I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are mine.

If you, like me, were in any way a fan of the 2001 kids movie 'Cats & Dogs', this is the book for you! And if you weren't, but you're looking for a genuinely funny standalone sci-fi romp, this is also for you!

Charlie is an average down on his luck guy, struggling to find his way in the world post- divorce and job loss (ouch!) when his estranged uncle passes away and bequeaths him something truly wild - his entire supervillain empire. Because he was, you know. A literal supervillain.

Much like Kaiju Preservation Society, this is a cheerfully bizarre adventure with all the fast paced plot, snarky dialogue and excellent twists you could ask for. It has some similar themes in how it talks about late stage capitalism, wealth, unions and insufferable tech bros, but with hyper intelligent feline spies instead of alien dinos.

I found the quick pace refreshing, the characters good fun, the jokes delightful. The first scene with the dolphins had me crying with laughter - I don't know what I expected from the blurb but this was truly excellent. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are mine own. I loved this book! Starter Villain by John Scalzi is another humorous sci-fi thriller from the author of Agent to the Stars, Lock In, and The Kaiju Preservation Society. In Starter Villain Charlie, a down-on-his-luck journalist turned substitute teacher, just wants to buy a local pub…but suddenly finds himself at the center of a hidden world of crime and intrigue when he inherits his uncle’s business. What industry was his uncle in? Villainy! Like Scalzi’s previous books this novel is funny and entertaining while still managing to keep the pacing and stakes high enough to make the plot compelling. I devoured this novel in just a few days because I was so delighted by Scalzi’s jokes, plotting, and characters. Starter Villain is the primer on non-human labor unions you didn’t know you needed, and trust me you really, really, do. With tons of characters that are easy to love and some truly epic quips, this was a true delight. Publishing on 9/19/23, be sure to pre-order or place your library holds, as this is a book not to be missed.

This was stupid fun and exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. By far my favorite characters are the sentient dolphins who want to form a union and have the fantastic nicknames for their bosses that often include "fuck". This was my first Scalzi but I will definitely be reading more!

I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up this one, I just could not resist it with that cover! Humorous sff can be a bit hit or miss for me, but this one I really really enjoy!

The story itself doesn't take itself too seriously, and takes common supervillain tropes that are usually considered kind of ridiculous - like laser beams, cats - and turned it into something that fits really well into our current world. I especially loved the clever way the story criticized the capitalist mindset of billionaires, and great social commentary on how they access and maintain their wealth. All while telling a fun, fast paced story with a cinematic feel to it.

The mc and the cats are extremely charming. He is just a normal dude stuck in a really weird situation, while the cats reminded me of the supervillain cats from the movie Cats & Dogs.

Just a fun quick read full of silliness and classic Scalzi clever ideas. Definitely worth it for Scalzi fans and fans of fun in general.

This was my first John Scalzi novel and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I absolutely loved of it. Think “adult” Despicable Me with super intelligent cats, trash talking dolphins and lots of explosions. This story is funny and entertaining til the very end. Plus the cover is just genius and really drew me in as well.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Scalzi strikes again. Charlie's life is a bit of a mess. Then he apparently inherits his uncle's business, that being running a villain empire. What could go wrong? He could run afowl of other villains who want to take over (or perhaps disassemble) his empire, his dolphin minions could go on strike, the FBI may want to speak to him, and the cats couldn't be more helpful.

Scalzi does a great job of expanding on the villain trope, taking it places you didn't know you wanted to go. Lots of chuckles, lots of suspense, lots of fun.

What a delightful new entry from veteran science fiction writer John Scalzi. An evil-ish uncle suddenly dies and leaves his drifting yet loyal and kind nephew Charlie a truly momentous amount of resources - including a lair on a volcanic island. Talking cats are awesome, talking dolphins are jerks, and corporate bros are going to corporate bro in this lighthearted and fun take on moral shades of grey in late-stage capitalism. Read this if you enjoyed Scalzi's Kaiju Preservation Society or are looking for something worthwhile yet easy to sink your teeth into for a road trip or hammock time.

Truly, when you don’t read the summary and you started the book before the cover was revealed, you don’t expect the twist to be sentient, spy cats.

There comes a point in every Scalzi novel when I feel like I diverge from the book and get into territory that I find hard to get through. In Kaiju Preservation Society, it was the scene where they dosed the kaiju and had to outfly them before they mated. In this book, I can't say there was a specific scene, but I found my interest utterly lost about part-way through.

I read this book in 3 days. I was a huge fan of The Kaiju Preservation Society, so I knew I needed to pick this one up and was stoked when I was approved.

To keep things short, our main man Charlie inherits his estranged uncle's business after he dies. Only for Charlie to learn that his legitimate business is a front for something a bit more sinister - a villain organisation.

This was a fun ride and absolutely hilarious. I find that comedy doesn't always communicate well in novels, but Scalzi executes it flawlessly. I was reading it in the chair at the hairdressers and had to hold my tongue from laughing out loud during one particular sequence involving a poorly managed Zoom meeting.

With sentient cats, dolphins involved in a labor dispute, and posturing businessman who don't know how to do business right, Starter Villain was a quick and intriguing read that I couldn't put down and recommend everyone pick up.

Scalzi books are always easy and fun to read. This one has a lot of fun moments, all based on the premise of a regular guy inheriting the estate of his uncle the James Bond villain. That all said, it's extremely light and fluffy and the protagonist is just along for the ride. Some Scalzi books stick with me; Starter Villain was fun but insubstantial.

This was so fun!

After dipping into Scalzi for the first time with the Kaiju Preservation Society, I expected good things from Starter Villain, and it didn't disappoint. The tone was more silly/absurd and less sci-fi, but I had a great time reading it and will recommend it widely.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC in advance of publication.

I received an advanced readers copy from netgalley , but the review is all my own.
I’m trying to be thoughtful in my selections of books to review, or mostly I want to review books I already want to read either by subject or by author. John Scalzi is always going to make this list! I discovered him on my own a few years ago with the book Redshirts (read by Wil Wheaton- like shut up and take my money!) I’ve loved everyone I’ve read so far. In fact, since 2019 I’ve listened to a Very Scalzi Christmas every year leading up to Christmas.
This was every thing I’ve come to hope for in one of his books, except now with Villains and volcano hideouts! I loved this. It had my favorite sort of “hero” the hard luck Charlie who’s just bumbling along doing his best sarcastically defeating the bad guys. The dolphins are what you want, takes the so long and thanks for all the fish and makes it better. My favorite part is the zoom meeting in the middle- so perfect! This was the prefect palate cleanser of a book between heavy history books.
I highly recommend and I cant wait to purchase this in audio later this year

First of all amazing cover. Second of all amazing author. Third of all amazing book. Fourth of all, I don’t know why you’re still reading this review and not buying this book immediately.

OK. Lots of twists and turns. Nothing is as it seems. Loved the cats. Was on the fence about the ending. Any way a very good stand alone story.

Starter Villain was incredibly fun to read. It is full of irreverent dialogue, and while it didn't take itself too seriously, it still had a hearty story with depth, adventure, super genius cats, and people put into situations that they had no business being in. I loved that I had absolutely NO idea where this book would end up when I started, and it kept surprising me along the way.

No disappointments here. It's full of funny stuff, and some slightly absurdist vibes (in a good way), highly recommend checking it out.

Content notes: there is some death mentioned in the book, including the death of family members. But it's generally a very light hearted book.

Thanks to netgalley and TOR for this e-ARC! A real pleasure to read.

I had never read a John Scalzi despite seeing his name everywhere, and this was so much fun! I love the concept of this secret villain organization that the general public is unaware of, who are actually pretty incompetent due to inheriting their positions. I also just genuinely like our protagonist, who immediately takes to the idea of "disrupting the system" as a villain who is not really actually a villain at all. Definitely a charmer, this book.

"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business" sounded like a promising and unique premise, but unfortunately, Scalzi fails to deliver on its potential. While the concept holds intrigue, the execution falls flat, leaving readers with a sense of missed opportunities and underdeveloped characters.

The protagonist, Charlie, a divorced substitute teacher, is presented as a stagnant and unremarkable individual longing for change. The idea of him inheriting a supervillain business, complete with an island volcano lair, initially holds promise for an entertaining and humorous story. However, the execution fails to capitalize on this potential, and the narrative struggles to find its footing.

The main issue lies in the lack of depth and development of the characters. Charlie, in particular, remains a one-dimensional and uninspiring protagonist. His journey into the world of supervillainy lacks a sense of purpose and fails to evoke any genuine emotional investment. The supporting characters, such as the unionized dolphins and hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, come across as gimmicky additions rather than fully realized and engaging personalities.

Moreover, the conflict presented in the story feels underwhelming. The promise of a war against a league of supervillains and multinational corporations appears exciting at first glance. However, the execution lacks the necessary tension and complexity to truly captivate readers. The narrative fails to explore the potential ethical dilemmas and moral gray areas that such a conflict could offer.

The humor, which should have been a strong point in a story of this nature, feels forced and falls short of eliciting genuine laughter. The comedic moments lack the cleverness and wit that are essential to engaging readers in a lighthearted and entertaining manner.

Additionally, the pacing of the plot feels uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others rush through important events and character development. This inconsistency disrupts the flow of the story and makes it difficult for readers to fully immerse themselves in the world created by the author.

Overall, "Starter Villan" fails to live up to its intriguing premise. The underdeveloped characters, lackluster conflict, and forced humor contribute to a disappointing reading experience. While the idea of inheriting a supervillain business may initially capture the imagination, the execution in this particular book leaves much to be desired.

Despite its potential, the book ultimately falls short, making it difficult to recommend to readers seeking a well-crafted and engaging story.

Absolutely enjoyed this book. It was fun, easy to read, and has cats and dolphins in it, what's not to love? I loved the take on how patriarchal "villain groups" are and how the big powers controlling the world are still run by old men that are hurtful to humans because it's all a big "dick fight of greed". I strongly recommend if you like villain sci-fi that touches on contemporary issues then this book is definitely for you!

Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read an ARC, my review is completely honest.

So Much Fun!

Scalzi has a second hit on his hands after The Kaiju Preservation Society, and this one is even more entertaining to read. It's light, funny, and has characters you'll find mildly entertaining and not too annoying. Even the cat characters have great personalities, as all cats do. The dolphins could take a few etiquette classes, but that's asking a lot from a group just learning to unionize.

This book will appeal to Scalzi fans and those looking for a light, fun read about a directionless man thrust into the world of supervillains with volcano lairs. So many little plot points come back to payoff in humorous ways.

What can I say? You'll read it in one sitting and be glad you did.

Story: 5 stars of fun
Character Development: 4 stars
Writing: 4 stars