Perhaps you are just stumbling upon this tome, and are unaware that there is a previous volume. Perhaps you are aware that this is the second volume of an Evil Overlord’s memoir, but you can’t remember much of what happened before and can’t be arsed to go back and re-read it. Or perhaps you’re one of those twisted souls who likes to read a series out of order. Whatever the case, this second volume begins directly after the events of the first.

In that first book the reader was introduced to Gar Garson at a tender age, on the day his father was set to murder him for being a tax burden. Gar’s mother intervened, getting him installed as an acolyte in the Faith of the Light. From there we learned that Gar was deeply unsuited for the role of religious functionary. We also learned what an orc horde can do to a small village.

Gar left the smoking remains of the village of Thrudd for the Capital and found a place in the Scriptorium, which housed petty, vindictive old monks and lots of books, including a book that was actually the bound demon Hrazz’k (unbeknownst to Gar). When Gar pilfered the book-demon to fund his gambling habit, things got… out of hand. The city burned down and Gar was forced to flee to the Debatable Lands. On the plus side, Gar was now a pyromancer (yes, it’s a big word. It means he had fire magic).

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The Debatable Lands were a trial for Gar. A female mercenary named Grim left him with only a blanket and an ax in the wilds, and Gar was forced to mature and harden in order to survive. He also very much earned the nickname ‘Goblin Killer.’ Eventually, Gar found his way to Mudhelm – the only moderately civilized place in the Debatable Lands. Civilized, however, does not mean safe. Gar managed to be bested by Grim a second time, and consequently was tortured near to death by a madman named Titus.

The torture had a salutary effect on Gar’s maturity, completing his long, slow psychological progress from self-interested wastrel to self-interested Evil Overlord. He survived his ordeal, though he was sorely injured, and together with Grim executed a coup on the leadership of Mudhelm.

Hrazz’k the demon turned out to be a decent sort.