Dreadful
Ratings29
Average rating4
15
Ratings29
Average rating4
The New York Times-bestselling sharp-witted, debut high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival – all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.
It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.
It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.
Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.
But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?
A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.
Reviews with the most likes.
Light-hearted, intriguing characters, lots of interesting interactions between characters, intriguing growth in most characters, interesting twists, and a mystery that stretches out for quite some time.
The only drawback is alot of the above is drawn out overly, creating alot of 'keep it moving' hand gestures on my part.
Villain POV fantasy novels have carved a unique niche in the fantasy genre, offering readers a refreshing perspective by flipping the traditional hero narrative on its head. Dreadful, firmly positions itself within this growing trend. Billed as a darkly humorous fantasy in the same vein as Apprentice to the Villain, Dreadful sets out to explore the journey of a misunderstood antihero who gleefully embraces the darker side of magic. While the book delivers on its promise of fun and intrigue, it ultimately falls short as the humor that defines its early chapters begins to fizzle out by the end. Despite its flaws, Dreadful remains a unique and engaging read, albeit one that leaves the reader longing for the sustained wit that makes the genre so enjoyable.
Who's the real anyone? When does who you're pretending to be stop being a pretense and turns into who you really are?
When an incel wizard gets amnesia and forgets why he's evil in the first place, it's all hands on deck to teach this spineless, incompetent buffoon to be a good person. This book is about as subtle in its messaging as a moat squid to the face, but it's also genuine and heartfelt.
The side characters truly steal the show in the best way, particularly the goblins. This would be a good pick if you're in a reading slump where you just need something light-hearted and goofy.
3.5 stars
Cozy, sweet, with quite a few humorous moments. I listened to half of the audiobook and the narrator does a wonderful job.
I'm rounding up to 4 stars because I think the humor and quieter writing style just aren't quite my thing, but I do think it was well written, witty, and just honestly fun.
