First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying I've read a few Scalzi books in the past, all of which I scored 4 stars - Old Man's War, Redshirts, and The Kaiju Preservation Society - but by no means all of them. However, some of my comments here are going to be in relation to those other books for comparison.

This was a fun, quick read, similar to the Kaiju Preservation Society. It starts out very similarly to KPS, with a man strapped for cash faced with an out-of-the-blue option to get him back on his feet, which is the intentionally absurd setup of inheriting his uncle's "villain" business. Basically, either you find that premise funny and interesting enough to pick up the book or you don't. If that setup already sounds too ridiculous for you, it only gets crazier from there, so try a more serious Scalzi book instead!

I enjoyed this; it was funny and very much over-the-top absurd world-building. I laughed in parts and at no point was I tempted to stop reading. That being said, I didn't enjoy this as much as the other Scalzi books I've read. For one, I had recently read KPS, and this started with a really similar premise so it felt a bit repetitive at the very beginning for me. There was a little too much time spent on explaining how everything could work in the "real world" and with characters revealing plots within plots. Even though the story was clearly meant to be over the top, some of it got a little too ridiculous, even for me (and I can typically take lots of ridiculousness - I liked Redshirts and Kaiju Preservation Society a lot.) I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, so I can't give specifics here. I still liked it and would recommend it, but if you've never read Scalzi before, I'd suggest starting with something else first to make sure you like his style.

In Starter Villain, John Scalzi has created a hilarious villain send up, gathering inspiration from Bond villains and spy movies but rewriting the definition of what it means to be a villain. From the very start, this novel is tongue in cheek as we meet our main protagonist Charlie who unwittingly inherits the business of being a villain from his uncle, along with sentient cats, a volcano lair and dolphins on strike. He also has a ton of enemies who want his uncle’s money and power. Part of the reason I loved this book was the comedic elements stitched throughout this book.  Scalzi has a wry tongue in cheek approach that made me chuckle right to the end.

One of the other reasons this novel is so good is the main character Charlie. Charlie is out of his depth and he expresses it. The writing doesn’t pretend that he suddenly gets good at running things. He has a lot of help and he leans on that help. While Charlie is intelligent, there is far more going on than just Charlie running things. The secondary characters like Matilda Morrison and Hera as well as Charlie’s enemies make for distinctive interesting characters that keep the story intriguing and suspenseful. Matilda in particular is witty and fun to read. 

If you love spy novels, unlikely villains, comedy, and sentient cats, I totally recommend this book. It is just fun with a fantastic unexpected ending that keeps the tone light, giving readers a hilarious villain send up that will keep you in stitches.

I am a huge fan of John Scalzi’s books so I always go into them expecting to enjoy myself. Starter Villain was no exception and it did not disappoint!

Our main character, Charlie, is recently divorced, broke, and looking for a loan to buy the local pub. When his estranged uncle dies and leaves him the family supervillain business, complete with volcano lair, Charlie is dragged into the supervillain war that had been started by his uncle and he’s not sure he’s up to the task.

Like some of Scalzi’s other standalone novels, like Agent to the Stars and Android’s Dream, this is a deliciously silly, fun read. His characters are likeable, his dialogue is witty, and while all the tropes of the supervillain genre are there the plot is unpredictable. My only complaint is it felt a bit short - I would have liked more story on the island before things wrapped up - but it was highly entertaining and came to a satisfying conclusion. If you love Scalzi, you’ll love Starter Villain.

Thanks to Tor for letting me read the ARC on NetGalley.

As a cat person I couldn't help but be roped in by the concept of sentient cats, and was not disappointed. Our protagonist, Charlie, is essentially a down on his luck average guy struggling to get by until his estranged uncle dies, leaving him to take over his "business,'" which turns out to be a super villain empire. Even in the areas where Charlie bumbles through the uncanny twists and turns around the politics of villainy, sentient spy cats, and dolphins in the middle of a labor dispute, it's clear that he is more than capable of holding his own in a way that makes his character endearing. In the midst of the absurdist humor, it stands out that the "villains" of this story are generationally wealthy capitalists grasping at straws to maintain power. Even Charlie's uncle, likely the richest of them all, doesn't necessarily have trillions of dollars in liquid cash because of logistical weirdness and politics with the governments who pay for his services, which draws attention to the ways capitalism is fueled by the socially constructed belief in the value of money which becomes more convoluted in the digital space.
Starter Villain was such a fun light read and captures the readers interest throughout both with humor and plot twists, because nothing is necessarily what it seems.

Starter Villain is a short book with a ton of fun packed into it. There are thugs, genetically engineered animals that negotiate for contract amendments, clever banter, as well as a plot that is one hell of a ride. It's a book you'll want to read in one sitting, and while I write this review, I already want to crack it open a second time. Highly recommended to all readers alike.

Full review to come.

This was such a fun book! It was clever and quirky and a really fast read. I especially liked the animals. They were great! My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Scalzi is a master at literary popcorn. When you want something that feels like a party, is easy to snorf down, and that you can justify as not being bad for you. That's what we have here. Charlie is fun, quippy, and likeable. There are big anti-capitalist themes we don't have to reach for. Honestly, I could have used more cats, but Scalzi always comes through with the laughs and just enough feels to make me not feel like an idiot for giggling so much.

This was a marvelously funny read that I really enjoyed! There were times that I found myself laughing out loud, but mostly there was just a smile on my face from start to finish. If you are a fan of the Bond movies, especially the older ones, you will enjoy this tongue in cheek look at modern villainy.

I really liked Charlie from the get go. He is a nice guy, down on his luck after losing his business journalist job. At the start of the book, he is trying to get by on a substitute teacher’s salary, while fending off his siblings who want to sell the family home. Charlie is pretty smart, especially about business, but doesn’t know what to do with his life. Then his estranged uncle dies, and leaves Charlie everything, and his life is turned upside down and sideways as he discovers what his uncle’s business really is.

There is a great cast of characters, from your usual thugs that just want to do their jobs, to the villains that seemingly run the world, to the people who worked for his uncle. Charlie manages to hold his own against them though, and even at times out smart them while he is dodging bullets and bombs. I loved his uncle’s island lair, which of course comes with an active volcano. All of the fun and villainous tech that you come to expect in a Bond movie is there as well, but with a twist, like the satellite destroying laser gun that will also make it rain when used for good.

The plot is very fast moving, with wonderful dialogue between the characters. I loved the part where Charlie is having a zoom meeting with one of the other villains and he hangs up on him because he didn’t make the call private. It was perfect. There are lots of double dealings amongst all of the villains, including Charlie, but the final twist at the end was a little unexpected. This is a short book, but it packs quite a lot into it.

The animal characters in the book, just added to the fun. I loved Charlie’s cats, Hera and Persephone, who were both very smart and looked out for Charlie. The dolphins were pretty much what I would expect dolphins to be like if they could talk to us humans, crude and rather rude, but willing to negotiate and help out when needed. There are other animals that get pulled into this complex web of villainy, but these are the most fun ones.

Overall a really fun time. This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I don’t think it will be the last. If you are looking for a fun, fast read with lots of villainous deeds and plots, then you need to add this one to your list of books to pick up next month.

This is probably the funnies thing a read in a while. If Starter Villain was a movie, it would be a delightful action comedy, with witty dialogues and unpretentious humour. In fantasy books I usually read, good jokes are rare (and most authors can’t write them at all), but here pages are literally oozing with puns, funny banter and remarks. This is the first Scalzi’s book that I’ve read, but of this I’m certain: this guy knows how to write entertaining dialogues. What is more behind all this comedy author hid some serious questions and satire on our world. For example: how should we treat animals if humans turn them into intelligent spieces? And what if (and this one is my favourite) some of them decide to form a union? If you liked Glass Onion metacommentary and mocking of Silicon Valley techbros, whose only contribution to the world is their enormous ego and family money, you’re gonna have lots of fun with this book.

Charlie's life is going nowhere. After his divorce he came to live with and take care of his dad who has passed away. Charlie is living in his dad's house which belongs to Dad's estate. His three siblings are anxious to kick Charlie out and sell the house for their share of the proceeds. Charlie wants to own the local pub but his visit to the bank for the loan doesn't look promising. When he arrives home a strange woman is on his porch. She has come to offer him a business proposition of sorts. Charlies estranged uncle has died and she is asking Charlie to stand up for him at the local funeral home service in exchange for some financially beneficial rewards. He agrees.
Here begins one of the most bizarre, hilarious sci-fi adventures including Bond-ish criminal organizations, sentient cats, unionized dolphins, a volcano lair, and a world ruling wannabee secret organization.
A quick read and one of the most fun ever!
The cover art is priceless!!!!!

Scalzi is one of my favorite authors because he writes stories that are just so freaking FUN!
This one reminded me of Saturday Morning cartoons with villainy - complete with volcano lair - sneaky dolphins, cats with human-level intellect, and one of the most likable protagonists that I’ve read in a while.
The satire works so well in this twisty-turny plot and the ending left me grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

I only have one issue with this book but I’ll leave it out of my review until I’ve checked the published version.

Speaking of, thanks SO much to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review! Starter Villain comes out in September! I think you’ll want a copy!

This story was a hoot. I read it because of the amazing cover but the book was great fun. It starts out as a normal novel, with the main character being a former journalist made redundant who is now substitute teaching and struggling financially. His estranged uncle has unexpectedly left him an inheritance but there are a lot of stipulations.

Fairly straightforward, right? Well, then things get interesting. It turns out the uncle was an immensely wealthy man who operated on the shady side. He is a villain, but he also had his own code of honor. Our protagonist gets whisked off to an island which is a base of operations for an incredibly complex semi-criminal network.

The character is appealing and smart and rises to the occasion of having to meet with a sort of summit of bad guys -- he holds his own. And then there are the cats -- in this new world he is inhabiting, cats are sentient being who communicate by typing quite literate missives.

The whole thing is tremendous fun with wonderful dialogue and lots of action. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Tor; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book, but was charmed by what I got. I have previously read some of Scalzi's Old Man's War series and really enjoyed the humor and perspective of those stories, which carry over (in a very different way) to Starter Villain. It's a fairly lighthearted read with a snap of satire and sarcasm, and by the end, if you're a cat owner you'll be torn between giving your cat a side-eye and a hug.

Charlie’s had a rough couple of years. He’s gone from being a happily married business reporter at the Chicago Tribune to an unemployed divorcee. (Journalism jobs aren’t exactly growing on trees these days.) When his long-lost uncle dies, Charlie doesn’t think much of it. But then his uncle’s assistant shows up and tells Charlie that he can inherit a lot of money that he could really use. Suddenly, Charlie finds himself in a world of James Bond type villains. He has a volcanic island lair, sentient dolphins with attitude and a group of villains trying to figure out if he’s a new member or a sucker to eliminate. Fortunately, he has some allies to help him navigate this strange new world. Filled with Scalzi’s signature fast paced humor, this is a quick, delightful read.

John Scalzi seems to write two types of books. One is epic war space battles. The other is humorous sci-fi/fantasy. Starter Villain is the humorous type.

Our main character is a bit down on his luck. He lost his job as a journalist. He is divorced. He moved back home to take care of his father, who passed away. All he has left are some half siblings that resent him because he was the “other” family and because he is making it so they can’t sell the house.

But then his uncle dies, a billionaire that stayed away after a fight with his father at his mothers funeral. But the billionaire uncle didn’t make his fortune from parking lots, he was a villain. And our MC just inherited the family business.

Starter Villain is the perfect combination of humor and hard hitting reality to keep you reading. I flew through the book enjoying it all. I especially appreciated the found family aspect. And the ending was perfection.

Starter Villain is a perfect sci-fi read even for those who do not typically read science fiction.

Honestly, all I needed to see was that John Scalzi wrote a book called "Starter Villain" with a cat on the cover and I knew I was in for a good time! This was a blast from start to end; I cackled at parts and thoroughly enjoyed Charlie's attempts at understanding exactly what he had inherited. I would read a whole series about Hera and Persephone!

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

The Kaiju Preservation Society was one of my top three reads from 2022 so my expectations for Starter Villain were high. Scalzi knocked them out of the park! He’s going on my auto buy authors list and I look forward to reading his back catalog while I wait for his next release!

Starter Villain by John Scalzi will be published on September 19, 2023. Tor Books provided an early galley for review.

This one had me at the word "supervillain". That alone told me I would likely enjoy this book. And it was right. I did!

Scalzi writes in a way that is approachable, relatable and humourous. What starts out as a fairly normal contemporary tale spirals directly into the world of the fantastic. Even so, he uses this world full of secret cabals and questionable corporate leaders to shine a satiric yet honest look at our own world. There is often truth in fiction.

I very much enjoyed the worldbuilding here. I like the cast, both major and minor characters. Although the story wrapped up quite neatly as a one-and done, I would be down for another visit to Charlie and company if Scalzi decided to go that route.

I knew I would like this book based on the cover alone - but it was even better than I had imagined. The story is fun, the characters are engaging, and the cats are fabulous!

"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat."

The best cover art EVER has arrived, all others are just pretenders.