Fans of Matt Dinniman’s smash hit LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl can now own all seven novels released so far[1] in handsome hardcover editions. This Inevitable Ruin[2], the seventh book in the series, just hit store shelves September 23. Already a bestseller on Kindle and Audible, This Inevitable Ruin, the longest book in series at 880 pages, now seeks to dominate the hardcover/paperback charts. At the time of writing, it’s the No. 1 best-selling GameLit & LitRPG novel[3] on Amazon. If you want to complete your collection, This Inevitable Ruin’s hardcover edition is discounted to $27.30 (was $39) at Amazon.
As an added bonus, This Inevitable Ruin is eligible for Amazon’s new Buy One, Get One 50% off book sale[4]. At the time of writing, it’s strangely the only book in the series that’s eligible, but Amazon is known to add and remove books throughout its BOGO sales, so we’d recommend double-checking to see if the book you’re eyeing is eligible.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Hardcover Editions)[5]
Even if you’ve already read or listened to the series, the hardcover editions are worth checking out, as each one contains a portion of Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret, a novella that’s exclusive to the hardcover releases.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl[6] — $18 (
$30) - Carl’s Doomsday Scenario[7] — $25.74 (
$30) - The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook[8]— $20.36 (
$30) - The Gate of the Feral Gods[9] — $20 (
$30) - The Butcher’s Masquerade[10] — $25 (
$35) - The Eye of the Bedlam Bride[11] — $23 (
$39) - This Inevitable Ruin[12] — $27.30 (
$39)
The next book in the series, Carl’s Book of Boom, is expected to release in 2026, though likely not until at least Q2. The reason we say that is because Dinniman already has a new novel launching in early 2026. Ace Books, the Penguin Random House imprint responsible for bringing Dungeon Crawler Carl to hardcover, is publishing Operation Bounce House[13] on February 10, 2026. You can read more about Dinniman’s next novel at the bottom of this story.
LitRPG, or Literay Role-playing Game, is a fantasy and sci-fi subgenre featuring video game tropes like stats, health bars, hit points, inventory screens, and more. Some LitRPG series take place inside of fictional video games, virtual reality, or, in the case of Dungeon Crawler Carl, a reality show competition structured like a video game. The genre has exploded in popularity in recent years, with Dungeon Crawler Carl and a few other series becoming massive mainstream hits.
Dungeon Carl Crawler is a quintessential example of the LitRPG genre. When bored aliens transform Earth into a giant video-game style dungeon, Coast Guard veteran Carl becomes a participant in a life-or-death tournament. Carl is accompanied by a cat named Princess Donut. Throughout the series, the duo squares off against a wide array of monsters and solves puzzles. In case the name Princess Donut didn’t give it away, Dungeon Crawler Carl doesn’t take itself too seriously. Despite the high stakes, the series frequently leans into the ridiculousness of the scenario with darkly humorous dialogue and over-the-top violence.
$27.30 (was $39) | B1G1 50% Off[14]
The cover art for the new hardcover edition of This Inevitable Ruin has a similar aesthetic as the first six books, though the formatting of the text, including Dinniman’s name, is unique to this pivotal entry in the series.
With the bonus content, This Inevitable Ruin is even longer than The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (832 pages). The paperback edition of This Inevitable Ruin was “only” 722 pages, but the hardcover clocks in at 896 pages. For reference, the paperback edition, like all of paperbacks before it, is out of print: The hardcover editions and the new Large Print paperbacks of the first four books are the only Dungeon Crawler Carl physical editions available today.
It’s also worth noting that many Dungeon Crawler Carl fans listen to the series on audiobook. Superbly narrated by Jeff Hays, all seven audiobook productions are exclusive to Audible[15]. The highly rated audiobook version of This Inevitable Ruin[16] released in February. Subscribers can purchase each novel with a Credit ($15 each), and Audible Premium Plus[17] members can use their free monthly Credit on This Inevitable Ruin or any other Dungeon Crawler Carl book.
The full series is available to read for no extra charge for Kindle Unlimited[18] subscribers. Alternatively, you can buy all seven Dungeon Crawler Carl ebooks[19] for $38.43. The first three books cost $5 each, while the last four are $6 each.
Check out the cover art for the other Dungeon Crawler Carl hardcover editions below.
You’ll save a lot of money by subscribing to Audible Premium Plus.[20]
As mentioned, Dungeon Crawler Carl’s audiobook editions are exclusive to Audible. The series has been a massive hit on the audiobook streaming service. Each book is expertly narrated by Jeff Hays with additional actors providing support.
All of the audiobook editions are priced above $20, and several are above $30. This Inevitable Ruin, for instance, is north of $40 on audiobook. That’s why you’ll want an Audible Premium Plus membership. Not only can you snag one free book to keep each month, but you can purchase additional Audible Credits for $15 each. So the price of each audiobook for members is only $15–as long as purchase Credits instead of buying outright with cash.
New subscribers can get their first three months of Audible Premium Plus for $7/month[21] (was $15) thanks to an early Prime Big Deal Days promotion.
$32 | Releases February 10, 2026[22]
Matt Dinniman’s next novel, Operation Bounce House, is scheduled to release February 10, 2026. As mentioned, it’s unrelated to Dungeon Crawler Carl, but it’s still a LitRPG with a video game focus. It stars Oliver Lewis, a farmer who winds up in the middle of a conspiracy led by gamers who want to destroy Earth. Like Dungeon Crawler Carl, Oliver finds himself in a real-life video game–the eponymous Operation Bounce House–filled with AI robots programmed to kill.
Operation Bounce House is available to preorder in hardcover[23] for $32 at Amazon. The hardcover edition is 448 pages. It will also launch in Large Print paperback[24], Kindle ebook[25], and audiobook[26] format via Audible.
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References
- ^ all seven novels released so far (www.amazon.com)
- ^ This Inevitable Ruin (www.amazon.com)
- ^ No. 1 best-selling GameLit & LitRPG novel (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Buy One, Get One 50% off book sale (amzn.to)
- ^ Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Hardcover Editions) (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Dungeon Crawler Carl (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (www.amazon.com)
- ^ The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (www.amazon.com)
- ^ The Gate of the Feral Gods (www.amazon.com)
- ^ The Butcher’s Masquerade (www.amazon.com)
- ^ The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (www.amazon.com)
- ^ This Inevitable Ruin (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Operation Bounce House (www.amazon.com)
- ^ $27.30 (was $39) | B1G1 50% Off (www.amazon.com)
- ^ exclusive to Audible (www.amazon.com)
- ^ audiobook version of This Inevitable Ruin (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Audible Premium Plus (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Kindle Unlimited (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Dungeon Crawler Carl ebooks (www.amazon.com)
- ^ You’ll save a lot of money by subscribing to Audible Premium Plus. (www.amazon.com)
- ^ first three months of Audible Premium Plus for $7/month (www.amazon.com)
- ^ $32 | Releases February 10, 2026 (www.amazon.com)
- ^ hardcover (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Large Print paperback (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Kindle ebook (www.amazon.com)
- ^ audiobook (www.amazon.com)