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Time of Iron #1
Long Live Evil
A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.
464 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2024
About the author
Sarah Rees Brennan
71 books5,381 followersSarah Rees Brennan is Irish and currently lives in Dublin. She's been writing YA books for more than ten years, which is terrifying to contemplate! She hopes you (yes you!) find at least one of them to be the kind of book you remember.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,108 reviews
July 26, 2024
This was weird.
I don't believe this is a good book: the pacing isn't great, the characters are archetypes and lack complexity, you can see the plot twists coming from miles ahead, etc.
But still I had a fantastic time!
I was invested in the story, got attached to some minor characters and overall really enjoyed it.
So 3.5 rounded up, and I will definitely check out the next one.
Thank you Orbit Books.
I don't believe this is a good book: the pacing isn't great, the characters are archetypes and lack complexity, you can see the plot twists coming from miles ahead, etc.
But still I had a fantastic time!
I was invested in the story, got attached to some minor characters and overall really enjoyed it.
So 3.5 rounded up, and I will definitely check out the next one.
Thank you Orbit Books.
August 7, 2024
for every person that can’t decide if they want to be or be with the villain
this was just so campy, meta, and an absolute ball of a time. i haven’t been this entertained by a book in awhile and the ending only has me more excited to read it all over again!
Read my review here
thank you to orbit books for providing the arc!
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this was just so campy, meta, and an absolute ball of a time. i haven’t been this entertained by a book in awhile and the ending only has me more excited to read it all over again!
Read my review here
thank you to orbit books for providing the arc!
Follow me on Instagram
Want to read
May 16, 2024"For everyone who's ever fallen for the villain??"
Villain romance? Killing as a love language? Fantasy battles??
SIGN ME TF UP
Coming 30 July 2024
Villain romance? Killing as a love language? Fantasy battles??
SIGN ME TF UP
Coming 30 July 2024
May 12, 2024
“Don’t listen to stories encouraging you to be good, telling you to shine in a filthy world and patiently endure suffering. Screw suffering. It’s too hard to be good. Do the easy thing. Do the evil thing. Grasp whatever you desire in your greedy bloodstained hands.”
this is for every fantasy fan who wants to be or be with the villain. preferably both.
this is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite reads this year yet. an epic quest portal fantasy with heart, guts, & laughter, and a girl who gets to say fuck you, i'm choosing myself.
She was Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood. She was the heroine’s evil stepsister. And she was due to be executed tomorrow.
“Ambition is wicked, and I want so much. If I want to live that makes me a monster, if I want a man that makes me the harlot of the tower, if I want a throne that makes me an evil queen. Fine. I’ll be a wonderful monster. I trust my own wickedness. I will never believe in someone else again.”
brennan manages to take every well-worn (read: worn out), stereotypical, anticipated fantasy archetype cliché and throw it into delightful subversion with rae's introduction into the world of eyam. it's reminiscent of the magicians for me (at least the tv show, i haven't read the book) - rae stepping into the very fantasy world she's loved her whole life and knows (well, almost) every detail about, cleverly manuevering it to the bewilderment of her enemies. but, a drop in the ocean causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of the sea...
the self-awareness and meta element of the storytelling allows brennan to directly confront and critique the sexist tropes not only in fantasy media, but of society at large (bc what are stories, but a reflection of ourselves and our existing world?). s/o to her for also bringing in the queer rep and letting typically two-dimensional side characters become so much more real and loveable.
Relationships with no mistakes and no obstacles had no bite. Reading them was like consuming soggy salad for every meal and calling that healthy eating.
“What’s reality, except something that really affects us? If enough people believe in something, doesn’t it become real?”
“Sometimes women writers got discussed as if they ran a fictional vampire dating agency, while clearly men writing green bare-breasted tree women burned with pure literary inspiration.”
“But the poets don’t write about heartless wanton women because they hope never to meet them.”
rae's journey starts from the all-time low point of her life; the nearing end of it. while i felt incredible sympathy from rae's vivid recollections of her experience through sickness and its devastating alienation and loneliness, i also got to delight in brennan's incredible gift of wit and delight around every corner of her story.
“All this slut-shaming. Where’s the slut-praising? Quick, someone tell me I’m wicked cute and have great time management.”
“I’m supporting him.”
“You’re blackmailing him!”
“In a supportive way!”
She fixed an expression of extreme interest on her face, as if at a party with a college guy telling her about film studies.
i could honestly give you more quotes to convince you to read this (i have over 300 highlights in my arc) but i shan't spoil all the fun for you!
i am fully sat for the next book, i cannot WAIT to see where this series goes next!
Choose wrong. Choose evil.
this is for every fantasy fan who wants to be or be with the villain. preferably both.
this is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite reads this year yet. an epic quest portal fantasy with heart, guts, & laughter, and a girl who gets to say fuck you, i'm choosing myself.
She was Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood. She was the heroine’s evil stepsister. And she was due to be executed tomorrow.
“Ambition is wicked, and I want so much. If I want to live that makes me a monster, if I want a man that makes me the harlot of the tower, if I want a throne that makes me an evil queen. Fine. I’ll be a wonderful monster. I trust my own wickedness. I will never believe in someone else again.”
brennan manages to take every well-worn (read: worn out), stereotypical, anticipated fantasy archetype cliché and throw it into delightful subversion with rae's introduction into the world of eyam. it's reminiscent of the magicians for me (at least the tv show, i haven't read the book) - rae stepping into the very fantasy world she's loved her whole life and knows (well, almost) every detail about, cleverly manuevering it to the bewilderment of her enemies. but, a drop in the ocean causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of the sea...
the self-awareness and meta element of the storytelling allows brennan to directly confront and critique the sexist tropes not only in fantasy media, but of society at large (bc what are stories, but a reflection of ourselves and our existing world?). s/o to her for also bringing in the queer rep and letting typically two-dimensional side characters become so much more real and loveable.
Relationships with no mistakes and no obstacles had no bite. Reading them was like consuming soggy salad for every meal and calling that healthy eating.
“What’s reality, except something that really affects us? If enough people believe in something, doesn’t it become real?”
“Sometimes women writers got discussed as if they ran a fictional vampire dating agency, while clearly men writing green bare-breasted tree women burned with pure literary inspiration.”
“But the poets don’t write about heartless wanton women because they hope never to meet them.”
rae's journey starts from the all-time low point of her life; the nearing end of it. while i felt incredible sympathy from rae's vivid recollections of her experience through sickness and its devastating alienation and loneliness, i also got to delight in brennan's incredible gift of wit and delight around every corner of her story.
“All this slut-shaming. Where’s the slut-praising? Quick, someone tell me I’m wicked cute and have great time management.”
“I’m supporting him.”
“You’re blackmailing him!”
“In a supportive way!”
She fixed an expression of extreme interest on her face, as if at a party with a college guy telling her about film studies.
i could honestly give you more quotes to convince you to read this (i have over 300 highlights in my arc) but i shan't spoil all the fun for you!
i am fully sat for the next book, i cannot WAIT to see where this series goes next!
Choose wrong. Choose evil.
July 29, 2024
This book was definitely an experience, still trying to decide if it was a pleasant one.
The beginning was pure torture to get thru, it was too many things at once and idk what was going on. Later it got better in the middle, when I started to understand the world building I could enjoy it more.
Really liked the court intrigues and trying to outsmart people who want you dead. And basically everyone wanted her dead. There was too much modern language in fantasy setting. Like I get it, she's from "real world", but it felt forced, like older people trying to write in slang.
Honestly writing “Seriously, you will be powerful A.F.” or “May I speak in tongues at nature’s treasury?” during romantic scene should be banned. Many times I cringed so hard I needed to close the book and take a breather, cus my eyes were bleeding.
The povs other the main character were boring, plain and unnecessary, would be better if it was single pov. The ending was predictable, but nice.
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
The beginning was pure torture to get thru, it was too many things at once and idk what was going on. Later it got better in the middle, when I started to understand the world building I could enjoy it more.
Really liked the court intrigues and trying to outsmart people who want you dead. And basically everyone wanted her dead. There was too much modern language in fantasy setting. Like I get it, she's from "real world", but it felt forced, like older people trying to write in slang.
Honestly writing “Seriously, you will be powerful A.F.” or “May I speak in tongues at nature’s treasury?” during romantic scene should be banned. Many times I cringed so hard I needed to close the book and take a breather, cus my eyes were bleeding.
The povs other the main character were boring, plain and unnecessary, would be better if it was single pov. The ending was predictable, but nice.
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
August 27, 2024
A brilliant mess
The publisher's blurb for Sarah Rees Brennan's Long Live Evil makes it sound like a funny book about a real-world character who slips into a book and finds herself the villain. And it IS that! There were many laugh-out-loud moments, such as this one
But there's another side to this that the blurb barely hints at. Rae, when we meet her, is dying of cancer. There's a lot of pain and anger in her -- there's a reason why, when she's plugged into her sister's favorite fantasy series, she is the villain. Brennan is herself a late-stage cancer survivor. When she writes,
So, there you have Long Live Evil. It's one laugh after another, and also a portrait of gut-wrenching pain and loneliness. A brilliant mess. It won't be for everyone. But I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an advance reader copy of Long Live Evil.
Blog review.
The publisher's blurb for Sarah Rees Brennan's Long Live Evil makes it sound like a funny book about a real-world character who slips into a book and finds herself the villain. And it IS that! There were many laugh-out-loud moments, such as this one
Books often described kisses as ‘searing’ which made Rae think of salmon, but characters seemed to enjoy the seared-salmon kisses.or this
“You saw this horse born,” Marius reminded ... “I told you his bloodline could find their way anywhere. You named him.” “That was a joke,” ... Marius didn’t see what was humorous. He’d thought it was a nice name. ... “So this is my noble steed, Google Maps?”Rae, our heroine/villainess, is a fantasy book lover, who knows all the plot tropes, not to mention the movies and songs. Plugged into a fantasy novel (à la Inkworld or Thursday Next -- both are referenced in the Acknowledgments) Rae reacts like the thoroughly modern young woman she is, with sense and never-ending incongruity. It never gets old, or at least it did not for me.
But there's another side to this that the blurb barely hints at. Rae, when we meet her, is dying of cancer. There's a lot of pain and anger in her -- there's a reason why, when she's plugged into her sister's favorite fantasy series, she is the villain. Brennan is herself a late-stage cancer survivor. When she writes,
A neighbour had taken Rae aside when news of her diagnosis spread, counselling her to take a blanket to her first appointment. Rae didn’t understand until she found herself on a reclined chair having chemo, every warm organ in her body turning to frozen grapes. She clutched her blanket as the last rope to a warmer world. When she got home, she plunged into a scalding hot bath, but once you knew such cold existed it was impossible to ever really be warm again.it's obvious she knows what she's talking about.
So, there you have Long Live Evil. It's one laugh after another, and also a portrait of gut-wrenching pain and loneliness. A brilliant mess. It won't be for everyone. But I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an advance reader copy of Long Live Evil.
Blog review.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 26, 2024DNF after ch 3, ~50 pages in
Idk what's up with me and Orbit 2024 releases, but I've not been vibing. Normally they're my most reliable publisher, so I wonder if they've had internal shake-ups in curation/editing/branding/etc.
Poor Pacing:
To start with, this book reminds me a lot of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, but unlike Dark Lord Davi, it absolutely doesn't know where to begin the story. For one thing, the entire first chapter should have been axed. The information presented there was repetitious and can easily be inferred through later chapters without even having to change the material as it is. And it's so dull and honestly made the MC seem less likable. Start the story where it's truly interesting: when she's in the world of the book.
Writing:
But I also didn't like the writing. It was working so hard to spell things out for me that I had inferred pages ago; just trust the reader sometimes!
Humor is subjective, but this didn't gel for me. It had all the right components of humor I should like, but the execution just wasn't it.
Edit: When I first read this I complained to some friends who previously liked other books by the author and said they love her humor. Since this was my first book from her, I couldn't really comment on if it's similar or not. But I've since had one of those friends pick up the ARC and they're definitely struggling with the writing and humor here.
And there was a lot of info-dumping but it was the most random things that held neither importance nor intrigue so it was just like... the author has thought about some world-building details, I guess? Cool.
Example in Chapter 2: A character says they wanted one thousand gold leaves as a reward for doing a grand act for the kingdom. This is interrupted by the narration to say that there are 4 metals and 4 shapes for their coinage, the FMC can't remember any of the other ones "but a thousand sounded like a pile of cash." And then the story resumes as normal.
Not only can I already infer based on the roughly medieval European, classic Fantasy setting that "one thousand gold [anything]" is a lot of money, and the fact that he wanted to claim it as a reward for a heroic act means that it's an amount worthy of that compensation, but... I didn't learn anything about the world -certainly nothing of importance nor interest- and even though it was only the beginning of chapter 2 I swear I'd already been told >8x that the FMC doesn't remember most of the details about this book series and book 1 in particular (ch 1 really beat me over the head with it). -_- From what I can tell from reading ahead, this type of "info"-dumping/hand-holding is continued throughout the book.
Assorted Complaints (probably nitpicky):
I was going to read a few more chapters tomorrow and see if I still felt sour, but decided to skip ahead tonight. Around 67% in she's commenting on a creature and says it looks like a lion x hyena but enormous, and someone else tells her lions are imaginary. And I... hate that, actually? Like if someone in our world said something looks like a unicorn or a griffin and someone else tells them it's not real. Buddy, we know it's not real but clearly we have a shared vocabulary and can both conjure images of this animal. Imagine that your sole contribution to the conversation is to remind grown-ass adults that the creature they mentioned is imaginary. This is the kind of "world-building" that doesn't feel wholly internally consistent because the characters are forced to behave unnaturally to make sure information is delivered to the reader. Bleh. Grumble.
Overall:
All that to say-- these are very "me" issues and I think a lot of people will be able to turn off their brains and just enjoy a silly story. But I think it genuinely gave me a headache.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Idk what's up with me and Orbit 2024 releases, but I've not been vibing. Normally they're my most reliable publisher, so I wonder if they've had internal shake-ups in curation/editing/branding/etc.
Poor Pacing:
To start with, this book reminds me a lot of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, but unlike Dark Lord Davi, it absolutely doesn't know where to begin the story. For one thing, the entire first chapter should have been axed. The information presented there was repetitious and can easily be inferred through later chapters without even having to change the material as it is. And it's so dull and honestly made the MC seem less likable. Start the story where it's truly interesting: when she's in the world of the book.
Writing:
But I also didn't like the writing. It was working so hard to spell things out for me that I had inferred pages ago; just trust the reader sometimes!
Humor is subjective, but this didn't gel for me. It had all the right components of humor I should like, but the execution just wasn't it.
Edit: When I first read this I complained to some friends who previously liked other books by the author and said they love her humor. Since this was my first book from her, I couldn't really comment on if it's similar or not. But I've since had one of those friends pick up the ARC and they're definitely struggling with the writing and humor here.
And there was a lot of info-dumping but it was the most random things that held neither importance nor intrigue so it was just like... the author has thought about some world-building details, I guess? Cool.
Example in Chapter 2: A character says they wanted one thousand gold leaves as a reward for doing a grand act for the kingdom. This is interrupted by the narration to say that there are 4 metals and 4 shapes for their coinage, the FMC can't remember any of the other ones "but a thousand sounded like a pile of cash." And then the story resumes as normal.
Not only can I already infer based on the roughly medieval European, classic Fantasy setting that "one thousand gold [anything]" is a lot of money, and the fact that he wanted to claim it as a reward for a heroic act means that it's an amount worthy of that compensation, but... I didn't learn anything about the world -certainly nothing of importance nor interest- and even though it was only the beginning of chapter 2 I swear I'd already been told >8x that the FMC doesn't remember most of the details about this book series and book 1 in particular (ch 1 really beat me over the head with it). -_- From what I can tell from reading ahead, this type of "info"-dumping/hand-holding is continued throughout the book.
Assorted Complaints (probably nitpicky):
I was going to read a few more chapters tomorrow and see if I still felt sour, but decided to skip ahead tonight. Around 67% in she's commenting on a creature and says it looks like a lion x hyena but enormous, and someone else tells her lions are imaginary. And I... hate that, actually? Like if someone in our world said something looks like a unicorn or a griffin and someone else tells them it's not real. Buddy, we know it's not real but clearly we have a shared vocabulary and can both conjure images of this animal. Imagine that your sole contribution to the conversation is to remind grown-ass adults that the creature they mentioned is imaginary. This is the kind of "world-building" that doesn't feel wholly internally consistent because the characters are forced to behave unnaturally to make sure information is delivered to the reader. Bleh. Grumble.
Overall:
All that to say-- these are very "me" issues and I think a lot of people will be able to turn off their brains and just enjoy a silly story. But I think it genuinely gave me a headache.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 16, 2024
“Don't listen to stories encouraging you to be good, telling you to shine in a filthy world and patiently endure suffering. Screw suffering. It's too hard to be good. Do the easy thing. Do the evil thing. Grasp whatever you desire in your greedy bloodstained hands."
When being evil is just too good!
When Rae thinks her life is over, when her illness slowly consumes her remaining strength and her days are spent in a hospital bed, she gets the chance to do what all book lovers can only dream of, enter her favourite fictional world. It starts with a bargain. A mysterious woman tells Rae that if she can obtain the Flower of Life and Death from the Imperial greenhouse then she will have the chance to live, but should she fail, she will remain in the world of Eyam forever. The kingdom of Eyam is a fictional place that is well known to Rae being as it’s from her sister Alice’s favourite book series, Time of Iron. In fact her sister is so obsessed with the books that in sharing her love for them she has also drawn Rae into loving its narrative and beguiling characters. So of course Rae takes the chance and enters Eyam but immediately all is not quite what it seems—for one she’s not in the body of the hero, she’s Lady Rahela, the evil stepsister due to be executed the very next day. Yet Rae is determined to succeed in her quest and so she gathers a team of villainous characters to aid her and change the course of their lives. But for how long can these villains really survive?
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan is a novel which hits you in the face with its fun factor and drags you down into the depths of a dark and twisted tale where evil triumphs in the most delicious ways.
Immediately Brennan draws you into Rae’s journey from the real world to the world of Eyam and gives us such outrageous scenes that I couldn’t help but read this novel with a large smile on my face. Now, the use of contemporary slang and idioms in fantasy is not usually something I like to see but here it works so well. Essentially Rae is a contemporary young adult and so Brennan uses that in a brilliant comedic way. We learn that Rae has lost so much due to her illness, she’s isolated, angry and left with very little options but given the chance at life, she seizes it in the most dramatic of ways. Once in Eyam, the rest of the characters within that world do not know where Rae is really from and therefore their confusion at her modern turns of phrases actually made me laugh, as did all the references to pop culture such as Rae’s story of Lord Ross and Lady Rachel, which was obviously a nod to the show Friends! We are then treated to an abundance of other charming and alarming scenes including a fantastic musical number which I adored, chaotic scenes of fighting with ghouls and a manticore and some pretty evil twists.
As we delve further it becomes clear the prominent point of this novel is to look at villains, the art of storytelling and stock characters such heroes, villains, kings, princesses and so on, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, looking at them in different lights, turning them on their heads in surprising ways and Brennan achieves that so cleverly here. I did feel a touch overwhelmed with all the characters and their narratives as there is a lot to get your head around, however there came a point where everyone started to fall into place and from then on the book couldn't be prised out of my hands. The epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter helped as they gave snippets from various chapters of the original story of Time of Iron giving us some context into its characters yet it also punctuated how Rae’s influence was greatly changing the narrative.
This is definitely a more character driven book with the plot unfolding slowly and in my opinion, quite unpredictably. Every character is so unhinged you never quite know what they’re about to do next, but each captured me in their own devious ways. This book explores villain tropes and subverts their ideals in fascinating ways, for example Rae throughout calls herself a villain because she’s in the body of one but looking closely, she never really does anything truly villainous. She’s just a woman trying to shape her own story, to survive in a world that doesn’t want her in it. Whereas in contrast her sidekick Key is a psychopath, a killer with no remorse, a deceiver, a thief and a man who will do whatever benefits him regardless of the consequences. Yet Brennan makes him likeable, she makes us sympathise with his backstory which is something we come across rarely, a villain isn’t always given a solid reason for their behaviour. Key is ultimately one fucked up impulsive character but he was without a doubt my favourite of them all.
‘She curled her fingers in under the blood-slick straps of his armour.
His cracked leather gloves caught on her hair.
"You don't have to kill if you don't like it," Key promised. "I'll kill them for you."
"Kill who?"
Against her hair, she felt his mouth curve. "Everyone."’
From the supporting characters Brennan treats us to an array of eclectic delights. Most notably here is the Golden Cobra, who is absolutely nothing like his name suggests. Cobra quickly became one of my other favourites as his passion for performing arts and his flamboyant personality was something that I just loved. In a weird kind of way Cobra felt very much like a cinnamon roll, especially in his close but turbulent friendship with Lord Marius, the Last Hope, who was one hell of a complicated mess. Lord Marius hated and loved Cobra much like he hated and loved himself. He was a man who had sworn to never kill but every fibre in his being was bred to be the ultimate warrior. Then there was Emer, Lady Rahela’s maid and Lady Lia who was Rahela’s shining sister. Both of these were a touch tricky to warm to at first as they represented more moral characters, (which strangely wasn’t as fun!) but even then they were prone to betraying those they should have been loyal to, so there was that. Another interesting character was King Octavian who was supposed to be the just and upstanding hero but in Time of Iron is fated to become a tyrant emperor. Yet through Lady Rahela’s eyes we see he’s just a horny man who is too used to getting his own way, and oh how I loved seeing others put him down.
The entirety of Long Live Evil took me on an unexpected and strangely enchanting ride and so chef’s kiss to Brennan for reveling in playful banter and unhinged escapades. I have never rooted for the villains as much as this novel made me.
‘The world was hard and cruel. It bore down and broke you into a thousand pieces. When nobody believed in you, when even you couldn't believe, you must arrange your broken pieces into a terrifying new shape. You could believe in the fantastic recreation of yourself.
In the end, she was lucky. She'd been granted her dying wish.
If the ending couldn't be happy, at least it would mean something.
She would do something great before she died. She would be an unforgettable part of the story.’
ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Long Live Evil will be out 1st August 2024
When being evil is just too good!
When Rae thinks her life is over, when her illness slowly consumes her remaining strength and her days are spent in a hospital bed, she gets the chance to do what all book lovers can only dream of, enter her favourite fictional world. It starts with a bargain. A mysterious woman tells Rae that if she can obtain the Flower of Life and Death from the Imperial greenhouse then she will have the chance to live, but should she fail, she will remain in the world of Eyam forever. The kingdom of Eyam is a fictional place that is well known to Rae being as it’s from her sister Alice’s favourite book series, Time of Iron. In fact her sister is so obsessed with the books that in sharing her love for them she has also drawn Rae into loving its narrative and beguiling characters. So of course Rae takes the chance and enters Eyam but immediately all is not quite what it seems—for one she’s not in the body of the hero, she’s Lady Rahela, the evil stepsister due to be executed the very next day. Yet Rae is determined to succeed in her quest and so she gathers a team of villainous characters to aid her and change the course of their lives. But for how long can these villains really survive?
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan is a novel which hits you in the face with its fun factor and drags you down into the depths of a dark and twisted tale where evil triumphs in the most delicious ways.
Immediately Brennan draws you into Rae’s journey from the real world to the world of Eyam and gives us such outrageous scenes that I couldn’t help but read this novel with a large smile on my face. Now, the use of contemporary slang and idioms in fantasy is not usually something I like to see but here it works so well. Essentially Rae is a contemporary young adult and so Brennan uses that in a brilliant comedic way. We learn that Rae has lost so much due to her illness, she’s isolated, angry and left with very little options but given the chance at life, she seizes it in the most dramatic of ways. Once in Eyam, the rest of the characters within that world do not know where Rae is really from and therefore their confusion at her modern turns of phrases actually made me laugh, as did all the references to pop culture such as Rae’s story of Lord Ross and Lady Rachel, which was obviously a nod to the show Friends! We are then treated to an abundance of other charming and alarming scenes including a fantastic musical number which I adored, chaotic scenes of fighting with ghouls and a manticore and some pretty evil twists.
As we delve further it becomes clear the prominent point of this novel is to look at villains, the art of storytelling and stock characters such heroes, villains, kings, princesses and so on, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, looking at them in different lights, turning them on their heads in surprising ways and Brennan achieves that so cleverly here. I did feel a touch overwhelmed with all the characters and their narratives as there is a lot to get your head around, however there came a point where everyone started to fall into place and from then on the book couldn't be prised out of my hands. The epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter helped as they gave snippets from various chapters of the original story of Time of Iron giving us some context into its characters yet it also punctuated how Rae’s influence was greatly changing the narrative.
This is definitely a more character driven book with the plot unfolding slowly and in my opinion, quite unpredictably. Every character is so unhinged you never quite know what they’re about to do next, but each captured me in their own devious ways. This book explores villain tropes and subverts their ideals in fascinating ways, for example Rae throughout calls herself a villain because she’s in the body of one but looking closely, she never really does anything truly villainous. She’s just a woman trying to shape her own story, to survive in a world that doesn’t want her in it. Whereas in contrast her sidekick Key is a psychopath, a killer with no remorse, a deceiver, a thief and a man who will do whatever benefits him regardless of the consequences. Yet Brennan makes him likeable, she makes us sympathise with his backstory which is something we come across rarely, a villain isn’t always given a solid reason for their behaviour. Key is ultimately one fucked up impulsive character but he was without a doubt my favourite of them all.
‘She curled her fingers in under the blood-slick straps of his armour.
His cracked leather gloves caught on her hair.
"You don't have to kill if you don't like it," Key promised. "I'll kill them for you."
"Kill who?"
Against her hair, she felt his mouth curve. "Everyone."’
From the supporting characters Brennan treats us to an array of eclectic delights. Most notably here is the Golden Cobra, who is absolutely nothing like his name suggests. Cobra quickly became one of my other favourites as his passion for performing arts and his flamboyant personality was something that I just loved. In a weird kind of way Cobra felt very much like a cinnamon roll, especially in his close but turbulent friendship with Lord Marius, the Last Hope, who was one hell of a complicated mess. Lord Marius hated and loved Cobra much like he hated and loved himself. He was a man who had sworn to never kill but every fibre in his being was bred to be the ultimate warrior. Then there was Emer, Lady Rahela’s maid and Lady Lia who was Rahela’s shining sister. Both of these were a touch tricky to warm to at first as they represented more moral characters, (which strangely wasn’t as fun!) but even then they were prone to betraying those they should have been loyal to, so there was that. Another interesting character was King Octavian who was supposed to be the just and upstanding hero but in Time of Iron is fated to become a tyrant emperor. Yet through Lady Rahela’s eyes we see he’s just a horny man who is too used to getting his own way, and oh how I loved seeing others put him down.
The entirety of Long Live Evil took me on an unexpected and strangely enchanting ride and so chef’s kiss to Brennan for reveling in playful banter and unhinged escapades. I have never rooted for the villains as much as this novel made me.
‘The world was hard and cruel. It bore down and broke you into a thousand pieces. When nobody believed in you, when even you couldn't believe, you must arrange your broken pieces into a terrifying new shape. You could believe in the fantastic recreation of yourself.
In the end, she was lucky. She'd been granted her dying wish.
If the ending couldn't be happy, at least it would mean something.
She would do something great before she died. She would be an unforgettable part of the story.’
ARC provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—Thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Long Live Evil will be out 1st August 2024
July 31, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Orbit for the ARC. It hasn't affected the contents of my review.
Okay, so I loved this, even though it wasn't perfect, and I kind of want to bump my 4.5 stars up to five. I feel like it might be one of those cases where after I read future books and re-read this one, it will be a full five. I want to get a physical copy and annotate! There are a LOT of people who are not getting what this is going for, which is fine if sad. But it's important to go in knowing it's not just a campy, fun time. I think this book is a smart, fun send-up of fantasy as a genre with actual pathos behind it. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters once the author really gets a chance to do things with them.
Update: nah, you know what, fuck it. Five stars.
[4.5 stars]
Okay, so I loved this, even though it wasn't perfect, and I kind of want to bump my 4.5 stars up to five. I feel like it might be one of those cases where after I read future books and re-read this one, it will be a full five. I want to get a physical copy and annotate! There are a LOT of people who are not getting what this is going for, which is fine if sad. But it's important to go in knowing it's not just a campy, fun time. I think this book is a smart, fun send-up of fantasy as a genre with actual pathos behind it. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters once the author really gets a chance to do things with them.
Update: nah, you know what, fuck it. Five stars.
[4.5 stars]
Want to read
January 13, 2023um, yes. leigh bardugo said this book is insanely good and who am I to ignore that
August 9, 2024
this was supposed to be such a good villain romance 😭😭 it was just so cringey and dumb and stupid omg i had to dnf
thank you to netgalley + the publisher for an arc <3
thank you to netgalley + the publisher for an arc <3
August 16, 2024
DNF bei 38%, weil ich es einfach nicht mehr aushalte. Es hätte so gut sein können: Protagonistin gelangt aus der "realen" Welt in eine Buchwelt und nimmt dort die Rolle einer Schurkin ein, die gleich zu Beginn exekutiert werden soll. Wie cool, oder? Aber ich habe jetzt über ein Drittel dieses ewig langen Buches gelesen und es passiert einfach nichts. Es wird nur gequatscht. Erst mit der Dienerin, dann mit einer Wache, dann mit dem König, dann mit einem Spion, dann mit den Hofdamen. Zugegeben quatscht sich die Protagonistin dabei auch aus ihrer Exekution, aber ansonsten sind alle Gespräche Aneinanderreihungen "witziger" Bemerkungen und das ist einfach nicht auszuhalten. Nichts wird hier ernst genommen und warum sollte mich dann irgendwas davon ernsthaft interessieren? Vom Schurkenthema oder gar einer Schurkenromanze habe ich auch noch nichts weiter mitbekommen, vielleicht kommt das später aber noch. Insgesamt ist es irgendwie wie schlecht geschriebene Fanfiction, die jedoch nicht auf liebgewonnene Charaktere oder eine interessante Geschichte und Welt zurückgreifen kann, und damit für mich einfach nicht weiter lesenswert.
August 16, 2024
3.0 Stars
This is a fun premise that is executed in a lighthearted, romantasy kind of way. I personally love reading from the villain's perspective in books although this one never feels evil.
I appreciated this one, but I will admit that I should have anticipated how cutesy the tone would be. There is a heavy emphasis on romance, but I did not find myself particularly engrossed in that aspect.
I would primarily recommend this one to readers who enjoy the emerging romantasy subgenre or are looking for a lighter palette cleanser between darker stories.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
This is a fun premise that is executed in a lighthearted, romantasy kind of way. I personally love reading from the villain's perspective in books although this one never feels evil.
I appreciated this one, but I will admit that I should have anticipated how cutesy the tone would be. There is a heavy emphasis on romance, but I did not find myself particularly engrossed in that aspect.
I would primarily recommend this one to readers who enjoy the emerging romantasy subgenre or are looking for a lighter palette cleanser between darker stories.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
June 28, 2024
look ok the good is that this is written with enough clear love of the high fantasy genre that it is buoyed by a certain natural charm if you also love high fantasy. there's a sincerity underneath the memes and quips. even though the memes are so, so old. oh my god. none postdate 2015, generously. when the protagonist, perfecting her villainy, thinks "shoulders down neck long think murder" i had to put the book down for a good 20 minutes. but to be clear i did pick it back up and finish it in one day so there's that. even though it has an extended description of a musical number, with filk lyrics and everything.
the character writing is overall punchy and fun, particularly if you liked galavant, which i didn't. except that the rendering of the token black character (btw the tokenism is not an attempt at subverting a trope it is genuinely insanely 2014ely something srb doesn't seem to have noticed she did) is, by way of well-meaning white-person-who-saw-spiderverse brainworms, comically racist. introduced with the word "bling". closing my fucking eyes.
but here's the thing about putting out this book in the 2020s — it is written with a ton of affection and familiarity baked into the plot and archetypes but it's still mostly concerned with turning to the audience and tutting through the fourth wall: women have agency! not ALL women with big knockers are evil! everyone thinks women are sluts and no one thinks men are sluts! posting live from 2012! (2012 "AF", you might say, and certainly, someone does, in dialogue.)
like aside the fact that the takes were covered to exhaustion BEFORE game of thrones went ignobly off the air: let's think about the market shift. who is writing, unquestioningly, "the king is seduced by an evil big knocker sorceress, recognizable as evil by her big knockers" in the 2020s. in the 2010s even. we have total post-takes market capture. we've done this and redone this; it has influenced the politics of the writing AND the forms of popular sff. people are frankly afraid point blank to write fun stylish villains (certainly -esses) because they're constantly looking over their shoulder trying to do 4d chess about Reclaiming the Tropes as opposed to just writing complete characters with full interiority and it's in fact very frustrating to read a fun take on fantasy pastiche that asserts "everyone becomes a full character when written with full interiority" and then go back to girlboss knockerposting. to get REAL about the present market if you want to find a mean bitch slut on the fantasy-adjacent shelves these days you're far more likely to find her being written secondarily by a woman doing a school-of-madeleine-miller ~reclamation of a woman who's ~just misunderstood. BUT ANYWAY. let's be so fucking serious. who are you talking to. who is disagreeing with you. do we have a clamoring market for white person isekai or are you just afraid to write genre fiction, even lighthearted genre fiction, without a veil of the kind of fourth-wall irony that went out of fashion when whedon stopped being allowed to write for tv. the evil, you might say, has been defeated, but i'm sure she's saving that one for the next book.
also straight up two (2) out of three (3) of the ships get the 'i am your dog' devoted knight beat. yeah it's a classic but if you have three ships you can drum up more tropes than joe biden thinks there are genders.
the character writing is overall punchy and fun, particularly if you liked galavant, which i didn't. except that the rendering of the token black character (btw the tokenism is not an attempt at subverting a trope it is genuinely insanely 2014ely something srb doesn't seem to have noticed she did) is, by way of well-meaning white-person-who-saw-spiderverse brainworms, comically racist. introduced with the word "bling". closing my fucking eyes.
but here's the thing about putting out this book in the 2020s — it is written with a ton of affection and familiarity baked into the plot and archetypes but it's still mostly concerned with turning to the audience and tutting through the fourth wall: women have agency! not ALL women with big knockers are evil! everyone thinks women are sluts and no one thinks men are sluts! posting live from 2012! (2012 "AF", you might say, and certainly, someone does, in dialogue.)
like aside the fact that the takes were covered to exhaustion BEFORE game of thrones went ignobly off the air: let's think about the market shift. who is writing, unquestioningly, "the king is seduced by an evil big knocker sorceress, recognizable as evil by her big knockers" in the 2020s. in the 2010s even. we have total post-takes market capture. we've done this and redone this; it has influenced the politics of the writing AND the forms of popular sff. people are frankly afraid point blank to write fun stylish villains (certainly -esses) because they're constantly looking over their shoulder trying to do 4d chess about Reclaiming the Tropes as opposed to just writing complete characters with full interiority and it's in fact very frustrating to read a fun take on fantasy pastiche that asserts "everyone becomes a full character when written with full interiority" and then go back to girlboss knockerposting. to get REAL about the present market if you want to find a mean bitch slut on the fantasy-adjacent shelves these days you're far more likely to find her being written secondarily by a woman doing a school-of-madeleine-miller ~reclamation of a woman who's ~just misunderstood. BUT ANYWAY. let's be so fucking serious. who are you talking to. who is disagreeing with you. do we have a clamoring market for white person isekai or are you just afraid to write genre fiction, even lighthearted genre fiction, without a veil of the kind of fourth-wall irony that went out of fashion when whedon stopped being allowed to write for tv. the evil, you might say, has been defeated, but i'm sure she's saving that one for the next book.
also straight up two (2) out of three (3) of the ships get the 'i am your dog' devoted knight beat. yeah it's a classic but if you have three ships you can drum up more tropes than joe biden thinks there are genders.
Want to read
August 31, 2024Yeah I need to read this after loving in other lands so much
July 19, 2024
Rae’s future is looking pretty bleak: hospitalised with cancer with only her younger sister to keep her company with stories from her favourite book series. When a stranger offers her a chance to journey to Eyam, the land in her books, to steal the Flower of Life and Death and either succeed and wake up or fail and die, Rae steps through the door.
Only thing is, she wakes in the body of Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood. The heroine's evil stepsister. And she is due to be executed the next day.
Along with her minions: volatile gutter guard, low-key manically okay with evil, Key; and her perceptive, unfriendly maid Emer; Rae must utilise all sorts of evil conniving to survive.
That's why I like bad guys. Imagine powerless pining in a tower waiting for a hero to rescue you. Then imagine being the only one who can command the monster.
This was so wacky and meta.
There was a lot of info-dumping but the story structure meant this was allowed, providing backstory and history as a plot device.
Expect musical numbers (yes actually written out dancing and singing in ballrooms), lots of modern day references, and a heck of a lot of fun.
That’s not to say this was just a fun time.
The narrative provided an excellent and profound analysis of people’s perceptions and treatment of others based on expectations. Especially surrounding the terminally sick and hopeless situations.
Framing this as a reason to do evil actually made you sympathise.
”Have you never considered art grants us the impossible? Art opens a door into someone else's imagination and lets us walk through. Art is the dreamed-of escape. Art lets the dead speak and the living laugh. Art takes you away from pain when no medicine can save you. Art is the first and last word. Art is the final consolation."
The author’s note at the end actually made me tear up. Brennan recovered from stage four cancer herself, and you can tell the poignant and emotional truths in this book.
Not to mention, her acknowledgments shouted out some of my favourite books ever. Goals.
I thought this was a standalone. Do not be fooled. Nooooo.
High three stars!🌟
If you enjoyed this concept, I would recommend:
- How to become a dark lord or die trying Django Wexler
- Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
- Kill your darlings arlings by L. E. Harper
Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
Only thing is, she wakes in the body of Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood. The heroine's evil stepsister. And she is due to be executed the next day.
Along with her minions: volatile gutter guard, low-key manically okay with evil, Key; and her perceptive, unfriendly maid Emer; Rae must utilise all sorts of evil conniving to survive.
That's why I like bad guys. Imagine powerless pining in a tower waiting for a hero to rescue you. Then imagine being the only one who can command the monster.
This was so wacky and meta.
There was a lot of info-dumping but the story structure meant this was allowed, providing backstory and history as a plot device.
Expect musical numbers (yes actually written out dancing and singing in ballrooms), lots of modern day references, and a heck of a lot of fun.
That’s not to say this was just a fun time.
The narrative provided an excellent and profound analysis of people’s perceptions and treatment of others based on expectations. Especially surrounding the terminally sick and hopeless situations.
Framing this as a reason to do evil actually made you sympathise.
”Have you never considered art grants us the impossible? Art opens a door into someone else's imagination and lets us walk through. Art is the dreamed-of escape. Art lets the dead speak and the living laugh. Art takes you away from pain when no medicine can save you. Art is the first and last word. Art is the final consolation."
The author’s note at the end actually made me tear up. Brennan recovered from stage four cancer herself, and you can tell the poignant and emotional truths in this book.
Not to mention, her acknowledgments shouted out some of my favourite books ever. Goals.
I thought this was a standalone. Do not be fooled. Nooooo.
High three stars!🌟
If you enjoyed this concept, I would recommend:
- How to become a dark lord or die trying Django Wexler
- Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
- Kill your darlings arlings by L. E. Harper
Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for a review.
Bookstagram
June 26, 2024
This book, and I cannot stress this enough, is so much fun.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I adore villainess manhwas. Are they all the exact same plot? (Girl from human world dies and wakes up in the body of a villainess in a story and either decides to become good and accidentally gets with the hero OR keeps being evil and gets with an equally handsome side character) Yes! Are they predictable? (Trust me when I say I’ve read 100 of these and they all go the same way) Yes! Do I still keep reading them? (YES!!!)
I heard about this book from an Instagram ad way before it was even up to request an early copy, and I RAN to get one when the time came. I swear I would have finished this sooner if I didn’t start it at the same time that I was going through my worst reading slump yet (senior finals and graduating will do that to you).
Everything about this — from the premise to the characters to the plot — was incredibly enjoyable. I am infamously a characters over plot person, and I’m happy to say that neither disappointed. It was camp! It was weird! The people were fun to read about!
My biggest complaint, and I do need to point it out, is that the writing is rather immature at times. As in, it feels sort of amateur-ish. Something will get brought up in one paragraph and dropped in the next in a way that’s a bit awkward. But I’ve read worse written stuff, so it didn’t bother me too much.
I love how bitchy Rae is. We don’t get a lot of genuinely sardonic and mean female characters anymore. Which is sort of the point the book is trying to make, I suppose. Key was fucking insane (like, the type of insane where even other villains think he’s weird), and I loved it. Insane and freaky men have my whole heart. The Cobra was mildly cringey at times, but I forgive him considering his background Which I Shall Not Name. Marius was confusing and brooding and wildly homoerotic and I love him. The characters are a treat.
I can only hope after reading this that Western authors decide to make isekais the next big thing. I would kill to read more full length I’m-a-normal-person-trapped-as-a-character-in-a-fantasy-story-and-I’m-probably-also-evil? books. The manhwas have been feeding me for years, but I can’t survive off of them alone!!! If you enjoy camp and a bit of doomed narrative, read this. And if you don’t end up liking it, please stay away from me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I adore villainess manhwas. Are they all the exact same plot? (Girl from human world dies and wakes up in the body of a villainess in a story and either decides to become good and accidentally gets with the hero OR keeps being evil and gets with an equally handsome side character) Yes! Are they predictable? (Trust me when I say I’ve read 100 of these and they all go the same way) Yes! Do I still keep reading them? (YES!!!)
I heard about this book from an Instagram ad way before it was even up to request an early copy, and I RAN to get one when the time came. I swear I would have finished this sooner if I didn’t start it at the same time that I was going through my worst reading slump yet (senior finals and graduating will do that to you).
Everything about this — from the premise to the characters to the plot — was incredibly enjoyable. I am infamously a characters over plot person, and I’m happy to say that neither disappointed. It was camp! It was weird! The people were fun to read about!
My biggest complaint, and I do need to point it out, is that the writing is rather immature at times. As in, it feels sort of amateur-ish. Something will get brought up in one paragraph and dropped in the next in a way that’s a bit awkward. But I’ve read worse written stuff, so it didn’t bother me too much.
I love how bitchy Rae is. We don’t get a lot of genuinely sardonic and mean female characters anymore. Which is sort of the point the book is trying to make, I suppose. Key was fucking insane (like, the type of insane where even other villains think he’s weird), and I loved it. Insane and freaky men have my whole heart. The Cobra was mildly cringey at times, but I forgive him considering his background Which I Shall Not Name. Marius was confusing and brooding and wildly homoerotic and I love him. The characters are a treat.
I can only hope after reading this that Western authors decide to make isekais the next big thing. I would kill to read more full length I’m-a-normal-person-trapped-as-a-character-in-a-fantasy-story-and-I’m-probably-also-evil? books. The manhwas have been feeding me for years, but I can’t survive off of them alone!!! If you enjoy camp and a bit of doomed narrative, read this. And if you don’t end up liking it, please stay away from me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
August 12, 2024
What the FUCK
(More coherent review to come)
(More coherent review to come)
July 9, 2024
I'm sorry to say that this was a DNF for me, at around 25%. I was so thrilled to receive what was one of my highly anticipated reads. The premise sounds unique and exciting (I LOVE the villains) and that cover?! Stunning.
Initially, it did not disappoint. We're introduced to our FMC, Rae, in hospital as she battles cancer. Dying, she strikes a magical bargain that transports her into the world of her favourite fantasy book series as the villainess. The ultimate escapism! So far, so excellent! I adored Rae. She's sassy, pragmatic and irreverent despite her pain and struggles. Her relationship with her sister was portrayed beautifully - so protective and loving. I couldn't wait to see our bitter, wounded, snarky, modern-day FMC with her heart of gold become the villain of an epic high fantasy world.
Once we made that transition though, the wheels started to come off (for me). This is marketed as an "adult epic fantasy" but it felt more like a parody. Consistent dialogue such as "seriously, you will be powerful A.F" / "I'm a heartless monster with a strong character and stronger eyeliner game" and "i'm totally evil, and I want you to be my evil minions." was just not landing with me the way I think it intended. It completely diluted all of the depth and stakes established in the beginning. Rae and the secondary characters began to feel like caricatures who I wasn't supposed to take seriously anymore and I lost that sense of connection to her. I kept putting it down and coming back to it at a later time/date in the hopes it would start to click with me again, but unfortunately, despite revisiting it on multiple occasions, it just wasn't working for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book group for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Initially, it did not disappoint. We're introduced to our FMC, Rae, in hospital as she battles cancer. Dying, she strikes a magical bargain that transports her into the world of her favourite fantasy book series as the villainess. The ultimate escapism! So far, so excellent! I adored Rae. She's sassy, pragmatic and irreverent despite her pain and struggles. Her relationship with her sister was portrayed beautifully - so protective and loving. I couldn't wait to see our bitter, wounded, snarky, modern-day FMC with her heart of gold become the villain of an epic high fantasy world.
Once we made that transition though, the wheels started to come off (for me). This is marketed as an "adult epic fantasy" but it felt more like a parody. Consistent dialogue such as "seriously, you will be powerful A.F" / "I'm a heartless monster with a strong character and stronger eyeliner game" and "i'm totally evil, and I want you to be my evil minions." was just not landing with me the way I think it intended. It completely diluted all of the depth and stakes established in the beginning. Rae and the secondary characters began to feel like caricatures who I wasn't supposed to take seriously anymore and I lost that sense of connection to her. I kept putting it down and coming back to it at a later time/date in the hopes it would start to click with me again, but unfortunately, despite revisiting it on multiple occasions, it just wasn't working for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book group for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
May 4, 2024WE NEED MORE VILLAINESS-CENTRIC NOVELS
August 10, 2024
How many times have you dreamt of entering the world of your favourite novel or series? Got lost in the thought of meeting that character or leading the charge against that villain? Being the one to entice that dark haired, shadow wielding … *cough* ok, let me bring it back to the point. Many of us dream of entering our favourite fantasy novel, with the usual caveats, of course. Obviously, we want to be one of the rich or powerful or beautiful characters, not the cannon fodder or poverty stricken nobodies that hover in the background, worth nothing more than a passing reference, if that. But what would it take you to actually DO it? Maybe your imminent death? That’s what happens to Rae. When a mysterious woman reveals that there’s no hope left for her, that her tumours have spread and the upcoming costs of treatment will destroy her family before she dies anyway, she’s offered one opportunity to change it all, to live. And she takes it. Who wouldn’t? Finding herself in the pages of her favourite fantasy series, Rae uses every bit of her (admittedly patchy) knowledge of the plot to keep herself alive and manipulate her way to her goal - stealing the Flower of Life and Death. It’s her only chance to live her real life again, free of disease and pain. But being a villain is harder than it looks and the real world is not the only place where death stalks the story…
There’s no doubt that this is hugely fun and one of the most innovative and memorable books I’ve read in a long time. I’m not usually a fan of modern day/fantasy crossovers, but the pop culture references in this were spot on and genuinely funny. The main character’s awareness of the ‘rules’ of fantasy, and this story in particular, had the same vibe that’s been used so effectively in horror films - there’s real comedy in the meta aspect of genre fiction and the author plays that game well here. Our main character, Rae, now Lady Rahela, leans in to her role as sexy villainess, and up first on her to-do list is preventing the execution plan that will have her dead the morning immediately following her ‘arrival’ in her new body. But Rae is a problem solver and without the heavy burden of a dying body and endless pain, she’s ready to take on the world. And boy, does she do it with style. Building a team of evil minions, she schemes her way into a whole new plot line. While Cobra (spymaster and bling extraordinaire) was a firm favourite, I quickly fell totally in love with the amoral Key (person, not inanimate object) whose love of backstabbing and all other forms of violent action was wickedly appealing. I’m a sucker for a bad boy. Or in this case, a gleeful sociopath. There may be a deck of morally grey characters in this novel, but some are pitch black - selfish and savagely cut-throat. In a novel which questions what it really means to be a hero or villain, it’s fun to see darkness walking in the figure of Key. Who doesn’t want a man who’d kill the whole world just to brighten your day?
Playfully shattering expectations from the first page to the last, this author brings us a truly original reading experience. The ending was everything that I wanted, dark and deadly and beautifully obsessive. There’s something so freeing about being able to cheer for Team Evil without any of those pesky moral qualms. Who knows what kind of death and destruction they plan next? Whatever depths of Hell they sink to, I’ll be there for the party with my own sharp smile.
ARC via Netgalley
There’s no doubt that this is hugely fun and one of the most innovative and memorable books I’ve read in a long time. I’m not usually a fan of modern day/fantasy crossovers, but the pop culture references in this were spot on and genuinely funny. The main character’s awareness of the ‘rules’ of fantasy, and this story in particular, had the same vibe that’s been used so effectively in horror films - there’s real comedy in the meta aspect of genre fiction and the author plays that game well here. Our main character, Rae, now Lady Rahela, leans in to her role as sexy villainess, and up first on her to-do list is preventing the execution plan that will have her dead the morning immediately following her ‘arrival’ in her new body. But Rae is a problem solver and without the heavy burden of a dying body and endless pain, she’s ready to take on the world. And boy, does she do it with style. Building a team of evil minions, she schemes her way into a whole new plot line. While Cobra (spymaster and bling extraordinaire) was a firm favourite, I quickly fell totally in love with the amoral Key (person, not inanimate object) whose love of backstabbing and all other forms of violent action was wickedly appealing. I’m a sucker for a bad boy. Or in this case, a gleeful sociopath. There may be a deck of morally grey characters in this novel, but some are pitch black - selfish and savagely cut-throat. In a novel which questions what it really means to be a hero or villain, it’s fun to see darkness walking in the figure of Key. Who doesn’t want a man who’d kill the whole world just to brighten your day?
Playfully shattering expectations from the first page to the last, this author brings us a truly original reading experience. The ending was everything that I wanted, dark and deadly and beautifully obsessive. There’s something so freeing about being able to cheer for Team Evil without any of those pesky moral qualms. Who knows what kind of death and destruction they plan next? Whatever depths of Hell they sink to, I’ll be there for the party with my own sharp smile.
ARC via Netgalley
September 1, 2024
DNF 15%
This book is 10 years later to the “isekai” party and “Beware of the villainess” already did many of the jokes and lamp-shading better.
If you want a good isekai story where the “villainess” call out many of the sexist tropes in fantasy/romance novels all while befriending (and maybe more) the female protagonist (who is not what she seems) then I 100% recommend that one instead of this pale imitation.
https://wuxia.click/novel/beware-of-t...
This book is 10 years later to the “isekai” party and “Beware of the villainess” already did many of the jokes and lamp-shading better.
If you want a good isekai story where the “villainess” call out many of the sexist tropes in fantasy/romance novels all while befriending (and maybe more) the female protagonist (who is not what she seems) then I 100% recommend that one instead of this pale imitation.
https://wuxia.click/novel/beware-of-t...
April 20, 2024
Wow, loved reading this book, loved this villainess tale, it was so good, I loved the anger and I can't wait for the sequel!
July 23, 2024
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
Featuring a motley crew of unhinged villains, lots of questionable choices, and a shit ton of wicked and wacky humour, Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil is a diabolically fun yet surprisingly poignant take on a portal fantasy.
What would you do if you were presented with a life or death opportunity to enter your favourite fantasy series? For Rae, whose entire life collapsed 3 years ago when she got diagnosed with cancer, the choice is easy. All she must do is step into the world of Eyam and steal the Flower of Life and Death, which should be a piece of cake with her infinite knowledge of the story. That is, until she wakes up in the body of Rahela, the evil stepsister to the heroine, who is due to be executed the next day. Together with a motley crew of the most wicked characters, she starts scheming to pull off this deadly heist and maybe, possibly give the villains a chance at a happy ending, if they can surive until the final page.
Within the first few pages, Sarah Rees Brennan just sets the tone and it’s honestly an absolute trainwreck in the best way possible from there on out. Long Live Evil is ridiculously entertaining, campy, and extremely meta, and somehow it just works? I will admit that the first couple of chapters were a bit overwhelming and had me worried that the tongue-in-cheek humour would become tiresome after a while, but holy smokes did my trust in Brennan pay off in the end.
Rae is just an absolute hoot to follow, and I absolutely loved her ‘devil may care’ attitude (because this is all fiction anyway, right?). The way that she navigates this fantasy world and interacts with all the in-world characters was entirely too amusing, and the culture clashing between her 21st century Earth customs and the outdated way of life in the world of Eyam resulted in so many hysterical scenarios that had me cackling out loud more times than I’d like to admit.
Though while Rae absolutely carried the story for me, I also really loved some of the ‘minions’ that she recruits for her evil master plan. Especially Key (the unhinged and slightly sociopathic guard with a dangerously seductive grin) and The Cobra (a rakish spymaster with a heart of gold despite his interestingly traumatic backstory) really captured my heart, and their character arcs had some surprising twists and turns that had my jaw on the floor and hit me right in the feels. Not to mention the slow-burn romance elements with killing as their love language… chef’s kiss!!!
Long Live Evil truly just kept subverting and shattering my expectations at every possible opportunity, which created an exciting level of unpredictability that totally took me by surprise, especially given the fact that Rae knows how this story is supposed to end. Moreover, I really liked how Brennan cleverly used Rae’s modern sensibilities to deliver an hysterical level of meta commentary on the fantasy genre that is not only extremely funny but also gives this story unexpected layers of depth and nuance.
Because honestly, it’s not just all shits and giggles. Rae’s experience with cancer, based on Brennan’s own harrowing life experiences, looms like a constant dark cloud over the story, and I really appreciated the deeper themes of mortality, mental health, morality, and the dire consequences of your actions. It doesn’t take long before fiction and reality start to blur, which quickly raised the emotional stakes to unbelievable heights and resulted in some heavy emotional gut punches that just hurt so good.
At some points Long Live Evil does admittedly get a bit convoluted with the double narrative of the ‘original’ story and the unexpected divergences due to Rae’s meddling, and I honestly think the multi-POV set-up only increased the chaos. For me, Lord Marius and Emer’s perspectives paled a bit in comparison to Rae’s loud and audacious narration, but I do have to say that I eventually warmed up to them as the plot thickened.
And ultimately, there’s truly no denying that Brennan absolutely nailed the execution of this story, ending on a cruelly bittersweet cliffhanger that could very well kickstart my own villain origin story if I don’t get the next instalment asap. If you are looking for a refreshingly subversive and delightfully twisted story that simultaneously feels like a love letter to and a diss track about the fantasy genre, then I can’t recommend Long Live Evil highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Long Live Evil is scheduled for release on August 1st, 2024.
Featuring a motley crew of unhinged villains, lots of questionable choices, and a shit ton of wicked and wacky humour, Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil is a diabolically fun yet surprisingly poignant take on a portal fantasy.
What would you do if you were presented with a life or death opportunity to enter your favourite fantasy series? For Rae, whose entire life collapsed 3 years ago when she got diagnosed with cancer, the choice is easy. All she must do is step into the world of Eyam and steal the Flower of Life and Death, which should be a piece of cake with her infinite knowledge of the story. That is, until she wakes up in the body of Rahela, the evil stepsister to the heroine, who is due to be executed the next day. Together with a motley crew of the most wicked characters, she starts scheming to pull off this deadly heist and maybe, possibly give the villains a chance at a happy ending, if they can surive until the final page.
Within the first few pages, Sarah Rees Brennan just sets the tone and it’s honestly an absolute trainwreck in the best way possible from there on out. Long Live Evil is ridiculously entertaining, campy, and extremely meta, and somehow it just works? I will admit that the first couple of chapters were a bit overwhelming and had me worried that the tongue-in-cheek humour would become tiresome after a while, but holy smokes did my trust in Brennan pay off in the end.
Rae is just an absolute hoot to follow, and I absolutely loved her ‘devil may care’ attitude (because this is all fiction anyway, right?). The way that she navigates this fantasy world and interacts with all the in-world characters was entirely too amusing, and the culture clashing between her 21st century Earth customs and the outdated way of life in the world of Eyam resulted in so many hysterical scenarios that had me cackling out loud more times than I’d like to admit.
Though while Rae absolutely carried the story for me, I also really loved some of the ‘minions’ that she recruits for her evil master plan. Especially Key (the unhinged and slightly sociopathic guard with a dangerously seductive grin) and The Cobra (a rakish spymaster with a heart of gold despite his interestingly traumatic backstory) really captured my heart, and their character arcs had some surprising twists and turns that had my jaw on the floor and hit me right in the feels. Not to mention the slow-burn romance elements with killing as their love language… chef’s kiss!!!
Long Live Evil truly just kept subverting and shattering my expectations at every possible opportunity, which created an exciting level of unpredictability that totally took me by surprise, especially given the fact that Rae knows how this story is supposed to end. Moreover, I really liked how Brennan cleverly used Rae’s modern sensibilities to deliver an hysterical level of meta commentary on the fantasy genre that is not only extremely funny but also gives this story unexpected layers of depth and nuance.
Because honestly, it’s not just all shits and giggles. Rae’s experience with cancer, based on Brennan’s own harrowing life experiences, looms like a constant dark cloud over the story, and I really appreciated the deeper themes of mortality, mental health, morality, and the dire consequences of your actions. It doesn’t take long before fiction and reality start to blur, which quickly raised the emotional stakes to unbelievable heights and resulted in some heavy emotional gut punches that just hurt so good.
At some points Long Live Evil does admittedly get a bit convoluted with the double narrative of the ‘original’ story and the unexpected divergences due to Rae’s meddling, and I honestly think the multi-POV set-up only increased the chaos. For me, Lord Marius and Emer’s perspectives paled a bit in comparison to Rae’s loud and audacious narration, but I do have to say that I eventually warmed up to them as the plot thickened.
And ultimately, there’s truly no denying that Brennan absolutely nailed the execution of this story, ending on a cruelly bittersweet cliffhanger that could very well kickstart my own villain origin story if I don’t get the next instalment asap. If you are looking for a refreshingly subversive and delightfully twisted story that simultaneously feels like a love letter to and a diss track about the fantasy genre, then I can’t recommend Long Live Evil highly enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Long Live Evil is scheduled for release on August 1st, 2024.
August 21, 2024
"Een boek lezen was als iemand voor het eerst ontmoeten. Je weet van tevoren nooit of je genoeg van ze zult houden, of ze juist genoeg zult haten, om elk detail van ze te willen weten. Of dat je met ze op de oppervlakte blijft dobberen en nooit hun diepten ontdekt."
Misschien voorspelde dit boek al wat ik ervan zou gaan vinden: op de oppervlakte blijven dobberen. Hoewel ik het idee van het boek enorm leuk vond, pakte het verhaal me namelijk iets minder dan ik wilde. Het idee klonk als een boekversie van mijn favoriete film van vroeger: Lang Leve de Koningin. Toch is de uitvoering iets minder. Dat heeft niets met het verhaal te maken, want het plot vond ik oprecht interessant. Het zat hem met name in de infodump aan namen. Want Rae mag misschien de boekenserie waar ze in terecht komt goed kennen, dat geldt niet voor mij als lezer. Ik had een karakterlijstje dan ook erg waardevol gevonden. Ik kon namelijk enorm moeilijk bijhouden wie wie was en dat heeft er wel voor gezorgd dat ik weinig connectie voelde met de karakters.
Het is jammer, want het boek heeft zo veel leuke elementen. Het duurde even om erin te komen, maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat, las het echt wel lekker door. Er zit ontzettend veel humor in, grappige verwijzingen naar dingen in de hedendaagse wereld en leuke plottwists. Toch zorgden de vele karakters en de constante switches van Rae's actuele gedachten en gebeurtenissen in de 'nep'-wereld af en toe voor kortsluiting in mijn fantasiewereld. Oh en het constante benoemen van Rahela's rondingen en welvingen vond ik mateloos irritant.
Wat ik wel leuk vond, is dat het echt een keer een ander boek is dan het normale geijkte fantasygenre. Boeken zoals deze zijn er nog niet veel en dat maakte het zeker verrassend.
Toch: als dit boek zou uitkomen met een karakterlijstje van alle mensen en hun functies, dan zou het boek echt 2x zo begrijpelijk en fijner lezen zijn!
Misschien voorspelde dit boek al wat ik ervan zou gaan vinden: op de oppervlakte blijven dobberen. Hoewel ik het idee van het boek enorm leuk vond, pakte het verhaal me namelijk iets minder dan ik wilde. Het idee klonk als een boekversie van mijn favoriete film van vroeger: Lang Leve de Koningin. Toch is de uitvoering iets minder. Dat heeft niets met het verhaal te maken, want het plot vond ik oprecht interessant. Het zat hem met name in de infodump aan namen. Want Rae mag misschien de boekenserie waar ze in terecht komt goed kennen, dat geldt niet voor mij als lezer. Ik had een karakterlijstje dan ook erg waardevol gevonden. Ik kon namelijk enorm moeilijk bijhouden wie wie was en dat heeft er wel voor gezorgd dat ik weinig connectie voelde met de karakters.
Het is jammer, want het boek heeft zo veel leuke elementen. Het duurde even om erin te komen, maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat, las het echt wel lekker door. Er zit ontzettend veel humor in, grappige verwijzingen naar dingen in de hedendaagse wereld en leuke plottwists. Toch zorgden de vele karakters en de constante switches van Rae's actuele gedachten en gebeurtenissen in de 'nep'-wereld af en toe voor kortsluiting in mijn fantasiewereld. Oh en het constante benoemen van Rahela's rondingen en welvingen vond ik mateloos irritant.
Wat ik wel leuk vond, is dat het echt een keer een ander boek is dan het normale geijkte fantasygenre. Boeken zoals deze zijn er nog niet veel en dat maakte het zeker verrassend.
Toch: als dit boek zou uitkomen met een karakterlijstje van alle mensen en hun functies, dan zou het boek echt 2x zo begrijpelijk en fijner lezen zijn!
July 30, 2024
This was kind of a strange experience overall. I'll admit I had some doubts in the beginning, though the promise of the concept kept me going, and while I did get a little lost around the middle, I was seriously won over by the end -- but there's enough sprinkled throughout to keep you going so don't take that to mean all the good is at the end. It was just the most consistently good.
The concept of this story is so good. Being transported into your favourite book to escape the world. Subverting tropes. The reality of villainy in fiction. The general nuance present in all of it. And how even assuming you know the story doesn't mean you can control it.
I did struggle most with Rae and her modern dialogue within the framework of the fantasy setting and how she only made an effort to camouflage her strangeness, like, two percent of the time. I know she struggled to believe that what was happening was real, and that her actions had implications, but even still.. it wasn't always cute. It did allow for some character development and some interesting conversations with those around her, those in the know and not, even if half the time those conversations made little to no sense for those on the receiving end. Which, again, a little weird.
If you lean into some of the ridiculousness, though, it's a good time. And I was definitely the most compelled by a certain non-pairing every time they were in each other's orbits.. and I'm so desperate for that realization to come. On both their ends. I need it. Plus, again, woven throughout, there were so many interesting takes on the typical way stories, and the character archetypes, play out. It's one of those reads where you both can't wait to push on but also feel force yourself to read on.. riiiight until about the 75% mark where I could not put this down.
The concept is great, though, and if not for occasionally disliking the main character driving the plot, this would've been rated even higher. But I have a feeling she'll be more fun in the instalment to come. And I'm very much looking forward to it.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
The concept of this story is so good. Being transported into your favourite book to escape the world. Subverting tropes. The reality of villainy in fiction. The general nuance present in all of it. And how even assuming you know the story doesn't mean you can control it.
I did struggle most with Rae and her modern dialogue within the framework of the fantasy setting and how she only made an effort to camouflage her strangeness, like, two percent of the time. I know she struggled to believe that what was happening was real, and that her actions had implications, but even still.. it wasn't always cute. It did allow for some character development and some interesting conversations with those around her, those in the know and not, even if half the time those conversations made little to no sense for those on the receiving end. Which, again, a little weird.
If you lean into some of the ridiculousness, though, it's a good time. And I was definitely the most compelled by a certain non-pairing every time they were in each other's orbits.. and I'm so desperate for that realization to come. On both their ends. I need it. Plus, again, woven throughout, there were so many interesting takes on the typical way stories, and the character archetypes, play out. It's one of those reads where you both can't wait to push on but also feel force yourself to read on.. riiiight until about the 75% mark where I could not put this down.
The concept is great, though, and if not for occasionally disliking the main character driving the plot, this would've been rated even higher. But I have a feeling she'll be more fun in the instalment to come. And I'm very much looking forward to it.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
July 19, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
what a wild ride this book is! I have to admit that the beginning was kind of difficult to get through, if only because the writing is kind of quirky and unique and the story felt a bit chaotic. however, after getting used to the narration, I became completely immersed in the story!
what I love the most about this book were the characters and their complex personalities. here, the heroes are villainous and the villains are heroic. there's such a delicious blend of characters, and I was not expecting to get as attached to them as I did, especially the ones in the story where Rae ends up. in a way, I followed her philosophy of "they're characters, they're not real", until I found myself wishing for everything to work out for them, wanting to protect my baby Cobra!
in terms of plot, I thought I knew where the story was heading in the beginning, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover twists and turns at every step. I was not prepared for the ending at all, it completely caught me off-guard (which I loved!).
also, I have to give credit to the fact that the book manages to be at times funny and serious, shallow and deep - there's a great balance at play that is rarely done well, but here it's done perfectly (I laughed a lot while reading this, but also had some moments when I was bawling my eyes out and had to put my Kindle away for a break).
there's so much more I want to say about this but I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop here. I 1000% recommend this!
what a wild ride this book is! I have to admit that the beginning was kind of difficult to get through, if only because the writing is kind of quirky and unique and the story felt a bit chaotic. however, after getting used to the narration, I became completely immersed in the story!
what I love the most about this book were the characters and their complex personalities. here, the heroes are villainous and the villains are heroic. there's such a delicious blend of characters, and I was not expecting to get as attached to them as I did, especially the ones in the story where Rae ends up. in a way, I followed her philosophy of "they're characters, they're not real", until I found myself wishing for everything to work out for them, wanting to protect my baby Cobra!
in terms of plot, I thought I knew where the story was heading in the beginning, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover twists and turns at every step. I was not prepared for the ending at all, it completely caught me off-guard (which I loved!).
also, I have to give credit to the fact that the book manages to be at times funny and serious, shallow and deep - there's a great balance at play that is rarely done well, but here it's done perfectly (I laughed a lot while reading this, but also had some moments when I was bawling my eyes out and had to put my Kindle away for a break).
there's so much more I want to say about this but I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop here. I 1000% recommend this!
August 16, 2024
Can you imagine being transported to your favorite book to escape the world? I absolutely can so could me in for sure!
But although I enjoyed reading Sarah Rees Brennan's adult fantasy debut, it wasn't as good as I had hoped. As the plot jumps back and forth between the past and the present, it begins fairly confusingly. Even while I think having two distinct timeframes is a great idea, this wasn't the greatest executed here.
What I liked best were the characters, particularly Rae. Her attitude and actions struck me as incredibly relatable. Despite her best efforts to embrace her villainous persona, her genuine compassion was evident throughout the entire story.
Also, I must admit that I really enjoyed this book's sense of humor. I believe the author picked the best pop culture allusions for this book; they were a wonderful fit for the story!
Although this book's writing and dialogues weren't always the best, they are generally rather decent, especially if you take into account that this is a debut book, and reading it was easy and quick overall.
Overall, I give this book a 3,5 because, although it had certain shortcomings, I still found it to be enjoyable and believe that this series has much more potential. Because an awesome and fascinating the story is, I would suggest it to any fantasy reader.
But although I enjoyed reading Sarah Rees Brennan's adult fantasy debut, it wasn't as good as I had hoped. As the plot jumps back and forth between the past and the present, it begins fairly confusingly. Even while I think having two distinct timeframes is a great idea, this wasn't the greatest executed here.
What I liked best were the characters, particularly Rae. Her attitude and actions struck me as incredibly relatable. Despite her best efforts to embrace her villainous persona, her genuine compassion was evident throughout the entire story.
Also, I must admit that I really enjoyed this book's sense of humor. I believe the author picked the best pop culture allusions for this book; they were a wonderful fit for the story!
Although this book's writing and dialogues weren't always the best, they are generally rather decent, especially if you take into account that this is a debut book, and reading it was easy and quick overall.
Overall, I give this book a 3,5 because, although it had certain shortcomings, I still found it to be enjoyable and believe that this series has much more potential. Because an awesome and fascinating the story is, I would suggest it to any fantasy reader.
August 1, 2024
An adult fantasy isekai about loving stories and sometimes their villains by one of my favorite authors?? I'm snarling, foaming at the mouth, pawing at the dirt for this release
Update: Bit of a mess after Brennan’s acknowledgments. Her warmth, humor, and intimacy with some of life’s shittiest bits is perfect for a story and characters like these. I can’t review this without being sappy lol I’ll just be rereading and obsessing over the Vipers, that final plot twist, and what the sequel may hold.
AHHHH, new fave new fave ❤️
Update: Bit of a mess after Brennan’s acknowledgments. Her warmth, humor, and intimacy with some of life’s shittiest bits is perfect for a story and characters like these. I can’t review this without being sappy lol I’ll just be rereading and obsessing over the Vipers, that final plot twist, and what the sequel may hold.
AHHHH, new fave new fave ❤️
July 25, 2024
what an absolute stunner.
full rtc.
full rtc.
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