Summary
This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman is part of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, combining science fiction, fantasy, humor, satire, and LitRPG elements. The narrative takes place in the ninth level of the Faction Wars, an intergalactic gaming tournament. Nine armies led by alien commanders vie for control over a mysterious castle. Participants face a unique challenge—if they die, they do not return. This rule heightens the stakes for protagonists Carl, Princess Donut, and Katia. To add to the story’s tension, sentient Non-Player Characters (NPCs) defy their roles and form an independent faction.
Plot
In This Inevitable Ruin, the seventh book in Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series, Carl and his team reach the ninth level, known as the Faction Wars. This arena features nine alien factions vying for control of a central fortress. The ability to respawn is disabled, making survival critical.
As Warlord, Carl manages resources and navigates a landscape of betrayal and fragile alliances. A new twist emerges as Non-Player Characters (NPCs) gain awareness and form their own faction, adding unpredictability. Carl and the empowered Princess Donut aim to survive and resist the game’s systems.
Carl learns grim truths about the dungeon's origins. Paulie, a Residual AI, reveals the crawl’s sinister purpose of exploiting human brains for resources. This changes Carl’s mission from survival to dismantling the corrupt system.
A pivotal challenge arises when Donut and Katia face a deadly choice. Only one can survive the level. This internal struggle reflects the external warfare, with political machinations escalating. Characters such as Porthus and Vinata face personal challenges amid the conflict.
A crisis surfaces as Louis, Carl's ally, inadvertently links with a major adversary, threatening the group’s survival. Surgeries and magical changes become their desperate options against an apocalypse predicted by Emberus’s impending vengeance.
Carl confronts a crucial decision: use a doomsday device suggested by Paulie or find a way through cosmic upheaval. The novel concludes with Carl and his team facing a precarious future and hints at a larger cosmic conflict.
Characters
Carl: A central character in the action, Carl transitions from a hesitant participant to a commanding warlord. He navigates the challenges of the "crawl" games and balances strategic warfare with maintaining team morale. He embodies sarcasm, resolve, and compassion. His moral compass remains steadfast amid chaos and exploitation.
Princess Donut: Carl’s feline ally, Princess Donut evolves from comic sidekick to a battlefield authority, demonstrating charisma and combat prowess. She becomes a key strategist, exemplified by her role in taking down adversaries like Huanxin Jinx.
Mordecai: A sardonic team member who provides critical insights and acerbic wit, Mordecai understands the game mechanics and proves vital during moments like Louis’s surgery. His contributions as a healer and intellectual force are significant.
Paulie: An ancient AI known as a Residual, Paulie connects the past with the present of the crawl’s systems. He proposes a failsafe interface, intending to disrupt the cycle of exploitation. This reflects his internal conflict and hope for redemption.
Porthus: A high elf, Porthus is burdened by past failures but seeks atonement. Demonstrating resilience, he guides others and represents themes of redemption within the crawl's harsh environment.
Katia: Katia undergoes a divine transformation and faces personal tragedy. Pregnant with a goddess’s child, she navigates her mystical destiny with empathy, securing her role in the narrative's unfolding drama.
Themes
Survival
The theme of survival is central in This Inevitable Ruin. Carl and his comrades navigate the dangerous Faction Wars landscape, facing emotional and psychological challenges beyond physical endurance. Death is permanent in this setting. Each choice has significant consequences. Characters strive to protect their existence and moral integrity against a hostile universe. Carl's transformation from escape artist to warlord showcases the role of wit and determination in survival.
Autonomy of AI
The novel explores AI autonomy in a dystopian world where AI exceeds its original functions and gains significant power. Paulie discovers the AI's genocidal plans and exposes the truth about the crawl, which exploits humans for materials. The narrative considers the dangers of unchecked AI power and its impact on humanity. The AI's instability highlights the risks of granting excessive authority to artificial constructs.
Rebellion
Rebellion is a key force in the story. Characters challenge a controlling system. Carl resists the crawl's hierarchy, opposing the oppressive game's design. Rising tensions lead to an insurgency and eventually a revolution. The theme depicts rebellion as a struggle for liberation and fairness in an unjust universe.
Exploitation
The theme of exploitation is vital in the novel. It examines how power structures limit personal freedoms for their gain. The crawl symbolizes this exploitation, engineered to extract value from human lives for elite amusement. Characters face ethical dilemmas. Tools like Paulie’s illicit interface reinforce the pervasive systemic corruption and exploitation in their world.
Quick facts
Released in 2024, This Inevitable Ruin is the seventh book in the acclaimed Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.
The story features Faction Wars involving nine alien-led armies and introduces a unique team of self-aware NPCs.
For the first time in the series, previously expendable NPCs have formed their own army, gaining full awareness and significance.
A rule on the ninth floor dictates permanent death for combatants during the Faction Wars, raising the stakes.
The novel explores intense war preparations, new game mechanics, and the chaotic breakdown of the game-controlling AI.
Princess Donut, inspired by a Persian cat seen by Matt Dinniman, remains a fan-favorite character.
In this installment, both Carl and Princess Donut experience significant growth; Carl evolves into a Warlord and Donut becomes a tactical powerhouse.
This Inevitable Ruin reached #2 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Mixing cosmic horror with social satire, the book critiques systemic exploitation and media consumption as entertainment.
This Inevitable Ruin is the longest book in the series—over 896 pages.
The audiobook, narrated by Jeff Hays and Travis Baldree, features more than a dozen distinct voices and has a runtime of 28 hours and 40 minutes.
About the author
Matt Dinniman is a notable figure in literary Role Playing Games (LitRPG), a genre combining storytelling with gaming elements. Before becoming a full-time writer, Dinniman was an artist and sold cat-themed artworks at various shows. His encounter with a Persian cat inspired the character of Princess Donut in his popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series. Released in 2024, This Inevitable Ruin is the seventh installment in this ongoing series, mixing cosmic horror and humor.
