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Dreadful
A sharp-witted, 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?
Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.
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?
Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.
347 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,450 reviews
July 11, 2024
One of my favourite Australian TV shows is an improv comedy gem called Thank God You’re Here. In it, an unscripted performer walks through a door onto a set filled with fully-scripted actors. The performer has no clue what character they are or what scene they're stepping into, and they have to improvise their way out, making for highly entertaining, sometimes awkward scenes.
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis book reminded me exactly of that, except with an evil wizard, who has woken up in a castle and forgotten exactly why he turned into a villainous dread lord, why he’s imprisoned a princess, why his past self kept incinerating his employees, why everyone cowers beneath him and what his fearsome reputation is built on. I’m glad to report I was very, very amused and I found myself laughing out loud plenty of times while reading this.
There are a few reasons this book worked for me:
Firstly, I’ve come to realise that cosy fantasy with too much sweetness just doesn’t mesh with my dark cynical soul and I was worried I might not be the target audience for this book. But it turns out, I had nothing to fear. This book was simultaneously magical, absurd, flippant, whimsical, satirical, and self-deprecating without being too saccharine or twee. (YMMV). Plus it was full of introspection and heart. And garlic. Lots of it. So if you're a vampire, you might not like this. Humorous fantasy is probably the closest generic description for it, I wouldn't call it low-stakes or cosy. Lives are definitely at stake, and I kinda feel like it leans more into quirky than cosy–although there are some adorable goblins.
Secondly, we all know I love a trope subversion and Dreadful doesn't disappoint. It pokes fun at every fairytale trope under the sun, whether it's conventional heroes, knights in shining armour, princess stereotypes, or evil wizards.
Thirdly, the female characters in this book are written to be intelligent and cunning, which should be a basic benchmark in stories, but seems worthwhile to mention given how frequently certain popular authors write witless, inauthentic women characters. There's also a bit of soul-searching and overcoming toxic masculinity.
Finally, beneath it all there are subtle underlying themes of kindness and reminders to not discriminate, stereotype or judge a book by its cover.
This was almost a 5-star read for me, teetering on a solid 4.5. If you like T.Kingfisher’s light-hearted fantasies or John Scalzi-type humour, there is a decent chance you would also appreciate this book. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unserious, witty and creative to read, and to anyone who believes in the unfathomable magical power of garlic. I’m genuinely excited to read anything Caitlin Rozakis writes next.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This book has been published and is available to read now.
___
Overdid it on the arcs while on semi-hiatus but apparently, there is killer moat squid, an evil wizard with amnesia and a garlic festival in this one. 🧲
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis book reminded me exactly of that, except with an evil wizard, who has woken up in a castle and forgotten exactly why he turned into a villainous dread lord, why he’s imprisoned a princess, why his past self kept incinerating his employees, why everyone cowers beneath him and what his fearsome reputation is built on. I’m glad to report I was very, very amused and I found myself laughing out loud plenty of times while reading this.
There are a few reasons this book worked for me:
Firstly, I’ve come to realise that cosy fantasy with too much sweetness just doesn’t mesh with my dark cynical soul and I was worried I might not be the target audience for this book. But it turns out, I had nothing to fear. This book was simultaneously magical, absurd, flippant, whimsical, satirical, and self-deprecating without being too saccharine or twee. (YMMV). Plus it was full of introspection and heart. And garlic. Lots of it. So if you're a vampire, you might not like this. Humorous fantasy is probably the closest generic description for it, I wouldn't call it low-stakes or cosy. Lives are definitely at stake, and I kinda feel like it leans more into quirky than cosy–although there are some adorable goblins.
Secondly, we all know I love a trope subversion and Dreadful doesn't disappoint. It pokes fun at every fairytale trope under the sun, whether it's conventional heroes, knights in shining armour, princess stereotypes, or evil wizards.
Thirdly, the female characters in this book are written to be intelligent and cunning, which should be a basic benchmark in stories, but seems worthwhile to mention given how frequently certain popular authors write witless, inauthentic women characters. There's also a bit of soul-searching and overcoming toxic masculinity.
Finally, beneath it all there are subtle underlying themes of kindness and reminders to not discriminate, stereotype or judge a book by its cover.
This was almost a 5-star read for me, teetering on a solid 4.5. If you like T.Kingfisher’s light-hearted fantasies or John Scalzi-type humour, there is a decent chance you would also appreciate this book. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unserious, witty and creative to read, and to anyone who believes in the unfathomable magical power of garlic. I’m genuinely excited to read anything Caitlin Rozakis writes next.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This book has been published and is available to read now.
___
Overdid it on the arcs while on semi-hiatus but apparently, there is killer moat squid, an evil wizard with amnesia and a garlic festival in this one. 🧲
April 21, 2024
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 enchantedchickens 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.
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
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.
February 26, 2024
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!
Bookstagram
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!
Bookstagram
June 24, 2024
This is what I wished Assistant to the Villain had been—what a fun and clever romp. Satirical, darkly humorous, and well paced. Good times!
Concept: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★
You never know if a satirical fantasy romp will be worth the effort until you dive in. Or at least, that's the case for me—humor is so singular, and the thin line of "appropriate levels of over-the-topness" and "wow that's TOO MUCH" is often a wash.
When I say that Dreadful was a hit... That's high praise.
Now, I'm going to viciously compare another recently published satirical fantasy with Dreadful, and I feel kind of bad about it. But it must be said, because I think there's a group of readers out there who will be immediately interested in this novel when I say this: I thought Assistant to the Villain was meh and not worth the time. In hindsight, what I truly wanted from that meh reading experience was THIS novel, Dreadful, instead.
So if you're like me and you wanted a classic European/feudal-vibed fantasy romp with a heavy dose of self-aware humor that is actually well paced and constructed... Welcome.
Dreadful is about a man who wakes up in a Dark Lord's lair and realizes, to his surprise and horror, that HE is somehow this castle's Dark Lord. He has no idea who he is, was, or why he's here with no memory. But all signs point to the fact that yes, he's the terror who decorated this macabre and decrepit castle and filled it with horrors.
Armed with no memories and a confusing situation that he must navigate with nuance and stealth, our Villain slowly comes to the realization that... maybe he doesn't WANT to be this narrative's villain. Who said he had to be, anyway? He doesn't have any sentimental attachment to black dour robes and, frankly, he finds the decor gauche and over the top. And the captured princess in the dungeon? That's just a headache waiting to happen.
So our incognito amnesiac inside of the Dark Lord mucks some stuff up and learns some things along the way. (I don't want to give you more than that, as it's fun to go into this one without a lot of knowledge.)
Highly recommend to fans of K.J. Parker—cleverly done humorous fantasies are Parker's jam, and it's clear that Rozakis has a talent for the same thing. I look forward to more from her!
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
Concept: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★
You never know if a satirical fantasy romp will be worth the effort until you dive in. Or at least, that's the case for me—humor is so singular, and the thin line of "appropriate levels of over-the-topness" and "wow that's TOO MUCH" is often a wash.
When I say that Dreadful was a hit... That's high praise.
Now, I'm going to viciously compare another recently published satirical fantasy with Dreadful, and I feel kind of bad about it. But it must be said, because I think there's a group of readers out there who will be immediately interested in this novel when I say this: I thought Assistant to the Villain was meh and not worth the time. In hindsight, what I truly wanted from that meh reading experience was THIS novel, Dreadful, instead.
So if you're like me and you wanted a classic European/feudal-vibed fantasy romp with a heavy dose of self-aware humor that is actually well paced and constructed... Welcome.
Dreadful is about a man who wakes up in a Dark Lord's lair and realizes, to his surprise and horror, that HE is somehow this castle's Dark Lord. He has no idea who he is, was, or why he's here with no memory. But all signs point to the fact that yes, he's the terror who decorated this macabre and decrepit castle and filled it with horrors.
Armed with no memories and a confusing situation that he must navigate with nuance and stealth, our Villain slowly comes to the realization that... maybe he doesn't WANT to be this narrative's villain. Who said he had to be, anyway? He doesn't have any sentimental attachment to black dour robes and, frankly, he finds the decor gauche and over the top. And the captured princess in the dungeon? That's just a headache waiting to happen.
So our incognito amnesiac inside of the Dark Lord mucks some stuff up and learns some things along the way. (I don't want to give you more than that, as it's fun to go into this one without a lot of knowledge.)
Highly recommend to fans of K.J. Parker—cleverly done humorous fantasies are Parker's jam, and it's clear that Rozakis has a talent for the same thing. I look forward to more from her!
Blog | Instagram | Libro.fm Audiobooks
April 24, 2024
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis is seriously the most epic thing I've read in ages! Imagine waking up in this wrecked wizard's workshop, totally clueless and facing the terrifying possibility that you're your own worst enemy. Yeah, that's the insane rollercoaster Gav finds himself on in this book, and let me tell you, it's a wild ride from start to finish!
Rozakis serves up a fantasy adventure that's not just hilarious but also flips all the clichés on their head. I'm talking killer moat squid, a garlic festival and a whole lot of laughs. But amidst all the chaos and craziness, there's this deeper message about finding yourself and owning who you are that really hit me right in the feels.
And let's talk about the characters – they're seriously the coolest bunch I've ever met in a book! Dread Lord Gavrax is an absolute riot, going from dark wizard to... well, something else entirely. And the rest of the crew? They're just as awesome, from the goblins who stole my heart to the princess who's anything but your typical damsel in distress.
But what really sets this book apart is how it tackles big stuff like gender equality and self-image, all while keeping you laughing and cheering on the characters like they're your BFFs. Rozakis has some serious skills when it comes to weaving in those important messages without ever making the story feel preachy or heavy-handed.
So, if you're after a fantasy romp that's funny, heartwarming, and totally epic, do yourself a favor and dive into Dreadful. Trust me, you won't regret it – in fact, you'll probably be begging for more by the time you reach the last page!
Rozakis serves up a fantasy adventure that's not just hilarious but also flips all the clichés on their head. I'm talking killer moat squid, a garlic festival and a whole lot of laughs. But amidst all the chaos and craziness, there's this deeper message about finding yourself and owning who you are that really hit me right in the feels.
And let's talk about the characters – they're seriously the coolest bunch I've ever met in a book! Dread Lord Gavrax is an absolute riot, going from dark wizard to... well, something else entirely. And the rest of the crew? They're just as awesome, from the goblins who stole my heart to the princess who's anything but your typical damsel in distress.
But what really sets this book apart is how it tackles big stuff like gender equality and self-image, all while keeping you laughing and cheering on the characters like they're your BFFs. Rozakis has some serious skills when it comes to weaving in those important messages without ever making the story feel preachy or heavy-handed.
So, if you're after a fantasy romp that's funny, heartwarming, and totally epic, do yourself a favor and dive into Dreadful. Trust me, you won't regret it – in fact, you'll probably be begging for more by the time you reach the last page!
July 8, 2024
3.5 stars
Very cute and fun!! I wish some bits of the world were explored more and the characters had a little more depth but it was a fun, easy read. I really liked the message and the exploration of misogyny in it, but I also think it could have gone a bit further in both.
This book is one I foresee being very hit or miss for people. It’s tropey and the voice and humor will appeal to a particular audience but I liked it overall and would recommend if you’re looking for a basic and fun comedic fantasy book. :)
Very cute and fun!! I wish some bits of the world were explored more and the characters had a little more depth but it was a fun, easy read. I really liked the message and the exploration of misogyny in it, but I also think it could have gone a bit further in both.
This book is one I foresee being very hit or miss for people. It’s tropey and the voice and humor will appeal to a particular audience but I liked it overall and would recommend if you’re looking for a basic and fun comedic fantasy book. :)
April 18, 2024
“Books told from the villain’s perspective” seem to be having something of a Moment. I read one recently, (How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying) have an ARC of another, and then there’s this one. This is not a complaint; these are fun.
The protagonist of this book wakes up in the ruins of a magical laboratory in the aftermath of some kind of spell gone disastrously wrong, missing both his memories of who he is and his eyebrows. He pretty quickly pieces together that there isn’t an evil wizard about to come and kill him; he is, in fact, the Dread Lord Gavrax. And he’s the corniest, most over-the-top villain since Ming the Merciless.
The goblin guards? Horribly incompetent. The wardrobe, featuring black robes with a stiff collar going up past his head, and flame embroidery better suited for a Dodge Charger purchased by a newly recruited Army private at 30% APR? So cheesy. The torches? Give crappy light, and smoke everywhere. The less said about the wanton carvings on his throne, the better. And, ah, hell, there’s a princess in the dungeon who is very angry over being kidnapped.
Gav - he can’t bear to think of himself as Dread Lord Gavrax - has a dilemma. He doesn’t particularly want to be evil. But he can’t just walk away. Because he has to help a much more competent and powerful dark wizard in a ritual in one week, that involves the sacrifice of the aforementioned princess. So he wants to keep himself safe from this wizard, keep the princess from being sacrificed, keep his village and staff from being horribly murdered (as they surely would be) if he just disappeared, and also keep from being killed (or killing) all the would-be Heroes who want to rescue the princess from him.
It’s an absolute farce, and it’s great. I would love to see it made into a movie. It had me laughing out loud on several occasions as things rise to ever greater heights of absurdity.
Looking forward to seeing reactions from others as they read this. They’ll see. They’ll all see. Hahaha. HAHAHAHA. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
(ahem)
My blog
The protagonist of this book wakes up in the ruins of a magical laboratory in the aftermath of some kind of spell gone disastrously wrong, missing both his memories of who he is and his eyebrows. He pretty quickly pieces together that there isn’t an evil wizard about to come and kill him; he is, in fact, the Dread Lord Gavrax. And he’s the corniest, most over-the-top villain since Ming the Merciless.
The goblin guards? Horribly incompetent. The wardrobe, featuring black robes with a stiff collar going up past his head, and flame embroidery better suited for a Dodge Charger purchased by a newly recruited Army private at 30% APR? So cheesy. The torches? Give crappy light, and smoke everywhere. The less said about the wanton carvings on his throne, the better. And, ah, hell, there’s a princess in the dungeon who is very angry over being kidnapped.
Gav - he can’t bear to think of himself as Dread Lord Gavrax - has a dilemma. He doesn’t particularly want to be evil. But he can’t just walk away. Because he has to help a much more competent and powerful dark wizard in a ritual in one week, that involves the sacrifice of the aforementioned princess. So he wants to keep himself safe from this wizard, keep the princess from being sacrificed, keep his village and staff from being horribly murdered (as they surely would be) if he just disappeared, and also keep from being killed (or killing) all the would-be Heroes who want to rescue the princess from him.
It’s an absolute farce, and it’s great. I would love to see it made into a movie. It had me laughing out loud on several occasions as things rise to ever greater heights of absurdity.
Looking forward to seeing reactions from others as they read this. They’ll see. They’ll all see. Hahaha. HAHAHAHA. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
(ahem)
My blog
June 12, 2024
3 stars
Rating cozy fantasy books is hard for me because I keep waiting for the plot to go somewhere but that's kind of the point?
Dread lord Gavrax has forgotten who he is and has blown up his workshop. He also has a princess trapped in the dungeon. As he works to figure out who he is, he realizes he didn't like his old self and wants to change that.
This was a cute book, feels a little like a self help book at times. "Why am I angry? Why am I acting like this?" Lots of questions never get answered though. Why was he a bad guy? Did he just decide to be evil? I really wanted his backstory and you never get it which was a little frustrating. The character interactions are fine. I wish it would have gone somewhere sooner rather than taking half the book to finally start making some progress.
Would I recommend this? Probably not but it was cute and I had a decent time.
Rating cozy fantasy books is hard for me because I keep waiting for the plot to go somewhere but that's kind of the point?
Dread lord Gavrax has forgotten who he is and has blown up his workshop. He also has a princess trapped in the dungeon. As he works to figure out who he is, he realizes he didn't like his old self and wants to change that.
This was a cute book, feels a little like a self help book at times. "Why am I angry? Why am I acting like this?" Lots of questions never get answered though. Why was he a bad guy? Did he just decide to be evil? I really wanted his backstory and you never get it which was a little frustrating. The character interactions are fine. I wish it would have gone somewhere sooner rather than taking half the book to finally start making some progress.
Would I recommend this? Probably not but it was cute and I had a decent time.
September 5, 2024
I demand to see this ridiculousness on screen immediately
June 14, 2024
On my blog.
Rep: gay side character
Galley provided by publisher
Dreadful was a reasonably amusing book, if entirely unsubtle in its messaging. I mean, I didn’t expect subtle. If there’s one thing a lot of books round about now are if they’re on this topic (i.e. toxic masculinity, i.e. feminist retellings) it’s unsubtle. Like, I don’t know guys, maybe I want to have to read between the lines a bit sometimes. Maybe I don’t want it all spelled out for me.
But I digress. I didn’t expect it so I wasn’t disappointed when it wasn’t. And it wasn’t a bad read by any stretch of the imagination. It was fun! The overall experience of it was good! It was a little weirdly lighthearted at times for the violent misogyny that (appeared) to be on show, yes, but overall good.
The story follows a character whose name I’ve already forgotten (good start!), who wakes up to discover he’s lost his memory. It is, however, apparent that everyone around him expects him to be an evil wizard. Oh, and he’s in the middle of a villainous plot along with some genuinely evil wizards. That he knows nothing about thanks to his memory loss.
This is a book that relies quite a bit on generic fantasy worldbuilding and doesn’t really provide a whole lot new in that respect. Which is, I guess, alright. It’s not trying to tell a story like that, it’s trying to tell a story about toxic masculinity within a fantasy context. So depth in worldbuilding is hardly the priority: depth in character is.
It’s an interesting balancing act between making Gav likeable enough to root for, while still allowing that he’s a violent misogynist. I have more to say about this later, but for now let’s stick to the positives. It’s mostly good at doing this. Watching Gav recognise his faults and challenge his own instinctive behaviours means that you’re rooting for him to overcome them and change. The memory loss is (mostly) a good vehicle for this. (Yes, I am, in part, trying to hedge what I’m saying here because there is a but coming.)
The characters around him are also fun, especially the goblins who, really, have to be my favourite part of the book. The whole network of Gav, princess (no, I don’t remember a name), evil secretary (reviews say his name is Siraco), and the goblins was clearly meant to tug on your heartstrings as some kind of found family. And I’m not above admitting that it worked to an extent. Hey, I could read a whole series of them and the villagers bullying Gav like that. Alas, not the story being told. But they were fun! As a group of characters to root for, they filled that requirement admirably.
If I had one slightly finicky complaint, it’s that memory loss of all the most horrific things Gav did was required for him to change. It’s that, actually, he does these horrific things (which, by the by, he actually did want to do. To not beat about the bush, this involves burning a woman alive because she rejects him which is what I meant earlier by the violent misogyny that just feels tonally out of place in this one) but it’s okay really because firstly, he’s a new person now who’s horrified by that behaviour and secondly, everyone around him was good and rescued the people he thinks he did this to, so really, he hasn’t done it in the first place. And he can separate present-post memory loss-Gav from past-Gav. Present-Gav doesn’t do these things, that was past-Gav’s problem. Okay, having put it like that, maybe it’s less finicky. The more I think about it, the more it seems to kind of undercut the story that the author’s trying to tell. I get it, she doesn’t want him to be wholly irredeemable and some of these things would absolutely for sure put him on that list for some readers. But I think that might have been a more interesting take: at what point do you give up on someone like this? Do you ever? Is redemption at all possible? But I get it. One, that takes a lot of skill, and two, this is a book that’s really just a light-hearted chance for one man to unlearn toxic masculinity and his incel ways. But that violent misogyny does pose a conundrum here: this is a book that is written in a way that’s quite light-hearted (or feels it, for all the obvious sexism of its main character, sorry past main character). Then you get to the reveal of what he’s done and it hits you like woah, okay. What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t really fit going back to that light-heartedness after that reveal, and it feels like doing so almost misses the point. I don’t know how clear I’m being here but basically, it’s about the dissonance of it all. It starts to feel a bit dismissive of the real violence of Gav’s misogyny.
So here we come to the strange point of me, in having written this review, thinking that perhaps I didn’t like it as much as all that. I’ve almost talked myself into giving it a lower rating (in fact, there may be no “almost” about it). The idea here might have been good, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
Rep: gay side character
Galley provided by publisher
Dreadful was a reasonably amusing book, if entirely unsubtle in its messaging. I mean, I didn’t expect subtle. If there’s one thing a lot of books round about now are if they’re on this topic (i.e. toxic masculinity, i.e. feminist retellings) it’s unsubtle. Like, I don’t know guys, maybe I want to have to read between the lines a bit sometimes. Maybe I don’t want it all spelled out for me.
But I digress. I didn’t expect it so I wasn’t disappointed when it wasn’t. And it wasn’t a bad read by any stretch of the imagination. It was fun! The overall experience of it was good! It was a little weirdly lighthearted at times for the violent misogyny that (appeared) to be on show, yes, but overall good.
The story follows a character whose name I’ve already forgotten (good start!), who wakes up to discover he’s lost his memory. It is, however, apparent that everyone around him expects him to be an evil wizard. Oh, and he’s in the middle of a villainous plot along with some genuinely evil wizards. That he knows nothing about thanks to his memory loss.
This is a book that relies quite a bit on generic fantasy worldbuilding and doesn’t really provide a whole lot new in that respect. Which is, I guess, alright. It’s not trying to tell a story like that, it’s trying to tell a story about toxic masculinity within a fantasy context. So depth in worldbuilding is hardly the priority: depth in character is.
It’s an interesting balancing act between making Gav likeable enough to root for, while still allowing that he’s a violent misogynist. I have more to say about this later, but for now let’s stick to the positives. It’s mostly good at doing this. Watching Gav recognise his faults and challenge his own instinctive behaviours means that you’re rooting for him to overcome them and change. The memory loss is (mostly) a good vehicle for this. (Yes, I am, in part, trying to hedge what I’m saying here because there is a but coming.)
The characters around him are also fun, especially the goblins who, really, have to be my favourite part of the book. The whole network of Gav, princess (no, I don’t remember a name), evil secretary (reviews say his name is Siraco), and the goblins was clearly meant to tug on your heartstrings as some kind of found family. And I’m not above admitting that it worked to an extent. Hey, I could read a whole series of them and the villagers bullying Gav like that. Alas, not the story being told. But they were fun! As a group of characters to root for, they filled that requirement admirably.
If I had one slightly finicky complaint, it’s that memory loss of all the most horrific things Gav did was required for him to change. It’s that, actually, he does these horrific things (which, by the by, he actually did want to do. To not beat about the bush, this involves burning a woman alive because she rejects him which is what I meant earlier by the violent misogyny that just feels tonally out of place in this one) but it’s okay really because firstly, he’s a new person now who’s horrified by that behaviour and secondly, everyone around him was good and rescued the people he thinks he did this to, so really, he hasn’t done it in the first place. And he can separate present-post memory loss-Gav from past-Gav. Present-Gav doesn’t do these things, that was past-Gav’s problem. Okay, having put it like that, maybe it’s less finicky. The more I think about it, the more it seems to kind of undercut the story that the author’s trying to tell. I get it, she doesn’t want him to be wholly irredeemable and some of these things would absolutely for sure put him on that list for some readers. But I think that might have been a more interesting take: at what point do you give up on someone like this? Do you ever? Is redemption at all possible? But I get it. One, that takes a lot of skill, and two, this is a book that’s really just a light-hearted chance for one man to unlearn toxic masculinity and his incel ways. But that violent misogyny does pose a conundrum here: this is a book that is written in a way that’s quite light-hearted (or feels it, for all the obvious sexism of its main character, sorry past main character). Then you get to the reveal of what he’s done and it hits you like woah, okay. What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t really fit going back to that light-heartedness after that reveal, and it feels like doing so almost misses the point. I don’t know how clear I’m being here but basically, it’s about the dissonance of it all. It starts to feel a bit dismissive of the real violence of Gav’s misogyny.
So here we come to the strange point of me, in having written this review, thinking that perhaps I didn’t like it as much as all that. I’ve almost talked myself into giving it a lower rating (in fact, there may be no “almost” about it). The idea here might have been good, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
June 28, 2024
This cozy fantasy story was exactly the palette cleanser I needed after a dark and heavy book. It’s a warm-hearted story about a dark wizard who has lost all his memories - and with them, his motivation to be evil. But deciding to be good and undo the deeds of his “dark” self isn’t as easy as it seems. The plot is well paced with a solid cast of characters we quickly learn are more nuanced than Gav originally believes. While it is definitely heavy on the comedy side, there’s enough to make you think too - what makes a person who they are, can bad deeds be undone, etc etc.
July 21, 2024
Well this is just super fun!
A little bit of romance, a lot of funny quips, the identity of what it means to be evil (versus good); with a focus on stereotypes and how entrenched they are in people’s perceptions and expectations.
I like that the ending is fairly closed, could maybe do a sequel, but kind of hope this remains a stand-alone. All the characters, especially the goblins, are quite endearing, or at least interesting, and the focus on how everyone looks, sounds, etc. just amplifies these differences and makes our characters even more likeable.
The plot is not as thin as I expected, and the magic set-up, rituals, etc. explained better than I had hoped for. Overall this is a funny, cosy little fantasy which features a less-pretty princess, our leading dark lord with no memories, some (cuddly?) goblins, a few sinister dark wizards (or lords), and a lot of garlic. Yes that’s right, garlic.
You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out why Dreadful is dreadfully great.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
A little bit of romance, a lot of funny quips, the identity of what it means to be evil (versus good); with a focus on stereotypes and how entrenched they are in people’s perceptions and expectations.
I like that the ending is fairly closed, could maybe do a sequel, but kind of hope this remains a stand-alone. All the characters, especially the goblins, are quite endearing, or at least interesting, and the focus on how everyone looks, sounds, etc. just amplifies these differences and makes our characters even more likeable.
The plot is not as thin as I expected, and the magic set-up, rituals, etc. explained better than I had hoped for. Overall this is a funny, cosy little fantasy which features a less-pretty princess, our leading dark lord with no memories, some (cuddly?) goblins, a few sinister dark wizards (or lords), and a lot of garlic. Yes that’s right, garlic.
You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out why Dreadful is dreadfully great.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
July 24, 2024
4.5🌟 OH WHAT A DELIGHT!! 🧛♂️🖤
This book is full of fun unexpected twists on your usual fairytale storylines and characters, with witty dark humour and amazing comedic timing!
In just over 300 pages, you get to meet surprisingly adorable lil goblins, a strong-willed and intelligent princess, an explosive garlic festival, clumsy stumbling heroes, inky sticky moat squids, a talking rooster, evil dark wizards, and a not-so-evil dark wizard who is on a quest of self rediscovery. It’s truly an adventure!
I love reading from a villain’s point of view and LOVE this refreshing take on the Good v Evil theme! Recommend this book if you’re looking for something extraordinary 🌟☺️
This book is full of fun unexpected twists on your usual fairytale storylines and characters, with witty dark humour and amazing comedic timing!
In just over 300 pages, you get to meet surprisingly adorable lil goblins, a strong-willed and intelligent princess, an explosive garlic festival, clumsy stumbling heroes, inky sticky moat squids, a talking rooster, evil dark wizards, and a not-so-evil dark wizard who is on a quest of self rediscovery. It’s truly an adventure!
I love reading from a villain’s point of view and LOVE this refreshing take on the Good v Evil theme! Recommend this book if you’re looking for something extraordinary 🌟☺️
June 11, 2024
Dreadful is right
September 17, 2024
Loved loved loved the audio for this!! Such a cozy and fun fantasy that had me actually cackling while listening! A part of me thought this was a little romance going into it - it’s probs best you don’t go into it with that thought lol. I dont know how much i would’ve loved this if i physically read it but highly recommend the audio!
Want to read
December 5, 2023Book sounds genuinely interesting, the way the synopsis is written feels a bit on the twee side, but I'm curious to read this.
June 12, 2024
Moral of the story: you can always change your mind.
June 23, 2024
The title of the book is fitting. DNF’d about 2/3rds of the way through.
I wanted to like this book, I couldn’t like this book. I probably spent more time convincing myself to pick this book up again and again than I did actually reading this book.
The concept is great: a guy wakes up in an evil warlocks lair and has no clue who he is only to realize he is the evil warlock. Hilarity ensues. Except not really. So much of the book was spent on Gav’s introspection at who he must have been and how he must have gotten to the point of being an evil warlock with no sign of closure. He bungled every interaction he had with everyone and not in a funny way but in a “oh god it’s a train-wreck I need to look away from.” The amount of second-hand embarrassment I felt just reading this book was enough to put me off of it. I realized about 2/3rds of the way through that I just didn’t care if he gets his memories back or ends up with anyone (as he seems to think he might).
If it wasn’t for a few small pieces to the story I would have assumed this book was written for middle-grade, not adults. The writing was juvenile and clunky, and how Gav sees and deals with the world around him feels more simplistic with little nuance. If you take out the princess being a virgin and the sorceress using seductive powers to be taken seriously you could easily shelve this next to Nancy Drew (though that may be rude to Nancy Drew, which is more well-written than this).
This book was meant to be cozy fantasy, but in reality it was more awkward teen-angst than anything else.
I wanted to like this book, I couldn’t like this book. I probably spent more time convincing myself to pick this book up again and again than I did actually reading this book.
The concept is great: a guy wakes up in an evil warlocks lair and has no clue who he is only to realize he is the evil warlock. Hilarity ensues. Except not really. So much of the book was spent on Gav’s introspection at who he must have been and how he must have gotten to the point of being an evil warlock with no sign of closure. He bungled every interaction he had with everyone and not in a funny way but in a “oh god it’s a train-wreck I need to look away from.” The amount of second-hand embarrassment I felt just reading this book was enough to put me off of it. I realized about 2/3rds of the way through that I just didn’t care if he gets his memories back or ends up with anyone (as he seems to think he might).
If it wasn’t for a few small pieces to the story I would have assumed this book was written for middle-grade, not adults. The writing was juvenile and clunky, and how Gav sees and deals with the world around him feels more simplistic with little nuance. If you take out the princess being a virgin and the sorceress using seductive powers to be taken seriously you could easily shelve this next to Nancy Drew (though that may be rude to Nancy Drew, which is more well-written than this).
This book was meant to be cozy fantasy, but in reality it was more awkward teen-angst than anything else.
June 24, 2024
What a fun romp of a book! The dark wizard has lost his memory right on the eve of all his evil schemes going into play, and suddenly he's trying to gather why the heck this princess is in his dungeon and why worst backstabbers in the region are headed for his castle. Full of quirky characters and genre savvy humor, this is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.
April 12, 2024
Thank you Net Gally for the free ARC of "Dreadful" by Catlin Rozakis.
This book just felt like an atempt at blending a bunch of popular trends: the likeble villan, isekai with "cosy" vibes and the most ridiculous humor. Let me tell you, the result was a as the title sugests...
This book just felt like an atempt at blending a bunch of popular trends: the likeble villan, isekai with "cosy" vibes and the most ridiculous humor. Let me tell you, the result was a as the title sugests...
June 18, 2024
Charming, delightful, funny and whimsical! Imagine waking up with no memory of who you are and then slowly discovering that you are evil, a kidnapper of princesses, plotter of bad deeds with evil wizards, and have horrible taste in decor and clothes. This is what happens to the evil Lord Gavrax. He doesn't remember himself at all after waking up in a chalk circle after an explosion, but the more he discovers, the more it doesn't feel right to him. He doesn't really want to be himself, because everything he is learning, he doesn't like, and everyone fears him--but who else can he be? Eager to get his memories back, but not eager to be himself, Gav is left in a weird situation and journey of finding oneself. It's a simple and whimsical book, driven by the villain, which I love. It's cozy in its own way and character driven. It's pretty low stakes and you just know the whole time that everything is going to be ok in the end, but there are some twists along the way. I'm really enjoying this emergence of cozy fantasy that kind of feels like a D&D campaign, which seems to be a new trend. Really cute and enjoyable!
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 6, 2024DNF at 10%
Not feeling it. The writing style. The voice. The conceit. I'm in a picky book mood and this isn't it for me today. Me 20 years ago would have devoured it though.
Not feeling it. The writing style. The voice. The conceit. I'm in a picky book mood and this isn't it for me today. Me 20 years ago would have devoured it though.
June 14, 2024
So.much.fun!! Definitely has Princess Bride vibes. I loved it and the BN edition has such beautiful sprayed edges!! This has an eclectic group of characters with huge personalities and well written snappy dialogue that was simply irresistible. Can’t wait to see what she writes next!!
4 ⭐️
4 ⭐️
June 19, 2024
i’m going to force all incels to read this so they can take notes
June 2, 2024
This is a really strong 4, probably like a 4.5 with potential to be a 5/5 on re-read. I really enjoyed the narrator and the farcical nature of everything. There were several mature conversations about women living under the patriarchy and relationships and balances of power that I thought were nicely handled without feeling overly preachy.
Genuinely my only complaint is really that it felt a bit too long. But I had a very fun time and look forward to reading it again.
Genuinely my only complaint is really that it felt a bit too long. But I had a very fun time and look forward to reading it again.
June 16, 2024
title is fitting.
June 7, 2024
4.5 🌟
I have to say, it’s been awhile since I’ve read something so whimsically charming. I could dissect it and get into the theme of redemption and finding oneself, but that would just be too boggy. This is not that kind of story. It’s definitely been the book I didn’t know I needed to read.
Plus, I love, love, love the sprayed and stenciled edges. Skulls and garlic!! 💀 & 🧄
“Garlic is known for its unfathomable magical powers.” 💯
I have to say, it’s been awhile since I’ve read something so whimsically charming. I could dissect it and get into the theme of redemption and finding oneself, but that would just be too boggy. This is not that kind of story. It’s definitely been the book I didn’t know I needed to read.
Plus, I love, love, love the sprayed and stenciled edges. Skulls and garlic!! 💀 & 🧄
“Garlic is known for its unfathomable magical powers.” 💯
July 2, 2024
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.
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.
August 7, 2024
Do you enjoy your cozy fantasy with a villainous twist? If the answer is, yes, then this is the book for you! Recommended for fans of Assistant to the Villain.
“...we don’t choose what life we get, we just do our best to make the most of it.”
I’m not going to lie and tell you that I haven’t always had a soft spot for the villains since my early childhood, and when I saw Dreadful was a cozy fantasy from a villain’s perspective I pounced on it! I was chatting with the booksellers while I was checking it out and heard nothing but good things about it, with many comparisons made to Assistant to the Villain, (which I haven’t actually read. Yet). But it IS on my shelves waiting for me with promises of more villainous cozy goodness. ^_^
“Fundamentally brave people didn’t become Dark Wizards.”
Dreadful is the perfect book to sit down with when you’ve been having a bad case of the slumps, and everything looks too heavy or daunting in size. This is the perfect cozy morsel to help ease you out of it and back into your merry reading mojo! It’s a funny, easy read that you can get through in no time at all, and a very enjoyable one at that.
The story begins with the villain regaining consciousness after some experiment gone horribly wrong, only to realize he has no memory of…anything. Not who he is, his own name, what he’s been up to for all of his adult life, not even a single memory from his childhood remains.
“...maybe, once you’d gone evil, reformation was just off the table.”
When you’re a villain who wakes up with a severe case of amnesia, what do you do? Do you try to fight your way back into being who you were, who everyone (your servants, the townspeople, your enemies, and fellow Dark Wizards) expects you to be? Or do you take this rare opportunity at starting over as the gift that it is and run with it? Can an ex-Dark Wizard ever change his evilly tarnished spots? These are the questions that we watch Gav struggle with repeatedly throughout Dreadful.
How much evil can be forgiven when the person in question no longer wants to be evil? When the components of a life that made a Dark Wizard no longer exist and the canvas of that life is blank, waiting to be rewritten? It’s such a fascinating journey pondering these questions alongside Gav while he’s also simultaneously trying his best to figure out what dark ritual his past self got himself consigned into partaking in, while also struggling with his developing feelings for the princess he has locked up in his dungeons.
“...she’d like magic. He was sure of it. Maybe she’d find a way to like him, too.”
In addition to our hilarious ex-villain main character, we get a solid supporting cast of side characters who also grew on me as the story went on. There’s the goblin staff who run the castle (they’re more endearing than you’d expect), a hero turned rooster who provides innumerable laughs, Valevna with all her innuendo that makes Gav so flustered and had me cracking up constantly, the fiery princess who is no damsel in distress, Wren the wizard apprentice with high potential, and even the mayor of the town who has admirable backbone when it comes to dealing with Dark Wizards.
And then we have the Big Bad of the baddies, Zarconar, who is quite a spooky dude with some seriously creepy body-mods. He could definitely be Voldemort’s cousin or something. I amusingly kept picturing him as Thanos from Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War.
In addition to the fascinating multi-faceted mystery element of the story, Dreadful is filled with so much excellent humor and wit, whether it’s watching Gav bungle his way through pretending to still be an evil wizard, or his hilarious interactions with Valevna, or the equally witty banter between him and the princess. There’s just so much fun to be had tucked away in the pages of this super cute book. If you like comedy in your books, cozy fantasies in general, or the pleasant combination of them together, then I recommend picking this little book up and giving it a thorough perusal.
*Originally reviewed on SFF Insiders Blog
“...we don’t choose what life we get, we just do our best to make the most of it.”
I’m not going to lie and tell you that I haven’t always had a soft spot for the villains since my early childhood, and when I saw Dreadful was a cozy fantasy from a villain’s perspective I pounced on it! I was chatting with the booksellers while I was checking it out and heard nothing but good things about it, with many comparisons made to Assistant to the Villain, (which I haven’t actually read. Yet). But it IS on my shelves waiting for me with promises of more villainous cozy goodness. ^_^
“Fundamentally brave people didn’t become Dark Wizards.”
Dreadful is the perfect book to sit down with when you’ve been having a bad case of the slumps, and everything looks too heavy or daunting in size. This is the perfect cozy morsel to help ease you out of it and back into your merry reading mojo! It’s a funny, easy read that you can get through in no time at all, and a very enjoyable one at that.
The story begins with the villain regaining consciousness after some experiment gone horribly wrong, only to realize he has no memory of…anything. Not who he is, his own name, what he’s been up to for all of his adult life, not even a single memory from his childhood remains.
“...maybe, once you’d gone evil, reformation was just off the table.”
When you’re a villain who wakes up with a severe case of amnesia, what do you do? Do you try to fight your way back into being who you were, who everyone (your servants, the townspeople, your enemies, and fellow Dark Wizards) expects you to be? Or do you take this rare opportunity at starting over as the gift that it is and run with it? Can an ex-Dark Wizard ever change his evilly tarnished spots? These are the questions that we watch Gav struggle with repeatedly throughout Dreadful.
How much evil can be forgiven when the person in question no longer wants to be evil? When the components of a life that made a Dark Wizard no longer exist and the canvas of that life is blank, waiting to be rewritten? It’s such a fascinating journey pondering these questions alongside Gav while he’s also simultaneously trying his best to figure out what dark ritual his past self got himself consigned into partaking in, while also struggling with his developing feelings for the princess he has locked up in his dungeons.
“...she’d like magic. He was sure of it. Maybe she’d find a way to like him, too.”
In addition to our hilarious ex-villain main character, we get a solid supporting cast of side characters who also grew on me as the story went on. There’s the goblin staff who run the castle (they’re more endearing than you’d expect), a hero turned rooster who provides innumerable laughs, Valevna with all her innuendo that makes Gav so flustered and had me cracking up constantly, the fiery princess who is no damsel in distress, Wren the wizard apprentice with high potential, and even the mayor of the town who has admirable backbone when it comes to dealing with Dark Wizards.
And then we have the Big Bad of the baddies, Zarconar, who is quite a spooky dude with some seriously creepy body-mods. He could definitely be Voldemort’s cousin or something. I amusingly kept picturing him as Thanos from Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War.
In addition to the fascinating multi-faceted mystery element of the story, Dreadful is filled with so much excellent humor and wit, whether it’s watching Gav bungle his way through pretending to still be an evil wizard, or his hilarious interactions with Valevna, or the equally witty banter between him and the princess. There’s just so much fun to be had tucked away in the pages of this super cute book. If you like comedy in your books, cozy fantasies in general, or the pleasant combination of them together, then I recommend picking this little book up and giving it a thorough perusal.
*Originally reviewed on SFF Insiders Blog
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