The Bookwyrm's Review of Carl's Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman

 

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Rating: 10/10

Synopsis

"The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin."

The ratings and views are off the chart. The fans just can't get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive. 

They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose. 

Carl still has no pants.  

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it's anything but a game. 

 

Review

Any time you read a series starter that is as strong as Dungeon Crawler Carl, you ask yourself, can book two keep from being a letdown? I mean, the sophomore slump is a thing, and we've all seen the phenomenon. Well, I am happy to say that not only is Carl's Doomsday Scenario as good as book one, in some ways, its even better, and that was difficult to accomplish.

The world building, or in this case, destruction and rebuilding, is just phenomenal. This floor of the world dungeon created for this story is such a change from the last book's. Its a dystopian setting, and the author pulls out all the stops to give it it's own unique feel. Mixing elements of fantasy, like automated magic armor that acts as guards, with alien races, such as the Skyfowl aliens who rule over the floor, creates an interesting contrast. There are other elements that really draw the reader in, such as a mysterious circus that is even more menacing than it appears. So many new elements introduced in this book, and you can't help but get drawn further down the rabbit hole that is now the world dungeon.

The characters shine just as much as they did in book one. Carl and Donut are just so much fun together. A snooty, intelligent cat and the everyman shouldn't work well together, but they just do. You can tell they really care for each other, and as much snark as they throw at each other, they let slip their feelings now and again. Its really fun to see them implement plans within plans, as they have multiple allies pulling them in different directions, but all seem trying to help. Its intriguing to see where the author is taking this, although you can tell Carl isn't getting pants anytime soon, and those magical boxers he's stuck with better get some armor buffs quick!

The supporting cast is fun as well. From a mentor turned surly manager to a TV host with an agenda, there are so many elements at play to push Carl and Donut along. The story arcs for the supporting characters are being slowly revealed, showing they are more than they appeared at first. Even some of the minor characters, in for only a scene, get unexpected arcs in their stories. Its amazing the depth these minor players have in the overall story.

The villains are revealing themselves slowly, but you get a feel that all isn't what it seems. The main villain might not even be a specific person, but a corporation as a whole, determined to turn the heroes into cat chow! There are some other outside forces that Carl and Donut have both set against them for one reason or another, and its interesting to see where these story arcs will end up.

The narration is performed by one of my favorite narrators, Jeff Hays. You can tell he is having the time of his life narrating this, and he has pulled out all the stops to create the best narration possible. The characters have such unique and distinct voices, and you are never in doubt which character is speaking. He really plumbs the depths of their emotions, and he just brings out the best in all the characters. His work as the absolutely hilarious Announcer AI is some of the best I've ever heard in an audiobook. If you have the opportunity to listen to the audio version, I highly recommend it.

Dungeon Crawler Carl as a series has risen swiftly into my top five all time list of LitRPG's. It has so many elements of fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian horror that it really has a broad range of appeal. I can't recommend this series enough. Get it today!