All 8 Dungeon Crawler Carl Books Ranked (by Their Goodreads Score)
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series turns an alien-run survival game show into a mix of fantasy, horror and video game mechanics, with a story about people exploited for entertainment. The article ranks its eight books by Goodreads scores, offering a snapshot of reader responses as fans await the ninth instalment next year.
The article says every book is rated above 4.3 stars, so even the lowest-ranked entry has found a strong audience. It describes the third book, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook, as especially demanding because of its maze-like subway setting, while the first two books follow Carl and talking cat Donut through the early floors and a widening world of dangers.
In short
- All eight books have Goodreads scores above 4.3 stars.
- The third book’s complex subway setting makes it the most divisive.
- The ninth instalment is expected next year.
Explained simply
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a fantasy series by Matt Dinniman about Carl and Donut, a talking cat, trying to survive inside an alien-run game show. Its world combines monsters and magic with rules familiar from video games, while the contestants’ struggles are broadcast as entertainment.
The series has eight published books, following Carl and Donut as they face increasingly complex dangers. The books have attracted strong reader ratings, though readers may respond differently to individual instalments and their settings.