Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Rae is 20 years old and dying of cancer, when a strange woman shows up in her hospital room and offers her the chance to go to the fictional land of her favourite fantasy series where she will have the chance to cure herself she doesn’t see a downside. Upon waking she discovers she is in the body of Lady Rahela, The Lady Dipped in Blood, the heroines evil stepsister, on the eve of her execution, well that’s going to make things interesting…

Moira Quirk is an utter dream of a narrator, I had previously fallen in love with her portrayal of Gideon the Ninth so I was delighted when I realised she was reading this gem of a book. The characters were all easily distinguishable from each other and she added heart and humour to the narrative.

Long Live Evil is such a fabulous story, I have had a book hangover all day over the conclusion, and can’t believe I’m going to have to wait for however long it takes to write the next one in the series before I get to dive back in. I will be re-listening as often as possible, that's for sure. The characters are complex, flawed, broken and believable, the fantasy world makes sense, the narrative was brilliant, the plot twisted perfectly, I was laughing out loud at times, gasping in shock at others, and even shedding a tear or two on occasion.

Final thoughts: I am so in love with this book! A fantastic take on the fantasy portal genre, told with both depth and humour.

Who would enjoy this: Fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy stories that poke fun at the damsel in distress trope.

This was such a wild journey and I really loved the story it was weird and wacky and just what I like! I love Sarah Ress Brennan so knew it would be my vibe. The characters were interesting and I never knew what was going to happen next. Only one star off because the narrator was not my favorite and kept doing some weird accent that took me out of the story. I think I’ll have to reread this as a physical book! But will be adding to our library for sure.

I am just going to say it, I loved Long Live Evil! I was lucky enough to get the audiobook and it was so well done! I really enjoyed listening to this. I cannot believe that this is Sarah Rees Brennan’s debut novel. We follow Rae who in the real world is dying of cancer but one day she is given a second chance. All she has to do is transport into a fantasy world of a series her and her sister read and find a flower. Easy right? Wrong. She wakes up and learned that in this story she is a villain, a villain about to be executed. Now I may be biased because I am a sucker for a villain but I loved Rae. The characters, plot, and premise made for a very enjoyable listen. The problem with reading something before it is released is you have to wait longer for the next one. I absolutely recommend picking this up.

I truly loved the premise of this book, especially with the FMC fighting terminal cancer. Before she was sucked into this book world, I thought Rae & her story would be one of my favorites of the month. Then, she went into the other world. In my mind, Rae becoming the evil step-sister & living through the story was poorly executed. I tried to enjoy the book, but ultimately I chose to DNF at the 15% mark.

୨⎯ 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
rating: 3.75
plot: 3.75
characters: 3
writing: 4
romance: 3
spice: 0
narration: 4

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ what to expect
morally grey
unhinged chaos
villain centered
found family
immersion
banter
cancer rep

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

°•*⁀➷ the plot
being transformed into your favorite book series sounds like the best thing ever until you realize you’re the villain!

rae is bedridden with cancer, having her sister read Time of Iron to her since her memory has become fuzzy. a mysterious woman shows up asking if she’d like a chance to survive, she just had to play the part and get the flower of life before times up!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the characters
𝜗𝜚 rae: she’s a relatable character right off the bat, i really enjoyed her personality and her way of problem
solving while in the book.

𝜗𝜚 key: he was unhinged and diabolically cut throat. but so damn loyal and i had a feeling about his character despite what rae kept assuming. i’m curious where his role will go from that shocking ending.

𝜗𝜚 cobra: he’s a fun flamboyant character, i enjoyed getting to see him become good friends with Rae and the way he was so determined to help certain characters to whatever end. the way he was shocked to hear he was a villain is still my favorite of his.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the writing
for the most part it was enjoyable and easy to follow, but a lot of the twists and surprises were not as shocking as i hoped but didn’t mean i had less emotions toward them.

despite the characters being villains, they honestly didn’t seem like the bad guys… like e

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the romance
i was rooting for a certain couple that didn’t even happen or at least not til that final chapter… it’s infuriating but still hopeful as this is a series.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ the narration
the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life, it was read so smoothly!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

°•*⁀➷ in conclusion,
i liked this book a lot and had a lot of fun reading it, i really hope the sequel is just as good and immersive.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

ᯓ ᡣ𐭩 do i recommend? — yess!!!

thank you netgalley for the early copy!

Honestly, the synopsis of this book made for an interesting and intriguing take on fantasy, but in the end, it ultimately misled. Book hyped up major villainy and evil doings, but it didn’t do much villainy. The main character was one note and she kept falling over her big boobs. In the end, the plot seemed like a bunch of different books merged into one that didn’t really turn out well

Thank you, NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Orbit books for this advanced audiobook. I was having a hard time getting into this story reading it, but when I switched to the audiobook, I couldn't put it down! This book is a fun fantasy novel about being about to step into your favorite book. Rae makes a magical bargain to step into her favorite novel and when she wakes up, she's in a castle and all the characters in the kingdom surround her, and she must find a way to get out of them killing her. Also, as she finds out, she's not the heroine of the novel, she is the villainess, and SHE'S LOVING IT!! She bands together a merry group of villains to do her dastardly deeds and try to change her fate. This book was a riot and so much more fun as an audiobook.

Honestly, I was getting lost trying to read this via audio and fear I will have to revisit it when I can read it with my eyeballs. What I did listen to and comprehend was immensely promising and I'm very curious to see how this author executes this idea!

The narrator did such a fantastic job. I didn't want to step away from the story at all. I really enjoy how she embodied all the characters and brought them to live. Phenomenal performance!

Long Live Evil seems to be one of those books that people either love or DNF. I take that to mean you will know early on whether it is the book for you. I finished. I loved it. I found it immediately engaging and interesting.
Rae has terminal cancer, and her time has run out. She is presented with a quest to the world in her favorite books, of which she cannot remember entirely due to her main interest in the action sequences and her memory issues, a result of her treatment. She emerges into the story as the villain on the eve of her execution, not at all dissimilar to her real life persona. What she does will change the story for everyone.
This is a book written by a cancer survivor, and that deep fear, desperation, and willingness to fight despite the odds is palpable as our villainess fights her way through her quest toward her goal.
Rae does suffer from being the protagonist that can't see what's right in front of her, and that can be frustrating. There is a point almost 70% through that dragged, and there's quite a lot of telling instead of showing. But the characters. I loved Key. His character was wickedly fantastic through and through. And the Golden Cobra! Fabulous.
I think this book would be great for fans of the type of humor found within Assistant to the Villain. I laughed out loud inappropriately multiple times.
I didn't see any other reviews mentioning this, so just know there is zero spice here.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Moira Quirk was perfect. Not a single character in this diverse cast sounded alike, and her narrative voice was lovely. It was a joy to listen to.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio - Orbit for this delightful ARC!

Long Live Evil is a captivating and delightfully campy read that offers a fresh twist on the fantasy genre. When Rae's life falls apart, she clings to her love of books for solace. Through a magical bargain, she is granted a second chance and finds herself transported into the world of her favorite fantasy series.

She awakens in a castle, in a kingdom on the verge of war—Rae soon discovers she is cast not as the heroine, but as the villainess in his story.

Embracing her new role, Rae takes command of the story's villains, aiming to alter their fates and defy the anticipated tragic endings. As Rae and her unconventional allies plot their survival, the stakes escalate with increasing violence and the Emperor’s growing fury.

Long Live Evil is an engaging, blending humor, adventure, and a touch of the theatrical.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance listening copy

THAT ENDING????? WHAT???

I loved this book so much.

"I crawled out of hell to fall at your feet"

UM BRO?

Okay but in all seriousness if you love enemies to lovers, morally gray characters, complex story lines, and endings you can't expect, this is the perfect story. I need the second book like right now?

The bi panic you will feel reading this is strong.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Rees Brennan and Hachette Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

Why did I not notice that this was a series BEFORE I listened to the audio? Ugh! I’ve been trying to stay away from series lately because I have too many going at the moment, but let’s just add the Time of Iron series to that list!

Leigh Bardugo backed it, so I definitely needed to read it!

Hear me out. This book was a hot mess express, especially for the length of it. The prose was average, at best. The characters were weak & lacked depth. The story was confusing at times.

Sounds like I hated it, right?

You’d be wrong if you said yes! This was one of those books that is so bad, it was good. There was never a dull moment. It was chaotic & fun. A trainwreck that I couldn’t look away from. The twist & ending were fantastic & I’ve already mentally signed up for the next two in the trilogy.

Overall, the absurdity & the badness of this one is what made me enjoy it. I didn’t have to exert heavy brain power to follow it. It was like a palate cleanser after too many thrillers that overworked my brain.

Quirky characters stuck in a fantasy series upon death? What’s not to like?

I absolutely LOVE Moira Quirk’s narration, so of course I had to request the audio arc. She slayed with the different voices and characters and the absurd situations that they found themselves in. I actually thought about DNFing this, but Moira Quirk pulled me though.

Sadly though, I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. It felt like the author wasn’t sure whether she wanted this to have a serious tone or a lighthearted one. In one scene, there would be a serious conversation between characters, and in the next, it was off the wall weirdness (which I liked). I think if she kept the tone lighthearted (maybe not start the book with the main character’s death?), then I’d give this a much higher rating.

I was also very confused until halfway through the novel. There were too many characters with too many backstories that might or might not involve each other.

There wasn’t really a cohesive plot, so the author kept going on tangents with each character’s POV, whether I cared about said character or not.

I did really love the quirkiness and weirdness when it came to the characters and their situations, especially with the characters from the “real world” interacting with the fantasy story characters. One character from the story didn’t understand why another “real world” character was in love with “Netflix,” since they’re now in a medieval type fantasy world with no tech. It’s stupid shit like that that made me laugh.

I just wish the POV changes weren’t all over the place and that there was an actual overarching plotline to make me care about the book. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up the next book. While I liked some of the characters, I didn’t really feel drawn to the worldbuilding or the lack of plot.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this arc.

I love villain and I love Sarah Brennan. So, I think it’s a win win. I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t expect it. Of course I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to enjoy this much!
I’m the girl who always fall for the villain, so this book feels like it would written especially for me. I’m the main character, come on!
The rhythm is so intense, this whole book is intense, I’m just so happy to have read it! Really hope for book two! Can’t wait, literary.
Sarah Brennan is back, babies!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

...................I both loved this book and completely despised it.

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan is a fantasy novel dedicated to every reader that's ever fallen in love with the villain. When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series. She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale. So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

Overall, this book had a really cool concept but the execution of it was....off. The pacing was weird. The characters were enjoyable, though fell into many archetypes and tropes, and the plot twists were way too predictable. Yet I still found myself enjoying this book.

It’s a total trip. Highly ambitious. Leigh Bardugo’s pull quote in support of the book does not lie. “Audacious and supremely satisfying.”

It’s like 3 styles all in one. Entirely new fantasy BUT also told from the middle of an existing (though we’ve never heard it before) story BUT at the same time shifting and changing, seemingly on the fly, too. It’s sounds chaotic but it works. So cool. Snarky and sassy. Playing with and against classic fantasy ideals. Incredibly unique, vicious but campy, self-referential but unpretentious. It’s a high energy and highly entertaining fantasy adventure. To say anything more would be a spoiler. Just read it.

Oh! Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook. The narrator’s delivery is everything. Captures the book and characters to perfection. Can’t recommend enough.

Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio for a can advanced copy of this audiobook.

Rae is dying and gets a chance to save her life by entering the world of one of her favorite fantasy book series. She wakes up the villain in the series.

That sounded awesome. Unfortunately, it was mediocre for me personally. There are a lot of little cheesy quips in this book that just pull you right out of the story. Overall it was just ok. Definitely not good enough to continue to follow this series for me. However, I really liked this narrator!

I LOVED this so much!! The isakaied as the villainess is one of my favorite new genres and I just inhaled this! The narrator was absolutely fantastic and I can not wait for the next book. I'm already ready to listen to it again. Totally obsessed

At first, I was really enjoying this book. The humour and the tone really worked for me. In hindsight, it's probably because I really like Moira Quirk as a narrator.
The more I read, the more hollow everything became. Characters, even the main one, felt like caricatures. The humour became exhausting and forced.
I recommend reading In Other Lands by this author. The books are quite similar in how the author is playing with the genre conventions and tropes.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.