Quirky high-concept fantasy turned-on-its-head: where the villain isn't a villain - or is he?

Loved this from the first page, where the reader has to realign allegiances and expectations as our narrator/protagonist turns out to be the bad guy. But he doesn't remember. His name. His castle home. His minions. His mission.

Working out he is the Dread Lord Gavrax (and preferring to think of himself as Gav), this lord of the castle has to work out what to do with the princess in a cell, the starving villagers dependent on the castle, the goblin servants that run the place for him, and of course the over-arching mean guy on the block who is waiting for him to fulfil his function.. whatever that might be.

Add to that some heroes, demons, a magic mirror, a room of potions and secrets, and a lifetime of memories that refuse to return - not that Gav is sure he wants them to.

A fantastic look behind the curtain of the dark world of villainy - at what happens when a door is blown off its hinges (well someone has to fix it!), at what evil lords really want to eat at dinnertime (steak and black wine - again?!), and at what such a person would do when he sees his life and achievements through very different eyes.

I adored this. A whole host of memorable characters, from servants and cooks to princesses and villains. Familiar tropes and set-ups with very unexpected plotlines (a Garlic Festival!). Huge amounts of fun, turns the genre on its head and brings wit and humour to what is often the serious and predictable hidden lives of the soon-to-be-defeated antagonists.

For fantasy fans and those who loves seeing conventions turned on their heads.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

This looked like a fun read and I was not disappointed. Our hero wakes up in a destroyed lab, maybe on fire and with no idea who, what or where he is. It turns out he is the Dread Lord Gavrax, or as he likes to think of himself Gav. The key of the story is can someone as truly reprehensible as Gavrax must have been when given a clean slate actually be a better person? Well we get to find out in the ensuing romp involving kidnapped princesses, evil wizards, an excess of garlic, goblin minions and the moat squid!
The pace is good with a slight lull in the middle portion but it basically left me smiling. There are so many little wry revelations and I truly loved the part when Gav looked at his castle and the village and thought he really should be proud of it, but why are the furnishings shabby and the the village not more picturesque? His innate taste is definitely at odds with his Dread Lord persona!
If you want a light, fun read with some action then this is the book for you.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis is a hilariously sharp high fantasy farce that will keep you entertained from start to finish. This book, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K.J. Parker, and Travis Baldree, combines killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards, and a garlic festival into one uproarious adventure.

The story kicks off with Gav, who wakes up in a half-destroyed wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and the horrifying realization that he might be the Dread Lord Gavrax, a dark wizard with a notorious reputation. The plot thickens as Gav navigates his own castle full of goblins and a princess locked in a cell, trying to piece together his forgotten past while questioning his own identity and actions.

Rozakis expertly crafts a world filled with quirky and endearing characters. Gav’s journey from a supposed dark wizard to someone who questions his past deeds is both humorous and thought-provoking. The goblins, with their unique charm, and the sassy princess add layers of fun to the story, making every chapter a delightful read.

What makes Dreadful stand out is its ability to blend humor with deeper themes. Amidst the laughs and farcical situations, Rozakis tackles issues like toxic masculinity and self-perception, offering readers a story that's as insightful as it is entertaining. The writing is self-aware and playful, turning fantasy tropes on their heads with clever wit.

The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping you on your toes as Gav tries to avoid getting himself killed while figuring out his true identity. The comedic timing is spot-on, and the absurd situations—like a garlic festival amidst a dark wizard's plans—add a unique flavor to the story.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Dreadful is a fantastic debut novel that’s sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating more from Caitlin Rozakis. If you love fantasy with a healthy dose of humor and heart, this book is a must-read.

Have you ever woken up after blowing your eyebrows off with a spell, and realized, "Dang, have I been a bad guy this whole time?" Well Gav is currently living that life as he tries to remember bits and pieces of his past to figure out how to prevent a future where a big bad demon eats everyone.

This book was so much fun and I laughed out loud during quite a few moments. The goblins are perfect though the princess isn't, and now they've all got to work together to prevent the convocation of dark wizards from doing truly awful things.

I don't want to tell you too much, but I thought the characters were fun and fairly multidimensional. There's personal growth and teamwork. There's sassy banter and wit; even a couple of frilly aprons a garlic festival and a heroic rooster.

I cannot recommend this book enough and plan to give a full review on my YouTube channel during June of 2024. I have to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader e-book in exchange for an honest review. This is a great summer fun read and should be on anyone's list who wants a laugh.

3 stars

<i> Dreadful </i> is a fun romp disrupting the classic D&D-style fantasy archetypes, following a Dark Wizard who has lost all of his memories and, as he pieces together who he is supposed to be, realizes he doesn’t much like being evil.

The writing feels like particularly good fanfiction, with all of the pleasures involved therein, and so the read makes for a very fun time. My main issue comes from the fact that the story seems to lose steam in the final chapters, though the climax contains all the elements one would want. Gav’s character grows and changes, but I didn’t felt as though we saw the side characters (who play a large role in the story) get their fair shake of character development by the ending. A large part of Gav’s character growth is coming to see the other characters as individuals, not their stock archetypes, but he doesn’t get to do more than scratch the surface of actually knowing any of them.

The best part of the story, hands down, is the goblin servants, particularly Orla (though there is one scene where Orla plays the Wise Older Woman Mentor which I feel did her a bit of a disservice by placing her into yet another archetype, but I digress). They are delightful, eager to help and filled with ingenuity, but also with plenty of foibles. I wish they had significantly more screen time and that the individuals like Grrribeetle and Throk got more development. If Rozakis were to write another book entirely about the secret lives of fantasy goblins, I would read it in a heartbeat.

Ultimately, this is a fun little romp through D&D fantasyland that makes for an enjoyable diversion. It doesn’t quite have the emotional impact or writing mastery of Kingfisher or Pratchett, but not everything needs to, and to be fair this is Rozakis’ first novel, and I’m interested to see how her writing develops in future projects. I would recommend this title to fans of classic sword-and-sorcery who like to laugh.

❤️ happy pub day ❤️

(?) what is the last book you read OR your favorite book featuring a witch or wizard?

book: Dreadful
author: @caitlin.rozakis

this book is out TODAY & be sure to check out the B&N exclusive if you're a stenciled edges girlie!!

good things checklist:
✔️ a dark wizard & a princess
✔️ (but he lost his memories & has no stinkin' clue why he has a princess in his castle cell)
✔️ funny lil house goblins
✔️ a squid that causes chaos and saves the day
✔️ summoning demons GONE WRONG
✔️ moral dilemmas, but we literally can't remember why we were evil in the first place
✔️ super unique & quirky
✔️ single POV & one timeline

truly can say I've never read anything like this before! check this one out if you're down for a cute & silly wizard fantasy 🧙‍♂️ thanks to @titanbooks & @netgalley for the e-ARC!!

I absolutely loved this book! Imagine being an evil dark lord who wakes up with amnesia, and has completely forgotten everything they ever knew. Add in a creepy castle, a torturous workshop, a kidnapped princess, and goblin staff, and an evil plan where you have no idea what's going on and would prefer an easy, quiet life anyway, and you have a recipe for chaotic disaster!

Each character was perfectly written, and the surprises ramp up as the story is slowly revealed. A fun, 'cozyish' fantasy, with dry, dark humour and some slightly gory scenes, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves something a little different to read!

"Dreadful" is a cozy fantasy novel by Caitlin Rozakis. The story follows Gav, an evil dark wizard who suffers from amnesia and is caught up in a dark ritual that he cannot seem to remember. As Gav struggles to understand his past self's actions and motives, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, trying to become a better version of himself. Through Gav's story, the book explores the question of who we would be if we didn't remember our life experiences or the choices we made. The book also has some witty and humorous writing, and Caitlin Rozakis does a great job of playing off common tropes associated with "dark wizards" and then subverting them. Overall, "Dreadful" is a heartfelt addition to the cozy fantasy genre.

Thank you to Titan Books via NetGalley for providing a free e-arc and an honest review.

Dreadful was a generally fun and entertaining read. A lot of the 'minor' characters were especially wonderful (the Mayor and Orla, for example).
I also think it would make a very good movie.

The reason I'm not rating the book higher: I really don't know for sure if was just me (being distracted, not in the right mood, etc), or if maybe the book could use slightly better editing, but I found a lot of the transitions between scenes to be rather abrupt.

Dreadful seems like a delightfully dreadful book. I started this immediately after reading How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and they are a perfect partnership of opposites. Dreadful has some really dry humour that I was really drawn to, and I loved the idea of reading from a dark wizard who isn’t very good at being bad’s perspective.

This is all based on my initial reaction that I was going to love Dreadful. Unfortunately, my digital download cut off the ending of every chapter, and it definitely started to add up that I was missing significant portions of the story. I did reach out to the publisher, but I never heard back from them. So, I can’t speak to the ending or even the middle of the book, because I’ve shelved this for now. I do recommend the beginning of the book! And when it’s published, I’ll be looking to get a copy that has the full chapters.

Original review posted on May 30th on Forever Young Adult blog.

Cover Story: Wicked Good

This is super cute and perfectly fits the story inside. I love the red and black; it’s bold and makes the cover stand out.

The Deal:

The Dread Lord Gavrax is not a very nice wizard. He’s kidnapped a princess and seems to be wrapped up in some nefarious plot with a few other evil wizards. On top of all that, he has incredibly tacky taste in castle decor and clothing. He’s not a person you’d like to meet, so it’s even more unfortunate when you realize…he’s you.

Gav can’t remember a thing about what happened before he woke up in the middle of a chalk circle in the aftermath of what seems like an explosion, but the more he “learns” about his apparent life, the less he likes it. Was he genuinely evil? Does he still want to be? What has Dread Lord Gavrax gotten himself tied up in, and is it all going to blow up in Gav’s face if he can’t fake it ’til he makes it?

BFF Charm: Yay

While I have never had all my memories removed, I could relate to Gav’s desire to be a good person who still experiences flashes of annoyance and rage when having to interact with annoying or incompetent people (I drive in Florida every day, people). I think most of us have had some personal battles with the desire to do what is right and “good” for us versus what is sometimes easier, and the outcome of those battles is what molds you as a person. Gav was funny and relatable, and while it might sound controversial to be BFFs with a Dread Lord, I know what I’m doing.

Swoonworthy Scale: 3

Of course Gav is interested in the super-hot Princess he’s got locked in his tower, especially since HE doesn’t remember being the one who kidnapped her, but SHE certainly recalls it and treats him with contempt. The evolution of their interactions was well done and thoroughly explored any potential issues between their imbalanced dynamic as kidnapper and kidnappee.

Talky Talk: Cozy Fun

I still don’t like the term “cozy” fantasy, but that’s really what this is and I guess I need to get on board. It’s heavy on the character journey and irreverence, and light on the world-building and plot, but full moments that make you smile and laugh, and it all ends on a high note. Rozakis’s writing for Gav was relatable and wry:

For a minute or two, they just sat. The little fires crackled peacefully around the room. Their flickering light was very flattering on the princess’s shining hair. And the sound was kind of soothing. Yes, he should make them a design element, he mused. They seemed to keep happening anyway. He could give them little holders. Maybe something to burn that didn’t smell quite so bad. Wait, no, those already existed and were called candles.

and she populated her world with so many other tertiary, winsome characters:

Siraco hung by his elbow, nearly salivating at whatever it was his master was contemplating doing to the helpless princess. “It’s a pleasure to watch you work, my lord. The way you have of targeting someone’s deepest insecurities and just… eviscerating them. Verbally. Before you eviscerate them. It’s masterful.” What a delightful description. He must have been so popular at parties.

I’m not hating the recent resurgence of this D&D-style “meta fantasy”, with hilarious movies like Dungeons & Dragons, the recent addictive video game, Baldur’s Gate III, and the surprise popularity of “cozy” Legends and Lattes. This book is very much in this vein and won’t appeal to all readers, but those who are loving this trend will probably also love this book.

Bonus Factor: Goblins

Gavrax employed goblins as his castle staff, and apparently has no qualms about exploding or setting them on fire if he was annoyed with their work performance. Hence, they’re all a little skittish around Gav, and especially confused about his efforts to, like, actually get to know them and learn their names. The cook’s inventive (and inedible) concoctions were my favorite.

Bonus Factor: Feminism

If nothing else tells you this is a fantasy, as evil asshole suddenly waking up and being cool with gender equality and listening to competent women will clear that right up. But still…it’s fun to watch in action.

Bonus Factor: Hijinks

At some point, Gav realizes that part of the evil plot Gavrax was involved in means hosting a bunch of evil house guests, all the while heroes are trying to break in to rescue the princess. At the same time, the village below Gav’s castle is hosting a festival so they can trade enough of their one good crop (garlic) for enough other supplies to survive the winter. If you want to picture them all running around to that zippy kazoo song from old TV shows, you wouldn’t be far off. It was very amusing.

Relationship Status: Partners In Crime

You make me laugh and treat me like a friend, Book. I wouldn’t do anything truly evil with you, but if you wanted to pull some light-hearted pranks or do, like, a themed escape room, I’d gladly join in!

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Titan Books. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Dreadful is available now.

Gavrax wakes up and has a bad bout of amnesia. He's trying to piece together who and what he is but his servants aren't exactly filling in the gaps. As he bumbles through he realises that HE'S the bad guy in this fairy tale! He kidnapped the Princess (doesn't know why), he's plotted some kind of revenge plot against a king (again, no idea why). He's trying to keep up the cackling evil façade but he's actually thinking that he's more of a washed out grey wizard than a dread Lord!

With goblins that have hidden talents and not so great acting skills, Gav has to try and detangle himself from a kidnap plot, return the princess and find a new, non evil job!

The zany plot gets zanier when Gav has to try and outwit uber baddie, Zarconar, which would be hard enough with the memory of an amnesiac goldfish! The goblins really pushed the old vocabulary memory banks I'll tell you.

Fantasy fiction which takes itself not so seriously, high humour, lots of farce and a smattering of romance all wrapped up in a mild mystery. Great new read and really worth a read!

This book was so much fun! Gav wakes up with no memory but realizes he’s a dark wizard. He has to play along with the evil plan and fool the other dark wizards until he figures things out. He finds that he doesn’t really like what his old self has done, but he also struggles to figure out how to be good.

This comic fantasy grabbed me right away. I liked the writing style- casual and funny and smart. You’ll be rooting for this dark wizard! His goblin servants are sweet, and nothing is quite what it seems. It’s a great book. I wrote in my notes three different times how much fun it was to read. I highly recommend it! It comes out May 28. Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

'Dreadful' is a funny novel about a dark wizard, who has lost his memories. Exploring all the sides of being the evil one together with the main character is quite entertaining. The author uses stereotypical tropes and inverts some of them. Overall it can be a bit on the nose and it reads rather modern, but it's fun nonetheless.

This might not be for everyone but it most certainly was for me. I love fantasy be it in books, games or any form really. I love high and epic fantasy, I love urban fantasy and, well you get the idea. So Dreadful was perfect for me since it takes some of the elements of fantasy and turns them on their head, makes a comedy of sorts of the whole thing and I loved every minute of it. Now what Dreadful doesn’t do is go into great detail of the worlds or cultures, we don’t get lots of insight into each and every character as such but what we do get is a fun and enjoyable read that you will find hard to put down.

I loved the storyline that mixes the stereotypical ‘evil overlord’ with someone who seemingly has amnesia and is trying very hard to be THAT evil person but failing miserably at it. I particularly did like how Rozakis uses this to explore topics that are extremely relevant today such as toxic masculinity and the idea of ‘beautiful’ princesses. Honestly I loved every minute of it. the characters were fleshed out well enough to get attached, I particularly liked the goblins myself.

If you are a fan of fantasy and want something a bit more light hearted but still with a bit of adventure this is the one for you.

What would you do if you woke up without your memories and find out that you are apparently a Dark Lord?

This is the question Dreadful tries to answer in this delightful tale of breaking with your past self and redemption.

Our main character obviously finds that being a Dark Lord is not everything it is cracked up to be. For one you have to do evil deeds and for another you have those pesky heroes to deal with. His growth a character as well as ther interactions with the princess he keeps as a prisoner are precious.

My biggest gripe with this book is that it could easily have been a novella instead of a novel. It could have half the size and not been so dragging. Another point against it is the timing of its release, why publish when there are two other Dark Lord books coming out. One of which also being a parody. This being far superior over Become The Dark and Die Trying which at sometime is downright offensive.

Happy this was a standalone and a good try at fantasy parody.

Recommended for: fans of cozy fantasy, fans of T. Kingfisher and people who like a change of heart comedy

Not recommended if: you like more depth, you can't handle slow parts, you want everything explained in detail

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for this digital arc!

This book is a lot of fun, and is great for those who aren’t looking for something that takes itself seriously. I think it loses itself a bit in the ending, and things start to get a bit convoluted, but I enjoyed the premise. It reminds me a lot of Terry Pratchett’s work.

Bad enough to wake up with no memories, no eyebrows and no idea what's going on, but to wake up to find you're an evil wizard with appalling HR practices and a not much better dress sense? Dreadful.

Gav (previously known as The Dread Lord Gavrax) wakes up in his workshop to discover he is up to where his eyebrows should be in a nefarious plot for total power and domination. The trouble is, he doesn't remember anything about it. He has a princess locked in a tower, a small army of goblin servants and a village awaiting his displeasure; he doesn't know what to do about any of it and he's not sure this is where he wants to be going in life.

Dreadful is a fun, cosy fantasy with a great cast of characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Dreadful is a delightful debut novel by Caitlin Rozakis. It’s set in a rather embarrassing castle of Dread Lord Gavrax, an evil wizard who has lost his memory. He has no recollection of his past, let alone that morning, which turns out to be very problematic. Because his past self has made some plans.

Gav, as he decides to call himself, is middle-aged and not very successful dark wizard or respected among his peers, as he soon discovers. But he’s feared by his goblin staff, which embarrasses him greatly. He’s also embarrassed by his choice in décor and clothing. But he soon finds out Dread Lord is only as dreaded as he appears.

He seems to have some anger management issues he doesn’t know the roots of, but which make him want to burn people around him to death, something he struggles to overcome. He also has a village to manage that is very poor thanks to his past self’s lousy decisions, which he decides to rectify. And worst of all, he has a princess in his dungeon.

His past self has teamed with other dark wizards for something nefarious he doesn’t remember. It involves the princess that his current self has come to like and respect quite a lot. So, it’s up to him to rescue her or failing that, she’ll have to rescue herself. Easier said than done when heroes from all over the kingdom are rushing to her rescue by trying to kill him, and dark wizards more powerful than him are determined to stop him.

This was a fun story with all sorts of shenanigans that kept me guessing to the end. Gav stumbles in and out of problems that are mostly his past self’s making, with rather surprising results. Along the way, he comes to learn a lot about his goblin staff and women, whom he suspects his old self had no respect for. He’s earnest about his desire to change for the better, but it’s not easy. And all the while he fears that if he gets his memories back, he’ll revert to his old evil self.

Gav is rather endearing in his quest for redemption. It isn’t easy and involves a lot of soul searching and some hard conversations with the princess who holds him accountable for his past self. His constant commentary about women’s looks and bodies became a bit off-putting at some point though, as if they only exist to be looked at despite his attempts to see them as people with agency. His friendship with the princess is fairly one-sided, it seemed, and she never quite becomes what she could be. The goblin staff, on the other hand, is delightful in their earnest willingness to help him change.

The ending is good and, since this appears to be a stand-alone, conclusive. Gav rises to the occasion in a manner I didn’t see happening at the beginning of the book, and the story leaves everyone in a better place. All in all, a good story of friendship and redemption that will delight me for a long time.

Dread lord Gavrax has had an unfortunate accident, he's forgotten everything. Now he has goblins, a town to care for, problems from fellow dark lords, and a princess he's captured. His only path forward is to make allies with the only person who he can trust-- the princess. Dreadful is a delightfully fun read with great characters and a winning protagonist. The only qualms come from the usage of the amnesia plot device, but honestly, that sets the whole book in motion. If you aren't on board with that, you might want to look for another book. Rozakis' debut novel is well worth sinking into this summer.