higher, and the mysterious book teased in the synopsis gives this floor a fun twist. The world itself continues to expand in ways that make you curious about what’s coming next.

So yeah, this is more of the same, but if you like “the same”, you’ll have a good time with it. If you’re hoping for major character development or a bold shake-up in structure, this installment doesn’t quite hit that mark. But as a wild, popcorn-munching dungeon romp? It’s exactly what it promises to be.

I’ll keep going with the series, I just won’t be binging them. For me, they’re best enjoyed in spaced-out intervals. They’re the perfect palette cleanser between more nuanced books.