Assistant to the villain / Hannah Nicole Maehrer.

By:

Maehrer, Hannah Nicole [author.]

Material type: Text

TextSeries: Maehrer, Hannah Nicole. Assistant and the villain series ; book1.Publisher: Shrewsbury, PA : Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC, 2023Copyright date: ©2023Edition: First editionDescription: 340 pages : map, illustrations ; 23 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

9781649375803
1649375808

Other title:

Assistant to the villain : only the good die

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

DDC classification:

[Fic] 23

LOC classification:

PS3613.A2945 A88 2023

Summary: "ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits. With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn's most infamous Villain results in a job offer--naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don't find evil so attractive, Evie. But just when she's getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat...and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain--and his entire nefarious empire--out. Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work...and ensure he makes them pay. After all, a good job is hard to find"-- Back cover.

List(s) this item appears in: New Adult Fiction

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Notes	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Fiction	New Books	FIC MAEHRER	Checked out	pap. ed	07/15/2026	36748002655951

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer's laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain...and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn's most infamous Villain results in a job offer--naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don't find evil so attractive, Evie .

But just when she's getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat...and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain--and his entire nefarious empire--out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work...and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

The Assistant and the Villain series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Assistant to the Villain
Book #2 Apprentice to the Villain
Book #3 Accomplice to the Villain
Book #4 Adversary to the Villain

"ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits. With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn's most infamous Villain results in a job offer--naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don't find evil so attractive, Evie. But just when she's getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat...and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain--and his entire nefarious empire--out. Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work...and ensure he makes them pay. After all, a good job is hard to find"-- Back cover.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Debut author Maehrer's TikTok series--turned--novel follows Evie, a chirpy personal assistant who catches the eye of her boss, a decidedly grumpy dark lord. Though it seems she may have magic of her own, Evie must keep her job in order to support her family--which is why she initially rationalizes hanging around Massacre Manor after the first stray eyeball squishes beneath her stiletto-heeled boot. In a departure from similar retellings of "Beauty and the Beast" (see Diana Wynne Jones's classic Howl's Moving Castle and Naomi Novik's more recent Uprooted) wherein a beastly wizard's employer's reputation is undeserved, Tristan, the Villain, actually is murdering people. The change adds some grimly funny moments but is undermined by audio narrator Em Eldridge's plodding pacing, which draws attention to Maehrer's repetitive and underworked prose. Fans of the TikTok series will likely be disappointed in Eldridge's wooden characterizations, which lack the infectious, unselfconscious glee of Maehrer's TikTok skits. The novelization of a viral video series might attract an audience but is less than magical as read by this narrator. VERDICT A possibility for listeners seeking a grumpy-sunshine romantasy, but an otherwise optional purchase.--Lauren Kage

Booklist Review

A delightfully weird mash-up of office comedy, fractured fairytale, and unrequited love story, TikToker Maehrer's debut will captivate readers from line one thanks to her quirky sense of humor and incredible writing chops. The novel overflows with fast-paced action and adventure, lighthearted banter, and romantic yearning. Ever optimistic, Evie Sage is a local villager whose luck finally runs out after an accidental meeting with the kingdom's most infamous antagonist, a powerful magician simply known as The Villain. She expects to be killed on the spot but instead walks away unscathed, with a job as his assistant and the expectation that she will join him at his estate the very next day. The Villain's manor may be filled with tortured screams, gruesome scenes, and the occasional venom-breathing creature, but over time, within its walls, Evie finds camaraderie in a cast of hilarious and fully formed secondary characters, respect from a dastardly yet secretly soft marshmallow of a boss, and a very real chance at finding her one true love. This story is exceptionally charming and joyful from beginning to end, and readers will likely find themselves all smiles despite the nail-biting cliff-hanger that the book ends on. A must-read.