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anna_t_512's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Murder, Gore, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, and Sexual harassment
kinsportch's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Blood, Genocide, and Grief
Minor: Cursing
britley_adler's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Twenty-four-year-old Evie desperately needs a job so she can support her ailing father and ten-year-old little sister. She's offered one after (literally) running into The Villain, who needs a personal assistant to do things like covertly bring him cups of overly-sweetened coffee, calendar his torture sessions, organize raids on the King's wares, and flush out a traitor in The Villain's corporate-entity-structured Evil Company, who is sabotaging all of the above and trying to kill The Villain to boot.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. It's the perfect mix of fun, romantic, and irreverent and doesn't take itself too seriously. You get the same kind of medieval-modern mix that Shrek 2 had (where they had knights in shining armor, dragons, and princesses in castles but also karaoke and the Fairy Godmother going through a drive-thru with her son, Prince Charming). In ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN, we've got ye olde King vs. Villain, blacksmiths, and old-timey gowns mixed with modern morning coffee, watercooler gossip, and HR, and from beginning to end, it's hilarious.
I adorrrrrrrred the main characters. Evie is quick-witted, organized, and unflappable, all excellent traits to have an assistant (especially as an assistant to someone who occasionally leaves dead bodies on your desk). The Villain is an age-appropriate romantic interest (only a 4-year age gap, imagine that?!), properly motivated, and evil but not That Evil (ie: he drinks his "respect women" juice daily, doesn't hurt the innocent, is nice to animals, and when he learns better, he does better). They have a Grumpy-Sunshine dynamic (my favorite of all time) and a "he's only soft for her" thing going on that is just *chef's kiss*.
The side characters are also fantastic: from Kingsley, the crown-wearing frog, to Blade, the novice dragon-tamer, to Tatiana, the healer who provides her services in exchange for secrets. Amazing character development, even for the most minor characters, and lots of twists and turns and secrets that had me suspecting *everyone* of being the traitor.
The plot is used to develop the characters, not the other way around, and this is the kind of story that that absolutely works for. Because of the plot, we discover Hidden Depths (TM) to The Villain, hidden strength in Evie, and we even get a little enemies-to-grudging-acquaintances situation in the form of Evie and Becky. The characters are the star of this book, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The reason this book is a 4-star and not 5-star rating is because of the pacing. The middle was paced just right, but the beginning was a tad slow and the ending a tad too fast. The plot twist at the end was excellent, but I usually like to be able to see them coming, and this one came out of way left field for me. I would have liked to see a tiny bit more hinting throughout the book that the traitor was who it ended up being.
Other than that small gripe, this is a perfect read when you're looking for something fun and sweet. Maehrer writes gorgeous, authentic banter, well-rounded, developed characters, and handles sensitive topics like assault, death, and familial estrangement with grace and poise. This is definitely going on my list of favorites!
Moderate: Terminal illness and Sexual assault
Minor: Blood and Torture
peachypaige's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault and Terminal illness
readsbymoonlight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Death, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Child death and Torture
neeeek's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence and Cursing
Minor: Torture, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, and Abandonment
tym_flies's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Fuck that cliffhanger tho
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Kidnapping, Blood, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, and War
maregred's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Terminal illness and Panic attacks/disorders
katipheria's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While the overall story is quite light-hearted and even silly, there are a few heavier plot points
The book does set itself up to be a series at the end by leaving a bit of a cliffhanger and plenty of loose ends. From my understanding, there will be two more books and I will definitely be picking them up when they're released.
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Grief, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Terminal illness
Minor: Child death and Cursing
niamhstorme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Alcohol, Terminal illness, Torture, Bullying, and Child death