Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

I read this and then let my niece read it and we both loved it. It is such a great middle grade! The writing was so good and the story was fun and very easy to read. I will make sure I check out m ore from this author and I am sure my niece will also.

I loved this story of Clementine as she takes over for the Dark Lord Elithor and grapples with good and evil, the expectations of being a dark lord as well as having friends who are willing to help you. This was a fun, adventure story that kids will be excited to read!

The cover drew me in and the book did not disappoint. A very entertaining read about discovering your true self and finding out if what others expect of us is actually what's best.

*klaxons sound*

*emergency lights flash*

*a red phone rings insistently*

Hello?

A rad female character who hunts magical creatures and is canonically, incidentally bisexual? Is this a drill? No? Ok then.

So now that I have your attention, The Dark Lord Clementine is a delightful middle grade novel that is a breath of fresh air in so many ways. The aforementioned rad bisexual? Check. Jokes about toxic masculinity? Check. Female friendships between all ages and backgrounds? Check. Puns and portmanteaus? Check.

One of the few things that I did have problems with was the tone and pacing. While I loved where the story ultimately went, I felt like it had trouble deciding how far it wanted to lean into its tong-and-cheekedness versus its sincerity. Also I felt like the pacing was a tiny bit off, with a lot of the action not hitting until well after the halfway point.

But seriously, these are just quibbles. I hate doing decimals on my star ratings, but this one really is four and a bit stars.

HIGHLY recommended for readers of fantasy, fairy tales, retellings, and just all around delightful stories of all ages.

I never got to read this one. Maybe some day but I just never got to it. Sorry for requesting it. Sometimes life just gets in the way of being able to read all the books you think look interesting. I will never be able to finish my to read list.

This story was a great dark, middle grade fantasy.

There were multiple characters followed in this story, though it was mostly about Clementine. There were a couple of adults who were featured, such as Darka, a unicorn hunter. Each part was in third-person, which showed what the characters were doing and their motivations. I loved that there were adult characters in this book too, not just kids.

One of the main themes in this story was that everyone makes mistakes. That doesn’t mean they need to be punished for it forever. I think all of the characters made some kind of mistake, and they each reacted to them differently. Some wanted revenge, like Darka, and others punished people for it, like the Dark Lord. In the end, everyone makes mistakes and it doesn’t mean they are a bad person.

I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I might just have been not the right thing at the right time but this was had for me to read. I read it on my kindle and think this time I would have actually like to have the book in my hands.

I adored The Dark Lord Clementine so much <3 It had everything I wanted in the story and so much more.

Clementine was awesome heroine and most importantly, even if she was a book character, she felt very real. I loved to see her grow and learn the lessons told in this book.

It was one of my favourite Middle Grade books I've ever read. It was lovely, fun and never failed to cheer me up. I couldn't recommend this book more.

I honestly didn't remember requesting this book, but I am so glad that I did! It was such a fun read and I definitely think it's worth being picked up if it sounds interesting to you!

I imagine it is difficult to be the mistress of evil with a name like Clementine which just suggests sunshine and cuteness. Clementine tries but this dark world is just not for her. I think the author could have went a little more on the descriptions but it is good for the age range.

4.6⭐/5
The Wizard of Oz meets Harry Potter, magical journey.

Story

The story revolves around Clementine, who has been groomed to be a Dark Lord since birth. Not quiet yet dark lord, she comes face to face with challenges when the curse on her father current Dark Lord, Elithor sees the daylight.
Slowly and steadily losing the power of being a Dark Lord and a father, Elithor shuts himself out and Clementine is left alone with the farm, animals, scarecrows, poisonous apple on Castle Brack.

Until one day, she decides to do something which, according to her father is not how a Dark Lord should act. She finds friends, or maybe she thought they were friends till the real face of her and others come out.

What is the curse ?
Will Dark Lord Elithor, over come the curse?
or will Clementine step up and be the new Dark Lord?

For all these answers you need to read this book.


Writing

I love middle-grade books, especially those who has magic and fantasy world.
This is my first book from authoress Sarah Jean Horwitz, and I like her writing. It was flowing, and even though there were past & present stories shift the shift was swift and easily follow-able.

So many things in the book reminded me of The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter, due to the magic, the land, dark lord, evil witches and so many other things. And it is in a good way.
There is magic, there are unicorns, there is friendship and there is a bit of love.

This story is about a twelve year girl, who has been shown a path since birth, but as she is living that journey she isn’t sure if she can be The One.

I’m starting to think I could really get into being a Dark Lord.

This was a wonderfully clever, charming story that upends traditional fairy tale roles and imparts a sweet and worthy lesson in the end without getting too preachy or saccharine.

But the real treasures in this book are in the details: A chatty (simultaneously literal and figurative) black sheep, a grimoire in the form of a chicken, and loads of clever little jokes on the proclivities of fairy tale baddies.

An enjoyable, light story for readers both young and old.

Clementine's father is the Dark Lord of the land she lives in. And she does everything a Dark Lord daughter, a future Dark Lord, is supposed to do. But her father is sick and she's ready to do anything to save him, even if that means not being all that Dark after all.

This was very cute. I really enjoyed the story. It was very original and I didn't see most twists coming. I really liked the characters and found them layered and interesting. Had I been in my usual state, I would have probably read this in a day or two but I had some personal things going on which made me read this in two whole weeks, which never happens to me but really isn't because I didn't enjoy this book. I really did. It was an excellent middle grade book that I strongly recommend. It wasn't like anything I've read before. And I read a lot.

A new children's chapter book fantasy to love! Reminiscent of Diana Wynne Jones, The Dark Lord Clementine shares a story of a village at the edge of a mountain ruled by a series of Dark Lords. When the current Dark Lord comes under a powerful witch's curse, his heir must not only discover if she is strong enough to overcome, but ultimately, if she is dark enough to rule. Fans of Cornelia Funke need to look no further to find a new love.

I will be recommending this awesome book to all the young fantasy fans in my life!

I was fortunate to receive a free ARC of this book from Netgalley. The above thoughts, insights, or recommendations are my own meek musings.

Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all? – Goodreads

This book cleared up my reader’s block in the most adorable coming of age way possible.

I love it when books focus on children wanting to go their own paths and/or seeing that there is a different path to take. The literal wonder in their eyes, speech and movements just builds an excitement like no other.

When you first begin the book, you know that Clementine wants something more. Shoot, I was genuinely surprised that by chapter three, there wasn’t a mention of a mother. The book is literally dripping in Clementine wanting more than the life she already has and that kept me interested throughout the entire read.

Clementine herself is an interesting character to read because she is trying so hard to follow what is “right” in her world but at the same time she is constantly conflicted if she is strong enough to do what is “right”. I loved her drive and her curiosity to explore and at the end of the day the love she has for her father.

The pace of the novel was a bit slow but I am okay with that because it is a lot of build up. The author gets you emotionally invested. Also this book is told in different point of views. Transitions are not in the middle of the page like other novels and it fits. Having the different points of views really works in this novel.

Overall, I was not expecting the emotional aspect to this fantasy read and if you are not paying attention you might miss it.

4 Pickles

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. I was lucky to be part of the blog tour for this amazing Middle Grade book!

"Clementine Morcerous awoke one morning to discover that her father had no nose."

Twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous is the daughter and sole heir of the Dark Lord Elithor. As such, she has been taught since her earliest childhood that she must instill fear to the people around her. She embraces her destiny of evil deeds and does not shy away from all those who try to rise up against her. Until her father becomes the victim of a mysterious curse that whittles him away.

My (Evil) Lord was this book fun! I truly couldn't wait until my stop for the blog tour to talk about it with you all. This book is a Middle Grade, which is a genre I always enjoy reading, and it has a strong female character. This book made me laugh out loud more than once. It has a witty and funny humor that will make you enjoy the story even more. From smart puns to sarcasm, this novel has everything I enjoy not only in books, but in life in general. My favorite aspect of the novel was that Clementine's hair changes color according to her emotions. Excuse me, can I have color-changing hair too?

However, what made me love this book even more was the overall moral of the story. I'm not going to say more because that would totally be spoilery but I thought it was quite a positive moral and I highly recommend that you pick up this book.

To conclude, I definitely enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, Clementine is an awesome Main Character, its moral is top-notch. Many have pointed this out and I agree with them, this novel is perfect for this month of October to curl up in a blanket and read. It fits the October mood rather perfectly with its fire-breathing chickens, its gricken, it's cursed sheep and its dark magic. I always love reading books which follow the evil side and this one delivered it perfectly!

Clementine is the only heir and is to become the next Dark Lord. Once her father, Dark Lord Elithor, is cursed, Clementine has a lot put on her shoulders and must take on the responsibilities of the Dark Lord. However she begins to question the evil ways her father has always run things and is no longer so sure she wants to be just like him.

Clementine is a very stong young woman with so many decisions to make and things to take care of. The things that are thrown at her for her to have to figure out and carry shows just how strong of a character she is.
Clementine's character as well as all the other side characters made this a very interesting and fun read that I did not want to put down.! From Clementine's hair changing colors, to the Gricken, to the Sheep, each character had their own traits and some of them were as well fleshed out as the MC.!
I found this story hilarious, sad and absolutely thrilling at times.
The Dark Lord Clementine has moments of dealing with grief, death, parents/child relationships, and it doesn't dive in too deep or seriously but it also does not try to gloss over everything.
I absolutely loved this book.!

What a cute book! The story world is quirky and adorable, and the writing is fun but with a lot of emotion packed into it. I giggled through some scenes and had teary eyes in others. It was so easy to identify with Clementine’s wish to do the right thing while also battling her loneliness and her longing to find her own place in life.

The relationships pulled me into the story, too. Clementine gets to know a village boy and a traveling hunter, and through them gains something she’s never experienced before: friendship. She also learns to trust herself and to view her dad in a different way– to see his flaws and love him anyway, but also to challenge him where she believes he’s wrong.

It reminded me a little bit of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, though it’s a little less dark than that one is. I think fans of that story would definitely enjoy THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE, though.

If you’re a fan of fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you really want to check out THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE.

From the moment you start reading The Dark Lord Clementine you know that you’re reading something special. Even though the story is told in third person, Clementine’s voice rings clear. Horwitz’s prose is crisp with a slight tongue-in-cheek quality that is a delight to read. The pacing is fast and the action ebbs and flows until a final climax that’s breathtaking.

The Dark Lord Clementine is unlike any book I’ve read, and that helps propel it to one of my favorite MG reads of this year. As a side note, the suggested age rage is 9-13, but I could definitely see more mature 8-year-olds enjoying this one.

Rooting for the bad guys (or girl in this case) has never been so much fun. While Clementine is still a Dark-Lord-in-training, her father has been attacked by a curse and it is up to Clementine to find a way to break the curse as well as perform all of his required dastardly deeds.

Thoughts:

I can’t tell you how much I love middle grade books like these. There’s such a cuteness and cleverness in how the story is framed and presented that it makes for a fantastic read.

It all starts one morning when Clementine notices that her father has no nose. It was becoming obvious that he had been cursed, but her father is well known for his ability to not talk about anything and when she mentions it his reply only hints of what might actually be happening to him. Problem is – Clementine has no idea what the word he gave her means and she has to go look it up.

But other than pieces of her father’s features changing or falling off, Clementine had also begun to notice the castle isn’t running exactly as it had been before. It was dying. Things were basically coming apart at the seams and it was becoming more and more difficult for Clementine to keep it up and running as her list of issues to fix grows longer and longer. Then to make matters worse, it is determined that the witch who put the curse on Clementine’s father actually wants to replace him as Dark Lord.

To be a proper Dark Lord there are certain requirements – however, the main requirement is terrorizing others with dastardly deeds, which can include poisonings, unfortunate transfigurations, plagues, kidnappings, and many others. So, with her father’s curse and the estate falling apart, she also has to perform the required dastardly deed – with evidence – to the Council of Evil Overlords. Clementine has quite a bit of a load on her young 12-year-old shoulders.

Thankfully, along the way circumstances bring others into her life that help lessen the load and help reduce the loneliness that she is not necessarily willing to admit that she feels. There are some we meet in the story who we immediately can tell will be a real friend (although Clementine isn’t quite sure Dark Lords are supposed to have friends) – a talking black sheep and Sebastian, a boy who wants to become a knight. Others are a bit more questionable at first, such as Darka Wesk-Starzec, who initially only wants to use Clementine to get something she wants – help in killing a unicorn.

In the story we meet several fun magical animals or beings that add quite a nice touch to the humor and overall story such as nightmare horses, firebreathing chickens, scarecrows who do manual farm labor, a Lady of the Lake who enjoys throwing swords at people, attacking trees, among others.

Upon reading, I knew almost immediately that I would enjoy this story. Initially, it was due to how the story presented itself as we learned about the responsibilities of a Dark Lord and all that it entails. But I also enjoyed the subtle humor demonstrated throughout the entire book, as well as the interesting animals, (Nightmare horses must eat poisoned apples – if not they can turn into just regular old ponies, which of course, it not acceptable) and magical moments. However, being a Dark Lord or a Dark-Lord-in training can be quite a solitary life with not having any friends because, after all, the whole purpose of a Dark Lord is to find ways to terrorize others. However, it didn’t take long at all to really appreciate the lessons being taught in this book about friendship and accepting who you truly are and gaining confidence in yourself. All of which can be beneficial lessons for both young and old.

Rating: 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the reader copy and letting me part of the Blog Tour and opportunity to provide an honest review.