Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer is the latest fantasy romance that is taking social media by storm with its quirky title.
About 'Assistant to the Villain'
Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Series: Assistant to the Villain #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing: Red Tower Books
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Page Number: 352 pages
Audible Listening Time: 13 hours 54 mins
Goodreads Rating: 4.01/5
My Rating: 3/5
Assistant to The Villain starts with Evie, who finds herself unemployed and in urgent need of employment as her father is terminally ill. In a chase from the King’s Guards, she finds herself tangled in the mess of The Villain. The Villain is his name, and he is feared all across the kingdom. In an unexpected turn of events, Evie finds herself accepting employment from The Villain out of desperation.
Her employment asks her for many things such as not being frightened seeing severed heads and other body parts, the ability to work under extreme duress & be fine with murder and mayhem. Evie finds her morality compromised every now and then but it doesn’t seem to be a big deal to her.
The tone of the book is quite lighthearted but not childish. There are a lot of gory scenes depicting violence in gruesome details. But the tone remains sarcastically indifferent to the mayhem.
The book is not perfect. There are many things that could have made this book phenomenal but the author chose a different direction. But it’s still not that bad.
The characters are cute. Evie’s character especially makes me want to be friends with her. She is portrayed as a very innocent woman who never committed any evil deed but her nonchalance to all the evil deeds her employer does makes you question her innocence. Because when challenged, her innocence always fled the crime scene.
The Villain’s character is half-baked I’ve to say. He lacks depth. The author wants us to project the idea of a villain onto this character instead of creating a multi-dimensional character. This makes me not connect with him at all.
Most of the time, the evil deeds the villain does are not even that evil according to my standard. The author gave a much-needed backstory of the villain at the end of the book. I think it should have been given earlier so that the readers could at least connect with the character. I loved the backstory.
The world-building and magic system are not explained in detail. But I understand it’s not an epic fantasy. The genre doesn’t demand intricate world-building and detailed magic system. I like that about this book. But I hope the world is expanded a bit in later books.
Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot. I had an amazing time reading this book even if it isn’t perfect. It entertained me and that’s what matters most.
“We're all monsters in the end. At least mine lives in the light.”
“Granted, she didn't want to become evil, but when you spend most of your life trying to see the sun, you begin to wish for rain.”
“Are we changing the subject because you're embarrassed that you were an Evil Overlord in Distress?”
“Attractive murderers were always good kissers; she was pretty sure she’d heard that expression before.”
“Of all the foolish, horrific things he'd ever accomplished, falling in love with a woman he so completely didn't deserve made the top of the list.”
“Maybe that did make her a monster, but she was quickly learning that it took more to make a monster than a monstrous act.”
“I’ll remind you that, at your bequest, I haven’t actually killed an intern in several months.” Evie shook her head hopelessly. “Sir, I hate to belittle your successes, but there are people who go their entire lives without killing anyone.” His face remained serious. “How dull.”
“You just can't kill people and be pretty. It's confusing.”
“I do not and cannot make 'hugs' a regular occurrence.”
Amazon Blurb
Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.
ASSISTANT WANTED:
Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss.
Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.
After all, a good job is hard to find.
Buy 'Assistant to The Villain'
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indigo | Waterstones | Audible
