I have rather mixed feelings about this book. I came into it curious how this author explained suffering. Since he doesn't believe in Hell, I wanted to see his perspective. Instead of exploring the why, he explores the what. What do you do during the hard moments of life? How do you react?

The writing was elegant enough and I liked the images. I suppose I have never outgrown my love of picture books. However, I'm not sure I agree with him though. The idea of reframing awful shit we live through connects back to resilience. There is a lot we don't understand about resilience except it seems to benefit people. So I can understand from a religious and psychological perspective his argument. He does directly add he does not want to serve a divine being planning tragedy / accidents / death, which I appreciated.

Despite that, I cannot help but feel like some things are beyond purpose. I don't necessarily believe suffering is meant to refine us. What can strengthen and define someone positively can do the exact opposite for another person. I wonder sometimes if there isn't more honesty in admitting suffering is wrong and exhausting. Maybe if you find meaning in your own pain, it says more about who you are than what was endured. You didn't have to be hurt to contain optimism and hope. And maybe if you rail and resent the pain, it is also a valid perspective against injustice and grief. You are allowed to say that something was pointless and miserable and offered nothing good.

Either way, I am glad I read this book. I suspect there are no good answers but I do like seeing people explore different directions. Perhaps I am too influenced by Le Guin who finds we cannot admit the banality and boredom of evil and acknowledge the intellectual and interesting worth of happiness.

I should probably apologize for my emoji selections above. But I will not. Considering my phone and Kindle background are now Dungeon Crawler Carl themed, don't judge me, okay? Some of us make things our entire personality. I really don't know how you finish Butcher's Masquerade and don't immediantely throw yourself headfirst into book six. Maybe some people have more willpower. Me? I stayed up until 2 - 3 am yet again binging this like it would vanish if I looked away even for a minute.

This book starts on floor eight. Fun fact, the sadistic fucks making this dungeon decide to have this level be Earth themed. Yeah that's right. Our crawlers who have progressed down each level knowing their entire home is gone only to get to survive in a replica of their world before the collapse. Because that isn't mentally destabilizing at all. No, for sure, perfectly fine.

This level is focused on accumulating playing cards to battle against other crawlers while all of them search for a key. Said key lets them off this level. Think of it like a convoluted Magic the Gathering or Pokémon. Don't forget your cards might kill you when summoned. Better hope you can manage them. The way you collect cards is by waltzing into your chosen earth spot, like Hawaii for example, and collecting whatever nightmare monster the AI cooked up. Basically to get your cards and play the games, you better go hunting Bigfoot (or the equivalent mythical creature) in your area. Note all creatures are only barely linked to the actual history of our world because why not make the experience worse?

This book had a really different tone from the others. That is due to the fact it is on earth so to speak. They are having to face their literal past trauma and survive current ones. It's hellish. It was also really interesting to get to finally explore Carl's past and understand him. It added more depth and I am glad it happened in this book specifically and on this level. The scope outside the dungeon is also starting to expand through reading perspectives other than Carl which is cool.

I tore through this. I have no regrets. It contributes crucially to the characters and overarching plot. However I do have to say what the hell about the crab and seal storyline? Matt Dinniman, are you okay? I feel like you aren't. You can't be to create this entire world. But that part alone ironically has me questioning your own wellbeing on every level. Anyway, I started book seven but may take a little bit of a break until my friend catches up. These books wreck me emotionally, mentally, and physically because I keep losing sleep and sanity to consume them. I guess there is no higher praise than that.

I started this book in May. I binged about half of it then got so stressed I stopped reading. I knew something horrible would happen but didn't know what. My entire soul wasn't prepared to handle it. I only picked it back up if I am being honest because my friend finally got to book five and we decided to buddy read it. I then proceeded to finally binge the second half.

I don't know how Dinniman manages to straddle the line between hysterically funny and horrifically tragic but the man does. This series feels like watching the fights between Roman gladiators being filmed except make it space opera and add magic. The sheer ridiculous nature of what is happening lends almost a satirical commentary directed about our own society.

It's hard not to read this and think of influencers filming the most inappropriate content. Or to see the evil done in the past and right now on marginalized group. The story feels absurdist, over the top, due to the fact our characters level up like in DnD or video games. But the undercurrent underscoring all of it: the suffering and death occuring are pointless and unnecessary. None of it needs to happen. It is only occurring due to greed and desensitization of the elite.

Difficult not to side eye our own world and see the parallels. Perhaps that is why I find it so heavy despite the talking fish and funny achievements. I wonder sometimes if Carl came back to our earth stripped of his abilities, what he would do. What he could do. How he would respond. I imagine he would look at, for example, Gaza or data centers and need to do something because he had been hunted and controlled. Maybe that is why books like this matter. They allow us a vaneer of distance to really explore how to endure past fear, grief, and hopelessness. They strip away our excuses to demand what can we do? What will we do?

I don't have the answers. Despite the bleakness of facing such a world, I find books like this cathartic and comforting. Knowing there is a community of people out there united as the Princess Posse encourages me. I told myself a long time ago the things that would not define me. Seeing Carl whisper he will not be broken feels reminiscent of that. It feels like a sliver of light in a very dark night. Like remembering humans were meant to tell stories and why we do.

So if you want to watch a man and his cat face some dinosaurs, uno reverse the Hunters, plan on crashing a peace party, learn comic con is a universal experience, you're in the right spot. Best of luck as you embark on this book. Also it is absolutely wild to be listening to book one while I read this one and seeing how much the characters changed.