Rating: 3⭐️
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (Dark Lord Davi Book 1) by Django Wexler should be just my jam. But no matter how much I try to like it, I just can’t find it in myself to enjoy the story.
It’s got a clever concept. A princess is caught up in a tale where she is defending her world against the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, she never wins. She loses, is subjected to horrific acts and dies. Or dies quickly. But usually she’s caught, captured, and tortured by the Dark Lord for a long time (very descriptive), then dies. Then she’s revived via a Groundhog Day plot and so it goes. For hundreds or thousands of years.
It’s all very coldly narrated and factual. Let me say as a woman this was an aspect of the story I didn’t like.
Davi then switches over to become the Dark Lord herself. This should be an important, and emotional moment for her and the story. However, its treatment is just as deadpan and flat as everything that’s preceded it.
Her actions, and the events that follow are those that do little to connect the reader or celebrate her change in status.
Honestly, the biggest fight here was to complete the book.
The plot was clever but the characters are one dimensional. I didn’t have any problems putting the book down because I wasn’t interested in Davi or her future.
There’s other humorous fantasy stories. Matt Dinneman’s series if you’re interested in RPG lit gamer fiction.
You might want to check it out.
Buy link
Blurb
Groundhog Day meets Deadpool in Django Wexler’s raunchy, hilarious, blood-splattered fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.
“Takes the old saying ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,’ to the next level. A sarcastic, action-packed, intrigue-filled (mis)adventure. One of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time.”–Matt Dinniman, author of Dungeon Crawler Carl
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.
A humorous western isekai featuring the reincarnation of an antihero female lead.
Burningblade & Silvereye
Ashes of the Sun
Blood of the Chosen
Emperor of Ruin
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 