A review by allofmyfriendsarebooks
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
5.0
I was nervous about starting this one given all the mixed reviews. Especially as a recovering book snob. But I loved this one!
The story is cute, the pacing worked well, and the characters were all well developed. I stayed up until 3am finishing the last 40% of it, which is really all it takes to tell me I enjoyed it.
Was there a lot of cheesy dialogue? Absolutely, but it worked and I’ve read SO many more popular books where it’s cheesier and doesn’t work. I think The Villain and Evie were great characters and the dialogue worked for them. I also suffer from “eldest daughter syndrome,” so my praise of Evie is a little biased (but she’s great.)
Was the plot a little basic? Again, sure. But the main plot was meant to be resolved in under 400 pages—this isn’t mean to be a Game of Thrones size story arc, so what can you do? I thought it was entertaining and felt developed but not rushed.
Does the writing feel like it belongs in a museum, written by an ancient Ivy League English professor’s ghost? No, but it’s light, fun, and accessible. And honestly it’s time we stopped attacking writers for their books being fun and accessible in general—especially in Fantasy.
It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for what it’s meant to be—a cute, cozy, and light Fantasy novel. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting to stay within the realm of Fantasy but is looking for something on the lighter side!
The story is cute, the pacing worked well, and the characters were all well developed. I stayed up until 3am finishing the last 40% of it, which is really all it takes to tell me I enjoyed it.
Was there a lot of cheesy dialogue? Absolutely, but it worked and I’ve read SO many more popular books where it’s cheesier and doesn’t work. I think The Villain and Evie were great characters and the dialogue worked for them. I also suffer from “eldest daughter syndrome,” so my praise of Evie is a little biased (but she’s great.)
Was the plot a little basic? Again, sure. But the main plot was meant to be resolved in under 400 pages—this isn’t mean to be a Game of Thrones size story arc, so what can you do? I thought it was entertaining and felt developed but not rushed.
Does the writing feel like it belongs in a museum, written by an ancient Ivy League English professor’s ghost? No, but it’s light, fun, and accessible. And honestly it’s time we stopped attacking writers for their books being fun and accessible in general—especially in Fantasy.
It’s not perfect, but it’s perfect for what it’s meant to be—a cute, cozy, and light Fantasy novel. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting to stay within the realm of Fantasy but is looking for something on the lighter side!