Hello everyone! I promised I would be back, didn’t I? If you want, you can check out my review of the first book in this series, Dungeon Crawler Carl. After this, I’m planning to finish the Mistborn Saga, and then I’ll be reading more standalone books for a bit. I’m holding off on getting any new books for a little bit because I need to finish what I have. I have no self-control when it comes to buying books. You all understand. Now, it’s time to talk about Carl’s Doomsday Scenario.

Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Crude Humor, Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery

Aliens have taken over Earth and have turned it into their own personal TV show: Dungeon Crawler World. Carl, an ex-Coast Guard engineer, and Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend’s cat (the cat talks now), have quickly become the fan favorites across the galaxy. Now on dungeon level three, they face a whole host of new challenges and quests. This level, known as the Over City, is a cesspit for all kinds of dark magic. A cursed circus lies on the outside of the border. Dead women have been falling from the sky. All the while, a curse of unimaginable power is slowly growing stronger. Carl and Donut are the unlucky crawlers tasked with solving these mysteries. Only (a very limited) amount of time will tell if they can save the city and if Carl will finally get pants.

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario was a pleasant surprise as far as this series goes. I know it’s only book two, but I quickly saw a major difference between this book and its predecessor. The best compliment I can give this book is that it is more subversive than I thought it would be. Most of the book was a fun and energetic adventure that involved a bunch of weird creatures and shenanigans. The last third of the book, though, was surprisingly gruesome. Despite all of the strangeness of the book and the crude humor, there is heart to it and a message about not letting oppressive systems destroy one’s hope. It’s not cheesy, which I appreciate. Matt Dinniman clearly has a vision and a strong narrative voice throughout these books, which makes me appreciate them. There’s a good balance between the absurdity of the plot and the self-awareness of the prose itself. In conclusion, this series has quickly grown on me and I look forward to reading more of Dungeon Crawler Carl.