Dreadful

I needed a break from what I'm currently reading and just randomly saw this while looking through what my library had. I'm glad I chose this. It's chaotic, crazy, a hot mess and just pure fun.

Light-hearted, intriguing characters, lots of interesting interactions between characters, intriguing growth in most characters, interesting twists, and a mystery that stretches out for quite some time.

The only drawback is alot of the above is drawn out overly, creating alot of 'keep it moving' hand gestures on my part.

Who's the real anyone? When does who you're pretending to be stop being a pretense and turns into who you really are?

When an incel wizard gets amnesia and forgets why he's evil in the first place, it's all hands on deck to teach this spineless, incompetent buffoon to be a good person. This book is about as subtle in its messaging as a moat squid to the face, but it's also genuine and heartfelt.
The side characters truly steal the show in the best way, particularly the goblins. This would be a good pick if you're in a reading slump where you just need something light-hearted and goofy.

“Dreadful's” premise is great and the first few chapters delivered. Waking up with amnesia and finding you don't like the fashion or decorating choices of your Dark Wizard Dread Lord Gavrax former self was fun.

The goblins were probably my favorite, although I also enjoyed the village Mayor and her enterprising populace (garlic, anyone?).

Unfortunately, we spend too much time navel gazing with Gav and listening to him ask a princess he's kidnapped and locked up in a dungeon whether she'd like him if.... More than once. More than twice.

Also, I would have really enjoyed Gav staying at his castle and continuing to work to make it better instead of just hitting the road with no plan and a teenage princess in tow who suddenly has all kind of agency vs a princess who, days before, is so precious that her father sent brigades of heroes and a White Wizard to save.

Villain POV fantasy novels have carved a unique niche in the fantasy genre, offering readers a refreshing perspective by flipping the traditional hero narrative on its head. Dreadful, firmly positions itself within this growing trend. Billed as a darkly humorous fantasy in the same vein as Apprentice to the Villain, Dreadful sets out to explore the journey of a misunderstood antihero who gleefully embraces the darker side of magic. While the book delivers on its promise of fun and intrigue, it ultimately falls short as the humor that defines its early chapters begins to fizzle out by the end. Despite its flaws, Dreadful remains a unique and engaging read, albeit one that leaves the reader longing for the sustained wit that makes the genre so enjoyable.

3.5 stars
Cozy, sweet, with quite a few humorous moments. I listened to half of the audiobook and the narrator does a wonderful job.
I'm rounding up to 4 stars because I think the humor and quieter writing style just aren't quite my thing, but I do think it was well written, witty, and just honestly fun.