How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

By: Django Wexler

Narrated by: Jeanette Illidge

Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

Davi has done this all before. She’s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she’s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she’s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she’s been defeated every time.

This time? She’s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that’s who she needs to be. It’s Davi’s turn to play on the winning side.

Burningblade & Silvereye
Ashes of the Sun
Blood of the Chosen
Emperor of Ruin

Critic reviews

“All hail Dark Lord Davi! How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying is outrageously fun, filled with campy humor, action and unexpected warm-heartedness. I grinned from the first page to the last.” —Fonda Lee, author of Jade City

"Wickedly sharp, funny, and raunchy. Wexler delights in punching holes in the beloved cliches of fantasy, and I adore this. If you ever thought: if I was the villain, I'd actually be smart about things, then this is the book for you."—Jenn Lyons, author of The Ruin of Kings

"All-afterburners Isekai adventure—twisty, pacey, and full of reverent irreverence for fantasy. I can't get enough."—Max Gladstone, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Fast-paced, brilliantly raunchy, unforgettable. The Pratchett-esque American isekai you didn't know you wanted. My favorite read of the year."—Seanan McGuire, author of Middlegame

"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, co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder Roleplaying Games

"A howlingly funny romp about a lone woman's quest to become the dark lord and her surprisingly endearing minions."—Aliette de Bodard, author of The Red Scholar's Wake

"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, author of Dungeon Crawler Carl

"Funny as hell, multi-layered, and affecting. Wexler's irreverent demolition of the fantasy genre doubles as a reverent exploration of where the magic comes from."—Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

"Lord of the Rings crossed with Groundhog Day, narrated by a gender-flipped Deadpool."—Mike Brooks, author of The Black Coast

"Django Wexler takes the concept of progression fantasy to a whole new level in this darkly comic delight of a novel. Finding comedic, and sometimes tragic, potential in the absurdities and contradictions offered by well worn fantasy tropes, How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying works wonderfully as both satire and tribute."—Anthony Ryan, author of The Pariah

“Witty and clever but stuffed with heart to boot, a wonderful twist on familiar tropes presented with skill and polish and Wexler’s trademark pacing. I can hardly wait to read the next one!”—Howard Andrew Jones, author of The Desert of Souls

"Awesome! This book is all kinds of fun. It’s dark, irreverent, and funny as hell. I tore through this thing in a day. It’s that good. All Hail Dark Lord Davi!"—Sylvain Neuvel, the author of The Themis Files

Oh Pansexual Davi

It is good. Try it. What do you have to lose?twelve…eleven….ten….nine

Pick it up for the comedy and stayed for the surprisingly solid characters

Very campy and on the nose but ended up really loving the characters like I feel like I could keep reading forever about Davi’s adventures. Very fun and lighthearted read

SO Fun—Love this Book!

I absolutely love this character, the story, the narrator—all of it. Fun references to other fantasy rpg stuff and pop culture, though still original. Cannot wait for the next in the series!

Wonderful book

Really funny, snarky read. I laughed a lot! Wish I could read it again for the first time. Highly recommend!

I couldn’t stop laughing!

So many nerd references! It’s refreshing getting a female adventurer who’s thirsty. Definitely excited for the next book!