Surviving in a multilevel dungeon that also happens to be the set of the galaxy’s most watched game show has taught Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, that there’s only one thing they can count on apart from each other: they never know what’s coming next. And this floor is no exception.
A floating fortress occupied by warrior gnomes. A castle made of sand. A derelict submarine guarded by malfunctioning machines. A haunted crypt surrounded by lethal traps.
It was supposed to be easy. One bubble. Four castles. Fifteen days. Capture each one, and the stairwell is unlocked. Here's the thing. It's never easy. Going it alone is not an option this time, so Carl and his team must rely on the help of the low-level, I-can't-believe-these-idiots-are-still-alive crawlers trapped in the bubble with them. But can they be trusted?
The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman, the fourth novel in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, will be republished on March 11, 2025. Ace Books and Berkley Publishing Group provided an early galley for review.
Last year, this series was a big part of my reading activity, so I am pleased to see the aggressive schedule of releases from the publisher continuing into 2025. Clocking in at close to 600 pages, this one is the largest installment to date.
Despite the length, this one again was a faster reader. This is likely due to several factors: Dinniman's pacing of the narrative is urgent, his methods of recapping through the daily broadcasts and the loot-drop descriptions are quick and breezy, and his dialogue is dominant yet informal. All of this works in this lit-RPG subgenre of the fantasy genre.
Dinniman also has a knack for creating multi-layered "worlds" for each level of this adventure, filled with interesting challenges to face and puzzles to solve. While the books are following a formula with many reoccurring elements, the changes in location really go a long way to make each subsequent novel in the series feel fresh.
For fans of the series, this is another solid addition.
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