Groundhog Day meets Harry Potter (if Harry decided to be evil) in this comedy-fantasy, we follow Davi, stuck in a time loop & tired of being defeated by the Dark Lord, she decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

The humor of this book made up for the extraneous "hello fellow kids" energy of the writing, however it was quite clear at the start that Davi was a woman written by a man. This made the story almost exhausting to read and it truly was tough to get through at points.

There was potential, but the writing style is sure to put off readers across the board.

Love the main character and how sassy she is, but find the book a bit of a slog to get through. Not sure if it’s a pacing issue or just a lack of interest on my part.

In "How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying" by Django Wexler, Davi, trapped in an unexplained and relentless time loop, has failed countless times as the hero trying to defeat the Dark Lord. Frustrated and weary, she decides it's her time to do some winning, embracing the role of the Dark Lord in a bid to finally escape her fate. Davi's irreverent humor and fiery personality make her journey as an anti-hero both entertaining and darkly comedic, as she navigates a world where even death offers no true escape.

I really enjoyed "How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying" by Django Wexler. The main character's engaging internal and external dialogue kept me hooked, and her relentless problem-solving in the face of an endless time loop was so satisfying. If you're a fan of anti-heroes who refuse to quit, no matter what life—or death—throws at them, this book is a must-read.

This was a super fun fantasy adventure! I loved the humor and it meshed very well with the contemporary references, even set amidst a fantasy world. It was unique and something I felt I hadn't read before! It looks like this will be a duology and I would definitely continue with the next book after reading this one.

My main problem with the book is how the main character, Davi, was written. Davi is a bisexual female, and while initially this made me very excited to have some queer representation (and in a main character, no less!), it quickly became apparent that this portrayal was lending itself to harmful stereotypes. Davi's character falls into the stereotype of bi women being hyper-sexual. The amount that the author referenced or talked about or imagined sex with other characters (as Davi) felt excessive. It felt like I was reading the male author's thoughts instead of the 20-something girl that was supposed to be the main character. It took me out of the book multiple times, and I also found it to be quite upsetting as this was a great chance to have an awesome witty bisexual female main character and instead falls into tired stereotypes.

I'm interested to see what happens as I really liked the side characters and plot, but I don't think this is a book I could honestly recommend to any woman/queer person as it is not a good representation of a queer woman.

I so wanted to like this book. The description was intriguing and I am a huge fan of fantasy. However, I don't know if it was the writing or the main character (or how the main character was written) that just didn't do it for me. I'm sure that there is an audience for this book but it wasn't me. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit book for the advanced reader copy.

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

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying is a crass, satirical fantasy story inspired by the Isekai trope and follows Davi, the Dark Lord-to-be, on her journey to recruit her Evil Horde and make it to the Convocation to claim her title. Because Davi is sick of trying to be the hero and dying over and over for centuries--- she's ready to try something new.

This is not cozy, warm, cuddly, or sweet. This isn't feel-good, fuzzy, or filled with friendship. This is basically a story about a person who is very unhinged making a lot of unhinged decisions. Examples include, getting herself killed dozens of times just to brute force her way through a situation (she "respawns" in the time loop and murders her royal advisor character in cold blood each time), sleeping with one of her horde commanders after being turned down by her crush (leading him to believe that they are in a relationship and hurting his feelings when she tosses him aside for her crush), and constantly throwing herself into danger without regard for her own health and wellbeing (because she is highly tolerant to pain after ten centuries of death and torture).

I can fully understand setting up a character like this, someone who is unhinged, loose at the seams, a bit psychotic and more than a bit numb to horrific atrocities, but I feel like this story only gave us the front half of the character, a hard shell exterior for us to laugh at and with, and nothing filling it, nothing to pack and back it. This story is almost entirely *heartless* and *soulless.* There are only a few brief moments in the entire thing where I felt a spark of real feeling, and those moments should have hit a lot harder. Dark Lord misses the mark for actually backing up all of its satire and humor and gives little to no heart for its readers.

I can't stress that enough. This story should have had more weight, it was set up to have more weight. Davi should have been growing and realizing more as the story went along, she should have been able to take those opportunities for heartfelt moments and turn them into real gems. And no, it wouldn't have sacrificed the satirical, sarcastic, crude and crass atmosphere of the book to do so. The book suffers for the lack of those moments. It could have been really great. Instead, it's just really fine.

I do have to say that the claims are true--- this does read like a man writing a very over-the-top caricature of a bisexual woman. It's not handled super well--- as others have mentioned, Davi "speedruns" convincing a woman that she's not straight and times how long it takes to get her in bed. She constantly describes Tsav, her second-in-command, as a "sexy bald orc lady," even months on into their partnership, and while there is chemistry between them, I don't think that Tsav would have actually agreed to a relationship with the irresponsible, wild, and uncontrollable Davi we see in the story. Davi hooks up with the slippery and sneaky fox-wilder Amitsugu twice and does nothing to discourage him from thinking that they're an item, so when he, shocker, double crosses her, hurt from her continued ignoring and crush on Tsav, she REALLY should have seen it coming.

The world building is good, really good actually. There's a lot of unique cultures in this Isekai world and they are pretty well fleshed out. I really liked the concept of Thaumite in this one, but I think we could have used better hints or explanations for why Davi, secretly human, can both eat and use Thaumite. I think a lot of the attempts at humor surrounding the wilder or non-human races fall flat--- it doesn't come across as racist, by any means, but constantly describing how cute the mouse cowboy is when he's literally a grown man, or how the fox-wilders have fluffy ears and tails that Davi likes... It just feels odd. Especially the stone-eaters. I don't really know how to feel about that bit.

The cliffhanger at the end pretty much snuffed any interest I had in continuing this series. What a terrible way to end a book, really. I haven't been so disappointed by a cliff hanger in a long time. It's not that there *was* a cliff hanger, it's that it was a really bad one that didn't actually leave me in suspense.

Overall, this could have been something really good, and it was instead something fine, which I most likely won't continue, and probably don't recommend.

Thank you Orbit Books and NetGalley for the advance copy. This sounded like a playful fantasy that I would enjoy but unfortunately it was not for me.

This was a good time and really well done. It's both fun and funny. The tone is fresh and original, with Scalzi-esque humor and an intriguing and engaging plot, found family, and an appealingly flawed main character. I enjoyed it!

Absolutely loved this. I’ve been handselling it since before I even finished reading it.

Really enjoyed the characters, the pacing, the banter and how it was just so fun.

Such a comfy, cozy fantasy story in the same vein of the other books that are circulating in the same genre. The stories and character is a dialogue. Everything was snarky and fun. I enjoyed every minute of it.

This was not what I was expecting for. I got to know this book from one of my favorites author's blurb, and I was so excited to get into this book. At the end, it was an okay book. It's far from the best book I've ever read, but it's not a bad book. Just it wasn't for me

Review of 'How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying'

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5 stars)

Reading 'How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying' was a challenging experience. The main female character, written by a male author, felt incredibly frustrating. Her mind seemed to be perpetually fixated on sex, making her come across as extremely immature. Given that she's been stuck in a magical Groundhog Day loop for at least a thousand years, her behavior and thoughts didn't reflect that kind of prolonged experience or growth.

One of the most jarring aspects of the book was the constant inclusion of current-day pop culture references. These references interfered with the story's continuity and pulled me out of the fantasy world. It was as if the author forgot the setting and included whatever seemed funny or relatable to modern readers, which disrupted the immersion.

Additionally, the protagonist's lack of a clear plan made her actions feel random and unmotivated, causing the story to drag unnecessarily. The book could have been much shorter and more concise.

I didn't realize it was a duology until after I finished it, but I don't plan to read the next one. The first book didn't leave me with any desire to see how the story continues.

Overall, 'How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying' was a disappointing read with a protagonist who failed to engage or grow in any meaningful way.

I received an eArc copy from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

This was so funny at times. I really enjoyed reading this book and absolutely loved the way Wexler told this story! Davi was so funny and a lovable character.

I was expecting something more focused on the story and less on gimmicks of footnotes (that got old super fast) and just being gory for the sake of it. So much repetitive stuff and I get that she is literally repeating a loop at times but we get it. Also was not a great representation of bisexuality where she just wanting to bang everything? That’s not it, my dude.
It very quickly established “man writes woman” vibes and it could have been so much more.

This was an extremely hilarious, imaginative, weird, and wonderful read. If you think outside the box and have a sense of humor, snag it.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the e-arc!
The premise of this book is absolute perfection! Stuck in a Time Loop, Davi has tried everything to rally humanity and save the world, but time and time again, she fails. Finally, she can't take it anymore and decides if the dark Lord always wins, then she will become the new dark Lord. This is the perfect mix of Groundhog's Day time loop with all the isekai fantasy aspects I adore.
I am a big fan of fantasy isekai, and this reads like an amazing anime! If you're a fan of stuff like That time I got reincarnated as a slime, you will probably be obsessed with this book. The story is fun and crass, with a great blend of fantasy world-building and modern comedy. Just from the first book alone I know that I am gonna be so obsessed with the series and I cannot wait till the next one comes out.

In the vein of "A Wizard's Guide to Surviving Medieval England" by Brandon Sanderson, "How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying" is an action-packed, humorous fantasy story. I really liked the main character Davi, who has been in a time loop for at least hundreds of years, and is finally at the end of her rope. I was laughing out loud the entire time I was reading this. I think the world-building left a little to be desired, but the plot and characterization were so unique that they made up for it. Plus, this is going to be a series, so I'm sure we'll get a little more about the world in the next books.

3.5

This one was entertaining. It was funny and there were times I giggled out loud. But it was a bit long and repetitive. I found myself not as invested towards the end. I am intrigued to see what comes next for our main character cause that ending was good.

•How To Become The Dark Lord and Die Trying•
•Django Wexler•
••••••
🍄🍄🍄🍄/5
••••••
Hello again! First attempt at actually posting again, let’s do this!

This is the story of Davi, this fantastical world’s chosen one. Destined to save everyone.
Except she has done that time after time, for more than 200 lives. Finding herself killed every time, and brought back to the start of her adventure.
That is until she decided she’s done with it, and will instead try to become the Dark Lord, leading the winning team.
••••••
This book was very funny. I laughed through every bit of it and really enjoyed the relaxed vibe it gave me even though the stakes of the story itself were not low.
Davi is a pretty chaotic character, since according to her the world revolves around her existence and will reset each time around her, she is not scared of doing things whichever way crosses her mind, and of shaking the world around.
I did enjoy how she made her way through this new timeline, showing a bit of uncertainty after having so much confidence.

I did feel like the end of the book was not what I expected, probably because I didn’t realize at the start that this was a series. Still, it was very fun and I’m intrigued to see how the series continues!
••••••
Thank you so much @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for this review ebook! I enjoyed every

This book is written in a way that is at first very overwhelming. As the audience, we meet the main character at the pinnacle point of her arc where she first decides to step away from the savior route she'd been trying for the past thousand years - and thus we are thrust into a fantasy world where most of the worldbuilding we get is through Davi when the main character remembers we may not be following her train of thoughts. It took a while for me to settle into the world and the style of satirical humor - but I did get really into it. I think this idea of a burnt-out savior is something that has been tossed around in online spaces for a while now but what was different about this is that we meet our burnt-out savior right as she hits the point of no return. As the story went on, I got so into it! What first seemed nonsensical at the beginning quickly unfolded in a very engrossing way; the scheming and operating that goes on while Davi amasses her supporters revealed so much about her past lives. There were times when we got glimpses of the anger driving Davi and if the sequel is going to dive into that passion then I will be tuning in! I honestly might be picking up the sequel just for more of Davi and Tsav; I loved them so much!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 3.75