Assistant to the Villain & Apprentice to the Villain book review
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer Series: Assistant to the Villain #1
Published by Entangled Publishing: Red Tower Books on August 29, 2023
Pages: 342
Goodreads
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 and 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.
I picked these two books up on a whim, I actually bought the second one first on accident and had to go back for Assistant to the Villain. These books are the epitome of cozy, slow burn romantasy, there is no explicit sex scenes just a lot of yearning and innuendo. I think in a world where the more sex scenes the better (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) finding a book that does a slower and more innocent romance well is rare. I adore the characters and the world they live in.
Rennedawn is the quintessential fantasy kingdom, with small villages, fading magic and a villain ready to kill torture or kidnap unsuspecting innocents. But the world is really secondary to the characters which is surprising especially with a fantasy novel, but it works. Rennedawn feels like cozy low threat (but not really) world, I definitely imagined something from an animated film. It is really well written, giving you enough information to keep you in the story but not info dumping in the slightest, and I love the fact that there isn’t a huge back story with a massive magic system. You truly are watching these characters navigate their everyday lives and the quest is almost secondary.
I don’t want to go into too much detail about the plot because I don’t want to spoil anything but watching Evie and her relationship with The Villain is not only the funniest thing but also just heartwarming. There is such a refreshing air to this story in which we recognise that he does bad things but Evie doesn’t try to change him, she just accepts him for who he is. I really can’t wait to see where they end up in the later book. This is genuinely the best sunshine and grumpy story I have read in a really long time and the added fantastical element has made me thrilled to pick them up and dive right back into the world and the story.
Although Evie and The Villain are the main event in both Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain, the side characters are fantastic as well. The entire crew at Massacre Manor are some of my all time favourite sidekicks. Becky, who is the over attentive, strict HR person desperately trying to keep chaos from running wild, Blade the funny and charming beast tamer who constantly tracks mud through the halls and Tatiana who doesn’t let anyone or anything diminish her shine by wearing neon pink. I adore all of them for different reasons. But seeing them as a whole is what makes this entire book the brilliant read it is.
I would 100% recommend this series to anyone looking for a cozier read. And loves a good slow burn romance with a lot of yearning. Evie and The Villain will leave you swooning.
