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The Dark Lord's Daughter
From the New York Times bestselling author of Dealing with Dragons comes this timeless fantasy, about an ordinary girl who discovers she's the heir to a dark throne, and must find her place between her life on Earth and her magical inheritance.
"A heart-stopping, unique adventure for all!" —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Kayla is just an ordinary girl . . . or so she thinks. When a day at the state fair is interrupted by the news that she’s the daughter of a “Dark Lord,” she and her family are quickly whisked to another world—one that’s chock-full of magic but lacking in technology!
As her family encounters fantastical creatures in place of their Earthly gadgets, Kayla must prepare for the meeting her father, the Dark Lord himself, for the very first time. All Kayla wants is to go home, but she must learn magic to do so. The catch? For the Dark Lord’s daughter, the road to mastering magic is filled with evil traditions.
As she ventures closer to her father, Kayla must decide whether to accept her birthright. Is she destined for darkness? Or can she become a new kind of Dark Lady?
"A heart-stopping, unique adventure for all!" —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Kayla is just an ordinary girl . . . or so she thinks. When a day at the state fair is interrupted by the news that she’s the daughter of a “Dark Lord,” she and her family are quickly whisked to another world—one that’s chock-full of magic but lacking in technology!
As her family encounters fantastical creatures in place of their Earthly gadgets, Kayla must prepare for the meeting her father, the Dark Lord himself, for the very first time. All Kayla wants is to go home, but she must learn magic to do so. The catch? For the Dark Lord’s daughter, the road to mastering magic is filled with evil traditions.
As she ventures closer to her father, Kayla must decide whether to accept her birthright. Is she destined for darkness? Or can she become a new kind of Dark Lady?
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2023
95 people are currently reading
1688 people want to read
About the author
Patricia C. Wrede
67 books4,002 followersPatricia Collins Wrede was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the eldest of five children. She started writing in seventh grade. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she majored in Biology and managed to avoid taking any English courses at all. She began work on her first novel, Shadow Magic, just after graduating from college in 1974. She finished it five years later and started her second book at once, having become permanently hooked on writing by this time.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
Patricia received her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1977.
She worked for several years as a financial analyst and accountant, first with the Minnesota Hospital Association, then with B. Dalton Booksellers, and finally at the Dayton Hudson Corporation headquarters.
Patricia finished her first novel in late 1978. In January, 1980, Pamela Dean, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Steven Brust, Nate Bucklin, and Patricia Wrede -- all, at that point, hopeful but unpublished -- formed the writer's group that later became known as "The Scribblies." Several years later, they were joined by Kara Dalkey. In April of 1980, Patricia's first novel sold to Ace Books. It came out at last in 1982, which is the year she met Lillian Stewart Carl (who introduced her to Lois McMaster Bujold by mail).
In 1985, shortly before the publication of her fifth book, she left the world of the gainfully employed to try winging it on her own.
Her interests include sewing, embroidery, desultory attempts at gardening, chocolate, not mowing the lawn, High Tea, and, of course, reading.
She is a vegetarian, and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her cat Karma. She has no children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
April 17, 2023
This is a fun and charming middle grade adventure that I think current Patricia Wrede fans would appreciate. Where it faltered a bit for me was with some of the characters being kind of irritating at first (a problem that really only persisted for the first 25%-30%) and a sliiiightly low-stakes/lackluster conclusion. Those flaws didn't prevent me from enjoying the book, however.
The Dark Lord's Daughter is about Kayla, a seemingly ordinary girl who is whisked away to a fantasy world one day by a knight sworn to her birth father, the previous Dark Lord. Whisked away along with her are her adoptive mother, Riki, her younger brother Del, and her tablet, which is transformed into a very unusual familiar upon entering the fantasy world.
Similarly to Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, I feel like this story takes portal fantasy and chosen tropes and asks the question: What if a sensible, normal girl was actually put in the situation of being in a fantasy world and told she's supposed to do all the things traditional Dark Ladies do? Furthermore, what would her mom think?
Kayla's mom was one of the characters I found a bit irritating during the first portion of the story. It takes her a while to adjust to the idea that she is in a new world, operating within different rules. At various points she wants to prohibit Kayla and/or Del from doing things or going places that she thinks are too dangerous. While her perspective is totally reasonable from the perspective of the real world, if you (like Kayla) have bought into the world they are actually currently in, it can definitely get old. I do think she's written this way on purpose, and I appreciated her a lot more later in the book. It's just something to note.
I enjoyed Kayla a lot as a main character. She's not exactly Cimorene, but I think she would get along with Cimorene. Like Cimorene, she ends up largely surrounded by characters who one hundred percent buy into the traditions and tropes that they're steeped in. Kayla often has to problem-solve by either finding a compromise or a new way of looking at something that will allow both her and her inherited evil minions to be happy.
Macavinchy, Kayla's tablet-turned-familiar, was a really fun addition to the book. I think the idea of all modern tech transforming into a magical equivalent is really interesting, and being reminded that Macavinchy started as a tablet was always fun. I think this was a smart way of blending real world technology and magic.
Honestly, I think my biggest issue with this book is that I would have liked it to be longer. Both because I was enjoying it, and because I felt like we could have accomplished more in this world before ending the story. I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel or more books set in this world for that reason.
(Also, the current Goodreads synopsis as of 4/16/23 says Kayla must prepare to meet her father during the story? That may be a mistake...in the ARC I read, it's clear from very early that Kayla's birth father the Dark Lord is in fact very deceased).
The Dark Lord's Daughter is about Kayla, a seemingly ordinary girl who is whisked away to a fantasy world one day by a knight sworn to her birth father, the previous Dark Lord. Whisked away along with her are her adoptive mother, Riki, her younger brother Del, and her tablet, which is transformed into a very unusual familiar upon entering the fantasy world.
Similarly to Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, I feel like this story takes portal fantasy and chosen tropes and asks the question: What if a sensible, normal girl was actually put in the situation of being in a fantasy world and told she's supposed to do all the things traditional Dark Ladies do? Furthermore, what would her mom think?
Kayla's mom was one of the characters I found a bit irritating during the first portion of the story. It takes her a while to adjust to the idea that she is in a new world, operating within different rules. At various points she wants to prohibit Kayla and/or Del from doing things or going places that she thinks are too dangerous. While her perspective is totally reasonable from the perspective of the real world, if you (like Kayla) have bought into the world they are actually currently in, it can definitely get old. I do think she's written this way on purpose, and I appreciated her a lot more later in the book. It's just something to note.
I enjoyed Kayla a lot as a main character. She's not exactly Cimorene, but I think she would get along with Cimorene. Like Cimorene, she ends up largely surrounded by characters who one hundred percent buy into the traditions and tropes that they're steeped in. Kayla often has to problem-solve by either finding a compromise or a new way of looking at something that will allow both her and her inherited evil minions to be happy.
Macavinchy, Kayla's tablet-turned-familiar, was a really fun addition to the book. I think the idea of all modern tech transforming into a magical equivalent is really interesting, and being reminded that Macavinchy started as a tablet was always fun. I think this was a smart way of blending real world technology and magic.
Honestly, I think my biggest issue with this book is that I would have liked it to be longer. Both because I was enjoying it, and because I felt like we could have accomplished more in this world before ending the story. I would definitely be interested in reading a sequel or more books set in this world for that reason.
(Also, the current Goodreads synopsis as of 4/16/23 says Kayla must prepare to meet her father during the story? That may be a mistake...in the ARC I read, it's clear from very early that Kayla's birth father the Dark Lord is in fact very deceased).
September 18, 2023
Fun, nicely written, middle grade fantasy adventure.
August 1, 2023
Kayla didn't know anything about her birth parents until the day a man accosted her at the state fair. While many orphans in fiction dream of being the scion of royalty, Kayla's actually very happy with her adoptive mom and little brother (even if she misses her dad, who died of cancer), so finding out that she's the daughter and heir of the Dark Lord of a fantasy kingdom isn't necessarily a great discovery. That goes double when it comes with a filthy castle, an overbearing aunt, and a whole lot of people who are really, really hung up on "Tradition."
This is very much in the vein of Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles series (staples of my middle school days), and for older readers it also has a lovely dash of the old "If I Was An Evil Overlord" list from the internet's infancy. Kayla is a protagonist it's easy to get behind as she struggles to figure out her new reality with her mom and brother in tow, and Wrede makes it very clear that Riki and Del are her family, full stop, blood ties notwithstanding. Not all of the characters are fully developed (Archie specifically), but the story is a fast read and a very enjoyable one. Combining the sensibility of older children's fiction with the modern isekai tale, this is a welcome return by a middle grade master.
This is very much in the vein of Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles series (staples of my middle school days), and for older readers it also has a lovely dash of the old "If I Was An Evil Overlord" list from the internet's infancy. Kayla is a protagonist it's easy to get behind as she struggles to figure out her new reality with her mom and brother in tow, and Wrede makes it very clear that Riki and Del are her family, full stop, blood ties notwithstanding. Not all of the characters are fully developed (Archie specifically), but the story is a fast read and a very enjoyable one. Combining the sensibility of older children's fiction with the modern isekai tale, this is a welcome return by a middle grade master.
September 17, 2024
HEHEHEHEHEHEH
Do you want your villains sensible? Do you appreciate the art of planning? Do you remember being a precocious teenager and realizing that most all of the adults around you are idiots and if anything needs doing, you’ll have to do it yourself?
Then this is the book for you, because for once everyone HAS to listen to the precocious and eminently sensible teenager… because she’s the new Dark Lord! MWAHAHAha- oh, right, she doesn’t laugh like that.
4 stars because I feel like something could have been done better somewhere, but I can’t quite figure out what? I feel like it’s pretty damn near as close to the ideal version of this story as it could be. My heart says it’s a 5, so I might revise that estimate.
Various unrelated thoughts below.
I forgot how much I love Patricia Wrede? This woman wrote Sorcery and Cecilia, which inspired me to play the letter game with my best friend. We generated a steampunk Victorian Mars with Terran and Martian factions, an entire social hierarchy complete with notes on how different classes addressed each other in different contexts, and a conspiracy to incite rebellion against the ruling class when we were thirteen because of this woman. An icon, I say.
Do you want your villains sensible? Do you appreciate the art of planning? Do you remember being a precocious teenager and realizing that most all of the adults around you are idiots and if anything needs doing, you’ll have to do it yourself?
Then this is the book for you, because for once everyone HAS to listen to the precocious and eminently sensible teenager… because she’s the new Dark Lord! MWAHAHAha- oh, right, she doesn’t laugh like that.
4 stars because I feel like something could have been done better somewhere, but I can’t quite figure out what? I feel like it’s pretty damn near as close to the ideal version of this story as it could be. My heart says it’s a 5, so I might revise that estimate.
Various unrelated thoughts below.
I forgot how much I love Patricia Wrede? This woman wrote Sorcery and Cecilia, which inspired me to play the letter game with my best friend. We generated a steampunk Victorian Mars with Terran and Martian factions, an entire social hierarchy complete with notes on how different classes addressed each other in different contexts, and a conspiracy to incite rebellion against the ruling class when we were thirteen because of this woman. An icon, I say.
June 20, 2023
You know how the “chosen one” is often either an orphan, or is just whisked away to their fate without parents or siblings in tow? This story answers the question of what would happen if the chosen one is taken along with her mother and brother.
Kalya, her brother and mother have gone to the state fair, out of habit, more than anything else. While they are there, they are kidnapped by an agent from another dimension, because Kayla is the long lost daughter of the Dark Lord. Turns out she was adapted, and this is her destiny.
Only her mother wants nothing to do with this. Don’t go touching that magic item, don’t go wandering the corridors, and don’t talk to the dragon skull thing on the door.
But Kayla *is* the heir apparent, and needs to form alliances, and learn the workings of this magic world, even though she sort of objects to the idea that she is on the dark side.
I do love how the mother keeps trying to hold back Kayla as she gets into the swing of things.
--
I belong here, Kayla thought, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud “That could take months,” she told her mother. “Until then, I’m the Dark Lady, and I’m supposed to take care of things here.” Archie and the skull nodded in tandem.
“You’ve always taken more responsibility than a child your age should.” her mother said.
--
A bit clueless mother works well here, though I have to say I was getting annoyed at how often she was interfering, but it does propel things forward. Until Kayla can stand on her own.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Highly recommended. It was one of those books you wanted to know the ended of, but you didn’t want it to end.
This books come out the September 9th, 2023
Kalya, her brother and mother have gone to the state fair, out of habit, more than anything else. While they are there, they are kidnapped by an agent from another dimension, because Kayla is the long lost daughter of the Dark Lord. Turns out she was adapted, and this is her destiny.
Only her mother wants nothing to do with this. Don’t go touching that magic item, don’t go wandering the corridors, and don’t talk to the dragon skull thing on the door.
But Kayla *is* the heir apparent, and needs to form alliances, and learn the workings of this magic world, even though she sort of objects to the idea that she is on the dark side.
I do love how the mother keeps trying to hold back Kayla as she gets into the swing of things.
--
I belong here, Kayla thought, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud “That could take months,” she told her mother. “Until then, I’m the Dark Lady, and I’m supposed to take care of things here.” Archie and the skull nodded in tandem.
“You’ve always taken more responsibility than a child your age should.” her mother said.
--
A bit clueless mother works well here, though I have to say I was getting annoyed at how often she was interfering, but it does propel things forward. Until Kayla can stand on her own.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Highly recommended. It was one of those books you wanted to know the ended of, but you didn’t want it to end.
This books come out the September 9th, 2023
July 25, 2025
Amusing, clever, but kind of meh...
As The Dark Lord's Daughter starts, our hero, Kayla Jones, is at the State Fair with with mother Riki and brother Del. Although Riki, Kayla, and Del are a happy family, they are a family under stress. Michael Jones, Riki's husband and Kayla and Del's father, died not long ago. Fourteen-year-old Kayla had to be strong for Riki.
So, anyway, there they are at the State Fair, one of the few fun outings they can afford to allow themselves, when Kayla is unexpectedly confronted by an armored and masked knight with a magic stone. All four of them are suddenly whisked away to a different world. The knight, whose name is Waylan, informs Kayla that she is the biological daughter of a former Dark Lord of this world, now dead, and that she must take his place as the new Dark Lady.
The new world is magical, but drearily so. Kayla's castle turns out to be terribly run down, and her army is tiny and minions few. There are no showers, the food is truly awful, and the clothing she is expected as Dark Lady to wear is, in a word, "tacky". The one really bright bit of magic is Kayla's tablet computer, which, in coming to the new world, is transformed into her familiar.
Reflecting on why everything is so run down, Kayla thinks to herself
My feelings about The Dark Lord's Daughter were mostly positive, but muted. It made me smile many times, but it never made me laugh. It's clever, but never brilliant. The plot is interesting, but not gripping.
Although the book doesn't exactly end on a cliff-hanger, it does end with important issues unresolved. It cries out for a sequel. Since it is recently published (5-Sep-2023), it seems likely that there will be one. If so, I will read it.
Blog review.
As The Dark Lord's Daughter starts, our hero, Kayla Jones, is at the State Fair with with mother Riki and brother Del. Although Riki, Kayla, and Del are a happy family, they are a family under stress. Michael Jones, Riki's husband and Kayla and Del's father, died not long ago. Fourteen-year-old Kayla had to be strong for Riki.
So, anyway, there they are at the State Fair, one of the few fun outings they can afford to allow themselves, when Kayla is unexpectedly confronted by an armored and masked knight with a magic stone. All four of them are suddenly whisked away to a different world. The knight, whose name is Waylan, informs Kayla that she is the biological daughter of a former Dark Lord of this world, now dead, and that she must take his place as the new Dark Lady.
The new world is magical, but drearily so. Kayla's castle turns out to be terribly run down, and her army is tiny and minions few. There are no showers, the food is truly awful, and the clothing she is expected as Dark Lady to wear is, in a word, "tacky". The one really bright bit of magic is Kayla's tablet computer, which, in coming to the new world, is transformed into her familiar.
Reflecting on why everything is so run down, Kayla thinks to herself
Detsini blamed everything on the lack of a Dark Lord, and Jezzazar blamed Tradition, but Kayla thought it was more likely that neither of them had any common sense.Riki, Kayla, and Del bring loads of common sense. That, more or less, is what The Dark Lord's Daughter is about -- the onslaught of common sense.
My feelings about The Dark Lord's Daughter were mostly positive, but muted. It made me smile many times, but it never made me laugh. It's clever, but never brilliant. The plot is interesting, but not gripping.
Although the book doesn't exactly end on a cliff-hanger, it does end with important issues unresolved. It cries out for a sequel. Since it is recently published (5-Sep-2023), it seems likely that there will be one. If so, I will read it.
Blog review.
June 21, 2024
It's wild that I'd be more likely to consider this book a debut when it was written thirty years after the series I previously read and loved by this author. But oof, this was rough for me.
This is definitely a book of conversation fatigue. Everyone is talking ALL the time. Especially since the main character is from our world and mysteriously finds herself in a magical realm, most of her side of the dialogue is asking questions. "Really?" is a fav of hers. Which... doesn't add anything to the conversation or my knowledge, especially since no one ever admits to lying to her.
Like sure, the author can point out a lot of common tropes and stereotypes, but that's not enough to build a story out of.
This is definitely a book of conversation fatigue. Everyone is talking ALL the time. Especially since the main character is from our world and mysteriously finds herself in a magical realm, most of her side of the dialogue is asking questions. "Really?" is a fav of hers. Which... doesn't add anything to the conversation or my knowledge, especially since no one ever admits to lying to her.
Like sure, the author can point out a lot of common tropes and stereotypes, but that's not enough to build a story out of.
April 25, 2024
This was really cute and in some ways therapeutic
did-not-finish
March 4, 2024Made it through about an hour of the audiobook before going, "Mmm, yeah...I'm not the target audience for this." Not feeling it, definitely a middle reader book that's FOR middle reader books. Maybe this would be better on paper, and it's just the audiobook narrator that's throwing it off for me?
July 28, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved this book! It's got a very unique angle with family being sent to magical world and everything they had with them being "transformed" to adjust to the magical world. The iPad turned into a flying monkey familiar which was absolutely INGENIUS. It was hilarious to see the "As Is Tradition" argument people kept insisting that Kayla follow and say it's just "normal dark lord behavior" to behead everyone, ha.
I will say that I would've rated it higher if it were not for Kayla's adopted mom and brother. They were driving me up the wall and not in a good way. I feel like the story would have benefited without them there at all. Everything else about the story was very fun, fast-paced, and imaginative.
I really loved this book! It's got a very unique angle with family being sent to magical world and everything they had with them being "transformed" to adjust to the magical world. The iPad turned into a flying monkey familiar which was absolutely INGENIUS. It was hilarious to see the "As Is Tradition" argument people kept insisting that Kayla follow and say it's just "normal dark lord behavior" to behead everyone, ha.
I will say that I would've rated it higher if it were not for Kayla's adopted mom and brother. They were driving me up the wall and not in a good way. I feel like the story would have benefited without them there at all. Everything else about the story was very fun, fast-paced, and imaginative.
May 2, 2024
Though I'm several decades beyond the target demographic, I occasional read middle grade novels. This book is one I would have loved as a child, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a portal novel, in which people are whisked from modern times to an alternate reality. What distinguishes this story is the way in which modern items--a school tablet, a bottle of Ibuprofen--are transformed to the medieval-fantasy-setting equivalent. There are some clever plot twists around the transformed technology. Patricia Wrede's writing has many strengths, but I particular appreciate her character building. The 14-year-old protagonist is appealing, with a distinctive voice and a considerable amount of empathy and grit.
Lots of fun, and highly recommended.
This is a portal novel, in which people are whisked from modern times to an alternate reality. What distinguishes this story is the way in which modern items--a school tablet, a bottle of Ibuprofen--are transformed to the medieval-fantasy-setting equivalent. There are some clever plot twists around the transformed technology. Patricia Wrede's writing has many strengths, but I particular appreciate her character building. The 14-year-old protagonist is appealing, with a distinctive voice and a considerable amount of empathy and grit.
Lots of fun, and highly recommended.
March 25, 2024
Ahhhhh it's so good to have a new Patricia C. Wrede book! I grew up re-reading Dealing with Dragons and Searching for Dragons over and over, loving the no-nonsense characters and their relatable, common-sense approach to handing fairy tale / fantasy tropes.
This new book fits very well in that vein. The first few pages at the State Fair felt a bit slow to me, but soon after the book started rolling and I found it hard to put down. I look forward to reading it with my kids -- there's some real tension but nothing too scary, as one might expect with a "Minnesota nice" Dark Lady. Yes, every new Dark Lady or Dark Lord needs to figure out how to command respect; but Wrede charmingly reminds us that rulers also won't last long without a functioning portcullis, and a clean kitchen, and accurate bookkeeping, and all the other details that most fantasy stories sweep under the rug. Compared to Cimorene of the earlier series, who benefited from learning some of these details in her princess training, Kayla has to figure out a lot more of this on the go, but they both have a good head on their shoulders and are fun to read about.
The book also has a bit of fun with the magical-world translations of the science-world electronics and medicines that Kayla's family brings over. Though it never goes into the weeds as far as something like Three Parts Dead, I enjoyed watching Kayla use ideas like firewalls and antivirus security settings to protect her own magic.
I particularly appreciated the fact that Kayla's (adoptive) mother, Riki, is there with her the whole time. This is incredibly rare in fantasy tales! Most stories are about the orphaned chosen one, forging a path on their own... but here, the hero has a mom with her who clearly loves her and cares for her -- but the mom also tries to step in and manage things for her, as parents of teenagers tend to do -- though Kayla also recalls earlier moments when she, the kid, had to step in and manage things for Riki... The book never dives *too* deeply into the difficult themes that come up, which is fine for its audience, but regardless, I'm glad to see this particular kind of moving, messy relationship being depicted here.
The book stands on its own, though there are plenty of loose threads left with interesting stories that could be told in this setting. If the author is considering building this out into a new series, I'd look forward to reading more; but if not, the ending feels satisfying as it is.
[Oh -- looks like there will be a sequel in 2025! "We have two books signed up with Patricia C. Wrede. The sequel, The Dark Lady, is planned for a 2025 publication." Nifty!]
This new book fits very well in that vein. The first few pages at the State Fair felt a bit slow to me, but soon after the book started rolling and I found it hard to put down. I look forward to reading it with my kids -- there's some real tension but nothing too scary, as one might expect with a "Minnesota nice" Dark Lady. Yes, every new Dark Lady or Dark Lord needs to figure out how to command respect; but Wrede charmingly reminds us that rulers also won't last long without a functioning portcullis, and a clean kitchen, and accurate bookkeeping, and all the other details that most fantasy stories sweep under the rug. Compared to Cimorene of the earlier series, who benefited from learning some of these details in her princess training, Kayla has to figure out a lot more of this on the go, but they both have a good head on their shoulders and are fun to read about.
The book also has a bit of fun with the magical-world translations of the science-world electronics and medicines that Kayla's family brings over. Though it never goes into the weeds as far as something like Three Parts Dead, I enjoyed watching Kayla use ideas like firewalls and antivirus security settings to protect her own magic.
I particularly appreciated the fact that Kayla's (adoptive) mother, Riki, is there with her the whole time. This is incredibly rare in fantasy tales! Most stories are about the orphaned chosen one, forging a path on their own... but here, the hero has a mom with her who clearly loves her and cares for her -- but the mom also tries to step in and manage things for her, as parents of teenagers tend to do -- though Kayla also recalls earlier moments when she, the kid, had to step in and manage things for Riki... The book never dives *too* deeply into the difficult themes that come up, which is fine for its audience, but regardless, I'm glad to see this particular kind of moving, messy relationship being depicted here.
The book stands on its own, though there are plenty of loose threads left with interesting stories that could be told in this setting. If the author is considering building this out into a new series, I'd look forward to reading more; but if not, the ending feels satisfying as it is.
[Oh -- looks like there will be a sequel in 2025! "We have two books signed up with Patricia C. Wrede. The sequel, The Dark Lady, is planned for a 2025 publication." Nifty!]
October 15, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This was a hard one for me to judge objectively. I so wish I had read this when I was a middle grade reader, because it's hard to look back and see how I would have felt. Especially since Wrede's Dealing with Dragons was (and still is) such a favourite of mine.
Kayla and her family just want to visit the State Fair, but are instead sucked into another world where Kayla is heiress to a Dark Lord and all that that entails.
A lot of this is pretty fun. Wrede is at her best when writing practical people in fantastical situations, and there's a lot of that here. But Kayla's mom is along for the ride, and that hampers Kayla's ability to act on her own, and I think made her a less satisfying protagonist. One of the keys of middle grade fiction is getting the parents out of the way. And I thought Wrede whiffled on the ending here, which is a shame because the whole thing felt like a souffle that fell.
Nevertheless, I still had fun reading this, and I suspect middle grade me would have enjoyed it too.
This was a hard one for me to judge objectively. I so wish I had read this when I was a middle grade reader, because it's hard to look back and see how I would have felt. Especially since Wrede's Dealing with Dragons was (and still is) such a favourite of mine.
Kayla and her family just want to visit the State Fair, but are instead sucked into another world where Kayla is heiress to a Dark Lord and all that that entails.
A lot of this is pretty fun. Wrede is at her best when writing practical people in fantastical situations, and there's a lot of that here. But Kayla's mom is along for the ride, and that hampers Kayla's ability to act on her own, and I think made her a less satisfying protagonist. One of the keys of middle grade fiction is getting the parents out of the way. And I thought Wrede whiffled on the ending here, which is a shame because the whole thing felt like a souffle that fell.
Nevertheless, I still had fun reading this, and I suspect middle grade me would have enjoyed it too.
November 2, 2023
2023 Cybils Elementary / Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Nominee
This was a lot of fun! I especially liked the relationship between the mom and the kid, which was very nuanced. The mom was the adult and was responsible, but there had been times in the past when the mom had needed to lean on Kayla, perhaps too much (the dad died of cancer a few years back). And in this new world, sometimes again the mom is overwhelmed and Kayla sees things more clearly (and has a magical connection with the castle they are living in). So the part of the story that is about Kayla needing more independence is really strong.
The little brother is kinda silly, but mostly fun. The castle members are a cool mix of tropes that are twisted and strong personalities, although I could have used a bit more depth in some of them. Maybe there were too many? I liked how Kayla kept her sense of morality but had to really work to find a way to keep everyone safe.
This was a lot of fun! I especially liked the relationship between the mom and the kid, which was very nuanced. The mom was the adult and was responsible, but there had been times in the past when the mom had needed to lean on Kayla, perhaps too much (the dad died of cancer a few years back). And in this new world, sometimes again the mom is overwhelmed and Kayla sees things more clearly (and has a magical connection with the castle they are living in). So the part of the story that is about Kayla needing more independence is really strong.
The little brother is kinda silly, but mostly fun. The castle members are a cool mix of tropes that are twisted and strong personalities, although I could have used a bit more depth in some of them. Maybe there were too many? I liked how Kayla kept her sense of morality but had to really work to find a way to keep everyone safe.
April 7, 2025
This a sweet and cute middle grade book that is appropriate for younger children who can handle the book length. I grew up reading Wrede when I was in elementary school and Dealing with Dragons will always have a special place for me. That one still is in its own category, but this was very approachable and updated with modern technology that I could see appealing to middle graders today. This is a portal fantasy where technology from our world is transformed into magical animals that assist the main character. Also different from most MG portal fantasies, the main character, her brother, and mother were all magically transported together, which was fun dynamic.
The mom was a bit overdone in her rules and lack of flexibility for a magical world, but I appreciated that she had her own character arc by the end of the book. The book ended a bit soon, which is never really a bad thing since it meant I wanted more, but there were still many issues left unsolved. So far, I see no indication that this is anything other than a standalone, but it could easily be the start of a series.
The mom was a bit overdone in her rules and lack of flexibility for a magical world, but I appreciated that she had her own character arc by the end of the book. The book ended a bit soon, which is never really a bad thing since it meant I wanted more, but there were still many issues left unsolved. So far, I see no indication that this is anything other than a standalone, but it could easily be the start of a series.
January 26, 2024
Ahhhh got to be honest…this was awful.
I was worried from the start, and it didn’t get any better.
Flat characters with no personality. The world was half arsed and the writing was pretty appalling. It’s long and it feels it, since the pacing is all over. So many random characters with no development.
It’s a great premise, but I didn’t like the fact her family were dragged along with her at all. The whole opening in the fair (? This was weird me as an English reader, hard to picture) was boring and didn’t set up anything at all really.
So disappointing. As a kid, Dragon Search (the UK Point Fantasy title) was one of my absolute favourites!
I was worried from the start, and it didn’t get any better.
Flat characters with no personality. The world was half arsed and the writing was pretty appalling. It’s long and it feels it, since the pacing is all over. So many random characters with no development.
It’s a great premise, but I didn’t like the fact her family were dragged along with her at all. The whole opening in the fair (? This was weird me as an English reader, hard to picture) was boring and didn’t set up anything at all really.
So disappointing. As a kid, Dragon Search (the UK Point Fantasy title) was one of my absolute favourites!
September 6, 2023
A fun middle grade return from Wrede. I enjoyed the presence of Kayla’s family instead of having the lone hero separated from everything as well as the inclusion of a family dynamic in terms of adoption that you don’t often see represented, and the way the world-building turned the idea of the heroic journey on its head. Still, I think the story might have benefited from some more character work, additional established backstory and emotional resonance in terms of Kayla’s life back at home and her connection to both sets of parents (her late adoptive father and their relationship, for example, is barely touched upon), and perhaps a bit more tension or a less obvious villain in the climactic ending scenes. Try with readers who enjoyed last year’s Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One or might appreciate a somewhat topsy-turvy fantasy world.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.
March 6, 2024
I read this to my kids. My 11 and 9 year old rated it five stars. My enjoyment level was probably around a three, but the target audience is who we rate by. While I was told this would be in the same world as the enchanted forest chronicles, there was no overlap that I could spot. Definitely enjoyed a girl from earth being transported (with her family, for once!) to a magical world after finding out she’s a long lost heir. I also appreciated that she knew she was adopted. All in all this was a lot of fun and felt like the set up for more books.
May 12, 2024
I'm a huge fan of her Enchanted Forest Chronicles and Sorcery and Cecilia . This one feels like a slower, younger version. I almost felt like there was too much meaning being inserted and not enough plot. I was really wanting Kayla to be just 2 years older.
That being said, I loved the characters. Wrede creates some fun ones here. I love that the parent characters are real and present. I want a sequel. Strongly hoping we get one!
That being said, I loved the characters. Wrede creates some fun ones here. I love that the parent characters are real and present. I want a sequel. Strongly hoping we get one!
January 12, 2024
beautifully written, and a lot of fun.
I hope this is the start of a new trilogy. There is so much promise in the characters and I would like to see what happens next. Kayla is a wonderful new dark. Lord and her family are great additions. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I hope this is the start of a new trilogy. There is so much promise in the characters and I would like to see what happens next. Kayla is a wonderful new dark. Lord and her family are great additions. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
June 20, 2025
I get that this is for 10 year olds but it would have been a stronger story if her mom hadn’t so completely obstructed her for most of the book. You can be caring and protective without not trying to understand a new situation.
November 13, 2023
fun as heck, will be great for today's genre-savvy young fantasy readers
October 17, 2024
DNF partway through. It started off bad and just didn’t get better. It felt so blah and boring. Such a shame considering the author… I don’t know what happened.
October 1, 2023
This was absolutely delightful. I've been waiting for a new book from Wrede for years, and this did not disappoint. I loved the world of Zaradwin, the different characters, and the twists on different conventions. I'm hoping that the fact that there are still unanswered questions and open plot threads means that there will eventually be a sequel, but the book wrapped up nicely.
September 4, 2023
What a cute, cozy read! The beginning lagged a bit, but it was easy to keep up with and had picked up the pace by the halfway point. I enjoyed the familial interaction as well as the elements of the castle itself. Great middle grade read - receiving the Mom's Stamp of Approval from me.
August 10, 2023
Fourteen-year-old Kayla Jones has always known she was adopted. But she is surprised to learn that she is the daughter of the Dark Lord of Zaradwin. She learns this when a man who has been searching for her for more than ten years finds her at the Minnesota State Fair with her mother and younger brother and takes them to the alternate universe so that she can become the newest Dark Lady.
Kayla has dealt with a lot in her young life including watching her adoptive father die of cancer when she was ten. But dealing with a new world and unwanted expectations might be too much for her without the support of her mother and younger brother.
This story had excellent worldbuilding. I especially liked how her computer turned into her familiar when she switched worlds. I also liked Kayla who was a mature and responsible young woman who wasn't going to let anyone push her around no matter how often she was told that something was Tradition.
Kayla is determined to be a new kind of Dark Lady and to make her new world better than it is when she arrives in it. This was an engaging story with well-rounded and interesting characters including a ten-year=old brother who wants to do magic so that he can make things explode.
Kayla has dealt with a lot in her young life including watching her adoptive father die of cancer when she was ten. But dealing with a new world and unwanted expectations might be too much for her without the support of her mother and younger brother.
This story had excellent worldbuilding. I especially liked how her computer turned into her familiar when she switched worlds. I also liked Kayla who was a mature and responsible young woman who wasn't going to let anyone push her around no matter how often she was told that something was Tradition.
Kayla is determined to be a new kind of Dark Lady and to make her new world better than it is when she arrives in it. This was an engaging story with well-rounded and interesting characters including a ten-year=old brother who wants to do magic so that he can make things explode.
October 20, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Synopsis:
A girl attends a state fair when she is taken through a portal to another world where she finds out she is the heiress to the Dark Lord.
This was a fun opening to the series. It kept my attention and has promise for the rest of the books. It was fast paced and I enjoyed the characters. I will be reading the next book in the series.
Synopsis:
A girl attends a state fair when she is taken through a portal to another world where she finds out she is the heiress to the Dark Lord.
This was a fun opening to the series. It kept my attention and has promise for the rest of the books. It was fast paced and I enjoyed the characters. I will be reading the next book in the series.
October 2, 2023
In short: Meh.
In longer: Ultimately underwhelming. It felt like a contemporary retread of the “she’s not like other ____s” theme from Dealing with Dragons. But instead of the main character being “not like other princesses” she’s “not like other Dark Lords.” On top of that, I was frequently distracted by the many small inconsistencies that should have been caught by an editor (e.g., the main character adjusts the straps on a dress she just took off two pages ago). Also, the story didn’t have an antagonist other than “the Dark Traditions” that the main character is rebelling against, which made it feel more like a long character study rather than an actual plot. Altogether, I was pretty bored and unimpressed.
I was also disappointed that the author didn’t address the inherent racism in calling the evil magic “dark” and the good magic “light.” But I guess that trope is still too embedded in Western fantasy literature.
All that being said, it wasn’t a bad book, just pretty uninspired and sadly disappointing. I was very excited since Patricia C. Wrede was one of my favorite authors growing up. Ah well, they can’t all be winners.
Unclear if this is the start of a series. I could see it going either way.
In longer: Ultimately underwhelming. It felt like a contemporary retread of the “she’s not like other ____s” theme from Dealing with Dragons. But instead of the main character being “not like other princesses” she’s “not like other Dark Lords.” On top of that, I was frequently distracted by the many small inconsistencies that should have been caught by an editor (e.g., the main character adjusts the straps on a dress she just took off two pages ago). Also, the story didn’t have an antagonist other than “the Dark Traditions” that the main character is rebelling against, which made it feel more like a long character study rather than an actual plot. Altogether, I was pretty bored and unimpressed.
I was also disappointed that the author didn’t address the inherent racism in calling the evil magic “dark” and the good magic “light.” But I guess that trope is still too embedded in Western fantasy literature.
All that being said, it wasn’t a bad book, just pretty uninspired and sadly disappointing. I was very excited since Patricia C. Wrede was one of my favorite authors growing up. Ah well, they can’t all be winners.
Unclear if this is the start of a series. I could see it going either way.
January 3, 2024
Fourteen year old Kayla Jones thought she'd be spending a boring day at the State Fair with her mom and younger brother Del, but an encounter with a stranger transports them to the magical world of Zaradwin where Kayla discovers that her father is the Dark Lord. The only way she can return to Earth is by learning dark magic, but being a Dark Lady comes with the expectation that she follow the Dark Traditions. As she challenges the status quo, Kayla must decide whether to return home or accept her birthright as the Dark Lady of Zaradwin.
I couldn't put this down! This story is fun with plenty of humor, and the way that modern technology is converted into magic is such a cool concept. I loved Kayla and the other characters, especially Waylan and Archie. I liked that Kayla's mom went with them, which isn't something I've seen too often with stories like this. Overall, great book, I loved this as an adult and I definitely would have loved it as a young teen. Hoping for a sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC.
I couldn't put this down! This story is fun with plenty of humor, and the way that modern technology is converted into magic is such a cool concept. I loved Kayla and the other characters, especially Waylan and Archie. I liked that Kayla's mom went with them, which isn't something I've seen too often with stories like this. Overall, great book, I loved this as an adult and I definitely would have loved it as a young teen. Hoping for a sequel!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the digital ARC.
September 15, 2023
I will read anything that Wrede publishes, it's true, but there are volumes I've elected not to own. This, I think will be one of those.
For me The Dark Lord's Daughter never really hit its stride. It had some of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles' tongue-in-cheek attitude when it came to turning fantasy tropes sideways, but the pacing felt really off, especially as an audiobook. I think delving so deeply into minutiae and introducing such a huge cast was part of the problem: it just took forever to listen to this, even sped up, and never quite seemed like it was building toward anything. The audiobook's narrator was perfectly fine, but she neither added anything to the story nor disappeared into it.
Wrede's prose is good and the concept is clever: I can see how the idea of a young Dark Lady having their very sensible mother and explosion-happy little brother at their elbow could be an appealing story to tell, but - and I can't believe I'm saying this - it would have been a more enjoyable cartoon series than it was a book.
For me The Dark Lord's Daughter never really hit its stride. It had some of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles' tongue-in-cheek attitude when it came to turning fantasy tropes sideways, but the pacing felt really off, especially as an audiobook. I think delving so deeply into minutiae and introducing such a huge cast was part of the problem: it just took forever to listen to this, even sped up, and never quite seemed like it was building toward anything. The audiobook's narrator was perfectly fine, but she neither added anything to the story nor disappeared into it.
Wrede's prose is good and the concept is clever: I can see how the idea of a young Dark Lady having their very sensible mother and explosion-happy little brother at their elbow could be an appealing story to tell, but - and I can't believe I'm saying this - it would have been a more enjoyable cartoon series than it was a book.
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