Dreadful is a dreadfully good time, and well worth a read if you enjoy disastrous people slowly realizing how much they need to turn their lives around. In this case, Gav and his journey of self reflection and improvement is complicated by a case of amnesia that really makes reflecting difficult, and being dropped into an ongoing group project with several evil villains that requires at least a minimum of evil actions befitting a "dark lord" in order to avoid being caught makes the whole "turning your life around" a tricky business.

I really enjoyed this book, and loved the fantasy hijinks and lampshading going on in the story as Gav tries to get himself out of the situation he finds himself in.

An entertaining and thoughtful piece on misogyny and what it means to become a better person. I really enjoyed reading this one! The author managed to talk about important topics related to gender equality while still managing to keep the book humorous and fun. I enjoyed all of the characters and the story was very well-written. At times though the plot did drag a little and I found myself getting bored, but it did pick back up and I was very pleased with the ending!

Buckle in for a rollicking ride à la Terry Pratchett and T. Kingfisher, with irreverent humour and an entertaining cast of characters. (The goblins stole the show. Hands down.)

This is a quintessential story of nature vs. nurture. What if you woke up with a clean slate, with no memory of your past self or how you became that person? What choices would you make? Oh, except you're the Dread Lord Gavrax, a dark wizard notorious for immolating your goblin staff, kidnapping princesses, and terrorizing the local townsfolk. I enjoyed Gav and Eliasha's relationship dynamic and really appreciated that a romance wasn't shoehorned in.

While this was an entertaining read, the moment I finished the novel I went, "Huh." This novel is trying to tackle some huge ideas in a lighthearted, comedic manner, and I'm not convinced it has the bandwidth to do so satisfactorily.

It's implied that Gav's past experiences led him down a path of resentment, misogyny, and bumbling toxic masculinity (big incel vibes). However, because of his amnesia, he never has to grapple with why he became the Dread Lord – so what's to stop him from going down the same path again when challenges arise? Eliasha? Setting women up as the moral compass of broken men makes me leery.

Despite these reservations, I must say that I had a lot of fun reading this one, and I particularly enjoyed the loveable supporting characters (Orla and Grrribeetle have my whole heart). I'd still recommend it for fans of cosy fantasy who are looking for a twist on a classic fairytale.

Dreadful is a hilarious fantasy that is both a loving, gentle satire of the genre's many tropes while also being a poignant exploration of how we get to decide who were are going to be in this world. It is perfect for fans who love deconstructions of fantasy books (think a gentler Discworld) and anyone looking for something on the more action-oriented side of cozy fantasy (and without a cup of coffee/tea or bookstore in sight!). I quite enjoyed my time in Rozakis' world, and this is an impressive, if not perfect, debut novel. This should be on your radar if you like your fantasy both funny and just a bit saccharine.

Dreadful begins with Gav waking up without any of his memories intact....and quickly discovering that is one of the big-bad Dark Lords that are so common in epic and heroic fantasy. The issue - he doesn't know how to be a Dark Lord and is actually a pretty nice guy. Gav has a host of terrified goblin servents and a captured princess and a whole coterie of other dark mages he is suppossedly working with on some diabolical plan...and he has no idea how to deal with any of it.

Rozakis' wit, style, and humor really shine in the early pages of the book, and nothing that came after really enamored me in quite the same way. As Gav awakens with no clue who he is or where he is at, we readers, with our in-depth knowledge of fantasy worlds, come to a much quicker realization of what is going on than Gav does. We understand the oppressed servants, the kidnapped princess, the castle with the creepy aesthetic, and more. This was so much fun because readers, for once, had more information than the main POV character himself, and Rozakis hilariously impales so many of the standard villain tropes. Gav is shocked by the condition of his castle - why is it so ugly? - and how just inefficient the whole system is. He laments his surroundings and why the peoples that his castle controls (a single solitary village that can only grow garlic) are so destitute and poor. Why would anyone be proud of this? Why would anyone want to be surrounded by this? Everything you think while reading about any stereotypical fantasy villain is put on full display here, and I had such a wonderful time laughing along with Rozakis' observations!

If you are a fan of villanous characters and are perhaps a bit dissapointing that this book's main character is trying to live a less villanous lifestyle, don't worry! Rozakis packs the book full of various villainy characters - characters that all have their own goals and lengths that they are willing to go to achieve their evil plans. Rozakis also has a lot of fun "inverting" the traditional dynamic between heroes and villains. The "villains" in Dreadful are given names, personalities, backstories, etc., while the heroing party coming to save the princess are glorified background characters. They don't have names and readers can barely distinguish between them, which was such a clever way of exploring the character archetypes in epic fantasy, while also allowing Gav and co. to shine in their own ways as the book moved through towards its conclusion.

I did find that the book lost a bit of steam after Gav starts to figure out who he is and how this world operates. The book isn't able to maintain its momentum and humor as the book becomes a bit more plot-based, and the initial hilarious observations about fantasy tropes starts to fade into the background. The biggest issue here, and with many cozy fantasy (or cozy fantasy-adjacent books) is that the plot isn't all that interesting. It is fairly simplistic and cannot sustain or support the book as it moves into its second and third acts. Rozakis occupies Gav's world with a bevy of fun and memorable characters, but doesn't quite him them enough to actually do. Some potentially exciting moments (like quests for some macguffins) are completely skipped over, and so the book just eventually becomes a bunch of characters explaining things to each other without actually having them DO anything. This is what ultimately bumped this down to a four star book from me. The book is nearly perfect, but it stumbles in its middle section.

As the book reaches its falling action, I was back on board again. As Gav and the rest of the crew reconsider everything that they thought they've learned about themselves, Rozakis finds a way to reach through the humor and pull at some heartstrings. She beautifully explores the concept of identity - is our identity predetermined for us? Are we allowed to change? Are we allowed to take control of our own destinies and assert our own agency? At the beginning of Dreadful, it seems like everyone has some predetermined role to play that fits into the tropes of the fantasy story - the evil villain, the put-down henchmen, the damsel in distress. And yet through the book the characteres realize that they don't actually fit those archetypes, that what they want out of life is so much more than the boxes that they had intially been put into. I loved this ending so so so very much and made the whole book worth reading.

Dreadful was such a fun read that was relaxing and cozy, but made sure to insert an actual plot. I definitely enjoyed my time with it, and if a cozy comedy with heart sounds good to you in your fantasy reading, then make sure to put this near or at the top of your TBR. It's not perfect, especially for readers who are looking for dense or complex plotting, but it is a fun send-up to so many of the villanous fantasy tropes.

Concluding Thoughts: Dreadful is a witty and fun cozy-ish fantasy that delightfully and lovingly pokes fun at the predominant tropes in epic fantasy - especially everything to do with the big-bad villains. Readers will find a lot to love with goblin henchmen, kidnapped princesses who are not damsels in distress, garlic festivels, thwarted plots, people being turned into roosters, and more. It is an absolute riot that is let down just a tad by some plodding pacing in the middle (which won't be a problem for cozy readers, but might for more plot-forward readers). I had a lot of fun with this book and I hope for more like this from Rozakis.

Dreadful is a fun play on the dungeons & dragons fantasy genre; here we have the usual wizards, a kidnapped princess and goblin servants, but what twists the plot is that our protagonist, Gav, has no idea who he is or what he is meant to be doing due to a spell that has wiped his memories. This Gav is a much nicer person than the Dreadful Lord Gavrax that he used to be, he's shocked to learn that he has a kidnapped princess in the dungeon and is horrified that he regularly vaporises his goblin staff... even worse, his dark wizard friends are en route to cast a very important spell and the Princesses family are preparing to storm his castle.
Gav's navigation between who he used to be, who people expect him to be and who he wants to be creates plenty of comedy moments as he juggles these different persona's and tries to work out what is going on. It's great fun to read and perfect for my school library shelf where fans of Stranger Things will devour it.

This was dreadfully delightful!

He woke up with no memory of who he was only to deduce he was a Dark Wizard called Dread Lord Gavrax. What kind of name was that?
Not to mention, he knew most Dark Wizards must have enemies. That was probably why he was in this situation in the first place.
Oh, and he had a princess in his dungeons but had no idea why he had a princess.

He couldn't let anyone know that there was a problem. Surely, there was a guide somewhere to properly ruling with an iron-clad fist.

He straightened up, wondering how old he actually was. Was this early-middle-age pain? Or was this "time to start slaughtering virgins for the annual literal blood-bath before the seven hundred years of life caught up with him" pain?

From the first page, I knew this would be a fun book. The writing is very self-aware and turns troupes on their head with a mocking remark.
We have a Dark Wizard who doesn’t want to be evil, a Princess who is not very refined, a young clueless goblin valet, and a bedraggled rooster.

This cleverly satires all the overused fantasy troupes and acts as a commentary on expectations and perceptions. Yes, this is a funny romp, but it’s also a reflection of how we must take responsibility for our own image and how we cultivate it.

“If people don't see what they expect to see..."
“They're disappointed, and then they won't take you seriously."

Definitely recommended for fans of T Kingfisher!

Thank you to Titan Books for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

3.5 stars. This book has a good premise but falls a little short in its execution. Part of that was my own personal taste, and part of it was the pacing.

The beginning portion of this book gave me so much 2nd hand anxiety and embarrassment. I couldn't stand it when Gav had to pretend everything was normal when he had instead forgotten everything. As I said, this is mostly a personal preference, and someone else might enjoy it more. I liked it much more when the secret came out and the different characters started working together. The pacing in the middle dragged on, and I think the ending could have been expanded upon more rather than the cringey misunderstandings. This book also tried to tackle instances of misogyny, but I think it felt a little misplaced with the rest of the book. I did enjoy the exploration of self-discovery and the thoughts about who you would be when stripped of everything. The writing is not bad, and the side characters are pretty good.

Overall, it's not my favorite, and it's not a book for me, but someone else might enjoy it more if you can read through the slow middle.

I received an Advanced Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A dark wizard, Gav, wakes up with amnesia. This is a very light and cozy read with some stakes, but it also has some depth.

Who would you be if you didn’t remember your life experiences or the choices you made because of them? Would you be a different person? Would you make better choices? This book explores Gav’s thought process and his feelings on who he is, and what that means. I loved the focus on toxic masculinity and judging people based on looks or assumptions. Ultimately, a cute and cozy read. I feel like this is could be a fantastic book for a cis straight man to read, but we all know almost no men read books by female authors.

If you’re a nerdy man, PLEASE pick this up! I think you’ll really love it. Look at the amount of female authors you’ve read this year and prove me wrong, read this book.

I found Gav to be a bit of a struggle to like, and even though I can sympathize with his issues, I still found myself irritated by him and his thought process. He is trying to change, it’s just that I’m not super interested in men whining about how hard it is to not be an asshole lol.

Ultimately, I think a majority of people will absolutely love this book. It’s cozy, it’s cute, it’s funny. The author did a fantastic job.

A really fun and cozy high fantasy satire about an evil wizard overlord who lost his memory and is stumbling through his daily routines without raising suspicion that he has no idea what is going on.

I felt immediately engaged in the story right from the start and had a lot of fun with it. The main characters ponderings are highly entertaining and side characters are surprisingly faceted, resulting in hilarious banter.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys light-hearted, easy Terry Pratchett-style comedy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was a delightful romp of a fantasy novel that I cannot wait for folks to read. Equal parts hilarious and thoughtful, I had so much fun reading. Perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain and Renfield.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis is a fun, entertaining, and humor-filled look at what it means to be someone. The main character, Gav, has lost his memory and comes to find out that he's an evil wizard. Chaotic and hilarious antics ensue. The book explores themes of identity, misogyny, and what it means to be good or evil.

I felt it dragged a little in the middle, the pacing losing my interest for a bit. But ultimately it was a great read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted read reminiscent of Terry Pratchett.

This book brought me SO MUCH JOY.

If T.Kingfisher's more humorous fantasy tales are your cup of tea, you are going to LOVE Dreadful.

Dreadful is a tale that asks what makes a villain? Is it their memories and their life experiences? We began in a Dark Wizards half destroyed magical workshop with Gav, who has no idea who he is, nor how he got there! He quickly realises he's in fact the dark wizard, and is currently half way through a plot with other villains who can't find out he not only has no idea what's happening, but he doesn't even remember who he is.

With missing eyebrows and a princess locked in the dungeon, this tale with make you smile and bring you joy, whilst also drawing on themes of indentity, what it means to be a villain and found family.

If you're up for a unique adventure with a healthy dose of humor and a dash of existential crisis, then "Dreadful" by Caitlin Rozakis is the book for you. Imagine waking up in an evil wizard's workshop, with no memory, no eyebrows, and the sinking realization that you are the dreaded villain everyone fears. That's exactly where our protagonist Gav finds himself, and Rozakis takes us on a wild journey as he navigates his own twisted plans.

The fun of "Dreadful" lies in its ability to blend high fantasy with farce seamlessly. Rozakis creates a world filled with goblins, princesses, and a castle teeming with unexpected surprises, including killer moat squids and a garlic festival you won't soon forget. But amidst the chaos and hilarity, there's a deeper exploration of identity and choice.

Gav's journey to uncover his true self while grappling with the atrocities committed by his villainous alter ego, Gavrax, is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This novel is a hilarious fantasy with themes of belonging, found family and understanding of self. I loved it!

Dreadful might just be my favorite read of 2024. And, yes, I realize that it's only February, but it's going to be really, really hard for another book to oust it from its throne. This book is absolutely fantastic.

It has humor. It has heart. It has magic. It has evil wizards. It has goblins. It has sassy princesses. It has heroes. It has, uh, killer moat squids? I mean, there is nothing else that I could possibly want from a book (unless maybe it could auto-dispense $100 bills or something … hit me up for some more great ideas, Titan Books).

Dread Lord Gavrax is a delightful main character and I love his watching his progression from dark wizard to maybe-not-evil-but-not-exactly-good wizard. But, honestly, the rest of the characters are just as fabulous and I loved every single one of them – the goblins are particularly endearing and I wish I had a Grrribeetle of my very own. And who could have seen that … unexpected development with Siraco coming?

The plot is just so much fun, too. Dread Lord Gavrax wakes up with no memory of who he used to be, but apparently he was evil. Really, really evil. Like, “immolating his servants for minor transgressions” evil. And he seems to be mixed up in some sort of nefarious plot with super duper evil dark wizard Zarconar, which he's pretty sure is a terrible idea. And why is there a princess locked up in his castle?

As an added bonus, I'm pretty sure that this novel increased my vocabulary tenfold. I'm glad I was reading it on my e-reader with the built-in dictionary, because I found myself looking up words at least once a chapter.

So, yeah. This is a brilliantly fantastic debut novel and is quite possibly one of my new favorites. If you like humorous fantasy novels with maybe-not-really-so-dark wizards and goblins in garlic costumes and enchanted roosters, you should definitely read this one without delay.

My overall rating: a resounding five stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Caitlin Rozakis delivers a refreshingly unique comedic fantasy romp with "Dreadful", her debut high fantasy satire. The premise introduces readers to a recently resurrected evil wizard named Gav who must piece together his spotty memory and nefarious past misdeeds after waking up alone in his partially destroyed castle. This already intriguing launch point spirals into an outlandish, joke-filled quest for self-discovery as Gav encounters various absurd obstacles, including a hostage princess, a contingent of bumbling goblin minions, and the looming threat of a dark wizard convocation arriving any day to finish razing his home.

Rozakis mines this dangerous scenario for plenty of sharp-witted humor riffing on familiar genre tropes. The tongue-in-cheek lessons about toxic masculinity and self-acceptance bring additional layers to the humorous proceedings. By anchoring such light-hearted comedy around forgotten identity and morality, Gav's misadventures tap insightfully into poignant themes of reputation, regret, and personal growth.

The zany pacing and peculiar characters, like a moat-dwelling giant squid with a taste for human flesh, make for an unpredictable adventure blending imagination and irreverence. Fantasy fans searching for a fun-first romp that still delivers emotionally should find dreadful amounts to love about this audacious debut.

Delightful! This tale of dark wizards, evil plots, and magical catastrophes is lightweight, jolly, and hopeful! A man wakes up after a magical explosion in the Dread Lord Gavrak's tower, only to slowly realize that *he* is the Dread Lord Gavrak,but he's lost his memory and has absolutely NO idea what he's doing. All he knows is that everyone is terrified of him, there's a kidnapped princess in the dungeon, and he keeps getting calls from a wizard who seriously scary. He has to make his way through the next few weeks without people catching on, without killing anyone, and without dying himself. Simple, right?

I really enjoyed this one! I'm not supposed to be requesting things on netgalley (not that I'll ever actually catch up), but I saw the word villain and immediately requested it. And I'm so glad I did! Because Gav was such a fun main character. And really, the entire story was just fun. The shenanigans Gav and his retinue got into were hilarious, especially as we watched him stumble through dark-wizardry. I do find myself feeling slightly dissatisfied by the end, but I'm not exactly sure what ending I would've preferred. Despite that, I really enjoyed this one! And I'd agree with the synopsis, it was very reminiscent of a T Kingfisher novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for a copy of this book for review.

This was such fun! It reminded me a bit of Kill the Farm Boy by Dawson and Hearne, but with a less snarky humor (which for me made it more enjoyable). I'd suggest this for fans of Legends & Lattes, too. It's cozy, but with a strong and twisty plot. There were moments where the author was addressing toxic masculinity from inside the perpetrator's mindset that jarred, and because of the setting there were moments of hard binaries that also threw me out of the story momentarily. Other than that (both understandable given the context), I found the whole romp delightful. If you could forget your wounds and traumas, would it change who you are or would you still be angry and lash out? Can you make reparations for harm done if you are still within the system that gave you power? These are big themes addressed while making the reader laugh. Rozakis has given the reader more than a funny fantasy, she's done deeper work here. A strong debut.

Caitlin Rozakis, thank you for bringing me the garlic festival I didn't know I needed!

This book was a delightful romp with just enough teeth to not be overly cozy. There were genuine stakes for everyone involved and the characters grew in believable and compelling ways. The hilarious array of side characters was exactly as quirky as you'd expect from a cozy fantasy, but each still felt fresh and fun. The writing was excellent (not always a given in this subgenre) and the humorous asides were perfectly executed. I laughed out loud at many of them, such as the mention that would-be heroes had begun milling around the town, flummoxed by the lack of a tavern. I mean, what self-respecting fantasy village doesn't have a tavern to use as a staging ground? Fans of the fantasy genre will love the way this story straddles the line between parody and homage.