Emily’s review of Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1) > Likes and Comments
1336 likes · Like
Oh boo, that’s all stuff I’d find so triggering too. And I was really looking forward to reading this one!
Really appreciate this review <3 I've heard some really not great things on how this series treats female characters, I think it's a pass for me
It's not just misogynistic, but also racist and ablest too.
All I can say is WTF and I feel very vindicated that I have avoided this one in spite of the intense praise it's getting because the first page gave me weird vibes. Yay trusting myself! Thank you for your review!
Oh no!!! I trust your opinion generally, sad to read the blurb because yikes? I love the wandering inn, you should give that a try instead!
What the hell is up with that quote. I got 20% into the book and found the humour pretty juvenile so I’m glad I didn’t have to read through that
I absolutely love this series (The social commentary increases a lot in later books), but I also so understand why the humor and imagery is not for everyone. Setting myself up for judgement here haha
I feel so validated that someone else didn't like this book. Literally everyone else I know absolutely loved this
So I was interested in this book because I’m a player and a fan of TTRPG (table top role playing games) and your review was enough for me to know that this is not for me.
Thank you for sparing me.
Removing this from my TBR :) Thank you.
That is... A LOT of description for a pair of breasts. Somehow"third-world plastic surgeon" manages to not be the most offensive thing in that paragraph...
To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how much they disfigured a person. His internal dialogue is full of horror *for her* not *at her.* The third boss, a man similarly garishly stereotyped is similarly disfigured later in the book too. The book is showing you how the aliens misunderstand and push stereotypes. I legitimately see it as a criticism of US and our issues. This is what we say and do, therefore the aliens with zero understanding replicate it to grotesque proportions.
In addition, the female characters (not the monsters created by the sadistic dungeon, the actual characters) are written with *excellence* and nuance. As a feminist and hater of the way most authors write women, I LOVE these books with all my heart. Katia’s arc is *chef’s kiss.* You only hear references of her in book 1, but she’s a main character every subsequent book. And obviously Donut is incredible, one of the best female characters I’ve come to love in fiction, and she’s a *cat.*
There are far more than just two female characters in book 1. Zev is in book 1. Elle is in book 1. Imani is in Book 1. What of them? (And not one of them is white.)
I get you don’t like some of the humor and you don’t like the book, that’s fine. But it’s really frustrating when people criticize things because they misunderstand them or didn’t get very far. I am putting this here because I like most of the reviews and I know a lot of people do — I don’t want others to not read something that’s brought me and many, many others great joy.
The whole series criticizes capitalism and racism and misogyny and conservatism. I hope you don’t scare people off from trying something excellent.
I agree with Eve, I'm a HUGE DCC fan and I honestly think he does a great job with the female characters. He's using the "NPC or boss" descriptions as a play on stereotypical female character in video games. TO focus solely on those two does a disservice to the books at large and the author himself.
So glad that I read your review, will remove from my tbr now…
👏 Thanks, Joy! Glad to see someone else defending the author and counter the undeserved criticism.
Eve wrote: "To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how m..."
The description is from the talk show not the first boss. I didn't give the book 1 star so I didn't hate it. In the vlog I just posted I did mention that I appreciated him having a moral compass and that the characters looking grotesque is from the aliens. But having 2 WOC described that way... was a lot. I'm glad the social commentary becomes more obvious later on but it wasn't present enough for me in book 1.
Eve 💯👏👏👏 was thinking the same, but didn’t have time at the moment for a proper response. Thank you for putting in the time and encouraging other women to read what, for me, has been one of the best and most thoughtful series I’ve ever read! Can’t express how much it’s helped me get through the hellscape we’re currently living in. It’s thought provoking, funny, and emotionally engaging.
PS men and creatures are also described/portrayed in intensely grotesque ways— all of which is playing to stereotypes for shock value which contextually fits the story and entertains the fictional audience. For us as readers it’s all nods to pop culture in the vein of dark humor with the underlying benefit (and social commentary) of us thinking about plenty of tough subjects in a real way bc we’re paying attention for our own entertainment. Unlike daily life where we’re a lot more likely to tune out and skim things that make us uncomfortable. And the silly bits are there for a boost, bc we need silly in our lives 😜
Logan, legit! When the American election happened (where I live) I immediately stopped what I was rereading and did another read through. Its humor was very helpful for how sad I was. And Carl is such a good foil to our Natzi administrator.
Came here to say what Eve said. I feel like you missed the point that we are supposed to feel disgusted by how the aliens represent the females. I understand not liking the book, but the main female characters in it are fabulous and Carl is the first to point out that it's gross that the female bosses in the "game" are portrayed as they are.
To be honest, Ceraphina, having an open discussion in the comment section of a book review, seems a little more party friendly than going and belittling people you don’t agree with.
In a world where people are becoming lazier and less connected, I think it’s good that people who passionate about reading discuss that with other people who are passionate about reading.
Emily seems to be a smart women and has easily articulated her point regarding the book.. and has done so without saying the people “aren’t mentally well”.
I was curious about this one but now I know not to waste my time, thanks!
I finished the book wanting more, but you conveyed the thoughts I initially had but forgot about when I reached the end. Great review.
I think satirical books are the one place where questionable themes should anger/discomfort us and still not be considered a mistake or a downside to the story. If it’s something that happens in reality and is being critiqued (explicitly or otherwise) within the story, by an important character or by the narrator, that’s valid and even a positive in my book. We need authors to be unafraid to cover “cringey” or “socially unacceptable” topics in a way that demonstrates why they’re wrong. Otherwise, they become socially acceptable over time, simply because they’re never critiqued or even mentioned out of fear of misinterpretation.
Completely agree with the review, just wasn't for me - and I think you can manage social satire without leaning so hard into the kind of repetitive jokes and crass dehumanisation. It's not terrible by any means, some moments work well (and I can see the roadmap that could lead to more refined commentary in later books, much like Terry Pratchett). But this first one really is all over the place, to the point where it's hard to really pin down the overall "point" being made - particularly at points where the descriptions are so grotesque that they really need to be attached to something meaningful.
I'd recommend Chain Gang All-Stars as a different take on some similar themes, with a more stable social commentary.
If you do decide to try the alternate world video game troupe again I'd recommend trying the Primal Hunter series. That one has solid progression, it's less of a satire joke series and more of an adventure/power scaling story
Ceraphina, I have to give it to you, I’m incredibly awkward at parties because I grew up neglected and I definitely have PTSD from other things so I’m sure you’d consider me mentally unwell. That said, I’m super uncomfortable with you acting like either of those qualities are a reason to belittle me. I think that says more about you than about me though.
Sean, Stefanie, Luisa, I’m glad you’re in the discussion too. Thanks for lending your eloquence.
This is the dumbest take I've ever seen. Jesus Christ some of you people need to stop trying to white knight other races. It's godsamned embarrassing.
I agree with Eve and feel like your review is not only incorrect but irresponsible in steering others away from a great story because you misinterpreted what the author was doing there. I feel strongly that this author is pro-female and that Carl has a lot of respect for women. As was stated before he was horrified at the way the dungeons producers were grotesquely portraying women. This isn’t a reflection on the author but on the author showing you what our society portrays after being observed for so long.
Also, “the description was from the talk show” you stated but if you read what Odette said, she wears the body on the show that she wore in her dungeon crawl. So again, this goes back to the original point that this is how aliens see our society.
If the areola is the size of a directtv satellite dish I'm hard pressed to think this is a description of a human woman.
If the areola is the size of a directtv satellite dish I'm hard pressed to think this is a description of a human woman.
I was already sceptical of this based on reviews from some other people, but that quote really seals the deal on me not reading this. Especially if the social commentary is not very present from the first book. Thank you for your review!
I felt your review SO much. I’ve actually read a lot of LitRPG and I can’t believe this is the most popular series because out of the 20 series I’ve was this one is by far the worst one :( I hope you give other books from the genre a chance! appreciate your review and I won’t be finishing this book probably…
Glad im not the only one thinking this...I feel that the whole worldbuilding of this book is great but i am not connecting with the story or characters and things like the you describe are mostly part of the reasons. Very good review :)
Thank you for putting this into words! I've been so upset while reading this book for a book club meeting. I would be so happy to continue the series if it didn't seem like the author doesn't respect women.
I'm going to have to completely agree with Eve too. Carl shows nothing but disgust of how aliens treat not only women but humans and other creatures in general. There were also stereotypes of males too such as the Gymbro which showed how the aliens took stereotypes and misunderstood them and took them to the extremes in disgusting ways.
This is the first review I’ve seen that had a problem with the exact same quote I did. There is a very specific etymological history tied to the word “ebony” alone. No matter the context of this quote, the way that this is written has unintended racial undertones at best. Not to mention, this is just one of the many examples of fatphobic language used throughout the book.
All the yt folks coming out to defend this racist quote is truly wild.
Vanessa wrote: "All the yt folks coming out to defend this racist quote is truly wild."
Agreed. A lot of people being willfully obtuse. Yes Carl is disgusted by how people are treated by the aliens. But he never had to compare her breasts to suckling piglets?! These are his thoughts. There's nothing to misunderstand.
Eve wrote: "To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how m..."
I haven't read the book but how does one deduce from that quote that he feels compassion for the character? He implies that SHE BRIBED a third world surgeon to perform a breast augmentation on her, then to add fuel to fire says she doesn't look sexy despite it. Maybe we have different definitions of compassion but he sounds judgmental and disgusted.
I agree! I just finished the chapter about The Hoarder and I was left feeling so icky after the entire scene and how crudely she was described :(
Also with those saying the aliens just don’t understand and this is how they see humans… Mordecai said multiple times to Carl during the tutorial that “they” studied this human world extensively, and for a very long time. So I doubt they don’t understand something and refuse to see these descriptions as anything but intentional.
I feel like one of the issues with "cult classic" type books is that, they aren't for everyone, and the people who live them feel like you are wrong not to like them. I have not read this book, but was on the fence about whether or not to even try it because it seems very "crude humor" and that is just not for me. So, Emily's review helped me decide that, maybe my husband would enjoy it, but I probably would not. That is what reviews are for, helping readers decide if something is for their tastes or not. So saying that Emily should not be open and honest with her feelings, because "it might stop someone from reading a great book/series(in YOUR opinion)" is not okay. Just as Eve and others are entitled to enjoy this series, and recommend it to others, Emily has every right to express what she found distasteful in it. Also, if something can be that misinterpreted, it is not entirely the readers fault, but a disconnect between the author, the text and the reader.
I mean, wait until you get to the description of male anatomy... and alien anatomy...Odette is wearing a suit. The point is that she has to wear a facade to appeal to the syndicate. You didn't mention that you understood those weren't really her breasts, but maybe you did? I don't understand the issue with describing two women with comically large breasts? Especially when they're supposed to be? He is describing the caricature that they are due to the universe's perception of society through our own media, what the AI learns etc. I mean, they go into this in detail in every book.
I don't like to say this often, but this is definitely a case of white woman virtue signaling.
Brittany, it is absolutely crude. If that humor isn't for you- skip it. It only gets better from here.
Erin wrote: "I mean, wait until you get to the description of male anatomy... and alien anatomy...Odette is wearing a suit. The point is that she has to wear a facade to appeal to the syndicate. You didn't ment..."
You can't be serious. The point is that Carl doesn't know she's wearing a suit and that it isn't her body when he has these thoughts. This is how he chooses to describe her in his head when he first sees her. The author thought this description was funny.
Me calling it out is "white woman virtue signaling" but you not having an issue with both women of color being described this way is totally fine. Sure.
This is very helpful, I was on the fence + I can tell this isn’t the kind of “humor” I want to partake in + support. <3
back to top
message 1:
by
Enigmeg
(new)
Jan 15, 2026 11:01AM
Oh boo, that’s all stuff I’d find so triggering too. And I was really looking forward to reading this one!
reply
|
flag
Really appreciate this review <3 I've heard some really not great things on how this series treats female characters, I think it's a pass for me
It's not just misogynistic, but also racist and ablest too.
All I can say is WTF and I feel very vindicated that I have avoided this one in spite of the intense praise it's getting because the first page gave me weird vibes. Yay trusting myself! Thank you for your review!
Oh no!!! I trust your opinion generally, sad to read the blurb because yikes? I love the wandering inn, you should give that a try instead!
What the hell is up with that quote. I got 20% into the book and found the humour pretty juvenile so I’m glad I didn’t have to read through that
I absolutely love this series (The social commentary increases a lot in later books), but I also so understand why the humor and imagery is not for everyone. Setting myself up for judgement here haha
I feel so validated that someone else didn't like this book. Literally everyone else I know absolutely loved this
So I was interested in this book because I’m a player and a fan of TTRPG (table top role playing games) and your review was enough for me to know that this is not for me. Thank you for sparing me.
Removing this from my TBR :) Thank you.
That is... A LOT of description for a pair of breasts. Somehow"third-world plastic surgeon" manages to not be the most offensive thing in that paragraph...
To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how much they disfigured a person. His internal dialogue is full of horror *for her* not *at her.* The third boss, a man similarly garishly stereotyped is similarly disfigured later in the book too. The book is showing you how the aliens misunderstand and push stereotypes. I legitimately see it as a criticism of US and our issues. This is what we say and do, therefore the aliens with zero understanding replicate it to grotesque proportions. In addition, the female characters (not the monsters created by the sadistic dungeon, the actual characters) are written with *excellence* and nuance. As a feminist and hater of the way most authors write women, I LOVE these books with all my heart. Katia’s arc is *chef’s kiss.* You only hear references of her in book 1, but she’s a main character every subsequent book. And obviously Donut is incredible, one of the best female characters I’ve come to love in fiction, and she’s a *cat.*
There are far more than just two female characters in book 1. Zev is in book 1. Elle is in book 1. Imani is in Book 1. What of them? (And not one of them is white.)
I get you don’t like some of the humor and you don’t like the book, that’s fine. But it’s really frustrating when people criticize things because they misunderstand them or didn’t get very far. I am putting this here because I like most of the reviews and I know a lot of people do — I don’t want others to not read something that’s brought me and many, many others great joy.
The whole series criticizes capitalism and racism and misogyny and conservatism. I hope you don’t scare people off from trying something excellent.
I agree with Eve, I'm a HUGE DCC fan and I honestly think he does a great job with the female characters. He's using the "NPC or boss" descriptions as a play on stereotypical female character in video games. TO focus solely on those two does a disservice to the books at large and the author himself.
So glad that I read your review, will remove from my tbr now…
👏 Thanks, Joy! Glad to see someone else defending the author and counter the undeserved criticism.
Eve wrote: "To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how m..."The description is from the talk show not the first boss. I didn't give the book 1 star so I didn't hate it. In the vlog I just posted I did mention that I appreciated him having a moral compass and that the characters looking grotesque is from the aliens. But having 2 WOC described that way... was a lot. I'm glad the social commentary becomes more obvious later on but it wasn't present enough for me in book 1.
Eve 💯👏👏👏 was thinking the same, but didn’t have time at the moment for a proper response. Thank you for putting in the time and encouraging other women to read what, for me, has been one of the best and most thoughtful series I’ve ever read! Can’t express how much it’s helped me get through the hellscape we’re currently living in. It’s thought provoking, funny, and emotionally engaging.
PS men and creatures are also described/portrayed in intensely grotesque ways— all of which is playing to stereotypes for shock value which contextually fits the story and entertains the fictional audience. For us as readers it’s all nods to pop culture in the vein of dark humor with the underlying benefit (and social commentary) of us thinking about plenty of tough subjects in a real way bc we’re paying attention for our own entertainment. Unlike daily life where we’re a lot more likely to tune out and skim things that make us uncomfortable. And the silly bits are there for a boost, bc we need silly in our lives 😜
Logan, legit! When the American election happened (where I live) I immediately stopped what I was rereading and did another read through. Its humor was very helpful for how sad I was. And Carl is such a good foil to our Natzi administrator.
Came here to say what Eve said. I feel like you missed the point that we are supposed to feel disgusted by how the aliens represent the females. I understand not liking the book, but the main female characters in it are fabulous and Carl is the first to point out that it's gross that the female bosses in the "game" are portrayed as they are.
To be honest, Ceraphina, having an open discussion in the comment section of a book review, seems a little more party friendly than going and belittling people you don’t agree with. In a world where people are becoming lazier and less connected, I think it’s good that people who passionate about reading discuss that with other people who are passionate about reading.
Emily seems to be a smart women and has easily articulated her point regarding the book.. and has done so without saying the people “aren’t mentally well”.
I was curious about this one but now I know not to waste my time, thanks!
I finished the book wanting more, but you conveyed the thoughts I initially had but forgot about when I reached the end. Great review.
I think satirical books are the one place where questionable themes should anger/discomfort us and still not be considered a mistake or a downside to the story. If it’s something that happens in reality and is being critiqued (explicitly or otherwise) within the story, by an important character or by the narrator, that’s valid and even a positive in my book. We need authors to be unafraid to cover “cringey” or “socially unacceptable” topics in a way that demonstrates why they’re wrong. Otherwise, they become socially acceptable over time, simply because they’re never critiqued or even mentioned out of fear of misinterpretation.
Completely agree with the review, just wasn't for me - and I think you can manage social satire without leaning so hard into the kind of repetitive jokes and crass dehumanisation. It's not terrible by any means, some moments work well (and I can see the roadmap that could lead to more refined commentary in later books, much like Terry Pratchett). But this first one really is all over the place, to the point where it's hard to really pin down the overall "point" being made - particularly at points where the descriptions are so grotesque that they really need to be attached to something meaningful.I'd recommend Chain Gang All-Stars as a different take on some similar themes, with a more stable social commentary.
If you do decide to try the alternate world video game troupe again I'd recommend trying the Primal Hunter series. That one has solid progression, it's less of a satire joke series and more of an adventure/power scaling story
Ceraphina, I have to give it to you, I’m incredibly awkward at parties because I grew up neglected and I definitely have PTSD from other things so I’m sure you’d consider me mentally unwell. That said, I’m super uncomfortable with you acting like either of those qualities are a reason to belittle me. I think that says more about you than about me though. Sean, Stefanie, Luisa, I’m glad you’re in the discussion too. Thanks for lending your eloquence.
This is the dumbest take I've ever seen. Jesus Christ some of you people need to stop trying to white knight other races. It's godsamned embarrassing.
I agree with Eve and feel like your review is not only incorrect but irresponsible in steering others away from a great story because you misinterpreted what the author was doing there. I feel strongly that this author is pro-female and that Carl has a lot of respect for women. As was stated before he was horrified at the way the dungeons producers were grotesquely portraying women. This isn’t a reflection on the author but on the author showing you what our society portrays after being observed for so long.
Also, “the description was from the talk show” you stated but if you read what Odette said, she wears the body on the show that she wore in her dungeon crawl. So again, this goes back to the original point that this is how aliens see our society.
If the areola is the size of a directtv satellite dish I'm hard pressed to think this is a description of a human woman.
If the areola is the size of a directtv satellite dish I'm hard pressed to think this is a description of a human woman.
I was already sceptical of this based on reviews from some other people, but that quote really seals the deal on me not reading this. Especially if the social commentary is not very present from the first book. Thank you for your review!
I felt your review SO much. I’ve actually read a lot of LitRPG and I can’t believe this is the most popular series because out of the 20 series I’ve was this one is by far the worst one :( I hope you give other books from the genre a chance! appreciate your review and I won’t be finishing this book probably…
Glad im not the only one thinking this...I feel that the whole worldbuilding of this book is great but i am not connecting with the story or characters and things like the you describe are mostly part of the reasons. Very good review :)
Thank you for putting this into words! I've been so upset while reading this book for a book club meeting. I would be so happy to continue the series if it didn't seem like the author doesn't respect women.
I'm going to have to completely agree with Eve too. Carl shows nothing but disgust of how aliens treat not only women but humans and other creatures in general. There were also stereotypes of males too such as the Gymbro which showed how the aliens took stereotypes and misunderstood them and took them to the extremes in disgusting ways.
This is the first review I’ve seen that had a problem with the exact same quote I did. There is a very specific etymological history tied to the word “ebony” alone. No matter the context of this quote, the way that this is written has unintended racial undertones at best. Not to mention, this is just one of the many examples of fatphobic language used throughout the book.
All the yt folks coming out to defend this racist quote is truly wild.
Vanessa wrote: "All the yt folks coming out to defend this racist quote is truly wild."Agreed. A lot of people being willfully obtuse. Yes Carl is disgusted by how people are treated by the aliens. But he never had to compare her breasts to suckling piglets?! These are his thoughts. There's nothing to misunderstand.
Eve wrote: "To what it is worth, it is very clear that Carl does not hold those views and feels only compassion for the described character. She is the first boss he fights and he is obviously shocked by how m..."I haven't read the book but how does one deduce from that quote that he feels compassion for the character? He implies that SHE BRIBED a third world surgeon to perform a breast augmentation on her, then to add fuel to fire says she doesn't look sexy despite it. Maybe we have different definitions of compassion but he sounds judgmental and disgusted.
I agree! I just finished the chapter about The Hoarder and I was left feeling so icky after the entire scene and how crudely she was described :(
Also with those saying the aliens just don’t understand and this is how they see humans… Mordecai said multiple times to Carl during the tutorial that “they” studied this human world extensively, and for a very long time. So I doubt they don’t understand something and refuse to see these descriptions as anything but intentional.
I feel like one of the issues with "cult classic" type books is that, they aren't for everyone, and the people who live them feel like you are wrong not to like them. I have not read this book, but was on the fence about whether or not to even try it because it seems very "crude humor" and that is just not for me. So, Emily's review helped me decide that, maybe my husband would enjoy it, but I probably would not. That is what reviews are for, helping readers decide if something is for their tastes or not. So saying that Emily should not be open and honest with her feelings, because "it might stop someone from reading a great book/series(in YOUR opinion)" is not okay. Just as Eve and others are entitled to enjoy this series, and recommend it to others, Emily has every right to express what she found distasteful in it. Also, if something can be that misinterpreted, it is not entirely the readers fault, but a disconnect between the author, the text and the reader.
I mean, wait until you get to the description of male anatomy... and alien anatomy...Odette is wearing a suit. The point is that she has to wear a facade to appeal to the syndicate. You didn't mention that you understood those weren't really her breasts, but maybe you did? I don't understand the issue with describing two women with comically large breasts? Especially when they're supposed to be? He is describing the caricature that they are due to the universe's perception of society through our own media, what the AI learns etc. I mean, they go into this in detail in every book. I don't like to say this often, but this is definitely a case of white woman virtue signaling.
Brittany, it is absolutely crude. If that humor isn't for you- skip it. It only gets better from here.
Erin wrote: "I mean, wait until you get to the description of male anatomy... and alien anatomy...Odette is wearing a suit. The point is that she has to wear a facade to appeal to the syndicate. You didn't ment..."You can't be serious. The point is that Carl doesn't know she's wearing a suit and that it isn't her body when he has these thoughts. This is how he chooses to describe her in his head when he first sees her. The author thought this description was funny.
Me calling it out is "white woman virtue signaling" but you not having an issue with both women of color being described this way is totally fine. Sure.
This is very helpful, I was on the fence + I can tell this isn’t the kind of “humor” I want to partake in + support. <3