The Dark Lord Clementine

by Sarah Jean Horwitz

The new face of big evil is a little . . . small.
 
Dastardly deeds aren’t exactly the first things that come to mind when one hears the name “Clementine,” but as the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. But everything changes the day the Dark Lord Elithor is cursed by a mysterious rival.

Now, Clementine must not only search for a way to break the curse, but also take on the full responsibilities of the Dark Lord. As Clementine forms her first friendships, discovers more about her own magic than she ever dared to explore, and is called upon to break her father’s code of good and evil, she starts to question the very life she’s been fighting for. What if the Dark Lord Clementine doesn’t want to be dark after all?
 

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Witches

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Sarah Jean Horwitz grew up next door to a cemetery and down the street from an abandoned fairy-tale theme park, which probably explains a lot. Her middle grade fantasy novel THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE was an Amazon.com Best Book of the Month and received favorable reviews from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and more. Sarah Jean's most recent book for young readers is THE DEMON SWORD ASPERIDES. She currently lives near Boston. Find Sarah Jean online at sarahjeanhorwitz.com.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Father," Clementine said as she watched him spear a piece of melon on the tip of his pointy wooden finger. "I do believe you have been cursed."

Twelve-year-old Clementine comes from a long line of Dark Lords.

She's trained since birth to earn ber birthright.

Her father, Elithor, was strict but fair. He taught her dark magic, how to speak to peasants and more.

There was no reason in the world to feel sorry for Clementine Morcerous. She had everything the townspeople could only dream of: money, power, a storybook-worthy position guaranteed since birth.

And despite having everything, Clementine has always felt lonely.

And when her father was cursed, for once in her life, things started changing alarmingly fast.

The scarecrows who performed all of the menial tasks are suddenly stopping, the fire-breathing chickens keep getting into the normal-chicken pens and the silencing magic that blanketed the estate suddenly disappeared.

"Believe me," said the sheep, blinking his heavily lidded eyes at her, "I'm as surprised as you are."
"I doubt that," whispered Clementine breathlessly...

But the troubles are mounting - the farm soon is in shambles, there's a mysterious huntress on the prowl and the dark lord society are insisting that Clementine needs to complete dastardly deeds.

And to top it all, Clementine comes to a stunning conclusion.

...the Whittle Witch did not just want to kill Elithor, she wanted to replace him as Dark Lord herself.

Danger is closing in on all sides - will Clementine survive? Or lose everything in the fight?

"One last piece of advice for you, dear: think happy thoughts...You're going to need them."

Man oh man, I loved this one.

It was absolutely hilarious and wonderfully touching.

Clementine was a wonderfully "evil" main character - her growth and development throughout the book was incredibly heartwarming.

Watching her go from a timid young Dark Lord into the wonderfully confident young woman was so much fun.

I also loved the various quirks associated with this world - the author had a great sense of humor and that is shown in all of the little details and tidbits scattered throughout the book.

In particular, I adored the Gricken (Clementine tried turning a frog into a chicken...but accidentally cast the spell on the family's grimoire instead) - it was hilarious to read Clementine begging for it to lay an egg so she can cast a spell.

All in all, this was a wonderful read from cover to cover!

I received a free digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

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[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3,5

When I got an invitation to read and review The Dark Lord Clementine I was pretty happy because it sounded like a funny, paranormal middle grade book.
This turned out to be a perfect novel to open Halloween season with, because it has magical and spooky elements, but it is still pretty light and funny. A perfect middle grade in that genre, if you ask me!

The Dark Lord Clementine follows the story of a cursed Dark Lord’s daughter who would do anything to cure her father.
Clementine is only 12 years old, but in my opinion she is representation of a strong female, and could be a great role model to girls all over the world.
Even though her fate is to be The Dark Lord one day and to scare people from her village, she learned to think critically and question events around her, and she cares about people who are close to her and would risk her own life if it matters to save them.
I also like how her hair changed color while she was sleeping.

The moral of the story was on top, and with all the side characters who gave the light to this dark and spooky tale, this book talked about friendship that is more important than roles that society expects from us.

The writing style is similar to the one fairy tales were written in. There are lots of descriptions, equal dose of shows and tells, but very little dialogue.
In all honesty, it is the part of the book I couldn’t click with.
I just wasn’t a fan of this type of storytelling, and even though the more I read the more I got used to it, it still never settled with me.

Overall, I think The Dark Lord Clementine is a great book for the younger audience, and it would be a perfect pick to read during Halloween season.
It has good moral of the story, amazing heroine and I highly recommend it to middle graders.

Read this and more reviews on my blog https://bookdustmagic.com

[L. | That_Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. I was lucky to be part of the blog tour for this amazing Middle Grade book! HERE

"Clementine Morcerous awoke one morning to discover that her father had no nose."

Twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous is the daughter and sole heir of the Dark Lord Elithor. As such, she has been taught since her earliest childhood that she must instill fear to the people around her. She embraces her destiny of evil deeds and does not shy away from all those who try to rise up against her. Until her father becomes the victim of a mysterious curse that whittles him away.

My (Evil) Lord was this book fun! I truly couldn't wait until my stop for the blog tour to talk about it with you all. This book is a Middle Grade, which is a genre I always enjoy reading, and it has a strong female character. This book made me laugh out loud more than once. It has a witty and funny humor that will make you enjoy the story even more. From smart puns to sarcasm, this novel has everything I enjoy not only in books, but in life in general. My favorite aspect of the novel was that Clementine's hair changes color according to her emotions. Excuse me, can I have color-changing hair too?

However, what made me love this book even more was the overall moral of the story. I'm not going to say more because that would totally be spoilery but I thought it was quite a positive moral and I highly recommend that you pick up this book.

To conclude, I definitely enjoyed reading this book. It was fun, Clementine is an awesome Main Character, its moral is top-notch. Many have pointed this out and I agree with them, this novel is perfect for this month of October to curl up in a blanket and read. It fits the October mood rather perfectly with its fire-breathing chickens, its gricken, it's cursed sheep and its dark magic. I always love reading books which follow the evil side and this one delivered it perfectly!

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[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I demand to know where books like these were when I was a kid! This was so much fun—humor, dark lords and unicorns, a young protagonist with Goals and Things to Do, and a whole lot of quirky adventures.

Humor: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Setting: ★★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★

As the sole heir of the infamous Dark Lord Elithor, 12-year-old Clementine Morcerous has been groomed since birth to be the best (worst?) Evil Overlord she can be. This includes Dastardly Deeds, general rules about Evildoing from the Council of Dark Lords, and more.

Who knew the life of a Dark Lord could be so...whimsical?

Clementine, our young protagonist, is upset to discover that one day her father seems to be...chipping away. As if his body parts are being whittled down by some exterior force. At first, she's not concerned. Her father is often cursed by the other Dark Lords, that's par for the course in the Council. But usually those events are...flashier. More direct. And not a months on end process that her father actually seems to be losing.

What's a girl to do, besides get to the bottom of it?

With Clementine, her grimoire-turned-rogue-chicken "Gricken," a knight-in-training village boy, and a unicorn hunter in hiding, things are about to get INTERESTING.

My thoughts:
I loved this story. For a middle grade novel, this was packed with humor, sophisticated language, and a lot of relevant moral messaging for kids and adults alike.

Clementine was a fantastic main character. I enjoyed the side characters, even as they were more trope-y and filled their humor niches. You always need some predictable comedic relief!

Honestly, I'm running out of things to say besides... I loved it all. If you like humor, fantasies that don't take themselves too seriously, and books that are more character-driven as opposed to plot-driven, check this one out!

Thank you to Algonquin for Young Readers for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terribly cute, like the Dark Lord in Training herself!

This had all kinds of awesome in it: The Lady of the Lake tossing swords at people, hoping they'll catch them. A bird made out of a book who lays eggs that turn into spells. Night mares. Color-changing "mood hair" that I would actually really love! Unicorns! A sheep named Dave!

I do wish it had gotten moving a lot sooner, I feel like the first half meandered quite a bit, without really building the world I wanted to see. Things were hinted at, or told and not shown, and with a little more solid world-building this would have been stellar!

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved reading this fun middle grade book THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE.

This book is about twelve-year-old Clementine Morcerous who had been groomed to be an heir as the Evil Overlord and evil deeds are what she does best. Things suddenly change when her father, the Dark Lord Elithor falls victim to a curse and Clementine must find a way to break the curse.

I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would for the wonderful character and the great moral in the story. This was such a well-written book though written for middle grade, this certainly can be enjoyed by all ages. The writing was so creative, funny and totally quirky I really had a hard time putting this book down. So fun!

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you @algonquinYR for having me in this tour and providing me a free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

12/13/22 This was a reread for a tween/teen book club. See the original review for more thoughts on the story.
Family loyalty vs following one's desires. Clementine is torn between following her own dreams and living up to her family's expectations as she works to save her father from the whittle witch. In addition, Sebastien, Darka and David (aka Dave) have their own personal dilemmas and similar decisions to make.
7/13/22 A fun book. Clementine's father, The Dark Lord is dying. If he dies, does Clementine have what it takes as heir to be the Dark Lady? Can a future Dark Lady be friends with the villagers? What if you don't want to follow in your family's footsteps? This is a book about finding your destiny and discovering who you are in times of trouble.
Tweens and teens who enjoyed Max and the Midknights when they were younger will like this story that takes place during a similar time period and also includes multiple characters. Or if you know a reader who enjoyed this, give them The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz to try.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC
I’ll have a blog tour post on this book by 4/26 :)

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if your Dark Lord dad isn't that "evil" just slightly mean?
What should you do if he's turning into a marionette? Add a young brack night (black knight has been trademarked elsewhere), a transfigured sheep, a murdering huntress, a young nightmare, and a Chickenfied Grimore to this sordid tale of figuring out what you want to be when you grow up.

[Christi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rooting for the bad guys (or girl in this case) has never been so much fun. While Clementine is still a Dark-Lord-in-training, her father has been attacked by a curse and it is up to Clementine to find a way to break the curse as well as perform all of his required dastardly deeds.

Thoughts:

I can’t tell you how much I love middle grade books like these. There’s such a cuteness and cleverness in how the story is framed and presented that it makes for a fantastic read.

It all starts one morning when Clementine notices that her father has no nose. It was becoming obvious that he had been cursed, but her father is well known for his ability to not talk about anything and when she mentions it his reply only hints of what might actually be happening to him. Problem is – Clementine has no idea what the word he gave her means and she has to go look it up.

“No . . .” he said softly. “Not. Chipping.” He spat out
the words like they were curses themselves and finally
looked up at a very concerned Clementine.
“Whittling.”

But other than pieces of her father’s features changing or falling off, Clementine had also begun to notice the castle isn’t running exactly as it had been before. It was dying. Things were basically coming apart at the seams and it was becoming more and more difficult for Clementine to keep it up and running as her list of issues to fix grows longer and longer. Then to make matters worse, it is determined that the witch who put the curse on Clementine’s father actually wants to replace him as Dark Lord.

A Dark Lord must always be prepared to delivery a decent maniacal cackle.

To be a proper Dark Lord there are certain requirements – however, the main requirement is terrorizing others with dastardly deeds, which can include poisonings, unfortunate transfigurations, plagues, kidnappings, and many others. So, with her father’s curse and the estate falling apart, she also has to perform the required dastardly deed – with evidence – to the Council of Evil Overlords. Clementine has quite a bit of a load on her young 12-year-old shoulders.

Thankfully, along the way circumstances bring others into her life that help lessen the load and help reduce the loneliness that she is not necessarily willing to admit that she feels. There are some we meet in the story who we immediately can tell will be a real friend (although Clementine isn’t quite sure Dark Lords are supposed to have friends) – a talking black sheep and Sebastian, a boy who wants to become a knight. Others are a bit more questionable at first, such as Darka Wesk-Starzec, who initially only wants to use Clementine to get something she wants – help in killing a unicorn.

Her father had warned her to be wary of all signs of witchcraft; things like hyphenated names, controlling wild animals with one’s will, and the ability to fold fitted sheets were all quite high on the list.

In the story we meet several fun magical animals or beings that add quite a nice touch to the humor and overall story such as nightmare horses, firebreathing chickens, scarecrows who do manual farm labor, a Lady of the Lake who enjoys throwing swords at people, attacking trees, among others.

Upon reading, I knew almost immediately that I would enjoy this story. Initially, it was due to how the story presented itself as we learned about the responsibilities of a Dark Lord and all that it entails. But I also enjoyed the subtle humor demonstrated throughout the entire book, as well as the interesting animals, (Nightmare horses must eat poisoned apples – if not they can turn into just regular old ponies, which of course, it not acceptable) and magical moments. However, being a Dark Lord or a Dark-Lord-in training can be quite a solitary life with not having any friends because, after all, the whole purpose of a Dark Lord is to find ways to terrorize others. However, it didn’t take long at all to really appreciate the lessons being taught in this book about friendship and accepting who you truly are and gaining confidence in yourself. All of which can be beneficial lessons for both young and old.

Rating: 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the reader copy and letting me part of the Blog Tour and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, I loved Clementine. She reminds me of Mildred from The Worst Witch in that she's makes a terrible dark lord no matter how hard she tries lol.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded down

I really enjoyed reading about Clementine Morcerous, who feels resigned to someday become the next Dark Lord (after her father, Elithor), and embrace evil instead of a secret flower garden and the other things that mark her as different than other generations of Dark Lords. When Elithor is cursed by a Whittling Witch, Clementine struggles to find a way to obey his orders (most notably, to never let anyone know that anything is amiss with their evil overlord) and keep the castle and grounds afloat.

Her journey allows her to cross paths with interesting folks, including a boy who wants to be a knight, a black sheep that used to be a boy, and Darka, a huntress with a dark past. There are hedgewitches, an unicorn (!!), and the promise of a future where Clementine can be true to herself.

I definitely recommend picking up a copy for The Dark Lord Clementine. I love Clementine and her magical world, and think it would be make perfect fall reading!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

What a delightful book (sorry Elithor)! This book actually had a lot more depth than I had expected based on the summary. There are lessons on finding your place in your family, standing up for others, the ups and downs of putting yourself out there to others, making difficult choices, being selfless, and being the person you are meant to be rather than the one others expect you to be.

Clementine is such a fantastic character! I loved her right from the start and enjoyed watching her develop as the story progressed. She is not perfect, but strives to do what is right rather than what is easy. By the end she is the one taking charge and making the important decisions. She is brave and certainly does not step down from a fight. She is let down by several characters in the book, but that never stops her from continuing to protect them and her capacity for forgiveness is one I am sure we all wish we had a bit more of. I enjoyed watching Clementine open herself up to others and start to welcome others into her world. Her journey from dark lord in-training to taking control of her future was well-developed.

Sebastien will definitely make a good sidekick should there be more books following Clementine on future adventures. Everyone could use a friend like him - he's kind, loyal, and willingly to stick his neck out for those he cares about.

Darka and Clementine's friendship was complex and I really enjoyed watching their relationship change over the course of events. She has an interesting backstory and her actions make sense within the scope of the story. She may make mistakes, but in the end she learns from those mistakes. She is a great reminder that good people can do bad things and that we should always be willing to give others second chances.

The Whittle Witch is a great villain - evil for evil's sake and driven to be as evil as possible. I love that she didn't need a complicated backstroy and was really just out for power. Perfect for a middle grade story.

Again, I really enjoyed this book - much more than I expected. The characters are great, the story has enough twists and turns to keep kids engaged, and the plot moves along at a good pace. The author does a great job of writing in a way that is appropriate for the target audience and also engages older readers. This would make a good book for classroom and school librarie and I can see parents reading it with their late elementary/early middle school children.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Her happiest memory had nothing to do with her father or her very calling in life, at all. Her happiest memory had been escaping them."

A coming-of-age middle grade about a young girl fighting for herself and realising her own path

SUMMARY
Clementine Morcerous has been training to follow her father legacy of becoming a Dark Lord since she was born. When her father falls victim to a curse from a vengeful Witch, Clementine must take over as acting Dark Lord before they lose their castle. But as Clementine starts to question the dark ways her father ruled, she starts to wonder if becoming the next Dark Lord is what she really wants.

REVIEW
While there is nothing wrong with a three-star book, I had anticipated this being a book that I loved so much more. I was a bit let down, but am not sure what it was exactly that didn't work for me. Maybe it is because it wasn't as fantastical or dark of a journey as I was expecting. This is very much more of a coming of age story set in a fantastical world. I also think that there were a few too many things going on in the plot and that they all took too long to resolve.

Clementine was a sweet and strong-willed protagonist. Raised in the silent seclusion of the Castle Morcerous, she never had the chance to make friends or experience a real childhood. When she does visit town, she hides in the bushes to watch the other children play.

Clementine has only ever wanted to impress her father and prove to him her worth. This part of the story-line felt so important to me for a middle-grade, because I think that there are a lot of children that put immense pressure on themselves to fit a certain mold for their parents. This story shows that it is okay to do something different. You don't have to become a certain person to impress those around you. Just stay true to yourself and everything will work itself out eventually.

Clementine is also a very strong female character, but still struggles with childhood insecurities. I loved that her hair changed colour depending on her mood, that she had her own secret garden, and looked over the farm. She had a lot of weight on her shoulders and learned that it is okay to rely on other people to distribute that weight. She learnt that asking for help doesn't make you weak, and that is such an important message.

There is a talking sheep in this novel that was a hilarious side-character and aid in Clementine's quest to cure her father's curse, and also a Gricken which you will learn about yourself.

Overall, this would be a sweet novel for the younger side of middle grade, but not the older side.

[Cassie | Cassie’s Next Chapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO MUCH FUN! This is perfect for readers who really like villains that are super light on the “villain”! It’s charming, funny, and so tender! I did NOT expect to love it as much as I did, and appreciate the messages of found family and standing up for your true self. This is like a warm, slightly magic, quirky hug.

[The Smol Moth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade fantasy, how I have missed thee! This book was so CUTE.

[Beth Cato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a gratis copy of the ebook for award consideration.

The Dark Lord Clementine is an incredibly witty, fun frolic in a fresh new fantasy world. I would have adored this book as a kid and enjoyed it as an adult too--and had to fight the urge to giggle aloud more than once as I read in a waiting room.

Clementine is the only child of the Dark Lord Elithor. She's been raised in isolation, instructed in the importance of villainy as she helps to manage their silent farm with nightmares and flaming chickens. When her father comes down with a dreadful curse, Clementine does her best to manage the estate, but as loneliness and desperation sets in, she is determined to take on the witch who cursed her father... and instead falls in with some people who might, possibly be her first friends.

What I loved about this book was that it's delightfully amusing and that the moral lesson of the book is always kept fun, never preachy. Clementine--and her dad--can't be TOO evil, after all. The end of the book is packed with surprises, too. Really, it's a fantastic read start to finish. How can I not love a book that has a spell-book-turned-into-a-chicken?

[Michelle Kenneth - PerfectionistWannabe.com]

I enjoyed this book a little more than I anticipated. After we are introduced to Darka, Sebastien, the Brack Knights, Dave the Black Sheep, and the hedge witches, the story gets so much better.

Here is this girl who believes that she must be the next dark overlord of Seven Sisters, because that is the role she is born into. Everyone has their role and hers is to be a dark lord. But when it comes right down to it, maybe being a dark lord isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The lesson at the end of the book really hit my heart as being a truth about life:

"It was true that in some ways, much of what Lord Elithor had warned her about the people outside their castle walls had come to pass. Clementine had been disappointed. She had been betrayed. She had seen the people she'd grown to care about at their worst - in their pettiest, darkest angriest, and least courageous moments. This was all true.

"But she'd also seen them at their best. They had comforted her, and laughed with her, and worked with her side by side. She had seen them risk their lives to help her and the people they loved. And it was better, somehow, to have made those friendships, even if she'd gotten hurt. She could hardly remember the girl she had been a few weeks ago, with only her flowers and the Lady in White for company. She could not imagine going back to such a life - a life without real friendships, friendships that she had chosen to make. Now, she knew, she could make more."

For me, those two paragraphs came along at the right time. There are books we are drawn to when we need them the most. I kept wanting to pick this up over the last two months and Sunday was the day I finally sat down and read this book. Those two paragraphs completely explained why.

I really needed this book. It's because of those two paragraphs and that avalanche in the story that makes this a book I am curating into my personal library. This is a story I really needed.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up purely for that title, and told Meg, “It’s going to be terrible, but I’m going to give it a try for the title,” and then… I wound up loving it?

This is the most moral and upstanding set of witches and dark lords you could ever hope to find, and there’s a good solid dose of redemption all around. I like Clementine’s grimoire chicken and I like her inconvenient magic, and I like the way she assembles a crew. This reminded me of The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell and Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke. It was a good world to hang out in.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-crafted characters, a little snark, playfulness with a great many of the cliches of fantasy, and the kinds of dilemmas all of us face (who do we trust? how are we friends? what purpose and meaning in my life do I want? how much do I give in to peer demands?) make this a great middle-reader read, by one's self or as a family. Entertaining and thought-provoking.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites this year!!! I hope there is a sequel.

[Freesiab BookishReview · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very fun middle grade book. I’m surprised by some of the reviews. My suggestion is to enjoy reading this book from an imaginative point of view. I loved the references of older myths into incorporating something new. I hope to read more!

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I just kind of liked this, but by the end I found myself really into the whole story and loving Clementine quite a bit so I bumped it up to 4 stars. At first it reminded me a little bit of Castle Hangnail, but it's got a very different tone after the beginning. I loved the mixture of characters and I REALLY loved Darka's story arc. It's a weird blend of funny, poignant, and magical, so if you're looking for something a bit different it would be a good choice.

[Brooklynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s easy to read the first chapter of this book and assume it’s going to be silly, and at times it definitely is, but it’s more than that. This book is about redefining yourself and choosing your own path. It was an oddly dark book at times, with Clementine having to watch her father slowly be “whittled” down to a puppet unable to talk.

Read my full review at Lost in Literature

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss

A very cute and fun book! Definitely a unique idea about what it would be like to be the daughter of a 'dark lord' and to grow up like that. All the characters in this are really fun and they all battle with pre-conceived notions of what is 'good' and 'bad' in the world depending on where they are coming from and their past experiences. A good mix of fun magic and commentary on morality.

[Jenna (Falling Letters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cybils 2019 finalist (middle grades speculative fiction)

[chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

i received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions below are my own.

this was such a fun read! middle grade novels never fail to cheer me up, and oh my goodness, i’m so glad i decided to pick this up because it was exactly what i needed – i’ve been so stressed the past few weeks and the dark lord clementine put a huge goofy smile on my face.

the world building is incredibly amazing. clementine, the main character, is the daughter of a dark lord who lives in a castle and is somewhat regarded as a monarch in the local village. she is forced to take matters into her own hands and practise dark magic to perform a “dastardly deed” on behalf of the dark lord when he becomes too weak to do it himself. with the aid of a spellbook-turned-chicken and other animals, clementine sets off on a quest to recover her father’s health. i especially loved seeing mythical creatures in the book – unicorns, talking black sheep, nightmares and satyrs.

right now, i… i just want to do what most people do. i just want to be.

i also really loved the process of self-discovery and growth clementine undergoes. in the beginning, clementine always scolds herself for the most ridiculous things – for showing kindness, and for not being “evil” enough, just because the blood of dark lords runs in her veins. as the story progresses, she finds out that her father’s reign of terror actually affects the local villagers in terrible ways, and starts to reflect upon what she really wants to be the one inflicting this dreadfulness when she grows up.

and there are also a couple of positive messages that can be taken away from this book.

first of all, friendship can be found in the most unexpected places if you’re willing to accept it. in the book, clementine befriends a descendant of a witch, a village boy aspiring to be a knight, and even a black sheep who likes to read! they seem to have nothing in common, but they always help each other out, and i loved that so much.

also, there isn’t a definite boundary between good and evil. clementine is a dark lord in training, while her father is a dark lord, but both of them aren’t completely evil. clementine has a heart of gold – she cares a lot about her friends, as well as her family, and she treats animals with so much gentleness and respect, while the dark lord himself is never fully committed in performing his evil acts. and the same goes for darka, who hunts unicorns. it’s evident that she cares about clementine, and wants to earn her friendship, but at times she lets her rage consume her.

all that being said, the dark lord clementine is a great book about friendship and bravery, set in a mythical world with unicorns and other mythical creatures. if you’re looking for a light-hearted, short read, i’d highly recommend this novel. ♡

this review first appeared on my book blog, marshmallow pudding:

https://marshmallowpudding.home.blog/...

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I love this book! Its style and narrative voice remind me a bit of Diana Wynn Jones, or Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn. It’s magical, quirky, whimsical, humorous, and often exciting. At the same time, it deals with very real feelings and challenges that many children and young adults face: the weight of parental expectations, conflicting feelings of love and anger; the challenge to know and be true to yourself. There’s fear, deception, and betrayal in these pages, but also courage, honesty, love, and loyalty.

Clementine is a wonderful and very relatable heroine. From the start, it’s clear that she’s not really Dark Lord material at heart, despite her best (or worst?) intentions. But then, her father doesn’t seem to be quite as evil as you’d expect a Dark Lord to be, either. Dark Lording, in Clementine’s world, is apparently a hereditary job (here I’m reminded faintly of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore), and Clementine is determined to do it well. As the story progresses, more and more of her best qualities come to the fore, but it’s not that her own nature changes so much as that her horizons are expanded, her beliefs challenged, and her true, best self begins to break free of her conditioning. But she’s appealing from the very first page.

Several of the other major characters are similarly engaging, particularly Sebastien, the would-be knight, and the black sheep. (A literal black sheep, but also, perhaps, a metaphorical one? That’s for you to find out.) And there’s Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake, fond of putting swords into heroes’ hand, and the Gricken, Clementine’s enchanted grimoire-in-the-shape-of-a-chicken, which grants her new spells in the form of eggs, and… but I should really stop there, for fear of spoiling all your fun.

And fun you will have, despite the seriousness of the curse affecting Clementine’s father. Did I mention the humor? There’s plenty that middle-grade readers will enjoy, but as in many Disney movies, there are comments and moments that will tickle adults’ funnybones as well.

All in all, The Dark Lord Clementine is an absolutely delightful novel, worth reading at any age, and a terrific choice for a family read-aloud.

[♛primadonna♛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★☆½ Rounded up to 5 stars.!

"Her happiest memory had nothing to do with her father or her very calling in life, at all. Her happiest memory had been escaping them."

Clementine is the only heir and is to become the next Dark Lord. Once her father, Dark Lord Elithor, is cursed, Clementine has a lot put on her shoulders and must take on the responsibilities of the Dark Lord. However she begins to question the evil ways her father has always run things and is no longer so sure she wants to be just like him.

Clementine is a very stong young woman with so many decisions to make and things to take care of. The things that are thrown at her for her to have to figure out and carry shows just how strong of a character she is.
Clementine's character as well as all the other side characters made this a very interesting and fun read that I did not want to put down.! From Clementine's hair changing colors, to the Gricken, to the Sheep, each character had their own traits and some of them were as well fleshed out as the MC.!
I found this story hilarious, sad and absolutely thrilling at times which was suprising and wonderful because I was just going to call it quits on all Middle Grade/Juvenile books unless they were Realistic Fiction or dealt with serious subject matter.
The Dark Lord Clementine, however, has moments of dealing with grief, death, parents/child relationships, and it doesn't dive in too deep or seriously but it also does not try to gloss over everything.
I absolutely loved this book.!

My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher and the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.