Genre: LitRPG • Science Fiction • Dark Comedy • Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy
Tropes: Dungeon Crawl, AI Game Master, Talking Animal Companion, Found Family, Survival Game, Leveling System, Quest-Based Adventure, Dark Humor, Apocalypse
Spice Level: None
Format: Audiobook
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 2
Carl and Donut survived the first two floors of the dungeon. Barely. They even managed to rescue most of the nursing home residents along the way, which is honestly more impressive than some of the boss fights. Now they've reached the third floor, where crawlers must choose their race, gain new abilities, and begin carving out their place in the dungeon hierarchy. This is where Carl and Donut stop being just another pair of survivors and start becoming legends.
The third floor introduces a massive sky-fowl city filled with quests, factions, side missions, and enough chaos to keep even the most experienced crawlers busy. Mordecai warns them repeatedly to avoid the quests and focus on leveling, but when has Carl's life ever gone according to plan? Before long they're tangled up with a half-niad royal, a circus full of possessed animals, a town-saving mission, and a series of increasingly ridiculous situations where failure could mean Donut's death.
I don't think it's possible for me to be objective about Dungeon Crawler Carl anymore. This series has become a permanent fixture in my personality and I regret absolutely nothing. By this point, the world-building really starts to expand. The dungeon feels larger, stranger, and more alive than ever before. We learn more about Borant, the viewers, and the bizarre economy that keeps the crawl running. Every floor somehow manages to feel completely different while still maintaining the same chaotic energy that made me fall in love with the series in the first place.
One of my favorite aspects of this installment was seeing Carl and Donut truly establish themselves as major players. They're no longer simply reacting to whatever the dungeon throws at them—they're beginning to influence events themselves, whether anyone likes it or not. We also get significantly more Mongo in this book, which is always a win. He's finally grown into his full dinosaur glory and, while he's still very much a child with selective hearing, Donut has become a much more capable dinosaur parent. Their interactions remain some of the funniest moments in the series.
The humor continues to be absolutely unmatched. The AI remains weirdly obsessed with Carl's feet, Mordecai is perpetually exhausted by everyone's existence, and Donut somehow manages to be both hilarious and infuriating in equal measure. At the same time, the emotional moments hit harder than ever. There were several reveals throughout this book that added depth to the larger story, including finally learning the truth about Ferdinand. Some long-running mysteries begin paying off, while others are only becoming more intriguing.
And then there's that ending. I won't spoil it, but let's just say Carl acquires something that has all the potential to become an absolute disaster later. Knowing Carl, it almost certainly will. I am both excited and terrified to see what happens next.
The audiobook continues to be phenomenal. At this point, Jeff Hays doesn't just narrate these characters—he is these characters. I genuinely cannot imagine experiencing this series any other way.
⭐ You'll Love This Book If You Enjoy:
- LitRPG adventures
- Dark humor and absurd situations
- Talking animal companions
- Dungeon crawls with unique mechanics
- Explosive action and boss fights
- Found family dynamics
- AI characters with questionable motives
- Quest-heavy fantasy adventures
- Apocalypse survival stories
- Books that balance comedy and emotional moments
This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $4.99 by clicking here.
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