Long Live Evil

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the listener in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both "brilliant" (Holly Black) and "supremely satisfying" (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final moment.

THIS IS A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Sarah Rees Brennan (P)2024 Orbit

Critic reviews

"Funny, audacious, and supremely satisfying, Long Live Evil is the chosen one we've been waiting for. It succeeds as both a brilliant meditation on the pleasures and perils of fiction, and a sweeping, romantic adventure in its own right. Get ready to laugh out loud, cry in public, and cheer on the villains as S.R. Brennan smashes through tropes with witty, wild glee in this delicious, subversive treat of a book."—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House

"Brennan’s brilliant Long Live Evil harnesses clever banter, delightful turns of phrase, and epic backdrops in the service of exploring the nature of stories and the freedom that comes with embracing being named a villain—and maybe actually becoming one. Most of all, it introduces us to Rae, who uses her quick-thinking, loyalty, and ferocity to sidestep (and do the occasional musical number around) doom."—Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Book of Night

"Utterly brilliant. I can’t stop thinking about Long Live Evil, which has rocketed to the top of my list of all time favorite fantasy novels. Pick this up immediately, S.R. Brennan will take everything you think you know about fantasy and turn it on its head."—C. S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Rise

OMG

Such a good book. I’m so angry it’s over. I need more. Hopefully she will write a sequel.

This book was a literary russian nesting doll…a story within a story within a story etc…to the point where you begin to wonder…

…who told these dolls that they have to nest? It’s crowded and dark in there. Why aren’t they more independent? Can’t they revolt?
This is the centerpiece of this extremely confusing but eloquently written multidimensional puzzle. So many questions. Not many answers. But alas after 17 hours of listening…there is a book 2.

Outstanding

Possibly one of the most well crafted, imaginative fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. A love letter to villains and their untold stories/perspectives (similar in that way to Wicked by Gregory Maguire). With humor, twists, relatable characters, and so much personality. The kind of book that will make you immediately want to read it again with new eyes as soon as you turn over the last page. I chose this book because I’m a huge fan of Moira Quirk (the narrator) from the Locked Tomb Series (my all time favorite book series) and she was spectacular in this reading as well. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Gonna Need a Tylenol for This Hangover

Just?? Wow? A friend sent this over to me, and I was reasonably skeptical but decided to give it a try. Once I started, I couldn’t stop listening to save my life. The characters are amazing and have actual, messy, real development. The world is gorgeous. I want 45 more books in this series. I have no idea how I can listen to something else after this.

Also, Moira, please narrate my life.

Good story, bad writing

I usually love Sarah Rees Brennan but the writing of this book was such a disappointment. Maybe part of it was the narrator but it had a slow start and was so heavily draped in figurative language and alternating perspectives that it was sometimes difficult to understand what was happening.

Entertaining

A fun story and good break from a series of more serious novels. Enjoy the story as it is a pretty good yarn.

I am mad that it is over!!

Outstanding story!!! And with a narrator worthy of it. Those sequels better hurry up.

This was really good

I honestly wasn’t expecting this to be as good as it was. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only thing that was a bit annoying is a few times the story dragged and there isn’t any real spice. But overall the story was good and the character was fun. I’m looking forward to book 2 and will recommend this book.

Ambitious!

This is my first book by Brennan, and I absolutely loved it. The performance by Quirk was superb. She really gives voice to the characters. I appreciate Brennan’s ambition in this novel. I did see the twist, but come on, his name was an instant give away. I also loved how genre and tropes were played with.

I have a feeling the chapter titles are based on novel titles, “The Lady’s Guide to Escape” A Gentlemen Guide to Vice and Virtue “The Villainess in the Greenhouse of Good and Evil” Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil are some of my guesses. I’ll have to go and try to figure out the others. If my feeling is true, I think a re-read will be delightful to find other easter eggs. However, the real strength here is the characters. I loved Key especially. It was like Brennan took every “bad boy” in fantasy and said "hold my beer." Many times, I read a book and wonder about all the interesting side characters and want to follow them. Brennan does that here.

I did give this book 5 stars, but it’s not perfect. It did drag for me a little around the 60% mark. But the ending is so much fun, this book really ends on a high note. However, it is a cliff hanger. If you require a standalone, you might need to wait for the rest of the series. I highly recommend reading or listening to this book if you appreciate fantasy that creatively subverts traditional tropes and incorporates meta-awareness.

Wow!

Amazing work! I love that the book makes you look death in the face and understand the how desperate people are to avoid it. I love the love story (lover wise, sisterly, and friendship). Great narration in the accents and portraying the various characters.