Long Live Evil is a wild, self-aware, and often hilarious spin on classic fantasy tropes. It follows Rae, a terminally ill young woman who is offered a second chance at life by stepping into her favourite fantasy book series. Unfortunately, she ends up in the body of the villainess, mere days before her scheduled execution, and has only a hazy memory of the plot to guide her. From there, chaos unfolds in the best way.

The premise is fantastic and the execution is bold. Sarah Rees Brennan embraces the ridiculous in a way that feels intentional and fresh. The tone walks a fine line between absurd humour and real emotional weight, and for the most part, it works. Rae's journey is filled with missteps, awkward alliances, and sharp commentary on the nature of stories, especially how we view villains and heroes. There is also a strong emotional core, particularly in how Rae’s past experiences with illness shape her new role and perspective.

There are issues, especially in the pacing and the way some scenes seem to drag or confuse more than they add. A few characters feel underdeveloped, though that may be partly due to Rae’s limited knowledge of the book world she’s navigating. The humour occasionally goes a little too far, but for every joke that didn’t land, there were several that made me laugh out loud. The final quarter of the book is especially strong, with high-stakes twists, surprising emotional beats, and a satisfying payoff that made the earlier bumps feel worthwhile.

This is not a typical fantasy novel, and readers expecting something more traditional might be thrown off. It leans into chaos, camp, and cleverness, and invites you to enjoy the ride without taking everything too seriously. If you can meet it on its level, it is a rewarding and highly entertaining experience. I am absolutely on board for the sequel.

2.5⭐️. This book opens with the main character, Rae, in hospital for cancer treatment where her sister, Alice, is reading to her from their beloved fantasy series. When she wakes later that day, Rae is met by a strange woman who offers her a bargain - enter Eyam, the fantasy world Rae and Alice love, and retrieve the Flower of Life and Death, upon which she will wake up cured. With nothing to lose, Rae walks through the door into Eyam and finds herself in the body of Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped In Blood, also known as the heroine’s evil stepsister, who is due to be executed the following day.

I loved the premise of this book; however, unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite do it for me and, if I was someone who was better at DNFing books, I’m not sure that I would’ve finished this one. However, I’m not mad that I did, as there were moments that made me chuckle, where it’s so cheesy that it’s funny, and there were definitely characters that grew on me on the more I read - in particular, Key, Marius and Cobra. I liked that the love interest was, purposefully, very different from your typical MMC (yet still came out with some classic MMC lines - I’d kill for you, touch her and die etc). I also enjoyed the ending and I’m intrigued to see what happens in the next one (although I can’t yet say whether I’d pick it up).

In terms of where I struggled - I think part of the problem is that we’re entering into a world that is already fully developed (I.e., it’s a full blown fantasy book series) and therefore we’re told about a lot of characters and places without really experiencing them for ourselves. There are other elements of the world building that are quite clunky - for example, it’s mentioned early on that jewellery is illegal on men, which seems ludicrous. You’re left wondering why, until much later in the book when it’s mentioned that the law was brought in purely because the Prime Minster doesn’t like Cobra 🤷‍♀️🙈.
It’s also hard to get to know, like and relate to our FMC when we don’t really see her as a person because, for the majority of the book, she’s pretending to be someone else.

So, overall, I definitely have mixed feelings about this book and can see why some people loved it, but can also see why some people wouldn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.

Long Live Evil is a love letter to all the story-within-a-story narratives that came before. I think anyone who loves fantasy will love this book, it really turns our favourite tropes and narrative devices inside out!

Following Rae, a dying girl who is given a second chance by escaping into a novel, she lands in Eyam and finds herself in the body of the villainess. With a blank cheque to write on all things evil, she has fun playing in her new body and old tropes.

I loved Rae’s unreliable viewpoint – she can’t really remember what happens in the original book – and the butterfly effect of everything she is changing along the way! It reminds me of The Neverending Story, Back to the Future and so many other nostalgic favourites.

It was such a fun ride, having a villain as a MC, I also loved the way that the stereotyped side characters start to unravel and reveal greater depth than their stereotypes would normally allow - the Cobra and Marius especially. And the ROMANCE – Key or Octavius? Right or wrong? Good or bad? The unreliable narration, flipping of good and evil and Rae’s indeliberate changes to the narrative really kept me on my toes! It wasn’t a book to read when I was sleepy as I felt like I really needed to be paying attention but I felt challenged and confused in the best way. The ending had a twist that I didn’t see coming and I need the next book, like, yesterday!!!

Long Live Evil is a dark, imaginative twist on the classic good vs. evil narrative. I found myself really enjoying the story, especially once I got past the initial few chapters. It took me a little while to fully get into the world and characters, but once it clicked, I was hooked.

The premise is bold and refreshing—giving voice and depth to characters often cast as villains—and the author does a great job of making you question who the real heroes and villains are. The writing is sharp, the pacing picks up nicely, and there are some truly clever moments throughout.

While the beginning felt a bit slow or dense, the payoff is definitely worth it. Fans of twisted fairy tales, morally gray characters, and dark fantasy will likely find Long Live Evil a compelling and enjoyable read.

I felt like I was dumped into the beginning of this story - I was a little confused on some details and struggled at times to follow along. However, the book did pick up and I definitely felt more in the swing of things later on.
This is a great concept, and while it wasn't perfectly executed in my opinion, I had a lot of fun with it. Honestly, I genuinely believe this would make such an amazing movie.
I'm interested to see where book 2 takes us!

Thank you so much to Orbit for the ARC via NetGalley and for giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts.

#netgalley #longliveevil
3.5⭐️

A start a little confused with this review, had a lot of thoughts while reading - overall i enjoyed the characters and the story concept, at times i did feel like there was LOADS going on and i was struggling to keep up with the pacing (for maybe the first half of the book) with the multiple POVs and inducing different angles to the story.

But … did I have a lot of fun reading it and excited for book two? … Absolutely

I think the second half of the book for me, made up a lot of the ground work. Where you start to see ‘the real world’ characters, start to fit more into the ‘book world’ and develop relationships with the other characters and in truth give them more depth and make them more likeable. I loved the lil development/twist at the end and can’t wait to see where the next book is going to take the story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the chance to review this ARC… I had a blast!

“Seriously, you will be powerful A.F." The king's brow wrinkled. "A.F.?" “As foretold," Rae intoned hastily.”

Long Live Evil is a deeply funny fantasy book that satirically looks at the genre - and I absolutely loved it. It answers the question what would happen if you were transported into your favourite story - would it play out by the book? Or would you muck up the timeline?

“She recalled an internet manifesto on why villains were better lovers. “Love burns down the world for a kiss.” “Did you say, burns down the world for kicks?”

This has so many hilarious takes on the fantasy genre - from hard to pronounce place names, to unreasonably strong men to impossibly beautiful heroines. I laughed out loud so many times reading this.

I adored the characters - especially the character arcs of Key and the Cobra. They were my favourite characters and regularly tore my heart out. The multiple arcs we followed throughout this developed beautifully - from Marius’ journey to that of Octavius to Emer - I loved how they all went on their own progressions but it all merged into the overarching story. Just perfectly done!

I just really loved and enjoyed this book! It was exactly my type of humour and I was on the edge of my seat so many times. I can’t recommend it enough, and after that cliffhanger ending I cannot wait for the next instalment!

ARC copy provided by Little Brown / Orbit & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I ended up putting this one down. The writing style didn’t quite click with me, and I found it hard to connect with Rae as a character—she felt more like a concept than a person. It quickly became clear this wasn’t the kind of story that works for me.

Pacing wa sa but all over the place, i didnt connect to the characters and I saw the plot twists coming but it was still a fun read and I enjoyed it.

Long Live Evil is a sharp, clever twist on the villain origin story - equal parts wickedly funny and emotionally resonant. Sarah Rees Brennan brings her signature wit and heart, delivering a cast of chaotic, lovable antiheroes you can’t help but root for. The pacing dips slightly in the second act with some repetitive introspection, but the explosive finale more than makes up for it. Perfect for fans of morally grey characters and fairy tales turned upside down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way this book poked fun at the tropes in fantasy novels and the way it broke the fourth-wall though with the set up I found it more confusing as time went on. I also really liked the way who we thought were side characters in the beginning got more space as the book went on as well.

It was an interesting read but I mostly thought that the sometimes overly complicated plot lines could’ve done with some streamlining which may have helped the pace which felt a bit slow to me. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes in the next book and to see how the changes in the book impacts the “real world” of the story.

A portal fantasy where a dying girl gets a second chance by stepping into her favorite book? Yes, that concept absolutely caught my attention. Add in villainous flair, meta humor, and genre tropes turned upside down… I thought this would be right up my alley.

And there are definitely some cool ideas here. The tone is playful, self-aware, and there’s fun to be had if you enjoy characters winking at the camera. But for me, the execution didn’t quite come together. The world felt a little chaotic and hard to follow at times, and I struggled to connect with the characters, especially the main one.

There’s ambition and creativity in the concept, no doubt. But I needed a bit more structure, more emotional grounding, and a world that felt fully fleshed out, not just hinted at. I felt like reading a self-insert fanfic from a fandom I know nothing about.

This was a DNF for me sadly, as I couldn't get into the writing style, Rae didn't feel like a real person, and the combination of a royal court setting and Rae being cured in-world/ being promised a cure in the real world meant it was obviously not for me.

The premise to this book is intriguing but the ride is crazy in the best way! It kept me laughing and had me hooked from the first chapter! Why didn’t I pick this up before! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book

Thankyou Netgalley and the publisher for this eArc!

Ohhhhh this could be my book of the year so far and I'm MAD I didn't pick this up sooner!

This book is filled with laughs from the start as Rae is transported into her favourite fantasy novel, Time of Iron. To be honest, absolute MADNESS follows her landing in this world as she tries to change her fate while navigating the ever changing story.

I really liked the writing in this and thought it had the right amount of 'real world' injected into the fantasy lands. I was laughing out loud from the get go as it was just silly in the best way. #batmanmentioned. It also absolutely broke my heart in parts which I wasn't expecting!

I am so excited for book #2, I do not want to wait please can I read it now :'(

Long Live Evil is, for the most part, a thoroughly entertaining read with a concept that really drew me in. The idea of someone escaping into a fantasy world, especially when facing a serious illness, feels both poignant and relatable. I think most fantasy readers have, at some point, dreamed of stepping into another world, so that premise instantly resonated.

What really stood out to me was the sharp comedic tone. I don’t usually read fantasy that leans heavily into humour, so this was a refreshing change of pace. The book works well as a parody of the romantasy genre, poking fun at familiar tropes while still delivering a heartfelt story. I think this is done with love for the genre rather than distaste so I thought it was done well. That said, if you’re a die hard romantasy fan who prefers the genre taken seriously, this might not be your cup of tea.

Character-wise, I did really like Rae. She truly seizes her second chance at life, and while her actions can be frustrating at times (she is supposed to be the villain, after all), that moral tension did add a certain level of depth. Personally, I often find myself irritated with protagonists in books like this, so it didn’t hinder my enjoyment.

Overall, Long Live Evil was a fun and engaging read which was witty, a bit irreverent, and a great twist on familiar fantasy tropes. I would say the end of the story wasn't too surprising in terms of where it ended up but I would definitely read the next instalment to see how the story develops.

What a book, a fantasy epic that I hope, continues in more books yet to be written!!

Given the chance to heal herself Rae steps through a door into the book that her little sister reads to her. Armed with some knowledge of how the plot goes, Rae thinks it will be easy to turn things to her advantage and save herself.

Vivid, full of life characters inhabit the pages of this book, and once the story gets going you are swept along for the ride, wondering if Rae will reach the end and fulfil her mission to save herself.

Very glad to have had the chance to read this!!

Thankyou to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC.

I think this is a book that some people will love and others will not, unfortunately, I fall in the latter category.

It's definitely original and comedic but I don't think the writing style was for me. The FMC read a little like a teenager for me also, despite being marketed as an adult book.

I can, however, see why people like this so much. This is by no means a 'bad' book, it just didn't hit the mark for me this time around, maybe I will circle back to it at a later date.

Long Live Evil

Rating: 3.75

A fun and action filled tale where being the villain is much more fun.

I read this book after a couple of heavy novels, so this felt like a joyful palate cleanser.

Is the plot perfect and free from holes?
No.

Did it make me giggle and have a few genuine twists?
Absolutely.

Will I be reading the sequel?
Heck yeah!

I just don’t think this book was for me.

We follow our fmc who has cancer and is offered the chance to go into one of the books her and her sister reads to retrieve a flower of life and death in order to save herself from dying in the real world.

The story did intrigue me a bit at first, but unfortunately I don’t think the execution was there in order to keep my attention. I just struggled to want to keep reading, however this just could be because it wasn’t for me rather than the book was bad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.