Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

Dreadful

by Caitlin Rozakis

The New York Times-bestselling 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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

Dark wizards, monsters, and princesses. They all seem to go together in those epic fantasy tales, don't they? That's certainly how it feels for Dread Lord Gavrax. He may be a dark wizard, but he's not the one with all the ideas.

Or rather, he wasn't? It's hard to be certain when all your memories have flowed the coop, leaving you with a blank slate, a foreboding castle, and a kidnapped princess. Should Gav play along or break the pattern he fell into?

My Review:

There are several reasons why I picked up Dreadful. First, the cover (pretty colors, yada yada). Second, the description is funny and compelling, so yes, please. Finally – the comps! You compare any new (to me) author to T. Kingfisher or Travis Baldtree, and you know I will give them a go.

So here we are, and I have to say that I really enjoyed Dreadful. It was so uniquely charming while also tackling real issues (toxic masculinity, assumptions vs. expectations, unintentional biases, etc.). I'm sure people will have many thoughts on the commentary, but I enjoyed the exploration here.

As far as the comedy elements go, they felt similar to Kill the Farm Boy (Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne), so if you enjoyed it, you have to check this book out (or vice versa!). It played around with tropes, flipped expectations on their heads, and overall just had fun with it.

By the time the book's climax came around, I was howling with laughter (no, really; ask anybody who was around when I was reading). The imagery was just too funny. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a different read full of thoughts and chuckles.

Highlights:
Tongue-in-Cheek
Fantasy
Part Cozy Mystery
Similar Vibes to Kill the Farm Boy

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 July, 2024: Finished reading
  • 16 July, 2024: Reviewed