You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dark
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
As soon as I heard the concept of this book, I wanted to read it. An evil wizard has lost his memories and finds out he doesn't much like his past self. He sees his own life from a different perspective and wants to change. It has squid, goblins, garlic, even a dragon (though that doesn't end very well), so I thought I would dive into this book and never want to come out again.
But for some reason that I can't really put my finger on, the comedy didn't quite hit the spot for me. In the first half, the story slowed down a little too much for my taste. After that, there were more passages I enjoyed, and several of the characters were well developed.I was also relieved that there was no romantic ending, as that would have felt very forced to me.
In all, I feel like Dreadful either didn't quite lean into its own silliness as much as required to make it work for me, or it didn't take itself serious enough (which could have tapped into a different level of humour). It's definitely not bad, I just didn't vibe with it as much as I'd hoped.
But for some reason that I can't really put my finger on, the comedy didn't quite hit the spot for me. In the first half, the story slowed down a little too much for my taste. After that, there were more passages I enjoyed, and several of the characters were well developed.
In all, I feel like Dreadful either didn't quite lean into its own silliness as much as required to make it work for me, or it didn't take itself serious enough (which could have tapped into a different level of humour). It's definitely not bad, I just didn't vibe with it as much as I'd hoped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder, Classism
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book! It was such a funny romp with some introspection, and while rooted in a fantasy world the happenings felt realistic. I like how the solutions weren’t perfect and there was a humanity element to things. The only reason this isn’t a 5 star is because the middle of the book was SOOO SLOW that it hindered my enjoyment. From about 25%-50% of the way through the book there wasn’t really any plot and no character growth, only lots of internal musings that alluded to the possibility of future character growth. I liked how the story resolved for the characters even though how they got there was quite messy, which I didn’t like. Overall, a funny cozy fantasy with dry wit that was a joy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Classism