Assistant to the Villain

This book is like candy.

Really good, sugary, refreshing, rich candy.

Is it intellectually stimulating? No.
Is it a work of literary genius? No.
Is the world-building, character-work, or mystery revolutionary? Hell nah.
But is it freaking fun?
Absolutely.

(^^me reading this book)

As a theology student, I've read a lot of books that are "edifying" this year—everything from actual textbooks to intellectual non-fiction and high-quality fantasies by the who's-who of high fantasy. But even academic, Jesus-freak students need to indulge every once in a while. (No matter how much you might like vegetables and fruits, sometimes you just want a Snickers bar—and there's nothing wrong with that.)

I had So. Much. Fun. reading this story. From our show more witty, stereotypical, firecracker of an Assistant to the super-hot, brooding, totally-not-as-evil-as-he-wants-to-be Villain, this grumpy/sunshine romance was everything I didn't know I needed to get me out of a four-month-long reading slump.

While this book didn't do everything perfectly, Miss Maehrer knows how to write a good, page-turning romance. I found myself looking forward to my time off when I could read this book, and even neglecting some of my homework in the process.

This book also had excellent pacing. I was never bored, which is rare for me in stories like these. Usually, authors of multi-book romance series' wait so long to get the characters together that I get irritated with the pacing and remove a star. While Evie and The Villain (whose name I won't disclose because spoilers) did take their own sweet time to have any actual romantic development (and it was still only a minor payoff), Maehrer gave us so much along the way that I almost didn't mind it. Watching these characters pine for each other was seriously such a treat. I'm not even mad that she ended the book with a cliffhanger involving one of my least favorite tropes... (mostly because I have high hopes that it will result in the coolest villain-origin story.) ...not mad at all.



I cannot wait to read book two as soon as it's released next week, as I have a feeling that these two in are going to be the most fun, evil, power couple I've read about in a long time.

Also, I am 1000% sure that Blade is in love with Becky, and if she doesn't reciprocate yet, she will very soon. I will die on this hill. Thank you. show less

Silly and so much fun, this world with dragons and brooding villains comes to life through the eyes of Evie. She brash and funny and doesn't seem to mind the evil deeds her boss does each day. Don't overthink the plot and it's completely entertaining and similar in tone to Legends & Lattes. The supporting characters are a treat. There's a sequel in the works and I can't wait to read it.

I rarely ever read romantasy, but when I read the summary on the back of this book, I was amused and intrigued enough to give it a go. After I finished the book, I found out that this book had first started as a TikTok serial, which the author fleshed out into a novel and eventually into an entire book series. And I get it! I looooved this book!

Evie Sage is trying to find work to help support her father and younger sister. When she finds herself somehow in the employment of the notorious Villain, she does her job with her characteristic gusto, even though it means having to manage some of the less savory things that take place in the Villain's realm. All the while trying not to fall in love with her boss.

I was so entertained by this show more book because I absolutely adore Evie. She is plucky and sweet and fierce and kind and loyal and silly, all rolled into one whirling dirvish of a fabulous heroine. I laughed out loud so many times. Even though the plot does tend to swing wildly back and forth between darkly ominous and sweetly touching, I didn't mind. I love all the characters so much that I just wanted to see what they were all going to do next.

And I couldn't hold back and audible "aaaaaargh" when I finished the book and realized that it was ending unresolved. Not quite a cliffhanger, but enough of a lack of resolution that made me want to run out and get the sequel immediately. LOL show less

Hannah Nicole Maehrer delivers a fantasy rom-com powered almost entirely by irresistible characters. Evie is sunshine with a backbone, competent yet endearingly chaotic, and impossible not to root for. The Villain is deliciously dramatic but layered with surprising vulnerability, which keeps every interaction sparkling. Even the side characters feel vivid rather than decorative, adding warmth and sharp humor to the story’s heartbeat. The banter snaps, the relationships evolve naturally, and the emotional moments land without feeling heavy. I closed the book feeling like I’d spent time with real people. Charming, character-driven, and wildly engaging from start to finish.

Puntuación: 10.00 / 10.00

Una obra de arte.

Lectura ligera, de palabras sencillas, con la descripciones justas y una narración que te conquista una y otra vez.

Me encanta la idea, el desarrollo, los giros, la ejecución, todo. Me enamoré de los personajes, de las dinámicas. Es una historia que te hace pensar "¿Cómo no se me ocurrió algo asi? ¡Tiene todo el sentido del mundo!".

Evie me recuerda a personajes como Shego de Kim Possible y Zhu Li de Avatar: La leyenda de Korra. Es la asistente todoterreno que todos quieren. Es un personaje bien pensado, la amo. Entiendo sus decisiones, su forma de pensar y la apoyo. Lo mismo sucede en el caso de Trystan: su historia coincide con su personalidad, sus acciones y pensamientos. Da placer show more leer personajes así.

La relación entre los protagonistas es única, fresca y divertida. ¿Retorcida? Si. ¿Fomentan la violencia? Tal vez. Pero eh, es buenísimo leer sus diálogos y la forma en que piensan en el otro.

Leí este libro por recomendación de tiktok (vi a la autora firmando libros en una librería), y me pareció curiosa la idea en general. ¿Una historia narrada por la asistente de villano? Es algo que rara vez (por no decir nunca) se ve. Caí enamorada de la lectura, riéndome y enojandome con los personajes.

Soy fanática de los momentos en donde Evie se sale de la seriedad, y yo termino sorprendida como Trystan. Así como obviamente también soy fan de verlos salvarse el uno al otro. Moriría por ver esa intensidad y frescura combinadas en la pantalla grande. Los dos son tan extremistas en sus decisiones, pero tan racionales al mismo tiempo, que no puedo más que estar de acuerdo con ellos. Es algo increíble que la autora pueda lograr eso.

Esta lectura claramente es un 10 y la recomiendo. Lo volvería a leer sin lugar a dudas. show less

Evie Sage's family depends upon the money she brings in, so now that she's no longer employed at the blacksmith's, she's desperate to get some sort of paying job. When she literally runs into the infamous Villain while he's attempting to evade pursuers, he, for some reason, offers her a job, and she accepts.

She's nervous about working for him, at first. After all, the Villain is supposed to be evil. While he does indeed torture people (who maybe deserve it?) and do nefarious things (which seem kind of justified?), she soon finds that she enjoys working as his assistant, making sure that the various parts of his organization all function smoothly together. And it doesn't hurt that she's got a bit of a crush on her brooding, somewhat show more terrifying, and ridiculously hot boss.

Unfortunately, various people's secrets, the Villain's past, and a potential traitor in the Villain's organization threaten Evie's employment, the new life she's building for herself, and whatever might be brewing between her and the Villain.

Apparently this started off as BookTok skits? Which, if I had known that, might have made me even less likely to try it. As it was, I'd seen this book a few times but always passed it by, only deciding to read it after it was enthusiastically recommended to me by a coworker. For some reason, I assumed it was a superhero/supervillain book. If I'd paid a little more attention to the cover details, I'd maybe have figured out that I was wrong about that, but all I ever seemed to notice was the purple background and giant title text.

Anyway, this turned out to be a lot of fun. I loved the way Evie managed to make herself a vital part of the Villain's organization without realizing it. Evie and the Villain's interactions were great - perfect for anyone who gets a kick out of grumpy-sunshine character dynamics.

This is one of those books where the characters and vibe tend to be more important than the plot. There's definitely stuff going on, though, and it was frustrating to reach the end and realize it wasn't all resolved. Be prepared for a cliffhanger. Even the romantic aspects end on a frustrating note. But hey, the next book is out and I have it on-hand now, so there's that.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

Within a chapter or two of starting, I fell in love with this book. The humor, the magic, the romance, the author's style, the wonderfully drawn characters...everything comes together so beautifully, the book is incredibly fun. Add in quite a few unexpected twists, characters who grow believably and whose flaws only add to the story, and a plot that unfolds gorgeously with the perfect amount of romance, and you have a breathtaking result.

I admit I hadn't expected (or wanted) quite such a cliffhanger of an ending, but in the end, there was never any question that I'd be picking up the sequel very soon, so it makes no difference either way.

I love this book and absolutely recommend it.