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.

Oh this book was truly a delight! It felt different than many fantasy books I've read and delivers on the topic of good vs evil and redemption.

A tongue in cheek look at what it means to be a Dark Wizard—especially if you wake up with no memories and are horrified to learn the local Dark Wizard is you. Gav must figure out who he was—and who he wants to be—if he’s going to survive the princess in the cellar and heroes out to stab him in the back and yes, the Dreadful Plan in the works.

Gav wakes up with no eyebrows, and also very quickly realises, no memories. Gav is in also in a castle belonging to a Dark Wizard, who also just might be him

Gav, also known as Dread Lord Gavrax, must manage his Goblin staff, figure out why there is a kidnapped Princess in his custody, and fool the other dark Wizards into thinking he knows what he is doing before things end badly

But Gav doesn't feel he can relate to Gavrax and finding his feet without his evil doing memories is proving to be a challenge, but how to get out of this one alive...?? And which side will be find himself on...

This book was a lot of fun, I read most of it in the one day then finished it up the next

Loved the writing, loved Gavs voice and moral dilemmas and the story was really funny as well

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for the early review copy. All opinions my own. Out 28 May

I LOVED the intro to this book. It was SO unique and fresh! It grabbed me from the first page. Unfortunately I had trouble keeping going with this book. I DO think it's just me, though. We've actually been selling this really well at the store that I'm working at, which is great! This is a weird, quirky title, I think it's going to sell really well in our store, whether or not it worked for me personally. I liked Rozakis's writing style, and I liked the tone and voice of the story.

Sadly, I just couldn't get into the style of this one! DNF @ 22%. It's cute and quirky, just not working for me right now. I'll come back another time when I'm looking for that wacky fantasy kind of vibe!

For fans of Piers Anthony's "Xanth" series or Terry Pratchett's humor, "Dreadful" is your next comfort read!

Caitlin Rozakis does what many fun, low-stakes reads often fail to do, and that's giving the main character enough of a developmental arc that feels both natural and aligned with the plot. Our main character Gav, an evil-wizard-turned-feminist-icon, undergoes such an arc, but without the hemming and hawing of "wow, look, this man is learning the basics of being a decent human"! Against a backdrop of comical side characters, including a princess who also learns not to judge a goblin by its smell, and a group of terrified-but-sturdy villagers, "Dreadful" feels like a whimsical D&D campaign that leaves you feeling good (and wanting to redecorate your dungeon by the end).

Rozakis' prose is straightforward, never lofty, which makes this novel accessible. It handles sexism and racism well without shoving the lessons learned in your face. Gav is likable despite his seedy past and the heroes that come to rescue the princess become caricatures of faux gallantry, which makes you root for the slap-stick, messy group of true heroes even more. I enjoyed every minute and was sad it was over by the time I finished the last page.

Deceptively heartfelt and full of hilarious capriciousness, make sure "Dreadful" is on your shelf, if only to provide warmth and comfort in a world that feels more and more like an Evil Wizard's squid-filled moat.