Despite its fantastic cover, Starter Villain didn't capture my attention right away. I found the beginning a bit confusing and slow and didn't connect much to Charlie's perspective.

As the plot progressed, I did become more interested in what was happening and the situation Charlie was in. The pace also picked up some with the addition of some pretty well written and tense action scenes! There were also a few well executed plot twists that kept me guessing.

The one thing I looooved loved loved was the take on cats and dolphins here and how much humor they brought to the book. They were actually relevant! and complex characters and I didn't expect them to be used in that way. The best part of the story!

The ending was a bit underwhelming? I expected more from it and didn't much care for the final twists. After everything, it went in a direction I found a bit too predictable.

John Scalzi is an absolute treasure. I read this in one sitting (yes I was on an airplane but it still counts) and laughed the whole way through. The plot is clever, and the cats are even more so.

Charlie has been down on his luck and finds himself at the head of a mostly evil corporation when his uncle passes away. Can he make the change from substitute teacher to starter villain?

It's a classic twists inside of twists, nothing is quite as it seems story and I am totally here for it. Without ruining too much all I can say is: read this book!!! It's got everything you could possibly want; evil lairs, explosions, and multiple double crosses!

The best fun I've had reading...since my previous Scalzi book!
Thank you @netgalley and @jscalzi for the absolute blast I had reading this ARC!
All the stars- can you believe the typing cats are not even the best part about the book? That's because everything is the best part of this book- the adventure, the dolphins, the twists, the world of (super)villains (and their cats), the social criticism... anyway- did I mention the CATS?

I haven’t had this much fun reading a non-smutty book all year. This novel was a hoot-and-a-half that had me in stitches multiple times. I cackled so loud at one point my kid came to see what all the fuss was all about. So I read the part I was cackling over to them and they laughed so hard they curled up in a ball.

No, I’m not going to tell you when it is. It’s before 40% into the book, though. That’s a hint.

In a way, this book reminds me a little of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (all pay homage). Poor Charlie doesn’t have any friends, save his cat, Hera. He’s divorced, has less than two-hundred dollars in the bank, and is working as a substitute teacher when he used to be an excellent business reporter for a major newspaper. If that wasn’t enough, his three half-siblings are trying to strong-arm him into agreeing to sell the family house that he’s currently living in so they can split the money they’ll get for it four ways, even though his half-siblings all have plenty of money and he has none. He’s a sad sack, really. I kind of just want to give him a towel and tell him to not panic for what’s coming up next in his life.

Charlie’s Uncle Jake, who was his mother’s brother, dies of pancreatic cancer (screw cancer, especially that one, on a personal note), and asks that Charlie stand witness at his viewing before his cremation. If only he knew what he was getting into. Vulgar funeral bouquets, hired stooges all present to make sure his uncle is actually dead and not just pretending to be…again? And why is everyone suddenly so interested in him?

It’s not long before Charlie is flung into his late uncle’s secret world. To everyone else in the world, his uncle had just been the world’s largest manufacturer of parking garages. To those in the know, however, he was a villain, complete with his own villain lair on a volcanic island. There are hyper-intelligent cats trained as spies, guard dolphins who want collective bargaining rights, a laser array that can blast satellites out of the sky, and the whole island is self-sustainable. The issue is that a lot of other villains hated Uncle Jake, because he didn’t play by their rules. Now that he’s dead, they're gonna come for Charlie, because he’s just a starter villain.

Charlie isn’t without allies, though, and he has a keen mind for business. It’s just…well, the poor dear just needs to not panic, because this is all coming at him so very fast.

I wasn’t kidding when I said this book is funny. It’s hilarious. From the droll sense of humor the cats have to the dirty and Marxist speech of the dolphins I was constantly laughing. The way both Charlie and Til (his uncle’s assistant and now his) feel about rich nepobabies and the Ivy League Brads who come to the table with propositions that will only make more white men like them more rich made me snicker. The ways in which Charlie decides to screw with the other side made me chuckle.

In the end, this story is really just pure escapism: not just for the reader, but for Charlie too. Granted, the stakes are higher for him than us, but he was directionless in life and in a bit of a sticky wicket. His late uncle’s death gave him an opportunity to escape it all and find something new. In the end, he gets exactly what he wanted, and he’s a happy man. Excellent, fantastic read.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Comedy/Fantasy/Science Fiction/Secret Society/Speculative Fiction

Absolutely hilarious and ridiculously heartwarming! If you’re wondering how either of these things is possible in a story about megalomaniacs with psychotic tendencies, just dive in and find out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

This book was such a fun ride! John Scalzi never fails top bring the humor to his books and this one was no exception. I loved this behind the scenes glimpse into the supervillain industry - by the end of the book I was wondering if this is actually what happens with the billionaires of the world - he was so convincing! I loved Charlie as our MC and I loved the way this super weird concept was executed.

This one was a super quick and easy read and I think it'll be a great addition to a spooky season TBR!

This is an enjoyable and original take on the superhero and villain archetypes. This novel also has many laugh aloud moments. Imagine what it would be like to be thrust into the role of supervillain after living a relatively ordinary life? Yes, it would be thrilling, but likely terrifying, at the same time. This main character gets to try a life of villainy on for size. This is a quick, delightful read!

I absolutely adored this book. Sentient cats and dolphins, evil villains, secret lairs... it was too good to put down. My favourite part of this book were the extremely rude dolphins. They had the best insults, my favourite was when the dolphin named "Don't Give a Shit" called our main character "A suppurating bourgeois fistula of oppression". The best insults, of course, require one to use the word lookup feature on kindle.

Charlie's estranged uncle dies and leaves him the keys to his supervillain business, however Charlie has no idea how to manage it. He is only a Starter Villain, and he doesn't have much time to learn the ropes. Luckily he has some sentient cats (all in management of course) to help him out, and a few humans to help him deal with the aforementioned rude dolphins and even worse - the competing villains.

The story got pretty confusing at the end, but was so great I read it in one sitting.

In Scalzi's newest novel, Charlie is shocked to find he is the heir to his estranged uncle's estate. He is even more shocked to find out his uncle was a villain, complete with lair and sentient cats. Charlie finds himself tangled up in villainous plots, and perhaps even worse, management.

I loved this one so much! This honestly might be my favorite from Scalzi so far. I just loved the whole premise, the cats, the everything. It was also so different than I thought it would be because I thought it would be more superhero villainy, but it is more everyday capitalist greed villainy. This was one I truly didn't want to put down, and I definitely suggest reading it! Such fun!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

A fun, fish-out-of-water story with evil villains, international conspiracies, talking cats, and a secret base on a volcanic island. The hero is clever, competent, and surprisingly able to roll with the absurdities of inheriting his long- lost uncle’s evil villain business. This is a book to read when you are tired of the terrible and the dark, and want something to entertain and leave you feeling better than you did when you started.

This was so fun! Starter Villain was exactly what I expected and wanted when I requested this. After reading this authors previous release, I was so excited to try more from him. While I was a little apprehensive with the whole villain storyline, this was a fun and quirky read that I flew through. I also love cats (and the cover) and this had me smiling and laughing throughout.

Though I was hoping for a bit more in the plot and surprises but I just had such a good time with this. This is silly and fun and is self aware of this that just worked so well. I really hope to see more like this from this author.


Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Title: Starter Villain
Tagline: Meet the new boss.
Author: John Scalzi

Date Released: September 19th, 2023
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Category: Science-Fiction

Synopsis: Inheriting your mysterious uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine. Sure, there are the things you'd expect. The undersea volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead. Much harder to get used to...are the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats. And the fact that in the overall organization, they're management...

Quote: “Villain conference,” Morrison said. “Think of Davos, except they don’t pretend they’re helping people.”

The UnReel Take:
Story: 7
Writing: 7
Characters: 5
Setting: 8
UnReel AR: 6.75

Bottom Line: Scalzi has a cult following but I’ve never been able to get into his work, so Starter Villain was something of a Hail Mary as a wannabe reader; luckily, it worked pretty well for me. This novella is more plot-driven than I typically prefer, but it makes sense in context. Scalzi’s trademark humor can be found in abundance, from hilarious funerals, striking dolphins, hyper intelligent cats, and a volcano lair. I did think the humor and over-the-topness grew a bit tiresome, but it was mostly a fun read.

Ideal Reading Location: Starter Villain can really be read anywhere but, if possible, try and have a cat in your lap while reading.

Drink Pairing: An Old-Fashioned. You’ll see.

Charlie is a down on his luck former journalist, current substitute teacher, who inherits his uncles villain business. It really shouldn't be surprising to anyone that all billionaires are super villains. Charlie has to figure out how to run this business quickly, or die. Good thing uncle Jake's assistant and Charlie's cat, Hera are here to help.

John Scalzi is a hilarious writer. This is the kind of book you read when you just want something fun, when you want a good laugh. It also makes sense that cat's basically rule the world.

Highly recommend!

I didn't know I needed a super fun villain's story in my life, but I'm so glad I read Starter Villain because it was absolutely perfect.

The story starts with Charlie in an ill-fitting suit and sneakers. He's heading to the bank to beg for a loan in hopes of purchasing an old bar. Charlie is broke, unemployed, and living in his parents' house on the good graces of his older siblings, but their goodness is about to run out. But when a mysterious woman shows up on his door and asks him to attend his recently deceased uncle's funeral, his life goes from shit-out-of-luck to possibly the new owner and operator of his uncle's fortune. The only caveat? Well, he's kind of a villain.

I loved this book and mostly because I'm a huge James Bond fan and loved that this is sort of a story filled with Bond villains. You know, the cat toting, take over the world kind of villains. And just like in any John Scalzi book, he takes something that's been a part of the pop culture lexicon and turns it on its head in a creative and super inventive way. I'm always surprised by the level of detail John Scalzi goes into when it comes to explaining things. For this, he creates a world of villainy that's way deeper than the Spectre world created by Ian Flemming. And he does it with such humor that you can't help but laugh at some of it.

The best part of this book is the laughter. I couldn't stop laughing and found myself giggling more than once even in the most inappropriate moments. I will say that the dialogue was pretty lengthy and I felt like most of this book were just conversations and exposition, but what villain doesn't monologue for way too long?

Overall, another great book from John Scalzi and the perfect read if you need something a little lighter, a little silly, and a whole lot evil.

This was a delightful little book; I’d call it a spiritual successor to *Kaiju Preservation Society* in that it’s (to use Scalzi’s description) a “pop song” of a novel. It’s a very entertaining couple hours of fun to read; it’s not more than that, and doesn’t pretend to be. But if what you’re looking for is an enjoyable way to kill time on a plane ride, it’s a great choice.

The protagonist is something of a sad sack, to begin with. He’s divorced. He was laid off from his job as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and is working as a substitute middle school English teacher. He’s living in his childhood home after the death of his father, for as long as he can keep his half-siblings from kicking him out so they can sell the place and split the proceeds. His only friend to speak of is his cat Hera.

Things take a change after his uncle, whom he hasn’t seen since he was 5, dies and names our protagonist as his heir. Only it turns out that his uncle’s wealth didn’t come from owning parking garages, as he believed, but from his career as a very successful villain.

As our protagonist tries to navigate the challenges of his new position, he’ll have to deal with assorted challenges. These include coping with his cat Hera being both sentient, and assigned by his late uncle to keep an eye on him; the sentient dolphins that guard his volcanic island hideout wanting to unionize and threatening to strike; his uncle’s villain rivals looking to take his organization apart; and annoying tech bros/*dIsRuPtoRs*.

As with *Kaiju Preservation Society*, this is an exceptionally John Scalzi-ish book. If you find his schtick of “characters always in competition to show they’re the cleverest in the room” annoying, I don’t recommend this. But if you appreciate Scalzi’s schtick and are looking for some entertainment, this is a wonderful book.

Starter Villain was one of my most anticipated releases of September, so I was thrilled when I received a complimentary ARC from Net Galley and Tor Books. Much to my delight, this book turned out to be everything I wanted it to be and then some.

Starter Villain was a super enjoyable ride, beginning with the premise. I absolutely loved the concept of the main character Charlie inheriting his unknown uncle’s villain empire, particularly as that empire had one foot in reality and one foot in pure fantastical hilarity. At various times, Scalzi could alternate between a philosophical discussion of the inherent male privilege in wealthy business circles to foul-mouth unionizing dolphins without missing a beat. I was nodding my head at Til’s various rants about the nature of powerful men, and then quickly laughing out loud as a cat levelled an assassin. It was an exceptionally entertaining plot that had moments of emotion, social commentary, and a lot of great humour. It kept me on my toes as I tried to guess what would come next.

I loved watching Charlie progress through various levels of his uncle’s villainy while adding his touch here and there. It was clearly such a complicated and nuanced world that I appreciated that Scalzi didn’t dumb it down for the sake of the main character; instead, he had him placidly accept that most of the business was well beyond his ability to understand and just let him run it with the modicum of understanding you might expect of a substitute teacher/ex-reporter, with very entertaining results. In a plot that was sometimes very absurd, Charlie was the resolute normalcy from which the insanity could then be benchmarked, and it was so enjoyable to see this absurd world unfold through his perspective.

I also loved the actual writing and delivery of the novel. The dialogue was delivered with a sharp wit and perfectly balanced banter and the delivery and humour was reminiscent of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a high compliment in my opinion. The pacing of the narrative was on point, moving at a decent clip and with a lot of interspersed plot twists and action, and I particularly loved the plot twist towards the end, which I did not see coming at all but felt authentic for all characters involved.

Starter Villain was unique, hilarious, and crazy enjoyable from start to finish. It took turns I didn’t expect and had some great action alongside a witty plot and cast of characters. I loved the contemporary setting with interspersed sci-fi elements and once the thick of the plot began to unfold, I couldn’t put it down. This was easily one of the funniest, most original novels I’ve read in some time. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for something fun and unique with a heavy dose of humour, which are qualities I don’t necessarily associate with sci-fi but thought were well represented here.

A clever and fantastically funny adventure set in the world of super-villainy, with more twists, turns, and emotional heartache around each corner. Charlie is not your conventional hero - nothing ever seems to go his way. He’s recently divorced and laid-off, his dad just died, he has no money, no prospects, and no friends, and his half-siblings who’ve always hated him are trying to kick him out of their dad’s house so they can sell it. Pretty much the only thing going for him is his awesome cat and only friend, Hera.

As you might imagine, it’s a surprise for Charlie when he finds out his estranged maternal uncle has died and named him heir to all his business holdings. This might sound awesome, except it turns out his uncle was a villain’s villain, and now all the people who hated Uncle Jake are after Charlie, either to kill him or to coerce him to join their supervillain league. Chaos ensues.

This book was a delight around every corner, and I don’t want to spoil it by giving too much away, so I’ll just give you a hint of things to come: faked deaths, keyboard cats, evil volcano island lairs, unionized dolphins, Raiders of the Lost Arc, a place where everyone knows your name.

I also want to mention that as funny as this book is, it has a core of real sadness. Charlie has experienced a lot of loss in his life and dealt with some significant trauma. The people who should have cared about him and looked out for him failed him in many ways, and he spent a lot of time with very little clarity of happiness in his life. In the end, Charlie had to choose and fight for the life he wanted but also find a way, despite all the times he’d been let down, to trust in the few people who had never hurt him.

Cats can save your life in many ways. And that’s what made me cry. This spoiler won’t make sense until you’ve read the books, but it’s what stuck with me the most: <spoiler>Hera is the one who vouched for Charlie, gave him a place to live, and a life he could be happy with. Hera (and Persephone) came back to him. Hera and Charlie looked at each other and said, “you’re more important than me.” And that’s real love.</spoiler>

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Another book by Scalzi? Count me in! He had me at “cats”. And just look at this cover!?

In Starter Villian, Charlie’s trillionaire uncle (who he hasn’t had contact with since he was 5 years old) dies and guess who inherits his “supervillian” business? Yup, that would be Charlie.

Charlie always thought his uncle was in the parking lot business. So when Charlie was asked to be in attendance as the only relative to greet mourners at his uncle’s funeral, he was very surprised to see nothing but “villains” in attendance, one who even tries to stab his uncle, and NO mourners. What in the world?

After his house explodes by one of the villains, Charlie is whisked off to a secret villianary lair along with his two cats. He finds out that his cats are super intelligent and were spies for his uncle.

Supervillianary ensues and I snort laughed in glee at the antics of all.

In my head, I was listening to Wil Wheaton as Charlie because I know Wil will be narrating this book. You can bet I’ll be rereading this one by audiobook because this book is much too fun to read only once.

Also, this book felt like Scalzi’s love story to cats. It was wonderful and I didn’t want it to end! I’ll be preordering a hard copy of this one for my library!

*Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the gifted eGalley!* Pub date - Sep 19th, 2023

STARTER VILLAIN is just plain fun!

It featured an unlikely protagonist who just wanted to buy a bar, (even though he has no money), get out of the house his half siblings co-own, and just generally get out from under. Then a rich uncle dies and leaves him his supervillain business. And then he discovers his cat is his boss. From there on out we are taken on an hilarious ride, none of which I will spoil for you here.

With his sense of humor clearly sharpened and a sense of whimsy that is totally delightful, John Scalzi presents a tale of pure escapism and I loved it. Maybe you will too? (Especially if you love cats!)

Highly recommended!

*Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Tor for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!

Cats Rule! At least in the management world of the company that Charlie inherits from his uncle. This mysterious uncle has not been in his life since he was five years old. What comes next is pure fun to read especially if you happen to love cats. There is so much between the lines if you think about it as you are reading. I can't wait to read this again when it hits the shelves and I have a finished copy in hand with that fantastic cover!