This book was originally published in 2020. It’s now 2026 and the popularity of this series speaks for itself. As of this post Dungeon Crawler Carl has been on the New York Times Bestsellers Hardcover Fiction list for 12 weeks (multiple books in the series are currently on the Bestsellers list). The audiobook has been on the New York Times Bestseller Audio fiction List for 10 weeks. Fun side not, the whole series is currently on the New York Times Bestseller Audio Fiction List. It has 300K ratings on Goodreads and stands at 4.8 stars… I’m in agreement with all of that.
I read this book back in October 2025. I started with the audiobook which was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I was introduced to the genius that is Jeff Hayes and a curse because at that moment I knew that I would not be listening to anything else in the near future. The fact that Jeff Hayes made Carl sound like Patrick Warburton only played a *cough* small part… and the fact that Patrick Warburton was included in one of the later audiobooks… *chefs kiss* Needless to say I immediately fell in love with this series. When Donut started talking however, that cemented it for me.
Now, as a gamer it was not hard for me to get sucked into all the character stats that were being laid out. It was pure genius that Donut started with a charisma of 25 (I laughed so hard I was crying, I kid you not). I never thought that listening/reading about other people opening loot boxes would be entertaining… alas, I was riveted. And yes, I say listening and reading, because when I wasn’t listening to this book, I was reading it. About half way through the first book I started buying the rest of the series… I collect books. It’s a hobby not an addiction!
The AI’s weird obsession with Carl’s feet, the AI’s sarcasm and bipolar antics brought joy to my heart. Realistically, I could go on about the awesomeness (using the original meaning of the word awesome, i.e. it inspires awe) of this book all day and night. Instead I’ll leave it with this: If you haven’t read this book, you need to. If you have read the book, HIGH FIVE!
Date Started: October 18, 2025
Date Finished: October 19, 2025
