I am not an expert on literature by any means, but over the past few years I do believe I’ve read some of the best LitRPG books out there. Before I was introduced to the genre, I would have considered myself an occasional sci-fi reader who preferred games over books. Naturally, finding out that there was a niche intersection of these two topics called LitRPG was a beautiful moment.
The thing about LitRPG as a genre is that it’s best to ease your way into the genre rather than jumping right in. Not everyone enjoys reading stat sheets right off the bat, so it’s often best to start with beginner LitRPG books. And if that’s what you’re after, then Dungeon Crawler Carl is the perfect series for you.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Review
Written by Matt Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl is a thrill ride of a book that mixes sci-fi, humor, and action perfectly. It’s one of those fast-paced reads that never slows down and ends sooner than you expect. With great characters and some top-notch character building (both literally and figuratively), this is a must read for anybody who has a love for RPG games.
The End of Earth Will Be Televised
Like most LitRPG books, Dungeon Crawler Carl starts out in the real world only to be thrust into a completely different reality with game mechanics. You often see this happen with RPG anime and it’s fairly common throughout the genre. Where Dungeon Crawler Carl veers slightly from the norm is in its execution of this concept. The plot of the book never leaves the Earth, it instead exposes humanity to a larger reality they didn’t know existed.
When Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat narrowly escape the hostile takeover of the planet, they are forced to dive deeper into the earth into an alien-rendered dungeon crawl. The annihilation of most life on Earth is entirely for the amusement of much older beings. And while the dungeon is more of a game environment, its is loosely based on Earth tropes other species have come to recognize. It’s this added layer of familiarity that really makes the story relateable and interesting as reality explodes around the main characters.
The Characters Build Themselves
One of my favorite aspects of any story is character building. There’s just something so satisfying about feeling connected to the people you are reading about and watching them grow emotionally. Dungeon Crawler does that exceptionally well with both a man and cat. Carl and Princess Donut are an unlikely pair thrown into a crazy situation, and somehow they manage to pull together and become the best versions of themselves throughout the first book and beyond.
This isn’t a regular story though, it’s a LitRPG. Not only do you get an inside look into the emotional growth of these characters, you also get to watch them literally build their characters. Their personalities, the audience, and the game itself shape their stats and gear to shape them into entirely new beings and better dungeon crawlers. It’s this great combination that makes this a flat out great LitRPG book series.
Leveled-Up Action
Although the characters and the plot are the main reasons to read this book, it’s the action that makes it fun. While Carl and Princess Donut the cat make their way through their character arcs, they cause some serious mayhem. Carl defies the usual gaming tropes you’d expect and goes in a rather calm but explosive direction. Meanwhile, Donut the cat is a cat that is literally given magical powers. This combination results in some high-octane fights that are very enjoyable to read.
With boss battles and Earth-themed monsters, Dungeon Crawler Carl is worth reading for written fight scenes alone. That, mixed with an insane Dungeon AI make for one entertaining book.
Where Can You Read Dungeon Crawler Carl?
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the first book in a series of 5 books. You can get a copy on Amazon Kindle for pretty cheap, but there aren’t any hard copies you can purchase online. You can also get an Audible version of the book, which is actually really well done.
Books In The Series
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Carl’s Doomsday Scenario
- The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook
- The Gate of the Feral Gods
- The Butcher’s Masquerade
The post Dungeon Crawler Carl Is the Best LitRPG Book for Beginners appeared first on Amusement Muse.
