This was such an amazing addition to the series and to be honest I'll admit that first line had me sweating!

Funny, fast paced and such an immersive experience.

The amount Evie teases the Villain (Trystan) and the grumpy banter will have you cackling.

How am i supposed to patiently wait for book 4 now!?

This book will have you snorting out loud and laughing from the very first page.

Maehrer is the queen of quippy one liners and hilarious inner thoughts. I never thought about series about being evil could be so funny, but alas, it is!

Picking up after the last book, Evie (now promoted) and the Villian are on the quest to break the curse - but as we all know, the road to villainy is never smooth.

With a whole host of wonderful characters, a fast-paced plot and twists and turns that’ll have you gasping out loud, this is a fantastic addition to the series.

My only complaint is how having to wait for the next one to come out.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I am so happy that Accomplice to the Villain isn’t the last book of this fantastic series because I can’t get enough of the characters, their stories, and the author’s brilliant and witty writing. I get completely immersed in their chaotic, never boring lives: it’s not only the two protagonists, Evie Sage (also known as the Accomplice) and Trystan Maverine (also known as the Villain), but also Kingsley, Blade, Becky, Lyssa, Clare, and Tatianna.

As it is revealed from the title, Evie has now been promoted to the role of Accomplice. She and Trystan persist in their slow-burn romance for the amusement and frustration of those around them. At the center of the story, there are also the ongoing war with the king, a curse to break, a magical creature to rescue, traitors to unmask, and loyalties to test, while siblings, parents, and friends keep interfering in their lives.

This series is such a fun read. It’s not a typical fantasy. There is lots of humour and ridiculous situations. The manor of the Villain is adorned with the heads of his enemies, there is a frog who communicates through strategically placed signs, and a dragon called Fluffy. There is a lot of banter and chemistry between all the characters, who are engaging and likable. Evie is a badass, confident, and strong woman who’s come on her own, especially more in this last book, and I love how she always stands up for herself and those she loves. Trystan is grumpy and mysterious, but also sweet and protective.

Accomplice to the Villain is hilarious, original, and fascinating and, after the few surprises at the end, I can’t believe I have to wait yet another year for more.

This series has been so entertaining so far and I always look forward to the next book. And It’s here - yay! I couldn’t wait to launch straight into it.

The book is just as easy to get into and I succumbed immediately. The whole set up of dark overlord, going gooey all over his apprentice is entertaining to read and the banter between the two (along with bonding over torture) is music to every reader who loves this kind of trope.

He falls hard, his dark magic goes rogue around her, she loves to tease him, he’s reluctant but hopeless to resist. I mean - what more could you want?

It was fair action packed and the slow burn is strong. I got more and more consumed as I read on and by the end? WHAM. Hit with an epic ending and omg. Now we have to wait for the next book? I don’t know how I’ll manage. Looooved it.

There was something about this book that didn’t quite do it for me , and I haven’t the faintest idea what it was.
It wasn’t the characters. Oh no, they were all present and accounted for, bless ‘em. The whole gang turned up like they’d been summoned to a family BBQ . The ones we adore, the ones we love to roll our eyes at, and even the ones who pop in for five seconds then vanish like a dodgy Tinder date.

It wasn’t the banter either. There was more witty back-and-forth than a pub quiz hosted by Stephen Fry. Quips flying everywhere. Honestly, you'd need goggles.

And it definitely wasn’t the plot twists. My God, the twists! The storyline zigzagged so much I felt like I was watching a squirrel on an espresso binge. Every time I thought I had it sussed, the book went, “Haha, no you don’t,” and chucked another curveball at my head.

The attention to detail? Top notch. Even the most blink-and-you-miss-them characters were sketched out with care. Like someone spent three weeks lovingly crafting the backstory of “Man With Sandwich” who appears once and never again.

I read the last 5% of the book on my lunch break, sitting at my desk like some sort of feral goblin, hand clamped over my mouth, eyes wide, heart pounding. My colleagues thought I was either having a breakdown or discovering I’d won the lottery. I was absolutely flying through it — but also devastated that it was nearly over. Classic bookworm heartbreak.

Such a fantastic series, I was convinced that this was the final book in a trilogy, but although I didn’t get my conclusion I do get another book to read.
I think this is one of my favourite series because although there is a lot of focus on Evie and the Villain, there’s also a number of other wonderful romances amongst the other characters. It gives the story more substance and as we get further embroiled, there’s so much depth and we care about everyone. Especially Kingsley! I’m on tenterhooks waiting to hear more about him, he’s definitely been my favourite character so far.
This is a perfect low spice but high quality action adventure with amazing characters and detailed storytelling.

Accomplice to the Villain was everything I wanted and more.

Evie is the brightest kind of chaos—sunny, sarcastic, sometimes accident-prone, but always all-in. And Trystan? Brooding villain vibes with a soft spot for Evie—and that dynamic never stops being delicious. Their back-and-forth, the jokes, the awkward long looks… it’s all satisfying slow burn with a pinch of office-comedy charm.The vibes are cozy and whimsical, the side characters (especially the judgmental frog) are perfect, and even though nothing here takes itself too seriously, there's actual character growth.If you’ve been following the series—or even if you’re just curious about a magic-soaked, grumpy & sunshine, rom-com in fantasy clothing—this one’s an absolute treat. I closed it with a goofy grin and that warm fuzzy feeling. Can't wait for the 4th book!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

OMG THAT WAS AMAZING!!!! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!! WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? WHY? HOW? I’m going to cry in a corner now that I have to wait another YEAR (?!) before we get the next book😭😭😭

The story was of course amazing. So many twists and turns and interesting developments (if you heard me screaming multiple times… yes, you did). I feel like my head could explode from all the information and how badly I want to figure everything out (I’m not clever enough for that though lol, because every time I think I know things, I really don't - except for one time in the previous book... I felt so smart hahaha). All of the characters are just so funny and loveable (the writing is so incredibly witty and sarcastic)), they’re complicated with well-rounded personalities (but we already knew that from the previous books of course). Some I want to punch though (iykyk). And the slow burn between Evie and the Villain is just aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Like the yearning is yearning so hard, the tension is AMAZING, and the slow burn is so slow, it hurts, but I love every second of it.
The story (and world) just sucks you in and on the one hand I want everything to be solved and out in the open, because I NEED to know, but on the other hand, I just don’t want this story to ever end, because I’m so in love with it and the characters.

This book (and the entire series) is heavy on the yearning and pining (exactly the way I like it) combined with the most hilarious banter, sarcastic and funny, loveable, complicated characters, and an intruiging adventurous story that keeps you hooked forever and let's not forget the magic, magical creatures and violence (when necessary of course ;)).

5/5!

I am obsessed with this series! I thought it was only going to be 3 books and am beyond over the moon that there is a 4th book to come.

This series should be read by all romantasy lovers. The perfect slowburn romance with hilarious characters, what is not to love.

I've enjoyed the previous books in this series, so of course I had to try and request an early copy of this to see what happens next in the story!

This one was unfortunately not my favourite of the series so far, but there's still some plots developing so it's worth the read for that alone.
I think for me, there was just a lot going on because all of the characters had their own romances going on and I'm all for banter but it just seemed to be constant and there wasn't that balance of banter and serious conversation. At times it just felt very high school and immature and I began to feel more interested in who the traitor was than in any of the couples as the book developed.

However, this didn't apply to all relationships because I really loved the interactions between Evie, Becky and Tatiana and their talk of feeling as if they are sisters❤️

I will definitely be continuing the series because I'm invested in the plot, especially what will happen next with Kingsley, as his chapters were some of my favourite.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Penguin and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

High jinks, swashbuckling adventure, dastardly plots, and buckets of charm—this cosy fantasy has it all. Packed with laugh out loud moments, heart-fluttering romance, and a lovable cast of characters, it’s the kind of story that will make you giggle, swoon, and sigh in all the best ways.

While this genre isn’t usually my go-to (I tend to prefer my fantasy a bit more epic), I was completely won over by the first book—and now I’m very eagerly awaiting book four. If you’re a fan of witty banter, slow-burn romance, and a delightfully chaotic ensemble of characters, this series absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR pile.

Many thanks to Entangled and NetGalley for granting me early access to this title!
I found this installment to be a step up from book two, though it didn’t quite capture the spark of the series opener. That said, I'm still deeply engaged with the storyline and definitely plan to keep reading. The chapters focused on Kingsley were a standout for me — absolutely my favorite sections. I also really enjoyed the supporting cast this time around, especially Keely, Gideon, Becky, and Blade. Their character arcs felt fresh and fun.
As for Clare and Tati… I’m still not sold on them. They’re fine, just not all that compelling in my opinion.
My feelings about Trystan and Evie are mixed in this book. Their dynamic was... odd? While I appreciated the development in their chemistry, the constant back-and-forth in the earlier parts of the story felt a bit much. Honestly, this book and the second one might have worked better as a single, streamlined volume.
Still, I was pleased to see that this book pushed the plot forward significantly. By the final chapters, it finally felt like a true middle-of-the-series entry — full of momentum and purpose.
I did see the twist at the end coming from a mile away — it was fairly telegraphed — but even so, it didn’t ruin my enjoyment. I think fans of the series will still find it satisfying.
One ongoing gripe I have with this series: everyone has that super-clever, sarcastic quip ready at all times. It makes the dialogue feel overdone and unrealistic. Sometimes I just wanted them to drop the banter and be serious. 😐 Also, why does every single character need a romantic subplot? It’s a bit much.
All in all, I’m curious to see how everything wraps up. Fingers crossed that book four brings the series to a solid and satisfying conclusion — I’m ready for the payoff!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley*
Believe me when I say that this is the best book in the series (so far). I don't want this series to ever end, it is truly my comfort read. Maehrer's storytelling is phenomenal! I tried, I really did try not to read this quickly but it is unputdownable. I won't spoil anything but so much happens in this one! My mind is reeling and I don't think I'm ever going to stop thinking about this for a very long time.
My love for the characters somehow grew even more with this book. The writing really is incredible, the world building, the dialogue, all of it is just so so good. And even though I've just finished reading it I will be counting down the days until the official release so that I can read it again. I highly recommend that you dive into this book asap, and if you haven't started the series yet take this as your sign to bump it up your tbr. Trust me, you won't regret it.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I've been absolutely loving this series, the first book was so fantastic and the second one was almost just as good, however this third instalment in the four book series didn't quite hit the mark for me...

It had all of my (and I'm sure everyone else's) favourite elements like in the previous books; the romance is still steamily slow burning between Evie and Trystan, it has a cute and heartwarming found family vibes, the banter is still as funny as ever, and it's completely whimsical!

However, it felt like a repeat of Apprentice to the Villain. I enjoy the quests the gang goes on, and I thrive for the mystery and twists, but the story in this one just seemed to drag. With seven different points of view, most often flicking from one person's quest to another, it almost felt rushed and jumpy- and not in the fun, froggy, Kingsley like way. I also felt like the world building was fairly minimal, with descriptions lacking and the focus being on the dialogue, which is greatly written, but too heavily relied on. That being said, I found the characters' interactions to be well written, especially the other romances with Clare and Tatiana, Blade and Becky, and Gideon and Keely. I cared for them almost as much as the main ship!

The twists did have me gasping towards the end, I was correct about some theories but really shocked by others, however I equally felt a little irked by the lack of progression. Our characters still aren't really any better off than where we left them at the beginning of this book, though the ending does have me quite excited for the final book, especially with the revelations!

Overall, I'd definitely recommend continuing this series with this book if you're a massive fan, but anyone who's not completely committed might struggle.

4/5 🌟