This is the second Scalzi novel in a row that feels very present day, and in a lot of ways is expanding on some of the themes present in smaller doses in The Kaiju Preservation Society. Big business, income inequality, worker’s rights, animal liberation, unions, nepotism, and the banality of villainy in late stage capitalism. I think Peter Singer, the infamous utilitarian animal rights ethicist, and probably the most well known modern philosopher, would be pleased with how Starter Villain deals with animals in particular.

In true Scalzi fashion, it’s also incredibly silly and ultimately a light hearted, fish out of water romp.

The main character is plucked out of their mundane existence and thrust into a world they know nothing about: comical James Bond style villainous organizations, weaponized animal intelligence, laser death rays, evil volcano lairs, etc. Not only does he have to quickly come to terms with this insanity, but he’s suddenly been put in charge of it all. It’s ridiculously good fun.

My favorite aspect of the novel is just how satirically corporate all of this modern day villainy is presented as being. The most evil characters in the book will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the current generation of lame ass billionaires, captains of industry, and crypto bros. If you enjoyed Glass Onion, you’ll be right at home with Scalzi’s take on the brilliant/idiot dynamic present in a lot of these characters.

I’m not sure if I’ve just never noticed before now, or this is something new for Scalzi, but this book is like 90% dialogue. This would really be my only gripe with Starter Villain. There’s a lot of talking, and not very much doing going on. Basically all of the action takes place between the lines. It still works well, and feels very Scalzi, but I would’ve loved some more descriptive, omniscient writing, maybe just in short chapters interspersed here and there.

If Providence was Max Barry writing a John Scalzi sci-fi adventure, Starter Villain is very much John Scalzi’s take on a Max Barry corporate satire a la Jennifer Government or Company. This is something I’m all about. I’ll take more of both please.

As a first-time reader of Scalzi, I was absolutely blown away by the humour and wit contained within every page. This book had me consistently laughing out loud, and lived up to the expectations set by the truly inspired cover (which to be fair was one of major draws for the book).

I found the main protagonist Charlie to be both extremely likable and funny, and the plot to be a very innovative take on the supervillain genre. I especially loved the inclusion of the talking dolphins, and the spy cats, who provided some great moments of dialogue. I found the idea of a villain enterprise fascinating, and especially loved the author’s multilayered approach to what makes a villain. Scalzi’s worldbuilding was fantastic, and I really hope there is a sequel so that I get to experience more of the world.

My only complaint (if it can be called one) is that I wish the novel was slightly longer, just so I could experience more of the world, and so that the ending could have a bit more room to breathe.

Overall though, I was utterly immersed and finished the book in a single weekend. I found this to be a great introduction to Scalzi, and I will be sure to check out more of his books in the future. I already have The Kaiju Preservation Society lined up on my shelf.

I would just like to say a big thanks to TOR for the ARC which was provided through netgalley.

Another funny and thoughtful read from John Scalzi. Plot and characters were great 😊 Hera is the best and the cat naming rule is 100% correct. I laughed out loud multiple times 😂 Everyone who needs a fun time should pick this book up.

For some reason, I thought I was going to be reading a superhero novel from someone adjacent to the supervillain's point of view. I have no idea why I initially thought this, as this is actually Get Smart from someone adjacent to KAOS' point of view--or rather, to someone adjacent to KAOS' biggest business rival. (It did not take me long to realize this as it pokes fun at Ian Fleming/James Bond from almost the beginning.)

Our Protagonist is Charlie Fitzer, a divorced former journalist currently struggling to make ends meet as a substitute teacher. His greatest aspiration is to acquire a local bar and restaurant that is a community fixture. He is not going to be able to meet that aspiration due to the struggling to make ends meet part. Then he's approached with an offer by a woman who works for his uncle. His very rich, very deceased uncle: Attend his uncle's funeral in exchange for enough money to buy the bar and restaurant. This leads to a number of shocking discoveries, such as what his uncle's actual business was.

Our Protagonist's uncle turns out to have been a villain of epic mad science contractor proportions (the uncle was not a mad scientist he just paid them) and even has a private island with a volcano lair. The uncle had an ongoing rivalry with an entire organization of rich villains who he mostly outcompeted and ran circles around despite their best efforts. This organization now has it in for Our Protagonist. It's a good thing that his uncle had the forethought to give him a security detail to protect him. (Which Our Protagonist knew nothing about and had no way of finding out about because his security detail is a pair of sentient cats. I loved Hera and Persephone. I also loved the dolphins.)

I ended up really enjoying this book! Charlie is a smart character with an analytical mind and it was fun watching him figure things out, but occasionally falling short due to incorrect information or lack of experience. I also enjoyed the dry humor and the dialogue, which was a highly entertaining, fast-paced banter that didn't undercut the slower more serious moments. (Of which there were occasionally a few. Dolphins threatening to strike might seem funny on the surface, but the organizer's beefs with Management are absolutely legitimate, and Charlie takes the moment seriously.)

This is a great book with lots of interesting twists and turns. The outcome is surprising but makes sense in context with the underlying themes of the story. (You may or may realize what I'm talking about when you get to the point I'm attempting to not spoil. It's subtle, but I really got a kick out of it.) Overall this was a great book and I highly recommend it!

This review is based on a galley copy of Starter Villain, which I got via NetGalley.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi, a very enjoyable book. Scalzi as always delivers a fun read that, at times makes you think, and leaves you desperately wanting more.

Starter Villain is easily a cozy scifi. Charlie is a wonderful main character who is just trying to live his life when he gets to live out that rich distant relative dream we all want. However, that rich distant relative is actually a super villain. The writing was funny and warm, the pacing solid, I never felt bored. I found myself constantly compelled to read a few pages, only to find myself chapters in. I would highly recommend John Scalzi, but this book inparticular. Plus, the animals are amazing.

Fans of Scalzi's "The Kaiju Preservation Society" will really enjoy this take on James Bond-style supervillains with volcano lairs (turns out the real space-laser money is in the subscription model, of course.) Fun, satisfying, and self-contained!

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

Scalzi proves once again that he's a master of his craft. This book is wildly entertaining and a must-read for anyone who loves a good time.

This was such a fun book to read. It felt like if Hench was written by Jasper Fforde - which the combination of my favorite author and one of my favorite books is true praise.

How do you describe or write a recommendation for a book that has administration running cats, dolphins in a labor dispute, business negotiations all wrapped around the every day business of running a villainy empire?

The characters and plot are all the perfect amount of smartly absurd that I rarely see, but love to read.

A minor complaint is the ending just didn't seem to fit. It's not bad, there is just something that isn't exactly right (please read this book so I have someone to talk to about it all). I also want to see a book about Morrison and their unapologetic villainy career I bet it's fascinating.

*I received an Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review

Best line in the book:
"Also, to Sugar, Spice and Smudge, my current set of cats. You are all a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid furry faces.” Scalzi, and every cat owner, everywhere, always.

The "Author's promise to the reader" has been very much on my mind as I wrap up the first draft of my very own first book. This is where Scalzi excels: He never forgets that ultimately, a book is entertainment. Even if it's educational, it still needs to be enjoyable. And reading Scalzi always is.

How does one not love an author who quotes Princess Bride and Snow Crash, and a handful of other truly great novels in his novels? It gives me *joy* every single time. However, this time I am going to quote the first of William Goldman’s 10 commandments of writing:

“Never take the crisis out of your protagonist’s hands”

The last few chapters of this book read like Scalzi just got tired of it, and decided on an Alexander the Great style solution to the plot problems. And then, somehow, the uncle’s 5 million of liquid cash was forgotten, promises were broken, and the only character who really showed up in a meaningful way for the last few chapters was Hera. While Hera saved the end of the book, and provided a nice afterglow, the resolution to this one really sucked. A lot of fun was had on the way to the resolution, and the final chapter ended tidily, but that crisis/resolution was lazy as hell.

Also, Hera should have been on the cover.

Four stars: Fun was had, but less-than-ideal choices were made.

I'm really digging John Scalzi right now. He's got an eye for an idea and writes in a breezy, readable style. I put him in the same category as Christopher Moore and A. Lee Martinez- two authors I happen to be super fond of.

Starter Villain tells the story of Charlie. Charlie's kinda lost in life: his job sucks, he's living in a house his siblings want to sell, and his only companion is his cat Hera. When his rich uncle dies, Charlie's life changes and he discovers that he is a not in line to be a serious villain.

What follows is fun tale of villainy, wealth, economics, and talking dolphins. The writing moves quickly, the characters are fun, and Charlie is a good stand in for the reader. He's in the dark a lot, but when he has something to say it's interesting.

I read this book in less than a day. It was a lot of fun and I recommend it.

This book was a fantastic ride from beginning to end. From intelligent cats and dolphins, to a fantastically relatable Zoom call, there is something in this book to entertain all. I highly recommend that his book be read by anyone who loves cats, James Bond-esque villains, and an all around good time. Jon Scalzi hits it out of the park again with the sharply written, witty novel that will be a cult classic in no time.

So funny! A lot of intelligent humor sprinkled in between curse words and murder. Oh, and it has genetically altered, talking animals. What's not to love?

This was amazing!! I loved every word it!! Such an original story line. Loved this!!
I just reviewed Starter Villain by John Scalzi. #StarterVillain #NetGalley
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This was a lot of fun! Charlie is an ex-journalist and current teacher when his quite wealthy uncle passes away--an uncle he is estranged from. Charlie then finds himself wading through the seedy underbelly of society in this animal-filled (anthropomorphic? maybe that's the word I'm looking for) read. I had a great time following Charlie in this quick, well-plotted read!

Starter Villain was a lot of fun!
Charlie is a former journalist, and a current substitute teacher, when his (very rich) estranged uncle dies.
He unwittingly gets sucked into a world of villainy as he struggles to stay afloat.
From spy cats to dolphins in a labor dispute, this book will keep you interested for sure!
A quick, fast paced read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for an early copy for review.

Thanks to TOR and Net Galley for the ARC of Starter Villain by John Scalzi.

Genetically engineered dolphins in the middle of a union dispute, cats who have been designed for intelligence gathering, a conglomerate of evil people and a fiscally responsible villain who might just be out of his depth.

Scalzi’s wit and humour is on another level in this book about Charlie, a substitute teacher and ex business reporter, who inherits his late uncles villainous enterprise complete with talking cats, satellite destroying lasers but unfortunately no 300inch TV.

I really enjoyed reading this fish out of water story and enjoyed Scalzi’s take on the business of villainy. Like all of his books this was one that you can fly though, it was funny, exciting and a super fast read. It sits up there with Fuzzy Nation and Androids Dream.

4.5/5

"A stupid villain threatens, Charlie. A smarter villain offers a service."

Starter Villain is awesome. Its selling points include executive-level cats, awful billionaires, and vengeful working-class dolphins. A briskly paced and funny story seals the deal.

Charlie’s life sucks. All he wants is to open a pub downtown, but even getting a loan from the bank seems like an impossible feat. Basically, his stray cats have better credit ratings than he does. He could pack his entire set of assets in barely functioning Maxima inherited from his father. Things are bad but Scalzi makes them even worse for him :)

Charlie had a rich uncle who made billions as the owner of parking lots. Not sexy. Except, Uncle’s businesses were more…diversified. With villainy being the most profitable one. His uncle’s right hand introduces Charlie to the world of villains. Including an island volcano lair. And a lot of powerful enemies are coming for him.

Starter Villain has an easygoing, tongue-in-cheek style that makes it a pleasure to read. I know Scalzi can write darker stuff, but he’s also a brilliant writer of satire. He has a clean writing style, excels in writing dialogue, and captivates readers with ease. Rather than showing off his writing skills, he prioritizes storytelling and keeping readers engaged.

Charlie’s foray into super villainy makes him understand it’s more corporate than it is evil. It turns out the business is more corporate than evil. As it turns out, villains are professional disruptors who identify the need and do things faster and cheaper than governments or global companies. They even offer a subscription service. And let’s not forget about the well-kept secrets of the business - sentient cats, anyone? Scalzi’s portrayal of the supervillain business is both amusing and spot-on.

The characters and their interactions had me laughing. Good guys are instantly likable and quirky. Charlie’s a bright guy, so he gets the hang of things quickly. However, as often seen in satires/comedic tales, some characters lack nuance. The bad guys have no redeeming qualities. There’s not much subtlety here, but it works for the story and its tone. Does anyone watch older James Bond movies for subtle character development? Don’t think so. We’re doing it for fun, action, and for despicable villains.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Starter Villain and highly recommend it to anyone looking for intelligent and humorous entertainment. The book is enjoyable and imaginative, but also comes with a moral lesson - be kind to cats!

In short, if you’re looking for a fun and witty read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

This was my first Scalzi so I didn't really know what to expect.
I've never read dialogues like these. They had a very real taste, I could picture someone very social talking with the bank, his father's lawyer and the people he meets. He's not doing great in his personal life or career but he's not bleak.
I liked the social commentary and the cast of character. The plot and the twists were a little predictable, but I enjoyed it none the less. My favorite were the cats, the dolphins and Dobrev.
I recommend it if you are searching for something funny and witty.

This book made me unreasonably happy. I mean, from the description, you would thing it wouldn't work. Island lairs, secret cabals and talking cats....? It sounds like a quick sci-fi book you would skim through if you found it on the shelf in a vacation house. But instead, it's a witty, fast-paced book with incisive comments about humanity's social structures, the need for unions and what being rich actually means. Also, what being human actually means. And all with a charming cast of characters, both human and not. I will recommend this to everyone I see.