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A review by britley_adler
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a long, long while.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Terminal illness
Minor: Torture and Blood