HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER
(Book 1 in the Assistant to the Villain series)
Synopsis:
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.
Content:
Language: Uses of minor language and a few scattered usage of "f" and "s."
Violence: Casual and often off-handed or joking mentions of murder and robbery, descriptions of blood, fighting (with swords and magic), torture, attempting bombing, and heads hanging from the ceiling. The Villain has magic that allows him to find and exploit anyone's weak spots. There is some discussion of attempted sexual assault that ended in a character being stabbed. A character's backstory deals with torture. Another character's backstory involves the death of a family member at the hand of another family member. A mysterious and incurable illness results in high numbers of death.
As a side note, the main characters are villains. They're a very lovable group of villains, but they discuss murder and death callously most of the time. Some of the points listed above result from their actions.
Sex: Allusions to sex, attempted sexual assault/rape, discussion of a father selling his daughter into a sexual relationship, kissing.
LGBTQ: Two side characters are lesbians and have had a past relationship (and engagement) to each other. There are possible hints for a reconciliation.
My Review:
PROS:
- Evie and the Villain (although I still can't get over the fact that Maehrer named him Trystan, of all things). I thought they were adorable and I absolutely loved their dynamic!
- I also adore corruption arcs and am desperately hoping Maehrer doesn't shy away from the villainous side of Evie and the Villain (which sounds contradictory, but I've seen authors backpedal on their character's established darkness/morally grey actions before, so it could definitely happen).
- The world-building isn't completely fleshed out (most of the story takes place in the same areas), but I really enjoyed the modern-medieval fantasy vibes.
- The twist at the end. While I somewhat expected it by process of elimination later on in the book, I was still surprised and intrigued.
- I'm interested in the side characters too, a relatively rare occurrence for me.
- Surprisingly, I liked the humorous tone. It fits well with the writing style.
CONS:
- Some of the pacing felt weird to me, but I could easily overlook that.
- I kind of just wanted more. This isn't really a criticism and probably stems from me being bitter about the cliffhanger, as well as the fact that we still have months before book 2 releases, but I feel slightly unsatisfied. I loved the book, and I don't exactly know what I want more of, but I will be devouring the rest of the series as soon as they release.