I love this book. I have a lot of feelings about this book. It is a glut of good things. It is the defiant, triumphant, heartbreaking desire to survive and to write your own story.

I highlighted DOZENS of quotations, all iconic.

“The internet is full of overthinking perverts. Wow, I miss the internet.”

Slyly self-aware, riddled with excessively millennial humour juxtaposed with Shakespearean drama, this is a meta pantomime, excessively enjoyable. It is the sheer exuberance of embracing, in the most ridiculous fashion, smiling villainy, juxtaposed with the stark and harsh reality of Rae’s life outside of fantasy.

Yes - of course it’s silly and unbelievable. That’s the point. The stories we tell ourselves give our lives meaning and help us to go on. But also, the roles we’re forced to play can constrict us. And Rae is taking control of the narrative.

The rollicking humour, high-jinks and absurdity is cut through by tragedy, drama, and the realisation that everyone has as rich an inner life as you. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry with laughter.

You're going to have to bear with me on this one. Even a few days after finishing I'm not 100% sure I can put my thoughts into a coherent stream, but I'm gonna give it a go. Long Live Evil was... fun. It was laugh out loud hilarious in parts, but also kind of brutal and horrific in others. It's the story of a dying girl given a second chance at life, and the decisions she then makes to ensure that second chance arrives, and it asks the question 'when dumped into the body of the villain in one of your all time favourite series... what would you do to survive."

Rae is dying, so when she wakes up to find a stranger next to her bed, a stranger that seems to offer her the impossible, instead of being wary, Rae runs headfirst into the world of her favourite book series hoping to complete the magical bargain that will save her life. The only problem, she wakes in the body of the villain, a villain that she knows will be put to death... it's scheming time. Determined to save her own skin, Rae brings together a group of villains from the book, with no care for who lives or dies... they're only fictional characters anyway. But the more time she spends in the story, with the character's who inhabit it, the more Rae comes to realise that though these people might not be real to her, they are to each other, and Rae will have to decide whether her own life is worth more than the characters she has grown to love.

Rae herself was a brilliant MC, though not the only POV we get. She's someone who has felt abandonment, disappointment, and now on the verge of death, she takes the second chance when offered. She starts the story almost nonchalant, seeing these people as nothing more than characters in a book, not really caring if the come to any harm, lets just say that she takes the roll of villainess very seriously, scheming her days away trying to protect her own neck. She's feisty and reckless, but the more time she spends in the book, the more she realises that it's not just her own life that's at risk. Along side Rae we get the POV's of Emer; The Iron Maiden & Marius Valerius; The Last Hope, both of these characters aim to show just how much Rae is changing the plot and, while I enjoyed them as a whole, I do feel that they maybe had too many chapters that didn't really amount to anything within the story, and I did feel that their POV's sometimes made the story drag a little. Side character wise though, The Cobra had the most heartbreaking of stories and I absolutely adored him. And then there's Key, Rae's murderous guard who gave off peak villain vibes from his first scene and somehow managed to get worse as the book went on, whilst also managing to make you care for him!

For the most part, this book was ridiculously fun. Seeing Rae, a modern girl getting dumped into a kind of historical fantasy, where not only her manner of speaking, but of walking and behaviour were enough to cause scandal. She obviously has the upper hand, knowing how the story plays out and all, but she quickly comes to realise that the more she schemes trying to save her own neck, the more the story changes around her until it becomes almost recognizable from the one she knew. This doesn't phase Rae though, she takes the roll of villainess and makes it her bitch, using those around her for her own gain, never really acknowledging that they could possibly be real. Rae act's pretty much the same as any of us would, entering the world of our favourite book series. At first she's wary because of... you know... the death sentence, but once that's out of the way she simply revels in the fact she knows everything. Who will end up with who, everyone's dirty little secrets, their hearts deepest desires... I mean if that isn't the perfect base for villainy I don't know what is.

It's a story filled with twists, some predictable yes, but most, including the finale, absolutely took me by surprise. Brennan weaves these twists through her story bringing them in at pivotal moments and ensuring that, even if we didn't guess them, she leaves plenty of breadcrumbs for us to look back on thinking how stupid we were for not working it out. Her writing is as witty as her characters are, and her descriptions really bring the world of Emer and the characters that inhabit it to life. It's a story that's wondrously meta and self-aware, Rae constantly shines a light on the sexism of, not only traditional fantasy novels, but of the world itself. And this also allows Brennan to start subverting these stereotypes we're so used to reading. Thanks to the depth and amount of characters, it is 100% a character over plot driven story, which was fun because you never really knew what any character might do next, and Brennan really keeps us on our toes by making us question all the hero and villain style tropes.

It's a funny book, hilarious in parts, but it's also incredibly brutal in others, and when Brennan talks about sexism in the stories, it isn't just because Rae's Villain has an abnormally large bosom. Instead she used the levity from the story and her writing style to delve into some darker topics, consent, what exactly it means to be human etc. It's also incredibly brutal in parts, and there were some pretty descriptive and in depth fight and murder scenes.

So that was semi-coherent right? I did enjoy this one, around the 50% mark I wasn't sure that would be the case, and I do feel that the story was longer than it needed to be and certain POV's could have been cut down, but the ending made it all worth while. The ending that I absolutely didn't see coming, in more than one way, but the ending that has made me desperate to get my hands on the next book.

I was really excited by the concept of this book but after the first couple of chapters I wasn't sure it was for me and I did not like the main protagonist, Rae. However, it is definitely worth sticking with it as the story and the characters really start to take off as the book goes on.

The concept is definitely a really clever twist and I really enjoyed the way the author used the idea of ending up in your favourite story whilst still ensuring our main character had shocks to deal with. I also liked that the other characters were given POV chapters so we could get to know them beyond what Rae thinks based on the books she read. There were lots of surprises I didn't see coming which really keep you gripped.

Overall despite a shaky start I really appreciated the character growth throughout the book and by the end was completely hooked. I would definitely recommend giving this a read, especially if you love a good fantasy book.

This is a good book, and it is obvious that Sarah Rees Brennan is an excellent plotter. The humour was top notch, and the characters feel very real.
The premise of this story is wonderful, especially considering the author had cancer herself.
I admire how the book makes you ask yourself what makes a person good or evil and why it is always important to know all sides of a story. So, aside from it being tremendous fun and adventurous, there is a deeper layer to Long Live Evil.

I really really REALLY like Key, Marius and The Cobra.

My one point of criticism is that the plot was often hard to follow. Clearly, the author knows what she is doing, but it feels like she knows it so well, she forgets her readers don't know the same things she does. This is why I often decided to go with the flow and hope for the best.
The pacing wasn't perfect, either. Sometimes I just flew through the story and at other times I struggled through it.

All in all, I would recommend this to all readers who are into fantasy, because this story is just *that* cool and interesting. Also I read an arc, so hopefully the less than perfect bits are ironed out in the final version.

Obviously I have already ordered multiple copies for our bookshop!

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.

many thanks to orbit for letting me read this e-arc <3

spoilers ahead

going in i really wanted to like this book but about one third in i realised that that would not be the case. long live evil is like a strange mix between the mortal instruments and once upon a time and i know for a fact that there are people out there who are going to enjoy this book i was just not one of them. i had a really rough time getting through this book because i just didn’t care about any of it. the world felt incredibly hollow and generic as did all the characters so i just completely failed to connect with any aspect of the story. all the twists didn’t have any impact whatsoever because at that point i just didn’t care anymore and i wanted to simply be done with the book. the ending didn’t even try to give any sense of closure or wrap up literally anything so it just left me feeling like i had been duped into reading an unfinished book. the books attempts at social commentary consist of extremely surface level observations and very heavy handed messaging that were just repeated over and over again.
our main character’s pov was honestly the toughest to get through because often times she was simply obnoxious and her dialogue was painful to get through and there were really moments where i just didn’t believe that she liked these books at all.
a redeeming quality for me was the dynamic between marius and eric, which to me seems to be heading in a romantic direction but the book made a point to call people who ship the two “perverts” so that leaves me feeling a bit conflicted.
like i said, i’m certain there will be an audience for this series but i can’t really justify investing more time into this than i already have. however, it does seem like sarah rees brennan would be a huge fan of darkling slander sunday and i respect that.

This was a wild ride with nothing i could've expected. Being dropped into a world she once believed was solely fantasy Rea aims to make it out alive and potentially save some of her favourite characters along the way.

Suprisingly, it wasn't at all predictable as although we know the plot of the book, the effect of humans in characters bodies shifted the narrative.

The development of the female characters such as Lia, Rea and Emer were amazing as they became strong and fearless women ready to defend. Additionally, the growth between Marius and the Cobra was unexpected but heartwarming.

In a world where anything the king dislikes can be labelled as treason, they're making big big change.
Overall, i liked the story as a whole and with how it ended shook me and i hope to see a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I rate this a 2.75 ⭐️.

The pacing was just off for the most of the book which made this a weird read, which is a shame because the concept of the book was great and made me really excited. I mean escape the mortal world and go to your favorite story? Sign me up.

You can clearly see it was written by someone who really loves the book community and fantasy genre. But it was so unclear in what the atmosphere of the book was supposed to be, was it meant to be a comedy? Or high stakes with a romance and a serious undertone? And because that being so uncertain I couldn’t really get into it.

I really wanted to like it and because of the concept I can give it a rounded up three stars but I just got frustrated with it and on multiple moments contemplating to quit it.

I loved this book!! Such a fresh take on a fantasy book. I always love a villainous main character. Definitely recommend and can’t wait to read more from this author.

I can’t believe I’m writing this. Long Live Evil was my most anticipated read of the year. I don’t know what happened, but this book was not good.

The story starts off somewhat confusing, by constantly alternating between past and present. The author mainly tells us what we should be feeling and force-feeds info dumps. While I could emphasise with Rae because I, too, lost somebody to cancer, the constant telling got annoying fast. And I found myself already wanting to drop the book.

If you look at the manga I’ve read, you’ll see that I love isekai. I’ve read tons of stories like this one, and I also know that it’s incredibly difficult to get the story right. For isekai stories, it’s quintessential that the “real” world and the “other” world are both functional. Because, otherwise, what’s the point? You could have just written a high fantasy story.

But this is exactly the problem with this book. Rae’s “real” world feels lifeless and her adventure doesn’t seem to have any stakes. We get told rather than shown what’s going on and what will ultimately happen should her “mission” fail.

The more I read, the more I realised this wasn’t for me. The humour helped—and I can see why people loved the book just for that—but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more time with Rae, more time to explore her emotions and trauma. I wanted Villains Are Destined to Die and got a much more YA take on the genre. And I’ve been trying to distance myself from YA in the past few months.

Maybe next time.

Highly entertaining take on the “lost in a good book” concept, and this one is a must for anyone who loves high fantasy and romantic complexity.
If you were offered the opportunity to live in your favourite novel, with a chance of saving your life in the real world, would you take it? Especially if your favourite book was populated by blood thirsty and ambitious characters.
Rae’s favourite book series is her favourite mainly because they’re the books her sister read to her whilst she was ill and undergoing treatment, this means that she’s not quite got a handle on some of the plot nuances. Which leads to some awkward moments and dangerous situations.
Definite recommend.

DNF at 40%

I’m sorry I didn’t want to DNF this book as it’s an ARC and one of my most anticipated releases. This was such a slog to get into. The writing style felt difficult to follow and combined with the info dumping in the first third of the book it was so hard to get into and felt like work. There was one particular page in the first few pages where I thought it was the sister who had cancer, not the FMC!

Thank you for the ARC but this book wasn’t for me

To be honest this book took me some time to get into, but the last half really had me and i’d like the second book Right Now pls. (they could never make me hate you key)

This was a captivating journey into the heart of a fantasy world where the lines between good and evil blur. The novel follows Rae, a young woman who is on her death bed through a magical bargain that transports her into the world of her and her sisters favorite fantasy series. She finds herself in a kingdom teetering on the edge of war, filled with monstrous creatures and conniving nobles. Most intriguingly, she encounters the Once and Forever Emperor, her favorite character whose allure is as potent as only fiction can make it. However, Rae soon realizes she is not the story's heroine but its villainess, setting the stage for a thrilling exploration of power, identity, and redemption.

This was a refreshing and engaging read. Rae's transformation from a beleaguered fan to a formidable villainess is both empowering and thought-provoking. She embraces her role with a mix of cunning and bravado, assembling an eclectic group of villains to rewrite their destinies. The novel's strength lies in its complex characters, particularly Rae, whose sharp wit and resilience make her a compelling protagonist.

"Long Live Evil" challenges the conventional narrative of heroes and villains, offering a fresh perspective that encourages readers to question their own perceptions of morality. It is a testament to the power of storytelling and the enduring appeal of complex, multifaceted characters.

The narrative is richly woven with adventure, dark humor, and poignant moments that resonate with anyone who has ever felt drawn to the darker characters in fiction. This book challenges readers to reconsider their notions of heroism and villainy, emphasizing that everyone has the potential for both. Brennan's writing is both immersive and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a world where the wicked may indeed have more fun, but where the stakes are perilously high. Overall, "Long Live Evil" is a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts and anyone who has ever rooted for the villain.

I received an advanced review copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating.

Sadly this book is not for me.

I can see this appealing new adults and people who enjoy unsubtle humor. Also those who like fantasy but not the world building or the usual language as there is a lot modern day language and sayings.

The premise is interesting. A young lady with cancer being transported to a book world of which she has not read the entire series and knows most of the lore through her sister, as such her understanding of this world flawed and lacking.

I can definitely see many people enjoying this book. The humor fell a bit flat for me, and I did t like the FMC which is a huge issue for me as to whether I enjoy a book or not.
however, this is very much a me issue. So although the book is not for me, I am certain many others will love her attitude. The book is well written, easily accessible and easy to read. I’m giving it 3 stars because though I did not enjoy it, I didn’t hate it either. It all just fell a bit flat for me personally.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you Orbit UK for this one!

I have mixed feelings on this book in that I struggled with the first half - the writing felt almost messy and the dialogue between characters felt as though it was written for a much younger YA audience. I unfortunately also didn't really like Rae and didn't vibe with her humour.

However that being said, I adored the side characters and as the plot progressed I became very invested in the story. I think this was a fantastic set up book that has crafted 3 potentially brilliant romantic relationships that can be explored in book 2. I also loved the ending - I'm usually good with spotting plot twists and I didn't see that coming! Overall a brilliant last 25% that had me gripped. I will 100% be continuing with this series!

Fun adult fantasy book. Not all villains are the same, even if they commit to being evil. Rae is ill, so when she’s given a chance to recover she jumps right into a fictional book. She knows some of the story, so feels at home as the villainous female. But maybe she’s not as much a villain as she thought, and being there is changing the story line. Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Long Live Evil is the story of Rae, a girl who’s terminally ill with cancer and who’s transported in the fictional world of her favourite fantasy series, where she might get the chance of changing her own fate.
Unlike her sister, she’s always been one that finds evil characters most fascinating, and slipping into the body of a villainess will allow her to fully enjoy her new fictional life and use all her cunning to pursue her goal.

This story was born from the battle that the author herself had with cancer, and every part where the struggle of the protagonist with all the different facets of this illness is described deeply touched me, as you can tell they come from personal experience.

The book was in the work for many years – I have been a fan of Sarah Rees Brennan since the Lynburn Legacy and the idea of this story was intriguing, so I’ve been eagerly waiting for it and I am very happy she is having this well-deserved come back to publishing.

I do believe this is a well thought story and a most enjoyable book that for readers that are looking for something original, comedic, and fairly unhinged – ufortunately, it wasn’t really what I was hoping for and it did not hit the mark for me properly.

Sarah is a very lively and funny person and I’ve always loved how her personality seeps into her prose, which is fresh and sparkling – sadly, this might also be one of the main issues I have with Long Live Evil.
The book is set in a sort of medieval context, and the prose used both for narration and dialogues was all over the place: there would be very articulated and lyrical sentences that ended up with modern slang

"The prospect of being alone with him made the glass before Rae’s eyes go wavy. She dragged her mind from the brink of panic into the realm of getting shit done, and nodded graciously."

or the protagonist would use high formal language one moment, and the next one she would fall into “real world” expressions and words that baffled the book characters. She was trying to fit in and play a role, so why would she do that?

"“Oooh, ladylike burn. Listen, some people might think you’re a manipulative liar and a total fake,” Rae murmured. “But I think you’re awesome, and a way more interesting character now!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. […]”"

This really did not work and it broke the reading flow for me. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book more if the story had been set in a more contemporary fantasy world.
Another thing that really made me roll my eyes was Rae constantly proclaiming herself this super-evil person and never really doing anything evil.

Although the concept is quite original and potentially fun, the story moves painfully slowly.
There are many characters, and at 50% they are still being introduced; there were many repetitions when it came to their descriptions – physical and psychological – and at times I found myself skimming them. (How many times do we need to get told that Rahela has big breasts?? Hint: not one every two pages).
Plot wise, it felt that very little was going on and I really had to push myself to keep going, hoping for something meaningful to happen. Most of it will go down at the very end of the book.

Overall, I think this book can be a fun ride for readers that can glide over the inconsistent prose; it was an interesting and structured read and I quite enjoyed the character of Key and the dynamics between the Last Hope and the Cobra, that is why I’m giving it 3 stars.
I think I might give the sequel a try and see whether the pace will pick up.

I really enjoyed this very meta portal fantasy. The protagonist is a girl dying of cancer who is given the chance to jump into her favourite book, taking the body of a villain character who is about to be executed.

She was snarky and fiery which was great reading, and I found the discussion of how her friends coped (or didn't cope) with her sickness authentic. Great costumes and visceral descriptions.
I loved the meta discussion about the "heroine" etc - lots of fun, although I sometimes found the excerpts from the "real" alternate timeline book at the beginning of each chapter to be confusing, although most of the time they provided a useful contrast of what was "supposed to" happen.

The twist at the end was fun, and signposted nice and early for dramatic irony. It was a cliffhanger of an ending though, so I'm very much waiting for the second book so some of the loose ends can be tied up.

I want to start this review by saying that I do think that I get where the positive reviews from other readers are coming from and that the book isn’t necessarily “bad”, it’s just not for me.
I dnf’ed it at about 20%.
I thought the world building was kind of dumped on us in the beginning and I honestly could not make head or tails of it. I am very picky with fantasy books so again, it just might be a me issue. I also really could not relate to the FMC (for the first 20% so maybe the character development will be worth it afterwards) which made pushing through the book even harder for me.

4.5⭐️

Incredibly hilarious and wonderfully wicked!!!

This book was SO good. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be a main character in your favourite fantasy series? Because I have, but Brennan did it so much better. Following Rae as she discovered things about this world that she loved and the characters that she admired was nothing short of fantastic, it’s such a unique concept!! And it’s about the VILLAINS!! Who doesn’t love a villain?!

Right away the characters hooked me from the start, especially Rae and how she was feeling very empty and alone but using her favourite books to escape reality (ouch). Then we met KEY! And wow. I loved him instantly. Firstly, he is HILARIOUS, without even knowing (seriously “I’m evil? I think.” had me cry laughing)and I loved how Rae just let him be him…even if he is a slightly (very) unhinged murderer. I loved their partnership and I loved seeing how Rae just let someone have her back, even for a little while. Mostly, I loved to see how all of the other characters interacted with Key during the story, nobody but Rae knew what to do with him and it truly brought me so much evil joy!!! Our “hero’s” of the story were wonderfully written, Marius and Octavian were a great balance and easily showed how not all hero’s are the people we need and want them to be. So so so many good characters!!!!

The plot was overall great, interesting and kept me going “what?” most of the time. Sometime, the pacing was a little choppy for me - too long in one place or too short in another, but nothing too serious! I loved the switching between POVs and found myself interested in all of them, which is very rarely the case when you have a lot of voices in the story. The intense scenes were exactly that, intense, and had me on the edge of my seat. I did guess the end plot twist, but I was still SO hyped when I read it happen so guessing was simply a bonus.

If you want to be *literally* thown into a new fantasy world, where you’re rooting for the villains to win, then this is for you. It was a beautiful read and now I want 10 more!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the eArc of this book! Loved it :)