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 :)

If you are given a chance at life on your deathbed then you have got to take it right? Well the FMC in this book grabs it with both hands. She is thrust into a fantasy world and embraces the villain role. Real work meets fantasy is always a trope I will love and I think this book handled it well. Initially it’s overwhelming (as I think it would be). Then we meet Key (a morally grey bodyguard) who is hands down my favourite character. The book is adult fantasy but for me the main character gives YA. There is plenty of wit and satire that I did appreciate. This is a fun and chaotic book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

4.5/5

I have no words. I absolutely loved every piece of this book and I have already preordered it because I need to mark every scene that I loved.

Let's star with the plot. I have to say that having three POV confused me a bit. It was hard for me to start caring for Marius , Cobra and Erin, though at the end of the book the first two have my heart. I never understood Erin fully so I couldn't care for her or Lia. The King was interesting but I felt as if we weren't able to really know him through the books (which complicated to see how his character was parting from the image that Rea had).

Now I LOVED every second that Rea, Key and Cobra had together. Those three were chaotic and AMAZING. Their scenes were so fun to read. I have to admit that Key's character surprised me at the beginning and I didn't know how to feel about his tactics or his inclination to kill. He seemed so unstable and chaotic (which I suppose he is) but his dynamic with Rea was spot on. He felt like a full-of-energy and easily distracted little psycho. And I swear that the little details that involved him were killing me like: "Rea noticed Key leaning against the wall, listening intently. His face had gone serious as he seldom was. Until he caught her eye on him, and smiled just for her''.

Gosh.

And that ending. THAT. ENDING. I LOVED EVERYTHING and I'm dying to read the rest of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review



Some quotes from the book:

"In real life, people let you go. That is why people longed for love from stories, love that felt more than real love."

"Hope without tragedy was hollow. So was tragedy without hope"

2 stars - DNF at 55%.

I'm so sad about having to DNF this book because it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. The concept of waking up inside your favourite fantasy series is so fun and original, and I loved how it tied into Rae's real life circumstances, seriously raising the stakes for her even in this fantasy world. I did love Rae's tenacity and strength as a character, and I was actually really interested in the fantasy world Sarah Rees Brennan created - I would actually have been more interested in reading this story directly! I also enjoyed some of the choices Rae made, like claiming she could see the future since she already had some insight into what happens in the books - this would have been very interesting to explore in more depth.

Unfortunately several aspects of the book didn't resonate with me at all. Rae's character came across as very unlikeable, and throughout the book she has a very two-dimensional view of heroes and villains, even as she's interacting with them more. The tone of the book was unusual, and while it may work for some, I didn't enjoy it at all - it was jarring to read Rae using modern slang in this fantasy world without a second thought, and she never seemed to learn from this. I could see where the author was often trying to be humorous but it didn't suit my sense of humour. I also found that Rae didn't take many things seriously despite the real gravity of her situation - it didn't seem like the right way for her to approach everything when her life is literally on the line.

While it wasn't my cup of tea, I'm sure there are many fantasy readers who would love this book & its unique concept, so definitely give it a try!