Starter Villain is my first book by John Scalzi. I was incredibly intrigued by the premise and found the story to be an easy and enjoyable read. The book follows many of the classic villain tropes and pokes holes in the stupidity that is your average villain, exposing their flaws and the ridiculousness of their plots. It exposes how corporate villainy is, especially on this global, all powerful scale, and how often money can make a person look the other way.

There is a lot of dialogue, which I think makes the book approachable, enjoyable, and a quick read. Though it is dialogue heavy, I don’t think it’s unbalanced. There’s just enough description, and the villain trope of a million movies, to help set the scene. We get some very snappy, amusing dialogue, with a lovely background of talking dolphins and intelligent cats. It leaves a lot up to the imagination but the villains are clearly based on the billionaires we have in real life.; it’s easy to insert their images into the book.

Charlie is a normal man, very relatable. He’s had a hard few years between a divorce and his dad dying, and working as a substitute teacher. Nothing is satisfying and all he wants to do is buy the local pub and become a business owner. His aspirations are a little grand, considering that the pub costs millions of dollars to purchase, but it’s something simple and satisfying. He’s looking for a place to belong and a purpose. When his uncle dies, suddenly his life is all assassination attempts and talking cats and a crumbling villain association that has run out of money. Having been a business reporter, Charlie has a view into what guides these men, as well as the many mistakes they have made to get where they are. He’s also quite an objective observer, taking things as they come. Even if he seems like he’s floundering, he doesn’t let the panic get the best of him. He just takes it in stride and keeps going. Everything happens over the course of a couple weeks and Charlie doesn’t truly falter once.

He does have a good guide in his uncle’s left hand man, Til. She keeps Charlie on his toes and there is not an ounce of romantic attraction between them. In fact, there’s no romance at all between the main character and anyone else. There’s a fun little villainous side character romance, but it’s relevant to the plot and very funny.

The cover does seem to imply that cats run the company, which isn’t exactly true. They are very smart, but they do not directly run the company, nor do they inherit it. They make decisions but are mostly information collectors. They are highly respected and independent creatures, though they assist the humans.

Starter Villain is a silly little quick read. It’s fun, has witty dialogue, and believable characters. The villainy makes sense and even the addition of talking dolphins and intelligent cats doesn’t make the story ridiculous. Charlie is a very likable character and I enjoyed reading from his perspective. I’m very curious about Scalzi’s other books and I wonder if they, too, are so dialogue and character focused.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Thank you for the opportunity to review Starter Villian by John Scalzi. Somehow I had missed the pending release on this one (life was a bit hectic) and was really excited to see it appear on NetGalley.

The things I like about Scalzi... well, he's brought all that to Starter Villian. A somewhat ridiculous (but entirely fun!) premise, relatable characters, a healthy dose of humor and snark, and (more obviously lately but it was ALWAYS there; anyone who didn't notice before just wasn't paying attention) social commentary.

Starter Villian was what I'd expect from Scalzi in 2023- interesting, well-written, fun, and deceptively light feeling despite keeping some real meat on its bones. So glad to have had the chance to review the ARC, and I absolutely recommend it to readers.

Are you ready for cats who are management, and dolphins who want to unionize? I love John Scalzi's imagination, and Starter Villain is a joy from start to finish.

Most people would look at Charlie Fitzer and see a loser. At thirty-two, he's divorced, working as a substitute teacher because journalism is a dying profession, and living with his cat, Hera, in a house he doesn't own. His father left the house in a trust to Charlie and his three successful half-siblings almost a generation older than their younger brother. He hears on the news that his Uncle Jake died, but he hasn't seen the wealthy businessman since he was five. Uncle Jake and Charlie's father had an argument at Charlie's mother's funeral, and that's the last time he saw him. But, it seems Uncle Jake had his eye on Charlie.

Mathilda Morrison represents Jake Baldwin when she shows up at Charlie's. She has some odd requests. Would Charlie stand for his uncle at his funeral in town? In return, Jake left everything to Charlie, and the estate will buy Charlie's house from the rest of the estate. It's only at the funeral home that Charlie wonders what Uncle Jake was involved in. He thought he only owned parking garages. But, the floral arrangements have messages saying they're glad Jake is dead, and the mourners are all males in their late 30s and early 40s. One even tries to stab the corpse to prove Jake is dead. Charlie doesn't understand at all, and he's even more confused when he returns home just in time to see his house blow up.

Morrison will handle all Charlie's difficulties. She sweeps him off to Saint Genevieve in the southern Caribbean. It seems Uncle Jake owned the entire island. He owned more than parking garages. He was a villain who offered countries and other businessmen opportunities to compete against each other. Now, it's all Charlie's. He knows nothing about the villain business, and he's too empathetic and kindhearted. But, he easily learns to listen and be ruthless when he's invited to a convocation of villains. He needs all the help he can get from Morrison and Charlie's cat, Hera. It seems Hera is sentient, can type, and owns real estate. She's been watching over Charlie all this time he thought he provided a home for a stray.

While some readers might find all their conspiracy theories confirmed in Starter Villain, I thought it was funny and slightly believable. I love the cats and the dolphins who are planning to go on strike. And, Charlie. Charlie is a nice guy caught up in an unbelievable world. If you read and enjoyed Scalzi's The Kaiju Preservation Society, you should enjoy this one.

Oh, and the cats. John Scalzi's cats are well-known on his blog. This book is dedicated to "Sugar, Spice, and Smudge, my current set of cats. You are a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid fuzzy faces".

The cover and title of this book alone should make you want to read it. There is a stereotype that if any pet would be a villain, it would be a cat, and the team that designed the cover for Starter Villain has used this to their advantage. Hopefully many people will read this book because of the cover alone. When I saw it, I knew it was a must read before I even knew what the novel was about.

I read and reviewed Scalzi’s last novel The Kaiju Preservation Society and enjoyed it immensely. Starter Villain feels like it follows the same idea of The Kaiju Preservation Society. Both have main characters that are down on their luck, both get picked out of their circumstances to join an underground society that has immense challenges but immense rewards, and both of these “fish out of water” main characters have the uncanny ability to navigate these strange new roles to become unlikely successes. In Starter Villain, Charlie has a rich uncle that he has only met once who leaves his fortune to him. His uncle dies, and he quickly learns that his uncle’s fortune is not on in parking garages but in being a world villain. He has a secret lair on a volcanic island. He has dolphins that curse. He has genetically modified cats that are used as spies. Charlie quickly learns that there are other supervillains throughout the world that did not like his uncle, so by turn, they do not like him. He has to navigate this new world, find out how to do business with his new associates, and not get killed in the process.

This novel, like The Kaiju Preservation Society, spends a great deal of time with world building. This novel takes the first two-thirds to build his dead uncle’s world, and Charlie as a character. Fortunately this does not feels like an information dump as much as a slow build. It takes time, and the novel is almost done before we get a basic understanding of what Charlie’s uncle has pushed him into. By the time that the Charlie has to make some real decisions to save his life, the novel is over. I would not cut back on the first two-thirds as much as make the book a little longer, find some other things about this world to explore (because there are many things that are mentioned in passing that should be expanded). As it is, as soon as we get a good sense of how entertaining and fun this world is, the story is over.

Entertaining and fun is how I would describe both The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain. There are incredibly funny scenes (like the Zoom call and the dolphin union negotiations), and Scalzi gives the impression that he has a good time writing these novels. Starter Villain is very enjoyable, humorous, and has a great set of characters. I just wish there was a bit more plot after the world is built.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by John Scalzi - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Charlie is just scraping by, working as a middle school substitute teacher and living in his deceased dad's house. Even the house isn't his - it's shared by his step-siblings that have nothing to do with him. He dreams of buying the local pub where he has good memories, but has no money to do so. So when he gets a mysterious visit from someone who says that his uncle whom he hasn't seen since he was 5 left him his company, he was intrigued. But discovering that his uncle's in the supervillain business and you are now tasked with protecting it is a whole other thought process. And it gets weirder from there.

I was a big fan of this author's previous book, The Kaiju Preservation Society, and loved this one too. It takes place in present time, but quite a different reality underneath the surface. Super-smart cloned spy cats in management? Talking dolphins wanting to unionize? Super villains trying to outsmart each other? Buckle up - this is a fun, sci-fi light book that will have you laughing while flipping the pages to see how it will all end. Highly recommended - especially if you like cats!

What a weird and fun book, that took me ENTIRELY by surprise. The conceit of talking cats and supervillains at first completely sounds a bit corny, but there's something really sharp and surprisingly tender in this book, and the relationship between Charlie and his cat is really palpable...not to mention the odd and awesome world built around it. The writer's voice is definitely reminiscent of Douglas Adams but not in a way I'd describe as overly reverent or copying - some satire, some sarcasm, and really warm and often hilarious wit.

I can't endorse this novel enough! It is fantastic. Witty, thoughtful, well-written, and full of suspense. It is a great length to read in one sitting and I was laughing the whole way through.

Charlie is a down on his luck, recently divorced, substitute middle school teacher living back in his childhood home when he suddenly finds himself the heir to a Blofeld-like secret “rulers of the world cabal” in this always irreverent offering from John Scalzi. It is a definitely over simplified portrayal of evil villains one-upping each other triggering a lot of mayhem and plenty of sneering, but it’s fun and full of grade A snark. The uplifted cats and dolphins were the best part, the latter turning into foul-mouthed union organizers with some insults rivaling Shakespeare: “suppurating bourgeois fistula of oppression,” “ambulatory collection of skin tags,” and “smooth-brained last-gasp Habsburg” are some of my favorites. Honestly, not my favorite Scalzi book but worth reading.

GREAT COVER!!

Having only read Scalzi's previous stand-alone and not loving it quite as much as everyone else seemed to I was a little hesitant to read this one, because I wondered if the same thing wouldn't happen, but I'm happy to say that this was a pretty darn delightful book. It's a little absurd, but it's a quick read that's quirky and fun, which is honestly just what the world needs right now. If you're going into this book hoping for something deep and meaningful you'll be disappointed, but if you go into it looking for something fast and amusing you will be very pleased. This book is rather over the top, pretty unbelievable, full of things that will make people who are more right-wing rather angry, and I pretty much loved it. The high points were certainly the cats and the dolphins, but the main character was amusing and his...second in command I guess, was also a lot of fun. I'll certainly be writing a shelf-talker for this one and will be happy to direct people to it if they're looking for a lighter sci-fi story. I'll also be interested to see what Scalzi comes up with for his next book, because I think the world could use a few more talking cats.

This book was a fun, quick read that I couldn't put down. I had to find out what all the mystery was about. Just when one thing seemed to explain itself, something else pops up. This wasn't as much about the two cats as I expected, but more about the down on his luck man who takes care of them. When his life suddenly changes, they wind up taking care of him. A book with the three M's...mystery, murder and mayhem. I thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the fun advance read!

At the start of this novel, main character Charlie is totally broke and barely getting by when the rich uncle he hasn’t seen since he was five years old dies and leaves his business to Charlie, and things just get stranger from there. I don’t want to say too much more about the plot because it’s way more fun to discover it for yourself as you read it - but let’s just say that though the cover is a bit misleading, there are intelligent cats involved, plus a league of villains.

I think this was the 6th John Scalzi book I’ve read, and it was another fun one. This was probably the least science fiction-y of his books that I’ve read, but just like the others, it just has such a fun snarky sensibility and a story that is so unique while also nodding to existing tropes and pop culture. Just such a quick and enjoyable romp of a read.

I received an eARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was probably the best book I've read this year, or one of the top three at the very least. Trust John Scalzi to put down a comfortable, readable, and often hilarious story, because once more he comes through....

That was just what I needed: a light-hearted (though full of supervillainy) fun diversion....

This is now my book of the year and I don't know if anything will beat it, I loved every chapter of this, every page, hell I'll just say it every sentence.

I will say that the cover is what drew me in, what can I say I'm a crazy cat lady, the story, the writing, and the overall experience of this book kept me glued to it.

I can't put into words what makes this book magical it just is, cats that can communicate, dolphins that want to be in a union, whales that.... well you'll just have to read it to find out about the whales, but this book is beyond fantastic and you should read it.

Reading this book had me laughing one second, rooting for the villain.... well starter villain the next, and then just wanting to find a typewriter my cats could use, but then they're cats so would they even if I found one, but I digress.

If you're looking for something fun, something unexpected, something that will have you trying to figure out who's good and who's bad, this is the book for you, I seriously can't recommend it enough and I know I'll read everything I see by this author.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Starter Villain is absolutely delightful from start to finish. From the fantastic cover to the comedy to the wild plot, I enjoyed every part of this book. I laughed so many times, but it also kept a good rhythm of action and story telling. The human characters were fun, but we all know that Hera is the real star of this book. She, like this book, is perfection.

Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of my current reading obssession, Starter Villain.

Charlie works as a substitute teacher and wants more out of his life. Living with his two cats in his dead father's home and arguing with his stepsiblings about the house, Charlie dreams of a life with more substance. When his uncle dies and he's asked to stand up for him at the funeral, Charlie doesn't know what he's getting into. The funeral is just the start of the wild ride Charlie has in store for him for the future.

I don't want to say too much about this novel, but I absolutely loved it. It's about the other side of being a "Bond" villain and also toxic masculinity. The cover is also to die for, honestly that's what drew me to the novel first. I was excited for this novel before the National Book Festival, but after listening to John Scalzi talk I couldn't wait to read it. If you get a chance to listen to him talk in any way, go do it! Starter Villain was my introduction to Scalzi's work, but it won't be the last.

Starter Villain is out now and you need to get a copy for the betterment of yourself. Honestly you'll have such a fun ride during it. I'll be pushing this into the hands of friends (online and in-person) for quite awhile.

Published by Tor Books on September 19, 2023

Starter Villain is more a crime/conspiracy novel than a science fiction novel, but John Scalzi writes science fiction so it needed an sf hook. Which is, talking cats.

Scalzi has written dramatic science fiction that is notable for its pathos. Some of his work is lighter. Starter Villain is meant to amuse. It made me smile consistently. I even laughed out loud a couple of times, but it’s not the kind of work that puts a reader through a gamut of emotions.

Scalzi focuses the novel on a decent man who happens to like cats, probably a man who is a lot like Scalzi. Charlie Fitzer is unlike Scalzi in that Fitzer lost his career as a writer — a journalist who covered the business world — when the economy tanked. Fitzer is working as a substitute teacher and falling behind on his bills. His father bequeathed his childhood home to a trust for Charlie and his half-siblings but gave Charlie the right to live in the home provided he paid the insurance and utilities. His half-siblings believe their father’s intent was that Charlie should get back on his feet before the house is sold out from under him. They are irked that Charlie is making insufficient progress toward that goal.

Charlie has a wealthy uncle he hasn’t seen since the uncle had a falling out with his father at his mother’s funeral when he was five years old. Charlie learns from watching a financial network broadcast that his uncle has died. His uncle’s assistant, a woman named Mathilda Morrison, shows up unexpectedly to tell him that he’s in charge of his uncle’s funeral. Charlie responds dutifully. The only other people who show up at the funeral are the designees of wealthy criminals (think oligarchs) who want to stab the uncle’s corpse to make sure he isn’t faking his own death (again).

After someone blows up Charlie’s house, Mathilda explains that his uncle was a successful criminal. She provides temporary housing for Charlie and reveals that his cats have been genetically modified, enabling them to communicate by keyboard. Charlie’s uncle used modified cats to spy on his enemies, Charlie, and pretty much every important person who owns a cat.

Charlie is soon introduced to a criminal organization to which his uncle belonged, or joined and left, or never joined, depending on who is telling the story. Ian Fleming loosely based SMERSH on rumors of the organization and loosely based Blofeld and his cat on one of its members. The plot concerns the organization’s belief that Charlie, as successor to his uncle’s criminal enterprise, owes the organization billions of dollars because his uncle either stole property belonging to the organization or competed unfairly with its members or breached an agreement to tithe his profits to the organization. Charlie takes a casual approach to their demands but proves to be a smarter businessman than any of the criminals, all of whom have a sense of entitlement but no business sense at all.

While I prefer Scalzi when he’s telling stories with more drama than talking cats can provide, I can’t fault the entertainment value of his lighter fare. His novels are often a roadmap for how to behave decently even when surrounded by people who behave selfishly. Charlie is easy to like and Scalzi rewards the reader’s interest in the character. The plot is surprisingly coherent for a book that features talking cats and unionized dolphins. Starter Villain moves quickly, seasons a pleasant story with amusing moments, and reaches a satisfying resolution.

RECOMMENDED

"Starter Villain" was a great time! Funny and irreverent from the get-go, with a protagonist who was easy enough to relate to, and VERY easy to pity due to the sheer amount of nonsense that happens to him in close succession. Scalzi's worldbuilding is timely and hilarious, and as intricate as the infrastructure in a spy movie. As a fan of action-comedies, and a cat person, I greatly enjoyed this book, and rooted for Charlie through the very end!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 272 / Genre: Superhero Sci-Fi

Charlie Fitzer’s life is in the dumps when his estranged uncle dies and leaves him his billion dollar business. A business full of unbelievable tech and highly questionable associates. But Charlie has nothing to lose—literally—seeing how his house was just blown up by said associates. Charlie’s new adventure includes supervillains, a secret evil lair hidden under a volcano, talking cats, and foul-mouthed dolphins. This book was just plain fun and I really enjoyed it. It’s short, fast, and the perfect palate cleanser when you just need a laugh and break from reality.

Thank you @NetGalley and @TorBooks for the advanced copy of this book. I loved it!

John Scalzi is back with another light-hearted story in Starter Villain. Charlie Fitzer is your typical down-on-his-luck former business reporter and substitute teacher whose billionaire uncle dies leaving him a supervillain empire. After his uncle's funeral, attended mostly by people trying to make sure he is actually dead, Charlie's house is blown up. Charlie is visited by his uncle's assistant, Mathilda, learns that his cat is genetically modified, can talk and has been spying on him, and is whisked away to his uncle's volcano lair.
This is a lot to take in for a guy who was just trying to scrape together enough money to buy a bar. Danger increases when he is invited to a group of supervillains, the Lombardy Convocation. They want him to join, but they'd be just as happy if he died.

Scalzi is always entertaining, and Starter Villain is no different. There is a lot of sly humor, social commentary and some actual thought-provoking ideas. Charlie turns out to be cleverer than anticipated and makes some astute observations and deductions along the way. The supporting characters, particularly the animals, are lovingly rendered and very likeable. Scalzi is as good as anyone at developing likeable characters. This helps you connect with them whether they are involved in unusual labor negotiations or trying to escape a building literally coming down around their ears.

There are a few surprises along the way but this story is more about the journey than the destination. It's fast-paced, funny and has some genuine feeling. The stakes never feel too high and you'll get some good laughs along the way.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

This is the sort of novel you can down in a day. It's fun, it's light, it's clever. It has cats who run things (which is eerily funny since that's the second book with very intelligent cats I've read this year). I wasn't quite sure where it was going at the start, despite the many many reviews which do apparently spoil the start of the book. But this is a fish out of water tale that isn't hurt by knowing going in that our hero is pretty much an anti-hero, and his uncle's bequest is anything but a simple inheritance.

Pro-union, anti-establishment, and with some great cracks at modern bro-tech culture, I found this absolutely charming. 4.5 delightful stars, and it's such a quick read you might as well start it now!