This book was an absolute joy to read. I was constantly laughing out loud and smiling while reading. When I found out this was a series, I was overjoyed. This story made me remember how much fun reading can be. In addition to the fun, there are some hard hitting, human moments that I loved. It would have been fine as a standalone, but I look forward to continuing the series!

The plot follows Carl, a military vet with no real passion for life. He just broke up with his girlfriend and because of the suddenness, she left her cat behind. Carl is awoken in the middle of the night from a bad dream and decides he needs a smoke to calm his nerves. He cracks the window, because the smoke bothers the cat, and Princess Donut decides to jump out. Once in the tree outside, she screeches as it’s almost freezing. Carl pulls on a jacket and goes outside in just his jacket and underwear to get the cat. Shortly after he goes out, every building on the planet is flattened and words are projected into his mind. An alien invasion has begun and they’re putting all surviving humans on a gameshow for their entertainment. (I love the abruptness of this transition.) Carl takes Donut, enters the game area and is immediately attacked by goblins on a motorized vehicle covered in blades. He outwits them and enters a safe room, meeting a guild master. This character explains the rules to Carl, but the game is essentially a dungeon crawling role playing game. There are bosses to fight that unlock subsequent areas, loot boxes to collect and levels to gain. One of the first loot boxes he opens contains a pet treat that will randomly transform a pet. Princess Donut is classified as this and before he has a chance to consider it, she snatches the treat from his hand. She then begins a metamorphosis that doesn’t change her appearance, however, she can now talk. Donut and Carl have to work together to descend 18 levels of the dungeon to return to their world. No one has ever completed it, most don’t even reach the third floor. It’s a dire story that’s presented comedically, but it never does so in a distasteful way. The moments that are more serious, didn’t feel out of place or less impactful despite the focus on comedy. I think this circles back to how humanity deals with traumatizing scenarios. We generally try to make light of darker subjects because we don’t want to confront it. This dynamic is constant throughout the narrative and I think it’s a perfect representation of a possible reaction to the situation. (It’s also a fantastic attitude for a main character.)

The characters of Donut and Carl are a perfect duo for a dungeon crawling series. They make an entertaining duo that has some room for additional perspectives, but also are acceptable on their own. Donut’s rash, better-than-you attitude balances Carl’s big hearted, analytical demeanor. The two have an understanding and work well together, most of the time. Their guild master, Mordecai, was once a contender in the games and felt as though he had no choice but to work for the game masters. After a certain floor, you’re given the option to work for the corporation running the games, or continue onward. Given the chances of making it to the end, most took the former. He’s knowledgeable about the games and helps keep Donut and Carl informed. Whether he actually likes them or not is still a tossup. Odette is a talk show host and generates followers for the dungeon crawlers. Followers can sponsor crawlers and send them gifts if they like them enough. Also the game tends to favor those that are popular (good for viewership). She’s a neutral character, but you can tell she’s not a huge fan of the corporate nonsense that preside over the games. Odette is also a great source of advice, but her main agenda is unknown. There are a couple other minor characters like Zev (their fish manager), Agatha (crazy old lady) and a handful of others. The characterization focuses mostly on Carl and Donut, which is perfect for the style of the narrative.

Though the main story follows a video game-like structure, the concerns of the situation are grounded. There are political and corporate issues behind the scenes which add another layer of complexity. Their influence hasn’t been seen much in the actual game yet, but I’m sure it will only escalate. We get a window into this side through Zev and Odette as mentioning the corporations during the game is heavily frowned upon. This limitation also helps the focus of the story during the challenges of the floor. There are many various mechanics that add layers of complexity that can be overwhelming at times. Mostly though, you don’t have to really pay attention to the minor stuff. As long as you understand the fundamentals, or have played an rpg before, it’ll still be a compelling story.

I wasn’t ready for how much I was going to love this story. Donut and Carl are truly a perfect combination of personalities and they work together very well. The relevant references in the comedic parts made me laugh out loud many times. (The game AI being obsessed with Carl’s feet is a great one.) It balances this with a situation that would cause many to lose hope, but Carl’s headstrong personality is a lifeline that keeps us grounded. He will not bow to the power of the aliens and his tenacity, in face of the odds, is inspiring. I can’t wait to see how the story progresses, so look for the next book’s review coming soon!