3.5 stars, rounded up
——————

A story within a story with a villain MC? Sign me up!

Long Live Evil is an “all vibes” kind of book. It’s fun and witty, the plot is interesting. I liked the insertion of modern terminology into a world it has no place in. The concept of telling the story from the villians POV (who maybe isn’t really a villain at all) was certainly a fun take on fantasy. It just lacked in proper character and world building. It didn't feel "polished."

The book is a world building info dump. There are so many unique rules and magic, but I lacked the ability to fully grasp it between POVs. You get a lot all at once at times, making it pretty overwhelming to grasp. Once I got the gist, I found myself enjoying the book. I would have loved to see Rae stumble around the world, learning as she goes alongside the reader, though. I would have made the book more enjoyable for me.

There are so many characters to this book, but it was mostly easy to distinguish them. The narrator did an amazing job in making the characters voices unique and they fit them so well. There is certainly growth, they just lacked some depth to me. I was not aware going in that this was multiple POV, so I really lacked the ability to appreciate the book from the villains perspective because you have two other perspectives competing for attention. They felt like devices to introduce the world to the reader more than they felt like necessary. I understand what Brennan was trying to do with them, it just didn’t work for me personally.

I liked this one enough to look out for the sequel, but I wouldn’t be in a rush to do it.

Not only was this book fantastic, very campy & unique concept but this was such a fun audio read. Side note: this is the way you incorporate modern language into a fantasy world (with the concept it just made sense). Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Long Live Evil had a cool premise. Main character Rae is going through a lot after getting ill (cancer) and at the face of death she gets an unbelievable opportunity. Enter the magical world of a book series (Time of Iron) in search for the Flower of Life and Death and she will get another chance to live. The twist is as soon as she wakes up into the story she is in the body of the villain Lady Rahela, who is also the heroine’s stepsister. She might have some advantages having read most of the story due to her sister that lets her get out of some tight spots. She then gathers group of other villainous characters to help her with this quest.

The story had good humor, specially when Rae would let slip real world modern words and phrases. I read this in audiobook format so I liked the different accents the narrator gave certain characters. Specially Key, he sounds like Jason Statham to me even in the narrator’s female voice he was one of my favorite characters. It had some slow moments mid story which sadly made me feel a bit bored at times and not be as invested in the story line. It is certainly a character driven story but it did have nice fantasy world elements with the good versus evil trope and how we see the "villains" perspectives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Machete Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC and share my honest review.

Long Live Evil reads like one of those mangas where the main character ends up dying and transported magically into their favorite novel. And to be truthful, I think this story is better fit for a manga than a long form novel. The premise intrigued me and I enjoyed parts of the story, but the clunky writing got in the way of full enjoyment. There was a lot of telling and not showing, internal dialogue overkill, and over-explaining things throughout the book. This took me out of the story so many times, only for me to discover we were still in the same scene and still in the character's head. The snark throughout the story was enjoyable at first, but then it became obnoxious as the book went on; it's definitely an acquired taste and won't be for everyone. I feel like the beginning was a tad confusing, the middle just had too much going on, and the ending scenes felt rushed. At 17 hours, this book was much too long for the story it was trying to convey, so I think it needed another round of developmental edits. That said, I did enjoy the audiobook format and that is all due to the narrator- she was excellent at switching accents within the same chapter, including multi-character dialogue. I fully believed she saved this story from being a 2 star review. Many thanks to Hatchette Audio & Orbit books for this advanced review copy.

It's not a secret that I adore me a villain so when this book first got announced I was SOOOO excited to get my hands on it! The book was really good! It's a book I can see myself needing to re-read before book 2 comes out since its a pretty big chonk of a book and some information 100% went over my head on my initial read. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, it was very entertaining! I will say the book did feel a bit too long at some points but I think that's just me being biased for short books lol.

Honestly tho it's a really fun concept for a series and I know this book will fly off the shelves!!

Thank you so much to Hachette for the opportunity to listen to Long Live Evil as an ALC! I adore Moira Quirk as a narrator and have heard nothing but good things about Sarah Rees Brennan, so I was very excited to get access to this title.

Long Live Evil is essentially the story of a girl who leaves the "real world" behind for the fictional world of her younger sister's favorite novel. I thought this was such a fun an interesting concept, and there were a lot of things I really enjoyed about this- every reader has wanted the chance to live inside their favorite book! I think this particular story would have been better absorbed had I physically read this one, rather than listen to the audiobook- I found myself confusing characters from time to time. Although Moira Quirk is a goddess among women when it comes to audiobook narration, I felt so thrown off by the FMC having a southern accent. Probably just a personal preference, but something about this really threw me off! Otherwise, her narration was as captivating as ever.

Even if I had physically read this book rather than listen to it, I think I would still have settled on a 3 star rating. I did enjoy a lot of elements of this book, but some of the pacing and characterization fell flat for me. If the premise of this story sounds like something you might be interested in, I definitely think it's worth a shot! Long Live Evil is out on August 27th, and I'm looking forward to seeing it out in the world!

What a fun and morally grey book! Long Live Evil by Sarah Reese Brennan was an entertaining story full of villains being villains. I really liked how few characters were good. Most characters were a unique shade of grey and it lead to some interesting situations. I know this book is supposed to be epic fantasy but it honestly feels more like a cozy fantasy. The pacing is somewhat slow but the deep character development and interactions keep things moving. It has a lot of campy vibes that lead to a lot of laughs. Even though the stakes are high, the casual atmosphere takes a lot of the tension out of it. But I'm a fan of cozy reads so it really worked for me. The audiobook narration was really well done. The narrator did a great job at having so many distinct voices for so many different characters.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

When I started reading this book I found something that I did not expect. The beginning is a little too on the nose for my taste, and the modern references are sometimes too much, but besides that, it is a wonderful concept, executed in a fun and entertaining way. It does not take itself too seriously, but it touches on some important topics in a fresh way. It also deconstructs the tropes of fantasy as we know it, so that little by little the safety in the formula of the genre comes apart, and on the other hand the formula is kept safe and sound, because what shoud happen, actually happens, it's just that we are on the opposite end of the spectrum this time.
the only reason it is not four stars is because it's too "quirky" at times, and that pulled me out of the story.

DNF - it had an interesting start but the dialogue was cheesy and I didn’t find myself enjoying the main characters

⭐️⭐️💫
I can see what the author was trying to do with this novel, a quirky and campy fantasy. But, it was just so incredibly cringey.
I enjoyed the narrator, Moira Quirk, a lot and think she did a really good job bringing the characters to life. Unfortunately, I just didn’t like our FMC, Rae. She felt over the top with wanting to be the villain and the abundance of cringey behavior and language.
I usually love the fantasies where a person from our world/reality gets placed in a fantasy world but Rae’s incessant usage of slang terms and things that a fantasy world clearly wouldn’t have, it wasn’t cute or silly, it was overdone and ended up being really annoying and taking away from the story.
This book just missed the mark for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

What even was this book? I still don't quite know, but I know that after all was said and done, I enjoyed it. This was a story in a story where the main character wakes up as a character in a series that she and her sister enjoy. Rae must decide how to survive thrust into a fantasy novel and quickly determines that leaning into the side of "evil" is the only way to accomplish her goal. She teams up with "secondary" characters to create her Den of Vipers. Rae finds another misfit from the real world during her schemes and they team up to try and save her "real" self.
This story was an interesting look at how a person's choices can impact not only their own trajectory, but also the people around them. Rae finds that small changes (and big changes) can have a huge impact on the story she knows and leads to some huge revelations at the end that I did not see coming. (Like for real though - I spent the last third of the book trying to figure out how Brennan was going to resolve this (but also knowing that this is not a standalone and there are more books coming in the Time of Iron series) and I didn't even come close to figuring out the ending!)
This book was a masterclass in character development, both the "original" characters and the "story" characters. Some are completely unique and some are more archetypes of characters, but each changed and evolved in ways that supported the plot and made me want to know more about them.
I had an audio ARC and I really enjoyed the narration of this novel. The narrator created many voices for the different characters and it really helped to make the characters shine.

I will admit with my whole chest that I picked this book up solely because Moira Quirk narrates the audiobook. And she delivers a fantastic performance.

The book itself, however, was not that great. It was essentially a Japanese isekai light novel (reincarnated into another world with either a super power or very detailed insight into the way things work) but with western wordiness. It didn’t need to be nearly as long as it was, and most of the interactions are shockingly surface level. Rae doesn’t have any apparent attachment to the life she left behind (beyond “dying of cancer would be absolutely horrible” - which is true but doesn’t necessarily give us a real sense of what she’s fighting for) and a good portion of the plot seems to focus on the Cobra and Marius (which is understandable since they have 1. actual chemistry and 2. a more interesting storyline).

We didn’t understand the politics or situation of the larger world (beyond “Rae knows how the book goes so obviously none of the intricacies actually matter”). The best scenes are, quite frankly, when the horrible undead creatures start feasting on unsuspecting or underprepared nobles.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

If you like fantasy reincarnation stories with hilarious characters and subversive tropes, this book is for you!!

First of all, I want to praise the narrator - Moira Quirk. Long Live Evil has 3 different POV characters, but she made it very easy to feel how these characters differ just by her intonation. Also her delivery of some of the lines made me laugh out loud during my daily walks - so thank you for the slight public humiliation (just kidding!).

I have read a couple of isekai stories, but this is the first one that uses tropes in such enjoyable way. Loved that the MC Rae doesn't even try to adapt to the new world - yes, she plays a character assigned to her, but she immediatly seperates herself from the 'made-up people' of that world. And the other characters are so well developed! Yes, they represent the usual fantasy tropes, but the author really puts a spin on them.

The big reveal didn't surprise me, but it left me intrigued how the story will continue. So please dear author-give me the sequel!

*Long Live Evil* by Sarah Rees Brennan had all the makings of a great read—an absolutely stunning cover, an intriguing blurb, and promotional materials that really grabbed my attention. I was so excited to dive into it, expecting a thrilling story to match the hype.

But unfortunately, the book ended up being a huge disappointment. The story itself was boring, and the storytelling just didn’t pull me in. It felt like it had so much potential, but the execution fell flat. I kept waiting for the plot to pick up or for something to really grab me, but it never happened.

And as for the audiobook, it was a real letdown. When you have one narrator trying to voice dozens of characters, you need to deliver something special to keep listeners engaged. Sadly, that just didn’t happen here. The narration didn’t live up to the challenge, which only added to my frustration with the story.

Long Live Evil and long live Sarah Rees Brennan! Five friggen stars for this story!

This was my first read from Sarah and it was so different than any other fantasy romance I've read before. The concept of having the FMC dive into the world of a popular book was original and very meta. I enjoyed the way the author weaved the "story" version of events with Rae's reality and how Rae fell naturally into the role of villain while still being true to herself. At around 8% into the book I was already shipping her with a particular character and found myself screaming later in the book. It's been a while since I had such a reaction to a read. I couldn't put it down! There is a cliffhanger at the end so prepare yourself now. I'm literally counting down the days until book two.

At times I found the audio challenging to follow. Being book one in the series there was lots of world building and many moving parts. At times I lost track between Rae's reality in the book world and the actually passages from the story. That said, narrator Moira Quirk did an AMAZING job of bringing the author's world to life. I would be willing to check out book two on audio as well.

There are some elements that may be sensitive for readers, so I recommend checking content warnings before diving in.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Sarah Rees Brennan for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

After a slightly slow start I really ended up loving this book. It is an absolute blast but it also has a lot of really emotional weight to it. Rae is funny and strong. I loved all of the other characters too. The idea of ending up in your favorite story isn't new but it was executed in a very different way here. And that ending!!! I can't wait to see where this story goes.

I first read this as an e-book. When I saw the audiobook was going to be narrated by Moira Quirk I immediately requested the ALC also. I can't say enough good things about Moira Quirk's narration. She is one of the best out there and really made this book sing. I recommend the book in general but HIGHLY recommend the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Long Live Evil follows Rae, who is dying of cancer. One day, she makes a magical bargain and finds herself in her favorite fantastical world, but with a twist–she is not the hero, but the villainess. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was a lot of fun and made me laugh. I have always loved a good villain story, and I especially enjoyed the unique twist in this one. The audiobook was also amazing to listen to. I liked the narrator from her previous works, and she did an excellent job portraying the characters. I loved this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series. I highly recommend the audiobook. Thanks to the Netgalley and the publisher for the audio arc.

I found the starting of the book to be unique. I'm sure other stories have told this before, but this was my first time seeing someone enter into a book series they loved and have to become one of the characters of the story. I loved the idea of getting to interact with your favorite book characters and see what you might try to change knowing the future. Though the other does a great job of adding in a butterfly effect to the story. You can't change things without ruining something else. I couldn't wait to see where the story went next. I love that the main character was stuck in a villain's body. though some of the dialogue given to the main character is a little cringe and a bit too repetitive. Overall though I can't wait to read the next book in this series

Stars: 4.5 rounded up

This book is a bit of a wild ride, and I am here for it. A terminally ill young woman is given a chance to save herself by going into one of her favorite fantasy book series where she ends up as a villain.

Book was a bit slow-paced in the beginning, but the pace picked up and I found myself excited to pick it up each and every time. The book was surprisingly heartwarming, love a villainous found family, and I enjoyed the surprise twists and turns.

This book appears to be pretty polarizing, and it seems most folks will know pretty quickly if they will love it or not. Personally, I loved it. Definitely a few cringe moments, but for the most part I felt like they were very intentional and made sense considering the story.

The narrator, Moira Quirk, does an excellent job portraying each of the characters.

Note: book ends on a cliffhanger and there is no spice. I am incredibly curious to see what happens with these characters in the next book.

Thank you to Sarah Rees Brennan, Hachette Audio | Orbit, and to NetGalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I'm not sure how to feel about this story honestly. There were parts of it that I really enjoyed (all of Rae's smart scheming, and Marius pledging his allegiance to Erik) and parts I abhorred (the musical number Rae and Erik did in the ballroom??? some of the language that was used??) I don't know what to rate this book because I wouldn't call it a 4 but like a 3.75. I rounded up to four obviously though.

What makes me really upset is that, at one point, I was only listening to the audiobook for one person (Rae is great and all but sometimes she was also a bit annoying. I didn't like how she saw all of them as characters and not actual people even though she was talking to them and had interactions with them that were wholly unique and not following the story plot she knew), and that person was Key. I thought he was incredible. He had a great backstory and was tough and murderous with his complete and utter devotion to Rae. When they kissed I was so happy because I really, really, (desperately honestly) wanted them to be together and have a happy ending. I don't think I realized this book was going to be part of a trilogy until it was too late. Key had such odd plot armor that even though Rae knew he was destined to die, I didn't believe it. So when he was actually "killed" in front of her I WAS DEVASTATED. I was so sure that Key actually played a bigger role in the novel and so I was torn up when he died. When it was revealed that he hadn't died though and was the true Emperor I was astounded by how right I had been. Now I'm just worried that it's only going to end badly for Rae and Key because Key believes Rae betrayed him in the end. I will be on the look out for the sequels but I'm not sure if I'd buy the story myself just yet (despite how much I just praised Key lol).