✨ Book Review: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

Summary: Rae, a former cheerleader, is spending her final days in the hospital as a devastating disease takes its toll. But she’s offered a second chance—a magical bargain: become the villain in her favorite fantasy series. The catch? To survive in the book is to survive in real life.

I wrapped up 2024 with this book, and I LOVED it! It’s packed with everything I adore, and I’m already planning a re-read this year.

What makes this book stand out? It flips the script on the romantasy genre with a completely self-aware main character—one who knows she’s part of a story but doesn’t quite have all the pieces figured out.

Why you need this book in your life:
🗡️ The ultimate “I’d burn the world for you” love interest 🔥
🗡️ A fabulous, self-aware bestie who deserves her own spinoff
🗡️ A heartbreakingly layered backstory—so many feels 🥹
🗡️ An ending that perfectly sets up Book 2 (when can I preorder?!)

And the best part? It’s just $6.99 on Kindle right now! Seriously, go grab it—you won’t regret it.

Have you ever rooted for a villain in a story? Let’s chat in the comments! 👇📚

I received an advanced copy of Long Live Evil from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Long Live Evil is my isekai anime-loving self's dream. Did everything in this book make sense? Not even a little bit. But it was a fantastic time, despite the occasional cringes and lack of information.

I won't lie; Long Live Evil took me a minute to get into. The start was almost painfully slow, even though we were nearly immediately thrown into the world of the book. But I didn't want to put the book down once I was in. Rae knew (sort of) how the book was supposed to go and tried to use it to her advantage. However, every time she did, it felt like something worse happened than what was originally going to happen. So, instead of the story staying stagnant, it became this dynamic whirlwind of possibilities. If anyone knows about the butterfly effect, that felt like what was happening. All these changes, be they big or small, impacted the story, and I really enjoyed that aspect, mainly because Rae was convinced that whatever she did would have no real effect, and that was absolutely not the case. She went through nearly the whole book telling herself that these weren't real people and it didn't matter what she did because they were just characters.

Sticking with the characters, was Rae a great main character? No. In all honesty, I didn't really like her. But she was compelling and engaging, and her choices made sense when I looked at what she had been through. The other characters, though, that was one of the places I was a little lost. Since we are plopped into the middle of a story, much of the exposition for characters and world-building has technically already concluded. Unfortunately, this means that most of what Rae knows is what we know, and Rae doesn't know much. Therefore, a lot of history and character details are entirely skipped over. Someone would mention something that happened, and I'd ask, "What do you mean?" but the scene would move on because Rae had read that scene in the book. But we didn't. So, there were quite a few confusing moments that would have significantly helped with character motivation and development that we don't know about because Rae already knew. Does that make sense? I just felt like many critical little details were missing that would have made the characters feel less flat. I wanted to love all these "villains," but all I got were cookie-cutter characters. In the same sense, the world-building could have also used some of those missing details.

Despite this, I really enjoyed this story. There were definitely some cringe-worthy moments with Rae's unending use of modern slang that no one else understood, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It made the book irreverent, and even though there were a couple of eyerolls, I chuckled at the same time, which made it okay in my eyes. Long Live Evil was just an all-around fun time and didn't pretend to be anything but that. If that's what you're looking for, this should definitely be the next book you pick up.

“Long Live Evil” launches a series. I cannot stress this enough. This careening meta-fantasy delight, in which a young dying woman enters her little sister’s favorite fantasy novel as its villain, stole a night’s sleep from me as I reveled in it, convinced that it would end cathartically if I could just stay up long enough. But there is no end. There will be more, which is good, but only next year, which is terrible.

I’m so sad that this didn’t work for me because I wanted to love it BADLY. The cover is GORGEOUS and the premise is really interesting, but I couldn’t help but feel like it read like a first draft. I think this could work for some people who maybe want something that subverts your classic fantasy story, but it unfortunately just didn’t hit for me.

I am a huge fan of Sarah Rees Brennan's work and was excited to read her latest work. It was a bit of a slow start and took me awhile to get into the world and characters but I felt that was a purposefully reflection of the fantasy genre itself. This was definitely a setup and am intrigued to see where the series goes from here. Also, if you are a fan of K. A. Tuckers' Fate & Flame series I think you would like this.

An engaging blend of dark magic, complex characters, and unexpected twists. The world is richly crafted, with a sense of danger lurking around every corner. The pacing keeps you hooked, leading to a thrilling and unpredictable journey. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy with a touch of mystery.

It's been a few years since reading a Sarah Rees Brennan and I still love her way with words. She brings this story within a story to life in the best, most villainous way.

this was my first encounter with sarah rees brennan, and i would certainly read more from her in the future, though i don’t know if i’ll continue with this series. i loved the premise and meta aspects throughout the book, but to me it felt really long which made everything feel unwieldy and a bit dragging. i still had fun with the characters, but didn’t connect with them much. all in all, i would rec this, but i don’t necessarily think it was my bag, and that’s okay

EXQUISITE! New favorite book! I cannot wait until the next book comes out. I devoured this and the wanted to start over at the beginning. I need more books like this, it was so much fun.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

From the very first page, Long Live Evil pulls you into a world that is both haunting and exhilarating. This is a book that doesn’t shy away from the dark, the dangerous, and the deliciously wicked. The story is a rollercoaster of suspense, with twists and turns that will leave you breathless and craving more. What truly stands out in Long Live Evil is its incredible world-building. The author crafts a universe that feels both vividly real and chillingly unpredictable. You’ll find yourself lost in a world where moral lines blur, and characters walk the fine line between villainy and virtue. Every scene is meticulously designed to make you question your allegiances and challenge your preconceptions.

The characters themselves are what make this novel truly unforgettable. Complex, flawed, and impossibly intriguing, the protagonists (and antagonists) are crafted with such depth that you’ll find yourself empathizing with even the most villainous of them. Their motivations, actions, and internal struggles are so richly detailed, you can’t help but get emotionally invested. The pacing is flawless. There’s never a dull moment, and even the quiet moments of reflection carry weight. The dialogue is sharp and witty, balancing moments of dark humor with the tension that builds with every page. It’s a book that keeps you on edge, unsure of what will happen next but completely hooked regardless. And let’s not forget the atmosphere. The author has an uncanny ability to create a mood that lingers long after the book ends. Whether it’s the eerie calm before a storm or the frenetic energy of a high-stakes confrontation, the atmosphere in Long Live Evil is palpable, creating an immersive experience from start to finish.

Bold, brilliant, and absolutely captivating, Long Live Evil is a true masterpiece of its genre. Highly recommended!

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the eARC!

This book is so interesting! The FMC gets sucked into her favorite book while on her deathbed but she doesn't wake up as the good guy, but wakes up as the villian! Like how cool! Can't wait for book two!!

This book was a bit of a miss for me after all the hype surrounding it. Additionally, I received this work as apart of Fairyloot's adult subscription.

I often felt like the plot was disjointed and would create build-up tension for the reader, but would then fall flat. However, the plot itself turned out to be unique even though it was under the guise of a "dark fantasy." I did enjoy that aspect.

The most fun I’ve had reading fantasy books so far. So many plot twists and a serious “what did I just read and where is the sequel?!” vibe upon completion. Excellent work!!

I really wanted to love this one - the plot sounded fantastic and I’m always up for a snarky, anti-hero FMC. Unfortunately, I found it hard to follow at some points - there seemed to be an excess of characters and the plot wasn’t always solid. While I liked the ending, I wish it was a stand alone and there wasn’t a sequel setup.

THIS BOOK!!! If you have ever wanted to live inside your favorite book this is a must read. I loved everything about it and I cannot wait for the sequel.

I originally received an ARC via NetGalley. Review is based on the final copy. All opinions are my own.
Long Live Evil is a great example of timing being everything when it comes to reading. I originally tried the ARC and wasn’t into it, so I put it down. But seeing the later reception, including a placement on a couple “Best of 2024” lists in major publications had me reconsidering, as the concept of the book did still appeal to me. And I ended up picking it up again at the tail-end of my umpteenth Once Upon a Time rewatch, when I knew I’d need something to fill the void again. While this book has only surface-level similarities with OUAT, like the portal fantasy element and the centering of dastardly villains, it just hit the spot in a way it just…didn’t…the first time.
It’s an absolutely ridiculous romp of a book, and I love that it doesn’t take itself too seriously with the ridiculous names and extravagant costumes the characters wear. The world building is almost nonexistent, but I could easily believe this was the world of a book…within a book.
Rae is a sympathetic protagonist, as she’s fighting a battle with cancer in the beginning of the book. The escape she finds in the pages of her favorite fantasy series, recognizable to many readers, becomes real as she’s transported into the world of the story and literally becomes one of the characters (although she has the typical human disbelief). It’s just wonderful to see someone go from their lowest point to experiencing a total power fantasy.
And I can see the complaint that a lot of the story feels predictable, or the characters feel archetypal, but the book is fairly self-aware about this. Rae, as a fan of the series, can predict what’s coming next. And this is a great example of these predictable elements being more a satirical critique of the genre in and of itself, where the narrative ultimately does subvert the common tropes it uses and sometimes revels in, also providing commentary on the sexist tropes of fantasy and other media, and its real-world implications.
While it’s not the most deep story in terms of character (beyond the protagonist) or the most “original” plot-wise, I liked how the narrative uses humor and satire to unpack the human relationship with fiction, particularly fantasy. This is definitely one of those books that will either be hit-or-miss for you, but generally based on my experience, if you enjoy any combination of meta commentary about books (and books within books), sexy fantasy villains, the portal fantasy subgenre, and/or millennial cringe humor, it’s a safe bet it may work for you.

My Selling Pitch:
Game of Thrones x Once Upon a Time YA satire full of millennial humor.

Pre-reading:
The cover says camp to me.

(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
No sister with a 4 year age gap has ever said something like that.

Rae is me.

I’m kind of digging this. It’s snarky.

This has some very true lines about fiction in general.

All I can think of is Lana Parilla from Once Upon a Time.

So she goes to the story and she’s gonna think she loves the villain but then she likes the other guy who ends up being the actual villain is that gonna be this book? That would be interesting. Or she goes to Storyland and falls in love with him because she’s his last love reincarnated? That would also be good.

Cheery goth daffodil is wild.

Don't you wanna be evil 🎶

It’s very Apprentice to the Villain.

This is a lot of clumsy, melodramatic metaphor.

I feel like I recognize this narrator’s bad southern accent, but I don’t know from what. (Oh I do! She did Blood over Bright Haven.)

This is really hard to read. I feel like it would be better suited if we almost got alternating chapters where we were actually reading the book and then reading the alternate history. This just feels info dumpy and confusing. Like I don’t know who any of these people or places are. I don’t know who I’m supposed to care about.

It’s very Princess Bride.

I feel like you just have to commit to not having any idea what’s going on in this book. It’s frustrating me. I don’t wanna pick it up.

OK, I literally don’t know what kind of mental block I have with this book but I cannot pick it up. I am starting it over. Let’s try this again.

I failed.

OK, third time’s the charm. My book friend Meagan is now buddy reading this Sisyphean book with me. It’s the way this is my third time starting it, and I still don’t know what’s going on, and it’s literally supposed to be fandom satire. House of Leaves was less of a mindfuck to me than this book has been. What’s the math on that like-🙃

Like Rae is so similar to me. Snarky, chronically ill girly. I should like this book. I don’t know why I’m struggling with it so much!

It reminds me of the Wishing Game/ Lost Story-like the melancholy whimsy coupled with some biting one liners. (And the gay as hell fanfiction part.)

There’s so many metaphors and shit in this. And it almost gets annoying. (No almost. It is annoying.)

Also, I still can only think of Lana Parilla.

And like the book gets my personality because I also read that dumb line about what truth is and said no flatly.

Like those are banger lines.

Goth daffodil is (still) wild.

Just from foreshadowing lines, I assume she’s going to the land thinking she’s gonna love the king, but she actually falls in love with this guard guy and he’s gonna die and then she’ll have to find him in real life again?

Don't you wanna be evil 🎶

Like there’s so much going on. I really don’t like that the book changes POVs.

Like Key has to be the love interest, no?

Sing us a song, the piano man 🎶

I know it’s going for camp, but I’m really struggling with her trying to world build and then dumping satire humor in the middle of it. I feel like it would be better organized and more digestible with a pithy closing line to the paragraph rather than in the middle and then continuing to steamroll.

Also, this could be a formatting issue. I might not be so confused by fourth wall breaks if I wasn’t doing this as an audiobook.

Fantasy red bottoms?

Way too many POVs.

I’m so frustrated. Like I literally don’t know what’s going on. They’re following the plot of the book, but we don’t know the plot of the book, and they’re not telling us the plot of the book, so we don’t know what they’re supposed to be following, and then she’s changing the book, but we don’t know how she wants to change the book or why. We keep getting more and more characters dumped on us. Like I’m having the worst time.

Taylor Swift sin

organdie

The metaphors are pissing me off. Like I know it’s supposed to be funny, but it’s really not.

If I have to hear about this woman’s tits one more time. (I know it was going for humor with this, but it really just read she breasted boobily and it was beyond beating a dead horse.)

This is the annoying fake woke feminism. You’re preaching to an audience that already knows the score. Women who like twisted fairytales already know the patriarchy sucks. And men aren’t picking this up to hear your lecturing. So like why are you yelling at me?

I don’t jump to ~the velveteen rabbit~ to explain sociopathy.

I like Key’s backstory a lot.

I trot out that statistic all the time to people, and they don’t believe me. That statistic encapsulates so much of what is wrong with this world.

I’m so confused about this line about them attempting to put their clothing on and missing because they’re wearing clothes. They didn’t miss. Is it commentary on how revealing the clothing is because that wouldn’t be putting clothes on and missing either? And also, you already gave me a paragraph about their clothing so why are we doing it again?

Why is this a musical now? This is such shit.

I genuinely can’t tell if this is just the worst audiobook ever produced or if the book is that bad. I feel like I read three chapters and then have to immediately reread them because I have no idea what’s going on. (I might be a blonde, but I swear I’m not as illiterate as this book made me feel.)

Bend and snap!

You’re so vain you probably think this song is about you 🎶

No capes!

We’re all team Key on god! (If you don’t read this in Tana Mongeau‘s voice-)

Parterre

I feel like this book would work so much better if it was written more like a dual timeline rather than these random interludes at the beginning of chapters. Like I think it would be so much stronger if we had what happens in the original story as a full chapter and then what happens in the new timeline as another chapter.

As it is, it just comes across as telling not showing. It’s so annoying.

Leucrota

I love hyenas.

caparisoned

We were on a break!

Did they really kill Broccoli the snake? That’s sad.

I’m assuming the book ends with Key coming back from the dead as the real emperor and now he’s against Rae cause he thinks she lied to him and then book two is just gonna be her convincing him that she actually does love him and I don’t wanna read that. (But bitch, I probably will.)

How do they just have these magic gloves on all the time? Don't they clash with the outfits?

It's pretty lame that both Earthlings? Real Worlders? get the same overpowered boyfriends.

Okay, Google Maps the horse is GENUINELY funny.

Ugh, that's so boring. I knew they were gonna save the sister instead. Literally nothing in this book has been surprising EXCEPT for when we first find out Eric’s a New Yorker too. Also, I think it’s dumb for Rae to be from OK. She should be a New Yorker too and then it's Once Upon a Time in New York. (Editing Sam here. I feel like normally I’m better about posting my predictions throughout my book notes, but I was really just trying to get through this one.)

Was it forty whacks?

I feel like this is supposed to be some big plot twist, and I’m like I opened the book.

OH, I DID IT. I FEEL CLEANSED.

AND WITH TIME TO SPARE, BITCH!

Post-reading:
This was one of my most grueling reading experiences ever. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. And yet, I don't think it's a bad book? I genuinely think this was a me problem. I restarted that audiobook 3 fucking times. It took me weeks to get to 40% and then I locked in, cranked that shit to 3x speed, and absolutely plowed through the rest of it in a few hours.

I think the audiobook sucks. Point blank. I don't think this is a book you can absentmindedly listen to and multitask during. Which is wild because it's the most predictable, formulaic shit.

There's something just so unfriendly about the style of this book’s satire that didn't click with the narrator. It was always dead serious and earnest and it made it hard to pick up on the book’s sarcasm. It's like the book is written with mid-paragraph parenthesis, but the book doesn't have those parenthesis and the audiobook’s narrator never changes tone to signal it. It was like whack a mole with immersion-ruining phrases coming out of seemingly nowhere that would piss me off, make me be like what the hell am I reading? and then I would backtrack and reread everything I had just listened to. And that was soul-crushing. I don’t have that in me to do that with a book I LIKE let alone some mediocre bullshit that I know isn’t gonna have a satisfying payoff.

The way this book is written, it’s so easy to get lost. And I knew that if I just said fuck it and plowed through, I wouldn’t be giving the book a fair shot. I can’t hate something without at least attempting to comprehend it, you know?

And here’s the thing. I don’t hate this. Normally when I finish a book and I’m like wow, I would fundamentally change everything about this, it’s an easy rating. It gets punted onto the do not read list and I get to write a funny, ranty review. I can’t do that for this one.

It’s a fun concept. Parts of the humor work even if it is cringey and millennial. I think the style the author chose cut this story off at the knees.

It reads like one big info dump. And I don’t think it has to. I think you can leave a lot of the story as it is and just change those god awful chapter intros to be actual functioning chapters. I think this book would be a lot more digestible if the author had approached it like a dual timeline narration. I would’ve much rather have read a chapter told in over the top, dude bro fantasy voice that served as what Rae herself read which told us the original story and have it then immediately be followed by a chapter in the altered timeline told in snarky satire voice which clued us in to how things had changed.

I know this story had a lot of balls in the air, but there were too many POVs. Asking your audience to keep track of a big cast, and then essentially doubling that cast by having an alternate timeline is a big ask, especially when you’re giving characters multiple titles. Frankly, it was a little exhausting.

And yet somehow, despite this awful reading experience, I’m still kind of charmed by the book. The characters are aggressively likable. The romances absolutely carried this book. They’re over the top and predictable, but there was something nostalgic about it that almost felt like fanfiction.

I’ve exerted so much effort reading this first book that I am definitely picking up the sequel. And somehow by the absolute skin of its teeth, fueled by pure charisma and chutzpah, I almost kind of like it.

Who should read this:
If you read OUaT or SPN fanfiction, this is gonna feel nostalgic
Campy theater kids

Ideal reading time:
Anytime

Do I want to reread this:
No, but I exerted so much effort reading this that I’m obligated to read the sequel.

Would I buy this:
No, but I won’t be getting rid of the copy I have because I’m a book masochist.

Similar books:
* Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-same book, different font, YA romantasy workplace campy satire
* Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots-urban fantasy, superhero workplace satire
* Masters of Death by Olivie Black-kooky, fantasy romance
* A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow-YA fairytale retelling
* Nimona by N. D. Stevenson-ya fantasy, villain isn't actually the villain
* My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand et al.-ya historical fantasy retelling, camp
* The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton-cozy historical fantasy romance, camp as hell
* The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean-cozy urban fantasy queer romance, camp as hell
* The Lost Story by Meg Shafer-magical realism, cozy fantasy, queer romance

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5

Rae, who is dying in real life, gets the opportunity to drop into her favorite fantasy series and complete a quest for a chance to live.

This was such a good time! Very meta and funny with moving moments of seriousness. The characters are great and I’m really intrigued to see where the story goes next. The issues here are that the pacing was off and I was confused at moments because it was trying to do too much - there are literally 2 stories going on at once.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

I've managed to read Long Live Evil twice before its publication date, which should tell you something about how good this book is. It has everything that made Sarah Rees Brennan's Young Adult books so good - the hilarious dialogues, the characters that manage to be both tropes and absolutely three-dimensional and real, the constant urge to snort and cackle while reading - but on top of these, there's a healthy dose of rage, of wanting to tear everything down, that's been absent from Rees Brennan's previous works, and that makes it feel fully adult.

Long Live Evil has been one of my absolute favorites of 2024, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out.

I cannot stress this enough: this is truly the Best fantasy I read this year. I can’t wait for book 2!