A Parade of Horribles: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 8

Dungeon Crawler Carl #8

by Matt Dinniman

It’s off to the races in the explosive eighth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.

As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.

Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.

Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”

Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.

Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.

So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Adventure, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 12, 2026

About the author

Matt Dinniman is the best-selling writer and artist from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the published author of dozens of short stories and a gaggle of books. In addition, his art publications—from greeting cards to stationery kits to calendars—can be found in boutique and stationery shops around the world. Also, he strongly feels like a pretentious twat when he writes about himself in third person.

Reviews

[AC2316 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mongo shrieks with excitement!" 🦖

[baohua]

i think about this book at least 50 times a day and i question what i'm supposed to do with life until it is in my hands. i have never needed a book so bad or wanted a year to pass by in the blink of an eye more than i do now when it comes to carl's book of boom

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

i can't believe i am actually caught up :[

1.) Dungeon Crawler Carl ★★★★★
2.) Carl's Doomsday Scenario ★★★★
3.) The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook ★★★
4.) The Gate of the Feral Gods ★★★★
5.) The Butcher's Masquerade ★★★★★
6.) The Eye of the Bedlam Bride ★★★
7.) This Inevitable Ruin ★★★

[Sara]

matt hurry up I'm dyin over here

[LambchoP]

Will this be the last book of the series, or are there more books planned?

[Ashley]

A+ cover, no notes. Love the colors. Love the tiny Sir Rendlegore, and the judgmental Donut in her sunglasses. Happy to see also that Carl still has his luscious locks. Don't know why there's a truck with a chicken on it, but happy to find out.

[Jasmine]

I fear I will become insufferable the day this releases

[Brandi]

I am not embarrassed to admit - I started this series in June 2025 - and have since listened to books 1-7 - TWICE as of November 2025. I don't know what to do with myself without Carl & Donut. I need this book yesterday. May is so far away...

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!*]

Really sad this is no longer titled Carl's Book 0' Boom.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Patreon Reader*

Uh, Carl? Are you fucking sure? Holy shit.

[Saul Aro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re read the entire series to prep for this next book. I cannot wait until May, it seems forever away.

[Graeme Rodaughan]

Due in May 2026...

Pending... pending... pending... pending...

[Namrata Deka · Rating 5 out of 5]

June 2026 is TOO FAR AWAY. Dear Matt you have to understand that some of us want time to slow down because we don’t want to get old but if this is going to come in JUNE 2026!!!! I WOULD TURN THE CLOCK RIGHT NOW. Please give🥺🥺

[Klowey]

DONUT: MATT WE'RE WAITING, MATT. REALLY, THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, THIS WAITING!

[Agnus Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read the first posting of this as a Patreon member. Its pretty good. I'll be interested to hear the audiobook because Jeff Hayes is brilliant and there are fucking songs in this one. I think I know how the series is going to end...but I'm not going to say anything here.

[Mattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unity, support, family, and kneecapping bitches.

[Hicham]

Hey matt we waiting over here man

[Nirkatze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting to read book 8 as it unfolds on Patreon has been a truly unique, communal experience and worth every penny. Reading through this series, every book has had me wondering how Dinniman will top the next. After This Inevitable Ruin and the insanity of Faction Wars... how? But holy f*** he does it. Just... damn. I'm still processing. I'll probably still be processing when I reread for the audio release in May. Damn. So many highs. Even the lows were effin' highs.

It's amazing to see how far the survivors have come, how strong they are... and how little that matters in the face of the rules of the floor. In many ways this is a spiritual successor to The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, when crawlers' hands were tied by the game mechanics and the AI kept trying to push them into conflict with each other. Only their ingenuity and indominable spirit keep them going. So many cool and crazy things, so many twists I could never have imagined. And yet, looking back, everything was well seeded.

We also get a LOT of lore in this book. I need to reread. Slower. We meet several new characters--mostly new NPCs but also a few formerly 2D crawler get fleshed out. Several of the biggest highs and worst lows come from new characters. My favorite though, is just how much quality Prepotente time we get in this volume.

And damn. Just damn. WTF Carl? WTF Dinniman? Book 9 can't come fast enough.

[Youssef Ibrahim · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ADVANCE COPY REVIEW]

"You will not break me."

There's a gradual shift in the tenor of DCC from LitRPG hijinks (skills! loot boxes! mobs!) to a more contemplative rumination of what it means to be human and maintain your sense of self and your sense of community in times of extreme duress and oppression. We start to see that shift after the Butcher's Masquerade yet I think A Parade of Horribles is when we concretely understand this isn't just a game anymore. The 10th level mechanism is simplistic which allows for the story development to flourish. This does not mean, however, that the mechanics of the game take a backseat - on the contrary, the butterfly effect of the Crawlers trying to break the dungeon and bend the rules of the game is what moves this story forward. I wouldn't be surprised if we move forward outside of the dungeon to wrap up this series. 5/5, will re-read advance copy, listen to the audiobook, and read the official copy in May.

[Kyle McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read an advanced version through Patreon. I’ll give an overall spoiler free review but will give an overview of the premise:

The book is fantastic. A great build on book 7 with the usual carnage and chaos you expect from Carl and Donut.
The theme of this floor is a whacky races / Mario Kart setup with the book taking place over multiple heats.
The catch is that one racer is eliminated from each heat.

Get prepared to be emotionally damaged and to laugh out loud at the interactions of the crawlers. There’s a scene that takes place in a bar around midway through which is my particular highlight that had me grinning ear to ear.

I don’t have any criticism - I enjoyed it throughout and as always the end quarter was an absolute roller coaster with the resolution feeling fair and hinted at throughout.

Thank you Matt for sharing with your Patreon subscribers and I can’t wait for the re-read (and listen!) this May.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got early access to this book via Patreon, and wow was it so worth it. This book is phenomenal (and YESSSS i was right about the AI!!) and the 10th floor was a wild ride.

we get to see some excerpts from the books donut and carl have, that the other crawlers left spells in thanks to milk in book 7, and even though its only maybe 2 pages, those excerpts really evoke a lot of emotion.

cant wait to see what we get in book 9!! especially with a certain in love crawler.

[Mark Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the advanced copy, available from Matt's Patreon. The pace and vibe of this one are very different to the previous book, but that variety is something I really enjoy about this series. It's more of the same DCC that you love, and I mean that in the best way possible, considering the quality of the series. Holy S**t I can't wait for the next book.

My only complaint is that it wasn't longer!

[Andrew Christison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a good karaoke scene. It’s such a vulnerable thing to do, and it reveals so much about a person. I’ll never stop thinking of Justin Theroux’s gut wrenching performance in the afterlife of the Leftovers. This book has not one, but two such moments, and has the focus and verve to actually pull it off.

To be clear, things still go batshit crazy at the end. But there’s a heft, weight, and sense of danger to the proceedings that books 6/7 didn’t quite manage. It’s thrilling.

[Daniel Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a firm lover of the series, and seeing the buildup to the 9th floor, I knew there wasn't going to be as spectacular of a storyline in this one. With that in mind, Dinniman sure does know how to write an outstanding ending! I'm even more excited now for the last (2!!!!) books of the series. Just a friendly reminder, you can read the whole thing on patreon right now

[Patrick M Kenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest review and will avoid spoilers. Book starts wrapping up book 7 and jumps into a race style subsequent floor. I’ll be honest, it starts slow but slowly amps up with some amazing chapters interspersed. Be patient, because the last quarter of the book might be some of the most insane action ever put in print. I cannot wait for the next and final book to conclude this gem of a series !

[Jazmin Bicego · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you Matt for the Patreon I literally could not wait until the book came out

this was... insane. in the best way. I have no words. well maybe just these:

what. the. actual. fuck. Carl?

I'M SO SAT FOR BOOK 9 THIS HAS BEEN THE GREATEST JOURNEY I DON'T WANT THIS TO EVER END

[Sam Atkis]

this series is crack and I NEED MOOAAARRRRRRR NOWWWWWWWW.

I KNOW I WILL BLOW THROUGH THIS SERIES BUT IT WILL NEED AT LEAST TILL DECEMBER 2027 TO FINISH PUBLISHING.

ARRGRHHHHH I NEED TO PACE MYSELF.

[Paige Tappan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an early copy through Patreon, and wow. I thought Inevitable Ruin was wild, but was I wrong. Dinniman, you did it again. Spectacular, Gimmie book 9. I cannot wait for the official release so everyone else can join in for the wild ride that is A Parade of Horribles.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Goddammit !! one fucking year "

[mae]

I need more Carl