You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
This was a book club book that I was reluctant to vote for or read after reading reviews on the main character being a poor portrayal of a female character. Honestly, I tore through this. This is, in book form, what I call a ‘popcorn & soda’ book. It’s fun, it’s fast, it’s loose. Its seriousness is hidden in its humor, and yes, there’s not much. But there’s all there needs to be.
Our main character faces the now potentially overfamiliar isekai dilemma - reborn into a new world. Except she’s reborn again. And again. And again, and again, and again, until she’s as far removed from her life on Earth as we are to Ancient Rome.
Her decision to change tactics - to become the dark lord - is not half-hearted, but it is half-insane. Not the plan, the character. I mean 1000+ years of dying and torture would make you a bit insane. But it works, for the most part. I’d say my one critique is in its quirky quest made out in the novel’s title, it perhaps goes a bit too far, becoming cringe at points.
While her erratic behavior, healthy libido, and overall devil-may-care attitude are charming, the constant anachronistic earth culture mentions feel a bit off. I mean memetics are probably more likely to survive than your day-to-day life, but for someone who claims to ‘remember little of their life on Earth’ there’s an awful lot of exhausting references the locals have no hope of understanding. Which makes it a bit confusing why they trust her. But I digress. It’s might just a personal pet peeve.
This book succeeds very well at being a fun that soothes a brain that wants to turn off, but manages to add a few nice little moral spices on its popcorn entertainment
Our main character faces the now potentially overfamiliar isekai dilemma - reborn into a new world. Except she’s reborn again. And again. And again, and again, and again, until she’s as far removed from her life on Earth as we are to Ancient Rome.
Her decision to change tactics - to become the dark lord - is not half-hearted, but it is half-insane. Not the plan, the character. I mean 1000+ years of dying and torture would make you a bit insane. But it works, for the most part. I’d say my one critique is in its quirky quest made out in the novel’s title, it perhaps goes a bit too far, becoming cringe at points.
While her erratic behavior, healthy libido, and overall devil-may-care attitude are charming, the constant anachronistic earth culture mentions feel a bit off. I mean memetics are probably more likely to survive than your day-to-day life, but for someone who claims to ‘remember little of their life on Earth’ there’s an awful lot of exhausting references the locals have no hope of understanding. Which makes it a bit confusing why they trust her. But I digress. It’s might just a personal pet peeve.
This book succeeds very well at being a fun that soothes a brain that wants to turn off, but manages to add a few nice little moral spices on its popcorn entertainment
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow. I went into this book thinking it would be a low stakes absurdist comedy and I would laugh and laugh. Is it absurd? Yeah sometimes. Does it have fucking heart? ×1000. I felt every high and every low. This book was a mix of the heroes journey filtered through some pop culture reference but that didn't dilute the effect. Can't wait for book 2.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed the narrator for the audiobook version of this book.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler is the first book in the Dark Lord Davi fantasy series. The story follows Davi, a woman trapped in a time loop that restarts every time she dies. Her mission: save the kingdom from the next Dark Lord. However, after dying hundreds of times, she decides to change tactics by trying to become the next Dark Lord herself. That’s where the story begins. I found the book’s concept intriguing. The world-building is unique, though I felt the magic system was slightly underdeveloped, and the beginning can get a bit repetitive. Once I got past the first few chapters though, I enjoyed the read. The narration style is funny, witty, and mildly sarcastic, and the lovable cast of side characters is definitely a plus. While the stakes are technically high, they don’t always feel urgent while reading, making this a relatively stress-free book. I will say that the ending felt a bit abrupt, but I immediately placed a hold on the next book at the library after finishing it, so I’ll definitely be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Apparently it took me a year to complete this from the first time I started it, I was finally successful on my third attempt!
What I Didn’t Like:
- The content warning at the beginning isn’t enough.
- Davi’s sexual proclivities thrown in at the most random moments (this really detracted from the plot)
- How long it took for the story’s pace to pick up (like 70% of the book)
- The annotations in the eARC were at the end of the chapters, which by that point I’d lost the context (this is not the case in the print copy, I checked).
What I Did Like:
- Once the plot picked up (around Chapter 9), it got really good.
- The annotations were so much fun when I was able to flip back to where they were utilized. Probably my favorite part of the whole book.
- Genuinely fun and so unserious. I did laugh a lot.
I would give this 2.75 stars out of 5. Will I read it again - probs not. Will I read the second one - yes.
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I Didn’t Like:
- The content warning at the beginning isn’t enough.
- Davi’s sexual proclivities thrown in at the most random moments (this really detracted from the plot)
- How long it took for the story’s pace to pick up (like 70% of the book)
- The annotations in the eARC were at the end of the chapters, which by that point I’d lost the context (this is not the case in the print copy, I checked).
What I Did Like:
- Once the plot picked up (around Chapter 9), it got really good.
- The annotations were so much fun when I was able to flip back to where they were utilized. Probably my favorite part of the whole book.
- Genuinely fun and so unserious. I did laugh a lot.
I would give this 2.75 stars out of 5. Will I read it again - probs not. Will I read the second one - yes.
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.