Who is The Villain? And why might he need an assistant?

If you’re thinking he needs someone to assist him in his villainous actions, you might be mildly disappointed to find out that the role of the assistant to The Villain is a desk job. And yes, they kinda kinda fall in love – they have obviously not told the other about it yet. Come on, it’s just book one.

Hi, welcome (back?) to another book review this week! I know I am overdoing it after being mostly MIA in my 6 years of doing this but I’ll try to be consistent (LOL). If you’re new here, the reviews have spoilers, major ones, as we don’t believe in spoiler-free reviews (I’ve explained why in one of the posts previously, I’m sure). So let’s jump in!

I was looking for a light book – check.

I was looking for something evil in the book – meh.

A very reduced summary of the plot would be the evil king who is known as a brave king wants a baby mythical creature to supposedly cure a mythical illness that is plaguing his kingdom mysteriously. The Villain was his prodigy but the king really wanted to control his powers, which are special in the lands. So he told the teenager (?) who was mostly ignored by his parents that he was special and then told everyone else he was dangerous. People ignored him, at best, and steered clear of him, mostly, making him alone again. He confronted the king and the king admitted to the plot (IDK why, don’t ask me) and imprisoned him. This is all before The Villain’s powers even manifested. In imprisonment, he got his powers (Shadow ones, obviously) and he broke out. He came across the assistant during one of his escapes from the king’s guards (Valiant Guards) and she needed a job and she was very beautiful so she got the job… You get the gist.

So now she helps him manage his evil doings which is mostly foiling all plans of the king, stealing resources from the king and evading capture from the king. He has a collection of rare mythical creatures as well – a frog who might be a prince and a baby dragon in training. He is trying to acquire the mythical creatures the king wants to foil his plans. He has magical siblings and a father who is a core healer (just a great healer). He doesn’t like talking about his mother (obviously).

She has been SA-ed by her former employer, the village smith. Apparently, this was sanctioned by her father and he basically sold her to him without telling her and she only gets to know this at the end of the book. Her life has been horrible since her mother mysterious left after accidentally killing her brother. She left her education to care for her sister and ailing father, ending up adulting too soon in life. She is cheerful (this felt very satirical) and she finds her boss to be very handsome (there’s a dimple involved). But that is all she thinks about.

The language is very simple, the plot is textbook. You see the twist coming from miles away! There’s really no avoiding it. And the mission seems too simplistic to warrant such a reputation for The Villain.

Did I like it though? Yes! It was a light read that was funny. It made the fantasy tropes very obvious so reading felt like you were in on the secret. If you’re looking for a quick read that is entertaining with some angsty teenage-style drama, I’d suggest it.

It’s a 3 star for me but I’m weirdly looking forward to reading book 2 soon.