Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler starting on June 3, 2025.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Series schedule
1. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (May 3rd) [link]
2. Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me (June 3)

#1 seems to pop up on sale frequently.

Started in the 2nd half of my work shift this morning...

Early on, the thing I most wanted, was for Davi to continue explaining Christianity, after 1000 years time looping, lol...

(view spoiler)[So Zeus begat Neo, who he sent to the world to save John Connor, brother of Thor... and that's all we got... I was laughing my ass off at work... (hide spoiler)]

In general, this book was nothing like I expected, but I enjoyed it alot...

I spent most of the book wondering if/when/how the time looping aspect would re-enter the story... I/you should know it does, to some extent, eventually, considering the trigger warning & hotline info at the start about thoughts of self-harm in the real world when time loops aren't in play...

Towards the end, (view spoiler)[when Davi figured out that Atraxi was Cyrus, I'd figured that out long since, but it was fine... from here on, the book took a surprisingly Middlegame turn that I found interesting...

But then the ending snuck up on me, with a very brief epilogue... (hide spoiler)]

Overall glad I stuck with it... altho, you could say Davi had an overly easy time of things at times (view spoiler)[especially when telling a variety of humans about her Dark Lord identity and her wilder friends... (hide spoiler)]

Leaves the story veering into cozy territory, despite the violence from certain villains...

Also, this is the first time I can think of where a book/audiobook ever used the TV censor bleeping sound...

Looking forward to it! Glad to hear you've been enjoying--and also forewarned about the cozy despite violence...

I also started but I have not much to say. @Iain I also (view spoiler)[ laughted at Davi explaining Christianity with every myth and even other references. I would love to hear her explain more earth things and how she muddles everything up (hide spoiler)]

Finished too! (view spoiler)[ And I agree with Iain, I also saw Cyrus being Atraxi but wasn't too bothered. I found surprising that Cyrus muddled and erased her memories. Now it makes sense why her earth memories are so bad: a mix between the brain washing and thousands of years away.

I liked book one a bit better since the time loop was used there but I still like this one.

Some lines were funny. My favorites are at the end when she almost died and for a while she said she died, bur then she said "no , that's too grimdark, leave it for Joe (abercrombie)". And also her saying she ate too many bugs when she run like a mistborn to rescue Mari (hide spoiler)]

Starting! Thank goodness for recaps. This one was pretty funny too.

Finished! I love all the quotes and references y'all have picked out. (view spoiler)[All of the pop culture references hit me on two levels--first they make me laugh, and then they make me wonder if future generations will be able to enjoy the book as much... But that opening attempt at explaining Christianity was hilarious.

I liked the parallel, with Davi needing to infiltrate and persuade the Kingdom side after gaining power over the Horde side. I agree with Paula on having enjoyed the time loop in the first one--it was interesting seeing Davi have to work without being able to reset. I was glad that her orc girlfriend (whose name is something like Saab?) anyway, I like that she called Davi out on her behavior. Her himbo ex and his nerdy husband was a cute addition to the party. I was really glad that the nerdy husband wasn't scheming like his uncle, and that the himbo ex had a few brain cells to rub together. The himbo's enthusiastic curiosity about the horde peoples was cute too.

I enjoyed all of the crazy shenanigans, but I was also glad there were a few deeper moments. Not too many though. This was definitely mostly fluffy. The ending was ok--it was a logical wrap up. But this one I definitely enjoyed the overall journey more. (hide spoiler)]

@Nirkatze, finished (view spoiler)[ Yeah, future generations won't get most references. And even now most people won't get all the references. I certainly didn't.

Orc Sexy lady is named Tsav. I liked the himbo hex, so clueless and funny. Like when he said everything on script and called someone coward because of it. (hide spoiler)]

LOL the script!! (view spoiler)[That whole scene was so funny, especially on audio when the narrator said every line complete deadpan, and yeah, himbo prince included those stage directions lol. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, in audio it must have been even better haha