Carl and Donut Go to the Ball
There are very few series of novels as comedic and compelling as Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl. I’m not going to try to give a “Previous on Dungeon Crawler Carl” lead-in here. It would take me forever, and more importantly, I want you to read or listen to it for your own benefit.
The Butcher’s Masquerade is Book 5 in the series that follows Carl, his ex-girlfriend’s chonky cat, Princess Donut, and Donut’s pet dinosaur, Mongo, as they attempt to survive and progress deeper into a dungeon that exists somewhere in outer space. The entire setup is an intergalactic game show that puts innocent and unwilling races of beings face-to-face with death. Fortunately, through skills, quick thinking and a hell of a lot of luck, our heroes have made it all the way to the 6th floor.
Unfortunately for the crew, the sixth floor is aptly titled “The Hunting Grounds.” In addition to dealing with other crawlers (player vs. player is encouraged by the gamemasters), this floor introduces hunters. When crawlers die, they’re dead. Hunters are basically aliens who pay to sit at the equivalent of a computer and kill crawlers. When they’re defeated, it’s just the game that is over.
Meanwhile, there are royal houses and multiple races native to the game, sponsors who can provide crawlers with resources, aliens hosting talk shows to promote crawlers in a ranking system, and an AI with a foot fetish. Also, Carl is doing all of this in his boxer shorts.
The dungeon has everything you would want in a video game. There’s leveling, skills, grinding for experience points, a chat system, health bars, healing potions, spells, magic items, and mayhem. Dinniman must have an investigation board equivalent to the Charlie Day “Pepe Silvia” meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
In all honesty, there is so much to the series that makes it an entertainment unicorn. Dinniman is a terrific writer detailing an unbelievable number of moving parts. The broad range of characters would be overwhelming to the readers, if each of them didn’t have such recognizable traits. Donut loves to chat in all caps. Samantha WILL kill your mother. There’s a consistency to each of them that shows the author’s (and let’s not forget the editor’s) attention to detail.
Dinniman plants seeds that will sprout chapters and even books later. That’s admirable enough but doing so while writing the most absurd characters and happenings makes it a true delight. He is completely aware of the long game; while not getting distracted by how nonsensical it all is. He has the strategic approach of Jim Butcher and the gut-busting humor of Douglas Adams.
The Butcher’s Masquerade is a prime example of this approach. There are more characters than ever. Blood feuds. Royal secession challenges. Brambles. Hunters. More Dinosaurs than you can shake a bone at. And right in the middle of it all is our unlikely hero and his feline companion.
By the end of 2026, you won’t be able to go into a store, social engagement, or gathering without seeing or hearing about Dungeon Crawler Carl. Hell, I saw a sticker of Carl’s boxers, Donut, and Mongo in a local parking lot a week ago. Don’t hesitate. Get on board now and treat yourself to one of the most entertaining and preposterous series out there.
Dungeon Crawler Carl and Dinniman’s other novels are available at Amazon, bookstores, and big retail stores.