Book Review: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl) by Matt Dinniman

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The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is very popular, and there are a few reasons for that. One is that they are fun. The premise is that humans are forced into a worldwide RPG video-style competition where death is on the line. They are given supernatural powers, leveling systems, inventory management, and crafting abilities that come straight out of video games. They fight mobs of fantasy monsters that terrify and bemuse, and they can fight each other. It's like a huge MMORPG with PVE and PVP, but where you only get one life, and you can actually die IRL. 

The second reason I enjoy these books is that they are not tailored to a younger audience. They might be considered YA, but they have cussing and sexual content that makes me think that they are definitely not for kids. They also offer a balanced dose of drama and seriousness that makes them more believable and emotionally engrossing. The characters care about things and have ups and downs just like real people. They are not melodramatic or simplistic. A lot is going on in these books, and the world-building is impressive. 

Anyway, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook continues where Carl’s Doomsday Scenario left off, but this time Carl and Donut are in a subway train system that is so complicated the author reminds the reader before the book begins not to worry too much about the train system details, as it only starts to matter and become clear near the end of the book. I don’t worry about ambiguity in plots, so it didn’t bother me at all. It was just fun to follow the characters as they tried to navigate the confusing rail system in an effort to solve the puzzle of how to find the stairwells down to the next level.

Carl and Donut meet a lot of new NPCs, monsters, and fellow crawlers. They get new equipment, loot, and abilities, and they learn more about how the outer world they are subject to interacts with the synthetic world of the dungeon. On this level, Carl and Donut have to contend with a new dilemma: whether or not to help others. Carl and Donut have made friends within the dungeon, and they don’t like the way the overseers of the competition callously kill off crawlers. They are put into scenarios where they can choose to let other crawlers die or risk their own lives to try to save them. This adds a lot of tension and suspense, and even though they can’t save everyone, they do their best to work with others to ensure as many people as possible reach the next level. When the game puts a bounty on their heads, it makes it even harder to know who to trust. 

The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman continues the exciting saga of Carl and Donut, and if you have read the previous two books, there is no reason not to read this one. If you haven’t started this series, then I recommend checking it out, especially if you have played video games and enjoy sci-fi or fantasy. There is a reason these books are popular, and I can’t wait to read the next one.

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