A fun book that I'm sure fans of GameLit/LitRPG will enjoy. There are some standout moments that help to elevate "Dungeon Crawler Carl" a bit above what's typical of those genres but there are also some weaker elements that for me prevented it from being an ideal reading experience. Those mostly boil down to issues of inconsistency or a lack of polish and refinement in certain aspects of the storytelling that I occasionally found distracting and detrimental to the narrative's overall quality. It's also rather long, given the scope of the story, which is effectively only the "tutorial" for a much longer tale that spans many more volumes. Thus, even after well over 400 pages, there's no real sense of closure or any stakes beyond the constant life-or-death perils experienced by the protagonists, who, as one might expect, often wear even more plot armor than "loot" obtained throughout the "levels" they traverse.

Still, "Dungeon Crawler Carl" is a generally solid and satisfying read, and a great potential starting point for those interested in dipping a toe into the GameLit/LitRPG world. I'm giving it a 4.25, rounded up so as not to underrate it.