Starter Villain story is pure, unadulterated fun! I want to say the author had as much fun writing it as I did reading it, but knowing authors, he'd probably deny that :P

Our hero, Charlie, is yanked from the ordinary humdrum of life and plunged into a reality where supervillains reminiscent of a satirical James Bond universe hold court. He now commands weaponized animal intelligence, laser death rays, and a supervillain organization from within an evil volcano lair (lava's not great to get rid of spies, let me tell you...).

Scalzi successfully turns the tables on today's capitalist society, cheekily revealing what might just be happening behind the scenes. It's incredibly satisfying to see our protagonist take on these over-the-top villains. Yes, money may indeed be the root of all evil, but it can also be the very weedkiller that brings about its downfall.

Our protagonist Charlie, the embodiment of the average Joe, is thrust into high-tech escapades that test and bring out the inherent hero in him. However, as much as I rooted for Charlie, the superintelligent, managerial cats steal the show. As a cat enthusiast myself, I found this depiction delightfully plausible. It harks back to childhood favorites like the movie 'Cats vs Dogs' but with the right heroes this time.

The heart of this novel, though, is Scalzi's knack for crafting witty dialogues that leave you chuckling to yourself. Charlie's labor negotiations with dolphins are hilariously re-readable and serve as a masterclass in dialogue. This scene alone would make a fantastic movie teaser if this book ever hits the big screen.

Though I had some reservations about the denouement, the ending left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Let's just say my cats are getting an extra portion of tuna tonight.

Starter Villain is a witty, rollicking ride through an absurd world, mirroring our own in ways that will make you laugh out loud and leave you mulling long after you've turned the last page.

A comedic, warmhearted take on villainy. The tone is very Scalzi, lightly dancing over the impacts and consequences to follow a fish-out-of-water man suddenly immersed in the crime underworld to the benefit of tighter plot. Would recommend for a quick read

I’m a big Scalzi fan and this did not disappoint. Love the premise, it was clever and delightful. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, the ending came quickly and was a bit pat. But still a lot of fun.

I found Starter Villain a fun, fast read — exactly what I expect from Scalzi’s work. It’s light, it’s a bit quirky, it has his usual sort of narrative voice. The sentient cats are entertaining, and so are some of the other surprises; the dialogue is punchy; the main character is the kind of practical well-I’ll-work-with-what-I’ve-got guy with some wisecracks that you’d expect from Scalzi. And the formula continues to work, for the most part: it kind of sounds like I’m damning with faint praise, but I’m not. I really enjoyed reading Starter Villain.

For me, the thing that let it down was actually at the end. I can’t really say too much about it without spoilers, but I found it very unsatisfying. Maybe appropriate for the character, maybe I should’ve seen it coming, but it felt like a cop-out after all the events of the book. I finished it and I was a little mad about that, because I wanted more of the quirky stuff and not… what I got.

It’s still enjoyable, but probably one I won’t reread or add to my collection.

This book was super fun! Spy cats, unionized dolphins and a regular joe meet in this clever story! It is very dialogue driven, but that did not make the story lose any pace!

I loved this book. Scalzi never fails to take you on a great ride. Lots of unexpected turns to this and a very satisfactory ending.

John Scalzi's new book addresses the problems that come with inheriting a criminal organization. I've enjoyed Scalzi's work since I discovered him with Redshirts and this book doesn't disappoint. As with his previous protagonists, Scalzi's "hero" of this story is essentially an everyman thrown into an over-the-top situation, providing for fun commentary on the tropes of the genre. However, the characters are three-dimensional and the reader can easily empathize with the lead character, one who must deal with issues from his own broken life while entering this new world.

In addition to strong characters and humorous commentary, the plot demonstrates a cleverness, proceeding down one path, then swerving in a different, yet still organic, direction. And, at the conclusion, I felt that Scalzi had succeeded in letting the main character's perspective blind me to perfectly logical twists.

Overall, this was a fun read and I'd not hesitate to recommend this.

Wow, what a fun read! Silly yet broaches on some serious subjects, such as unionizing and animal rights. It was a great look at the more serious, day-to-day of being a villain, which is not something you get to explore very often. Oh, and some freaking awesome cats.

I read an ARC. A quick-moving story with some fun ideas and appeal for cat lovers. There wasn't any character development, which is okay because it was essentially a goofy action movie in book form. I would definitely enjoy watching a movie adaption.

I am such a fan of John Scalzi and when I ran across this book as one to request from Netgalley, I was overjoyed they gave me the opportunity to honestly review it in exchange for the ARC.

Scalzi never disappoints with his humor and his unique stories. This one is no different. Charlie learns of the death of his uncle, but doesn’t think too much of it while he is working through his own personal struggles. The problem is, Charlie is his uncle’s only living relative and except for some exceptional cats, Charlie is expected to take over his uncle’s business. When all else fails, why not try a bit of villainy.

I love Scalzi’s sarcasm and the way he leans into his characters ( and perhaps even himself) being a bit of a smarta**. I laugh out loud with so many of his books and this one was no different. The cover alone makes it worth the read, but the story inside is bound to entertain. I flew through this book; it’s an easy read that leaves me wanting more. I don’t have any critiques at all, I just enjoyed the heck out of this book and can’t wait to see what else comes out of Scalzi’s brain.

Perfect for fans of Hench or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - yes it's a weird mix, but I'm not wrong. Between the volcano base, references to James Bond and Austin Powers, and a choose your own adventure for faking your death, it's so kitschy and satirical in the best way. I don't want to say too much, but it's actually quite lighthearted despite the themes and mild violence. It toes the line between villain and antihero for sure. To no one's surprise, my favorite characters were the genetically modified cats. Hera and Persephone can do no wrong.

*Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I received an advanced ARC of this title.

This is a wild ride, in the best way possible. Charlie Fitzer, flat-broke laid off journalist and substitute teacher, inherits his late uncle's businesses, both legitimate and less so, and he is dropped abruptly into the world of supervillians.

Thus begins the adventure.

Charlie is dropped into an enormous corporate structure he knows nothing about, and watching him learn about his new colleagues -- many of whom are genetically engineered, hyper intelligent animals in addition to humans -- and his new life, is a joy and a wonder because it's so dang fun, even when it's deadly serious.

Charlie is not particularly villainous himself, but he now has a seat on a secret council and a lot of people who want him dead for a long list of reasons. The biggest joy of this book is watching Charlie navigate the world of ultra-wealthy people, and the sycophants and acolytes who want to become ultra-wealthy, ideally by taking down Charlie. Charlie is kinder and more pragmatic than all of them put together, and he ultimately triumphs by being a good judge of character, figuring out whom to trust, and whose advice he should definitely listen to, and simply not being a dick to anyone who isn't actively trying to kill him.

Scalzi, as is typical, offers a) witty dialogue b) excellent action and pacing and c) characters that I'd be happy to hang out with. The genetically enhanced animals (including cats and dolphins, well ahead of the yacht-destroying Orcas now taking over the internet) and the humans that they work with are both a lot of fun, and excruciatingly accurate judges of character.

I adored this. It's both funny and humane in the most delightful manner. The scene at his uncle's funeral had me wheezing with laughter. The large gathering of the council and its acolytes has some particularly hilarious methods for dealing with failure. And what we learn about cats (including the one on the cover) makes WAY more sense than it really should, but should not surprise anyone who has ever lived with cats.

Highly recommended, loads of fun.

This is the first book I've read by John Scalzi and it was delightful! I will be going out to get his other books. It's a quick, hilarious read, with great characters (the cats!) I would love to read more set in this world.

This smart and clever book made me laugh; it simultaneously offered incisive commentary on the labor market and ethics in the business world. This seems impossible, but the book pulls it off with panache. This might be my favorite John Scalzi book so far.

I went into Starter Villain thinking it was about superheroes and super villains because of the blurb and how it was listed on Goodreads. So, my expectations were a bit off from the start. The beginning was a bit dry, but it got really exciting a few chapters into it. The humor was awesome. I loved the sentient cats and dolphins. I really loved Tobias the Stabber lol All of the info dumping in the middle for the world building got boring, but the payoff at the end was great. I really liked how everything came together, as if it was a mystery book the whole time and I never knew it. I would read a sequel, if one was ever written.

The cover and tag line alone had me intrigued and I’ve been curious about Scalzi’s books as they always seem to have some sass and I love a sassy read.
Hilarious concept of inheriting your uncles villain business and all the drama and action that would entail gave me images of Dr. Evil.
This was such a fun ride. The dolphins had me laughing every time they interacted with them. It was chaos of backstabbing and shenanigans. I enjoyed it very much and can’t wait to read more from Scalzi.

I have been faithfully trying to read this book for a month now and it just CAN'T HOLD MY ATTENTION. I am loving the concept, loving the quirkiness... but after 2 pages I need a break. I'm giving up halfway through.

This book was so much fun! Imagine if you could see the workings of a villain’s lair, this would be it! We have talking dolphins and intelligent spy cats, Villains convention and a lair on a volcano (obviously).
We follow a clueless poor substitute teacher as he comes to inherit his now very dead uncle's businesses. He discovers these businesses are not just parking and tech development, its high profit villain activity and he is now part of management.
John scalzi’s humour and light heart approach was just too fun. It reminded me of Austin Power’s Doctor Evil and Despicable Me. Super easy to get into and a quick read.

I absolutely hate the cover to this one, but I loved the content! It was such delicious chaos. Like, talking cats, striking dolphins, evil villain plots, volcano lairs, and double crossing the double crossers. Every bit of it was chaotic, and I loved it. Just imagine every stereotypical villain attribute shoved into one book, and you'll have this. Starter Villain was such an entertaining read, and something I can definitely see myself rereading.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Not a fan of humorous science fiction except when written by John Scalzi. Starter Villain is a terrific book without a single dull spot. The human characters were either engaging or horrid, but the animals were all terrific. Wish I had a cat like Hera,