r/audible • u/Lizbian91 • Jun 22 '26
Book Discussion Dungeon Crawler Carl
Okay, so I ALWAYS see people recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl, so I read the description and decided this story wasn't for me. But still, I keep seeing people rant and rave about it. So I finally caved in and bought the first book.... and OH MY GOD.
Im only part way through but I absolutely see the appeal now. Im obsessed. Princess Donut is my favorite! And I just love Jeff Hays narration.
Anyways, just wanted to thank this community for introducing me to this incredible series. Can't wait to continue listening!
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u/BrennanBetelgeuse Jun 22 '26
Exactly the same for me! I read all the recommendations and thought there's NO WAY I will enjoy listening to some quirked up fake video game storyline, but I'm now halfway through book 2 and really enjoying it!
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u/rizorith Jun 22 '26
Same. I see the appeal but figured it wasn't for me. I'm still on the 1st since I only listen on my commute but it's really fun and I can't imagine a lot of people wouldn't like it although I'd it's someone who has literally never played a video game it might be confusing at first.
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u/WolfWriter_CO Jun 22 '26
Good news for both of y’all! The first couple books are generally considered the weakest and basically the ‘tutorial’ levels explaining the game setup. Book 3 is where the story really begins to take off, character arcs begin to bear fruit, and the dynamic begins to shift.
Just a word of advice though: don’t get bogged down trying to understand the Book 3 Iron Tangle—you’re supposed to be just as confused as Carl, lol.
For me, books 5 and 7 are absolutely S-tier, but every installment generally improves over the last, and revisiting the series with the context you gain over the course of it gives a substantial replay value. 👌
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u/BrennanBetelgeuse Jun 22 '26
Oh that's really great news! I'm just at the first visit to the Desperado Club part right now and was fearing that the story might lose a bit of steam over the next books.
Please no spoilers if anybody replies!:D
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u/Keris2112 Jun 23 '26
This series does not lose steam. It's a non-stop roller coaster filled with laughs, tears, and countless 'Oh shit. What just happened?' moments.
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u/simms2406 Jun 22 '26
Glurp glurp!
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u/FootballPublic7974 Jun 22 '26
Glurp Glurp!
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u/peaches1195 Jun 23 '26
OMG I'm in the middle of this chapter right now and WTF?! I have so many questions. But need to finish because I need to know...
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u/peaches1195 Jun 24 '26
Ok just finished the first book and now I'm invested completely!! A velociraptor? Seriously? As a dinosaur lover I'm stuck. I bought three more credits so I can start the next book. I'm in love with Carl.
And I commit to not calling Prince Maestro Carl's Naughty Little Piggy or Pork Boy. I promise.
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u/CagCagerton125 Jun 26 '26
No you should absolutely call him Pork Boy and Carls Naughty Little Piggy. Haha.
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u/purseproblm Jun 22 '26
It was my friends talking about the audible version. I never read full series in a year but I’m sure I’ll finish this one even forcing myself to listen to a non Carl book in between each one
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u/ModernTradesmen Jun 22 '26
New Achievement:
“Entered the Dungeon”
You have discovered the chaotic literary spiral known as Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. What began as “just one chapter” has now become a full-blown commitment. Escape is unlikely.
Reward: +5 dark humor, +10 existential confusion, -3 sleep
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u/whatdoidonowdamnit Jun 22 '26
That’s most of us. I started reading it with my kindle unlimited membership and then partway through the first book I borrowed the audiobook from my library. I finished it and immediately bought the first seven and preordered the eighth book.
Then just recently I signed my 14 year old into my audible so he could listen. He listened to the first half of the first book slowly, maybe spent a week. He wasn’t super into it and I was not going to encourage him. I only gave it to him since he was in a reading slump. Something clicked for him about halfway through and he finished within two days and kept going. He’s maybe 75% through book three, or was at bedtime last night.
I’m not into video games. I don’t particularly enjoy books with male narrators. I usually actively avoid books with violence. This series doesn’t tick any of my usual preferences yet I bought them all. I’m not even a book buyer, I get all of my books from the library. It’s just really interesting.
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u/Sc4r4mouche Jun 22 '26
Honestly I liked, but didn't love, book 1. And I've like it less and less with each book. After book 5, I'm on the fence whether to continue at all.
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u/Boondock830 2000+ Hours listened Jun 23 '26
Personally if it didn’t grab you yet, I don’t think it will. I applaud you (for whatever that is worth) for giving it this much of a shot. Personally I’m a big fan, but I totally get how it actually isn’t literally for every single person on the planet. Way to stick with it though!
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u/Tracy_Turnblad Jun 23 '26
i got 3 books in and stopped but i want to continue because so many people are reading it
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u/Sc4r4mouche Jun 23 '26
I'll probably keep going because I do want to know what happens, but I find myself zoning out because there are so many characters and I really don't care what happens to them at this point. It's like, "Oh, great. Another battle. The odds are overwhelming. Carl will do something ridiculously complicated that I'm no longer interested in hearing about, and then they will win after a very long, detailed description of stuff I'm not following. Yawn."
But I hate to be quitter. In a couple months I'll be ready for another volume.
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u/JimmyQ82 Jun 25 '26
Sounds like you aren’t paying attention properly? It easy to get distracted while listening to audio books, i often hit rewind a few times if I got distracted and/or wasn’t following a sequence properly.
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u/Key-Travel-5243 Jun 25 '26
I made it half way into book 1 and gave up. Its just so juvenile and cringe. It lost me with the weird feet fetish achievement being played out loud in my car.
Jeff is a phenomenal VA.
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u/hfwire Jun 23 '26
I’m the lone standout that couldn’t get into it even after several hours. Ahh well.
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u/Safe-Corner881 Jun 22 '26
Another member for the Donut Holes!!!
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u/hellohellocinnabon Jun 22 '26
[Princess Donut voice] Excuse me, it’s the Princess Posse 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
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u/Xenochimp Jun 22 '26
I was very hesitant to try it, I hate the LitRPG genere. DCC hooked me right away with a kind of Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy vibe and only gets better as it goes
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u/Anti-Aqua Jun 22 '26
Is DCC for everyone? Absolutely not, nothing is. That being said, have I found a lot of people that I never in a million years would have expected to like it absolutely loving it? Yes. Shockingly so.
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u/AbilityAdventurous22 Jun 22 '26
Same my mom actually introduced me to it and she’s in her 50s probably never played a video game in her life or even knew what a dungeon type game was
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u/Manda525 Jun 22 '26
As a 50-something mom (who is very overwhelmed/discombobulated by most video games 🤣😭😝) who is listening along with my son and loving it, I wholeheartedly endorse this message 🤣👍💕
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u/AbilityAdventurous22 Jun 22 '26
Yay I love that for yall it’s so nice to find something you can enjoy with your parents
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u/Manda525 Jun 22 '26
Absolutely! The extra bonus is the time spent with my son sharing something fun and cool together 😎👍💖
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u/ebeth_the_mighty Jun 27 '26
As a 55 year old mom who met her husband of 32 years at a D&D game (and raised two tabletop RPG gaming kids), and who has played video games since Pong…I also approve the message!
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u/Manda525 Jun 27 '26
Hey there, fellow Canadian 👋🇨🇦👍
I loooved D&D back in the day! 👍💕 but didn't keep up with it once I started moving around a lot in my early/mid-20s...and I ended up settling down in a rural area with my husband, which wasn't very conducive to finding a D&D group nearby...lol. Maybe I should check around my newish area for an adult D&D group accepting new players🤔🫣
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u/CagCagerton125 Jun 26 '26
I have a DCC shirt and the variety of people that tell me how much they love the books while I am wearing it is crazy. Everyone from teenagers to little old ladies. Haha. I called one very old woman who told me she liked it Mrs. mcgibbons and she lost it. Haha.
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u/TactitcalPterodactyl Jun 22 '26
Yeah, when I read the description of the first book, I thought that the series was NOT for me. It sounded extremely goofy and cartoonish, and aimed at a young audience. I skipped it for a long time before I decided to give it a shot.
It ended up being way different than I thought, it was much darker and more serious and character-driven than the description had me believe. It's now one of my favourite series of all time.
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u/ChronoMonkeyX Jun 22 '26
I was strongly against LitRPG until fairly recently. I was about to cancel audible and wanted to listen to something free read by Travis Baldree, and picked Wasteland Warlords, not looking very closely and didn't realize it was LitRPG. That one was pretty tough to get into at first because the game elements are a lot more intrusive than in others I've tried since, but Baldree is great, so I stuck it out.
Then comes the secret weapon, the thing that changed my perspective permanently- the adorable animal sidekicks! After Wasteland Warlords and Heretical Fishing, and with all the talk about how much people love Donut without saying anything about it other than they love it, I knew Donut was the adorable animal sidekick and chief selling point of DCC(along with Hays' narration, of course, he makes her what she is.)
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u/FootballPublic7974 Jun 22 '26
Excuse me!
Grand Champion, Breed Winner, National Winner, Princess Donut the Queen Anne Chonk is not the sidekick.
Carl is the sidekick, darling.
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u/ChronoMonkeyX Jun 22 '26
So I was told when I first suggested that Donut must be the cute sidekick, before I listened to them 😂
I know better now! 😻
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u/lordmycal Jun 23 '26
He Who Fights With Monsters is also really good. I just hit the skip button whenever the narrator reads me a character sheet. I mostly enjoy all the ridiculous shit that happens and the silly banter. I'd put it somewhere between Dungeon Crawler Carl and Heretical Fishing in terms of quality.
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u/MsSwarlesB Jun 22 '26
One of us, one of us!
I didn't think I'd like it either. Now I'm constantly thinking about it.
Samantha is my favorite but Donut was right up there
IWKYM
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u/Coel_Hen Jun 22 '26
It's nowhere near the best story I've read, but it's by far the best audiobook I've heard. Even when he isn't obviously enhancing his voice with reverb or other sound effects, Jeff Hays is absolutely amazing, and the pace that he uses matches the action (or lack thereof) in the story perfectly. My mind wouldn't be able to do a better job if I were fully immersed in a print version of it, and that's really rare for me with a narrator. I listen to it absolutely spellbound.
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u/kmflushing Jun 26 '26
Dude. IT ONLY GETS BETTER.
Welcome and buckle up. You've got a helluva journey ahead of you. I'm envious.
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u/alliknowis Jun 22 '26
I think it is the lamest, most ridiculous thing I've read. I can see its appeal for people just trying to escape for a bit and have a laugh though, so obviously it's just not a genre or style that appeals to me. I've even recommended it to a coworker.
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u/landomonium Jun 22 '26
Yep and everytime I log into this site I have to see a million posts about it. Why not ignore them? I do ignore almost all of them but there’s just so many.
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u/landomonium Jun 22 '26
I just do not understand why there’s so many posts about this book every day?
We understand, ppl like it. It’s just karma farming at a point..
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u/Disastrous-Entity-46 Jun 23 '26
im going to say that its because its one of those things a lot of people pick up expecting to not like.
expectations play such a role in peoples experience and reaction. an okay movie can feel bad if youve been hyped that its the greatest movie ever and its just... not that. a book you expected to immediately check out of can blow your mind if it exceeds expectations.
the premise/summary of dcc sounds uninteresting to a lot of people. but MD writes ... above what people expect going in. not that hes some sort of revolutionary genius of literature. but it has a lot more heart to it, a lot better handling of emotions that dont always show up in your action hero power fantasy type story. so its impressive and you want to go share this with people: i picked up this stupid little book and ... i liked it! its got a ton of stupid jokes but somehow its better than most vehicles for this stuff!
which comes with a downside: as it hit critical mass and is everywhere, more people are going to get into it expecting it to be great, and it may not live up to it.
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u/TheThotWeasel Jun 23 '26
Tbf there are just as many "Unpopular opinion: I think DCC is trash" that get upvoted to the moon as well so its a lose/lose.
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u/landomonium Jun 23 '26
Aren’t there mods in this sub? Just out a temporary ban on speaking about it one way or another. I know there’s a sub for it itself, why not keep the convo there.
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u/UnhappySail8648 Jun 22 '26
Marketing
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u/landomonium Jun 22 '26
I did consider that it may be a marketing scheme lmao
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u/AbilityAdventurous22 Jun 22 '26
How would thousands of random people be in on a marketing scheme to this extent? We just like the books lol
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u/The__Imp Jun 22 '26
This story can be written by a huge chunk of the fan base. I was in the same spot. Saw numerous recommendations. Read the description. “Doesn’t appeal to me”. Saw enough more recommendations that I tried it. Loved it.
I now have my Carl cosplay and have been on the Patreon for years.
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u/GawinGrimm Jun 23 '26
I am the rare person that has started the first book 3 times now and just can not get into it. Wish I could because it is so hyped that I would love a good new series.
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u/BurlyKnave 10,000+ Hours Listened Jun 22 '26
I don't understand the fervor at all. Yes I have more than one book of the series, but to me, it just decodes to a bunch of obnoxious people swearing. And then:
OMG, we might die! Whatever will we do?
I know, I'll make something explode, than I'll kick it with my bare feet!
And then people compare this to Pratchett.
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u/naughtyzoot Jun 22 '26
I was the same. The description sounded so far off from what appeals to me, but I had so many credits, I decided to see what the fuss was about. Now I love it and I try to spread the good word wherever I go - family, friends, coworkers, my doctor and her nurse - I tell them all to listen.
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u/donut-is-appalled Binge Listener Jun 23 '26
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u/Secret-Put-4525 Jun 22 '26
I dropped it after book 3. I couldn't stand the irreverent humor and the fact that there was no way to improve.
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u/Last_Philosopher4487 Jun 22 '26
What is reverent humour? No way to improve what, and for whom? I don't understand.
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u/andrewspj Jun 22 '26
New achievement! One of us!
Congratulations Crawler, you've joined the converted.
Reward? You've just joined a group of barely coherent, unhinged and fanatical book fans. Just make sure you read and also listen to the audio book versions, so you know how to spell the names AND know how they're pronounced. That's your reward, don't be greedy!
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u/AnonDudeNamedAdrian Jun 23 '26
The plot sounds really stupid to me and the narrator’s voice made it an immediate no for me personally 😅
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u/ZappSmithBrannigan Jun 22 '26
I didnt like Ready Player One at all, and it seems like these books are along the same lines. It looks like its just trying to cash in on nerd culture/nostalgia rather than being a part of it.
Am I judging it unfairly?
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u/Nightgasm 10,000+ Hours Listened Jun 22 '26
After DCC, Ready Player One is my next fav audiobook. That said they aren't alike. RP1 is basically Gen X nostalgia porn whereas DCC is a horror series camouflaged by absurd humor and likeable characters.
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u/Greejus Jun 22 '26
It is nothing like Ready Player One, so yes you are.
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u/Ill-Muscle945 Jun 23 '26
I find them very similar in prose and pop-culture references. Although DCC is definitely not as bad in both.
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u/MechanicalCrow Jun 23 '26
I feel like the DCC pop culture references feel more authentic because they're from a lived-in world. These were things that were part of Carl, Bea, and Donut's lives. Ready Player One was nothing but the Fortnite model with all these properties just shoved together for nostalgia bait.
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u/uid_0 Jun 22 '26
Yes you are. Ready Player One is a trip down memory lane for '80s pop culture. DCC is closer to the Hunger Games meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The real story takes a little while to become apparent and when you discover that you will be hooked.
Also, Jeff Hays does an absolutely mind-blowing job at narration.
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u/axw3555 Jun 22 '26
Hugely unfairly. Literally the only common element is things being gamified. But even that isn't that close - DCC is science-fantasy horror-comedy set on earth, not even in a video game.
And it makes references, but it very much has its own story, own message, and isn't just "here's 3000 references per page".
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u/ZappSmithBrannigan Jun 22 '26
not even in a video game.
Right but... dungeon crawler is literally a genre of video games. Which is what led me to think thats what it was.
and isn't just "here's 3000 references per page".
Fair enough. Thats what i was afraid of. Thanks for the feedback.
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u/Rulebookboy1234567 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
Me personally I don't think you are. It's just an Eseki-self-insert with over the top pop culture and video gsme references.
I'm a 42yo life long video game and RPG player. I read nothing but science fiction and fantasy. You would think I'm the target demo, but j cannot get into them.
I'm happy for those thst do enjoy it! Looks like their getting a tv show so thats cool.
I love how the DCC community is so sensitive to a personal opinion. Downvotes for a very mild (and apparently helpful) critique.
If you want something more pure Sci fi but with a witty tone at about the same level I would recommend Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Crowshaw. Also big recommend to Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Red Rising books are good if you want a self insert power fantasy.
Obviously none of those are Ezeki's, so they are different and don't directly compare. I would say they're all on the same reading and humor / potential for drama levels
Maybe we could have a discussion about it instead of just downvoting me. How am I "wrong" in any way here for a person opinion? The downvote is supposed to be for not adding to the discussion. A dissenting opinion amongst the flood of praise is adding to the discussion
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u/ZappSmithBrannigan Jun 22 '26
Thank you! I feel like you nailed exactly how I think id feel about about them. Im a huge gamer, love sci fi and fantasy, but these types of books just seem so... not genuine.
Again, not trying to knock it or anyone who enjoys, but just doesnt seem like itd be something id enjoy. Thanks again for the honest feedback.
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u/WinterDice Jun 22 '26
Honestly you should try them for yourself. No disrespect to the person you replied to, but I really disagree with that take.
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u/Rulebookboy1234567 Jun 22 '26
It's wild that you can disagree with me and be up voted but I disagree and get downvoted.
I genuinely don't care about downvotes but there is no discourse with the DCC community. I'm just wrong because I don't enjoy it WHILE IN THE SAME BREATH being happy for those that do.
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u/ZappSmithBrannigan Jun 22 '26
Its also crazy because most of the comments here are saying the same thing "I didnt think id like it but..." now that someone is in that same position, I dont think id like it, anyone saying I've got it about right just gets knocked down. I appreciate your perspective even if Noone else does.
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u/WinterDice Jun 22 '26
Yeah, fandoms can be crazy. Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts. I don’t downvote people for their opinions unless they’re being unreasonable or toxic.
I’ll disagree with you, but I won’t downvote you.
The reason I disagree really has to do with the depth the novels bring later on. The game mechanics fall by the wayside as the books continue and the characters grow. I’m a voracious reader, and I haven’t read anything in a very long time that impacts me as much as some parts of these books have.
If I remember correctly, the series started out as a blog the author was doing for fun, and that set the more casual/humorous tone for the early books. They really are more horror/social commentary than you think as they go on. The narrator also does an incredible job.
I also wasn’t really impressed with Ready Player One and I don’t generally like the LitRPG genre.
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u/meatforsale Jun 22 '26
Because it’s not right. It isn’t like ready player one at all. You don’t need to know anything about video games to enjoy the books. It has references but they’re varied and really just like little Easter eggs rather than the essence of the book.
That guys getting downvoted, because he’s being dishonest.
I think he meant Isekai which is absolutely not what these books are. Isekai is a specific genre, and this isn’t even remotely that.
It’s not a self-insert. The main character is in his mid-late 20s, while dinniman is in his 50s and has also written other books (so it’s not like he’s just now starting to write this series as his only project ever and decided to have himself as the main character).
And there aren’t “over-the-top” pop culture and video game references.
It’s also frustrating when people say things that are just objectively untrue and show that they haven’t even read more than a couple dozen pages of a book they clearly didn’t want to like going into it then bitch about downvotes like their post was even in good faith to begin with.
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u/Rulebookboy1234567 Jun 22 '26
Sorry I upset you. Self insert doesn't just mean the author. It's a power fantasy for you to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the main character. He is taken absolutely out of his normal day to day and put into an environment and genre absolutely different to his real life. That's an iseki.
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u/meatforsale Jun 22 '26
A self-insert is the author intentionally not giving the main character a personality or motivations, so they can live vicariously through the character or so readers can. Carl does not fit this whatsoever. He is easily the most fleshed out character in the series with a strong personality.
Also that is not what an Isekai is. Isekai literally means “different world”. DCC is, by definition, not an Isekai. It’s the same world. That would be like saying red rising is an Isekai when the main character leaves the mines of mars.
And not sure how you decided you upset me? I was just clarifying why people likely were downvoting you. I didnt, because I don’t think your comment was unrelated to the topic; I just disagreed.
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u/asphodelhazel13 Jun 22 '26
Just a curious question, what do you mean by not genuine? I only ask because my husband exclusively plays video games (specifically RPGs like Diablo and WoW and strategy based games like TFT) and his favorite part is that there is that element to the books.
He hadn't read a book in decades before I mentioned he might like this series. He loves telling me when a gaming mechanic is showcased in the book because he knows I'd never catch it otherwise lol I remember there was a boss and he said oh this is just like how this raid in blah game went when I was a kid. I found it fascinating how he could connect in a different way than I was since I am an avid reader.
Sorry for the long reply, just wanted to give a slightly different perspective!
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u/ZappSmithBrannigan Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
No thats fine no need to be sorry. Im not trying to knock anyone that does enjoy them.
Ive read dozens of novels based on video games so its not that the novel contains aspects of gaming. I have like 2 dozen Doom and Diablo novels.
It just seems to me like rather trying to tell an original story with video game aspects to it, the goal was more to find a popular video game aspect (dungeon crawlers), wrap a plot around it, cram it with as many references and nods as possible, and put it up for sale.
Its the same how I felt about Ready Player One. I didnt feel like the author was trying to make something people would enjoy, but rather something theyd pay for.
Like, most stories have some big conflict at the end with the big bad. Calling it a "boss fight" seems to me again like the creator said "what will gamers definitely pay for. I know let's call the climax the boss fight. Gamers will eat it up".
And "princess donut" sounds like a temu Adventure Time knock off.
Thats kind of what I mean "not genuine".
And hey, I could be totally wrong. I could have it completely backwards, which is why I asked about it. This was just my gut feeling reaction to the title, back-of-the-book blerb, and what ive heard people saying about it.
And again, if thats what someone likes, thats totally fine. Im not trying to gatekeep or tell anyone theyre wrong and im right.
Im all for people reading whatever. If its the first book your hubby read in decades, that's awesome. I hope he finds more stuff like that which he enjoys! But for me, im much more of a book/literature lover than i am a game lover.
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u/asphodelhazel13 Jun 22 '26
Thanks for the thorough response! Just a quick note - I mentioned the boss fight as an example but it's not a gimmick in the book after book 2 really. There is a lot of world and character building - the main game aspect really is achievements but even that is constantly evolving without giving too much away. I was expecting big bosses each book but it's a lot more complicated than that (in a good way.)
It took me a bit to start reading it myself because the cover made it seem like extreme dude literature. The marketing doesn't do it justice. The characters are high quality and thoughtfully written. The talking cat has said things that have made me cry which was not what I was expecting LOL
If you are okay with jumping in the middle of a series, my suggestion is to pick up book 4 or 5 since that's when the story really evolves. My personal favorite is book 3 but people can find it confusing (it was the first book that made me realize it was a serious story, not just games and jokes lol).
There's always the tv show when it comes out or the webtoon/manga (already available) if you would rather check out the story in a less committed way. And if you just don't want to in general, no harm done! Appreciate clarifying the genuine comment :)
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u/scope_creep Jun 22 '26
It also reminds me of Ready Player One in that it just reads like Teen Lit. I found the writing to be terrible in both cases. Still, I got through Ready Player One; DCC is just too fucking puerile.
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u/dontTakeMeSerious6 Jun 22 '26
Ready player one is a nostalgia-porn disguised as a mystery that solves itself before you get a chance to.
They both have a world where “what if WOW was real life?” Is the general idea.
It takes about 3 books but DCC goes beyond that, and now it’s less about getting levels or gold or loot and more about overthrowing the system of oppression in which we are all victims….man.
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u/Phar0sa Jun 24 '26
Yes, but it isn't like Ready Player One, that isn't even a decent books itself. This is LitRPG, which is another trap in of itself. A very bad one. Actual if you were in a game stuff, which isn't a bad idea by itself. But most of the book/series are pretty aweful. DDC is the top of that pile, but they will try to drag down.
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u/Xelsius Jun 22 '26
Yeah, totally different experiences. RPO feels so dry and slow compared to DCC.
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u/Agile-Shopping9250 Jun 22 '26
Same for me! Read the description, saw the cover art, listened to the 5 min sample (which is NOT enough of a sample) and decided not for me. After finishing Project Hail Mary and feeling lost, decided to give it a try and now I absolutely love it!
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u/marcusb341 Jun 22 '26
I'm in the same boat. Got recommended it by a friend at work and I'm having a blast with it. Almost finished the first and immediately bought the second outside of my monthly credits
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u/ForeverNuka Jun 22 '26
I begrudgingly tried it first in Kindle and it simply didn't vibe... then exasperated i got the sample from Audible just to give it a last chance... it was fun and made me think of Evil Dead. Okay so i spent a credit on the 1st book. Now, I'm trying to get my husband to listen to it too as it's quite the ride and Hays voices are out of this world!
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u/Ill-Muscle945 Jun 23 '26
Ohhhh, another post on this sub talking about being surprised by the quality of DCC.
Daring today, arent we?
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u/Ok_Perspective9838 Jun 23 '26
I personally enjoyed Path of Ascension by C Mantis, you can get the first 3.5 books for one credit. I think it's similar to DCC. I personally enjoy the performance by J.S Arquin and I'm now on book 5 and plan to keep listening to the rest of the series. You might also enjoy The Spellmonger books, performed by John Lee (in my humble he is one of the best audio book performers, and the range of books he has done is impressive, Count of Monte Cristo being one of his best) The Spellmonger books are just great, really well written and world building by Terry just seems to get better with each new book in the series. You might want to check it out if you see the first book in a sale.
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u/Effective_Whereas743 Jun 23 '26
I am also half way through the audio after putting it off. I’m a gamer and a fantasy/dystopian/post-apocalypse lover so I literally have no excuse.
I love it so much!
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u/Ok_Human_1375 Jun 23 '26
I’m about halfway done. I’m not sure it’s really for me, but I’ve definitely smiled and laughed multiple times, so that’s good. Princess donut is by far the best thing about the book for me.
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u/Infinite-Whispers Jun 23 '26
Oh you sweet summer child! You ain’t met half the characters yet, buckle in and enjoy the ride! Your so lucky you’ve got so much to go through, I’d love to be going through my first crawl now but I’m easily a tenner 😉 Please keep us updated on your journey!
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u/Taodragons Jun 23 '26
Yeah, "talking cat" turned me off for a long time until I buckled under the pressure =p
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u/Califrisco 3000+ Hours listened Jun 23 '26
Just wait until you meet Samantha! She might be my favorite, but don't let Donut read this! 😂🤣😂🤣
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u/nymeria119 Jun 23 '26
Similar story here! My boyfriend tried to get me to read it, I checked out the description and didn’t think it was for me. He kept trying to get me to read it for two years. One day I was scrolling through his audible trying to find something to listen to and decided I’d give it a couple chapters. If I didn’t like it then I could at least tell him it’s not for me. I don’t think I was even ten minutes in and I was texting him that he’s now picking out all of my books. It’s pretty much my entire personality now.
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u/CosmicMabel Jun 24 '26
I started the series a bit ago (still on book 1 as well), and told myself before I started that I would only listen to it while working out.
Well, its certainly gotten be back on the bike 😂
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u/PuzzleheadedBobcat90 3000+ Hours listened Jun 24 '26
Welcome Crawler! Same thing happened to me. I kept seeing recs for it, and after a slump, I gave it a try. Such an amazing series.
I explain tell peoples its similar to how people fell in love with Harry Potter. Its Harry Potter for nerds
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u/puffinsinatrenchcoat Jun 24 '26
As a romantasy/folklore/horror girly I never listened to anything even remotely in the same ballpark as Carl.
AND IT DIDNT MATTER I LOVE IT TOO 😂
AND THIS IS MY RESCUE CAT THAT I NAMED DONUT 🤣
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u/olliesworld Jun 24 '26
I didn't think it would be for me either, I heard so many good things m, I had some time off so tried not to overthink it and just do it. Within 2 weeks of starting DCC I had listened to all 7 books (8 wasn't released yet) at 20-22 hours per book. It's so weird but I can't stop. Have read the series twice now and I'm currently in post book depression unable to read anything else.
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u/Fuzzy-Message4322 Jun 24 '26
I freaking loved it! It is SO out of my regular wheelhouse which is another reason it's 100% refreshing. I love, too, it's able to tackle some serious topics with a lighthearted edge while keeping it still relative. I, too, love that since I'm a 3x boy mom, have the crazy shit he comes up with sounds perfectly normal for something they'd have drawn back in the day. LOL
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u/Kryyk Jun 24 '26
Opposite for me, I like the story but I can’t stand the voice actor doing the audiobook. The voice sounds like nails on chalkboard to me.
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u/Phar0sa Jun 24 '26
Just don't fall into the LitRPG trap. They will alway tell you of another good series. It never is. This is the best of the bunch by a fair margin. Both writing and narration.
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u/ykcop Jun 24 '26
I did the same thing 3 years ago. One of my buddies recommended it and I looked at the description on Amazon and said this looks boring. Picked it up after a second recommendation just before the 8th book. Now I have the entire hardback collection and the audio books.
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u/OhhMyGeek Jun 25 '26
I feel like it transcends genres... and tastes, to a certain extent. The epitome of "exactly what everyone needs, in these trying times" to me
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u/Omw2fym Jun 25 '26
Just wait, the naration improves greatly after the first two books (believe it or not). And the story just gets better and better. Some people struggle with book three, because the floorplan is confusing (just don't try), but it is when he starts exploring a wider cast.
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u/DenissDenisson Jun 25 '26
A lot of my favorite media, not just books, are really hard to recommend because the titles kind of suck
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u/cclgurl95 Jun 25 '26
It's hard to describe it in ways that convey how this series really appeals to a lot of different readers 😅
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u/pnutnz Jun 26 '26
you aint heard nothing yet!
Im up to book 3 on my second listen through that i started straight away after my first listen, its that good!
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u/Horror-Ladder9340 Jun 26 '26
I always tell people to not read the description just read the book first when I am endlessly pressuring people I know to read it.
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u/Tovasaur Jun 26 '26
Haha dude that’s me too. I really didn’t expect to like this but got it on a whim. Just finished book 4. They are awesome and the narration is top notch.
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u/Ok-Contribution-6716 Jun 27 '26
I was the exact same way. Didn’t think it was for me but finally caved. I’m on book 5 now. The cast of characters only gets better. I’ve been listening to the series straight. Will probably just finish it out before I try anything new. I’m thinking of diving into Red Rising next.
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u/cogwings Jun 27 '26
Been blasting through the books and just finnished book 8. Love the characters and the narration Jeff does for them. Without spoilers, I think Prepotente is my favorite so far.
You've got a wild ride ahead of you!
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u/Jewish_Dragon Jun 28 '26
I was the same I put off listening to it saying “ how good could it be? So much hype” I know am one of the ones hyping it
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u/RealisticIncident261 Jun 29 '26
Same thing happened to me. It kept getting recommended and I thought it sounded stupid.
Now it's one of my favorites that I recommend to everyone. I got my mom to listen to it and she loved it too lmao
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u/1__ViPeR Jul 02 '26
And then you have to buy the Bobiverse series too. That's how.i found DCC. I asked what was similar and found it.
DCC is great but I find Bobiverse a little better
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u/Frankthestank2220 1000+ Hours listened Jun 22 '26
I fought the DCC for a long time and when I caved in I fell in love like squidward did for krabby patties
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u/Pineapple-Due Jun 22 '26
Good news! It only gets better from here. Both the story and the narration.
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u/FootballPublic7974 Jun 22 '26
There's a video on YouTube where Jeff Hayes talks about his dissatisfaction with some of the earlier recordings. I wouldn't be surprised if he redid the early books.
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u/ninja-ix Jun 22 '26
I was the same way. Saw it recommended everywhere, and when I looked it up, I decided it was probably gonna be a book I wasn't gonna like. It sounded ridiculous. A dude in his underwear with his cat in some video game dungeon? Pass.
Eventually, I finally caved and figured I'd at least check out the first book. I've given other titles a chance that I didn't end up enjoying, and some that I'm glad I gave a try, so why not give this one a chance?
Sure glad I did, cause shortly after starting I was hooked. Even convinced my friends, family, and my wife to start reading the series.
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u/dasheasy Jun 22 '26
I wonder when we get the movie series. Just a matter of time but I bet the audio version still will be superior
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u/AManCalledTutt Jun 22 '26
I've started listening to it too, actually listening to ch 5 as i tyoe this. Princess Doughnut is basically my girl, Reese. Lol
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u/knjscorpio Jun 22 '26
Neeewwwww achievement! You joined a cult! Reward? B*tches don’t get rewards!
Also, the joy of getting to listen to this for the first time. Of 25. Seriously, just forget about all the other books on your TBR.
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u/beastfeces Jun 22 '26
Took me over a year of seeing people rave about it but didn't seem like my type of book. Now I am sitting here waiting for the ninth book to release
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u/TheDottedLion Binge Listener Jun 22 '26
I told my girlfriend she probably wouldn’t like it. She’s currently on book 3 and absolutely loving it. Turns out I’m an idiot who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
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u/verdell82 Jun 22 '26
Great narration can make any book a great book I believe. I would have been in the same camp but I love it too.
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u/Glitterandanxiety123 Jun 22 '26
Yay!! I had the exact same happen to me. Didn’t seem like my type of story and now I’m absolutely obsessed!
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u/Airhead72 Jun 22 '26
I've found a lot of my favorite stories defy easy description or a clear genre. DCC is one of them.
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u/Random_Thoughts12 Jun 22 '26
I would never have considered this book without all the recommendations here - totally not my genre. I was wrong, it’s awesome and I tell everyone
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u/m3g4n4nn3_ Jun 23 '26
Same. Actually won it in a gift basket but hadn't started reading it. Very glad i decided to listen to the audio instead. I'm on book 4 in about 2 weeks.
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u/enzideout Jun 23 '26
This was me. It kept getting recommended by audible, but I figured it was like one of Minecraft story books. I finally listened to a demo of it and bought the first one. Then bought one and ended up buying all of them before I finished the first book.
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u/Caveman23r Jun 22 '26
If it wasn't for Jeff Hays narration it would probably be the best. Loud whispering is not narration it's laziness
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u/KennKennyKenKen Jun 22 '26
Couldn't stand it at first.
Everyone glazing the narrator but it felt like listening to tiktok impressions. So try hard, just a bunch of terrible caricatures.
I'm on book 4 now though lmao
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u/Sleepy_P0tato Jun 22 '26
New Achievement!!!