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Dungeon Crawler Carl #4
The Gate of the Feral Gods
New Achievement! Total, Utter Failure.
You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.
A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.
It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.
Here's the thing. It's never easy. Carl and his team can't go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.
You failed a quest less than five minutes after you received it. Now that’s talent.
A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.
It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked.
Here's the thing. It's never easy. Carl and his team can't go it alone. Not this time. They must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the fifth floor of the dungeon.
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2021
About the author
Matt Dinniman
58 books23k followersMatt 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,555 reviews
February 28, 2026
2026 reread: I have never EVER seen that much character development in any series. Yes it helps that it has so many books and that one of the characters started as a house cat, but still.
I'm so glad I found this series.
I love Carl and Donut more with each book.
This one is just as great as the previous ones, and what a cliffhanger!
I'm so glad I found this series.
I love Carl and Donut more with each book.
This one is just as great as the previous ones, and what a cliffhanger!
August 4, 2024
If your main characters aren't putting the beat down on feral gods running amok in a local void bubble run by a lunatic AI gamemaster with a foot fetish by lobbing rage-filled demi-gods trapped in the severed head of a rough looking sex doll with a magical jai alai xistera, are you really reading?
Consistently creative, never predictable, and always fun, DCC continues a wild run. Great summer reading!
Consistently creative, never predictable, and always fun, DCC continues a wild run. Great summer reading!
May 31, 2026
I’m in love with Mordecai and that’s everyone’s problem because right now he is a bird
March 4, 2025
Continues to be a bizarro kind of fun. This is the one where the current dungeon survivors have to fight their way to the center of four different biomes.
Still has moments of humor, mostly with Donut the cat, who is absolutely letting the power go her head.
“Well they’re terrible at it,” Donut said. “I mean, really. If they can’t even manage to kill one human who doesn’t wear pants, how can anyone expect them to control an intergalactic empire? No offense, Carl.”
Dinniman gets some more thoughtful notes in as well:
“It felt like the wrong lesson, especially now. But that’s what happens, isn’t it? The universe shows us how cruel it can be, and we are worse for it.”
But every time we start to bog down too much in the tragedy–after all, people are dying as they make their way in this video game fantasy–we get pulled out with the absurdity. The continued presence of Samantha, the talking head of the demigod, and Mongo, the dog-like dinosaur, are particularly good at defusing.
“Mongo vomited the corpse… and then ate it again. “Wait,” I gasped. “We need to loot … inventory.”
“I got it all the first time he barfed …up, …” Donut said.”
One of the interesting points of the series is the voice. Normally told first-person from Carl, it’s solid. Occasionally there is some phrasing or speech that has me mentally scratching my head, but truthfully, I think that’s because Dinniman gets too close to real life. Let’s be honest: people don’t talk the way they do in books. Speech is messy.
“She was acting normal, which was absolutely abnormal in this situation.”
The plotting gets a little bananas at the end as they finally complete their own biome but then consider the problem of completing the other three. Honestly, I started to feel exhausted at that point. It was like watching a Hollywood thriller, à la Speed, which goes from the first and lengthy problem-solution to ever more escalating (read: ridiculous) scenarios. This crescendo was followed by a couple chapters of aftermath and dungeon. The in-the-moment character narration shifted for this section, losing any traction the story had regained. It truly felt like should be an in-between novella, deserving of a dive into Carl’s ‘burn-it-all-down’ mentality.
Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to genre fans. I just needed a break before continuing.
Still has moments of humor, mostly with Donut the cat, who is absolutely letting the power go her head.
“Well they’re terrible at it,” Donut said. “I mean, really. If they can’t even manage to kill one human who doesn’t wear pants, how can anyone expect them to control an intergalactic empire? No offense, Carl.”
Dinniman gets some more thoughtful notes in as well:
“It felt like the wrong lesson, especially now. But that’s what happens, isn’t it? The universe shows us how cruel it can be, and we are worse for it.”
But every time we start to bog down too much in the tragedy–after all, people are dying as they make their way in this video game fantasy–we get pulled out with the absurdity. The continued presence of Samantha, the talking head of the demigod, and Mongo, the dog-like dinosaur, are particularly good at defusing.
“Mongo vomited the corpse… and then ate it again. “Wait,” I gasped. “We need to loot … inventory.”
“I got it all the first time he barfed …up, …” Donut said.”
One of the interesting points of the series is the voice. Normally told first-person from Carl, it’s solid. Occasionally there is some phrasing or speech that has me mentally scratching my head, but truthfully, I think that’s because Dinniman gets too close to real life. Let’s be honest: people don’t talk the way they do in books. Speech is messy.
“She was acting normal, which was absolutely abnormal in this situation.”
The plotting gets a little bananas at the end as they finally complete their own biome but then consider the problem of completing the other three. Honestly, I started to feel exhausted at that point. It was like watching a Hollywood thriller, à la Speed, which goes from the first and lengthy problem-solution to ever more escalating (read: ridiculous) scenarios. This crescendo was followed by a couple chapters of aftermath and dungeon. The in-the-moment character narration shifted for this section, losing any traction the story had regained. It truly felt like should be an in-between novella, deserving of a dive into Carl’s ‘burn-it-all-down’ mentality.
Still, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to genre fans. I just needed a break before continuing.
June 5, 2026
3.5
OK I'm going to be so honest, did not love this level and felt quite bored for 70% of this book. I think after having the creativity of the world from book 3, this one just felt lacklustre in how the level worked. I've been struggling with the super detailed litRPG elements as a whole throughout the entire series, and so the fact that this world & "puzzle" wasn't particularly interesting to me did not help with that.
The best part of these books? Princess Donut's growth. It's been fascinating seeing her grow from this very childlike character to someone who can now support Carl in the ways that he would normally support her. Love how she has been thinking ahead, and taking things into her own hands, as well as caring for Carl and his mental wellbeing.
And the last 20%? Very interesting! It's becoming a pattern with these books where I'll feel bored throughout most of the book, and then get hooked back in for the last bit where things become high stakes, emotional & the majority of our character growth happens. Then that last tiny bit of the book where we get these big reveals and glimpses into the politics happening in the back end.
So... I have been pulled back in. Onto the mythical 5th book which I keep hearing is the best in the series!
OK I'm going to be so honest, did not love this level and felt quite bored for 70% of this book. I think after having the creativity of the world from book 3, this one just felt lacklustre in how the level worked. I've been struggling with the super detailed litRPG elements as a whole throughout the entire series, and so the fact that this world & "puzzle" wasn't particularly interesting to me did not help with that.
The best part of these books? Princess Donut's growth. It's been fascinating seeing her grow from this very childlike character to someone who can now support Carl in the ways that he would normally support her. Love how she has been thinking ahead, and taking things into her own hands, as well as caring for Carl and his mental wellbeing.
And the last 20%? Very interesting! It's becoming a pattern with these books where I'll feel bored throughout most of the book, and then get hooked back in for the last bit where things become high stakes, emotional & the majority of our character growth happens. Then that last tiny bit of the book where we get these big reveals and glimpses into the politics happening in the back end.
So... I have been pulled back in. Onto the mythical 5th book which I keep hearing is the best in the series!
February 1, 2025
At this point, all I feel I know how to do is LIVE, LAUGH, CARL 💖
”now get out there and kill, kill, kill!”
I never want this series to end, but the bigger plot is really seeping into this book and I can see the end is coming 😭
May Carl make them all suffer 😈
”now get out there and kill, kill, kill!”
I never want this series to end, but the bigger plot is really seeping into this book and I can see the end is coming 😭
May Carl make them all suffer 😈
May 5, 2026
4.5⭐️
WOWWWW.
MATT DINNIMAN, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!
This book was INCREDIBLE, definitely my favorite in the series so far
I know that whenever I read a book in the DCC series, I'm going to have a great time. These books are absolutely amazing and this was no different.
I will say this every time I finish one of these books: there is nothing remotely like it. The characters are so unique and the plot is straight out of a fever dream. Listening to these as an audiobook is one of the smartest decisions when tackling this beast of a series. Each of the characters are completely unique and they all have their own personalities and that's what makes it so easy to differentiate between the 2-3 dozen characters in each of the books. It's so hard to pick a favorite because I love them all so much
Also, the narrator does one of the best jobs I've ever listened to as an audiobook. The emphasis and enthusiasm makes this experience a million times better!
I love how the plot in this was so intense and high stakes compared to the others so far. The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw dropped more times than I could count while listening to this. The ending had me absolutely gagged and I can't wait to jump into the next one after this. The enemies, the NPCs, the quests, they're so one of a kind and I genuinely want like a solid 5 minutes in Matt Dinniman's brain to figure out how he comes up with this incredible stuff.
I can only imagine that this series is going to get better and better as it goes on. I am trying harder to listen to more audiobooks and get better at analyzing them, but I'm such a visual person so physical books are so much easier to digest personally. All I can say is that everyone should experience this series at some point in their life; it's life changing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 👾🐈⬛💣
I'm finally ready to get back into audiobooks so OF COURSE I have to continue the DCC series because I love and miss it so much 😌
I hope I'm not too lost while diving back in cause UGH I CAN'T WAIT!!
WOWWWW.
MATT DINNIMAN, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE!
This book was INCREDIBLE, definitely my favorite in the series so far
I know that whenever I read a book in the DCC series, I'm going to have a great time. These books are absolutely amazing and this was no different.
I will say this every time I finish one of these books: there is nothing remotely like it. The characters are so unique and the plot is straight out of a fever dream. Listening to these as an audiobook is one of the smartest decisions when tackling this beast of a series. Each of the characters are completely unique and they all have their own personalities and that's what makes it so easy to differentiate between the 2-3 dozen characters in each of the books. It's so hard to pick a favorite because I love them all so much
Also, the narrator does one of the best jobs I've ever listened to as an audiobook. The emphasis and enthusiasm makes this experience a million times better!
I love how the plot in this was so intense and high stakes compared to the others so far. The action scenes had me on the edge of my seat and my jaw dropped more times than I could count while listening to this. The ending had me absolutely gagged and I can't wait to jump into the next one after this. The enemies, the NPCs, the quests, they're so one of a kind and I genuinely want like a solid 5 minutes in Matt Dinniman's brain to figure out how he comes up with this incredible stuff.
I can only imagine that this series is going to get better and better as it goes on. I am trying harder to listen to more audiobooks and get better at analyzing them, but I'm such a visual person so physical books are so much easier to digest personally. All I can say is that everyone should experience this series at some point in their life; it's life changing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 👾🐈⬛💣
I'm finally ready to get back into audiobooks so OF COURSE I have to continue the DCC series because I love and miss it so much 😌
I hope I'm not too lost while diving back in cause UGH I CAN'T WAIT!!
August 29, 2025
and just like that, one hundred seventy-eight thousand are left to participate in level five of this televised alien dungeon! basically, this level will be divided up and in stages that involve different places, a lot of different mobs, and many different castles that each have a stairwell to the next level! and carl and crew spun a wheel to enter the air quadrant, where they will have to start off by taking down red hat wearing gnomes that like to bomb people! we find out way more about deities, we get to see some beta testing, and we start to learn about guilds! oh, and the ai running the game is starting to lose control much earlier than other seasons.
i feel like in this book we finally are starting to learn more about the world of this game, and all the horrors that are forced within these levels to the npcs. more and more a much bigger story is coming together, from the games themselves, to the universal powers at play, and to carl and the demons from his past that he is fighting more and more as he gets deeper into the dungeon.
and i loved all of that, so very much! but this one does start out with the crew being welcomed to hump town, which (you guessed it) is a brothel town. i don’t know, i just didn’t love it. i wouldn’t say the author did anything offensive, it just gave me the ick a lot. but i will defend juicebox until my last breath. but the end of this book just completely turned it around! oh my gosh, it was giving peak darrow in red rising! i was screaming into my pillow and frantically grabbing book five up! the ending was six stars, truly.
trigger + content warnings: slavery, mass killing and death, colonization, gore, violence, blood, battle, murder, explosions, fires, talk of cheating in past (on the mc), abandonment in past, child abuse in past / shitty parent in past, abandonment, drug use, talk of addiction, talk of withdrawal, drinking, inebriation, drugging, animal death, ptsd, talk of loss of family, talk of birth defects, talk of infertility, talk of pregnancy, a parasite, talk of vore, a lot of talk of a sex doll, and the use of “anorexic” as a description
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
1.) Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★★★
2.) Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
3.) The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★
i feel like in this book we finally are starting to learn more about the world of this game, and all the horrors that are forced within these levels to the npcs. more and more a much bigger story is coming together, from the games themselves, to the universal powers at play, and to carl and the demons from his past that he is fighting more and more as he gets deeper into the dungeon.
and i loved all of that, so very much! but this one does start out with the crew being welcomed to hump town, which (you guessed it) is a brothel town. i don’t know, i just didn’t love it. i wouldn’t say the author did anything offensive, it just gave me the ick a lot. but i will defend juicebox until my last breath. but the end of this book just completely turned it around! oh my gosh, it was giving peak darrow in red rising! i was screaming into my pillow and frantically grabbing book five up! the ending was six stars, truly.
trigger + content warnings: slavery, mass killing and death, colonization, gore, violence, blood, battle, murder, explosions, fires, talk of cheating in past (on the mc), abandonment in past, child abuse in past / shitty parent in past, abandonment, drug use, talk of addiction, talk of withdrawal, drinking, inebriation, drugging, animal death, ptsd, talk of loss of family, talk of birth defects, talk of infertility, talk of pregnancy, a parasite, talk of vore, a lot of talk of a sex doll, and the use of “anorexic” as a description
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
1.) Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★★★
2.) Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
3.) The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★
February 28, 2025
“A distant part of me was alarmed at this attitude. But this was war, and there was no use pretending like it wasn’t.”
“This I swear on my life. One by one, I will break you. I will break you all.”
That epilogue though?? I KNEW IT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Carl marry me ily 💋💋
“Oh shit, oh shit,” Louis said. “What’re we going to do? Cat, you gotta teleport us out!” “Cat?” Donut said. “I am Princess Donut, you buffoon!”
“Target any healers within range” or “Target anyone who thinks it’s okay to put mayonnaise on hotdogs.”
“The next achievement came in the AI’s creepy, I’m-touching-myself-and-smoking-a-cigarette voice. New Achievement! Smushed for Daddy.”
“Puppies shouldn’t ever share a world with pain. Yet here we are. Thanks, earth culture.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love how the covers of this series progressively get more and more unhinged and iconic💅
PRINCESS DONUT I MISSED YOU 💛💛
“This I swear on my life. One by one, I will break you. I will break you all.”
That epilogue though?? I KNEW IT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Carl marry me ily 💋💋
“Oh shit, oh shit,” Louis said. “What’re we going to do? Cat, you gotta teleport us out!” “Cat?” Donut said. “I am Princess Donut, you buffoon!”
“Target any healers within range” or “Target anyone who thinks it’s okay to put mayonnaise on hotdogs.”
“The next achievement came in the AI’s creepy, I’m-touching-myself-and-smoking-a-cigarette voice. New Achievement! Smushed for Daddy.”
“Puppies shouldn’t ever share a world with pain. Yet here we are. Thanks, earth culture.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love how the covers of this series progressively get more and more unhinged and iconic💅
PRINCESS DONUT I MISSED YOU 💛💛
March 8, 2025
My first Dungeon Crawler Carl experience of 2025.... Good to be back!
Whilst The Gate of the Feral Gods did not introduce as many unique, new elements to keep the story and the 'dungeon' experience as fresh as the previous instalments, it was still an enjoyable read. I hope for an injection of a fresh turn in the next instalment, and trust Dinniman to keep Carl's journey entertaining.
As always, the writing style was addictive, the audiobook experience immersive and the characters unique.
Whilst The Gate of the Feral Gods did not introduce as many unique, new elements to keep the story and the 'dungeon' experience as fresh as the previous instalments, it was still an enjoyable read. I hope for an injection of a fresh turn in the next instalment, and trust Dinniman to keep Carl's journey entertaining.
As always, the writing style was addictive, the audiobook experience immersive and the characters unique.
December 23, 2025
While I really enjoyed this one, it was a bit harder to follow and imagine than the previous ones.
I loved the increased System AI moments and references, and the final peek on the outside.
I'm a bit sad Katia will go her own way from now on, but it makes sense for her character and the storyline.
Reading
Listen, I'm just gonna leave this here cause I couldn't resist. How I love to waste time 😂
Pre-read
I'm fangirling on Carl by now.
I vote we add him to the list of Fantasy Book-boyfriends 👀
I loved the increased System AI moments and references, and the final peek on the outside.
I'm a bit sad Katia will go her own way from now on, but it makes sense for her character and the storyline.
Reading
Listen, I'm just gonna leave this here cause I couldn't resist. How I love to waste time 😂
New Achievement! Smushed for Daddy.
You have been stepped upon by a deity. You have survived the encounter. And while this wasn’t the pink-fleshed suppleness of a human-shaped foot that crushed your fragile, wet body, it’s nice sometimes to switch things around. You know, just to test the boundaries of your own limits. When one experiments, oftentimes one finds new and exciting ways to get that rush.
While fun, it wasn’t quite the same. You probably don’t realize how lucky that is for you.
Reward: You have received a Platinum Spicy Box.
Pre-read
I'm fangirling on Carl by now.
I vote we add him to the list of Fantasy Book-boyfriends 👀
January 7, 2025
TL;DR: after the convoluted train plot of book 3, a nice return to form here with a really fun level, solid supporting characters and relationship conflicts, and some really exciting action scenes and twists. It still gets a bit bogged down in gameplay and rules (and the giant dog and turkey are a bit silly), but Dinniman is a mad scientist and genius and I'm willing to go wherever he takes me as a reader. Hoping for more of palace intrigue and backroom politics of the games in the subsequent books.
June 4, 2026
It’s really hard to write a review about a sequel without getting into spoilers but here we go:
First things first, Carl is starting to both worry and scare me. This man needs A LOT of hugs.
Second, what’s going to happen to Katia? AND WHAT THE HELL IS AGATHA??
Third, does Matt put crack in his books? BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN a decapitated sex doll head called Samantha is becoming one of my favorite characters??
Finally, THAT FUCKING EPILOGUE!!!! ODETTE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! and, also, I FUCKING KNEW IT!!!
I keep thinking it’s only a matter of time until I get bored of reading these books back to back, but they’re all so freaking different, and the stakes keep getting higher. This series is completely consuming my life.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: the stakes are getting higher and i’m so invested omfg this series is addictive AF!!!
First things first, Carl is starting to both worry and scare me. This man needs A LOT of hugs.
Second, what’s going to happen to Katia? AND WHAT THE HELL IS AGATHA??
Third, does Matt put crack in his books? BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN a decapitated sex doll head called Samantha is becoming one of my favorite characters??
Finally, THAT FUCKING EPILOGUE!!!! ODETTE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!! and, also, I FUCKING KNEW IT!!!
I keep thinking it’s only a matter of time until I get bored of reading these books back to back, but they’re all so freaking different, and the stakes keep getting higher. This series is completely consuming my life.
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: the stakes are getting higher and i’m so invested omfg this series is addictive AF!!!
March 23, 2025
★★★★★ 5/5
✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉ Note : This review will be short and quick as I don't want to ruin the beauty of this experience for anyone else!
The Gate of the Feral Gods is book four in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and is just proof that it IS possible for authors to make a series better and better with each new installment, because wow, this was incredible.
As usual, I don't want to make this review super long or too in depth because I think this series is better experienced through reading/listening to it yourself rather than anything I could tell you in these reviews.
: ̗̀➛ My Review Rants
This book picks up on the fifth floor of the Dungeon, where every crawler is grouped up and put in bubbles that essentially lock them in and they are forced to destroy 4 castles in order to pop their bubble. Sounds simple, right? Only, those four castles are on four different planes - one in the sky, one on the ground, one submerged in water, and one at the floor-level of the ocean. And where you're sent upon arriving in the dungeon may determine just how fast you die if you get put in a bubble that is just working against you from the beginning - that's Carl, Donut, and Katia's bubble.
This was such an incredible journey. I felt like I was returning home after a long vacation and my heart warmed immediately jumping into this. I love Carl, Donut, Mongo, and Katia more than I need air to fill my lungs and keep me alive. This journey is now mine as well and I can't wait to go with them, floor-by-floor, as they absolutely shit on the Borint Corporation.
Carl's mental fortitude is rapidly getting worse, and he is going to extreme measures to get his point across, AND I SUPPORT HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!! I may support women's wrongs, but I also support Carl's wrongs.
Also, the ending/epilogue. I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW IT! I'M SO EXCITED TO START BOOK 5.
: ̗̀➛ Final Thoughts
5-beautiful-shiny-brilliant stars for this masterpiece. This series truly gets better the further in I go and I couldn't ask for anything better to experience. On to book 5, The Butcher's Masquerade, I go!
: ̗̀➛ 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
“I had multiple, passive, low-tier stealth movement abilities that never worked for shit because I traveled with a dinosaur and a talking cat, but I hoped it would help cover my passage now.”
✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉ Note : This review will be short and quick as I don't want to ruin the beauty of this experience for anyone else!
The Gate of the Feral Gods is book four in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and is just proof that it IS possible for authors to make a series better and better with each new installment, because wow, this was incredible.
As usual, I don't want to make this review super long or too in depth because I think this series is better experienced through reading/listening to it yourself rather than anything I could tell you in these reviews.
: ̗̀➛ My Review Rants
“We have to kill these things anyway, so if the AI wants you to kill in a certain way, I don’t see why it matters. This is just like one of those agility courses that Miss Beatrice used to insist I complete at all the regional cat shows. I did not like doing it, and I never ribboned of course, but I knew if I did well, I would get an extra brushing that evening. We are all prostitutes in one way or another, I suppose.”
This book picks up on the fifth floor of the Dungeon, where every crawler is grouped up and put in bubbles that essentially lock them in and they are forced to destroy 4 castles in order to pop their bubble. Sounds simple, right? Only, those four castles are on four different planes - one in the sky, one on the ground, one submerged in water, and one at the floor-level of the ocean. And where you're sent upon arriving in the dungeon may determine just how fast you die if you get put in a bubble that is just working against you from the beginning - that's Carl, Donut, and Katia's bubble.
This was such an incredible journey. I felt like I was returning home after a long vacation and my heart warmed immediately jumping into this. I love Carl, Donut, Mongo, and Katia more than I need air to fill my lungs and keep me alive. This journey is now mine as well and I can't wait to go with them, floor-by-floor, as they absolutely shit on the Borint Corporation.
Carl's mental fortitude is rapidly getting worse, and he is going to extreme measures to get his point across, AND I SUPPORT HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!! I may support women's wrongs, but I also support Carl's wrongs.
Also, the ending/epilogue. I KNEW IT!!! I KNEW IT! I'M SO EXCITED TO START BOOK 5.
: ̗̀➛ Final Thoughts
5-beautiful-shiny-brilliant stars for this masterpiece. This series truly gets better the further in I go and I couldn't ask for anything better to experience. On to book 5, The Butcher's Masquerade, I go!
“Orthrus. The most loveable hell-hound on this side of Alpha Centauri. The left side is for sniffin’ and the right side is for lickin’ and that pink belly of his? It’s for kissin’.”
“Target any healers within range” or “Target anyone who thinks it’s okay to put mayonnaise on hotdogs.”
“New Achievement! You’re the reason why daddy drinks! You have, for an unspecified reason, raised the ire of the System AI. You have corrected the issue, and everything is back to normal. The acceleration action has been suspended. This time. Good boy. Reward: You’ve received a Gold Makeup Sex is the Best Sex box.”
“Puppies shouldn’t ever share a world with pain. Yet here we are. Thanks, earth culture.”
: ̗̀➛ 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
November 5, 2023
4.75 stars.
This was amazing! Fantastic floor setup. Love that the floor had 4 parts for variety. It made the plot much more interesting given that it’s just one floor per book.
The action was great. The pushback by Carl against the Borant was great. Loving the snippets from the Cookbook. The author should totally write the whole book and publish it as a companion with info added in from Carl.
The only negative in the book is the dead queen storyline which felt messy.
Fucking loved the setup for the next floor. Very excited.
This was amazing! Fantastic floor setup. Love that the floor had 4 parts for variety. It made the plot much more interesting given that it’s just one floor per book.
The action was great. The pushback by Carl against the Borant was great. Loving the snippets from the Cookbook. The author should totally write the whole book and publish it as a companion with info added in from Carl.
The only negative in the book is the dead queen storyline which felt messy.
Fucking loved the setup for the next floor. Very excited.
September 24, 2025
4.25
OK HOLD UP THIS IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!
I loved this so much more than the 3rd book but that ending just made me realize HOW MUCH potential this series has! I am in awe of this series and I can't wait for more.
OK HOLD UP THIS IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!
I loved this so much more than the 3rd book but that ending just made me realize HOW MUCH potential this series has! I am in awe of this series and I can't wait for more.
June 7, 2025
✨Book Review in 10 words or less✨
These books have me. Carl and Donut are my soul.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
These books have me. Carl and Donut are my soul.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 28, 2026
Much better than the third one!! At least I (mostly) understood what was going on here 🤭 I am still having a lot of fun with this series and I love these characters so so much but I do feel like the quality of the books is going down.
My biggest issue is the really unnecessary presence and mention of prostitutes and sex doll situations. For a book series that has absolutely nothing to do with that and in a world with complete creative freedom, I’m a little disappointed that a male author will ALWAYS find a way to put stuff like that in. It’s becoming quite distracting and keeping me from giving this series 5 stars.
Next to that this book became a little too chaotic at end, wanting to do too much in a too complicated way. It was honestly a little exhausting to read at points and I think I need a teeny break before I start book 5
My biggest issue is the really unnecessary presence and mention of prostitutes and sex doll situations. For a book series that has absolutely nothing to do with that and in a world with complete creative freedom, I’m a little disappointed that a male author will ALWAYS find a way to put stuff like that in. It’s becoming quite distracting and keeping me from giving this series 5 stars.
Next to that this book became a little too chaotic at end, wanting to do too much in a too complicated way. It was honestly a little exhausting to read at points and I think I need a teeny break before I start book 5
June 1, 2026
I want Carl's xistera for Christmas. Well, what I want most of all is the head-tossing attachment that now goes with it. Because it is a truth universally acknowledged that there is nothing quite like being able to throw a decapitated love doll head at one's enemy.
You wish you'd thought of that one, uh?
P.S. Samantha = 😂😂😂. And that's a scientifically proven fact.
· Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★
· Book 2: Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
· Book 3: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★★
· Book 5: The Butcher's Masquerade ★★★★★
You wish you'd thought of that one, uh?
P.S. Samantha = 😂😂😂. And that's a scientifically proven fact.
· Book 1: Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★
· Book 2: Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
· Book 3: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★★
· Book 5: The Butcher's Masquerade ★★★★★
January 8, 2026
January 2026: No change in my rating for this one. This is more a plot heavy, set-up book; also for the page length, it wasn't as purely funny as some of the others. Still, a great time. Happy to see the pieces falling into place for later books that I love more.
September 2024: Lots of development in this one, but I missed the Carl/Donut relationship building a bit here, and this level wasn't my favorite. Still, this series continues to be so entertaining to listen to. Very excited to get to the next two books sometime this fall. If I can wait that long.
[4.5 stars]
September 2024: Lots of development in this one, but I missed the Carl/Donut relationship building a bit here, and this level wasn't my favorite. Still, this series continues to be so entertaining to listen to. Very excited to get to the next two books sometime this fall. If I can wait that long.
[4.5 stars]
July 10, 2021
Dinniman delivers again!
A very unique story told brilliantly, Carl and his squad get up to more shenanigans and things get crazy as usual. There were some aspects of the story in this that didn’t quite sit well with me but everything still made sense. And the ending/epilogue more than made up for anything else that may have been lacking.
I liked this one more than the previous one but not as much as the first two, still becoming one of the greatest series out there.
A very unique story told brilliantly, Carl and his squad get up to more shenanigans and things get crazy as usual. There were some aspects of the story in this that didn’t quite sit well with me but everything still made sense. And the ending/epilogue more than made up for anything else that may have been lacking.
I liked this one more than the previous one but not as much as the first two, still becoming one of the greatest series out there.
July 12, 2021
A little too much chaos
I had a hard time staying interested in this one. Things got better near the end. I hope things are more cohearant in the next installment.
I had a hard time staying interested in this one. Things got better near the end. I hope things are more cohearant in the next installment.
May 28, 2026
This book definitely had some laugh out loud moments. High stakes. Really enjoying this as an audiobook. It’s just sooo entertaining 🫶
November 26, 2024
DNF... I think it's more of a me problem right now? The novelty of the first book made me love it, and since then, each book I've progressively cared less about. It's felt quite monotonous.
I think I need to be in the right headspace to want to finish this series, but right now I'm craving books that are a bit more serious and substantial.
I think I need to be in the right headspace to want to finish this series, but right now I'm craving books that are a bit more serious and substantial.
June 6, 2026
5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10/10)
Logro Desbloqueado! Cuatro libros cinco estrellas, al final se convertirá en mi saga favorita.
Cada capitulo que avanzo me reafirma más en que Matt Dinniman sabe lo que me quiero, y ha decidido darmelo. Y el problema es que ahora toca esperar. Menos mal que en nada sale La mascarada del carnicero, porque con este final, necesito más Carl y Donut urgentemente. Y espero que Katia vuelva al grupo :(
Puede que este no sea el libro más complejo de la saga, pero sí me parece el más completo. También es el más extenso hasta ahora, pero una vez que entiendes que el formato es “El asalto a la ciudadela”, el resto es sentarte y disfrutar de la aventura. Y vaya aventura.
Carl sigue siendo Carl. Un auténtico destructor de planes ajenos, sembrando el caos allá por donde pasa. Me ha gustado especialmente cómo cada vez está más metido en todo el entramado intergaláctico y cómo empieza a mover piezas pensando no solo en el piso actual, sino en los que vendrán después.
Donut, curiosamente, me ha parecido algo menos protagonista esta vez, dejando espacio para brillar a los secundarios y teniendo sus dosis de comentarios geniales, más medidos, y me parece perfecto para no sobresaturar al personaje. Sigue siendo Donut, sigue siendo genial, pero creo que otros personajes tienen potencial para ser geniales también.
Y hablando de eso, Katia está espectacular. En el libro anterior era un diamante en bruto y se intuía muchísimo potencial sobre todo al final por la influencia de Carl, pero aquí la vemos en su prime. Demostrando que no está sobreviviendo por suerte, sino porque ha aprendido realmente como explotar sus puntos fuertes.
El mundo sigue creciendo y sumando capas de profundidad. En este caso empezamos a meternos de lleno en el tema de los dioses, que me ha parecido muy interesante. Me ha recordado mucho a cómo funcionan en Dungeons & Dragons, con cada dios moviendo a sus adeptos como piezas de un tablero para cumplir sus propios objetivos. Y viendo las misiones que quedan abiertas al final del libro, tengo muchísimas ganas de ver hacia dónde va todo esto.
Otra cosa que me está encantando es cómo Dinniman cocina las cosas a fuego lento. La guerra de facciones lleva preparándose desde el primer o segundo libro, Carl está colocando piezas para convertir aquello en un desastre absoluto cuando llegue el momento, y yo estoy deseando leerlo, y todo el tema de los dioses ya nos lo llevaba avisando Mordecai desde el principio que es un tema muy peligroso para niveles más profundos, y aquí los hemos tenido a miles. Da la sensación de que todo avanza constantemente y que en realidad todo acaba de empezar.
— SPOILERS —
El momentazo de la IA enfadándose con Carl por no pisar los hámsters es sencillamente increíble. CAPITULAZO. De estos momentos absurdos que solo pueden funcionar en esta saga y que aun así consiguen generar tensión real.
Pero mi parte favorita del libro es, sin ninguna duda, todo lo relacionado con el ganso jefe. Que Dinniman consiga crear un boss sin habilidades físicas ni mágicas, convertirlo en una amenaza real y además hacerlo divertidísimo con la situación de la niña y la limonada, que es de esas escenas que pasan de hacerte gracia a ponerte nervioso en cuestión de páginas.
Mis dieces también a Carl por resolver el problema del ganso de la forma más Carl posible: cabeza al triturador de basura y a otra cosa. Yo me esperaba que le dieran la limonada al ganso, pero no, claramente esa opción era mejor-
Cada vez tengo más claro que esta saga sabe exactamente lo que quiere ser. Es absurda, es caótica y es divertidísima.
Logro Desbloqueado! Cuatro libros cinco estrellas, al final se convertirá en mi saga favorita.
Cada capitulo que avanzo me reafirma más en que Matt Dinniman sabe lo que me quiero, y ha decidido darmelo. Y el problema es que ahora toca esperar. Menos mal que en nada sale La mascarada del carnicero, porque con este final, necesito más Carl y Donut urgentemente. Y espero que Katia vuelva al grupo :(
Puede que este no sea el libro más complejo de la saga, pero sí me parece el más completo. También es el más extenso hasta ahora, pero una vez que entiendes que el formato es “El asalto a la ciudadela”, el resto es sentarte y disfrutar de la aventura. Y vaya aventura.
Carl sigue siendo Carl. Un auténtico destructor de planes ajenos, sembrando el caos allá por donde pasa. Me ha gustado especialmente cómo cada vez está más metido en todo el entramado intergaláctico y cómo empieza a mover piezas pensando no solo en el piso actual, sino en los que vendrán después.
Donut, curiosamente, me ha parecido algo menos protagonista esta vez, dejando espacio para brillar a los secundarios y teniendo sus dosis de comentarios geniales, más medidos, y me parece perfecto para no sobresaturar al personaje. Sigue siendo Donut, sigue siendo genial, pero creo que otros personajes tienen potencial para ser geniales también.
Y hablando de eso, Katia está espectacular. En el libro anterior era un diamante en bruto y se intuía muchísimo potencial sobre todo al final por la influencia de Carl, pero aquí la vemos en su prime. Demostrando que no está sobreviviendo por suerte, sino porque ha aprendido realmente como explotar sus puntos fuertes.
El mundo sigue creciendo y sumando capas de profundidad. En este caso empezamos a meternos de lleno en el tema de los dioses, que me ha parecido muy interesante. Me ha recordado mucho a cómo funcionan en Dungeons & Dragons, con cada dios moviendo a sus adeptos como piezas de un tablero para cumplir sus propios objetivos. Y viendo las misiones que quedan abiertas al final del libro, tengo muchísimas ganas de ver hacia dónde va todo esto.
Otra cosa que me está encantando es cómo Dinniman cocina las cosas a fuego lento. La guerra de facciones lleva preparándose desde el primer o segundo libro, Carl está colocando piezas para convertir aquello en un desastre absoluto cuando llegue el momento, y yo estoy deseando leerlo, y todo el tema de los dioses ya nos lo llevaba avisando Mordecai desde el principio que es un tema muy peligroso para niveles más profundos, y aquí los hemos tenido a miles. Da la sensación de que todo avanza constantemente y que en realidad todo acaba de empezar.
— SPOILERS —
El momentazo de la IA enfadándose con Carl por no pisar los hámsters es sencillamente increíble. CAPITULAZO. De estos momentos absurdos que solo pueden funcionar en esta saga y que aun así consiguen generar tensión real.
Pero mi parte favorita del libro es, sin ninguna duda, todo lo relacionado con el ganso jefe. Que Dinniman consiga crear un boss sin habilidades físicas ni mágicas, convertirlo en una amenaza real y además hacerlo divertidísimo con la situación de la niña y la limonada, que es de esas escenas que pasan de hacerte gracia a ponerte nervioso en cuestión de páginas.
Mis dieces también a Carl por resolver el problema del ganso de la forma más Carl posible: cabeza al triturador de basura y a otra cosa. Yo me esperaba que le dieran la limonada al ganso, pero no, claramente esa opción era mejor-
Cada vez tengo más claro que esta saga sabe exactamente lo que quiere ser. Es absurda, es caótica y es divertidísima.
May 18, 2026
Tremendo. Espectacular. El mejor de los cuatro hasta la fecha. Leedlo.
March 29, 2024
This is absolutely insane, but I am finding it unputdownable! It's a LitRPG train wreck and I am all in for it!
November 18, 2024
This was easily my favorite of the series so far. The stakes are higher, the fights are crazier, and we're finally starting to get a good glimpse of the politics of the corporations and star systems involved with the creation and funding of the Crawl. I really love the approach this time around, after the entangling confusion of the train tunnels in book 3. This time, there are of bunch of "bubbles" like a colossal sheet of bubble wrap. Each bubble contains four biomes, each with a set number of crawlers, and a "castle" to take down in order to complete the bubble/floor. I do have to add that the epilogue was absolutely amazing, and totally has me guessing at the direction Matt is going to take this series. Can’t wait for book 5
March 7, 2026
had a harder time staying engaged with this one but still better than most things i’ve read
February 8, 2026
4.5 stars
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