Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain, Book 1

By: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Narrated by: Em Eldridge

Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, 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.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Hannah Nicole Maehrer (P)2023 Tantor

Critic reviews

"In this audiobook, Evie Sage is navigating financial challenges and takes on the role of assistant to a notorious villain, diligently managing office tasks and supporting his exploits.... Em Eldridge's narration adds a subtle depth to the characters. Eldridge's voice work...plays a role in making the audiobook a compelling journey into the captivating world of Evie and her enigmatic employer." (AudioFile)

New voice actor please?

I loved this book. But didn’t like the voice actor’s reading of the story. The voice wasn’t the problem. Just the pacing and different pauses in the middle of the sentence. The story and characters were perfect! I feel like I need to purchase the physical copy so I can read it again! Can’t wait for the sequel!

The inconsistency of the world

First of all the narration was one of my least favorite that I’ve listened too. Every male character sounded the same. Please get a different narrator for the next book. This was a funny story to read and I really liked the characters. The only thing is that I think it could have had more word building. There were times where creatures and things were just suddenly introduced to the story and it wasn’t really explained well and didn’t really to fit into the world or story that we were originally introduced to. Also, I was able to easily guess who betrayed the main character so that was too predictable and not really fun.

New Favorite

Oh holy sh*t! What an amazing story! The characters are hilarious. I was laughing through the whole story. I like to think I’m pretty good about predicting outcomes but wow, I did not see that coming! I can’t wait for the next book.

Twists and Banter

I really enjoyed the plot twists of this story and the witty banter between the main characters

Amazing

I loved the story the romance tension. This book has my whole heart, I can’t wait for the second book 

I NEED BOOK TWO NOW 😭😭

I have been hyped for this book for MONTHS, and let me tell you, IT DIDNT DISAPPOINT

It is a slow burn for sure, and I was literally screaming at Evie and the Villian half the time,

The characters? Amazing (did not expect to ship Becky and Blade, but I’m here for it)

The setting? Incredible (I love the little references to modern technology while keeping it in a traditional fantasy setting)

THE ROMANCE? I was FERAL

The narrator was a touch slow but if you speed her up to 1.15, it’s the best bedtime story.

I seriously cannot recommend this book more

Fantasy/Mystery, but make it ADORABLE

This book was quirky, fun, and relatively light-hearted (considering it involves the villain!).

What I loved:
1. The narration was fabulous! Em Eldridge did a great job of embodying the characters! I typically prefer dual (or duet!) narration and this book DEFINITELY could’ve benefited from having a male narrator for the parts of the villain, but Em was THE PERFECT Evie!
2. While Evie can definitely qualify as a quirky heroine, it comes across as more endearing than trite.
3. I feel like this book has done a great job of setting us up for a much grittier and plot driven book two! I’m also hoping for A LOT more romance!

If you’re looking for a cute read that will leave you feeling light hearted for the vast majority of the book, give this series a start!

I will say that the mildly cliffhanger-like ending has me wishing the release for book two was sooner…

I laughed out loud

This story was cute and I loved the concept. I was not aware of the videos this was based on but got drawn in by the recommendation from Amazon since I had read or listened to some similar titles. I loved the book but the narration felt a little off. I felt like her pauses and inflections didn’t really fit. She has a good voice though. This is worth a read or a listen if you like a tongue in cheek fantasy story that doesn’t take itself very seriously.

Charming af

I really loved this story. I can't wait for the next one. I was incredibly charmed right off the bat by the writing ang Evie's vibe but the story and the plot was even better than I could've thought. This was a great listen and I only got the audiobook after reading the sample online and wasn't able to wait for the actual book to be shipped to me. REALLY REALLY great book.

I also didn't mind the narrator so I don't see the complaints on that but maybe I just get used to them quicker than others.

Can’t wait for book 2

I’ve been waiting for this book for a while, and it did not disappoint. The author’s skits are more high energy than the book itself, and I think that’s for the best for the published story. All the tropes I love found their way in. I definitely recommend. I have both the audio and the paperback, which is gorgeous with its red sprayed edges.