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micaya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a very well written fantasy romance, with an edge of mystery as well. It had lots of good twists and I like how it explored morality.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
jiobiee's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
OVERALL: 3.5/10, or 1.75/5
What if we took the dynamic from Nimona, made it romantic, and made it considerably worse?
Make no mistake, I recognize that this isn't supposed to be high art. What I was looking for was a light, easy read that blends a cute office romance with a fantasy setting. I read the description, I've seen her TikTok's, I know the author is kind of going for that millennial New Girl Zoeey Deschanel thing and I was prepared to put up with it for the length of the novel. What I wasn't prepared for was just how one-dimensional even the most fleshed out characters are, how uneven, predictable, and boring the plot was, and just how poorly written it is. I cannot believe the target audience is supposed to be adult.
The sad thing is, I think the story would be salvageable if handled by a more experienced writer. The concept is good. The skeleton of a good work is here, somewhere. I could see this being a cute animated miniseries if handled by a competent writer's room.
Immediately upon reading the prologue I was struck by how clunky these character's names are- a bad omen of what was to come. Evangelina Sage? Evie for short? I didn't mind that The Villain called her Sage, but it made me wonder why that wasn't her first name instead- it was by and large preferable to Evangelina or Evie. Becky felt too on-the-nose for the office bully archetype. Tatianna felt like she could have benefitted by a slight fantastical altering of her name. I wasn't thrilled about the name Trystan either, although I found it preferable to most of the other names of characters in this book, save for maybe Griffin or Blade.
The narrative reeks of subversion for subversion's sake without any substance for it to ground itself. Frankly, it hardly accomplishes the subversions it sets out to- in trying to be empowering by showing the misogyny that Evie has struggled with in her life, the author takes two steps forward and five steps back. "Girl Power" only means so much to me when the main character cannot maintain control of her own life without the help of her romantic interest- and frankly, this wouldn't bother me so much if the narrative weren't trying to push this image of Evie as a modest but hardworking careerwoman happy to finally have more equality in the workplace. What is subversive about a woman being a man's PA? Or having a man lash out at her abuser because she's too weak to do so? It is annoying at best and problematic at worst, and I wish we would stop pretending something is progressive because someone declares it so.
Narratively, though, the biggest fuck-you to its audience was its ending. It sets up this mystery as to who might be betraying The Villain- and then lets you down by revealing the traitor as someone impossible to deduce by evidence alone. Now, this reveal is a bit of an obvious one- I had it pegged from the beginning. It was predictable. But up until the last couple of chapters, any evidence pointing to that person being the traitor was near non-existent. I would call the behavior of the individual from the betrayal onward to be character assassination if there were any character to assassinate. Wildly out of left field and written for cheap shock value alone. Worst still, we have to go over the same information again immediately after it happens because the author cannot help but repeat herself constantly.
I did not find the author funny. She is not good at humor. Evie is clearly a Renaissance Faire self-insert of the author and as such, I did not find Evie very funny. If you like She-Hulk and Thor: Love and Thunder-style quippiness with some classic 2010's style twee, maybe you would like it more than I did. I hated it.
The worldbuilding, magic system, and setting of everywhere other than the Manor was vague at best. It made keeping track of locations difficult and the sense of stakes was skewed considering the audience can't fully comprehend the consequences of the magic system in this universe.
Also, a shocking lack of romance in a book where the romance IS the main appeal.
Despite all of my qualms with the narrative, I will say that the dynamic between Evie and the Villain is a cute one. I found myself rooting for them to fall into a relationship with one another and eager to see how they progress. I did not like Evie, but I did like seeing the Villain squirm in situations where he didn't understand how to convey his romantic feelings. Seeing an anti-hero or a villainous character get butterflies is, unfortunately, one of my many weaknesses and I felt endeared to his character because of it.
I would say pick this up with no expectations but frankly, my expectations were low to begin with and I was still disappointed.
Make no mistake, I recognize that this isn't supposed to be high art. What I was looking for was a light, easy read that blends a cute office romance with a fantasy setting. I read the description, I've seen her TikTok's, I know the author is kind of going for that millennial New Girl Zoeey Deschanel thing and I was prepared to put up with it for the length of the novel. What I wasn't prepared for was just how one-dimensional even the most fleshed out characters are, how uneven, predictable, and boring the plot was, and just how poorly written it is. I cannot believe the target audience is supposed to be adult.
The sad thing is, I think the story would be salvageable if handled by a more experienced writer. The concept is good. The skeleton of a good work is here, somewhere. I could see this being a cute animated miniseries if handled by a competent writer's room.
Immediately upon reading the prologue I was struck by how clunky these character's names are- a bad omen of what was to come. Evangelina Sage? Evie for short? I didn't mind that The Villain called her Sage, but it made me wonder why that wasn't her first name instead- it was by and large preferable to Evangelina or Evie. Becky felt too on-the-nose for the office bully archetype. Tatianna felt like she could have benefitted by a slight fantastical altering of her name. I wasn't thrilled about the name Trystan either, although I found it preferable to most of the other names of characters in this book, save for maybe Griffin or Blade.
The narrative reeks of subversion for subversion's sake without any substance for it to ground itself. Frankly, it hardly accomplishes the subversions it sets out to- in trying to be empowering by showing the misogyny that Evie has struggled with in her life, the author takes two steps forward and five steps back. "Girl Power" only means so much to me when the main character cannot maintain control of her own life without the help of her romantic interest- and frankly, this wouldn't bother me so much if the narrative weren't trying to push this image of Evie as a modest but hardworking careerwoman happy to finally have more equality in the workplace. What is subversive about a woman being a man's PA? Or having a man lash out at her abuser because she's too weak to do so? It is annoying at best and problematic at worst, and I wish we would stop pretending something is progressive because someone declares it so.
Narratively, though, the biggest fuck-you to its audience was its ending. It sets up this mystery as to who might be betraying The Villain- and then lets you down by revealing the traitor as someone impossible to deduce by evidence alone. Now, this reveal is a bit of an obvious one- I had it pegged from the beginning. It was predictable. But up until the last couple of chapters, any evidence pointing to that person being the traitor was near non-existent. I would call the behavior of the individual from the betrayal onward to be character assassination if there were any character to assassinate. Wildly out of left field and written for cheap shock value alone. Worst still, we have to go over the same information again immediately after it happens because the author cannot help but repeat herself constantly.
I did not find the author funny. She is not good at humor. Evie is clearly a Renaissance Faire self-insert of the author and as such, I did not find Evie very funny. If you like She-Hulk and Thor: Love and Thunder-style quippiness with some classic 2010's style twee, maybe you would like it more than I did. I hated it.
The worldbuilding, magic system, and setting of everywhere other than the Manor was vague at best. It made keeping track of locations difficult and the sense of stakes was skewed considering the audience can't fully comprehend the consequences of the magic system in this universe.
Also, a shocking lack of romance in a book where the romance IS the main appeal.
Despite all of my qualms with the narrative, I will say that the dynamic between Evie and the Villain is a cute one. I found myself rooting for them to fall into a relationship with one another and eager to see how they progress. I did not like Evie, but I did like seeing the Villain squirm in situations where he didn't understand how to convey his romantic feelings. Seeing an anti-hero or a villainous character get butterflies is, unfortunately, one of my many weaknesses and I felt endeared to his character because of it.
I would say pick this up with no expectations but frankly, my expectations were low to begin with and I was still disappointed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore and Torture
Parental Abuseoldsoulsgetbored's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Torture
Minor: Trafficking
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I was captivated by the bizarre tone and nonsensical worldbuilding but it did drag on a bit towards the end.
The fairytale/generic dnd campaign fantasy vibes and corresponding whacky hijink clashed oddly with the very real theme of sexual violence. The latter wasn't handled poorly it just felt jarring.
The mystery of who is betraying The Villain was interesting, though i did think it was a bit much that not only did Evie's dad betray her and make her carry the burden of caring for the family, he also tried to sell her off to a man without her consent. That just made him cartoonishly evil and cheapened the reveal .
The characters were fine with pretty predictable arcs. The romance was cute enough but a bit tedious.
Don't think I'll read the sequel.
The fairytale/generic dnd campaign fantasy vibes and corresponding whacky hijink clashed oddly with the very real theme of sexual violence. The latter wasn't handled poorly it just felt jarring.
The mystery of who is betraying The Villain was interesting
The characters were fine with pretty predictable arcs. The romance was cute enough but a bit tedious.
Don't think I'll read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
miss_cr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
citrarowan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am speechless and trying to understand why I liked this book so much. It’s not the most brilliant thing I’ve ever read, yet it has something that completely mesmerised me. And for the life of me, I never saw that coming (that plot twist at the end), I’m usually really good at figuring where the plot is going but I kid you not, I was dumbfounded by the last couple chapters. This book is so silly and it feels like a YA (even though it’s not, given all characters are in their 20s), but I’m not going to pretend to be pretentious and say it was rubbish when I genuinely enjoyed it. Evie is such an interesting character, I’m so happy to see a character that’s so true to themselves and even though there’s some character development going on, her true essence remains at the end (just more villain-y, which I LOVED). Picking up the second book RIGHT NOW!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Rape, and Death of parent
indieandajean's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Assistant to the Villain is an adorable fantasy rom-com with more emphasis on the "com". The slow burn in this book will be of no surprise to anyone who enjoyed watching the tiktok series it was based on, and it makes for a lot of exasperation from a reader's perspective when you read many chapters of pining and them "almost" getting to the point. This is a feature, not a bug.
The characters are lovable, the plot moves along at a decent pace, and it has just the right amount of tropes that one would expect from a slow-burn, mutual pining, workplace rom-com. It also has a dragon, which is always a positive.
My only complaint is that at times the book was a little too slow. There were unnecessary scenes that did little to move the plot forward or deepen the reader's understanding of the characters. I understand that the author was given a three book deal and that where there is a three book deal about a single romance, there is going to have to be some filler. That said, the story never dragged, even through these filler moments, and it was always fun to pick back up to read.
My review is probably somewhat biased as I fell in love with Evie Sage played by Hannah Nicole Maehrer in her Tiktok videos that were the catalyst for the books, but I challenge anyone who loves a good underdog to watch the videos or read this book and not also love the character. She, the Villain, Blade, Tatiana, and yes, even Becky, are great characters and it was fun to see them more fully fleshed out in this book.
I am very much looking forward to book two which is coming out this fall, particularly because of the cliffhanger ending!
I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in their romances, morally grey fantasy villains, dragons, and strong female characters who overcome obstacles and earn the respect of people around them.
The characters are lovable, the plot moves along at a decent pace, and it has just the right amount of tropes that one would expect from a slow-burn, mutual pining, workplace rom-com. It also has a dragon, which is always a positive.
My only complaint is that at times the book was a little too slow. There were unnecessary scenes that did little to move the plot forward or deepen the reader's understanding of the characters. I understand that the author was given a three book deal and that where there is a three book deal about a single romance, there is going to have to be some filler. That said, the story never dragged, even through these filler moments, and it was always fun to pick back up to read.
My review is probably somewhat biased as I fell in love with Evie Sage played by Hannah Nicole Maehrer in her Tiktok videos that were the catalyst for the books, but I challenge anyone who loves a good underdog to watch the videos or read this book and not also love the character. She, the Villain, Blade, Tatiana, and yes, even Becky, are great characters and it was fun to see them more fully fleshed out in this book.
I am very much looking forward to book two which is coming out this fall, particularly because of the cliffhanger ending!
I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in their romances, morally grey fantasy villains, dragons, and strong female characters who overcome obstacles and earn the respect of people around them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mindsplinters's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a delightful romp! What lovely, engaging characters! What a laugh out loud adventure... that then went and broke my heart. Gee, thanks a lot, Hannah. Seriously, though, this book reads like the fluffiest kind of cozy fantasy for the most part and even the violence is kind of... cozy which might sound weird but there is a delicate kind of balance to the gore that puts it on the sunnier side of bloody comedy. The plot is a bit light in places but it deepens as the book goes on, growing it from a grumpy-sunshine rom-com office sitcom to an increasingly complicated mystery. (Mind you, I did see the traitor a few chapters ahead of time but that is because I read way too many mysteries and also I usually have a very suspicious approach to certain people shirking certain duties.) The book ends with us still not quite knowing every bit of backstory and the greater Evil (or Not Evil?) Plot. This is good because, frankly, I'm quite happy to return to Evie and The Villain and Rebecka and Blade and Tati and KINGSLEY for more romping... and beheading and scheduling and such.
Though I do sigh at how much more dreary my own job of being an admin assistant can be. My boss is not nearly so intriguing. LOL Bring on the sequel!
Though I do sigh at how much more dreary my own job of being an admin assistant can be. My boss is not nearly so intriguing. LOL Bring on the sequel!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
stories's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Good fun. Definitely for adults - some swears, quite a bit of lusting. Dual POV: Assistant & Villain. Mutual pining.
Lots of mysterious backstories.
Some fun characters, with solid side character development. Bonus points for at-odds lesbians.
Some fun playing with traditional fairytale and fantasy tropes, alongside office workplace dramas.
Working for a villain is all well and good, but when there’s a mole in the office, it’s not the *safest* workplace ever.
Mildly cliffhanger ending, which was not my favourite. (Not least bc my library doesn’t recognise the existence of book 2 & 3 :c )
Lots of mysterious backstories.
Some fun characters, with solid side character development. Bonus points for at-odds lesbians.
Some fun playing with traditional fairytale and fantasy tropes, alongside office workplace dramas.
Working for a villain is all well and good, but when there’s a mole in the office, it’s not the *safest* workplace ever.
Mildly cliffhanger ending, which was not my favourite. (Not least bc my library doesn’t recognise the existence of book 2 & 3 :c )
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Alcohol
Villainous deeds (murder, torture etc) occur, but off screen and typically presented in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.abicaro17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a hard book to rate. I really enjoy the concept and a lot of the plot points. An grumpy evil villain with a sunshine down on her luck assistant? Amazing! I think the issue is execution. The book is incredibly slow and any story advancement is basically in the last 50ish pages. The characters are also relatively flat and boring. Like Evie got a blip of development past the box she was shoved in during the last 5 pages. Becky and Blake are the worst examples of this because they're exclusively office suck up and the goofy guy. I tried to give this book grace because its part of a series but a lot of content could have been added to create context for a lot of things we're just like asked to believe. Like the Villian being a village terror (he basically only beheads people who work for him, people trying to kill him, or anyone who disrespects people he cares about ), King Benedict being a "hero" in literally anyones eye??, or the lack of world building (where are they, how far away is the palace, is it like a fairytale kingdom or am I supposed to be imagined King's Landing from GOT?) This just needed more world building content, more contextual characterization, and a story restructuring for me. Also when the Villian is like I love Evie! I literally closed my book and rolled my eyes. WDYM? This is a slow burn bro you aren't supposed to know that yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism