by S.B. West
narrated by Fred Berman
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Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed is a fun and campy fantasy adventure debut from S.B. West.
The narrator was really fun to listen to! [I listened to the audiobook with my Spotify Premium monthly hours while reading along on my Kindle with my eARC.] I had to look him up because I recognized his voice from the Alan Wake video game franchise.
I initially picked it up because it was compared to The Princess Bride and I can see that. Other comps I’d suggest: the tv show Galavant, the musical Into the Woods, and the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I’d suggest leaning into the humor–it’s quite tongue-in-cheek–so try not to take it too seriously.
At the beginning of the book, I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure if and how Morfran could be redeemed. But he does a lot of work throughout the book; there’s even a chapter named “Some Deep Introspection About Being Evil.”
I’ve seen it listed as “cozy fantasy, but it didn’t feel that way to me. The plot–while pretty well paced for a debut author–had too much action for me to consider it cozy. I still had a fun time reading it as an adventure fantasy with a sprinkling of romance.
Also, I just have to mention this cover is FANTASTIC. There are so many details!
Tropes: secret identity, found family, reluctant hero, enemies to friends to lovers
CW: torture (discussed, not shown on-page), animal death (horses, during a big battle scene)
I received a complimentary review copy from Ace Books. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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