Rating: 4.5⭐️

Fantastic! Laughed, cried a bit, and loved these characters and their stories so so much.  

It’s ridiculous how much I adore Eve Sage. And her Villain. 

Hannah Nicole Maehrer has written a  comedic fantasy series with surprisingly deep emotional layers, all due to the absolutely incredible characters and the weirdly complex dynamics that the author had created between them. 

This applies not only to the main characters of Evie Sage, the Assistant and The Villain, but all the many intriguing characters that inhabit the Mansion and story. 

How Evie, a young woman struggling with running a poor household with a sick father and younger sister, gets her job as the Assistant to The Villain, is just the opening of this fabulous story.  There’s so much heart and scope to Evie , the Villain, his staff and the strangeness that’s the Kingdom.  Maeher is constantly building out upon the world she’s steadily creating.  

There’s magical systems to learn about, otherworldly creatures, a Kingdom wide incurable disease, twists and plots turns a plenty. 

And Evie to absolutely fall in love with, along with a mysterious staff who are weird, curmudgeonly, including a crowned frog, who start to grow into a surprisingly beautiful found family of evil. Sort of. 

It ends on a cliffhanger. But one I like. Another great element. 

Onto Apprentice to the Villain!

I have a feeling I may be buying the paper version of these books. 

Highly recommended. 

Right now it’s action,  hint of romance, lots of magic, murder, and mayhem. And great characters and dialogue. 

Cover art and design by Elizabeth Turner Stokes 

Interior map art by Elizabeth Turner Stokes

Assistant and the Villain :

Assistant to the Villain #1

Apprentice to the Villain #2

Accomplice to the Villain #3   –  Aug, 5,2025

Buy link:

        Assistant to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain Book 1)

    

Blurb 

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

• Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books (August 29, 2023)
• Publication date: August 29, 2023
• Language: English
• Print length: 425 pages