My Sparkling Misfortune

by Laura Lond

My Sparkling Misfortune is the hilarious and quirky tale of noted villain Lord Arkus and his struggles to become the most evil villain ever. When Arkus' attempt at becoming invincible goes wrong, he embarks on adventure that somehow involves saving damsels in distress and helping little princes realize their dreams. Somewhere in all of this, Arkus starts wondering: is he really cut out to be a villain?

This was one of the most original middle-grade fantasy reads that I have encountered in a while. It was refreshing to read from the viewpoint of an antagonist and really understand the motives behind their actions. Lord Arkus also has a wonderful personality and voice- sarcastic, witty, and humorous, with subtle undertones of kindness and compassion.

Another one of the characters, goody-two-shoes Jarvi, had a great personality as well. He often interfered in Arkus' plans and it was fun to see the friendly-insults kind of relationship between the two.

The ending was unexpected, so I'm hoping that a sequel is coming! But overall, this was such a lovely and wonderful read (quite similar in mood to the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede) - if you're ever looking for a fun fantasy book, My Sparkling Misfortune would be a great choice!

(pdf provided by author)