17 hours ago December 22, 2025sarahylockwood

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman

Rate: 5/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers):

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride marks six books into this fantastic series and I keep wondering when Dinniman will run out of creative steam. Almost every series has a bridging book or two to manipulate pawns into position for the ending. Dinniman hasn’t shown any sign of needing a placeholder as each installment keeps building and growing, all the while keeping the reader riveted with the new dangers hidden in each level.

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride might be my favorite of the series. Dinniman not only creates a unique dungeon level full of painful flashbacks but also has the Crawlers scrambling to learn how to battle using cards. Nerds unite! No seriously, I was so entertained seeing the various strategies and variety of cards. While the Crawlers are mildly outraged and insulted by the mocking subject matter of the cards, I found the various adaptations of our mythology and legends rather amusing. By the end, I was eager to discover what creative new twist Dinniman had hidden away in the next card deck. From Teletubbies to Jesus, nothing was out of the AI’s reach. 

There is so much packed into this novel but I am loath to give up any more spoilers than I absolutely have to. If you are not adverse to spoilers please see the section below. Some of the  highlights include learning more about Mordeci’s tragic past, along with the reason behind his hatred of Odette. Dinniman tests Katia to the point of almost breaking, with severe consequences for the Princess Posse. Speaking of breaking, the AI’s cracks deepen with every wiggle of Carl’s toes. Well perhaps not his toes, but definitely from every loophole Carl exploits. With all of the machinations, both political and personal, churning outside of Earth’s orbit, it is easy to almost forget about the dangerous dungeon games the Crawlers still need to survive. The wide ranging emotions had me ugly crying and laughing almost in the same paragraph. 

Not only do we learn about Mordeci’s scars, but we finally learn about Carl’s deep wounds from his past. I couldn’t stop reading as Carl is forced to confront his own demons over and over again. I was terrified that it would finally push him over the edge. 

Overall, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride is the most emotionally grueling book yet of the series as Crawlers are tortured both with their pasts and survival in the present. Dinniman brilliantly takes all of this baggage and weaves it expertly into political intrigue and a complex, high stakes card game. 

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

  • What are the implications for the ink and sharing powers?
  • Will the show runners realize Carl got his hidden implant? What will happen?
  • My initial reaction to Long Haul Biological Waste Management Solutions as Donut’s benefactor was similar to our favorite kitty’s. That epilogue though. Shocking and cue all the tears. Help is coming!
  • Huanxin Jinx is back! And out for revenge.  Will she betray Carl, Donut, and Katia?
  • What are Tipid, Doctor Hu, and Rosetta’s motivations toward Carl? What will they do back in the dungeon?
  • I’m so glad Carl didn’t have to use the bone key.
  • What are Agatha’s motivations? Does she really want to sweep clean all biological life? Was the friend she contacted in the end really who I think they were?
  • The jokes about Carl jerking off a crab were hilarious. I could see this being an ongoing joke. 
  • Alpha Carl was terrifying. What a great battle sequence. I also enjoyed Alpha Carl coming back as a bro. 
  • Will Carl get his hair back?
  • How is Samantha getting so powerful? What is her full story?
  • This whole god quest keeps getting bigger and bigger. How will Carl kill these demon princes?
  • Ren didn’t need to die!!! That was another sequence that tore at my heart and made me ugly cry. How will Donut handle Carl getting a new pet? And Ren falsely confessing to everything Donut had accused her of made the sequence that much heartbreaking. 
  • It feels like Dinniman is setting the stage for Scolopendra to show up again. 
  • Mordeci hiding and playing with the children was so sweet. I thought his secret would be more nefarious. 
  • The stripper, The Author Steve Rowland is apparently a real author. I googled him and there’s a whole trove of crawlers who are now reading his books. 
  • Who were the eyes of the Ogre? The AI?
  • Is Alexandro, the residual, is Lucia Mar’s youth assistant!! 
  • The whole sequence with Carl getting merged with Shi Maria was horrifying. What did she mean about the war mage head? Or Kimaris? What will happen with her tattooed on Carl? Poor Li Jun, will his eye heal? Will Carl get any of his powers?
  • Dinniman is sure laying the foundation for sentient weapons to play a role. What will happen with Spucky Jeffery the Enchanted Nickel Sock of the Elderly Miser?
  • I cried when Quan Ch died. Ugh. Him wanting the plain ring back was so heartbreaking. 
  • The Pony prize box screaming was brilliant. 
  • Ysalte, the Vinegar Bitch getting killed off screen by Paz, with help from Katia’s arrow, was a bit anticlimactic.
  • Carl had a brother! And the mom had reached out to Carl for help! We’ve known all along Bea was terrible, but her purposely hiding this from Carl is absolutely unforgivable. The worst!
  • More cookbook authors! Rosetta! Tipid! Who else will show up? 
  • How will Katia and Donut both survive the 9th floor?
  • What is the purpose of the voodoo book?
  • What are Hamed the Night Worm’s motivations? I felt so bad for Astrid by the end.
  • Juice Box is wrecking havoc on the 9th Floor already. She’s turning a bit scary. What will happen now that everyone is vulnerable? And the NPCs are their own team?
  • Samantha really was becoming part of the team. Who is she? What is her history and where are her powers coming from? I loved that Carl said he’d have come for her regardless.
  • The curse is pretty brutal with Carl’s Emberus ring. Will that come into effect? What about his debt? 
  • Astrid and only having a few seasons left. What does that mean? Will her sons come back into the picture?
  • Katia using dangerous drugs was so disappointing. I shared Donut’s feeling that every series has the one character who falls into drugs. Will she be able to be cured?

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