The Butcher's Masquerade

Dungeon Crawler Carl #5

by Matt Dinniman

Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose. Run, Run, Run.

A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed “The Butcher’s Masquerade.”

The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.

As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, a new, terrible threat looms. Outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are here and ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.

But their prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.

Dungeon Crawler Carl and Princess Donut return in book five of the acclaimed litrpg series.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Litrpg, Fiction, Humor, Dystopia

707 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2022

About the author

Matt Dinniman is the best-selling writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the published author of dozens of short stories and a gaggle of books. In addition, his art publications—from greeting cards to stationery kits to calendars—can be found in boutique and stationery shops around the world. Also, he strongly feels like a pretentious twat when he writes about himself in third person.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUCK ME SIDEWAYS, I'M TOO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO A MAN WHO USES HIS FEET TO ATTACK, A PRINCESS DIVA CAT THAT CAN’T SING WHO OWNS A DINOSAUR, AND A DECAPITATED SEX DOLL HEAD WHO WANTS TO KILL EVERYONE'S MOTHER 😭😭😭


The absolute worst part of this series, hands down, is that I don't have anyone to SCREAM TO THE FUCKING HEAVENS WITH ABOUT THEM.
I honestly never knew I could feel this way about a series that would sit outside my usual reading scope.

BUT HOLY DAMN, THAT WAS HOW YOU WRITE A FUCKING PLOT TWIST 👏👏👏👏👏
I AM SO GOD DAMN STRESSED FOR BOOK 6! 😭

The lore and politics is ramping up. (shit is seriously about to go down in these last 2 books)
The emotions are ramping up. (I even teared up in one part)
The death and gore are peaking. (hopefully at least)

I PRAY CARL MAKES THEM ALL SUFFER 🙏🙏🙏

Man, I just hope Matt Dinniman is having a raging sex life, his band is performing at 110%, the crowds cheers are extra fucking loud, that he goes to sleep rolling in money, and happiness seeps from his pores like my face after a big hot chippie dinner.













Pre read feelings:
I may as well pre-5 star here, but here we fucking gooooooooo.
Carl is the blue fairy floss, and I am this child.

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts wacky, explosive, ridiculous, epic, hilarious, addictive, and FUN!

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✨

Absolutely brilliant start. I loved the banter, immediate to the point action and the drama. But there was room for growth in the emotional zone especially when the past collided with the present for Carl and Donut. That particular scene should have caused more angst, difficult choices. But it ultimately read a little too quick to dismiss and resolve 🤔

Coming to the middle, it slowed down a little. Though it remained interesting, the pacing had its ups and downs for me. Also, this could just be me but although we're exploring more of Carl's and Donut's emotional state and trauma bit by bit. But the emotional depth feels uneven, especially when it comes to the female characters. Sure Katia has a backstory and depth to her but the rest of the feminine characters? Can't really say the same cause some of them read quite shallow but again, could just be my perception 🤷‍♀️

Ngl Samantha is growing on me. That's one crazy head and the chaos she caused? Loved it. I'm still feral for Carl, every book this man proves me just how bad he can get to me 😭 Donut and Ferdinand though??? The hell was that 🤣🤣😭 I ate it up.

The ending felt a little underwhelming. Sure, the cliffhanger is AWESOME with that plot twist and the stakes are high... For the next book. But the way we got to that point? Imo felt a little too focused on the chaos rather than a structured one.

Anyhoo, I've got high expectations for the next one. I'm hoping for some emotional damage and cunning 🤭


~•~•~
That cover 😭😭😭 Will forever be creeped out by Samantha's head 😭🤣 Alsoo oof this book is THICKKK 😩 Wish me luck 🤞

[Kevin Zigman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth reading

Honestly this series isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine. But for those of us that love this stuff this is another excellent addition. It's heartbreaking in so many ways to think about this but just like the spectators in this novel I can't get enough of it. It's incredibly well written fiction that can make you feel emotion which is the mark of an excellent author. That's first and foremost on my mind, I find myself rooting for the main characters because while they might always come out on top in the end, it is a harrowing journey of adventure which they didn't choose for themselves. They weren't called, they were simply on of the many unfortunates caught up in this mess. Donut is an amazing foil to Carl, and the supporting cast is really good to. People you hardly know become painful to loose a few chapters later. And make no mistake in good books that's what the characters become, people, real people with hopes and dreams, with tragic stories we might never read or hear. That is what Dinniman gives us each time around and just like the last four books, I am glad I read this. Once more I find that even though I'm physically done with this book I am not done with it at all. I look forward to the next installment in the series and I hope beyond hope that it is just as well written as it's predecessors.

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in absolute awe of this series. I never thought a LitRPG series would end up in my top 3 of all time. 
But I also never thought I would start singing Princess Donut version of Wonderwall at loud in the street, after listening to it on repeat, yet here we are. 

Matt and Jeff are absolute genius and they make my life better.

2026 reread: I appreciated the complexity of the story and the characters even more this time around.
From one minute to the next, I went from laughing out loud to being punched right in the heart again and again.

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This was also something that trauma could do. It could make you blind, and it could open your eyes wider than they’d ever been, all at the same time.”

i think this is my favorite installment yet. there was so much heart in this one, and i really was crying at so much within these pages. i am just becoming too attached to everyone at this point. but yeah, i really loved this one a lot and i am so happy i decided to ask for all these books for my birthday!

okay, we are finally at the sixth level, which is the hunting grounds, where outsiders from the game are able to be hunters and… hunt the crawlers who are being forced to play the game. only eighty-five-thousand crawlers remain, and they have seventeen days to complete this new level. oh, and if you’re in the top fifty for favorite crawlers, you will be able to attend a masquerade at the very end. and yes, it is meant to feel a little menacing, especially when you add the word “butcher” to the front of masquerade in the title.

as i have been saying, one of my favorite aspects of this series is seeing what the new dungeon floor looks like! and the sixth level is just a fantasy lover's dream. (oh, and dinosaurs! i’m not a dino girl myself, but i do think this will be appealing for a lot of other readers!) i also extra loved seeing donut and carl pick specialties on this floor, and i will always love a good performance check!

also, because of the insane ending to the previous book, we also get to see carl get an attorney, which i really did love. i just love seeing more and more ex-crawlers, and just people “working” for the people in charge, in this universe and learning more and more backstory on their histories. i really do think the author is saying a lot in the book about tyrannical government systems that thrive on keeping the oppressed feeling isolated in a game that is set up for them to lose.

lastly, a new entry for people i am cheering so very loudly for: prepotente

trigger + content warnings: slavery, mass killing and death, colonization, gore, violence, vomit, blood, battle, murder, explosions / bombings, fires, abandonment in past, talk of domestic abuse in past, child abuse in past / shitty parent in past, abandonment, drug use, talk of addiction, talk of withdrawal, drinking, smoking, ptsd, talk of loss of family, talk of car accident in past, drugging, one sentence mention of bulimia, needles (tattoo), animal death (dog), loss of a loved one / friend, grief, sacrificial suicide

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1.) Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★★★
2.) Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
3.) The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★
4.) The Gate of the Feral Gods ★★★★

[Jaime Fok · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

OK - this one as promised is indeed the best one in the series to this point. I appreciated how we expanded even more into the world outside of the dungeon, and really started getting into the bigger picture of what is happening. As well as seeing our characters sort of come to this real emotional realization of what they have been enduring this entire time - the feelings all come crashing down.

I however do think I need to make the decision to DNF the series as a whole. I think there are some interesting things going on, and I applaud Matt Dinniman for coming up with this very creative way of writing and telling a story (all the Patreon live-decisions sound so fun, love that it is sort of a community effort in ways!) - but at the end of the day, I just don't think the litRPG genre is for me.

All the grinding and specifics of the dungeon sections really make my brain zone out, and for me - these pivotal plot points happen too slowly. I just don't have the patience for this type of book and that is completely ok! It's definitely the type of story that I feel tempted to look up spoiler summaries, but don't want to grind through the full books to get there if that makes sense.

Anyways, it's been a ride. Princess Donut will be great forever!

[Youssra {very busy-review slumping} · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Reward: Your reward is advice. Fatherly advice. Don’t be a little bitch. There’s your reward.”
Honestly, this is solid advice for us all 😅


Probably my favorite one so far!!! (besides book 1) The real mvp in this book was Samantha the decapitated sex doll head😅

“Wait for my signal this time or you won’t be allowed to go to the party.” “I will kill your mother!"

“Donut: OH, HONEY. YOU USED TO BE A SEX DOLL. I’M QUITE CERTAIN YOU CAN HANDLE ALL MANNER OF INDIGNITY. Samantha: DON’T SLUT SHAME ME. I’M GOING TO KILL YOUR MOTHER.”


And an honorable mention to the AI with the foot fetish and this extremely creepy yet hilarious line:

“New Achievement! This little piggy made a boom boom! You deployed a bomb with the supple, curved sole of your foot. You took your perfectly-perfect, 30.004861 centimeter-long right foot and compressed it against an explosive device—a device named after me no less—and you gave it a naughty little shove before you pushed it out the door and detonated it. You killed them. You killed them all for your daddy.” Then the AI let out a throaty groan that lasted for an uncomfortable 5 seconds.

Donut and Carl's relationship is the most beautiful and wholesome ever I LOVE THEM SO MUCHHHHHHHHHH
“You’re wearing a mask right now, Donut, and you don’t know how to remove it. That’s okay. You don’t need to. Not yet. That mask is protecting you.”

[Matt (Fully supports developing sentient AGI) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I've been recommending this series. It's always a struggle to describe because I need to know my victim pretty well.

For some, "It's like Hunger Games, Battle Royale, Gladiator, and Running Man. It's tragic, gross, funny, horrifying, exhilarating and heart-warming. Sometimes all at the same time."

For the savvy, I add, "It's Cosmic Horror, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction set in a dystopic Dark Forest universe with no chance to avoid being detected, but with a lot of awesome fun and dark, ridiculous humor."

For the gamers, "It's one of the most creative meta-adventures of Dungeons and Dragons you wish your DM was good enough to run with elements of modern video games."

Most people just nod politely and say, "So... did you want cream in that coffee or not?"

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, our (not so) little Mongo is all grown up, and this book was definitely a memorable one for him (if you know what I mean… wink wink). New achievement unlocked! Mongo is now a man!

Just like the rest of the series, this one was just as good, gripping and really entertaining. The looming Butcher’s Masquerade was a big part of the story, and the build up to it felt like a nice change of pace.

I also felt a lot more emotion from Carl this time around, especially as he kept finding himself in those same sticky situations. He made a really solid point that shows how much he’s changed he’s not just in it to win anymore, but to help the people he cares about survive as long as they can too: "Objective number one is to survive, everything else is secondary".

[Corrado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hunting Grounds! They had been talking about this floor since the beginning of the series, and we finally get to see what they were all about. The sixth floor changes the dynamic of the crawl, with the crawlers themselves becoming prey for wealthy outside hunters.

We get to know more about Miriam Dom and Prepotente. Maybe I'm especially biased because they're Italian, but I really like them. Prepotente is becoming one of my favourite characters. Their storyline is also one of the saddest parts of the book. We see that beneath all his insults and absurd behaviour, he genuinely loves Miriam as his mother. Her death exposes his real self.

Mongo's sexual adventures were really funny, especially with Donut screaming at him, "Mongo, no!" It was almost as funny as the Enthusiastic Double Gonorrhea. Somehow, this series continues to come up with things that sound completely ridiculous even by its own standards. It's incredible how enormous the variety of species is, and how many different concepts Dinniman is able to create.

The book also starts giving us much bigger implications about how the universe and the crawl actually work. The AI is beginning to “go primal,” whatever that means, and it seems it was essentially bought second-hand. The corporation running the show is trying to squeeze as much profit as possible out of the crawl while cutting costs wherever it can. And the people running the whole thing may not even fully understand the AI or all the implications of what is happening.

Overall, the book is action-packed, intense, completely ridiculous, and quite emotional. It manages to balance comedy with some of the saddest moments in the series.

I think this is probably the best book in the series so far.

[Jono Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Trauma does that. It’s an explosion with your heart at the center. It changes everything all at once.”

∞⭐ -- This is exactly what the fandom promised. Dinniman is firing on all cylinders here. It took five books, but this is where everything clicks. The humor, emotion, and action are perfectly balanced, and for the first time, the pacing never dips.

You still don’t truly fear for Carl or Donut, but that tension shifts to the supporting cast, and Dinniman uses that to great effect. He puts side characters in real danger, not just to serve the main plot, but to deepen the world and raise the emotional stakes in a meaningful way.

I was bought in by The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, but this is the one that fully locked me in. Consider me a die-hard fan. This is a perfect entry.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest. This particular LitRPG is getting better as time goes by. Every time I get a better feel for the greater asshole universe, I just want to see it all go boom. Thanks, Carl, for putting things into perspective. Although, perhaps, I ought to give all credit to the most charismatic of the fighting party, that being Doughnut, the former child actor star, aka display cat, animal tamer and penny-pincher supreme.


Or maybe I should just thank the bombs. The many, huge, bombs.

Yeah, I think I'll go with the last one.

I think the story is getting better, honestly. The funny plot items are fine and all, but the real meat is really pushing me along. I can't wait to see what happens to all these assholes running this game. It better be GOOD.

[baohua · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 6/5

“Wait for my signal this time or you won’t be allowed to go to the party.”
“I will kill your mother.”

✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉ Note : This review is not spoiler-free! Read at your own risk.

The Butcher's Masquerade is book five in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and is officially my favourite so far. I will think of this book for an incredibly long time to come. This review will be a bit different than my usual reviews for this series, there's a single topic I want to talk about on this book other than begging everyone who sees this review to please read this incredible series!

: ̗̀➛ My Review Rants

“Trauma does that, I thought. It’s an explosion with your heart at the center. It changes everything all at once.”

I knew it was coming soon—trauma has to take the spotlight in this series at some point. And it did, in this book specifically. And it broke me. Carl's mantra to the dungeon and the Syndicate has always been "You will not break me", but what am I supposed to do when Carl and Donut are the ones breaking me?

There was so much loss in this book, and it shattered me in so many ways to see how it continues to affect both Carl and Donut's mental health. Carl has always been very adamant on not letting this dungeon break him, he would break them instead. And he's doing a damn good job of it so far, but I feel my own heart breaking in the process watching Carl and Donut lose parts of themselves they cannot bear to lose.

It's always been a prime point in Donut's personality that she is very grandeur and confident for show, but in reality, she is very sensitive to loss, change, and stress. Yet she experienced all of this and more. Bea making an appearance and forcing Donut to come face-to-face with the woman who she believed to be her person was so heartbreaking. She held so much within herself—knowing Bea planned to get rid of her for a younger cat, for never truly loving her or Carl, and to let all of it out on live TV for a galaxy of people who watch and take your misery as their source of entertainment was so brave of her and Matt Dinniman, you are an asshole for destroying me like this (but also, you are incredible sir). I am so proud of Donut for standing her ground against Bea and telling her off and accepting that it hurts but she is ready to move on and spend the rest of her days alongside Carl.

“And I was so stupid, because I thought since I loved you, that meant you loved me.”

My next pain is the end of the book. When Donut experiences a panic attack while sitting atop a severely injured Carl. When she acknowledges the loss of their dear friends to Queen Imogen isn't hurting her or making her as sad as she should feel. Panicking because she feels like a terrible cat for feeling so little for the brutal death of her friends and Carl comforting her. I genuinely wept for her and Carl, this broke me in so many ways. I have never experienced loss to the extent donut, carl, and all of these other crawlers have felt, but in these moments, their grief feels like my own and I bear the same pain and heaviness as they do. The wave of grief and upheaval is so visceral, I realize I really have connected to these characters so deeply over these last 5 books. It takes a lot for books to make me feel the way this series does. I feel so attached to these characters and love them all so dearly. It is incredible how Matt has brought all of these crawlers to life, giving each of them their own backstories, personalities, struggles, and experiences pre- and post-dungeon.

“What we went through just now was only a taste of what’s coming, especially on the ninth floor. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. We’re going to lose more friends. We’re going to have to do some pretty horrible things just to survive. So I need you to keep that mask on. But one day... One day you’ll find yourself someplace safe and without worries and without everyone watching, and it’ll just fall right off. And it will hurt. You will cry for Firas and Gwen and Yolanda and Brandon and everybody else we’ve lost along the way, and you’ll be glad you had it on the whole time.”

I cannot believe I picked up this series thinking, "oh, this is going to be sooo funny! I'm so excited to see the chaos that ensues in this hilarious series about a dude in his boxers and his ex-girlfriend's persian cat as they make their way through this dungeon!" and now here I am, crying over said man in heart-covered boxers and a talking/singing cat. Truly a journey.

: ̗̀➛ Final Thoughts

Is anyone really expecting me to rate any book in this series less than 5 stars? Cause I don't think it's possible. I love every second of this journey, even if it's ripping my heart to pieces.

“Reward: Your reward is advice. Fatherly advice. Don’t be a little bitch. There’s your reward.”

: ̗̀➛ Series Reviews

Check out my reviews for the other books in this series:
Dungeon Crawler Carl : Book 1
Carl's Doomsday Scenario : Book 2
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook : Book 3
The Gate of the Feral Gods : Book 4
The Butcher's Masquerade : Book 5
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride : Book 6
This Inevitable Ruin : Book 7

[Livvvvvvvv · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 more big big stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

donut: carl? would you do the same thing to save me?
carl: without hesitation.

ok, having now read book 5, i think i can safely say that this is one of the most exceptional series of books i have ever read.

i know i am speaking in superlatives, but i genuinely do not know how to describe them other than perfection.

and they keep getting better??

it's so goddam clever, like every page has something unexpected on it. i am constantly thinking how tf are they going to get out of this and they do over and over again.

“viva la revolución, carl.”

donut and carl continue to fucking rock this series, they are the backbones, the cornerstones, the frontstones (is that a thing) of this whole show and i am LIVING for every second of it.

this may sound super odd, but one of my favourite things about these books are the tiny details surrounding donut's cat like mannerisms. for example, he says she poofs out her fur, she struts, she wiggles, she hisses. the same with mongo. the details of describing animal behaviours is exceptional. and it's those tiny details plus every other wacky and clever thing makes these like actually once in a lifetime books.

reward: your reward is advice. fatherly advice. don’t be a little bitch. there’s your reward.

the intrigue and mystery keeps ramping up as more and more twists and turns happen outside the tv show itself. it’s so impressive how matt keeps the reader engaged throughout this series, especially given how long it is. he reveals answers to some of the questions but they just prompt more. it’s really magical.

(the 9th floor sounds fkin awesome and i'm so excited to read that).

there were some genuinely heartfelt moments as donut and carl realise how fucked up the whole situation is and the bonds continue to blossom with the other crawlers as they're all just trying to survive in the hell they have found themselves in.

idk man, i don't have much more to say other than these books are the best and i'll fight anyone who disagrees x

💜💜

[naz]

YOU WILL NOT BREAK ME!!! - i can't believe im in book 5 already

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I figure at this point in the series, most readers will know if they were invested in this series for the long run. The list sequel is consistent with the earlier work.

At this point, the story and its characters are familiar and comfortable. The story balances witty dialogue with action. For my personal tastes, this series isn't destined to be an all time favourite. I find it fun but don't have the same obsession as my fellow reviewers.

If you enjoy stories that play around with the familiar elements of video games. It's a fun series that keeps me coming back for more. A good escapist read.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Maurice Africh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite in the series so far. I laughed, I actually cried?! It happened. I'm so emotionally invested in these books.

Also, I cannot stop praising the audiobooks. Currently listening to the end credits. Absolutely hilarious.

If you haven't started reading these books yet, what are you waiting for? Do I have to beg?

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

my god this was way too fucking long, but also i’m going to need 3-5 business days to process this ending. again 😭😭😭 i love these characters so much, don’t do this to me Matt 😭😭😭 RTC i think

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: haven't read a 700+ page book in a LONG time. i’m scared but so excited too 🤭 and this cover!! 😂😂 i hope i see more of Samantha and Prepotente 🙂‍↕️

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, hands down, the best audiobook production in the history of audiobook productions.

Also, Donut + Samantha + Mongo + Kiwi = 😂😂😂😂.

Also also, Donut's version of Wonderwall is everything, and I can't believe she didn't get a Grammy for it. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!

👋 Until next time and stuff.

· Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★
· Book 2: Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
· Book 3: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★★
· Book 4: The Gate of the Feral Gods ★★★★

[Matthew Wentworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second time through it is better. I went into this right after re-reading book #4 and I had a much better sense of what was going on with the secondary characters, of which there are many. I still think that the floor mechanisms are overly complicated and their explanations are often rushed through, but that is not something that ruins the book.

------

The plot continues to be over complicated, but the core characters are fantastic, so I'll probably continue reading.

My biggest issue is that it seems as though the author has a ridiculously complex world fleshed out in his mind and a vast array of characters that he knows incredibly well...and he doesn't realize that the reader doesn't have that same familiarity with world or those characters. There are lots of very detailed passages about alien races and universal politics that the reader will struggle to fully comprehend because there is very little prior context, which is pretty annoying.

Also, there are characters mentioned books ago for a single scene and the author expects the reader to know exactly who all of these people are. This is not a spoiler: there was a big "reveal" near the end of this novel where someone was shown to be "[Character A] the dead girlfriend of [Character B]" and I knew that it was supposed to be dramatic but all I could think was, "Wait, who? Who's girlfriend?" and it the scene ended up having no impact.

Again, I'll keep reading because of Carl and Donut, but I'm not sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another dark and hilarious entry in the Carl series.

The end credits are especially funny in this one.

#teamdonut #princesspossie

[PJ✨ Pivec · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Book Review in 10 words or less✨

This series has me in a chokehold. Best book yet.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Victor Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

O MELHOR ATÉ AGORA!!

[Zack Argyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mongo deserved the W.

Best book of the series so far (out of 7).

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audio format 🎧

I would give this book 1000 stars if I could.
Best one of the series so far! How does this series keep getting better and better?! 👏

The characters, the plot, the world building, the action, the suspense….
I could keep going on and on.

I actually get emotional when someone dies in this.
Good grief, how am I going to make it through the whole series without curling up in a fetal position at this point?

Princess Donut, I get you girl. I too love Wonderwall.

🎶🎵 Because maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall 🎵🎶

Also, I think Jeff Hays has ruined me for all other narrators. Not a lie. It’s amazing how he can do ALL THE VOICES!

[Cassandra Lynn Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh. my. goodness.

[Reem · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO TIME, OFF TO THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!
THE SEX-DOLL-HEAD & THE GOAT ARE MY NEW FAVORITES!!!!!!!!!!

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinniman might not be your J. K. Rowling or Robert Jordan, but he has created a fantasy world as valid and consistent as either of them.

Furthermore he has the writing chops to pull it off, where so many others fail.

By that I mean:
He is able to juggle an immense cast of characters without losing track of any or making mistakes of inconsistency.

He has set himself a great challenge which now spans six books (of which this is number five).

The number of species, personalities, puzzles, environments, magical objects and spells far exceeds the competition.

He goes beyond that tropes of RPG

His sense of humor is often sophomoric, but not to the extent that it overwhelms the tragedy in his drama.

He has not succumbed to any writer's slump so far.....and now the sixth book has dropped!

My thanks to friend, David F, for his recommendation.
4.5*