This is a funny, raunchy, violent romp through a fantasy world with a time-loop mechanic. Davi is a sarcastic, horny, and self-aware heroine, not without growth through her strange journey. I really enjoyed the cast of main characters as well as the setting. This is going to be a duology, so we don't have all the answers yet, but there is something different about the time-loop in this book that I'm eager to get the rest of the details on. I just really had a load of fun reading this book and I need the sequel immediately, please. ( )

I really wanted to like this more, but have learned that I really dislike footnotes in a fiction book. It was enough to sap anything I might have liked about the tale right out of my tiny heart. ( )

Davi has been trying to defeat the Dark Lord for thousands of lives; every time she fails, the situation resets. One time she decides to try something different, and become the Dark Lord instead. Lots of wisecracking and pop culture references even though Davi’s been transported to the fantasy realm for so long she says she doesn’t remember her life on Earth. I liked that she woke with skills she’d learned but not the body trained to use them. If you like flippancy and playing with D&D tropes, you might like this. ( )

Portal fantasy meets Groundhog Day. After subjective millennia of trying to be the Chosen One and defeat the Dark Lord, our heroine gets tired of being tortured to death and decides to just become the Dark Lord instead. A certain amount of murder and debauchery follows but (even though repeatedly dying and having the world reset has resulted in a certain amount of derealisation) she retains a strong conscience and isn't actually *that* dark of a lord.

Her constant assessing of new characters as potential sex partners didn't ring true for me, but then what would I know, I'm asexual, and also see above re trauma.

I was more frustrated that this turned out to be the first in a series so ended on a bit of a cliffhanger without resolving the question of what is actually going on here. (Though there are sufficient hints that I have theories.) I really need to remember to check new books before I start them because 9 times out of 10 these days of *course* it's going to be the first in a series, almost *no-one* writes standalones anymore. ( )

3.5

Human girl wakes up in random land and dies hundreds of deaths trying to overthrow the dark lord before deciding to BECOME the dark lord.
There’s a ton of violence, dirty talk and pop culture references. FMC is pansexual, horny and trying to squash her conscience whilst competing to be an evil lord.
It was interesting but I found myself becoming tired of the tone by the end of it.
I will not be continuing the series.

https://youtube.com/@chanelchapters ( )