Starter Villain is a witty and hilarious good-time. Charlie, a down-on-his-luck substitute teacher, finds out that his estranged uncle has passed away, leaving Charlie his business endeavors. Those businesses turn out to be an entire villainous enterprise, complete with a volcanic island lair and network of weapons and spies. Charlie has to learn the ropes quickly, as there are other villains creeping in, hoping for an opportunity to bring Charlie down.

I was a big fan of the TV show "Chuck," and this book gives all those vibes plus some chuckle-inducing Gru/Austin Powers satire. Here's a taste of the humor: the villain enterprise considered training sharks to guard the volcanic lair, but sharks ended up not being smart enough to train. So instead, they trained dolphins. But the dolphins ended up being too smart, and have now decided to unionize in order to strike the unfair labor conditions of the island.

If that bit of nerdy, quirky humor made you smile like I did, then you will love this book. It's full of heart, lovable characters, and cats. It feels less like sci-fi and more like a thriller/heist, twisty and gasp-inducing. I thought the middle lost a little of its steam, but the ending was perfect. I wish Scalzi had left room for a sequel!

This book was all kinds of fun! When I saw this cover, I just knew that I needed to have this book in my life. I have appreciated John Scalzi's humor in the past and I just had a good feeling about this book. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed. The book was funny and kept me on my toes because nothing was impossible in this quirky little tale. And if you are wondering if cats play a role in this story, I can assure that they do indeed.

Charlie is down on his luck. After losing his journalist position and getting divorced, he moved back in with his father, who has now passed, and is trying to make ends meet by working as a substitute teacher. When his estranged billionaire uncle dies, he is asked to stand up for him at his funeral where the mourners seem rather enthusiastic. Before long Charlie is swept away by a world of supervillains who all seem eager to outmaneuver him.

The story was rather exciting and kept me guessing until the end. I loved the fact that there were some pretty big surprises in the story. Charlie was at a serious disadvantage in the world of supervillainy so I was really hoping to see him succeed and he did hold his own - at least most of the time. The humor worked into the story was incredibly well done which took the story to the next level. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this fun little book to others and cannot wait to see what will come next from this talented author.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Tor Books.

The nihilistic, anticapitalist millennial in me loved this book. It's a hilarious, easy, self-contained read. The characters are likable, and the banter between them is so sharp.

The beginning of the novel introduces us to Charlie, a broke substitute teacher squatting (with his cat) in his late father’s house with dreams of owning a local pub. He learns of his estranged billionaire uncle’s death but brushes it aside because he hasn’t seen his uncle since his mother’s death when he was 5. Without giving away too much plot away (much more fun for you to discover), let’s just say that his uncle came to his wealth in more sinister ways that Charlie could ever imagine and with Charlie as his heir, Charlie is now a novice villain in charge of an evil empire filled with talking animals and private island lairs (and enemies).

This was a funny and smart book that fully entertained me. If you are looking for something light but with intelligence to it, I highly recommend. I hadn’t read any other Scalzi books but now I am certainly going to look into his backlist!

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC to review

Does Scalzi ever disappoint?! This was so chaotic and funny and I loved it! The moment the book started I was grinning ear to ear! What would you do if you inherited a business that had some interesting clients?!

Starter Villain by John Scalzi is everything I enjoy about this author's other work. Charlie is far from thriving when he's notified of his estranged uncle's death. Things take off from there with a very atypical funeral experience, increasingly wild circumstances, and, of course, explosions.

Charlie is quite similar to Scalzi's previous heroes. He's far from perfect while still managing to have a bumbling charm that makes you root for him.

If you're looking for a quick, entertaining read that feels like an action comedy movie, check out STARTER VILLAIN.

This was so much fun! This book exactly fit the niche I was craving for my next read after coming off a more serious novel - light-hearted but not stupid, funny, some pointed satire, a little adventure, some twists, really easy to get into the story, and an extremely fast read. And because it's a short and quick read, the pacing keeps the story moving, so I found myself enjoying the entire novel and not putting it down. I'm finding I really enjoy Scalzi's sci-fi romps! 4.5 stars.

This book was preposterous and fun. It had all the elements I have come to expect from Scalzi: action, adventure, hijinks, clever characters, and outlandish but entertaining plots. Like many of his stories, this one makes a reader feel good; he always has a likable ‘Everyman’ protagonist and usually strong female characters as well. This book is no exception; I truly enjoyed the story.

This wasn’t as good as I hoped. Premise-wise I really liked it and some of the parts made me laugh out loud, like the super smart cats and the unionizing dolphins. But mostly, I just thought that it drug on and had a lot of lulls in action for a book about super villains. I think it would make a great movie though and I look forward to seeing it if it ever gets made.

Starter Villain is a book for anyone who is a cat devotee in real life and depicts who is really in charge of your life regardless of how much they manage to convince you otherwise. The furry masterminds living around us are more than able to engage in a spot of planning with their brethren in order to stave off some truly evil supervillains who are seemingly coming after protagonist Charlie since he was left his uncle's business not too long ago. But with some of the most intelligent species on the planet having been trained in the latest high-tech espionage techniques, if anyone can keep Charlie, his family and the good guys of this planet safe then it's his marvellously mad menagerie.

With enough action, originality and fast-paced antics throughout the narrative, you can always rely on Scalzi to pen a mile-a-minute, bonkers and utterly enthralling tale oozing with fun and evil in equal measure. The witticisms and humour we are used to from Scalzi pour out of every nook and cranny lending some real belly laughs to the mix and furiously interspersed twists and turns frequently catch you off guard. The cast of characters are exceptionally drawn too whether they be human or, as most are, true animals. A lot of times satire simply doesn't work in a book, but Scalzi's feline frenzy is a must-read for ardent ailurophiles and those who enjoy their fiction with more than a touch of delightful eccentricity and idiosyncrasy. Mad, bad and oh so rad.

This one is a hard one for me to rate, on one hand, I absolutely loved the cats. On the other, I didn’t really enjoy much else about this book. I couldn’t connect with Charlie like I had hoped. However, I do think this book will be widely loved.

John Scalzi is an author that I’ve been wanting to try for a few years now and Starter Villain was the perfect book for me to jump into the author’s works. This story is told in first person by Charlie who was a great character with the perfect balance of intelligence and humor. Charlie’s estranged uncle passes away leaving him a surprising business to run and as it turns out, Charlie’s cats are involved. And they’re sentient. And so are the dolphins. Yes, this was one strange adventure, filled with a canvas of fun villainous characters.

I found this one immensely entertaining. If you’re looking for a light, funny read, I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi is delightful. Charlie is a down on his luck reporter who is working as a substitute teacher. He is barely making ends meet after a divorce and living in his childhood home that his siblings are trying to evict him from. Charlie sees on the news that his billionaire uncle, who he hasn’t seen since he was five, has passed away. Next thing he knows, he is thrust into being a heir of the villain business. Running covert operations that can ruin the political environment and kill tons of people does not come naturally to him. Complete with intelligent cats, talking, on-strike dolphin operatives, assassination attempts, and witty banter, this book delivers. I laughed out loud, got sucked into where this was going, and became attached to several characters. This is a quick read that entertains. I enjoyed every moment of it. 5/5 stars. This will be published on September 19th, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will be found on Instagram and Goodreads indefinitely.

Charlie is shocked to discover that his estranged uncle's passing has involved him in a shadowy world of billionaires, evil-doers, and satellite exploding lasers.

Suddenly he's the owner of a top secret lair (under a volcano, naturally), though the "sinister mission control room" is somewhat lacking. And now some people are pressuring him to join the Lombardy Convocation, a group of super villainous villains who just happen to be having their annual meeting.
"Think of Davos, except they don't pretend they're helping people."

I assume the above info was enough to get your attention, but if you need more tidbits to lure you in, I'll also mention the spy cats, and the disgruntled dolphins.

This was pure (well, not really PURE) fun from start to finish; a quirky, hilarious romp that should keep you chuckling.

And, if your cat is staring at you right now, you should probably be a little nervous . . .

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! Scalzi does it again! This was such an interesting premise for a book that had a little bit of fantasy and a little bit of crime and mystery, a combination that I’m constantly searching to find with characters that are believably human in their behavior. Such a great read!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a review.

I want to start this review by saying the cats were my favorite! They saved this book for me.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi is a novel that initially grabs your attention with its intriguing premise and eye-catching cover, promising an adventure in the world of supervillains with a "fish out of water" protagonist. However, while the concept has the potential for a fun and exciting story, I found the execution falling well short of expectations.

It seemed a lot of the story focused on the personal finances of the characters more than the actual villainy, which had me felling like I was attending a lecture rather than embarking on a high-stakes adventure. Coupled with the main character's constant need for explanations, and the repeated assertion of his ignorance, the story kept getting bogged down with it's own exposition.

One notable aspect that really left me puzzled was the protagonist's sudden transformation into a mastermind when it came to interacting with the other villains. It was inconsistent with his character development and had me questioning the timeline of this story.

In summary, while Starter Villain's premise and cover might be enticing, some readers may be disappointed by the heavy focus on economic aspects and a lackluster finale. It's essential to approach this book with an open mind and a willingness to explore its unique take on the supervillain genre, but be prepared for a narrative that might not fully deliver on the initial promise.

Pub date: 9/19/23
Genre: science fiction, humor
Quick summary: Charlie finds out that his estranged uncle was a supervillain, his cat is hyperintelligent, and he's inherited an island volcano lair. It's going to be a fight just to stay alive.

I discovered John Scalzi with THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY, which turned out to be one of the most fun books I've ever read. STARTER VILLAIN is a similar wild ride - I love Scalzi's sarcastic and witty humor and the ridiculous situations he places his protagonists in. This one got a little complicated in the middle as Charlie dealt with all the supervillains, but I loved the beginning and ending so much. I never knew I needed a book with hyperintelligent cats and unionized dolphins, but it turns out a I did.

Thank you to Tor Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so cute. If you liked the humor in Red Shirts you’ll like this one too! Main character is a decent guy who isn’t having a great time in life. An estranged uncle dies, he’s asked to see to his funeral arrangements and the hijinks ensue from there. I chuckled throughout reading this and the ending is kind of sweet. I highly recommend it.

Starter Villain has just the kind of quirky, clever premise that I love, but after about 25% the novelty wore off, and it just became the kind of plot-driven, James Bond-esque story that bores me. Many readers will love it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc for review.

Laughed to the point of tears during this book - such smart, silly, creative, interesting writing around a plot that kept the pages turning - read this in a day. And what a day! During parts, I found my spouse and read sections out loud because I had to share in the fun. This novel has it all - mystery! Intrigue! Explosions! All of this with the surrounding social commentary of what a villain is - loved it. You must read it. Thanks to Tor Books. . What a gift!