Chaotic and original story.

Many fantasy readers have dreamed of it, but for Rae, it's really happening. She takes the place of one of the main characters in her favourite book. The story has an intriguing beginning right away because of this.

However, the story is written a little too comically and too chaotically for my personal preference, especially when you are expecting an epic tale. The contrast between Rae's contemporary language and the rather medieval atmosphere of the story she finds herself in really bothered me. More towards the end you do get more used to it, but it remains an element that for me really takes me out of the story. That somewhere it also stems from the coping mechanism of the main character, I agree, but still... It also feels more like a children's book than an adult book. Furthermore, I also find it very difficult to keep my attention on the story while reading and be completely on board with everything. A story within a story is always a little harder to follow, but here the main plot just disappears regularly, making it harder to follow. It is also often unclear to me why certain things are happening, a lot could easily be scrapped in these 500 pages. It's just all chaos. Then add to that the fact that I don't really feel a connection with any of the characters, and you already understand why this book will not make my favourites list.

What I do really like about this story are the action scenes. They are numerous throughout the book and each time very engagingly written. It almost feels like you are tagging along for the fight. The smooth pen (even though the style used is not my thing) makes for a fluent reading experience. The fact of being a person from the real world, ending up in a book, is in itself also very cool I think. There are also a lot of strong female characters in this book, fortunately they are not all damsel in distress. Not only there are several great female characters, the Cobra is also one of my favourites in this story. The aspect of Rae and others being the bad guys, could have been played out a bit more for me. But at the same time, in this way it is shown that even in fairy tales there is not always a clear line between good and evil, that even the heroes have a dark side and the villains can be fully committed to something good. So does evil win in this story? For that you will have to read Long Live Evil yourself.

In addition to the ebook, I also read and listened to the audiobook. The narrator does a really good job of bringing all the different characters to life. However, I don't always find her clearly understandable. Even though she sounds very motivated, there are moments here and there where I find her narration style and intonation don't quite fit the story. Perhaps duet narration or full cast could add value to this audiobook. All in all however, it does make for a smooth listen.

I went into this not knowing anything about it. It’s definitely a unique read for me. The story revolves around two sisters who bond over their shared love for a book series, which was one of the most relatable aspects for me. From the onset, we learn that our main character, Rae, is dying of cancer. She's approached by a strange individual who offers her a chance to visit a fictional world from the book series she’s read. Now, her only chance at life hinges on finding a flower in this fictional world, or she risks never waking back up in her own body in the real world.

The premise was fascinating and reminds me of the transmigrated manhwa that I love. The story unfolds through multiple POVs, including our main protagonist Rae. I really loved Rae’s character throughout the book; her attitude and behaviors were very relatable, especially her bluntness and straightforwardness regarding her situation. She's the kind of character I most love reading about, one who tells it as it is and doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
While there wasn’t much romance involved, I did not mind it. I loved the inclusion of a sapphic relationship; it was charming and adorable. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the use of contemporary slang and terms from the real world in a fantasy setting. This was the one time I was not bothered by this, as the setting reminded me a lot of my favorite transmigrated manhwas where the main character travels back into the body of the villain of a novel and tries her hardest to change her fate.

I am pleasantly surprised that I loved this more at the end than I originally thought I would at the start. It’s a slow start, but hang in there. Give it a chance! I think I perferred this book better the second time listening to this audiobook vs reading it on my own. The narrator did a great job with the voicing of the characters and the production was amazing.

Thank you, NetGalley, Orbit Books and Hachette Audio, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️

It is a truth universally acknowledged that being villainous is way more fun. The concept of being dropped into a story and interacting with characters you’ve read about while embarking on a quest to change the trajectory of your life in the real world was incredibly intriguing. The vibes were definitely vibing and I thoroughly enjoyed how the entire cast was packed with deeply flawed, unlikable, morally gray characters. Not going to lie, the dialogue was a bit wacky with its modern references, awkward pickup lines and attempts at seduction, and a musical number… so just know, anything goes and it’s chaos, but also a fun time.

The world building was interesting as we get brief glimpses of this world, it’s characters, history, and politics sprinkled throughout the story - at the beginning of each chapter and as Rae encounters new characters from the book. Because there isn’t substantial world building at the beginning of the book, I felt like I was playing catch up trying to understand what was happening, why there was tension between the characters, and strife in the kingdom.

My main qualm was the length. This book is long (the audio was seventeen hours!) and there were so many characters, who were each contributing to and attempting to influence the plot. I think the story could have been more effective if it hadn’t tried to do all the things. I applaud the author for being so ambitious, but I frequently lost track of what was happening and characters having multiple names and personas didn’t help.

The audiobook was a good time and Moira Quirk never misses. Superb narration!

Overall, this was a good time and a bit wild, but the story needed a some polishing to help with the meandering, murky middle.

🗡️🐍😈Long Live Evil😈 🐍🗡️
“An antihero is just a villain with good PR.”
If you like:
⚔️Adult Fantasy
⚔️Found Family
⚔️Multi Worlds
⚔️Villain Centric
⚔️Morally Grey
⚔️Magic/Magical Items
⚔️🔪 to Throat
⚔️Camp Af
⚔️Multi POV
⚔️All The Chaos/Unhinged
⚔️LGBTQ+ Rep
⚔️Pop Culture References
⚔️Plenty of Cackling/Laugh out Loud Moments
⚔️Devious Shenanigans, Traitorous Lies, Schemes
⚔️Character Driven:
🩸Rae- “She’s a traitorous witch whose sins scream to the sky for the gods to strike her down.”
🩸Cobra-Flamboyant, Sneaky 🐍, “He’s a filthy, debouched, and irredeemable villain!” (Another fave)
🩸Key- Diabolical, Insane, Cut Throat (my fave)
🩸Marius - Broody, the golden boy/the last hope, only wants “justice”
🩸Emer- Perpetually Confused/Concerned Ladies Maid
🩸Lia-Damsel in Distress, Too Trusting
⚔️Banter
⚔️Poking Fun at Romantasy/Publishing
⚔️Book 1 of 3
⚔️Amazing Narration
Then you’ll fall in love with Long Live Evil just like me! I loved this book so much. It’s def going on my faves list. I ate the theme up. Anything villain centric is my bread and butter. Add a FMC with an illness, tired of their failing body & transported to another world. Sold! Spectacular! Give 14 of them! Bc that’s my constant day dream fighting with my dumpster fire of a body.
“I love you as a knife loves a throat. I crawled out of hell to fall at your feet.”
Narrators: Moira Quirk (does a phenomenal job with character distinction and breathing emotion into them)
Format: 🎧Audio
Time: 16hr 52min 1.2x
Listened on: NetGalley🎧
Pub Date for Audio: 8/27/24
“I did what I must to survive. Then I did many other things bc I thought they were funny and made me look cool.”
“Books often described kisses as ✨searing✨. Which made Rae think of salmon. But, characters seemed to enjoy the seared salmon kisses” I’m not gonna be able to think of the searing ones any other way now. Thanks Sarah!
#longliveevil #ALC #netgalley #sarahreesbrennan #vilianromance #fantasy

Thank you so much NetGalley, Sarah Rees Brennan, Orbit books, and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to this phenomenal ALC.

3.5/5 stars. This book was a lot of fun. Am I totally sure of what happened? No, not really. But sometimes the journey is better than the destination. This book was campy, meta, and at times a little cringy. I think there is a lot of potential to build upon the world that we have found ourselves in and I for one cannot wait to see what happens next.

I didn't like this as much as I'd hoped after reading the ARC, so when I saw the ALC available and narrated by my favorite narrator I decided to give it another try. Moira Quirk definitely helped improve how much I enjoyed it overall. The premise is interesting and fun, I didn't find myself thinking any of it was funNY though.

I still think it was too long, and though I usually like more than one POV, I felt the Marius POV was unnecessary and without it I'd probably feel the length was better. I was prepared not to read the second book until the ending, and now I think I'll definitely pick it up to see what happens next, because I see the potential for sure. I'm glad I gave it another shot. It wasn't what I was expecting, and maybe that's why I had a hard time getting into it.

3.5 rounded up after listening thank you Hachette audio for the ALC!

this was a slow start for me, but i was locked in by the third act.

the premise of this is so unique. rae is dying, but if she can enter the world of her favorite fantasy series and reach a magical flower on the one night it blooms, she can come back to her body, fully healed. she has to navigate this fictional world, but she already knows everything that’s going to happen. the meta commentary about fantasy tropes and fiction writing, alone, was enough for me to stick around. but soon, rae realizes she’s changing the story.

at first, i was stuck on one thing: if rae’s going to ultimately return to her body, i only care about if she succeeds, and not the trail of destruction she leaves behind her. rae felt the same way too. i guess it’s just a testament to sarah rees brennan’s writing because when rae finally realized that the characters felt real and that she cared about them, i realized i did too.

expectations started being subverted and tropes started turning on their heads and i realized i was so so wrong. i went into the third act biting my teeth. long live evil was so much more than i could’ve hoped for.

the commentary is witty, the plot writing is phenomenal, and you can tell through the pages that miss brennan has such a solid grasp on the fantasy genre. rae’s lived experiences with chronic pain and bitterness were so grounded and human. the “fictional” characters that first felt very shallow, like caricatures of their fantasy archetypes, turned out to be incredibly complex and dynamic. literally no notes.

the narrator moira quirk, was such a delight, too. maybe i just loved her soft voice. the voices she had for the characters were so good, it was easy to tell each one apart. she was great at conveying the dry humor of the narrative. she can whisper a story in my ear anytime.

i’m seated for the rest of the series. the bookstore employees are scared and begging me to leave because “it hasn’t even been written yet” but i’m simply too seated.

ty hachette audio and netgalley

I could not get into this book based on the content. The narrator did a good enough job, but this book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get behind the modern terminology the FMC used and the whole “I’m a villain and I’m evil!” montage was cringe. I believe the narrator worked with what they had.

Sigh....I had to dnf. The writing style was just not for me. I restarted the audiobook several times and I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book

*Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC Audiobook*

I was so interested and excited for the concept of this story- but the audiobook felt quite confusing. I did not even know it was multi POV for a while as I don't think it was ever indicated when switching POVs. The "Time of Iron" blurbs were also a bit unclear as to what exactly they were.

Because our main character knows this world pretty well already, as the reader we do not get to gradually learn with our character. Instead we kind of get info dumped. It doesn't necessarily feel bad/wrong- considering the circumstances, BUTTT as I received the audiobook of this- I struggled. To preface; 40% of my reads this year have been audio books and 100% of those have been sci-fi or fantasy- I am no stranger to audio book world building. I felt like I needed the physical book for Long Live Evil so I could go back and reference those info dump pages. Because I got confused so early on I felt quite disconnected throughout...

I love the concept, like the characters and the fact no one is really all good or all evil, enjoyed the writing style, and I could really tell Sarah Rees Brennan has dealt with cancer first hand with the depth and parallels shown throughout the story- it was really well done and interesting to see compared to a fantasy setting. The pacing felt pretty slow as well, but that could be due to the confusion I had with the audiobook.

Review specifically about the audiobook:

I recently listened to Dark Water Daughter and Black Tide Son and was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the narrators of those books, Moira Quirk, was narrating Long Live Evil. I think she is excellent at her job. She gives different voices to different characters, has excellent intonation, and is pleasant to listen to. I really have no negative comments on the audio production of this book.

Review of the book itself:

What did I just read? This was such an odd book, but it managed to pull it off.

The main idea is that Rae is young and dying of cancer but gets the chance to save herself by being transported into a fantasy book and completing a task while there. (Maybe it's just because of my ties to people dying of cancer, but this storyline produced a lot of tears. Especially while reading the acknowledgements, good god.)

The story is incredibly meta, which is sometimes very fun, witty, and hilarious, and other times comes across as cringe. Is this story beautifully and wonderfully written? Honestly, no I wouldn't say so. As I first started reading it my thoughts were "oh no, I'm going to hate this." Luckily, I thought that it got substantially better as the story progressed. I think it was a fantastic idea for a story, but could have maybe gone through some more rounds of edits to add more details. I know that some of the storyline is left out on purpose, but at times it felt like too much was left out that I felt like I didn't do the required reading and was missing important information.

All that being said, I think it's a fun time; I laughed a lot, I definitely cried, and I didn't see the ending coming at all. I kind of wish that this was a standalone and that we end the story here, but hopefully the sequel will prove me wrong.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly the narration was great. Surprised me at first the american accent for the girls but they are american so that made sense.

Honestly I loved this book. I devoured it. I was luckily enough to have the audiobook and ebook approved by netgalley and that is my preferred way to listen and read books at the same time. Only because that is how my brain processes it better.

The concept was unique and funny but also help a lot of heart and depth. It is a beautiful love letter to being a fan of fantasy series and a reader of the genre in general.

Loved my time in this world and I cannot wait to see what comes next, surely a sequel. Will be recommending to everyone on the internet and friends and family

Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 Stars

"The story wasn't real, but love made it matter."

Long Live Evil follows Rae, a young woman who is in the hospital dying of cancer. She is given a second chance at life when a mysterious woman comes to her and gives her the opportunity to go into her favorite book series to retrieve a flower that holds the power of life and death. She ends up in the body of the villainess who is destined to die the next day. Rae must fully embrace her villainy and assemble a band of minions in order to survive until the flower blooms. Absolute shenanigans ensue from there.

Long Live Evil was a rollercoaster of delightfully absurd hijinks that initially drew me in with the acerbic wit and sarcasm and wound up completely captivating me with the character explorations and endearingly dysfunctional found family.

"It was uncomfortable to consider how much heroism was based on point of view."

I thought this was a really fun take on the world within a book. The book series that Rae enters is setup to be a very classic good versus evil with the chosen one who ascends to become emperor and a damsel in distress who every male character falls in love with. However, the world that Rae enters is very different. I loved the exploration of storytelling craft, different writing conventions, and literary devices. Probably my favorite thing was how Rae came to have a deeper understanding of the story and the characters that she had previously dismissed as one-note type characters. One of my favorite thing about stories is how they resonate with everyone differently and how they can resonate with you differently depending on when and how you consume them, and I feel like this really captured that well.

I also just really, REALLY loved the characters.

"She believed he wasn't a monster. He lacked empathy, went into a dissociative state and killed people serially, that was all."

The sense of humor in this book was absolutely perfect for me. The characters are so irreverent and just fun to be around. I loved seeing the different characters interact with each other and the fact that they all felt so real. They all had different and distinct personalities, and I loved getting the perspectives of other characters. Key and the Cobra were two favorites, but I really ended up loving everyone.

"I did what I must to survive. Then I did many other things because I thought they would be funny, and make me look cool."

Even when things got dark, or deep, the character interactions made it feel like a lighthearted romp. And it does get dark and go deep. We look at how characters ended up the way they do, and Rae starts to process some of her trauma and anger surrounding her illness and lack of agency in her real life. I felt like this was extremely well done and commend the author for putting so much of her own story into those pages.

This was definitely a character driven story, and the plot was absolutely unhinged in the best way. It did bring me to tears at several points. And the ENDING. Oh my word, the ending absolutely sent me. I need the next book immediately, and this one isn't even released yet!

I also received an audiobook copy of this for review, and I have to say that Moira Quirk did a fantastic job with the narration. She really brought the story to life and delivered on the comedic timing. Highly recommend the audio if that is your thing.

Overall, this is easily a favorite book of the year, and I will definitely be picking up Brennan's backlist. I cannot wait to see what happens next and will really enjoy rereading this!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an early copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Quotes are taken from the eARC and thus subject to change - they will be verified with the finished copy. Long Live Evil releases on August 27, 2024.

This story is a case of "I really wanted to love this book and it seems like it's made for me". So after having finished and reviewed the ebook with three stars, I wanted to try again when I got the chance to get to ALC (audiobook) as well.

I regret to inform that my rating hasn't changed. You can look up the full review on a previous post.

So this is my chance to give a good review on the audiobook, which I will gladly do.
I loved the production and narration of this one. Moira Quirk is also the narrator of Gideon the Ninth, and her voice is just perfect for these kinds of stories. At times she made me feel as if I was in a 'proper' high fantasy book, until the irony and sarcasm and .... I'm sorry I can't resist ... quirk hits. I was very amused by the way she led us through this highly unique story.

For the audiobook alone I would give all the stars, however I'm rating on the story,

3/5 stars

Thank you so much @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for the eARC!

#LongLiveEvil #MoiraQuirk #Netgalley #Bookstagram

I am so hyped after finishing this book! It is pure chaos, but in the absolute best way. I believe Brennan’s general goal for the plot was “misdirection” because - much like The Golden Cobra - she loves to give us the ol’ razzle dazzle while preparing to hit us with the twist she was hiding behind her back. It’s fantastic! It kept me on my toes at all times because literally every character is a wildcard. I’m not even sure you can call any of them side characters because everyone is important. I loved the multiple POVs, and the snippets from the “original book” at the beginning of each chapter. Both gave really good insight into each character. This book also took “morally grey” to a whole new level while showcasing how life is not simply black and white. Everyone has at least some villain in them, and everyone is the villain in someone else’s story. Seriously, total CHAOS and I am here for it! Moira Quirk does a great job capturing everyone’s individual tone and bringing the silly, insane vibes to life. I cannot wait for book 2!

Okay, so I loved this, even though it wasn't perfect, and I kind of want to bump my 4.5 stars up to five. I feel like it might be one of those cases where after I read future books and re-read this one, it will be a full five. I want to get a physical copy and annotate! There are a LOT of people who are not getting what this is going for, which is fine if sad. But it's important to go in knowing it's not just a campy, fun time. I think this book is a smart, fun send-up of fantasy as a genre with actual pathos behind it. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters once the author really gets a chance to do things with them.

Moira Quirk does a fun job with the audio as always.

[4.5 stars]

What happens when the beloved classic fairytale type story gets twisted and turned until you’re rooting for the villains and side characters rather than the hero? Long Live Evil sweeps in with its wickedly delightful ways to shift even the best reader’s moral compass slowly towards morally grey before taking a steep turn towards full on villainy. I am 1000% the target audience for this book, and I loved every minute of it including how meta it is with dropping someone from the ‘real world’ into a story. The characters are a huge selling point for this book. You’re going to have instant favorites that will keep you in a chokehold to see how their story turns out. Cobra and Key had me hooked from the first moment they graced the page with their presence. I also loved watching Rae develop as she progressed and understood the story’s rules. However, I would recommend checking trigger warnings as Rae’s cancer is a prominent part of the story especially at the beginning. Brennan did well with the world building and setting the scene for readers. I also felt that Brennen did well with the overall plot pacing and dropping some major mind-blowing plot twists on readers. The ending will leave you sitting in absolute stunned silence or like me you’ll flip back to make sure what you read is really what you read. I combo read this as an ebook and audiobook; however, I gravitated more strongly towards the audiobook due to Moira Quirk’s excellent narration. Quirk fully understood the assignment and seemed to truly have fun with this over the top delight of a book. Quirk’s narration was easy to follow with the changing viewpoints and made the characters easy to distinguish. I can’t recommend this book and audiobook enough if you feel like this might be even the slightest bit in your wheelhouse.

This audiobook edition is a truly wonderful way to experience Brennan's incredibly unique take on a high fantasy story. The narrator of this audiobook effortlessly brings each of the characters alive with their own very unique voices.

Long Live Evil is a cheeky book where it asks the reader what they would do if they were suddenly transported into their favourite fantasy world and then it says "but what if you were a villain?" I loved our protag and her scheming but also her unflinching joie de vivre. She is surrounded by a vivid cast of characters who only enhance the reading experience.

This book is a real treat and I am so excited for more people to experience it.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan is a thrilling and refreshingly unique take on the classic tale of good versus evil. From the moment I began reading, I was captivated by Brennan's clever storytelling and the richly developed world she created.

One of the standout features of Long Live Evil is Brennan's masterful character development. Each character, whether hero or villain, is multi-dimensional and well-crafted. Their interactions and evolving relationships add depth to the story, making it impossible not to be drawn into their struggles and triumphs.

Brennan's writing style is both engaging and evocative, bringing to life a world where magic and intrigue coexist. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I eagerly turned each page. The unexpected plot developments and the clever blending of dark and light themes make the narrative both compelling and thought-provoking.

What I particularly enjoyed is the exploration of the nature of good and evil. Brennan challenges conventional notions, presenting a narrative where characters' motivations and actions are not always black and white. This nuanced approach adds a layer of complexity that makes the story all the more intriguing.

The world-building in Long Live Evil is exceptional. Brennan creates a vivid and immersive setting, filled with unique magical elements and a richly detailed history. This attention to detail enhances the reading experience, making the world feel both expansive and lived-in.

Overall, Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan is a captivating and imaginative read that will appeal to fans of fantasy and morally complex stories. Its well-crafted characters, fast-paced plot, and thought-provoking themes make it a standout novel in its genre. If you're looking for a book that challenges your perceptions and keeps you hooked from start to finish, Long Live Evil is a must-read.

Oh my gosh this book is like nothing I've ever read before in the best way. I don't have the words to express how much I loved this story. Sarah Rees Brennan understands the bones of stories and what makes them effective in and out and she uses that knowledge to subvert our expectations and tell a fresh story. This is a love letter to readers/lovers of villains and anti-heroes. The characters who would normally be side-characters in another story are front and center here, getting the attention they deserve from the narrative and I am so here for it! Similar to the Wicked musical, this book made me think about what makes a villain and what makes society deem someone a villain. The discussions about how this is intertwined with femininity/sexuality were fascinating but never felt preachy because they were effortlessly intertwined into the story. I'm a mess in the wake of reading this book in the best way. It was the perfect combination of hilarious and heartfelt. The narrator's different accents for all the characters really added to the richness of the world and helped me feel like I was being swept away into a fairytale world. I felt so many things and I need book 2 ASAP!