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.

Honestly this book was not at all what I expected, but I think that made me love it all the more. Imagine waking up and having no knowledge of who you are, and then finding out you're an evil wizard who has captured a Princess for a secret ritual... enter Gav. He knows that the Dread Lord Gavrax must have been a scary person, all his staff are terrified of him blowing them up, in fact the only person who doesn't seem scared of him is the Princess herself, something he can't help but admire. Gav's not sure he wants to go back to being evil, but he's also not sure of who else he could be. His character is certainly quirky, at once both eager to return his memories and remember who he was, but also fighting against the person he used to be.

I think I enjoyed this book so much because it's just fun, it's lighthearted, there are stakes but you just know that things are going to work out in the end and the journey is what you're here for. The Journey of seeing the Dread Lord Gavrax become just Gav, someone who likes being liked, would enjoy being respected, and someone not quite so willing to follow his evil superiors as blindly as he was before. It definitely gives off those cozy fantasy vibes and, although there are a few plot twists, they're more there for the humour factor over shock.

It's a story that turns most tropes on their head, with an evil lord who is actually quite nice after he looses his memory, a Princess who is better at scheming and planning than turning heads with her beauty. One that acknowledges that the hero's determination to stop the villains, whatever the cost, can be just as, if not more dangerous than the villains themselves. These bits gave me almost Kingfisher vibes and definitely added to the humour and just overall fun the author gives us. I also adored all the side characters from Siraco, the Dread Lords most trusted assistant to the pretty incompetent Goblins who run the castle... seriously though Grrribeetle was too cute... even Gav's fellow 'evil' wizard friends. But I especially loved our Princess who was anything but a damsel in distress. She really brings a bit more depth to the story, calling Gav out on his evilness and making him want to be a better person.

Dreadful was just one of those books that I had so much fun reading. It's very much character focused, but there is a plot in there I promise, it's just one that's tangled up in Gav's self discovery, one that very much relies on him making the right decisions, ensuring that he, and everyone under his care makes it out alive. It's exaggerated in parts (in the best and most humorous ways) and also bizarrly heartwarming in others, but it's just entertaining as a whole and I would definitely recommend it for fans of T. Kingfisher, or just people who love a good quirky/cozy fantasy.

I loved the concept! It was funny, quirky, and cute. If I hadn't read a book in a similar genre that hit just a little better immediately after this would have been a five star for me. I think the only fault of the book was that the side characters ended up with a little more personality than Gav did. Gav was, admittedly, too busy wrestling with moral dilemmas and frequent disruptions to his introspection to really reveal much personality other than confused and desperate. Overall this was a book I really enjoyed reading and I am definitely planning to stock and handsell in my indie bookstore.

The comps for DREADFUL are "for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree".

Now, T. Kingfisher is one of my favourite, auto-buy authors, and I love Legends and Lattes, so I went into DREADFUL fully prepared to be disappointed.

But, I have to say, I don't think the comps could have been any more on the nose. That's exactly how this felt to me, possibly -- and this is the highest praise I can offer -- with a touch of Pratchett thrown in for good measure.

It's dark and funny, and dips in-and-out of the absurd, but there's a sharp eye for social commentary there too, which didn't feel overdone but added extra layers of depth to the characters and the story (hence my comparison to Pratchett). It's also genuinely great fun though, and I do think that's the most important thing. The pacing is quick and the story gallops along, pulling in all sorts of (seemingly) unrelated characters, plotlines and problems all delivered with a fantastic sense of irreverent, dark humour.

A delight of a book that knows exactly the tone it's aiming for and hits it out of the park. One for rereading, for sure! DREADFUL is an incredibly confident, well-crafted debut, and I'm really excited to see what Caitlin Rozakis can do next!

Dreadful is a hilarious and slightly absurd fantasy novel about an evil dark wizard with amnesia. We follow Gav who is caught up in a dark ritual that he can't seem to remember. Gav struggles to understand his past self's actions and motives and tries to become a better version of himself.

This book was so funny and ridiculous in the best way! The writing was self-aware so none of the clichés came across as cheesy. I really liked that Gav was frequently held accountable for his actions and had to confront his past time and time again.

I recommend this to anyone who's looking for a story with heart and is also in for a laugh.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"A sharp-witted, debut 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?

A high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, an evil wizard convocation, and a garlic festival. All at once. All in all, Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks."

Has a strong Nimona vibe... Also it's wrong that the garlic festival is the thing that really grabs my attention right?

Who doesn't love a good story from a villain's perspective? Especially one that can't even remember that he is one! This story has it all: an evil villain with memory loss, a captured princess who is more than she seems, a moody castle full of goblins, clumsy heroes, and a garlic festival! The Dread Lord Gavrax has quite the time figuring out just who he is a who he wants to be which makes for some interesting scenes where he's just not quite sure how to act. Are we who the world thinks we are based on how we look or act or are we maybe something more?

Trying to be a light, humorous fantasy story (like T Kingfisher or Terry Pratchett perhaps) with a villain redemption arc, but it didn’t quite land. For one, it wasn’t particularly funny and it didn’t have enough ties to real-world issues to work as a kind of satirical metaphor (Pratchett’s expertise).

I got through the whole book with a kind of “meh” feeling. Overall enjoyable but not particularly memorable.

Gav wakes up in the half-destroyed workshop of what could only be an evil wizard and comes to two startling realizations. One, he has no memory of anything before waking up, and two, with the way everyone is treating him, HE must be the evil wizard. Faced with a town full of terrified villagers, a castle full of goblins, an ominous meeting of powerful dark wizards, and a captive princess to contend with, Gav - or Dread Lord Gavrax - must try to keep himself alive long enough to discover who he is and who he wants to be.

This was such a fun, witty, whimsical read from start to finish. The dialogue in this book was particularly skillful, with each character having their own unique vocabulary and way of speaking, and the descriptions really painted a clear picture of the characters and settings. Though this is a high fantasy at heart, the book is written with modern speech and values, and anachronisms as a stylistic choice, but this did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story at all. If anything, they enhanced the tongue in cheek nature of the writing.

Gav was a great main character, and I particularly liked seeing him struggle with his own desires to be cruel while trying to improve himself. Giving him real negative impulses made his journey come across as much more of a struggle than if his evil had just been erased entirely. Equally, I also very much enjoyed the characters who were evil because, frankly, they found it fun. The themes of shame and the pressure of meeting expectations were very clear throughout. Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

5/5 Squid, garlic, magic, and meddling heroes.

This was fun! The plot had a few solid twists, and one scene in particular had me snorting with laughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Dreadful is a fun fantasy romp with a pacey story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I found this to be a perfect bit of light relief between chunkier fantasy tomes; it’s a light-hearted standalone novel with a solid premise and good execution.

The story revolves around Gav, who has woken up in the castle of an evil dark wizard, only to discover that he IS the dark wizard with a severe case of memory loss. The resulting plot feels akin to a classic sitcom, with Gav trying his best to blag his way through conversations with staff, captured prisoners and other evil wizards, pretending he has a clue what's going on. I thought the progression of the story was very well done; every time the situation was on the brink of feeling repetitive or stale, a twist was dropped to keep the interest going and the story progressing. There’s a sense of urgency throughout, as Gav finds himself in a situation where he’s unable to take his time and work things out; he has an evil master plan to enact, if only he could remember what that was!

I didn't think there was a lot to be said for character building or development outside the lead protagonist (or antagonist I guess?), but I really enjoyed Gav’s personal dilemma surrounding his evil past - his process of learning how to be evil again leads to some wonderful moments of charming (if unsubtle) character building. There is a cast of minor characters including goblin chefs, exasperated stewards and captured princesses (all terrified of him), and while many of them have their own minor developments and reveals, this is absolutely Gav’s show.

There have been a few amnesia-based plots in modern SFF times, most notably Brandon Sanderson’s Frugal Wizard’s Handbook and Andy Weir’s masterful Project Hail Mary; while I don’t think Dreadful was quite at the level of the latter, it was still a great entertaining read - particularly for a debut novel! This is a definite recommendation if you enjoyed either of those mentioned novels, plus I think there’s a strong cosy charm to this story that would feel welcoming to readers of Jade Linwood’s Charming and Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes.

This was exactly what I was expecting and more - it was funny, chaotic at times, smart, and the perfect kind of weird. Everything I want in cozy fantasy.

Having read this book I will read anything written by Caitlin Rozakis because we have the same sense of humor. It's not often I find the exact humor I love in fantasy books, but this one was perfect. I laughed and highlighted over 80% of this book. But there was also complex themes about morality, gender, and even beauty culture that pushed this book to the next level and does so without ever losing the humor. There is nothing bad I can say about this book - the worldbuilding, the side characters, the character development, the plot were all perfect. Even at the most chaotic it was easy to follow all the converging plotlines (and still be on the edge of my seat to see how it would all work out).

So if you love funny fantasy, here please read this. I love it (and there is a beautiful sprayed edge edition coming out which is really just the cherry on the cake in my opinion).

Now this book was right up my alley and something I had a good feeling I was going to love and it surpassed all my expectations. It’s a lighthearted comedy fantasy romp that reinvents the classic fantasy trope of the evil villain and makes readers question is the villain really all that bad? Is what there doing really so terrible? We have Gav our main character who wakes up with no memory in a fantasy castle filled with goblins. Absolutely lovely, hilarious. Such a nice change of pace to my reading.

I think this was a decently good first book. It had some really funny moments and was all sorts of quirky and fun. I did have a major problem with the main character and how unlikable he was. I found it hard to really root for him and was fighting to keep focused on the story. It felt almost TOO chaotic at points when it didn't need to be. Overall, it was a good first story and I'm excited to see what future books the author dreams up.

Titan Books provided an early galley for review.

The description for this one sounded interesting and fun. I always enjoy a story where a villain is the protagonist as those stories are often few and far between. The cover jumped out to me too. Together, the perfect draw for this potential reader.

Rozakis plays well with the amnesia angle and the absurd situations that can arise from it. The fantasy genre works here, with the worldbuilding delivered in measured, as-needed doses. As the layers are added to the characters so are the layers added to the plot, all culiminating in a final confrontational situation.

This was a fun fantasy novel. I am eager to see what the author does next.

The cover is absolutely delightful, but I'm afraid I couldn't get into this one at all. The paragraphs were incredibly long and all the internal monologuing made any kind of momentum hard to come by. I'm sure this will appeal to the comedic fantasy fans, but I am unfortunately not one of them, I don't think.

Imagine waking up in a tower, amidst a smudged chalk circle, with no memory and a jar of replacent eyebrows. Oh, and your servants are goblins. And there's a princess in the dungeon. The humor takes on the traditional tropes of Evil Dark Lords and twists them into something slightly different and unexpected.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I really wanted to love this book! I thought it would be the quirky, fun read that I’d been looking for. Instead, it was just trying too hard. I didn’t love the massive, run-on paragraphs or the attempt at being edgy. It became very repetitive very early on.

1) I would recommend this to readers who liked Scalzi and T. Kingfisher, although this book skewed longer than those two author's recent standalone.
2) The 'set-pieces' of this book were highlights, especially the garlic festival as someone who's gone to food-themed festivals.
3) A lot of this book is the main character ruminating, okay he's a dark wizard but how bad was his past self. The character rather shines when he acts instead of thinks.

This book isn't so "cozy" as the comparison to Travis Baldree suggests, but the oddness and the quirk of T. Kingfisher is definitely on point. It also kind of reminded me of The Princess Bride and the Pit of Despair scenes at times. This would be a great movie, and I think I would have enjoyed it better as an audiobook. It was silly and quirky and I definitely enjoyed the villain's POV aspect. It was also heartfelt and kind of cliche with the ending. There was a lot of "finding yourself" and questioning morals and self discovery. This story was a lot of fun and I wasn't super satisfied with the ending - although apart from a little romance, I'm not sure what would have improved it. I feel like saying "needs romance: is narrow because not every story has to have romance to be good , but when you read the description and see "villain" and "princess locked up" you kind of assume that there will be something between the two. I love the goblin henchmen.