My Sparkling Misfortune
The Lakeland Knight, Book #1
Laura Lond
Review brought to you by OBS staff member Annabell
Synopsis:
Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle readily admits that he is a villain and sees no reason why it should stop him from being the protagonist of this book. After all, Prince Kellemar, an aspiring hero, has defeated him in a rather questionable way.
Bent on revenge, Arkus attempts to capture a powerful evil spirit who would make him nearly invincible, but a last-minute mistake leaves him with a Sparkling instead—“a goody-goody spirit that helps heroes, watches over little children, and messes up villains’ plans.”
Bound to Lord Arkus for five years of service and sworn to act in his best interests, the Sparkling is not easy to get rid of, and of course his understanding of “best interests” is quite different from what Lord Arkus has in mind.
Review:
I was first introduced to author Laura Lond through her novella, A Merman’s Kiss which I very much enjoyed so I was happy to have a chance to dive into another one of her books. My Sparkling Misfortune was such a fun and humorous read!
The story revolves around Lord Arkus of Black River Castle, who is determined to make sure the reader sees him as nothing less than a villain mastermind. Lord Arkus is visited by Prince Kellemar who wants to strike up a truce with Lord Arkus in order to come off as a hero without actually having to defeat the villain. Lord Arkus agrees but secretly plans to take down Prince Kellemar. But Lord Arkus plans don’t go as planned. He is forced to leave his own kingdom when he chased down by a beast that is determined to kill him even it takes till the end of time. Lord Arkus comes up with a plan to get rid of the beast by catching a Morgon but instead winds up with a Sparkling, a magical creature who helps heroes. Lord Arkus wants to get rid of Jarvi, the Sparkling, but Jarvi made a promise and he intends to keep it. Lord Arkus and Jarvi set out on a crazy adventure which may end up proving that Lord Arkus is more hero than villain—much to his horror.
Even though My Sparkling Misfortune is geared toward middle grade age, I think many who love the Young Adult genre will have a fabulous time reading it. Lord Arkus is the oddest and hilarious villain I have ever read. Lord Arkus is definitely a villain enjoying backstabbing other villains (who have betrayed him first) and double-crossing princes. But he also has manners and a certain sense of nobility and elegance to his character. I love the way he describes everything around him and the characters he interacts with! He is sarcastic and amusing, offering many laugh out loud moments. Jarvi is just as fun. He knows how to push the right buttons to drive Lord Arkus crazy. Jarvi is also kind-hearted, caring and even-tempered. I love the relationship between Jarvi and Lord Arkus.
The story is filled with great action and absolutely amusing characters. The pacing and writing are both fairly well done. The dialogue offers many amusing quips as does the plot but there were moments the writing could have flowed better, seeming a bit choppy. I also wanted more of a backstory to Lord Arkus past and why he chose to become a villain. I was also disappointed in the fact that story was novella length once again. Author Laura Lond has great ideas but she continues to create stories so short in length, which in reality is a hindrance to her, since it limits what she can do with a story and becomes frustrating for those who do enjoy her books.
My Sparkling Misfortune is filled with great moments filled with laughter and moments that will touch your heart. The story and writing is suited for a much younger audience but that shouldn’t stop older fans of the young adult genre from enjoying this novella. A story told from a very witty and well-mannered villain, an original concept you won’t want to miss out on!
