Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this advanced reader's copy!

If you know me, you know I can be particular about my YA picks, but I am SO glad I picked up this series! I got into this series when the first book (Only A Monster) was a pick in one of my book boxes so I took a chance on it. Little did I know then that I would be on such a fun ride today.

This book was filled with so many twists and "a-ha!" moments. This book was a ball of yarn and as we pulled the thread, you see all the foreshadowing from previous books unravel. An easy to follow sci-fi/fantasy read that didn't leave my head spinning trying to connect the dots. Also has humorous moments and silly banter I appreciated.

This may be a little spoilery so proceed with caution!
I saw some negative feedback about the "romance" (I'm trying to be vague here!!) in this book, but I didn't really mind it? The romance honestly falls on the back burner to the main story because it's just SO engaging. And the trope that people are taking issue with felt well done, albeit a little repetitive. There was a little too much of people overhearing private conversations and it creating conflict for my liking.

Overall, I really enjoyed this entire series.

Once a villain arc review.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me arc of once a villain by Vanessa Len. I have been a big fan of the only a monster series since I pick up the first book a couple a years I ago. I been obsessed ever since. I was so beyond excited to read this finale to this amazing trilogy. I’m going to miss it so much. This book was an epic conclusion to a great series. The plot picks up right where we leave off with our favorite characters and does miss a beat. I love supernatural elements and the magic and romance to. I love joan and nick Aaron character journey and where we find them end is a beautiful ending. But Aaron is definitely my favorite he he. I could put down this book it was beautiful I’m gonna miss reading in this world so much. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. What a great ending to an amazing story full of twist and turns you won’t see coming your just have to read to see. This book comes out August 19,2025 go pre Order it now, make sure you read only a monster and Never a hero frist though!

Current rating: 4.5 stars

slightly biased review because i am very fond of this series due to only a monster being one of the first ya books i picked up (and enjoyed) back in 2022 when i was getting into the ya genre!

Actual review (no spoilers):
We first pick up right where book 2 left off, with our crew stranded in the new timeline where monsters rule and humans are preyed upon. Immediately, the stakes feel much higher than in the previous books, and things get quite dark. I was going through an emotional rollercoaster with the characters, as Vanessa Len really makes them go through ups and downs. There are some brighter moments, though: classic bickering between Aaron and Ruth, some fun quips, and the characters get to meet certain people whom they've missed. Overall, I enjoyed the ride and was able to guess some twists while also being relatively surprised at some revelations. Reading this also made me think back to the previous books, especially with some events paralleling each other. One thought I had when reading book 2 was how it mirrored book 1 with certain plot points but with a different LI as Joan's main companion. Glad to see how it became relevant here and did make me feel more immersed! The final standoff was mostly satisfying to me and I liked how things ended.

Some might get annoyed by Joan, but she's young and has been thrust into this horrible situation so let's give her a break!! I love her, idc (also love the Chinese-Malaysian rep [which is more mentioned in previous books] because same 🫂) I enjoyed getting to see the other characters again, as well as reading their dynamics. Speaking of, the romance...

I've been Team Aaron since day 1 because I didn't really like Nick, <spoiler>but let's just say that I learned to accept some things in this book and I'm not too mad about it</spoiler>. I did not anticipate that the romance would get this messy, omg, but this is one of those rare books where the love triangle actually makes sense. Obviously, I had a preference, but I still did find one scene's timing kinda crazy... but I just tried to move past it because of the characters' emotions at the time. The endgame does make the most sense when you think about it and what has happened in the past.

I'll conclude my review by saying that I will always have a soft spot for this series! I do plan on rereading the entire series when I get my hands on a physical copy in August, so I can't wait to see any foreshadowing that I previously missed. I still can't believe this series is over but I rlly enjoyed getting to meet my favs Joan and Aaron and to experience this monstrous but fun time travel story! :)

Wow, what a roller coaster of emotions! This book had me sat and glued (in a good way). I truly had no idea where the story was going after the end of the second book, but Vanessa Len did an excellent job of wrapping up this series! I'm happy that Joan, Aaron, and Nick have their own version of a happy ending but I was so scared and worried for them throughout the entire book. I have more thoughts to come (will post an updated review closer to the release date) but this was an easy five stars!

This is a tough review to leave - because I've loved the series so much overall, the author is an amazing writer who pulls you into the series and keeps you guessing with twists and turns and the romance, but the romance...

I've been so excited to read this book and it felt a long wait since Never a Hero, and I was hoping that one particular character would be featured more heavily in this book after not having much focus in the second book. When this happened pretty early on, I had the best feeling about where the book was going and there was a twist around 30% that I was so thrilled about, because it seemed to be confirming my guess.

The plot in this was fast paced and it constantly had you thinking, as we're keeping up with multiple timelines. It was emotional with the ups and downs and if I was just rating on plot alone, this would be a much higher rating from me.

But the romance has left me so so disappointed. And I hate to say that because I really love the author, but I also want to be completely honest in the review.

I won't say who I was hoping for Joan to end up with, as it it would be extremely unfair to spoil it for others, but I guess that some people will be happy with the outcome as the author has obviously been thinking of the readers when writing. I always thought that one person seemed a little too perfect, boring and forced and the other person could read and understand Joan better, and that they would have been the perfect choice. This ending just didn't make sense to me at all, but again this is all just personal opinion and I can see it making other people happy.

In my heart, I'm very frustrated and upset, but I have still loved the series overall and so I'm not letting this ending cloud my judgement of that and affect my rating too much.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'd like to thank HarperCollins Children's Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy.

I can already see that the public will be divided by the ending of this trilogy. For me personally, you've hit the nail on the head, because historically I like this kind of story. This is completely my kind of story, playing with time travel, alternative realities, social criticism.

Trying not to spoil anything. Given the revelations and events of the previous book, we are once again in a new timeline. And our protagonists are forced to work together to stop the new monarch and correct that new timeline. This new timeline is completely diatopic and oppressive.

In terms of narrative, it was very fluid and immersive. With moments that made you laugh, warmed your heart and others that ripped it right out of your chest. In terms of major plot twists, I didn't come across any, but I managed to predict a few things.

As for the characters, in this last volume we get to know Nick and Aaron a little better. In terms of relationships between characters, what I can say is that some things never change and others do.

I think the big question on everyone's mind is who Joan will end up with, but of course I won't tell you. But I have to say that the romance went down a path that I didn't consider, I didn't oppose, on the contrary I was super excited when I realized what was going to happen.

I'm sad that the story in this world has come to an end, but at the same time I was happy with the outcome. I genuinely recommend this trilogy and would love to see it translated in my country.

If Only a Monster hooked me with its time-bending twists and morally complex world, Once a Villain completely reeled me in with its emotional depth and higher stakes.This sequel hits harder. Joan is no longer the unsure girl caught between her monstrous legacy and human heart—she's now a girl who remembers everything that was taken from her. Vanessa Len deepens the world-building, especially with how the different Monster families function.The pacing is sharp—almost every chapter ends with something that pulls you into the next. But what I appreciated most was how Once a Villain explores grief, responsibility, and the cost of power.There’s a darker tone here, and I loved it. It feels earned. The stakes are bigger, but the emotional moments are quieter and more devastating. There were scenes where I actually had to pause and take a breath—not because of action, but because of how real the feelings felt.

Len’s writing is so cinematic, and I could see every jump through time, every memory fragment, every betrayal.The book is darker, more mature, and filled with moral grey areas, but still balanced with fast-paced twists and moments of tenderness. Relationships (romantic and otherwise) evolve in surprising ways, and the tension never lets up.
If you liked the first book, you’ll love this one.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Absolutely gorgeous. What a beautiful ending to one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read. This series has been high upon high from the first book and none of the books have disappointed. Such an engaging narrative that did not let me get bored even once and I read all three books in a single sitting, staying up late to finish them because I couldn't stomach not knowing what happened next. A definite must read!!

Personal score: 1 star
Recommendation score: 3 star ONLY TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE THIS TROPE.


So this series has turned out not to be for me. I really wish it had been known from the beginning of a super long trilogy that this would end in polyamory. That's a romantic trope that definitely doesn't work for everyone and it definitely doesn't work for me. It doesn't help either that Nick was extremely unlikable and felt as if he was being shoved at the reader compared to Aaron who seemed like a natural romantic interest.

I will definitely recommend this series to people who enjoy polyamory stories, but I know a lot of people are going to be disappointed that Aaron wasn't Joan's only endgame.

an unexpected dystopian conclusion to a series about different stuff. the execution left a lot to be desired in my opinion, and the character work felt weak for a finale of trilogy.

thank you so much harpercollins and netgalley for the arc