This was such a fun book to read. It felt like if Hench was written by Jasper Fforde - which the combination of my favorite author and one of my favorite books is true praise.

How do you describe or write a recommendation for a book that has administration running cats, dolphins in a labor dispute, business negotiations all wrapped around the every day business of running a villainy empire?

The characters and plot are all the perfect amount of smartly absurd that I rarely see, but love to read.

A minor complaint is the ending just didn't seem to fit. It's not bad, there is just something that isn't exactly right (please read this book so I have someone to talk to about it all). I also want to see a book about Morrison and their unapologetic villainy career I bet it's fascinating.

*I received an Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review

Best line in the book:
"Also, to Sugar, Spice and Smudge, my current set of cats. You are all a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid furry faces.” Scalzi, and every cat owner, everywhere, always.

The "Author's promise to the reader" has been very much on my mind as I wrap up the first draft of my very own first book. This is where Scalzi excels: He never forgets that ultimately, a book is entertainment. Even if it's educational, it still needs to be enjoyable. And reading Scalzi always is.

How does one not love an author who quotes Princess Bride and Snow Crash, and a handful of other truly great novels in his novels? It gives me *joy* every single time. However, this time I am going to quote the first of William Goldman’s 10 commandments of writing:

“Never take the crisis out of your protagonist’s hands”

The last few chapters of this book read like Scalzi just got tired of it, and decided on an Alexander the Great style solution to the plot problems. And then, somehow, the uncle’s 5 million of liquid cash was forgotten, promises were broken, and the only character who really showed up in a meaningful way for the last few chapters was Hera. While Hera saved the end of the book, and provided a nice afterglow, the resolution to this one really sucked. A lot of fun was had on the way to the resolution, and the final chapter ended tidily, but that crisis/resolution was lazy as hell.

Also, Hera should have been on the cover.

Four stars: Fun was had, but less-than-ideal choices were made.

I'm really digging John Scalzi right now. He's got an eye for an idea and writes in a breezy, readable style. I put him in the same category as Christopher Moore and A. Lee Martinez- two authors I happen to be super fond of.

Starter Villain tells the story of Charlie. Charlie's kinda lost in life: his job sucks, he's living in a house his siblings want to sell, and his only companion is his cat Hera. When his rich uncle dies, Charlie's life changes and he discovers that he is a not in line to be a serious villain.

What follows is fun tale of villainy, wealth, economics, and talking dolphins. The writing moves quickly, the characters are fun, and Charlie is a good stand in for the reader. He's in the dark a lot, but when he has something to say it's interesting.

I read this book in less than a day. It was a lot of fun and I recommend it.

This book was a fantastic ride from beginning to end. From intelligent cats and dolphins, to a fantastically relatable Zoom call, there is something in this book to entertain all. I highly recommend that his book be read by anyone who loves cats, James Bond-esque villains, and an all around good time. Jon Scalzi hits it out of the park again with the sharply written, witty novel that will be a cult classic in no time.

So funny! A lot of intelligent humor sprinkled in between curse words and murder. Oh, and it has genetically altered, talking animals. What's not to love?

This was amazing!! I loved every word it!! Such an original story line. Loved this!!
I just reviewed Starter Villain by John Scalzi. #StarterVillain #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This was a lot of fun! Charlie is an ex-journalist and current teacher when his quite wealthy uncle passes away--an uncle he is estranged from. Charlie then finds himself wading through the seedy underbelly of society in this animal-filled (anthropomorphic? maybe that's the word I'm looking for) read. I had a great time following Charlie in this quick, well-plotted read!

Starter Villain was a lot of fun!
Charlie is a former journalist, and a current substitute teacher, when his (very rich) estranged uncle dies.
He unwittingly gets sucked into a world of villainy as he struggles to stay afloat.
From spy cats to dolphins in a labor dispute, this book will keep you interested for sure!
A quick, fast paced read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for an early copy for review.

Thanks to TOR and Net Galley for the ARC of Starter Villain by John Scalzi.

Genetically engineered dolphins in the middle of a union dispute, cats who have been designed for intelligence gathering, a conglomerate of evil people and a fiscally responsible villain who might just be out of his depth.

Scalzi’s wit and humour is on another level in this book about Charlie, a substitute teacher and ex business reporter, who inherits his late uncles villainous enterprise complete with talking cats, satellite destroying lasers but unfortunately no 300inch TV.

I really enjoyed reading this fish out of water story and enjoyed Scalzi’s take on the business of villainy. Like all of his books this was one that you can fly though, it was funny, exciting and a super fast read. It sits up there with Fuzzy Nation and Androids Dream.

4.5/5

"A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service."

Starter Villain is awesome. Its selling points include executive-level cats, awful billionaires, and vengeful working-class dolphins. A briskly paced and funny story seals the deal.

Charlie’s life sucks. All he wants is to open a pub downtown, but even getting a loan from the bank seems like an impossible feat. Basically, his stray cats have better credit ratings than he does. He could pack his entire set of assets in barely functioning Maxima inherited from his father. Things are bad but Scalzi makes them even worse for him :)

Charlie had a rich uncle who made billions as the owner of parking lots. Not sexy. Except, Uncle’s businesses were more…diversified. With villainy being the most profitable one. His uncle’s right hand introduces Charlie to the world of villains. Including an island volcano lair. And a lot of powerful enemies are coming for him.

Starter Villain has an easygoing, tongue-in-cheek style that makes it a pleasure to read. I know Scalzi can write darker stuff, but he’s also a brilliant writer of satire. He has a clean writing style, excels in writing dialogue, and captivates readers with ease. Rather than showing off his writing skills, he prioritizes storytelling and keeping readers engaged.

Charlie’s foray into super villainy makes him understand it’s more corporate than it is evil. It turns out the business is more corporate than evil. As it turns out, villains are professional disruptors who identify the need and do things faster and cheaper than governments or global companies. They even offer a subscription service. And let’s not forget about the well-kept secrets of the business - sentient cats, anyone? Scalzi’s portrayal of the supervillain business is both amusing and spot-on.

The characters and their interactions had me laughing. Good guys are instantly likable and quirky. Charlie’s a bright guy, so he gets the hang of things quickly. However, as often seen in satires/comedic tales, some characters lack nuance. The bad guys have no redeeming qualities. There’s not much subtlety here, but it works for the story and its tone. Does anyone watch older James Bond movies for subtle character development? Don’t think so. We’re doing it for fun, action, and for despicable villains.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Starter Villain and highly recommend it to anyone looking for intelligent and humorous entertainment. The book is enjoyable and imaginative, but also comes with a moral lesson - be kind to cats!

In short, if you’re looking for a fun and witty read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

This was my first Scalzi so I didn't really know what to expect.
I've never read dialogues like these. They had a very real taste, I could picture someone very social talking with the bank, his father's lawyer and the people he meets. He's not doing great in his personal life or career but he's not bleak.
I liked the social commentary and the cast of character. The plot and the twists were a little predictable, but I enjoyed it none the less. My favorite were the cats, the dolphins and Dobrev.
I recommend it if you are searching for something funny and witty.

This book made me unreasonably happy. I mean, from the description, you would thing it wouldn't work. Island lairs, secret cabals and talking cats....? It sounds like a quick sci-fi book you would skim through if you found it on the shelf in a vacation house. But instead, it's a witty, fast-paced book with incisive comments about humanity's social structures, the need for unions and what being rich actually means. Also, what being human actually means. And all with a charming cast of characters, both human and not. I will recommend this to everyone I see.

So much fun!! This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I will definitely be reading more from them. The humor was great, the story is wild, and overall this book is just a really good time. Charlie was an awesome main character and reading from his perspective was a delight. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan, and John Scalzi for the eARC of Starter Villain.

John Scalzi has done it again - a bite-sized adventure featuring a protagonist thrust unexpectedly (and often unwillingly) into a delicious stew of opportunity, danger, intrigue, and sentient cats. The book begins with our down-on-his-luck hero hitting wall after wall as he tries to put his life together. Overnight, however, his life is utterly transformed as he inherits the villainous enterprises of his estranged uncle and adventure ensues.

It's not often I'm truly stunned by a twist in this genre any longer - so many have reached the point of becoming tropes... but the twist in the last third of this delightful tale was an absolute shock.

It's funny, it's engaging, it's a wickedly fast read. If you have an afternoon on your hands - by all means check out Starter Villain.

Scalzi’s wit shines in this fish out of water tale of an erstwhile journalist/substitute teacher who inherits his estranged uncle’s supervillain business. Charlie’s bank account is empty and his sibling are trying to sell his house leaving Charlie and his cats homeless. Then Mathilda Morrison asks him to stand at his uncle’s funeral. Swept into the machinations of real-world Bond Villains, Charlie has to learn fast and roll with the punches.

With just the right amount of humor mixed with high stakes and social commentary, Scalzi cooks up comedy perfection for fans of Kaiju Preservation Society and Douglas Adams.

Starter Villain satisfied my need for more of the Scalzi brand comedy/Adventure I craved after reading Kaiju Preservation Society. This book is a great time and I've recommended it to other library staff. Villains, cats, sneaky plans, and comedy! It was awesome!

About two thirds of the way through this book I was trying to describe it to a friend and said “it’s just a guy going to meetings. Scalzi’s writing it, so it’s fun and engaging, and they’re evil meetings, but I’m also not sure if anything’s happened except meetings? Oh, and a couple assassination attempts.’

Other events do occur later, however the best parts still involve labour negotiations and zoom meetings. It’s a fabulous story at someone being thrown into the role of running an evil empire, both in terms of actually running the empire and dealing with the evil vultures circling and watching.

It's got John Scalzi's brand of humor (always a plus) and it features a villain who's cover business if parking garages! A fun, light read of the kind that Scalzi specializes in. Would highly recommend!

I acquired an electronic ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

John Scalzi is an author I always knew I’d like; however, for some reason or another, I’ve never really taken a deep dive into his material. I did meet him briefly at a book fair a few years ago and bought a copy of Redshirts for him to sign. That was a fun, Science Fiction adventure that played around with Star Trek tropes in an interesting way. I was interested in exploring his bibliography after reading it, but upon browsing it, I couldn’t find a good entry point.

Enter Start Villain, his latest effort, which TOR will be released in hardcover on September 19. The book is about a mild-mannered, divorced substitute teacher/former business journalist named Charlie. We’re introduced to Charlie on the day he’s scheduled to meet with a loan officer at a bank to discuss a sizeable loan that would allow him to purchase a local pub he and his father frequented. Prior to that meeting, he hears, by way of television news, that his billionaire Uncle he hasn’t seen since childhood has passed away. After the meeting, which doesn’t go so well, someone who worked for his uncle pays him a visit with an offer he can’t refuse. That offer leads to Charlie running his late Uncle’s business, which, as the title suggests, might be a bit shady.

Scalzi plays with James Bond tropes here much in the same way he did with Star Trek in Redshirts. Charlie is a fish-out-of-water to the highest degree. Charlie reminded me a bit of Thomas Lang from Hugh Laurie’s The Gun Seller (another excellent thriller/spy spoof) in that he was an everyman that seemed totally unqualified for the position he was in but somehow rose to the challenge. There are lots of surprises and twists in this one; I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that this was a wonderful read that you’ll undoubtedly be entertained by. And after you’re done with it, you likely won’t look at cats or dolphins the same way.

What a FUN book! Charlie inherits his uncle’s parking business only to find he really inherited a super villain business. Cats who are spies (and can type their thoughts), foul mouthed dolphins who want to unionize, a volcano lair and a smart female assistant along with a bumbling SPECTRE like cadre of villains makes this a delightful novel to curl up with on a rainy day. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC but I will be recommending it because my opinions are my own .