Blog Tour Review: The Dark Lord Clementine

Title: The Dark Lord Clementine
Author: Sarah Jean Horwitz
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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?

Review:

This story was a great dark, middle grade fantasy.

There were multiple characters followed in this story, though it was mostly about Clementine. There were a couple of adults who were featured, such as Darka, a unicorn hunter. Each part was in third-person, which showed what the characters were doing and their motivations. I loved that there were adult characters in this book too, not just kids.

One of the main themes in this story was that everyone makes mistakes. That doesn’t mean they need to be punished for it forever. I think all of the characters made some kind of mistake, and they each reacted to them differently. Some wanted revenge, like Darka, and others punished people for it, like the Dark Lord. In the end, everyone makes mistakes and it doesn’t mean they are a bad person.

I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to Read Next:

About the Author:

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for letting me participate in this blog tour.