This book certainly seems like a wild ride and the premise really intrigued me as I'm often just as interested in the villains as I am the heroes. When I received a copy I started reading straight away, but this book was ultimately not for me. I'll go into the reasons why but firstly I want to say that this might have been an element of crossed wires as I went into this expecting epic adult fantasy, and what I read of the book (30%) felt very much more YA or NA. I think readers looking for an irreverent and fun coming-of-age story about a protagonist who overcomes her personal struggles and has a hell of time trying on villainy, with lots of meme-themed one-liners, might LOVE this book. If that's you, don't read my review and just go read the book!

One of the main issues I had with "Long Live Evil" was the writing style. I found the modern, contemporary language style to be jarring with the setting, and a lot of the language was a little on the nose for me. I'm not a fan of the *looks to camera* style zinger and so much of the writing was more telling than showing. Contrasting wildly with this, passages of the prose were excessively flowery and purple, which I found super jarring and would snap me out of the narrative every time. I found myself having to reread passages to make sense of what was happening. Additionally, characters would often launch into lengthy monologues about topics like art, death and morality. It was so heavy-handed, I could practically feel Brennan's agenda smacking me in the face.

The dialogue was messy. The exchanges between characters felt clunky and unnatural, more reminiscent of a YA novel or fan fiction than the epic adult fantasy I was expecting. Very early on, there is a painfully earnest exchange where our protagonist literally tells her confidantes they're going to be evil now. And keeps calling them 'minions'. It gave me second hand cringe and I'm uncomfortably reminded of the vibe in an early 00s Hot Topic. Rae would definitely have had that lifesize Jack Skellington poster on her bedroom door and some Anarchy wrist warmers.

I don't recall seeing a mention of Hot Topic itself in the book, but it might well be in there. There were so many pop culture references and Gen X slang terms - as other reviewers have said, it was incredibly 'hello, fellow kids' and even when I tried to overlook that aspect, I just couldn't get on board. I couldn't help but think that Rae must be a total airhead for constantly using language that was so out of place in her current environment (at the risk of hideous death). While I believe the author intended for this to be funny or to highlight Rae's lack of understanding of the world she's in, it just didn't work for me.

I'm a bitter and cynical millennial, so while "Long Live Evil" wasn't the right fit for me, I can see how the things I didn't enjoy might be an absolute hoot for the next reader. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely need the next book ASAP. I love the concept, I love the characters, and I love the way the story progresses! I haven't been devastated by the ending of a book in so, so long. Completely devoured this book every chance I got to read. Rae is living out every fan's dream and I can't wait to see how she continues to flip the script. Stunner of a book. Would give more stars if I could!

Usually when people enter a book or movie they want to be there and they want the heroes to succeed. In Long Live Evil, Rae has late stage cancer and is offered a chance to live by entering the world of her and her sister's favorite book. The only snag is that once she enters the story she finds herself in the body of very minor, soon-to-be-executed villain. She will do everything she can to obtain the object that will save her life and bring her back to her sister. And she knows the only way she can accomplish her goals is by being the best villain she can be. It's both tragic and hilarious watching as she, with a very vague idea of the plot and the help of her newly formed group of villains, does her best to outsmart the heroes and the story. I would definitely recommend this book to any Sarah Rees Brennan fan who enjoy her books for the strong sibling relationships and snarky morally grey characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an advance reader copy.

In real life, people let you go. That was why people longed for the love from stories, love that felt more real than real love.

The writing is almost set up almost like we are reading a story within a story, and it is jarring. I was thrown out multiple times that it took me so long to finish. The modern language was throwing me off as I expected to at least portray a semblance of the character she was meant to be. The pacing threw me off. Multiple times throughout the story the plot changed throwing me off who was who and who was doing what. The plot twist ending only made me mad. Things were happening that I had to go back and read again to still be confused.

For some reason I did not care for the main character. She was immature acting for majority of the book. It wasn’t until 64% based on the e-arc before the story picked up and became interesting. There are too many characters I was losing track of who’s who. I didn’t find any of the characters memorable. They were there to push the plot forward there was no depth to them.

There was a lack of world building throughout the story. We are in multiple places and each one is not adequately describe to orient yourself.

Much of the dialogue come off as cringey. We are told what is happening and now shown. While the story was interesting the writing style was disjointed often taking me out of the story.

There were good moments but they were overshadowed. I really wanted to love this story as we finally get the villain as the main character. It just fell flat.

Thank you Orbit for the ARC of Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan.

This was a very unique read where the heroine isn’t the leader of the good side, she’s evil! I found the premise of her falling into a story and away from her real life really intriguing and felt the author did a good job.

There were many moments that had me laughing, tearing up, and rooting for team evil. The cast of characters kept the story interesting, however there was a disconnect for me on really getting to know them.

The beginning was a bit slow and felt info dumpy since the reader quickly had to adjust to the world that the main character already knew, but the author handled this well as the story progressed.

A unique take on an adult fantasy fairytale!

I liked this book a lot. It was a fun read but I do think the pacing was off at some points. There were some parts that I really loved, and at other times, I found myself struggling to get through it. I think the book was a good read because more of the good outweighed the parts I didn't like but I do think it struggled in some parts.

“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.”

Long live evil is about a terminally ill cancer patient who is offered a deal to enter a story world to find a flower that will save her life. Rae goes on all kinds of adventures and schemes all kinds of plots in order to find the flower. Then it all blows up in her face when she realizes she might just care about all these book characters and the story plot.

I had a hard time rating this book, but ended up giving it 3.75 ⭐️’s. It was very hard to follow all the characters introduced at the beginning of the book. I found myself confused and had to re-read parts, which is something I don’t normally need to do. I didn’t fall in love with the characters or become invested in the story until around page 150. Once the world was built and I was familiar with the characters, I was into it.

I was pulled in by the many adventures and twists along the way. It was written with modern language and found myself laughing out loud through the story. Rae would tell “stories” that were really movie/show plots from our world, which definitely cracked me up and helped keep me hooked. I was absolutely heartbroken at one point. And then shocked by a twist at the end and left on a cliffhanger.

This was a very fun little read. I enjoyed the ride, even if I never really fell in love with it. The book is very well paced and I found myself really enjoying the characters.

This is one of the most captivating books I've read in a while! The story is truly wonderful, the characters are amazing, and the plotlines are fantastic. While there may not be any spicy scenes, the subtle hints of romance were beautifully written. I eagerly await the next book and hope for more to come. I also appreciated the clever jabs at overused naming tropes (even though I still love them). The humor and unexpected twists throughout kept me thoroughly entertained.

*Spoiler free review*

I adored a portal into another world, so I was very intrigued by this book!

It was a fun and wild ride with a lot of different characters with twists and turns.

I will say, the writing was difficult to get into, there were times I felt I had to reread a part ro understand what was going on, but other than that this was an enjoyable read!

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Orbit Books for the ARC of Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan.

First and foremost, I wish the author nothing but good health and happiness! In the notes at the end of the book she talks about being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and surviving and coming up with the idea for Long Live Evil - I'm overwhelmed by this and wish her all the absolute best. Knowing that while reading the character of Rae and the way Rae describes her body and the pain of it all gives the story more nuance and depth and understanding.

Past that, I've been lucky to also read the ARC of How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and I know Caitlin Rozakis' Dreadful will be coming out this summer as well. I believe the team behind Ilona Andrew's are also working on a similar series with a character named Maggie. It seems that tales of being the villian, embracing the dark side, and being sent into the mystical world of favorite books/games are upon us en masse. It's like Jumangi for the 2020s. While each story is distinct and each author gives them their own life, I think there are a lot of shared universal themes behind the different plots and settings each has. What I have noticed with the three I have read (the Maggie one had a long excerpt out recently) is that this gives the authors flexibility to be more modern in their language, jokes, and comedic relief while also being in a medieval or magical setting. This may not work for everyone reading them, but I found it made all of them more humorous, even when the actual plots could be quite dark and gruesome.

In Long Live Evil, Rae, a 20 year old cancer patient, is given the opportunity to return to life if she can pluck a mystical flower of healing in her favorite book series. The problem is, her illness has left her memory shaky, and when she is thrust into the life of an evil character condemned as a traitor and scheduled to be hanged the next morning, she is able to save herself through what she can remember while also being under threat constantly of what she can't remember and how her current actions are changing the story in real time. Rae is ready to embrace her evil side to come out on top and back to life, yet hilarity and reflection ensue on what makes people real or what makes them matter or the many ways people can be villains with the least intention.

The part I struggled with in the story is that Rae unintentionally makes some massive changes to the original story (which is written by Anonymous) and she makes a friend in someone else who has experienced her particular circumstance. Even though I loved their friendship, I was confused how this person had a different version of the book when they entered, but Rae knew the story published from that person's impact and experience. At the same time, she is brought into the story early in the first book and this other character has been there for years and never gotten there? I wasn't totally sure how to understand this part in the larger scheme of things.

I've seen some people mention this may be a series, which I think would really help with where the book left off. It almost felt like the book was building specifically to that moment and we were still missing half the story about what comes next.

Summary:
When Rae's world was crumbling, she sought solace within the pages of her sister's books. On her deathbed, she is gifted an opportunity at a second chance. She strikes a mystical pact with a magical figure to send her to her cherished fantasy kingdom, Eyam, to gather a unique item. She quickly delves into a kingdom on the brink of turmoil. Amidst danger, she meets up with the characters from the books she loves and realizes she is not the heroine but the villain. Rae embraced her newfound role because villains have more fun. Gathering other villains under her villainous banner, she plots to rewrite their fates. Rae and her bad guy allies face the looming threat, and she does not know if they will endure the story's finale.

Review:
Rae has had a hard life, and her teen life abruptly stops. She is thrust into a horrible situation and seeks solace with her sister and her sister's books, which sets up the book. Rae is brilliant, and her wit creates so much funny banter along with her pop culture references in a fantasy world, which most of the other characters don't get meaning. Like a fantasy book, there is plenty of fighting, creatures, and political intrigue. Rae knew this world and seemed to slip right into her beloved books.

Rae's hopelessness makes the perfect start to her origin story, which is why she is Lady Rahela, the villain/evil stepsister. Remember, she is a teenager who has had her life ripped away from her and can't see past her desire to live her life; now que the fantasy quest music, by finding the magic flower. Rae and the multitude of characters are just trying to fulfill their destinies. Because Rae is in the book, there are tropes galore. It is fun and makes you appreciate the campiness of it. I was 100% sucked into the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

In exchange for my honest review, I received an ARC copy of the ebook from Netgalley and Orbit. Thank you for the opportunity.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our Long Live Evil story happens when we meet Rae and her younger sister Alice talking about their favourite fantasy series. Although Rae hasn’t read all of the books, Alice is obsessed and by sheer association, Rae becomes knowledgeable about the characters and some of the storylines. Rae is also very sick with cancer and has been in the hospital for quite some time. When she was diagnosed, most of her family abandoned her, her mom rarely visits, her friends drifted away, and her dad left and got remarried, all except for Alice who would tell Rae stories. Rae’s body has betrayed her and she doesn’t remember what it’s like to not feel pain. There is a lot of pain and anger. When a mysterious stranger shows up one day offering Rae hope if she chooses to go on a mission and is successful.

Deciding to take the chance Rae finds herself in the world of her and Alice’s fantasy story where she is cast as the villainesse, Rehaela, who is to be executed the next day. With her knowledge of the characters and some of the storylines, Rae embodies being the villain in order to stay alive. As she manipulates what she thinks she knows and who she knows, it’s becomes clear that there are other things at work as the story goes off script. Who is using who and for what?

Although I found the first 75 pages or so slower, I think it was to build a solid foundation of Alice and Rae as characters and to firm up world building as the story sky rockets from there. Alice is also very important to Rae and there are overlaps with Rae trying come to terms of her relationship with her step-sister Lia. Does she use her to advance the story of how it’s supposed to go? How does she reconcile the role she’s been cast in with who she is?

This is a delightful, page turner of a read where tropes of villains and heroes are explored and turned upside down. What I love about the characters is that they have hidden sides to them, where things have happened off the pages. Even though we think we know them well, they are in fact human with all their faults and strengths. I gasped, laughed and am wanting for more. I will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out! There are pop culture references sprinkled without and for the most part it works. It has a campy vibe and is a refreshing read.

Five stars!

Long Live Evil is a literary gem that effortlessly blends humor with profound themes. Sarah Rees Brennan's writing is witty and engaging, with very funny moments sprinkled throughout the narrative. The protagonist, Rae, is a relatable character whose love for fantasy books adds a delightful layer to the story. But beneath the humor lies a deeper exploration of pain and loneliness, particularly through Rae's battle with cancer. Brennan's personal experience as a cancer survivor adds authenticity and emotional depth to Rae's journey. This book is a brilliant mix of comedy and poignancy, and while it may not be for everyone, I found it to be a truly captivating read. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a story that will make them laugh, cry, and everything in between.

I don't normally like portal fantasies, unless they're sneaky portal fantasies like Howl's Moving Castle, but I really enjoyed this. I didn't see the end coming either, and will definitely need to read the next. This book deals with heavy topics like cancer and death, but there's just so much witty banter and humor throughout that you can't help but enjoy the ride.

While this wasn't exactly a GOOD book, it sure was fun. Nothing in the plot or the writing will make you swoon, but if you are just looking for a good time, give this a try!

Rae is transported into the world of her favorite book series. However, she realizes that she is the Big Bad from book 1 who will be executed tomorrow. Since she has been cast as the villain, she will be evil. She uses her knowledge of the genre and of the later books (she really didn't like the first book) to survive. Or, make the lives of her maid and guard a bit better. Rae's not interested in changing the story, she just needs to live long enough.

Rae is a flawed hero, stuck in her own ideas of how the narrative will go. It is also a meta-commentary on authorship. The in-world book series is written by an anonymous author, who is still working on the next volume. Who is in charge of the story--the author or the readers or the characters?

This book has body horror, zombies, and lots of snark. It is also a love letter to self-insert fanfiction.

To begin, I think that this author will really appeal to some people. I just think that this style of writing, particularly the sense of humor, was not quite for me.

I think the concept of isekai is always so, so fun, and generally I really enjoy reading them! To me the writing here felt a little choppy and disjointed, and it seemed to err heavily on the side of explaining things, rather than letting the reader *assume* some things. I wish that I would've had more freedom to come to conclusions, even if they were wrong!

There were also some rather interesting choices of language, with a lot of modern slang thrown in. I think this may work for a lot of people, and it makes sense to a certain extent! My problem was just that it seemed like a jarring break from the story, and it left me feeling like I was being tossed between the two worlds.

Overall, I think the premise of this story is a lot of fun, and I think it echoes the isekai genre fairly well. I can't say that it's one I'll pick up a physical copy of, but it was an okay read :)

This is just such a fun time.

Rae is just like us book girlies…she is also team morally grey…why make the bad guy pretty if he’s supposed to be evil? She’s so right. So valid.

I loved Alice’s sentiment about books and stories. Even though it’s fiction, someone still created it and so many people love it and feel so deeply for it. Just because it’s fake doesn’t mean the feelings are.

This story is so cool and reminds me of so many stories and tv shows from my childhood. The FMC, Rae, starts out in our world and then is offered the chance to go through a door into the fictional world that her sister loves. Rae must save herself through being in this fantasy world and making it back to her world.

When you find yourself in a fantasy world and have to pretend to be the evil villain…lowkey sounds fun…but also so stressful, sorry Rae.

So many of the characters are such caricatures of themselves (characters in the genre) but I feel like that was supposed to be the point? At least, that’s how I interpreted it, so that didn’t both me that much.

And this may seem weird…but I really love that the titles have chapters! More people need to bring that back, I really like those.

And WOWZA does it just speed up at the end! Oh my goodness, so much was happening, I HAD to read the last 15-20% in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My review is already up on Goodreads and my review on TikTok will be up with my monthly wrap-up at the end of May.

I absolutely love Sarah Rees Brennan and once I heard she was coming back out with a book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Even without her author stamp on it, the premise was so fun. Who doesn't want to read about villains taking center stage? Rae is dying from cancer but gets thrust into thr middle of her favorite book series, frantic to find a way back home. What starts off as a run of the mill portal story, feeling almost like a fanfic full of Easter eggs and homage to other well loved books, it quickly becomes something of its own in typical Brennan style. Around the 20 percent mark, I was in it for the rest of the ride, finding myself falling in love with the characters much like the protagonist and feeling like they were as real as she was. I'm already dying for the next book. Fantastic read.