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Dark Lord Davi #2
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me
The hilarious sequel to How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler!
Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology.
Davi has left the horde behind her, hoping to find a peaceful solution to keep the Kingdom from being destroyed this time. But her plan to guide the Kingdom to peaceful prosperity is thwarted when she finds her usual love interest, Prince Johann, already married and the bloodthirsty Duke Aster running the government. Johann's new husband is everything Davi is not, but he holds a key to the one mystery she can't solve - the origins of the time loop that has entrapped her.
With restless armies at her doorstep, Duke Aster reaching for power, and an ancient magician hounding her every turn, Davi must scheme her way to peace and uncover the truth behind her curse if she is to break the spell that binds her once and for all.
Praise for How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
'A darkly comic delight of a novel' Anthony Ryan
'Twisty, pacey and full of reverent irreverence for fantasy. I can't get enough' Max Gladstone
'A brash swords-and-satire romp that draws you into its rollicking adventure even as it pokes fun at the whole genre. Gamers in particular will appreciate the irreverent upending of classic roleplaying tropes' James L. Sutter
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
'Lord of the Rings crossed with Groundhog Day, narrated by a gender-flipped Deadpool' Mike Brooks
Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology.
Davi has left the horde behind her, hoping to find a peaceful solution to keep the Kingdom from being destroyed this time. But her plan to guide the Kingdom to peaceful prosperity is thwarted when she finds her usual love interest, Prince Johann, already married and the bloodthirsty Duke Aster running the government. Johann's new husband is everything Davi is not, but he holds a key to the one mystery she can't solve - the origins of the time loop that has entrapped her.
With restless armies at her doorstep, Duke Aster reaching for power, and an ancient magician hounding her every turn, Davi must scheme her way to peace and uncover the truth behind her curse if she is to break the spell that binds her once and for all.
Praise for How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
'A darkly comic delight of a novel' Anthony Ryan
'Twisty, pacey and full of reverent irreverence for fantasy. I can't get enough' Max Gladstone
'A brash swords-and-satire romp that draws you into its rollicking adventure even as it pokes fun at the whole genre. Gamers in particular will appreciate the irreverent upending of classic roleplaying tropes' James L. Sutter
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
'Lord of the Rings crossed with Groundhog Day, narrated by a gender-flipped Deadpool' Mike Brooks
377 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2025
About the author
Django Wexler
53 books3,837 followersDjango Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 840 reviews
June 17, 2026
"I am aware that my connection with sanity is a little tenuous."Davi - the once-promising Chosen One (TM) - has fully gone to the dark side.
To be fair, Davi has been stuck in a time-loop for roughly a thousand years (she's lost track along the way, who could blame her??) and the one thing she learned was being the Chosen One(TM) doesn't work.
And turns out, she's really good at being the bad guy. She founded a band of orcs, upgraded it to a hoard, then won the Dark Lord Trials and officially has the title of Dark Lord Davi.
But turns out she can't just become the Dark Lord and retire. So off to the good-guy-land she goes to (hopefully) broker a deal...but things are rarely that simple.
Simple things she's come to depend upon are different in this time loop, and she's coming to the realization that this might (just might) be her last round.
Oh my god. It was completely unhinged in the best way possible.
"Anytime you want somebody to do something and can’t be bothered to think of a good reason, just throw in a fucking prophecy."
Davi is just as batshit as she was in the first book and I freaking loved it. But also, the character development was fantastic - the whole learning to appreciate life and keeping her impulses at bay was really great to read as well.
The mystery element of this story was much stronger than the first book and really gripped my attention. I was wholly captured by the time loop shenanigans and the relationship to earth - so if you were curious after the first book, things really get good in this one.
Something to keep in mind: The humor is just as polarizing as book 1. Davi has a...how should I say it...unique perspective on life. And it's the kind of main character either you gel with completely or cannot stand.
Luckily, I thought she was hilarious BUT I can definitely see that she's not the right fit for everyone.
All in all, this was a fabulous duology, and I'm really happy to have read it.
May 11, 2025
All hail Dark Lord Davi! After 1000+ years in a time loop, Davi finally decided to try something different – instead of fighting the Dark Lord, she became the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, that means that she's now in charge of a horde of wilders who want her to lead them to victory over the humans that she's spent centuries trying to protect. Oops. Davi decides to look up her old boyfriend Johann, hot himbo extraordinaire and prince not-so-extraordinaire of the human kingdom, to see if she can manipulate him into attempting to save his people … again. Needless to say, hijinks ensue.
If you enjoyed How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to love this sequel. It takes a bit for the story to really get going, but once it does it's almost impossible to put down. There are orcs and magic and evil dukes and subterfuge and epic battles and maybe even a dragon or two, and it's all absolutely delightful. And, of course, there's also lots of fucking (Davi's phrasing, not mine) and crude humor and language. This time, however, it's also possible that Davi might just acquire some emotional depth and maybe even a bit of a conscience?
All of the main characters from the first book make a reappearance in this one, but I have to confess Johann might just be my new favorite character (other than Davi herself, of course). He's a lot of fun in a hot himbo prince sort of way, and it turns out that there just might be more to him than meets the eye.
Do expect this book to be somewhat more serious than its predecessor. It still has plenty of humor and snark, but Davi does a lot more soul-searching in this one. Now that she can't rely on the time loop to reset everything back to the very beginning whenever she dies, all of the death and destruction starts to seem a little … permanent. She's not quite sure how to feel about it all, and then she also has the whole relationship with (and feelings for) Tsav to figure out.
If I absolutely had to choose, I'd probably say that I enjoyed How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying more than this one, but not by much. This is a solid sequel to an amazing book, and it wraps up Davi's story rather nicely. I'm sad that it's only meant to be a duology because I don't want to leave these characters behind, but perhaps it'll wind up being a duology in the same way that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series ended up being a “trilogy in five books.” A girl can dream, anyway.
4.6 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 27, 2025.
If you enjoyed How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to love this sequel. It takes a bit for the story to really get going, but once it does it's almost impossible to put down. There are orcs and magic and evil dukes and subterfuge and epic battles and maybe even a dragon or two, and it's all absolutely delightful. And, of course, there's also lots of fucking (Davi's phrasing, not mine) and crude humor and language. This time, however, it's also possible that Davi might just acquire some emotional depth and maybe even a bit of a conscience?
All of the main characters from the first book make a reappearance in this one, but I have to confess Johann might just be my new favorite character (other than Davi herself, of course). He's a lot of fun in a hot himbo prince sort of way, and it turns out that there just might be more to him than meets the eye.
Do expect this book to be somewhat more serious than its predecessor. It still has plenty of humor and snark, but Davi does a lot more soul-searching in this one. Now that she can't rely on the time loop to reset everything back to the very beginning whenever she dies, all of the death and destruction starts to seem a little … permanent. She's not quite sure how to feel about it all, and then she also has the whole relationship with (and feelings for) Tsav to figure out.
If I absolutely had to choose, I'd probably say that I enjoyed How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying more than this one, but not by much. This is a solid sequel to an amazing book, and it wraps up Davi's story rather nicely. I'm sad that it's only meant to be a duology because I don't want to leave these characters behind, but perhaps it'll wind up being a duology in the same way that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series ended up being a “trilogy in five books.” A girl can dream, anyway.
4.6 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is May 27, 2025.
July 10, 2025
☆☆☆☆ ½
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me” is a sharp, hilarious adventure that kept me grinning from start to finish. Django Wexler delivers a brilliantly unconventional take on the supervillain genre, packed with wit, dry humor, and moments of pure comedic chaos.
The story plays with superhero and supervillain tropes in a way that feels genuinely fresh, without ever taking itself too seriously. The protagonist’s refusal to engage in the whole “world domination” circus while everything around them spirals into chaos is both hilarious and oddly relatable. Wexler’s comic timing is excellent—many scenes toe the line between sharp satire and sheer nonsense, yet still manage to feel grounded enough to make you care. That said, the humor is definitely a specific flavor. It’s sardonic, a bit meta, and leans into the intentionally absurd. If you enjoy comedy that’s clever, slightly unhinged, and unconcerned with convention, this will probably be right up your alley. But if you prefer something more serious or emotionally centered, this might not quite land. Still, for me, this was an incredibly fun read with a unique voice and a surprising amount of heart beneath all the snark. Highly recommended—especially if your sense of humor leans a little weird.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me” is a sharp, hilarious adventure that kept me grinning from start to finish. Django Wexler delivers a brilliantly unconventional take on the supervillain genre, packed with wit, dry humor, and moments of pure comedic chaos.
The story plays with superhero and supervillain tropes in a way that feels genuinely fresh, without ever taking itself too seriously. The protagonist’s refusal to engage in the whole “world domination” circus while everything around them spirals into chaos is both hilarious and oddly relatable. Wexler’s comic timing is excellent—many scenes toe the line between sharp satire and sheer nonsense, yet still manage to feel grounded enough to make you care. That said, the humor is definitely a specific flavor. It’s sardonic, a bit meta, and leans into the intentionally absurd. If you enjoy comedy that’s clever, slightly unhinged, and unconcerned with convention, this will probably be right up your alley. But if you prefer something more serious or emotionally centered, this might not quite land. Still, for me, this was an incredibly fun read with a unique voice and a surprising amount of heart beneath all the snark. Highly recommended—especially if your sense of humor leans a little weird.
July 11, 2025
A fun, easy, funny, silly, but very very high stakes and heavily action-focused sequel! The humor isn’t exactly always my speed, and it’s quite self-referential to the nerd cultures this narrative subsides in, but that also makes it a fun time. Although I am not a dnd or marvel person, I can understand exactly how people who’re in those worlds would adore this duology. I appreciate how coherent and conclusive this two book fantasy series is as well. Somewhat rare in our contemporary SFF landscape of endless series with a sprinkling of standalones
March 5, 2025
Davi, fully realizing that her reset button is malfunctioning, has come up with a plan to hopefully save humans and wilders alike. And it would have gone absolutely wonderfully if Prince Johann was actually in charge but Duke Aster is running the show in the Kingdom and now Davi, The Dark Lord, must pretend to be The Wizard's Apprentice and hope that her predictions of the future convince the humans that going up against the Wilders would be a really bad idea.
Unfortunately, while Davi and Tsav are in The Kingdom trying to keep the humans from heading to their doom, Artaxes and Sibarae have taken control of The Horde. With Davi's plans completely unraveling, she is going to have to do something she's never done in a thousand years: Rely on other people.
That's an ominous rely on other people because many of you reading this I can guarantee just thought of that gives you anxiety, hell it gave me anxiety just reading it. Honestly, this was significantly better than I was expecting especially since it wrapped the whole story up with a truly insane villain who as far as I can tell is just a sad lonely little man who probably needed someone to tell him no a few times in his life. As Davi points out at one point, he'd be a serial killer on Earth, and I think that says everything you need to know about him.
How Davi actually gets to The Kingdom was oddly not as mind blowing as I expected, once you start hearing the bad guys backstory, that sort of takes backstage because my gods did he fuck Davi up. Although it does account for why she's got all this random 20/21st century pop culture knowledge which was honestly the *one* thing I needed to explain.
What makes this great once again is Davi. Her character growth was phenomenonal while still maintaining her smart ass personality. And I think what's great about this little found family Isekai is that this time loop thing can truly be viewed as breaking many, many toxic cycles. Assign your own accordingly.
Honestly, this is probably my favorite series by Wexler. Not only was much of this highly relatable in terms of Davi learning to rely on others even though it's fucking terrifying, I think it genuinely shows just how good of writer Wexler is if you've read his other books, especially doing an Isekai. Definitely recommend this one especially if enjoy Isekai of course but also if you just enjoy a found family story definitely not for children.
As always, thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eArc!
Unfortunately, while Davi and Tsav are in The Kingdom trying to keep the humans from heading to their doom, Artaxes and Sibarae have taken control of The Horde. With Davi's plans completely unraveling, she is going to have to do something she's never done in a thousand years: Rely on other people.
That's an ominous rely on other people because many of you reading this I can guarantee just thought of that gives you anxiety, hell it gave me anxiety just reading it. Honestly, this was significantly better than I was expecting especially since it wrapped the whole story up with a truly insane villain who as far as I can tell is just a sad lonely little man who probably needed someone to tell him no a few times in his life. As Davi points out at one point, he'd be a serial killer on Earth, and I think that says everything you need to know about him.
How Davi actually gets to The Kingdom was oddly not as mind blowing as I expected, once you start hearing the bad guys backstory, that sort of takes backstage because my gods did he fuck Davi up. Although it does account for why she's got all this random 20/21st century pop culture knowledge which was honestly the *one* thing I needed to explain.
What makes this great once again is Davi. Her character growth was phenomenonal while still maintaining her smart ass personality. And I think what's great about this little found family Isekai is that this time loop thing can truly be viewed as breaking many, many toxic cycles. Assign your own accordingly.
Honestly, this is probably my favorite series by Wexler. Not only was much of this highly relatable in terms of Davi learning to rely on others even though it's fucking terrifying, I think it genuinely shows just how good of writer Wexler is if you've read his other books, especially doing an Isekai. Definitely recommend this one especially if enjoy Isekai of course but also if you just enjoy a found family story definitely not for children.
As always, thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eArc!
May 31, 2025
3.0 Stars
This was a fun conclusion to this humorous fantasy duology. This is a pretty silly series and personally I would have loved to see a darker version of our supposed “villain”.
I'm not sure that this series needed a second book so I'm glad this wasn't turned into a trilogy. It's a fun concept but ultimately shouldn't be dragged out too long.
If you loved the first book, then I'd recommend finishing the series.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a fun conclusion to this humorous fantasy duology. This is a pretty silly series and personally I would have loved to see a darker version of our supposed “villain”.
I'm not sure that this series needed a second book so I'm glad this wasn't turned into a trilogy. It's a fun concept but ultimately shouldn't be dragged out too long.
If you loved the first book, then I'd recommend finishing the series.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
November 4, 2025
I'm thoroughly impressed with how Wexler captured and conveyed Dani's voice across both books, it's so different from his usual fare. He has had sarcastic, smart characters aplenty but this is a whole new level. There is more swearing in this book than Dungeon Crawler Carl, definitely more sex, and spot-on humor grounded in Davi's irreverent, fourth-wall-breaking attitude.
Like How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, I gobbled this book up. It's a ton of fun. This sequel opens with an excellent in-character summary of prior events. We finally get to meet Himbo Boyfriend Johann. Eventually, the whole time loop girl-from-Earth thing will receive an adequate explanation. So, the book achieves all of its promises.
I shrink only slightly at the structured plotting. I don't want a book to be all loosey-goosey, but you know how with some books you can just feel the plot pattern playing out? Maybe it comes from simply reading too many books (impossible!), or maybe it's a Sandersonization of contemporary fantasy writing, but as much as I deeply enjoyed the book it wasn't enough to blind me to its framework, its conscious construction. There's probably a better way to express this; do you have any idea what I'm talking about?
(Later addition) After some passage of time, I dropped my rating by a star. Looking back, the by-the-book plotting and the woeful deficiency of Droff in this book, along with failing to keep many details of the first book's events relevant, made it seem simply okay. I enjoyed Davi's character but without the time-loop aspect of the prior book, the appeal was lesser, and the shine of the first book wore off in retrospective.
Like How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, I gobbled this book up. It's a ton of fun. This sequel opens with an excellent in-character summary of prior events. We finally get to meet Himbo Boyfriend Johann. Eventually, the whole time loop girl-from-Earth thing will receive an adequate explanation. So, the book achieves all of its promises.
I shrink only slightly at the structured plotting. I don't want a book to be all loosey-goosey, but you know how with some books you can just feel the plot pattern playing out? Maybe it comes from simply reading too many books (impossible!), or maybe it's a Sandersonization of contemporary fantasy writing, but as much as I deeply enjoyed the book it wasn't enough to blind me to its framework, its conscious construction. There's probably a better way to express this; do you have any idea what I'm talking about?
(Later addition) After some passage of time, I dropped my rating by a star. Looking back, the by-the-book plotting and the woeful deficiency of Droff in this book, along with failing to keep many details of the first book's events relevant, made it seem simply okay. I enjoyed Davi's character but without the time-loop aspect of the prior book, the appeal was lesser, and the shine of the first book wore off in retrospective.
May 11, 2025
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me
by Django Wexler
Dark Lord Davi #2
Fantasy Dark Humor
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 18+
Book two (and last) picks up a few days/weeks after the first book, where Davi and Tsav are off to the Kingdom to try to make peace with Prince Johann. But things have changed since the last time she was in the Kingdom... Prince Johann is married! Worse, his cousin, Duke Aster, is running things.
So now Davi needs to find a way to get Johann back in charge and get Aster out of the kingdom before her horde arrives and.... spoilers.
This book gave a lot more backstory to Davi and her plight, but sadly, she wasn't as morally gray as in the first book, so she wasn't as snarky, thus not as funny. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but instead of the dark humor from the first book, this was almost cozy...
I enjoyed the book and liked how it progressed at a decent speed, though it got a little 'technical', and that part needs some fleshing out. I liked the birthday cake idea, but there needs to be a little more 'icing and sprinkles'.
There is violence, language, and sexual situations, and with those combined, this isn't suitable for readers under eighteen. (Take a smidgen of each out, then maybe.)
Great story, great characters, highly recommend!
4 Stars
by Django Wexler
Dark Lord Davi #2
Fantasy Dark Humor
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 18+
Book two (and last) picks up a few days/weeks after the first book, where Davi and Tsav are off to the Kingdom to try to make peace with Prince Johann. But things have changed since the last time she was in the Kingdom... Prince Johann is married! Worse, his cousin, Duke Aster, is running things.
So now Davi needs to find a way to get Johann back in charge and get Aster out of the kingdom before her horde arrives and.... spoilers.
This book gave a lot more backstory to Davi and her plight, but sadly, she wasn't as morally gray as in the first book, so she wasn't as snarky, thus not as funny. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but instead of the dark humor from the first book, this was almost cozy...
I enjoyed the book and liked how it progressed at a decent speed, though it got a little 'technical', and that part needs some fleshing out. I liked the birthday cake idea, but there needs to be a little more 'icing and sprinkles'.
There is violence, language, and sexual situations, and with those combined, this isn't suitable for readers under eighteen. (Take a smidgen of each out, then maybe.)
Great story, great characters, highly recommend!
4 Stars
March 31, 2026
A fun and exciting conclusion to this irreverent and enjoyable fantasy romp. If you liked the first book, you'll love this one.
July 16, 2025
This was a satisfying ending! Love a fantasy duology for skipping the middle book slump. Book two is just as funny, horny, and surprisingly emotional as book one. I appreciated Davi's existential crisis over time loops. The love interest/sapphic romance also gets fleshed out a little more, which was nice. We get answers, at least to all the questions I had. I want more fun sapphic fantasy like this!
May 26, 2025
This book was every bit as silly and ridiculous as How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. If you found that one to be unbearably annoying (which I completely understand) you won’t like this either. But if you enjoyed HTRTWADT, I am happy to say that Wexler wrapped the duology up perfectly. Every bit as silly, but also with a lot of heart.
The books starts out with Davi working to prevent a war between the wilders and the Kingdom. She is, given the events of the first book, able to play both sides, using both her friends and allies among the wilders and her deep knowledge of the Kingdom. This involves both convincing the people on both sides who would welcome peace that peace is possible, while also overcoming resistance from those (again on both sides) who actively oppose any sort of peace. Much maneuvering happens. Along the way we finally get to meet the oft-mentioned Prince Johann the Himbo Boyfriend. Happy to report that he fits all three requirements of the classical Himbo: he is beefy; he is kind; he is dumb as a bag of hammers. He’s an utterly delightful cinnamon roll.
We also get answers about why, exactly, Davi has been stuck in this time loop for hundreds and hundreds of iterations.
Mostly what we get is a spectacular story of character growth. Centuries of fighting the same utterly futile battle, ending painful death after painful death, has understandably left Davi a tab bit fucked up. Not a bad person, but very definitely damaged. The real heart of this book is her personal arc. She has to grapple with the absolute trauma of what happened at the end of HTRTWADT (which was profound in ways I hadn’t appreciated at the time, but make perfect sense). She has to deal with the kind of person she has become, both the realization of it and growing beyond it. And she does. It’s not easy for her, and the path isn’t smooth, but it was very well done and everything felt appropriately earned.
My one complaint: we never did learn how Artaxes poops. Django, if you read this, the people (and Davi) need answers.
My blog
The books starts out with Davi working to prevent a war between the wilders and the Kingdom. She is, given the events of the first book, able to play both sides, using both her friends and allies among the wilders and her deep knowledge of the Kingdom. This involves both convincing the people on both sides who would welcome peace that peace is possible, while also overcoming resistance from those (again on both sides) who actively oppose any sort of peace. Much maneuvering happens. Along the way we finally get to meet the oft-mentioned Prince Johann the Himbo Boyfriend. Happy to report that he fits all three requirements of the classical Himbo: he is beefy; he is kind; he is dumb as a bag of hammers. He’s an utterly delightful cinnamon roll.
We also get answers about why, exactly, Davi has been stuck in this time loop for hundreds and hundreds of iterations.
Mostly what we get is a spectacular story of character growth. Centuries of fighting the same utterly futile battle, ending painful death after painful death, has understandably left Davi a tab bit fucked up. Not a bad person, but very definitely damaged. The real heart of this book is her personal arc. She has to grapple with the absolute trauma of what happened at the end of HTRTWADT (which was profound in ways I hadn’t appreciated at the time, but make perfect sense). She has to deal with the kind of person she has become, both the realization of it and growing beyond it. And she does. It’s not easy for her, and the path isn’t smooth, but it was very well done and everything felt appropriately earned.
My one complaint: we never did learn how Artaxes poops. Django, if you read this, the people (and Davi) need answers.
My blog
June 19, 2026
Actual rating: 4.5⭐
This book was as action-packed and as hilarious as the first book, but I preferred the first book over this one—since I gave the first book 5 stars—but this one was still really enjoyable and such an amazing read!
As I said, this book was amazing, but I got bored in different parts of it for some reason, and stopped caring at certain parts, too. I don’t know why, but it just happened! But this book was—as I said—entertaining and good and so fucking hilarious! This author really did such an amazing job of making the main character, Davi, the person she is; because she's so hilarious, she's so funny, she is such a resilient character, and everything!
Also, I really loved that we got to see her use more of her magical human powers—because in the first book, we didn't see enough of that, or at least barely! But in here, she was just casting spells here and there, which was amazing, and I loved it, because I love magic elements and wizards and witches in fantasy books, and that's what I want in them!
Also, I really enjoy how this book and the first one breaks the fourth wall! It's just amazing. And also, the footnotes are hilarious as well. I never thought footnotes could be funny like that. I thought they were just for information the reader needed to understand what's going on in the book—but they were hilarious in here, and they were used to explain Davi's shenanigans and interesting references and metaphors!
I'm really sad that I finished this series, because it literally provided me with such good laughs and entertainment, but I'm also happy because it took me so long to read these two books; I am never reading fantasy series—or any series in any genre—ever again, or at least not in the near future! Anyways, please read these books. They were so good, so hilarious, so full of action and adventure. And you have to read them at least just to get to know the amazing Dark Lord Davi!
ALL HAIL DARK LORD DAVI
This book was as action-packed and as hilarious as the first book, but I preferred the first book over this one—since I gave the first book 5 stars—but this one was still really enjoyable and such an amazing read!
As I said, this book was amazing, but I got bored in different parts of it for some reason, and stopped caring at certain parts, too. I don’t know why, but it just happened! But this book was—as I said—entertaining and good and so fucking hilarious! This author really did such an amazing job of making the main character, Davi, the person she is; because she's so hilarious, she's so funny, she is such a resilient character, and everything!
Also, I really loved that we got to see her use more of her magical human powers—because in the first book, we didn't see enough of that, or at least barely! But in here, she was just casting spells here and there, which was amazing, and I loved it, because I love magic elements and wizards and witches in fantasy books, and that's what I want in them!
Also, I really enjoy how this book and the first one breaks the fourth wall! It's just amazing. And also, the footnotes are hilarious as well. I never thought footnotes could be funny like that. I thought they were just for information the reader needed to understand what's going on in the book—but they were hilarious in here, and they were used to explain Davi's shenanigans and interesting references and metaphors!
I'm really sad that I finished this series, because it literally provided me with such good laughs and entertainment, but I'm also happy because it took me so long to read these two books; I am never reading fantasy series—or any series in any genre—ever again, or at least not in the near future! Anyways, please read these books. They were so good, so hilarious, so full of action and adventure. And you have to read them at least just to get to know the amazing Dark Lord Davi!
ALL HAIL DARK LORD DAVI
June 17, 2025
Following on her success in book one Davi looks to unite the wild hordes and the kingdom in an eternal peace. But previous villains from her and the world’s past resurface looking to exterminate mankind.
Maybe this is just me, but I enjoy the journey from commoner to beloved ruler/hero, rather than an already known hero reexamining themselves in order to find their true meaning and save the world. Everyone Wants to Rule the World Except Me is the second option. It’s okay and the character reveal towards the end was nicely foreshadowed throughout the earlier sections. But I think the author struggles more with the combat writing in this one and none of the characters are as enjoyable as when the reader is first getting to meet them in the first book.
It’s an okay humorous continuation of book one, but I think this would have been better as a single large book with a lot of fluff cut away rather than this duology.
Maybe this is just me, but I enjoy the journey from commoner to beloved ruler/hero, rather than an already known hero reexamining themselves in order to find their true meaning and save the world. Everyone Wants to Rule the World Except Me is the second option. It’s okay and the character reveal towards the end was nicely foreshadowed throughout the earlier sections. But I think the author struggles more with the combat writing in this one and none of the characters are as enjoyable as when the reader is first getting to meet them in the first book.
It’s an okay humorous continuation of book one, but I think this would have been better as a single large book with a lot of fluff cut away rather than this duology.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2025
Bleah. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was interesting because of the time loop mechanic. All the sequel has is a very dirty serial quipper who claims to remember nothing from Earth but still does rapid-fire pop culture mentions that no one in The Kingdom or beyond understands.
Only worth reading if you're desperate to find out how the cliffhanger at the end of the first book ends.
Only worth reading if you're desperate to find out how the cliffhanger at the end of the first book ends.
March 7, 2026
Bua, qué tremendo librazo. A la altura del primero: divertidísimo, surrealista, y tierno.
June 6, 2025
Outstanding book, just as good as the first.
June 15, 2025
Several improvements on the first book but still not quite perfect. If the first book was primarily setting up the premise for who/what Davi is, this book saw it very strongly to its conclusion. First and foremost, the references to our world and 4th wall breaking are not as egregiously out of place as they were in the first book. While there are still some wink-wink, nudge-nudge moments provided by Davi, it feels like Wexler understood the assignment a little better this time around with a main character who has supposedly lived over a thousand years in a fantasy world. One drawback however requires some explaining; I actually think overall the characters and writing improved in almost every way, and while I called a couple of the twists, there was still surprises left in store for me. It's a shame to see this world go, as I actually loved the setting, magic system, and the wilders in general. I think the only final complaint that would still have helped this duo-logy a bit would've just been to not write Davi so horny and just kinda let the sex/relationship stuff play out a bit more naturally. The only time it was ever really vital to the plot was in the first book The final message and themes of the book are what really carry the series home. Despite the occasional contradiction, some of which is explicitly acknowledged, the message of peace and the value of life is a good takeaway here.
January 13, 2026
This was a good wrap up to the series. I will say Davi sounds like the character that a man would write and make her overall sexual, but it does work out for the book even though she sounds like a horny boy 24/7. The audiobook is really good and the narrator does a great job with all of the voices.
March 10, 2026
Reseña completa: https://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/20...
Tras cientos de años intentando salvar al mundo de los salvajes, a Davi se le ocurrió la idea de convertirse en su Señor Oscuro, adoptando una nueva perspectiva tras tantos fracasos. Y parecía que había logrado salvar el reino, pero ahora sus hordas salvajes siguen queriendo sangre humana, y ella no está segura de poder (o querer) realizar un exterminio. Así, esquivando duques traicioneros y la leyenda de un antiguo mago, Davi deberá encontrar un camino hacia la paz, para salir de ese bucle temporal y llevar la armonía al reino. ¡Ah, y conseguir que a su novia se le pase el enfado!
Ay, qué maravilla, ha sido ¡brillante! No puedo decir otra cosa, de verdad.
Cuando has disfrutado un libro tanto como lo hice yo con el primero, siempre hay miedo a que su secuela (y su desenlace, encima, al ser bilogía) no se encuentre a la altura, pero en este caso ha sabido mantener esa magia, fantasía y humor del primero, tan inesperado, surrealista e irreverente.
Tras cientos de años intentando salvar al mundo de los salvajes, a Davi se le ocurrió la idea de convertirse en su Señor Oscuro, adoptando una nueva perspectiva tras tantos fracasos. Y parecía que había logrado salvar el reino, pero ahora sus hordas salvajes siguen queriendo sangre humana, y ella no está segura de poder (o querer) realizar un exterminio. Así, esquivando duques traicioneros y la leyenda de un antiguo mago, Davi deberá encontrar un camino hacia la paz, para salir de ese bucle temporal y llevar la armonía al reino. ¡Ah, y conseguir que a su novia se le pase el enfado!
Ay, qué maravilla, ha sido ¡brillante! No puedo decir otra cosa, de verdad.
Cuando has disfrutado un libro tanto como lo hice yo con el primero, siempre hay miedo a que su secuela (y su desenlace, encima, al ser bilogía) no se encuentre a la altura, pero en este caso ha sabido mantener esa magia, fantasía y humor del primero, tan inesperado, surrealista e irreverente.
December 13, 2025
3.5 stars
June 3, 2025
This book is a hilarious and heartfelt ride that blends magical mayhem with everyday anxiety in the best way. The MC Davi is charmingly awkward, and it’s easy to root for her as she stumbles through a world full of supervillains and secret plots. Wexler nails the balance between snappy dialogue and genuine emotion, making every chapter feel fresh and fun. If you've ever felt out of place but still wanted to do something big, this book gets you.
**Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.**
**Thank you Netgalley and Orbit Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.**
June 3, 2025
Deserves far more than 5stars!
Loved it! I loved it even more than the first book and it was just an all round brilliant second instalment and final ending.
Loved Davi. But really I loved all the characters and enjoyed being in The Kingdom this time around.
Favourite fantasy series - possibly!?!. The duology felt complete but I would have happily read more books following these characters.
Loved it! I loved it even more than the first book and it was just an all round brilliant second instalment and final ending.
Loved Davi. But really I loved all the characters and enjoyed being in The Kingdom this time around.
Favourite fantasy series - possibly!?!. The duology felt complete but I would have happily read more books following these characters.
June 17, 2025
Alright, swings and roundabouts on this duology.
The pros:
goofy, doesn't take itself seriously, includes but doesn't rely on pop culture references, satisfying story conclusion, surprising character growth.
The cons:
omg he actually had a "breasted boobily" moment but unironically???? why is the FMC just a terrible, horny, 13 year old boy??
I'm sure I'm missing a few euphemisms, but here's a round-up
breast: 3
boob: 8
bazongas: 1
tits: 1
titties (footnote): 1
titties (A-grade): 1
chest (sexual): 2
The pros:
goofy, doesn't take itself seriously, includes but doesn't rely on pop culture references, satisfying story conclusion, surprising character growth.
The cons:
omg he actually had a "breasted boobily" moment but unironically???? why is the FMC just a terrible, horny, 13 year old boy??
"It’s a ramshackle two-story thing with a big common room on the ground floor and rooms for rent up top, run by an older woman with wild red hair and enormous tits. I think I’ve been here once in a previous life, but apart from the innkeep’s bazongas, it didn’t make much of an impression."
"The innkeeper boobs her way over and serves beer and stew, attracting admiring
gazes." [emphasis mine]
I'm sure I'm missing a few euphemisms, but here's a round-up
breast: 3
boob: 8
bazongas: 1
tits: 1
titties (footnote): 1
titties (A-grade): 1
chest (sexual): 2
July 26, 2025
3.5 stars. While still funny and wicked, the sequel unfortunately wasn’t quite as good as the original. I think in trying to tie everything up and bring closure the author ended up writing himself into a corner for some of the plot lines. Some of what transpires also doesn’t really parse even when you’re already suspending your disbelief since it’s a fantasy novel. Davi, the Dark Lord, is still trying to live through to a future where the wilders don’t exterminate humanity and vice versa. There are scheming villains on both sides and a hitherto unknown person directing her resets. For a subset of the original cast, there is a HEA, so there’s that.
January 23, 2025
I think I found one of my top 2025 reads already!
June 25, 2025
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is the hilarious second and final book in the dark comedic fantasy duology Dark Lord Davi, written by Django Wexler and published by Orbit Books. After more than a thousand years spent in the timeloop, Davi decided to try a different path, becoming the Dark Lord instead of fighting it; but now, in charge of a horde that wants her to lead them to a victory over the humans she spent centuries to protect, she's in doubt, trying to find a new plan that allows her to save her people and the humans, while breaking the time loop in a sequel that reveals more about this world where the story happens.
Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this sequel except from a fair amount of humour and more subversion of the classic fantasy tropes, but there's a bit more; not only this second book expands on the human side of the conflict, how the duke has taken the power over Davi's past lives' himbo boyfriend prince, Johann, and even the origins of the time loop that has trapped Davi, which incidentally will take us into an investigation about the kingdom's origins.
Davi herself returns to be one of my favourite characters, but while in the first book I was more in awe of how smartly she used the concept of timeloops, I kinda enjoyed more how she has grown a conscience, and starts to really care about the others around her; in certain sense, she's more vulnerable, but also it makes the reader to empathize much more with our main character. Some of the returnees gain a bit of narrative weight, such as Tsav, but definitely the newcomer Johann steals the show many times; he's practically the opposite of what we could have expected from a prince, and that's really refreshing.
In terms of pacing, it is true that the story takes a bit to pick up, especially as we are being introduced to the totally different part of the world of those that we roamed with the horde; mostly comparing through Davi's memories of what she thought the kingdom would be. Once all is in motion, you can expect the same amount of jokes, subversions and, in general, fun, that were present in the first part of the duology, but with a bit of a deeper plot.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World Except Me puts a great ending to a really fun duology, perfect if you want a humorous take on the classics of fantasy, full of pop-culture references and a sassy main character. All Hail Davi, Dark Lord!
Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this sequel except from a fair amount of humour and more subversion of the classic fantasy tropes, but there's a bit more; not only this second book expands on the human side of the conflict, how the duke has taken the power over Davi's past lives' himbo boyfriend prince, Johann, and even the origins of the time loop that has trapped Davi, which incidentally will take us into an investigation about the kingdom's origins.
Davi herself returns to be one of my favourite characters, but while in the first book I was more in awe of how smartly she used the concept of timeloops, I kinda enjoyed more how she has grown a conscience, and starts to really care about the others around her; in certain sense, she's more vulnerable, but also it makes the reader to empathize much more with our main character. Some of the returnees gain a bit of narrative weight, such as Tsav, but definitely the newcomer Johann steals the show many times; he's practically the opposite of what we could have expected from a prince, and that's really refreshing.
In terms of pacing, it is true that the story takes a bit to pick up, especially as we are being introduced to the totally different part of the world of those that we roamed with the horde; mostly comparing through Davi's memories of what she thought the kingdom would be. Once all is in motion, you can expect the same amount of jokes, subversions and, in general, fun, that were present in the first part of the duology, but with a bit of a deeper plot.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World Except Me puts a great ending to a really fun duology, perfect if you want a humorous take on the classics of fantasy, full of pop-culture references and a sassy main character. All Hail Davi, Dark Lord!
September 15, 2025
Fun. The politics got a bit draggy but the big finish was satisfying - the secret lair was pretty badass.
September 13, 2025
Funny, raunchy, and heartfelt.
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