Thank you to Sarah Rees Brennan, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Long Live Evil in exchange for my honest review.

Long Live Evil is a reimagined fairytale, centering around the villain. Rae is dying, and her whole world is currently centered around the hospital and the stories that her sister has read to her. Then one day she is given a second chance at life, she is permitted to enter the story that her sister has been reading. If she can retrieve this flower that has the power of life and death within a year, she will be sent back to her body healed, if she fails, her real body will die and she will be stuck in the story forever. Rae happily agrees, only to realize that she has been placed in the villain's body and is to be executed the following morning. Rae gathers rouge villains around her, all under her leadership, and tries to reclaim the story for herself.

The concept of this story is brilliant. There are so many different aspects that readers are following, knowing that they are rooting for the villain, but is Rae the villain? This story humanizes Rae and her actions. She is the villain and has done some terrible things, but simultaneously, all she is trying to do is live. There were a couple of aspects of this story that I did struggle with personally. First, there is not much character development, as this is a largely plot-driven story. As someone who loves character development, I just wish that there was a little bit more. However, for those readers who love a plot-driven story, this will be the story for you. The second thing that I struggled with was that at times, the lines and the story itself felt cheesy. I know what the author intended to do with these moments, but it almost took me out of the story. I want to give the author the benefit of the doubt as this was a debut novel, and for a debut, it was fabulously done. The plot twist at the very end was not one that I would have ever guessed. I did not think that anything from this story would surprise me as it felt predictable at times (something that was supposed to happen would inevitably go wrong etc), but that plot twist at the end, nope. Never in a million years would I have guessed that. I said "What" out loud. I was debating if I wanted to continue with the series and after reading that plot twist, I now have to. It is compelling. I have faith that even though this book felt cheesy at times, it is going to play out into some larger plot, we just had to get there first. I am excited to read book two, largely because I have to know what happens next.

This was a delight. It ended up going in a darker, more delicious direction than I had anticipated but I cannot wait for the sequel.

Quick Thoughts Mini Reviews

🐶 A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian: two people who are both deceiving the other fall in love in the countryside. Bi rep, found family. This is a rare Cat Sebastian book for me in that the hero acts like a complete dodo bird in one scene & yet I enjoyed knowing he would soon grovel. Not my fave of her books but can you beat a Cat Sebastian book in general? They’re always so good! 4.25 ⭐️.

🐶 Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. This is such a fun, inventive, & meta fantasy that will keep you riveted to see what will happen next. Because honestly I was never sure 🤣. The protagonist is a self-proclaimed villain—although, what is a villain or a heroine & who decides that?!?!? Filled with violence, feminine ingenuity, a fierce desire for survival, bravery, & snark, LLE is a roller coaster that takes off at 60 mph & barely stops for breath along the way. 4.5 ⭐️, out 07/30. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Please check out trigger warnings from trusted reviewer’s before reading.

📖 what’s one of your Wednesday numbers? For me, it’s: 3 kids going to ninja camp this morning, 3 hours I’m going to be helping with painting or something at the school where I work, 80%, about how far I am in my current book: Temple of Swoon.

[ID: a red & white dog stands in a meadow of yellow flowers & the ebook covers are placed around him.]

I wish I could like and recommend this book because the concept sounded cool, but I was just so confused while reading. The first chapter starts pretty strong - The concept of following a main character dealing with a terminal illness and getting transported to a fantasy world was very compelling. However, the narrative was so hard to follow. The POV changed constantly. I continually felt confused as if I had missed a part of the story because a character would do something so suddenly. I believe part of this is because Rae (the MC) also tries to subvert the plot of the book's book through her choices. I also wish there had been more callbacks to Rae's life in the real world.

Long Live Evil was very silly, extremely campy, and so much fun!

This story follows Rae, a cancer patient who is dying until she is offered the chance to escape into the world of Time of Iron, her favorite fantasy book series. Once she arrives, she discovers that she is not a heroine in the story but a villainess so she decides to band together with all the other villains of the story in an attempt to change their fate. However, things quickly take a dangerous turn and Rae must attempt to survive while also keeping the story intact.

I loved almost all of the characters in this book! Rae was a unique main character. She could be selfish and stubborn and, frankly, villainous at times but she ultimately had a good heart. She was also snarky, funny, and so resilient and I thoroughly enjoyed following her journey as she went from viewing the world/characters around her as entirely fictional and inconsequential to genuinely trying her best to help and protect them. Her love for the Time of Iron books also strongly resonated with me. Like Rae, books have given me something to hold onto when it felt like I had nothing else. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan herself is one such book that saved my life so it was really nice to read about this character whose lifeboat, much like mine, was her favorite story.

As for the rest of the characters, I adored Key with everything in me! He was protective and loyal and I simply can’t resist a guy who’s absolutely obsessed with the women he loves. I also loved the Golden Cobra. He was kind hearted, genuinely cared about people, and was also very sarcastic and funny. Marius, on the other hand, I didn’t completely fall for at first as he seemed to be uptight, judgmental, and the type of person who thinks everyone else is below him. However, he had a great arc and I really liked where his character seemed to be going at the end of the story. I was unsure what to think of Lia at first, but I strongly enjoyed the way she subverted the "damsel in distress" trope. Her character didn’t receive as much attention as some of the others, as she didn’t appear in the flesh until later in the book but I liked her and I hope to see more of her in the sequel. Finally, we have Emer, who I unfortunately didn’t love as much as the rest of the cast. This was largely because her entire personality seemed to be based on cynicism and anger. Her negativity was often unenjoyable for me to read and it was hard to care for a character who seemed to hate everyone I loved. However, by the end, Emer was finally beginning to let people in a bit more so I'm hoping I'll come to care for her more in the sequel.

In addition to the individual characters, the relationships between them were fantastic! I won't get into the details in an effort to avoid spoilers but there were some really heartwarming friendships as well romances where the tension and chemistry were dripping off the page! They contained hilarious banter, adorable expressions of affection and love, and in true Sarah Rees Brennan fashion, heart-wrenching, soul-crushing pain and I can't wait to see where all of them go in the sequel.

Much like the characters, the plot of this book was incredibly fun! I was really intrigued by the concept of someone entering a fictional world–from their favorite books no less– and discovering how their presence would change things and the execution of it was handled really well. It was so interesting to see a main character who was not only aware of what genre she was in but also knew exactly how the story was supposed to go. I was engaged from start to finish and I never once felt bored. Some of the twists were predictable but others had me reeling and either way all of them were entertaining. The humor was a mix of pop culture/real world references made in a universe that didn’t understand any of them, puns and wordplay, and Sarah Rees Brennan’s signature witty snark and it amused me just as much as it has in her other books, causing me to laugh out loud many times.

Additionally, I liked that despite the book’s tone staying mostly on the lighthearted side, there were also heavier moments with a deeper emotional impact. Sarah Rees Brennan is an expert at weaving relevant and important social commentary into fantasy settings, and in this case I really enjoyed her discussions of how wielding power allows people to shape the story in their favor, and what makes a person a “villain,” among other things. I also personally related a lot to the struggle Rae often described with feeling as if she wasn’t cast as the heroine in her own life. One moment I’d be tearing up and the next I’d be laughing out loud again but there was a perfect balance between the humor and heart and they blended together exquisitely.

I will say this book had its flaws. Primarily, some of the pacing felt a bit off, particularly when it came to relationship development. There were multiple scenes where two characters would be interacting and seemingly out of nowhere the entire tone of the conversation would switch leaving their relationship in some way altered. These changes were so abrupt it practically gave me whiplash and I would have preferred a more natural progression of the character’s relationships but I wouldn’t say these moments took away from my enjoyment of the relationships or story overall.

All in all, I loved this book and I had a fantastic time reading it! The ending slaughtered me and I’m kind of terrified for the sequel but if it’s done right this has the potential to become a favorite series for me. This book won’t be for everyone; if you prefer a more somber, gritty fantasy with complex, intricate worldbuilding, this one won’t be for you but if you love a humorous portal fantasy that contains thought-provoking topics and discussions yet doesn’t take itself too seriously, I would highly recommend Long Live Evil!

I never knew that I needed an iseaki romantasy novel, but now that I've read this, I'm desperate for more. (Preferably the next book in this series.)

At my core, I am two things: 1. A Villainess reincarnation isekai fanatic and 2. A women's wrongs enjoyer. So I was basically guaranteed to like this; and I did. I can also now proudly add "3. A Key simp" to the list.

I can tell this is going to be a divisive book, you are either going to love it because of how much fun it was, or you're going to hate it for its (admittedly) many flaws. Your enjoyment of the book will very much come down to you ability to overlook certain dialogue and scenes.

3.5/5 stars

I am so very conflicted on my review of this book. The first 30% had me hooked, and it was giving 4.5 star vibes. But then I started to struggle to want to pick the book up, and got a bit bored. I’m not sure if that was a me problem or a book problem, so I’ve settled on a 3.5 star final rating.

The beginning was giving “you’re either going to love it or hate it” and I was onboard, which is why I was shocked it ended up being kind of in the middle for me at the end. The book is incredibly campy and I honestly loved that for it. It didn’t take itself too seriously, but then also had many very serious themes that were dealt with with care. It did feel a bit whiplash-y at times but it also felt like it was trying to do that, so I wasn’t mad at it.

The concept of “would you dive into the world of your favorite book(s) if you could” is always a fun one. This year we also got a romantic story along this line from Ashley Poston (see A Novel Love Story). It’s always fun to me when people answer this question by saying “I would DIE to be in my favorite book” only to think about it for a few more seconds and then say “wait, I would probably actually die if I was plopped into the middle of *insert fantasy world here*, so maybe not”. And this book is exactly that.

Our FMC, Rae, has to fight, scheme, and meddle to stay alive long enough to “get to the end of the book”. She’s also a young adult who has suddenly woken up in an adult’s body in a medieval-esque fantasy realm, so that in an of itself brings along hilarity. It’s like if you threw a Gen Z’er into Game of Thrones. If that’s something you would hate, keep that in mind before picking this book up.

I am not a Gen Z’er, but I didn’t mind it. I don’t like heavy fantasy; I want to have fun and sometimes you just need a ridiculous book. I think overall it lost me with the plot, which felt a bit dragged out. However, like I mentioned, it may have been a product of my own situation (book slump perhaps?) that made it this way for me. I think this is a book that I’d definitely like to revisit in the future, and could be bumped up to a higher rating if I read it at the right time.

I do absolutely recommend the book, but only if you’ve read the reviews that talk about the ridiculousness and campiness and WANT to read it. Otherwise, you might just be setting yourself up to be a hater, and that’s not fair for you or the book.

DNF @ 60%. I tried, I really did. It has taken me a week to get only this far. I loved the beginning. Our FMC Rae is dying of cancer and one night she is approached by a strange woman who says she can save her life by going into her favorite fantasy series and stealing a flower. This would bring her back to her world cured. Thus she enters the world of Eyam. Ok, what a cool premise! Being about to enter your favorite series, what reader hasn’t fantasized about that at some point?? Unfortunately, this did not work out for me at all. The writing style of this book is terribllleee. It was so confusing. It felt like reading different books at once. The world building was so disjointed and incomplete. It gives you so much detail about dumb shit but nothing that would actually help set the scene. I was constantly re-reading lines to try and understand what was said. I see a lot of people say the nods to modern day and pop culture bothered them, it didn’t bother me at all. I found it amusing. I really liked Rae’s character. She’s spicy and strong and pretty hilarious. But I just can’t get over the confusing writing. I unfortunately give up.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has such a slow start and I honestly struggled to get into it. The characters are very YA and I was expecting more from them. There was also a lot going on in the beginning. It was kind of overwhelming because of how many things were being thrown around and I struggled to really understand what was going on. The plot was what interested me but it just wasn't delivered the way I was expecting. I wish there was more backstory and worldbuilding, and I was expecting an Adult fantasy but the characters were a little childish.

What an adventure this book turned out to be! The beginning was a bit tough because of the quirky writing style and chaotic story, but once I got used to it, I was completely hooked!

The characters and their complex personalities were what I loved most. Heroes had villainous traits and villains had heroic qualities, making for a fascinating mix. I didn’t expect to get so attached, especially to those in Rae’s story. I found myself rooting for them and wanting to protect my favorites!

The plot kept surprising me with twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it took me by surprise, and the ending completely blindsided me in the best way.

The book balances humor and seriousness, lightheartedness and depth perfectly. It’s a rare feat, but it’s done so well here.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an
ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ᴀʀᴄ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴏғ ʟᴏɴɢ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴇᴠɪʟ, ʙʏ: sᴀʀᴀʜ ʀᴇᴇs ʙʀᴇɴɴᴀɴ

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Rae is dying of cancer and is given a second chance at life after being transported into her favorite fantasy novel.

I felt that Brennan took a cliched story line and turned it into something new.

Watching Rae navigate her new circumstances was extremely entertaining. There was satire and sass. This one was so silly that it even included a freaking musical scene 😂 I loved that it was established early on that no chart was safe.

The use of modern dialogue in a fantasy setting usually drives me crazy, but in the case it made sense, it worked and was comical at times.

My main complaint is that I found LLE to be too long. I hit a wall about 200 pages in and had a hard time picking it up again, but once I did I was pleased I finished.

I feel that this book is going to recover polarizing reviews. Readers are either going to love it or hate it.

If you are in the mood for a silly, campy, chaotic read with found family of morally grey misfits, your search is over.

Thank you to Orbit Books and
NetGalley for an eARC of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

Pub date: 07/30/24

I was really excited for this book, but found it quite cringy? I hated the main character! So much!!! And all of the cast, they were all so badly developed, the plot left so much to wish for, it wasnt a well crafted story at all, very sad about it since i have liked the authors previous works and the premise was promising.

FINALLY we have something new from Sarah Rees Brennan, and it's ADULT, and it's an ISEKAI! This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. It was clever, funny, and I couldn't stop reading it.

(3.5⭐)

if there's anything this book 100% succeeded in it's that it was definitely a unique one?? and im not just talking about the plot (although i have read many many isekai mahwas, but this *is* my first isekai novel) but also the writing... not in a really good unique way though because some scenes felt a bit jarring or weird (like that musical was so??😭) and super dramatic although i can see that that was the point.

rae is a very dramatic character and honestly i dont blame her considering she got thrown into a novel, so really if i thought that i were in a novel where none of the characters are *actually* real and i knew id eventually be leaving--well why not be chaotic?? but some cases in the things she did were a bit... over the top that it felt really forced or i just cringed like please stop😭😭 the side characters were interesting enough but i loved key's unhinged character and the cobra especially the most, although emer won my heart by the end for sure, i love how she's probably the only sane one among the gang🆘 i did really adore the bonds built between the characters and especially with lia and rahela <3 also the character developments?? especially in marius?? WOW that was something i didnt expect

the twist around 70%-ish had me go like WHAT??? and i actually didnt see that ending coming?? but to be honest thats all on me, i was really not paying attention💀 i think i may read the next book because im actually quite curious about how things will move forward, but it's not super high on my list so we'll see when book 2 comes out!


Thank you so much Netgalley and Orbit Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I adored this book. I've read everything SRB has published to date, but this is her at the top of her game. EVERYONE ought to read this. Absolutely fabulous. All the stars.

I loved the premise of a dying, helpless girl being thrust into a fantasy world in a villain's body. It takes a while to pay off though!
I wasn't really invested or even totally interested for a while. It was a slow buildup for me, and I really could have done without the dialogue style of Rae, it was not for me!
I slowly enjoyed it more and more, and I'm really glad I stuck with it. The world was really interesting and I wasn't expecting the story to have differed so much from what Rae knew. I'll probably pick up the next book when it comes out!
3.5 stars

When someone gives you a second chance at life do you take it?

Rae is dying from cancer, she is barely hanging on when she's offered another chance to live, but the offer is this: go into the fictional world of Eyam and obtain the "Flower of Life and Death". If you succeed, your dying body wakes up again, cured. If you fail, you won't wake up. As anyone would be, Rae is skeptical from the start. She can't just walk into the story of the books her sister so dearly enjoys, or can she? Rae takes the offer, and wakes up as the villainess of the story. Andddd the story takes off from there!

This story was chaotic, funny, silly, and so captivating. It had a fun and chaotic group of characters that I loved. I had the hardest time putting it down once I started. I just wanted to know what would happen to her. There's some romance too that had me squealing, and THAT PLOT TWIST. UGH. I don't know if I'm just dumb and didn't see it coming, but I was genuinely surprised. Even if I reread this story I don't think I would have picked up on it, and I love that. I audibly screamed when everything went down, and I was so surprised by the decisions Rae made.

How do I describe Rae? I say this story was chaotic, but that may be because RAE was so freaking chaotic. Her actions didn't always make sense since she was really just trying to survive. As much as she tried embracing her villainess role, her true caring nature shined bright throughout this story. Not to say she wasn't selfish at times, but I would say she was just really trying her best, and was trying to fight her battles as well as she could. I loved watching her character grow and develop, and watching her little nest of vipers come together.

And can I just freaking say that she is living the dream?! Can I be her?! I don't think anyone would be seeing me again if I could walk into one of my favorite fictional worlds. 😂
↳ "She would be the only person in the universe ever to be kissed by her fictional crush. She should do it for everybody who would never kiss the pirate, the goblin king, or the girl in the gold bikini."

Moving on to the other characters in this story. I really grew attached to a few of them. I loveddddd Rae's nest of vipers. I loved her band of misfits. It was such a funny group, and I was there for every second of it. The Golden Cobra and Key were my absolute favorite. The Golden Cobra was just as chaotic as Rae, and I loved watching them feed off each other's crazy energy. And Key... FREAKING KEY. He broke my heart. That's all I will say. He was deranged, and I absolutely fell in love with him.
"That is not what I meant! I want somebody to take care of him."
—"I could do that," Key volunteered with a wink.
"I wasn't talking about murder! I'm never talking about murder and you're always talking about murder!"

If you want a fun, exciting read that is about choosing to be evil instead of "good", this is the story for you. I still can't stop thinking about that ending. I can't stop thinking about these dang characters, and I can't stop wondering about what will Rae do next?! I just want the next book in my hands now. 😭

(side note: and can I just say that the acknowledgements had me tearing up hard? I just want to give the author a big hug, she deserves everything and more. Thank you for giving us such a fun and exciting read ♥)

Thank you netgalley and Orbit books for the arc. Quotes are taken from the arc and are at subject to change.

This was exactly the kind of book I needed to break me out of my reading slump. I have always adored the mc transmigrates into the villainess storyline but this one has easily become one of my favourites.

I love how Rae fully committed to being the villainess and how she couldn't quite remember how the story she was dropped in, went. All the characters felt distinct (admittedly some felt more flushed out then others), but I was fully invested in seeing what they all would do next.

Brennan's prose was addictive and if I did not pace myself it would have been over far too soon. Some of the plot points were a bit obvious but I still had so much fun, and after that ending, I cannot wait for the sequel to come out.

5 🌟 but really this book altered my brain chemistry so more like ♾️ 🌟!!

First, let’s start with addressing the book’s humor because WOW!! I was giggling and guffawing at Rae’s scheming and her viper’s evil deeds. The humor started strong and carried through the entire book, which was extremely impressive. If you enjoy lines like, “A second hot bath might be overkill, but Rae had a lot of party eyeliner to remove and she schemed better in her hot tub. She was starting to think of it as her plot tub.” or “If swagger was against the law, I’d already be doing life.” You’re going to love this book!!

With that, I think it’s extremely important to level set expectations going into this book because it is a silly, goofy time and don’t you dare do this story the injustice of picking it up if you’re not in a place to have fun! Further, because the story is so silly and goofy, you don’t realize the characters worming their way into your heart but they absolutely do. The found family in this story is a piece I didn’t see coming but obviously loved.

Also, I really fell for the villain in this story (and he is a villain - sociopathic killer and all but he worships the ground Rae walks on so it’s obviously fine). Really puts other villains to shame with taking the whole “I’ll burn the world for you” trope a little too literally. But also, so hot. I’m obsessed.

A quote that had me down so bad: “You don’t have to kill if you don’t like it,” Key promised. “I’ll kill them for you.” “Kill who?” Against her hair, she felt his mouth curve. “Everyone.”

I need book two immediately and would absolutely binge this series if it was all available now. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏼

Thank you to Orbit Books, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was so much fun! It felt very lighthearted and like a comedy-action movie as I read it. You follow the sick MC as she is transported into a book world, where she is given one chance to gain her health and life back in the real world with a quest in the fantasy world. She, of course, wasn't paying a ton of attention to the series when her sister read it to her since she has been sick and dying for so long. This leads her to be quite reckless and strong-willed in her new fantasy life where she is healthy and has power again.

Overall, this book was a whirlwind and has fun characters with an ever changing and wild story. I especially loved how the MC was trying to fit into the fantasy world based on what she remembered and how that didn't always work out.

I'm not describing it well, but basically, the MC is just having tons of fun in the fantasy world, which is a hoot to read. I really loved it!