Every single person I spoke to about this series of books told me to listen to the audiobooks. I usually reserve audiobooks for longer novels like Stephen King’s 11/22/63 and Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo which I’m still making my way through. That said, you all know what you’re talking about. The audiobooks for this series are fantastic.
This second book in the series follows Carl and Princess Donut to the third level of an Earth based dungeon of an alien survival game broadcast across the universe. Carl and Donut must pick a new race and class of fighter on the third level but must pick something that will help with their survival while also keeping their enormous following. Both kept to human and cat races but picked classes that benefited their strengths, and Donut’s class came with the ability to choose a manager. She chooses Mordecai, their guide through the dungeon from the beginning. Mordecai isn’t happy about this for it means he is stuck with them as long as they survive instead of being able to retire after level three.
As the story progresses, Mordecai drinks himself stupid before coming to terms with their new agreement though its obvious his full heart isn’t in it. Donut and Carl are pulled into side quests, one of which involves a circus full of zombie performers who are at the whims of whatever storylines the writers throw at them. As it progresses, other crawlers cross their paths and Carl begrudgingly takes another crawler into their party and accidentally finishes someone else’s quest.
As usual, Carl finds ways to outsmart the game makers. This is dangerous for him and Donut for they do not like being bested and the game itself is being run shorter than normal because the company running it is out of money. Matt Dinniman’s world building (perhaps universe building would be a better term for it) is hilariously unexpected as he talks of corporate bureaucracy in such a different context. There are shades of Hitchhikers Guide of the Galaxy in how Dinniman takes things that are so mundane to humans and flips them into something that is both new and familiar. All this set against the violent gaming world of the dungeon.
So far, I’m loving this series. Its irreverently funny and so very engaging as far as the story goes that its hard to stop reading – or listening if you’re doing the audiobooks. The books have announcements in them about game changes and prizes which the audiobooks do brilliantly. It pulls the listener into the story as if they were in the game themselves. If you haven’t gotten into this series, check it out.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
Every single person I spoke to about this series of books told me to listen to the audiobooks. I usually reserve audiobooks for longer novels like Stephen King’s 11/22/63 and Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo which I’m still making my way through. That said, you all know what you’re talking about. The audiobooks for this series are fantastic.
This second book in the series follows Carl and Princess Donut to the third level of an Earth based dungeon of an alien survival game broadcast across the universe. Carl and Donut must pick a new race and class of fighter on the third level but must pick something that will help with their survival while also keeping their enormous following. Both kept to human and cat races but picked classes that benefited their strengths, and Donut’s class came with the ability to choose a manager. She chooses Mordecai, their guide through the dungeon from the beginning. Mordecai isn’t happy about this for it means he is stuck with them as long as they survive instead of being able to retire after level three.
As the story progresses, Mordecai drinks himself stupid before coming to terms with their new agreement though its obvious his full heart isn’t in it. Donut and Carl are pulled into side quests, one of which involves a circus full of zombie performers who are at the whims of whatever storylines the writers throw at them. As it progresses, other crawlers cross their paths and Carl begrudgingly takes another crawler into their party and accidentally finishes someone else’s quest.
As usual, Carl finds ways to outsmart the game makers. This is dangerous for him and Donut for they do not like being bested and the game itself is being run shorter than normal because the company running it is out of money. Matt Dinniman’s world building (perhaps universe building would be a better term for it) is hilariously unexpected as he talks of corporate bureaucracy in such a different context. There are shades of Hitchhikers Guide of the Galaxy in how Dinniman takes things that are so mundane to humans and flips them into something that is both new and familiar. All this set against the violent gaming world of the dungeon.
So far, I’m loving this series. Its irreverently funny and so very engaging as far as the story goes that its hard to stop reading – or listening if you’re doing the audiobooks. The books have announcements in them about game changes and prizes which the audiobooks do brilliantly. It pulls the listener into the story as if they were in the game themselves. If you haven’t gotten into this series, check it out.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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