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!

I had very high expactations for Long Live Evil: first because the whole promise of the book was irresistible, second because I knew how Sarah Rees Brennan was a good author and third because the reviews that I've read where very positive. Imagine then my surprise when I still got blown away by this gem of a book! After reading so many stories and fanfictions, this is one hell of a compliment, specially when Brennan managed to surprise me with her plot twists <3

Irrevent, diverse and packing an emotional punch, Long Live Evil is a book with an amazing ensemble cast, evil schemes, funny banter and a lot of reflections about what it means to really live and to be a villain when everyone is just trying their best to survive. I loved Rae to pieces and all the villainous friends she makes on the way (but, of course, one evil minion is my favorite one). I can't wait to read more!

Thank you so much Orbit and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 25%.

This is going to be a divisive one, in that it will either work very well for people, or it will not work at all. Sadly, I was firmly in the latter camp.

I appreciate the idea behind this book and the imagination of it, even if I ended up not appreciating the book itself. A terminally ill girl is able to enter the pages of her favourite story and finds herself a villain in the story, which she decides to fully embrace. The book does not take itself seriously at all, so I could see someone having a lot of fun with this.

I did not have much fun with the tone of the writing nor the main character. Rae annoyed me and just seemed . . . kind of unbearable as a person. I feel bad speaking ill of a fictional cancer patient, but I truly don’t have a good thing to say about how her character resonated with me. She’s having fun with her circumstances and making the most of it, I guess?? That’s a semi-positive thing to say about her?

The writing has a very specific tone, but beyond that, it’s also awkward. A choice passage:

And, Rae recalled with a shock like walking down steps she relied on at night only to find air instead of stair, a new guard suggested how the lady should be punished.

Excuse me, what? This is just not a good sentence.

When I talk about the specific tone of the book, that’s where I think this will be most divisive.

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

And almost the entire first quarter of the book is written like that; I am confident the remaining 75% also is but I just couldn’t bring myself to read more. This book was very resolutely not for me.

However, I do hope others will find this to be a fun and cartoon villainous ride, and I thank the publisher, Orbit, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love me a good fantasy and the fact this had a FMC who was also a villain was chefs kiss. This will surely hit off.

Thank you so much NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review this one early.

I am so sad but this just did not work for me at all in the slightest.

It takes some great writing for me to enjoy characters from earth who fall into “fantasy” worlds and it takes even more for that to work if the fantasy world is a work of fiction in itself.

I just find it makes no sense in terms of timelines.

My biggest issue was how she was so calm about being propositioned to enter a fictional world in the first place. That entire event happens in like two paragraphs. I hate when something so insanely impossible happens to a protagonist and they don’t even blink an eye. HELLO?

Not to mention we are slapped into this fictional world, with zero actual understanding, and in the spam of 20 pages we are introduced to around 300 characters out of the blue and expected to follow their interaction creations.

We are given such a tiny look into this world before the protagonist enters it and yet we rely on that to follow along.

Phrases like “Holy shit, Jesus, Batman, don’t kill me” really just did not help this book either. I was not a fan of the writing style at all.

Honestly, confusing as heck.

And I get the people saying “oh it’s camp it’s fun don’t take it too seriously” I get it, but that works great in movies, in books less so.

I tried and tried to keep reading it but every time I did I just felt like I was doing homework and I knew if I finished it I would be giving it the rantiest review so decided to DNF.

I'm really sorry to the author but I had to mark this as a DNF.
I struggled with the writing, couldn't get my head around the world and didn't find the humour particularly funny.

I'm gutted because I had high hopes for this one.

I loved this! A great portal fantasy where our main character is placed inside a written story. Everything the main, and secondary character think is fixed can change and the story becomes very different underway. The authors experience with writing is obvious and the language is very good. Humor is also a big part of the book, somtimes poignant, sometimes laugh out loud. The author is talented at balancing her main chacters views in spite of also showing us how one dimensional a books characters can be. It's obviously not as fun or easy to be a villain as or main character first thought, but all in all, the vipers ar better together.

This was a new author for me and I am so greatful for the recommendation from a friend and the opportunity to recieve this book from netgalley for review. The ending promises a second book is in the wings and I can't wait!