Make it fantasy, but from the villain’s perspective 😏 Imagine a villain who can’t remember anything about himself. Sounds like fun? Well, it is. This ‘high-fantasy farce’ has everything a fun little fantasy read should have (and more): dreadful villains, mysterious maids, and an amnesiac protagonist navigating chaos and destruction and seeing his world with new eyes.

I have been recommending this book and bought a copy for my personal library. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

SUCH a fun book! delightfully interesting characters and madcap adventures I truly think this book has something for everyone

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the advanced reading copy of Dreadful in exchange for an honest review.

Dreadful delivered exactly what I expected from a "cozy fantasy"—a charming read with a neat concept and low-stakes plot. However, I found myself wanting more backstory and deeper character development, as some interesting details were only touched upon. While the writing style didn’t entirely click with me and some of the humour missed the mark, it was still an enjoyable read overall.

I love hapless antiheroes and no one can change my mind!! Imagining a purported villain "yes-and" his way through his own castle had me laughing in ch1.

Charming and enjoyable! I felt the world and characters could have been explored more deeply...but as it was kind of a "cozy" fantasy I think that it hits how it should.

This book probably will be a hit or miss for some readers. It uses familiar tropes so its style will appeal to a lot of people. Overall, I found it fun and would recommend it if you’re looking for a light and amusing fantasy read.

Dreadful is a whimsical fantasy romp that sparkles with wit. The story’s charm and humor quickly win you over. Perfect for fans of lighthearted fantasy, this debut novel is a delightful escape.

Though the pacing is a little slow to start, the plot eventually picks up and the unique storyline is perfect for cozy fantasy readers.

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for e-ARC.

When Gav wakes up, he finds he has no memory of who he is. As he starts to piece together his life, he realizes he is some sort of evil dark lord (wizardy type). As he goes throughout life, he realizes he might not like who he used to be.

I really liked the concept here, but I think it took too long to get rolling. Also the writing style wasn't my favorite. Others who like the style though will probably enjoy this unique plot!

Dreadful follows a week in the life of the dark wizard, Gavrick. As the novel begins, Gavrick comes to in his laboratory following a spell gone awry. He finds that he's not only missing his eyebrows but also his memory. Without his memories, he finds that his appetite for dark deeds has abandoned him. Now, he just wants to be Gav, a decent man doing his best for his servants and the villagers. It takes some persuasion, but eventually the captive princess he finds in his dungeon as well as his goblin servants come to accept that his changed nature is not a ploy. Gav enlists their help and the help of the village mayor to plan a way to foil the plans of the dark wizard, Zarconar.
Dreadful is a witty, fast-paced fantasy. It features strong, intelligent female characters. While the complete transformation of Gav is a bit unbelievable, the story makes for a cozy fantasy read with only the slightest hint of romance. I recommend this for young adult and fantasy readers who enjoy humorous, feel-good stories.

Gavrax the dark wizard wakes up with no eyebrows and no memory of who he is. He’s got a princess in the dungeon who appears to be for a plan that he can’t remember. He’s got goblin staff who are terrified of him and apparently he’s got a village of people that he lords over (although all they seem to provide is a lot of garlic). Will he work it all out before everything goes horribly wrong?

This was a fun fantasy farce with plenty of humour and a plot that keeps you guessing. It’s a light read and even though I don’t typically read fantasy, it kept me entertained. A great debut novel!

Just a fun cosy no real stakes romp where the evil villain has kinda sorta forgotten that he was the evil villain.

This was such a random ARC request – something I said I wasn’t going to do anymore – but it was a success! Very enjoyable cozy fantasy about what happens when a Dark Lord involved in a grand scheme loses his memories and wakes up in his dark castle full of cronies, and becomes just Gav, trying his best not to die. Lighthearted and silly in many aspects, it does pose the question of what a person is or becomes without his history, his memories, and what makes you evil or good, prejudices and can you truly be thought innocent of your previous self’s crimes if you’re still swanning around his castle and wielding his magic? It went quite deep for a cozy fantasy, and had some true Pratchett vibes in how it dealt with things like his goblin servants, his steward, and the small village next to his castle and how they’ve dealt with being under the shadow of an evil sorcerer.

Such an enjoyable fantasy read with a delightful cast of misfits. Humorous throughout, but with room for deep thoughts and questions about identity and changing one’s mind & life. I also wanted to protect all the little goblin castle staff! They’re just trying their best.

Imagine you're an evil wizard. You've worked hard your whole life to be evil: set people on fire for fun, set people on fire for thwarting you.... done other things to people that aren't great. But, then you wake up one morning and all of your memories are gone. And maybe you decide... you don't want to be evil. In fact, you're going to stop it right now. But that just seems to confuse everyone around you. And then there's the problem that you seem to be in the middle of a Big Scheme. A Big Scheme that includes kidnapping a princess. Perhaps she's not quite as princess-y as you originally assumed. But then, as you are fumbling your way around, you discover that no one in your castle is quite as they appear.
I quite enjoyed this book and hope that it will be a series.

Thank you to the author publisher & Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I enjoyed dreadful! It was funny and heart warming., even though he was a Dark Lord. I think the characters are lovable and quirky. I could see it becoming a movie. If you are looking for a fun read check this one out.

This was such a fun book to read! Super campy and felt very much like I was watching a very comforting episode of a show I used to watch as a kid. The author has a gift for humour, and I absolutely love the age-old trope of body swaps/being transported into a world you're not expecting to be a part of. Not to say that it's just a romp, there's a lot of great character work here and discussions of good v. evil and stripping down the image of a quintessential villain. If you're looking for a fun and cozy fantasy, Dreadful's the one for you!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Now LISTEN HERE. This is REAL cozy fantasy right here. I don't think I've enjoyed a cozy fantasy this much since Legends & Lattes, one of my all time favourite fantasies. It's got the perfect amount of fluff, filler, down time, and humour, which match up against the deadlines, low stakes, and antagonists to form an absolutely perfect concoction of magical awesomeness. And what's even better, this one made me cry! I never cry. My eyeliner is fuckin' expensive.

Gav is probably one of my favourite protagonists ever. I really, REALLY enjoy the slightly-past-their-prime, tired and grumpy, overworked and overworn types, and the Dread Lord Gavrax fits that to a T, with his jar of replacement eyebrows and poser evil aesthetic. This is an amnesia story, but it doesn't really fall into the pits that those stories usually do. Gav grows SO MUCH as a person and becomes, well. Not perfect, because no one is perfect. But he becomes something better than what he was before. He realizes that his life as an evil dark lord is tacky, stupid, and worthless, and that things would be much more enjoyable if he didn't torture the princess, or execute his goblins, or threaten the townsfolk. There's plenty of evil in the world without him having to decorate like a Halloween department, or wear uncomfortable, lavish garments that get caught underfoot.

Speaking of the evil in the world, that's his boss. And his boss sucks ass. So Gav's gonna team up to take his boss down, working with the princess, who isn't very pretty, or demure, or sparkly, but has a hell of a knack for magic, and his rival, a beautiful enchantress, and his castle staff, who have all kinds of Etsy worthy talents and love to cook terribly exotic foods. There's a witless knight, an overzealous steward, a town full of garlic, and more facepalms and heavy sighs than you can shake a severed hand at. Dreadful has a bit of everything for everyone.

I think I enjoyed this so much because I've always loved stories about becoming better than yourself. Realizing that there's evil in you, and there's evil in everyone, and then taking the steps to conquer that evil, and maybe just be mean, rude, or downright bad sometimes instead. Letting go of a past you who thought that cruelty and isolation would keep you safe and give you the shield against anything the world could throw at you. Sure, it's fun to wear all black and throw fireballs at innocent people. But sometimes, you really just want a day off in your pj's.

I can't wait to see more from Rozakis. I'm hoping for another standalone--- it's hard to start and end a story entirely in one go, but she managed it expertly. Though I definitely wouldn't mind a return to the world of Gav.

What if a villain wasn't a villain... this was so fun! The tone reminded me of the old 'Dungeon Keeper' games, as it played with the stereotypical 'moustache-twirling baddie' stereotype to great effect. The Shrek-style realism of essentially fantasy-tropes shown as real people was delightful without being heavy-handed or lampshading, and this really was a pleasure to read.

I've already been recommending it, and look forward to seeing what the author does next!

I infrequently read books from a male POV now, that this was a pleasant surprise. Dreadful was laugh out loud funny at times and downright charming.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. The above is my honest opinion.

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.