The Dark Lord Clementine

by Sarah Jean Horwitz

Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?

• ISBN10: 1616208945
• ISBN13: 9781616208943
• Publish Date: 1 October 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 April 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781616208943

Reviews

[Beth C.]

I'm always on the lookout for good middle-grade books, and this one sounded interesting. I definitely enjoyed it, though it felt a little uneven to me. The first half of the book seemed more on the younger side of middle-grade, while the second half of the book felt more on the older side (themes-wise). Having said that, the characters were well-written, the plot interesting, and the ending appropriate (by which I mean that the choices made sense). This would be a good choice as a read-aloud within the classroom, and would probably be more appropriate for 4-7 grades, depending on reading level. Overall, it's a fun tale about family, friendship, and becoming who we were meant to be.

[chymerra]

I am always on the lookout for books that my almost 12 year old can read. My son is a voracious reader and will read anything that I give him. So, when I saw The Dark Lord Clementine’s blurb, my interest was caught. I thought to myself: “My son would like this, but I need to read the book first.” I am glad that I did because The Dark Lord Clementine was a great read!!

The Dark Lord Clementine is the story about a girl named Clementine. She lives in a dilapidated castle with her Dark Lord father. One day, Clementine notices her father is missing his nose. That is when she finds out that the Whittle Witch has cursed him. Clementine takes it upon herself to try and find a cure for the curse. She also tries to assume the Dark Lord duties that her father cannot do. With the Whittle Witch waiting to take over the castle, Clementine is running out of time. Can she save her father?

The plotline for The Dark Lord Clementine was evenly paced. The flow of the book was perfect. It wasn’t too fast or too slow. There was no lag in the book or dropped plotlines either, which I enjoyed.

I loved Clementine. She was a timid little girl at the beginning of the book. But as the book went on, I could see her character growth. By the end of the book, she became this confident young woman. I loved it!!

I did feel bad for Clementine. She didn’t have any friends. Well, human friends. She did have the nightmares and the black sheep for company. But other than that, nothing. She longed for friends, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself. Hiding in the shadows and watching the villagers play said so much. So, when Sebastian and then Darka befriended her, I was happy. Clementine needed it.

I didn’t care for Darka at the beginning of the book. I didn’t like that she befriended Clementine so that she could gain favor and hunt in the woods around the castle. I didn’t like that she was hunting unicorns. But I liked that her story had more depth to it. When it was revealed, I started to pity her. But, it was Darka’s actions at the end of the book that made me love her!!!

I loved the humor in the book. The Gricken is the most notable one. When Clementine was younger, she tried to turn a frog into a chicken. Unfortunately (and hilariously), the spell backfired, and she turned her family grimoire into it. If she wants to learn a spell, she has to wait for the Gricken to lay an egg. There is a hilarious scene where Clementine pleads with the Gricken to lay an egg. I laughed so hard; I had tears in my eyes.

The end of The Dark Lord Clementine was perfect. I am not going to get into it because of major spoilers. I will say that what Clementine did was brave. The way the book ended made me wonder if there was going to be a book 2.