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A review by mdizzy
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have complicated feelings about this book. I LOVE the premise and was hooked pretty much immediately. The set up was solid and I was immediately hooked, which is great. However, the middle of the book, I was starting to struggle. I love the idea of the story and there are some really good points, but I think it was pretty poorly executed.
One of the problems I had with the writing style was how much filler there is. There are too many words and too much detail, often with repetitive or oxymoronic results. It's one of those stories that I just want to take a red pen to the manuscript and rewrite entire sections. I am so mad because it has so much potential, but needs some serious editing in my (inexpert) opinion. The audiobook is over 13 hours long, but I genuinely think it could be tightened to around 10 hours.
The author utilized several tropes that I personally find annoying.
For example, Evie has a crush on her boss, but in the repetitive "I will do anything for you" way. We're supposed to find her strong and unusual and competent and a unique match for the villain and I think the basis is there, but there's so much noise. We get every single fleeting thought from her mind, often with unnecessary adjectives and no new information.The author also uses the character trope of being so convinced her crush finds her repulsive or would never be interested in her. ALSO, Evie is always touching the Villain (HER BOSS) in ways that I don't think add to the story telling/tension and she does it OFTEN and INAPPROPRIATELY (for example, in front of others in situations where the focus should be on some other aspect of the scene).
Overall I think the Villain's character rather flat as a dark brooding hero archetype.He seems rather stunted emotionally, he's not acknowledging his feelings for the heroine in a healthy way but he's also overprotective of her in the overreacting way. We're constantly told he's so evil, but it seems like what is evil about him is just supposed to be the fact that he has magic meant for killing and so he became a killer. Overall he seems to be a pretty considerate and stand up guy from the beginning. I'm not exactly upset about it, because I think the dissonance is the point, but it is a little bit of the author telling us one thing but then showing us a different truth.
The spice level is like 0.5 out of 5. I'm fine with no spice, but there was a lot of build up to not go anywhere. I am really hoping that future books actually deliver on the promise of spice from this one.
Overall I currently still want to read the second book coming out this fall, but I am less enthusiastic than I was expecting I would be at the beginning. Based on how much editing I think this book could use, I wouldn't be surprised if the first two books could have been edited down into one book.
One of the problems I had with the writing style was how much filler there is. There are too many words and too much detail, often with repetitive or oxymoronic results. It's one of those stories that I just want to take a red pen to the manuscript and rewrite entire sections. I am so mad because it has so much potential, but needs some serious editing in my (inexpert) opinion. The audiobook is over 13 hours long, but I genuinely think it could be tightened to around 10 hours.
The author utilized several tropes that I personally find annoying.
For example, Evie has a crush on her boss, but in the repetitive "I will do anything for you" way. We're supposed to find her strong and unusual and competent and a unique match for the villain and I think the basis is there, but there's so much noise. We get every single fleeting thought from her mind, often with unnecessary adjectives and no new information.
Overall I think the Villain's character rather flat as a dark brooding hero archetype.
The spice level is like 0.5 out of 5. I'm fine with no spice, but there was a lot of build up to not go anywhere. I am really hoping that future books actually deliver on the promise of spice from this one.
Overall I currently still want to read the second book coming out this fall, but I am less enthusiastic than I was expecting I would be at the beginning. Based on how much editing I think this book could use, I wouldn't be surprised if the first two books could have been edited down into one book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment