A big thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really cool premise, but really bad execution.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler is a fantasy novel that is blurbed as Guardians of the Galaxy meets Groundhog day.
Davi has done this all before. She’s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she’s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she’s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she’s been defeated every time. This time? She’s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that’s who she needs to be. It’s Davi’s turn to play on the winning side.

This book is just a pass. Save yourself the cringe.

*I received an advanced copy of this from Netgalley and Orbit for my review, and I thank them both*

I was excited about this one when I heard about it.
I thought a comedic timeloop fantasy story sounded good. I think the results for me were mixed.

While I did find some scenes funny. I felt that at times, there were too many snarky remarks for a lot of them to land. While it is fantasy it's plain enough in the story that anyone can follow along with the story.

This is my second try at reading Django Wexler. I'm not sure if his writing style, namely dialogue, isn't for me. But I could see others liking it. I'd give this 3 stars. It's relatively fast read. I was unaware this was going to be a series. I'm not sure I'll read the next one.

Thanks for reading

The premise and description made the journey to become dark lord fun and lighthearted, but the graphic violence was too much for me. I finished because I wanted to find out how it ended (grrr), but won't be going back for more. The use of footnotes, while fun at first, soon got tedious, especially while reading on a Kindle.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying is a novel by Djano Wexler, about a woman who finds herself trying to be a hero, and after having died thousands of times, she gets fed up and decides that she no longer wants to be the hero; she's going to be the villain instead. So she goes on a journey to turn herself into the Dark Lord.

Firstly, I want to thank Orbit and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I am not the target audience, I think for this novel. The plot had promise and I could definitely see the potential for this novel, yet, I found the language and the character herself rather obnoxious. I struggled to get through what I could read, and eventually, I had to DNF. Yet, I still think that this novel should be checked out by Fantasy fans. I even would recommend it my fantasy reading friends to check out. However, I did not personally enjoy it, and I would say that's mostly on me.

This book was wild, so wild the character dies like 20 times within the first 10 pages and no I don’t consider that a spoiler when it’s literally the title. The premise is really funny and the main reason I wanted to read it so bad. We have Davi who is given a quest to save the world from the dark lord, she’s like yeah, I can do that but she just keeps dying, she’s reborn, and dies some more. She even tries to convince others to join her but keeps dying. And my girl is tired. So she decides the best option for her is to become the dark lord, even having her own minions. There is so much sass, so many jokes, raunchy as hell, It’s not that long of a book either which I’m glad because it didn’t need to be 500 pages, it’s a perfect length. I had some minor flaws with it. The sarcasm and fake it till you make it attitude Davi has does where a little thin so it’s easy to get frustrated and just be like okay, let’s take things a little more seriously and go in with a plan but other than that, it’s an easy read, it’s quick. I enjoyed myself, I gave this a 3.5, 4 stars, I can’t decide but I enjoyed it, it was quirky and different.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
by Django Wexler
Dark Lord Davi #1
Fantasy Dark Humor
NetGalley eARC
Orbit Books
Pub Date: May 21, 2024
Ages: 18+


Davi is supposed to be the hero and save the realm from the Dark Lord, but after trying hundreds of times, (think restarting after dying while playing a video game) she's done and decides it's time for her to become the Dark Lord.


I loved this book. I was laughing at the dark humor. The characters, at least most of them, were relatable and well described as was the world and its history, though Davi's story needs just a tad more history. The story moved at a great pace with a nice variety of action and character interactions.

And yes, this has a lot of semi-graphic violence along with sexual innuendo, and 'spoiler', but it's not porn, though because of the content, this is not a book for readers under 18, or for those who offend easily.

Two major issues lowered my stars for this story. The first is I had to keep reminding myself that the MC, Davi, was female. (And yes, she said she was a she, and was bi(tri)sexual.) Her character was too much the typical 'male' with mannerisms that were very masculine. Now I'm not saying that this was bad, but with a mixture of her name, Davi, she was just too male for me to identify with her. (It read, IMO, more as if Davi was male in his original world but turned female upon arrival in this realm.)

My second issue was the footnotes. I don't have a problem with footnotes, as long as they are on the bottom of the page that the footnote refers to, but in the eARC copy I got, they were all lumped together at the end of the chapter, so when I got to them I forgot what they were related too, and that took some humor from the footnotes! It doesn't matter to me that they (some) were linked, because I'm not the type to jump back and forth, that, IMO, rips the reader away from the story.

Now to wait for the next book in the series!

4 Stars

I spent so much time laughing that I cried! I also pre-ordered a copy once I hit chapter two. I reread it once my copy came in, and it definitely didn't disappoint. This is a comedic fantasy with quite a bit of gaming influence peppered throughout. If you're sensitive about swearing, this might not be for you. Otherwise, pick it up and have a blast!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC of this novel. This was hilarious. Following Davi on her quest to becomes the Dark Lord after one thousand years of playing by the rules of the realm was quite the ride. I think this digital version is good with all of the footnotes (which are absolutely necessary to read because they have even more jokes) so you can jump right back to where you were in the story. The comedy felt Gail Carriger to me which makes sense with the publisher in common and was so well done. I was ready to laugh out loud so many times at the absurdity of it and how Davi operates in this setting. I cannot wait for the wrap up of this duology when it comes out because I have to see what is up next. 5 stars.

Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

This was a lot of fun. I don't feel like it completely stuck the landing, but I enjoyed the ride.

Not the type of book I usually grab, but all the good recommendations were right - it's a little Douglas Adams but a LOT original, a lot of fun, and really weird and gross. It made me squirm but it made me laugh, a lot, and I couldn't put it down.

This was so cute and funny. Great for fans of Assistant to the Villain. Cozy and humorous, sarcastic and witty. This book is good vibes all around.

100000 out of 10. Hilarious. Dark. So fun. Absolute joy to read. I cannot recommend this enough. The writing style took me a minute to get used to but I'm sp glad I did

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pitched as Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy. I could not pass that up. While it met the Groundhog Day perception, it was much raunchier than Guardians of the Galaxy. The MC constantly looking for/having sex was egregious and took me out of the story.

The plot was fun though! Very reminiscent of a video game type player and I liked the twist at the end. At this point, I’m unsure if I would pick up the sequel or not. If the tone was a little more thoughtful comedy and not just sex jokes, I might be more apt to read it.

This was an entertaining and sometimes ridiculous book about Davi changing her fate and deciding that she wants to become the Dark Lord. Davi has lived over 100 lives and in each one she is told that she will become the Saviour of the Kingdom only to be captured, tortured and killed. She has been defeated every time and Davi has had enough of this time loop. Davi decides it's time to join the winning side and become the Dark Lord.

I highly enjoyed this book and would recommend the audiobook. The narrator does a fantastic job for each of the characters and the side notes that Davi gives throughout the book. I loved all of characters in this book and Davi learning that there is more to the Kingdom and the Wilders than she previously knew, changing her perspective of being the Dark Lord. The book leaves on a cliffhanger and I am excited for the next book to find what is next for Davi and her Horde.

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying is out now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to review How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was just too much everything. I understand that it's sort of tongue in cheek over the top on purpose but it just was too much over the top for me to the point of becoming ridiculous.

Thank you to Net Galley and Django Wexler for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an awesome read that hooked me from the start. I read most of it on my Kindle and finished the last few chapters with the audiobook, which is one of the best I’ve listened to in a while—highly recommend it. There were a few parts that dragged a bit, but with a Groundhog Day-style plot, that’s kind of expected. The world-building and the character development were amazing, I love Davi I feel like they are ridiculously relatable. The Magic system is also very interesting, I feel like with high fantasy books it is starting to get hard to have a unique magic system but I think this take on it was very cool. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. It left on a cliffhanger and I CANNOT wait for the next book.

Django Wexler's 'How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying' is a hilarious rollercoaster of a read, blending the Groundhog Day concept with irreverent humor and pop culture references. Davi's journey kept me engaged with witty sarcasm and laugh-out-loud moments. While the lewd humor occasionally felt juvenile, Davi's character growth and developing relationships added depth to the narrative. Despite some misgivings about the protagonist's immaturity, the overall experience was a delightful romp, and I eagerly anticipate the revelations and further development promised in the sequel.

In battles with foes and weathering betrayals within her own horde, Davi's quest to become the Dark Lord is a thrilling adventure filled with snark, romance, and plenty of action. As the story unfolds, Davi's journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about conquering her enemies, leaving readers rooting for her every step of the way. With the promise of new challenges and unanswered questions lingering at the book's conclusion, I eagerly await the next installment. 'How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying' is a must-read for anyone craving a humorous and action-packed escape.

3.5
This is a hilarious and raunchy adventure that feels like Groundhog day by way of a particularly brutal Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Davi has been called from Earth to become the chosen one to rally humanity and defeat the Dark Lord in a fantastical realm. Unfortunately, no matter what she tries, she is gruesomely defeated every single time. Davi's superpower is the ability to restart her adventure from the beginning every time she dies. Using the hard-won knowledge from all her past lives, Davi is done trying to crusade against the forces of darkness. This time, she aims to lead them as the Dark Lord herself.

It should have clocked earlier that this was a series, because as the percentages ticked up I was trying to figure out how we were going to get to a dramatic reveal.

Spoiler: it ends on a cliffhanger.

Time loop books are hard to do. Books based loosely like a LitRPG are likewise a little difficult (at least for me to get into them). And parodies of fantasy worlds that take a particularly sarcastic tone of voice are really, really hard, friends. It's a schtick that often gets old, fast.

Weirdly enough, I liked Davi's voice. It was very, very apparent that she was a character written by a dude (based on all of the pop culture references she dropped and the ones she very much did not), and a pansexual character who has a sapphic relationship with an orc, which, if you all have been following me around for a while, I generally get a weird fetishy squick somewhere in my gut (here's looking at you: Legends & Lattes). However, I enjoyed Tsav and Davi's relationship. It made sense with Davi's personality to be the way she was after a thousand years or so of restarts.

Anywho, this was a fun romp that had surprisingly more heart than I was expecting, although I don't know if I'll stick around to read book 2 unless I know that this series has a definite end planned.

I received an ARC from NetGalley

Okay...So this was my first Django Wexler book but I have heard his name bandied about in Fantasy genre book reviews-Needless to say I was excited to be given the ARC of this book. I will admit to my trepidation as I started the book. The premise intrigued me...Groundhog day in a magical realm? Yes, please. The main character though...Whoo...Where does 1 begin? It isn't that she is unlikable or morally grey-It's that she was unexpected. It is almost as if you took my thoroughly modern college-aged daughter and plunked her in this book. The character has been through multiple lives yet somehow has the language and sensibilities of a 21st century young adult. It took me about 1/4 of the book to finally just go with it and once I did...This was an engaging little story. All the boxes were ticked: battle/combat, humour, romance...
Is this book for everyone-nope. Is it for someone who wished Lattes and Legends was just a tad more risque and action-packed (stress on the tad)-Yep.