Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Orbit Books and the author Sarah Rees Brennan for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read the blurb and was immediately like YES PLEASE. Villainous heroine lets gooooo! Some of the Goodreads reviews made me hesitant to request this arc but thank goodness I went with my gut on this one. Because this book was amazing!
I liked Rae from the very first page. She reminds me very much of my older sister. Her situation was heartbreaking. I knew from the official blurb that the MFC would be dying, but the situation still caught me off guard. I lost my father to cancer a few years ago, and this evoked many memories from that time. I put the eARC down for a while.
I’m not out here reading books to analyze literary merits. I need entertainment, an escape, and this book delivers that. It was a fun ride. The humor is consistent. You will know in the first few pages if it appeals to you. I enjoyed it thoroughly! I didn’t see plot twists coming. Anxiously awaiting the next one!

LONG LIVE EVIL isn't without flaws: first, it's not truly an adult debut as advertised, but a YA crossover (albeit with a little more spice and cursing, but still no sex for the heroine... which, come on, if she's going to embrace being a villainess for feminist reasons among others, can the author let her have some ORGASMS please ffs!). The metafictional structure also doesn't always work; some of the scenes are trying too hard (primarily the big song and dance sequence and some of the pop culture references, although I'm sure there's a portion of the readership for this title that will adore them); and the ending is a twist-that-isn't, at least if you've been paying attention, but which feels quite abrupt and cliffhanger-like nonetheless.

That said, this novel actually has something substantive to say about the big questions--good and evil, life and death, the nature of stories and storytelling--that sets it apart, and the parts of Rae's journey based on the author's own experiences are as emotionally visceral and deeply personal as any memoir. It also has all her usual humor and action and several queer romances, plus the epic fantasy sequences and descriptions are tonally perfect for what they're trying to accomplish, acting as a send-up of the genre while still reveling in the over-the-top drama and sexiness of the deliberately purple style being employed. I hope Sarah Rees Brennan, who I've always thought doesn't get enough critical appreciation as a writer, will keep taking bigger swings in her future adult works! Thank you all for coming to my TED talk.

ETA: Wait, is this just the first book in a duology? If so, the ending hits very differently, and it's also super annoying not to have been told whether it was a standalone or not in the copy before requesting! Publishers, I'm begging you, please learn to understand how critical it is to manage reader expectations by giving enough information so we don't feel baited-and-switched when it comes to major things like whether something is the first book in a series or if the content matches the genre it's being published as, etc..

I've read and enjoyed Sarah Rees Brennan's YA offerings, so when I'd heard she'd written an adult book - an "epic fantasy" no less - I was delighted. "Long Live Evil" sounds exactly like the sort of tongue-in-cheek tale I'd enjoy, being an accomplished villain-preferer, and so when I started reading it, my hopes were high.

Well, they were adjusted, Quickly. "Long Live Evil" is young adult; it may let a few curse words fly here and there, but it's written exactly like a young adult book might be written in terms of style and simplicity of language. To make things worse, it tries really, really hard to be funny. Self-referential. Kind of like Scream was a romantasy. Unfortunately, it's a classic case of Brennan making her snarky teenage protagonist say and do things using slang that's dated, with pop culture references bursting forward off the page all the way. This would be one thing if solely our fish-out-of-water heroine (villainess?) did it, but then the other characters likewise started in on it despite being from a fantasy world, and it was just... way too much. The jokes barely landed, the characters were largely flat. It was like a satire without teeth.

If this had been marketed as a YA comedy, it would have fitted more than the comparisons it's trying to make.

4.25 stars!

First, I have to say I’m so glad there’s a planned sequel to this book because of that ending! Ugh! I’m still reeling from it.

I love the premise of this book, a dying girl is transported into her favorite series to try and save her life. In doing so, she changes her life and the story.

What I loved: Rae, Key, and the Cobra! The Cobra is hands down my favorite character. His introduction to the book is still one of my favorite scenes, he’s brilliant! Key is such a sociopath, I love his character so much. I’m still not over how he ended up at the end of this book.

Rae, oh poor Rae, she’s such a delightful mess. She’s funny, mean, and just starting to grow up and realize that actions have consequences. I’m looking forward to her continued growth!

What drove me crazy at first is the world building learning curve. A lot of the characters have a ton of names and nicknames. It took me a while to remember who is who and who was talking and what their backstory was, but once that clicked into place then things really picked up. I sorely wished for a glossary to refer back to for all the names. I knocked some points off of my star rating because I was a bit overwhelmed at first.

I am so curious to know what happens next. Do our characters get a happy ending in the next book? Who will change and who lives up to their new, full potential? Will Lia ever stop tripping into people’s arms???

Overall, a fun novel, and an ending that I think people will be thinking about for a while.

3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

This was a fun ride, but I feel like this could have been more polished. Now, I did read the eARC, so maybe it will be in the final.

I loved the premise of this book. The main character finds herself transported to her favorite book series to escape death. Over the course of the book, the characters that start off tropey develop more personality, and you really start to root for them.

However, I found the writing to be really difficult to get through in the first 15%. I almost DNFed. I am glad I pushed through, because it was a fun read. I also felt like the first names of the characters were really overused. It felt unnecessary. My last complaint, was the modern slang in a fantasy setting. Given the nature of the book, I understand it, but it threw me out of the story quite a bit.

I am planning to read the next book in the series, because I loved the twist in the end, and I'm excited to see how book 2 plays out.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the eARC!

DNF at 55%. unfortunately this book is incredibly hard to get into because the story the protagonist has been dropped into is paper thin nonsense. The problem is that you feel like you don’t know where it’s going unless you know the plot of the fictional book she’s been dropped into, but you can’t know it because it’s not a real book you’d have read in advance. The entire thing feels like watching a 12-year old read a choose your own adventure book which in theory could be interesting but in practice is just incredibly dull

"Long Live Evil" by Sarah Rees Brennan is a daring debut that upends traditional fantasy tropes by placing readers in the villain's shoes. The novel follows Rae, who, after her life collapses, enters the world of her favorite fantasy series through a magical bargain. Instead of the heroine, she becomes the villainess alongside an intriguing ensemble of characters, including an axe-wielding maid, a brooding knight, and a charismatic spymaster.

Brennan's narrative challenges the conventional dichotomy of good versus evil, exploring themes of morality and power as Rae and her fellow villains attempt to rewrite their fates. With witty dialogue, vivid descriptions, and escalating stakes, "Long Live Evil" is a gripping read that offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be a villain, making it a must-read for those who enjoy complex characters and a twist on familiar narratives.

“Don’t listen to stories encouraging you to be good, telling you to shine in a filthy world and patiently endure suffering. Screw suffering. It’s too hard to be good. Do the easy thing. Do the evil thing. Grasp whatever you desire in your greedy bloodstained hands.”

this is for every fantasy fan who wants to be or be with the villain. preferably both.

this is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite reads this year yet. an epic quest portal fantasy with heart, guts, & laughter, and a girl who gets to say fuck you, i'm choosing myself.

She was Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood. She was the heroine’s evil stepsister. And she was due to be executed tomorrow.

“Ambition is wicked, and I want so much. If I want to live that makes me a monster, if I want a man that makes me the harlot of the tower, if I want a throne that makes me an evil queen. Fine. I’ll be a wonderful monster. I trust my own wickedness. I will never believe in someone else again.”

brennan manages to take every well-worn (read: worn out), stereotypical, anticipated fantasy archetype cliché and throw it into delightful subversion with rae's introduction into the world of eyam. it's reminiscent of the magicians for me (at least the tv show, i haven't read the book) - rae stepping into the very fantasy world she's loved her whole life and knows (well, almost) every detail about, cleverly manuevering it to the bewilderment of her enemies. but, a drop in the ocean causes a ripple effect throughout the rest of the sea...

the self-awareness and meta element of the storytelling allows brennan to directly confront and critique the sexist tropes not only in fantasy media, but of society at large (bc what are stories, but a reflection of ourselves and our existing world?). s/o to her for also bringing in the queer rep and letting typically two-dimensional side characters become so much more real and loveable.

Relationships with no mistakes and no obstacles had no bite. Reading them was like consuming soggy salad for every meal and calling that healthy eating.

“What’s reality, except something that really affects us? If enough people believe in something, doesn’t it become real?”

“Sometimes women writers got discussed as if they ran a fictional vampire dating agency, while clearly men writing green bare-breasted tree women burned with pure literary inspiration.”

“But the poets don’t write about heartless wanton women because they hope never to meet them.”

rae's journey starts from the all-time low point of her life; the nearing end of it. while i felt incredible sympathy from rae's vivid recollections of her experience through sickness and its devastating alienation and loneliness, i also got to delight in brennan's incredible gift of wit and delight around every corner of her story.

“All this slut-shaming. Where’s the slut-praising? Quick, someone tell me I’m wicked cute and have great time management.”

“I’m supporting him.”
“You’re blackmailing him!”
“In a supportive way!”

She fixed an expression of extreme interest on her face, as if at a party with a college guy telling her about film studies.

i could honestly give you more quotes to convince you to read this (i have over 300 highlights in my arc) but i shan't spoil all the fun for you!

i am fully sat for the next book, i cannot WAIT to see where this series goes next!

Choose wrong.Choose evil.

I honestly don't know if I can give a decent synopsis of this because it is a little wild. We enter the story from the viewpoint of Rae, a woman who is on the brink of death. She gets a rather bizarre offer from a stranger- to enter the world of her favorite fantasy series. Only when she enters the world, she discovers she is in the body of the villainess of the story. What's a girl to do but decide to embody evil and change the fate of the one whose body she inhabits?

The characters are mostly compelling, the hook very interesting. The middle was a bit bogged down. Honestly, if I had DNF'd at 75%, as I was tempted to do, I would have given this book a 3 star rating. The last bit was wild. And the end? What a cliffhanger! I really hope there is a sequel to this one. I have to know what happens!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing a digital galley proof in exchange for an honest review

Calling it now: Long Live Evil is my favorite book of 2024. I cannot gush effusively enough, but I'm going to try. Our heroine is Rae, a young woman losing a battle to cancer. She wakes up to discover she's now inside her favorite book series and in possession of the body of Lady Rahela otherwise known as the Beauty Dipped in Blood, a villainess who Rae knows will be executed in mere hours. What else can a girl do except turn evil, gather a troop of minions, and try to bend the plot of the book to her will?

LLE is an isekai or portal fantasy, where someone from the "real" world travels to a fantasy world. But in Brennan's hands, the tropes are transformed into something truly marvelous. This book is laugh out loud hilarious again and again with so many quotable lines (this is of course from the same author who gave us "Sword sisters not misters"), but it's more than just funny: this book is a remarkably thoughtful exploration of what it means to be a hero, a villain, a damsel in distress, a sister, have a healthy body, and how the most unfair of social mores extend into fantasy worlds too.

Don't believe me? Leigh Bardugo called this "supremely satisfying" and Holly Black called this "brilliant." AND IT IS. If we don't get some lovely editions of this book from Fairyloot, Illumicrate, etc. I will positively cry.

4.5 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into when I started this book. Rae is dying. The only brightness to her days is her sister and their shared enjoyment of a massively popular book series. One night Rae is visited by a person who offers her the chance to enter the story and either cure herself, or basically die trying. But when you love the villains do the story and are thrown in a fictional world, why not also become a villain yourself?

This was super fun. I was hoping what happened at the end was going to happen, but honestly was duped a little in getting there.

I squealed when I got an arc of this because this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024! As someone who always has felt like she belongs in another world (namely a fairytale one) I love the concept of someone entering the world of their favorite book series. This isn’t the first time I’ve read a book with this concept (The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling, one of my favorites, has the mc sucked inside the pages of a fairytale book and becomes a character that the prince falls for) but this is the first time the mc is sucked inside a book and finds that she is the VILLAIN. Except, unlike a light and fluffy Disney princess fairytale world, the fantasy world in this book is violent and dark. It’s more so horror fantasy if anything.

“Rae devoured the next two books. The sequels were wild. After his queen was murdered, the Emperor visited ruin upon the world, then ruled over a bleak landscape of bones. The books were grim and also dark.”

Yup, definitely fantasy horror. Plus there’s monsters. Rae may be the only person in the world who would actually WANT to live in this particular book world, but she is a bit of a cynic, stating “hope without tragedy is hollow” and “in the strange, fascinating world of these books, with its glorious horror of a hero, pain meant something.” Yeah I’ll stick to wanting to live in the world of my cute little fairytales, because Eyam is not a book world that I would want to be sucked into, no thanks lol.

Most of all, this is a book about fantasy book lovers for fantasy book lovers. Not even fantasy necessarily, just anything that isn’t contemporary and takes you to far off world so unlike our own.

“Book characters were dangerously attractive in the safest way. You didn’t even know what they looked like, but you knew you liked it.”

It can be hard to put in details about a book within a book, because you’re setting up both the book world and the book within a book world. But details about the kingdom of Eyam are released at perfect timing, paced at right when the story needs it without excessive info dumping all at once. You learn as you go basically, and while you start out not knowing much about Eyam, you never feel lost or like your don’t know anything about the book world of Time of Iron. The details about the fictional world come later when the story warrants it and it’s paced perfectly. As dark as the worldbuilding is, Rae is actually hilarious. She embraces being in Eyam quickly and her modern quips and the way she handles everything is actually so funny.

This book does lag a bit in the middle and the plot feels kind of directionless. It was also too long and drawn out; this book would’ve benefited from being about 100 pages shorter. It started super strong but lacked direction for most of it and almost felt like most of the plot was purposeless? It was a nice dose of escapism but it wasn’t as engaging as I hoped.
Still, I really want to know the ending (since the ending to book one was pretty inconclusive intentionally since there will be more than one book) so I’ll be picking up the next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This was a fantastic book. It had everything I want in a fantasy novel; humor, found family, subplot of romance, and villainy! Rae as a main character was such a unique voice, as I’ve never read a fantasy novel with a terminally ill MC before. I really liked how she navigated the new world she was dropped into, and didn’t try and alter her personality to better fit in with the others around her. The constant confusion when she used modern slang was so funny to me, especially her scenes with the Golden Cobra - a favorite character of mine from this. I am really impressed with this book and the plot/pacing was perfect. I already preordered the final version and can’t wait to add it to my shelf and annotate my favorite parts. I hope this series continues because that ending left me with so (SO) many questions that I need answered yesterday. (Especially a more detailed explanation as to why The Last Hope did what he did without a second thought…if you know, you know).

I loved this book! From the moment I started reading, I knew I was in for a treat, but I wasn’t prepared for just how deeply invested I’d become. The world Brennen has created is so immersive that I’m devastated to leave it behind.

The story follows Rae, a young woman who’s been battling cancer and is struggling to come to terms with her mortality. Her sister, Alice, is determined to stay by her side, even as Rae’s health begins to decline. But when Rae is offered a chance to regain her health by completing a mission in a fantasy world, she seizes it. She wakes up in a new body, that of a villainess in a world she thought was only fictional.

Rae throws herself into her new role, embracing the dark arts and all the schemes and machinations that come with being a villain. She’s ruthless, cunning, and determined to win at any cost. But as she becomes more entrenched in her new world, she begins to realize that the line between reality and fiction is blurred, and that her actions have consequences.

I loved every aspect of this book - from the meta fantasy references to the classic real-world nods, musical numbers, and inclusive representation. The themes of chronic illness, terminal illness, and bisexuality are handled with sensitivity and respect. If you’ve ever fantasized about stepping into a book and becoming a part of its world, this is a must-read.

And that cliffhanger? Absolutely brutal. I’m still reeling from the ending and can’t wait for the next book. If you’re looking for a story that will consume you, look no further than Long Live Evil.

DNF at 17%

Thank you Orbit for the copy but bored, lost and confused don’t even begin to describe how I felt during these first few pages. I was not enjoying this book at all. Sorry but I had to DNF it

Not my favorite read to be honest - the pace and language felt inconsistent, bogged down by unnecessary points of views from other characters, and for lack of a better term, cringe. There were some comedic moments but it was hard to find them funny more than amusing. I have a rather low-cringe threshold, so this felt more like a millennial attempt to be 'hip' if anything, especially with how laissez-faire Rae came off given the environment that she was in, so it didn't read well. I think there is an audience for this who would love sitting through and reading it, but unfortunately it did not connect with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fun, meta, and a whirlwind from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and all the characters and the plot/concept of the book was well done and Brennan's writing was phenomenal. I do want to shout out the authors acknowledgements in this book - they made me cry!

I love Sarah Rees Brennan’s The Demon's Lexicon series so I had to request an ARC of her newest book, Long Live Evil, and it doesn’t disappoint. If you read villainess reincarnation manga/manhwa, you’ll be familiar with the basic premise and some of the tropes that go into this book but Brennan twists things just enough for the plot and characters to remain fresh and surprising while still delivering all those satisfying moments that we want from villainess reincarnation media.

In our world, Rae is dying and one of the worst things about it is the utter hopelessness she feels–how do you fight back against your own body? But when a mysterious woman appears to her one day, offering her a chance to save herself by stealing the Flower of Life and Death in her favorite fictional fantasy series, she takes it. Unfortunately, she doesn’t end up in the body of the heroine or hero of the story, but in the villainess, who’s scheduled to be executed the next day.

First of all, I loved Rae. From the beginning, she has a strong voice and is funny, clever, but you can also feel the weariness of living with a terminal illness. When she’s transported to the world of fantasy, she quickly adapts and uses her knowledge of the series (but she never really finished the first book or read it that carefully, oops) to her advantage. Along with her maid, Emer, and her suspiciously hot guard, Key, the trio makes for a fun group of characters to root for.

I also enjoy that Brennan doesn’t shrink from making Rae unlikable at times. She can be careless, indifferent to other people’s feelings, and ruthless to the point of being cruel, but that’s what makes her three-dimensional. Similarly, no other character in the book is perfect and everyone has layers to them–they’re all the narrators and protagonists of their own stories with interior lives and it’s interesting to see Rae grow closer to them and realize this.

Another standout element for me is how Brennan gives homage to literary tropes, both turning them over in the narrative as tiring at times like the double standards for women or giving them love. There were so many great little points Rae would make that added to the feeling of her being a character readers can relate to and would root for.

The plot takes turns I did not expect and really ends on a cliffhanger, so I’m excited to pick up the next book whenever it comes out. Brennan has made a fun world with intriguing characters and while I wish there were more shenanigans in there since it really does die down after the first one, I love that there’s a bit of political intrigue and romance in the book too.

If you like rooting for villains that are sometimes, maybe just a little, heroic, Long Live Evil is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on July 16, 2024. It will be published on Amazon on the pub date.

It's every bookworm's dream to fall into their favorite story and be able to shape the narrative, and that's exactly what we get with LONG LIVE EVIL. Rae is a young woman suffering from cancer who gets a choice - go into her favorite book and complete something of a quest, or live in the real world and continue to get sicker. She wakes up as the villain the morning before her execution, and along with her hilariously murderous guard Key and her recalcitrant maid Emer, starts engaging in evil hijinks. Writers will delight in the meta-commentary on what it takes to craft a compelling story, and trope-lovers will be equally happy to. The writing was snappy and fun, and I laughed out loud every few pages. I fell in love with each of the characters, especially the villains.

The book isn't all fun and games--it touches on some deep and meaningful themes. As a reader who has suffered some serious health challenges (although thankfully not nearly as severe as Rae's), I especially appreciated Rae's examination of her feelings towards the cancer she's suffering from in the real world. It's a difficult topic to tackle, but reading about her anger, resentment, hurt, and pain was so cathartic for me. I certainly felt much less alone, and I know I'll revisit this book time and time again.

I was so excited to read this. A character going into her favorite book series and becoming a villain sounded sooo good! At first I really enjoyed it and thought it was going to be great. Unfortunately, between the constant modern-speaking, info-dumping, and the bland character POVs I could not get into this story. Trying to be too witty or constantly adding humor in places it shouldn't be can come off as very millennial-core IMHO and this book fell victim to that. I'm such a fan of high fantasy and I just wish this story would've taken itself a bit more serious because the world building and premise was a home run.