I acquired a evaluation copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my evaluation and all opinions are my very own.

This Inevitable Smash by Matt Dinniman

Mogsy’s Ranking: 4 of 5 stars

Style: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Collection: E book 7 of Dungeon Crawler Carl

Writer: Ace (September 23, 2025)

Size: 870 pages

Writer Data: Web site

I can’t consider I nearly let this slip by, however I simply realized I by no means really wrote my evaluation for This Inevitable Smash by Matt Dinniman, and now the following e-book is mainly upon us. Naturally, I needed to do a fast refresh, which on this case is doing a reread however with the audiobook this time, and actually, that is a type of uncommon events the place I genuinely can’t determine which format is healthier. I imply, I nearly by no means advocate audio over print, however Jeff Hays’ efficiency on this sequence is simply that good. You actually can’t go fallacious with both decide, however when you’re nonetheless on the fence about beginning your Dungeon Crawler Carl journey, the audio route is a wonderful alternative.

This seventh installment lastly brings us to the long-teased Faction Wars on the ninth ground, an occasion that has been looming over the sequence for some time now. It’s an epic showdown whose arrange has been within the works because the first e-book, involving a number of factions, every backed by highly effective off-world individuals, all thrown into a large battlefield with one main goal: be the final one standing.

However in fact, due to Carl, Donut, and their allies, issues are extra difficult this time round. As all the time, crawlers are energetic individuals on this lethal sport, however now the NPCs even have their very own staff, turning into a pressure to be reckoned with. The standard guidelines are shifting as nicely, with protections being stripped away, making permadeath a factor, primarily leveling the enjoying area. The stakes have by no means been increased because the totally different factions go to battle and the loss of life toll begins to rise. The nearer Carl will get to main his fellow crawlers to victory, nonetheless, the extra harmful the street there turns into. Each win comes with a price, and regardless of all of it, dropping isn’t an choice.

As a lot as I loved lastly seeing the Faction Wars play out, I’ve to say this was additionally the purpose the place the sheer measurement and scope of the e-book began to work towards it a bit of. Whereas the previous couple of volumes have additionally been on the longer aspect, basically they nonetheless felt on monitor and manageable. This Inevitable Smash, however, had a lot occurring, the sheer scale of all the pieces taking place made it more durable to remain constantly targeted. To start out, there are a variety of factions to cope with. By design, meaning we find yourself working by conflict after conflict as we watch Carl and his crawler faction push ahead. It’s thrilling in bursts, nevertheless it additionally stretches issues out, making them really feel disjointed. There have been positively moments the place it felt just like the story was spinning its wheels between main developments, to not point out the fatigue.

That mentioned, I nonetheless loved the hell out of this e-book. Despite the fact that the narrative is sprawling in each route, we’re leaping between battles and checking in on totally different characters, the general story nonetheless being aware of tying up lingering plotlines and free threads. I cherished catching up with everyone. The humor is as sharp and ridiculous as ever. The motion hits laborious, however there are additionally these highly effective emotional moments that hit even more durable. These are characters I’ve adopted for a very long time, and there’s a rising sense that, as intense as issues have already gotten, we’re nonetheless constructing towards one thing even greater. And you must give this sequence credit score. Even when it will get messy, it’s by no means boring.

In the long run, This Inevitable Smash is available in at a decrease ranking in comparison with the earlier books, however simply by a smidgen, and principally as a result of sense that the story is straining a bit beneath the burden of the huge beast it’s grown into. I nonetheless had a good time, and if something, it’s solely made me extra excited for what’s coming subsequent. At this level, I’m totally locked in and have gone full Dungeon Crawler Carl fan mode, backing the tabletop RPG marketing campaign, shopping for Mongo shirts, and feeling completely prepared to leap again in with e-book 8, A Parade of Horribles.

Extra on The BiblioSanctum:
Evaluation of Dungeon Crawler Carl (E book 1)
Evaluation of Carl’s Doomsday Situation (E book 2)
Evaluation of The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (E book 3)
Evaluation of The Gate of the Feral Gods (E book 4)
Evaluation of The Butcher’s Masquerade (E book 5)
Evaluation of The Eye of the Bedlam Bride (E book 6)