I had a great time with this one. It was the perfect blend of The Princess Bride humor, with a Despicable Me main character, tied together with an amnesia plot.

It manages to be situationally funny while still posing interesting questions about how and if a person can change. The main character is an evil wizard with no memories, who is bumbling around trying to pretend that he remembers the evil plot he's part of. But with no memories of his past, he really doesn't even know who he is anymore, and begins to wonder if he could be Good, instead.

Given that the story takes place all in one location, I did feel it ended up being a bit long for the story it was telling. But I loved it, and loved the ending as well. It was fitting.

Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC!

This one is hard to decide a rating on. While I enjoyed the story, and I thought it was funny at times, it felt too long. I wasn't hooked enough to want to continue to read and often had to make myself pick the book back up and set down more interesting reads.
The premise is fun, a dark wizard who loses his memory, doesn't know why he has kidnapped a princess. Goblins. A Garlic festival. But it was all too wordy. So much of his internal monologuing on good vs evil, and what to do next. I found myself skimming large sections just to get to the dialogue because is inner thoughts added little value.
Over all though, it was a fun story.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc!

First off, if you enjoyed Assistant to the Villain (like I did. A lot.)I HIGHLY recommend you give this novel a read!! It was delightfully dreadful in all the best ways! The comedy was sharp and witty and had me giggling to myself pretty much the whole time, so comedy gets a 10/10. I cannot tell you how many annotations and scenes I highlighted just because they made me laugh. Now, this may be a con for some people, but there is no romance in this story whatsoever and honestly, for me, it wasn’t necessary at all and didn’t take away from the story in any way. Overall a pretty enjoyable read and one that’s definitely gonna make its way to my favorites shelf!

This book was fun, and I really enjoyed it. It offered a different experience than what I'm used too--definitely creepy vibes!! But in a really fun way?
I'll be posting my full review on Good Reads closer to release (May). But overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to friends who want something different than the usual fantasy.

4.25 stars
Cozy and wholesome.
A dark wizard awakens in a castle with no memory. He appears to have a princess held captive and a host of other nefarious characters all waiting to perform some kind of ritual if only he now had the heart to do such wicked deeds.
This book uses every trope you'd expect in a high fantasy tale and pokes fun at it while at the same time having a message that it's never too late to rebrand yourself and start over. A lot of fun if you like a bit of fun in your fantasy.

A dreadfully fun fantasy romp filled with kidnapped princesses, evil wizards and a garlic festival. A witty, funny adventure in the vein of T Kingfisher and Travis Baldree. A cracking debut.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was cute! I enjoyed the characters and the "found family" kind of aspects a lot. It fits really well into the cozy fantasy genre as a new addition, especially with the added layer of a former evil doer turning good.

A really fun read! I love the fantastical situation our protagonist finds himself in and I found myself laughing out loud at the hilarious characters and the witty dialogue between them. I don't think i've ever read anything quite like it, although it did give me a vibe of The Villains Apprentice, which I really enjoyed too!

I think its best to go into this one without reading too much about it because I had no idea what was in store for me! This is a real treat and fits well into the cosy fantasy genre. It had all the exciting parts of a fantasy novel with a lovely warm and gooey centre!

The pacing felt a little off to me and I thought the final scenes were a little rushed. That didn't take away from my overall enjoyment but I will have to take a star off for that.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Titan Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dreadful is a debut fantasy novel that reminds the reader of the goofy humour of Monty Python and Terry Pratchett. The story opens on Dread Lord Gavrax, except he has no idea who he is. Memories missing due to a summoning gone wrong, Gav bumbles his way through the remainder of the book trying to thwart a ritual he previously was all for.

There were good and bad parts of this book for me.

The GOOD:
- the cozy fantasy vibes
- the character development was well constructed
- the book felt familiar in a good way
- Dark Crystal/Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman/Monty Python vibes
- vivid imagery in the story

The BAD:
- kept losing interest
- the MC wasn't likable at all, I kept getting so annoyed with him right until the final pages (granted this could have been intentional)
- the story felt anticlimactic, it didn't really feel like anything was on the line

In line with guidance from the publisher, this review will not be posted anywhere other than NetGalley until May 2024. Thank you to the Titan Books and Caitlin Rozakis for a Galley of this title, in exchange for an honest review.

Dreadful was anything but! A fun, funny, romp of a tale, this book follows the newly christened Gav as he tries to come to terms with who he is, and who he was, following a sudden loss of memory. Cut lose from the ties of his life, with only the barest sense of who he had been and why, he must try not to foil his own nefarious plans, whilst also trying to make then considerably less nefarious.

Set in a fantasy world that 'hero' cannot introduce us to, Dreadful was a brilliant mix of character-development, questions on the human condition, and mad-cap fun. The characters were well-drawn, and expertly fleshed out. No one was quite what you expected, and their decisions felt genuine and true to character. Rozakis did a brilliant job of making Gav sympathetic, whilst also forcing him to face his own privilege and past head-on. I also enjoyed her commitment to representing the female experience. In fantasy it is easy to erase the parts of our world that we don't like, and whilst I enjoy escapism as much as the next fantasy reader, this was a refreshingly honest representation of the assumptions, and barriers to success, women live with day-to-day.

This book loses a star because some of the sentences were a little clunky, or unclear. This is definitely a pit-fall of a more casual, conversational writing style. It is hard to punctuate things for the most clarity without losing some of that. I enjoyed this book immensely, but it could have been a little more polished in places.

Overall, just a really wonderful time. If you were a fan of Hannah Nicole Maehrer's Assistant to the Villain, or any Medieval inspired fantasy-comedies, I think you will really enjoy this book.

What a fun book! The premise was delightful and the character development was outstanding. I especially liked the growing realization that characters often behave the way they’re expected to, and how much appearances dictate expectations. The point was made well, in a number of ways, and often creatively.

The main mechanic of the story (memory loss) managed to stay relevant. There were points where the credibility of that narrative move *could* have been stretched thin. Instead, there were other surprises and narrative moves that nodded to classic high fantasy tropes while turning them on their trope-y heads.

I had a lot of fun reading this story and I look forward to whatever the author does next.

With her debut novel, Rozakis shows an ability to create both a whimsical and atmospheric setting and craft charming characters. However, the writing itself goes from heavy-handed to eye-rolling, especially in the last third of the book. I could feel the author on the page, if you catch my meaning. I do believe the synopsis and blurbs accurately portray the story, so if this sounds interesting to you I imagine you'll enjoy this book.

Gav wakes up with no memory of who he is. This would be a genuine concern on any day but even more so when he has no idea why this room full of magical items is trashed, why the goblins cower from him and why there is a Princess locked in his dungeon?
With heroes breaking in to thwart plans he doesn't remember, Dark Wizards converging on his castle to conduct a ritual he doesn't know how to do (or what it does) and a town full of villagers whose lives might be in danger, Gav is in way over his head.
Is being evil always this hard?

With a tongue in cheek sense of humour, deliciously devilish creatures and fantastic plot this is definitely one I would recommend, especially if you are a fan of Travis Baldree or John Scalzi.

This is a low fantasy which takes place almost entirely within one location, but the world building is fun because we get to learn about everything along with Gav.
There isn't anything specific that we need to know in order to enjoy the story as the magic system is basic and rooted in what I would call a default magic system of spells and rituals. The plot is simple but done really well and has you rooting for Gav and enjoying the twists and turns.
What really shines through, though, are the characters. My favourites are, obviously, the goblin servants who I love and adore. I think I would sacrifice a small village for Grrribeetle and Throk.
The only thing that let it down a bit was the ending which I thought should go differently but that is just my own personal taste.
Other than that I thought it was brilliant and would highly recommend.

This was overall a solid read. Our main protagonist wakes up with absolutely no memory of who he is, but he has to immediately put out fires (literally) as he quickly surmises he's in an evil lair and he himself seems to be a dark wizard. The beginning is a little slow as he has no knowledge of what's going on, but the book picks up after about 50 pages or so. We (the reader and the protagonist) discover he is Gav, a middle-management-type dark wizard who's clearly suffered from a case of toxic masculinity and entitlement and who's allowed himself to be caught in the larger machinations of an even eviler dark wizard. Gav realizes he doesn't actually like the choices he previously made, and the princess Gav learns he's recently kidnapped helps prod him to consider what it means to be a good - well, at least a decent - person.

It was refreshing to see Gav go on his personal journey, and he was easy to root for as his character really does go through healthy growth (although certainly more simplistic than what would likely happen in this complex world we live in). I also enjoyed rooting for many of the side characters, especially the princess, Eliasha. I don't know if I ever felt really invested in the story, but it was overall a good book. It doesn't really count as a cozy fantasy as there are certainly big stakes (the overall plot entails trying to stop a demon that could cause a large amount of death and destruction) but it has the vibes for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for this advanced reading copy.

I SO enjoyed this romp of a cozy fantasy book. I thought that Gav’s journey was fun, the novel was well-paced & the humour was satisfying. There were some moments that lacked character depth but overall, the fun in this book more than made up for it. I loved Orla and the village with their garlic festival. Definitely worth a read!

Thank you Net Gally for the free ARC of "Dreadful" by Catlin Rozakis.
I have a policy of only giving one star to works that are racist, sexist or that are discriminatig. So that is why I'l give this dreadful book a generous two stars.
Horrible humor . This book just felt like an atempt at blending a bunch of popular trends: the likeble villan, isekai with "cosy" vibes and the most ridiculous humor. Let me tell you, the result was a disaster.
I don't think I read a more anoying book in a long time.

Well, you can never have enough Dark Lords, can you? Especially comic ones. And, even better, ones that can't remember why they were evil in the first place. This was good fun, particularly for a first outing, but I couldn't help but compare it to other similar books, e.g. Jim Hines' Jig series.
The plot and pacing are well done, but the author has better luck with some of the supporting characters, like Orla and Grrribeetle (the goblins), or the mayor of the village, whose actions and character growth are minor but more amusing and credible because they're not used to make a heavy-handed point about misogyny or other social structures. This, in fact, is where the book mostly falls down, as it tries too hard to give the story (and Gav, our reluctant Dark Lord) greater depth than necessary. It is only a minor failing though, as the story is mostly amusing and has good pacing, and the ending is simultaneously credible and satisfying. A cosy read.
My thanks to Netgalley for the DRC,all opinions are my own.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

In this sharply witty and unconventional fantasy, "Dread Lord Gavrax" embarks on a hilarious journey of self-discovery after waking up with no memory and a dubious title he's reluctant to own. Satirizing familiar tropes with clever humor and irony, the story delves into themes of identity, legacy, and the power of self-perception through absurd scenarios and quirky characters, including a non-traditional princess and a clueless goblin valet. It's a refreshing take on the genre that not only entertains but also offers insightful commentary on the roles we choose in our stories.
A must-read for fans of T. Kingfisher and anyone looking for a fantasy filled with laughter and existential exploration.

Dreadful was a delightfully written story about modern problems in a fantastic setting. Readers will fall in love with the witty dialogue and characters attitudes towards themselves and each other.

I got an eArc of Dreadful from NetGallay.

This book hooked me in the first chapter. Since Dreadful opens with a character that has lost his identity, I got to discover the world with Gav. Gav and I were on this journey together. While it is obvious from other characters’ reactions that Gav was a dreadfully evil person, I felt a lot of affection for him. Even though Gav has forgotten his past, I think his brain/body were conditioned to react toxically to rejection, humiliation, and shame. Gav had multiple intrusive thoughts and feelings that were a symptom of toxic masculinity. Without the baggage of his past, Gav was able to recognize these thoughts and feelings as toxic and learn to grow. I loved it. The main question this book asks is - Are people redeemable? I’m not going to spoil the answer, but using Gav to explore this question was effective and interesting.

But enough about Gav, let's talk about Orla. She is the most adorable goblin chef! I LOVED her. I ADORED her. The only complaint I have about Dreadful is that I wanted more Orla.

The other side characters were lovable as well. I enjoyed learning about their stories and seeing them develop new relationships with Gav.

If you liked Assistant to the Villain and The House in the Cerulean Sea, I think you would love Dreadful.

It's good. Read it.