After reading a lot of praise for this series, I decided to try it myself. I was a bit hesitant to start, since the premise sounded so, so stupid: most of Earth’s inhabitants are instantly killed when all structures—of every kind, from doghouses to vehicles—are destroyed and sucked into the ground. Those who happen to be outside at that moment have only a short window to escape through portals leading to a Dungeons & Dragons–style game—played for real, with real monsters that can actually kill you.
The main characters are Carl, a former Coast Guard officer, and Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend’s Persian cat. They survive because Donut had escaped through an open window, and Carl, rushing to fetch her in his underwear and without shoes, happens to be outside at the exact moment the world is destroyed. Needless to say, they are not very prepared for the monsters awaiting them in the dungeon. Fortunately, there are safe houses and a brief orientation about what they’re facing before they must start killing monsters, gaining experience points, and leveling up. Before long, Princess Donut gains sapience and the ability to speak, becoming an equal adventurer alongside Carl. All of their battles are broadcast galaxy-wide to trillions of viewers.
Between dungeon levels, the most accomplished and most followed fighters (with live statistics tracking followers and favorites) are whisked away to perform on talk shows. Social media fame turns out to be critical—especially in the early stages of the dungeon—because more followers mean better weapons, stronger buffs, and other advantages.
The premise is utterly ridiculous—but the execution is terrific. There’s always something exciting just around the corner. The banter between Carl and Princess Donut, and especially Donut’s personality, is delightful, and their growing friendship is well done. The monsters are imaginative, fun, and ironic. The social media layer adds a lot to the story, and there are intriguing hints about the politics behind it all—since not even the organizers agree on everything. Still, it seems that none of the thousands (or tens of thousands) of viewers see anything wrong with destroying entire planets and their populations purely for entertainment. I wonder if that will become a factor in later books.
446 pp.
