Smile and Be a Villain is a fantasy retelling of Hamlet by Shakespeare, which I only had the exposure through a manga and the memory is thinning, yet I liked it. So, I didn't have that much information besides some character's roles before diving in. It feels like this is the 'prelude', primarily the reason why Hamlet is driven to madness, by incorporating dark magic trace element called Corruption.

There is something in the writing style that feels comfortable and familiar to me. Maybe the fact that this retelling uses OG character's names and the humor just hits the spot remind me of a very, very well-written fanfiction that I often revisit. I don't mean 'fanfiction' in a demeaning way, in fact, sometimes I choose to read fanfics over original fiction because of the familiarity and warmth they offer. This book is like a blend of those two--fanfic and orific, the beloved and authenticity, and that alone score high points for me.

The two point of views, Hamlet and Ophelia, are placed strategically, so you don't have to worry about not being able to distinguish them. Ophelia here is likable, delicate and strong at the same time, but Hamlet is the STAR. His part is really enjoyable and as he explores himself and the world, as he tries to make sense of what happens, the tone gradually changes from light and humorous to grim and bloody. I LOVE IT. I also find myself root for Ophelia more towards the end.

Hopefully the stakes are higher in book two.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a great retelling! Totally unique while also being faithful to the source material. I truly love when a retelling manages to feel original. I liked that it was a prequel rather than a straight retelling. The whole story was so much fun, I loved the writing, and the setting was gothic and atmospheric. I loved the characters and the queer rep added depth to them, I particularly love Ophelia. I can't wait for book 2!

A great and accessible retelling which will sit well with other retellings in the genre. Very likely to stock and recommend.

yesss give me more shakespeare retellings!!
i enjoyed this more than i thought i would and now i can’t wait for this authors next work

thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

Thanks to the author for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wished I loved this, but I was disappointed instead. I loved the queer representation within the main cast, but I struggled to feel invested in the characters themselves. The fantastical and speculative elements were quite ambiguous and intentionally so, but I didn't like that narrative choice. It is possible it will be repercussions in the sequel. The war between Denmark and Norway confused me. I didn't understand the motivation for a war, which could be a me-problem for not understanding the historical context. Although, I wish there was a little more explanation included in the narrative. The pacing was wonky at best. Acts one through three were quite rough, but it got better and interesting in acts four and five.

Overall, this was an okay book. I will read the sequel, The Rest is Silence, but I will reread the original play for better context. I hope a reread will help me to possibly better appreciate the creative liberties Yves Donlon was going for. Also, I appreciated the inclusion of content warnings already provided to me.

This was such a damn good time!

First of all, I LOVE Shakespeare (specifically Hamlet), so I went into this with high expectations. Knowing it would be a prequel and retelling of sorts, I appreciated the author's note and Donlon's attention to detail. This was a fun ride. The prose were absolutely gorgeous and so well-written at times that I forgot these weren't Shakespeare's own words. The worldbuilding was gothic and highly atmospheric, these iterations of Hamlet and Ophelia so honest, deeply flawed and relatable. Having queer representation was incredible and added depth to a cast of characters I have always yearned for.
What makes SABAV so intriguing is how well researched yet imaginative and original it is. It must have been a daunting task for Donlon to attempt to stay true to our favorite source material while also weaving in a new narrative. It's woven seamlessly, impressively so for a debut author. As a literature student, I was downright giddy throughout my reading experience because Hamlet is so straightforwardly doomed, but this retelling adds layers that left me gasping in surprise and admiration for its execution.
My only issue is that I feel it makes for a perfect standalone instead of the intended duology, but I recommend all the same.

What was rotten in the state of Denmark before the death of King Hamlet & the coronation of King Claudius? Corrupted magic & plots & betrayal.

There was a lot I liked! This was such an interesting! Historically grounded, but with a very interesting and elaborate magical system, a parallel magical world (which I desperately wish we could have gotten more of), & twists on well known characters! With the POV shifts between Ophelia & Hamlet, there’s a constant building dread as you know what’s coming.

I do wish the magic was explained more and the parallel world of Ophelia’s, because it feels like there’s a whole additional story happening there. But I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book 2, because I am really interested to see how things might change.

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing!
This retelling of Hamlet was much better than it had any business being, and I truly enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Kudos to a tight plot, great storytelling, and the diverse cast, giving representation to all kinds of communities!

I tried several times to read this over the course of like 5 months? I don’t think it’s bad. Maybe Hamlet isn’t really my thing.

I was surprised with how enthralled by the story and its characters I was. The relationships are well developed and the pacing ensured it didn't drag (with a small exception at the beginning).

This book was SO fantastic, I found myself rereading it twice. I think that anyone who loves the story of Hamlet will be absolutely delighted by this retelling, and will likely find themselves wishing for even more.

Throughout the book I found myself really interested in Hamlet's life, particularly as it was reimagined. The way that Hamlet acts and thinks doesn't stray too terribly far from Shakespeare's original writing, but it possesses this deep, subversive twist that makes it all the more impactful. This book was easily one of my most anticipated reads for all of 2024, and it's safe to say that it has totally satisfied that anticipation! I'm really looking forward to seeing what else this author writes, and I will definitely be sure to scoop up a print copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!
I know this is a stunning cover! Not only does the cover give major Hamlet vibes, but it is also so beautiful, literally perfect for a queer Hamlet retelling. And this is everything I wanted when I requested this book. It is a magical and sinister book with amazing characters while staying true to much of the original character's personality. And this is exactly how to do a retelling that keeps the characters very similar to what you would expect but expands on what is already there. This adds so much more background, especially on Ophelia, which I have wanted for so long. For such a classic character as Ophelia, it was amazing to see much more depth and history given to her character.

With a magical twist, Smile and Be a Villian was an intriguing prelude to Hamlet. First of all, I have to admit that I have never finished reading or seeing Hamlet, so I am unable to comment on the play's original meaning or the characters' development. Nevertheless, I found the historical fantasy to be enjoyable on its own. Even if you simply know the very minimum about the play, it's still a fun read, even though I'm sure knowing the original would enhance the experience. The chapters read quickly because of the effortless writing style, and I liked Hamlet and Ophelia as the primary characters. The magical ideas of corruption and sight guides intrigued me as well, and Donlon did a fantastic job of illustrating them as well as Ophelia's dismay and horror at what she sees. But rather than being seen, it seemed like we were constantly informed about how close Hamlet and Ophelia were. This may be partly due to the fact that the two spend most of the book in different locations. There were also occasionally problems with the dialogue, which alternated between being quite modern and Shakespearean. The latter, I'm guessing, were lines from the original play, but they felt so out of place because the rest of the dialogue was written in a different style. All in all, though, even for a Shakespeare newbie like me, this was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC Copy!! 4.5 Stars

I do not even know where to start with this book. The cover grabbed me and I was reading it completely blind with no idea what I was getting myself into. I am a big fan of retellings but this is my first Hamlet retelling and I loved it.

I have read Hamlet more than once but honestly I do not really remember it at all at this point so can not say it it is a true retelling or if it takes a lot of liberty's with the story, but what I can say is that I enjoyed every minute of it. It was dark and brutal at times and the world filled with magic, corruption, betrayal, and so much more kept me hooked right from the start.

There are some trigger warnings so definitely be aware of that going in, there is some body horror, animal death (not animal companion), and the brutality of the battle field, but it was all well done and there was no gratuitous violence, but instead everything that happened was really a part of moving the story forward and showing the true brutality of that time period.

This is a cute little Hamlet retelling prequel. It was fun to see the characters be expanded upon and see the characters act in a different scenario. Overall it was fun and cute. I would definitely recommend that you are familiar with Hamel before reading as it just sort of jumps into the story assuming you know all of the characters and the plot of Hamlet.

Smile and Be a Villain adds a new dimension to Hamlet in this queer, fantastical and quite spectacular reimaging of the classic tale.

I adored this fantastical reimagining of Hamlet – which is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I do not think I talk enough about just how much I love the Bard and seeing how his works continue to inspire and create dialogue with new stories. Donlon takes the beating heart of Hamlet and reframes it to focus on the bubbling threads of family, trauma and the weight of legacy. It is just exquisitely written. This is such a rich world with a fascinating magical system at play. The way the world is weaved is lush and imaginative & allows the story to go into some wickedly fun territory. There are layers of manipulation which, alongside the fantasy, allow for lines to be blurred further and add that surreality to a narrative steeped in psychological exploration already.

As the author’s note describes, choosing to set this book in a particular timeframe adds a new level of political tension and foreboding to the narrative. It also has this deep sense of pathos in seeing these versions of these characters, with our pre-established views of where their stories will go. You feel an overwhelming sense of inevitability, only for Donlon to trick and surprise you. After all, this is not the story you know. However, I did really enjoy the very meta thread about fate and the endless loop of stories - are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of our past or can we break the cycle?

Also, I have to shout out the fantastic characterisation here. In particular, I really loved Ophelia and Hamlet’s characters here. They had such a different and deeply fascinating take. Donlon adds these extra details that create a new and exciting image. I’m very excited to see where Donlon may take this in the sequel. The character of Fortinbras is given a lot more to play with here, as are Rosencrantz and Guildernstern. It’s extremely exciting to see how it might interact with the play’s events.

Smile and Be a Villain is absolutely fantastic and truly gives a new side to a very familiar tale.

Okay so I’ve been highly anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it and it was so good and honestly above and beyond my expectations. My original Hamlet experience was the classic reading it in a high school literature element (with the bonus element of watching the David Tennant version), and while I didn’t fully connect with it, I have always been a little obsessed with the potential of the elements in the story to go beyond what is strictly written in the text. Reading SABAV was like someone pulled that desire out of my brain and gave it life. This book is written with an intense knowledge and love of Hamlet while also giving space for it to be so much more than what I think people expect from reading Shakespeare. It’s delightful to see the references to the original (especially because this first book takes place before the events of the original play), and seeing what Donlon has done with the source content is so fun. The character tension is high in the best way and it’s so queer in a way that feels so right to the source text. I am not only recommending this book but begging you to read it so that I can have more people to talk about it with, and I am so unbelievably excited to see what happens in the next book!

One of the best things about Hamlet is that there’s drama right from the beginning, and SABAV keeps up the same idea while taking the storyline back to explore what happens before the events of the play we know so well. Things felt intense from the beginning and it made me want to absolutely fly through this book even when I didn’t have time to sit down and read. Hamlet and Ophelia’s family drama, the Denmark Norway situation, elements of magic and Corruption, the impending doom that you can’t help but feel about the characters? It’s amazing. And even though Hamlet is the kind of story where it feels like everyone is doomed no matter what, this book continues to succeed by making you want to read how it happens, and maybe even hope that this time things will turn out okay.

I will admit, the characters that I remember less about from reading Hamlet were a little bit harder to place immediately, but I think that’s more about my desire to understand everything immediately, and I wouldn’t say that you need to read the play in order to understand or enjoy SABAV. Hamlet and Ophelia are especially wonderful, with all the best characterization from the source while also giving them a new level of autonomy within this story that makes it all the more tragic. I also love how we get to see more of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as well as Fortinbras in this rendition, and while I say I might be prepared for the additional heartbreak of knowing more about characters, I am absolutely going to sob when I read the end of this duology.

In some ways, this is exactly the kind of book I’d love, and in some ways it’s a little bit outside of that. Nevertheless, I did love this book and am absolutely frothing at the mouth for the next one to come out! It’s so worth the read and I completely recommend it.

3.5* rounded up

Smile and Be a Villian was an interesting prequel to Hamlet with a fantasy twist.

First things first, I must confess I have never watched/ read Hamlet all the way through, so I can't comment on it in relation to the original play/ characterisation, but I did still enjoy it as a historical fantasy in its own right. Whilst I imagine knowing the original play will add to the experience, it's still an enjoyable read even when knowing only the bare minimum.

I found the writing style very easy-to-read (the pages seemed to fly by), and enjoyed Hamlet and Ophelia as our main characters. I also found the magical concepts of Corruption and Sight Guides interesting, and Donlon did a great job of depicting this and showing Ophelia's horror / disgust at what she can see.

However, it felt like we were told a lot about how close Hamlet and Ophelia were, rather than shown. This might be largely because the two are not actually in the same place for the majority of the book.

And I never got a good understanding of a lot of the secondary characters (such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), with their depictions not feeling particularly fleshed out.

There was also issues with the dialogue at times, sometimes being overly modern and then other times Shakespearan. I'm assuming the latter were quotes from the orignal play, but because none of the rest of the dialogue was written in this style, they felt very out-of-place.

Overall though, this was still a fun read, even for a Shakespeare novice like myself.

"I saw a world as dark as raging river," Solveig said softly. "I saw a girl crowned in flowers, floating in the water – a boy with a grinning skull for a face, and he was drenched in blood – I saw... I saw a gaveyard with rows upon rows of fresh graves, and yet more to be dug. And the air smelled like death and roses."
[...]
"Quod tuum est, meum est," the man said. What is yours is mine."

Now that was a wild ride. Shakespearean retelling of Hamlet, but with magic? And queers?? It will be either a grand surprise or even greater disaster.

As you see by my rating, Yves Donlon rather delivered. While in the beginning I had some doubts, later I became completely lost in the story of a young prince, on his path to damnation, and young mirror-being, on the path to her redemption. A story of S&BV is rather peculiar – it is not really a retelling. Donlon takes what Shakespeare gave and rearanges it to their own want. There is certain intelligence to that, with all the balancing between fantasy fiction and intelligent use of real history. Worldbuilding feels rather empty, and in this emptiness it takes the greatest strength – it enchants and snatches, deep into peculiarity and weirdness.

Because it is a weird book. My favourite title to give to the stories that I adored.

If Ophelia has a legion of fans, I am one of them.
If Ophelia has one fan, I am the one.
If Ophelia has zero fans, I am quite possibly dead.

I love the way her character is developed, this strenght inside her and the feeling of injustice, but without modern overview. It is not a slander of modern feminism, it is an appreciation that Donlon does keep to the setting they chosed. I would give my right hand to read more about the Otherwold, Corruption, the way Ophelia moves around the court, with this all-knowing manner and yet desperacy of her young age. Good food, indeed.

On the other hand there is Hamlet – Hamlet with which I struggled, I bored, I found interest and I misunderstood. Donlon's idea of approach to such iconic character is rather unexpected, but that is what I wanted. My relation with him is rather unsimple, which is great. It is not a figure I can take like or dislike from the very beginning, he hurts my head and that is why this story works. It is not simply a retelling, it is a rediscovery, it is originality in adaptation, it is something weird, fresh and charming.

I really, really liked that.