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Admirers of Matt Dinniman’s blockbuster LitRPG Dungeon Crawler Carl can now acquire all seven books that have been launched thus far in stylish hardcover formats. This Inevitable Ruin, the seventh installment in the series, just arrived in stores on September 23. Already a top seller on Kindle and Audible, This Inevitable Ruin, the most extensive book in the series at 880 pages, now aims to conquer the hardcover/paperback charts. As of this writing, it’s the No. 1 best-selling GameLit & LitRPG volume on Amazon. If you’re looking to complete your library, This Inevitable Ruin’s hardcover edition is marked down to $27.30 (previously $39) at Amazon.
Furthermore, This Inevitable Ruin qualifies for Amazon’s new Buy One, Get One 50% off book promotion. At this moment, it is oddly the only installment in the series that’s included, but Amazon frequently updates its BOGO sales by adding and removing titles, so it’s advisable to confirm whether the book you’re interested in qualifies.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Hardcover Editions)
Even if you’ve previously read or listened to the series, the hardcover versions are worth exploring, as each volume features a segment of Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret, a novella exclusive to the hardcover editions.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl — $18 (
$30) - Carl’s Doomsday Scenario — $25.74 (
$30) - The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook — $20.36 (
$30) - The Gate of the Feral Gods — $20 (
$30) - The Butcher’s Masquerade — $25 (
$35) - The Eye of the Bedlam Bride — $23 (
$39) - This Inevitable Ruin — $27.30 (
$39)
The following book in the series, Carl’s Book of Boom, is anticipated to release in 2026, likely not until at least the second quarter. The reason we mention this is because Dinniman already has a new novel set to debut in early 2026. Ace Books, the Penguin Random
House imprint accountable for introducing Dungeon Crawler Carl to hardcover format, is launching Operation Bounce House on February 10, 2026. Additional information about Dinniman’s forthcoming novel can be found at the conclusion of this article.
LitRPG, or Literary Role-playing Game, is a subgenre of fantasy and sci-fi showcasing video game elements such as statistics, health meters, hit points, inventory displays, and more. Some LitRPG series occur within imaginary video games, virtual realities, or, as seen in Dungeon Crawler Carl, a competitive reality show designed like a video game. The genre has surged in popularity recently, with Dungeon Crawler Carl and several other series achieving significant mainstream success.
Dungeon Crawler Carl serves as a prototypical representative of the LitRPG genre. When apathetic extraterrestrials convert Earth into a massive video-game-style dungeon, Coast Guard veteran Carl finds himself in a life-or-death competition. Accompanying him is a feline named Princess Donut. Throughout the narrative, the pair battles various monsters and resolves enigmas. If the name Princess Donut didn’t hint at it, Dungeon Crawler Carl adopts a light-hearted approach. Even with the high stakes, the series often embraces the absurdity of the situation through darkly comedic dialogue and exaggerated violence.
7. This Inevitable Ruin (Hardcover)
$27.30 (previously $39) | B1G1 50% Off
The cover design for the new hardcover version of This Inevitable Ruin maintains a similar style to the first six volumes, although the text layout, including Dinniman’s name, is distinct to this important installment in the series.
Incorporating additional content, This Inevitable Ruin surpasses The Eye of the Bedlam Bride in length (832 pages). The paperback variant of This Inevitable Ruin contained “only” 722 pages, while the hardcover edition encompasses 896 pages. For context, the paperback edition, along with all prior paperbacks, is out of print: The hardcover editions and the newly released Large Print paperbacks of the first four volumes are the sole physical editions of Dungeon Crawler Carl available today.
It’s also significant to highlight that numerous Dungeon Crawler Carl enthusiasts enjoy listening to the series in audiobook format. Wonderfully narrated by Jeff Hays, all seven audiobook adaptations are exclusively available on Audible. The highly acclaimed audiobook edition of This Inevitable Ruin launched in February. Subscribers can acquire each book using a Credit ($15 each), and Audible Premium Plus members can utilize their complimentary monthly Credit on This Inevitable Ruin or any other Dungeon Crawler Carl title.
The complete series is accessible for reading at no additional cost for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Alternatively, you can procure all seven Dungeon Crawler Carl ebooks for $38.43. The first three tomes are priced at $5 each, while the final four are $6 each.
Be sure to check out the cover designs for the other Dungeon Crawler Carl hardcover editions below.
Dungeon Crawler Carl Audiobooks
By subscribing to Audible Premium Plus, you will greatly reduce your expenses.
As previously stated, the audiobook versions of Dungeon Crawler Carl are solely available on Audible. The series has achieved immense popularity on the audiobook platform. Each title is skillfully narrated by Jeff Hays, complemented by additional voice actors.
The pricing for the audiobook versions exceeds $20, with many surpassing $30. For example, This Inevitable Ruin is priced over $40 in audiobook format. Hence, an Audible Premium Plus membership is highly recommended. Not only will you receive one complimentary book to keep every month, but you can also acquire extra Audible Credits for $15 each. Thus, the cost per audiobook for members is only $15—provided you opt for Credits instead of paying outright.
New members can avail themselves of their initial three months of Audible Premium Plus for $7/month (previously $15) thanks to a special Prime Big Deal Days offer.
Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
$32 | Launches on February 10, 2026
Matt Dinniman’s upcoming book, Operation Bounce House, is set to be published on February 10, 2026. Although it’s not connected to Dungeon Crawler Carl, it is still a LitRPG with a gaming emphasis. The narrative follows Oliver Lewis, a farmer who becomes entangled in a plot orchestrated by gamers intent on annihilating Earth. Similar to Dungeon Crawler Carl, Oliver finds himself in an actual video game—the titular Operation Bounce House—populated with AI robots designed to terminate.
Operation Bounce House is available for preorder in hardcover for $32 on Amazon. The hardcover edition consists of 448 pages. It will also be released in Large Print paperback, Kindle ebook, and audiobook format via Audible.
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