Bookseller Reviews
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High Fantasy High Stakes
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 we... READ MORE
Brilliantly self-aware- a fantasy of the year!
A brillianty self-aware take on being lost within the pages of a good book! Perfect for fans of the Assistant to the Villain series. Such interesting dynam... READ MORE
A unique and fantastically executed concept
As Rae lies dying she is offered a chance at life - survive being transported to the world of her favourite fantasy book series and she can live, die in th... READ MORE
Loved this from start to finish
Is there a better feeling than picking up a book on a whim but with fairly low expectations and then being blown away by it?
I thought this might be fu... READ MORE
Deliciously charged and murderously fun!
I know fantasy, I have been reading it as long as I remember. Long Live Evil has been the utmost delight to read in that it has challenged and surprised me... READ MORE
A hilarious adventure with a meta twist!
A hilarious adventure with a meta twist!
For anyone who's ever struggled wishing themselves within their favorite tales of magic, villainy and mayhem.
... READ MORE
Synopsis
A tale for everyone who's ever fallen for the villain...
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He's impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo).
Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
- ISBN: 9780356522081
- Number of pages: 464
- Dimensions: 196 x 126 x 38 mm
- Weight: 317g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View all5⭐️ for unexpected plot twists!
A story within a story within a story. There were so many plot twists and cliffhangers sprinkled across the book like confetti that I couldn’t have guessed... READ MORE
A love letter to stories and the power they hold
Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan's debut adult novel is a whip smart foray into evil, with a delightful cast of characters along for the ride. But who is... READ MORE
4.5⭐️ This was a hilarious, hijink filled romp of a book, that was a self-aware ode to the fantasy genre. If you loved Assistant to the Villain, I think you’ll love this!
It’s the perfect read for anyone who loves fantasy, wished they could live in a fantasy world and especially for those people who have fallen for a villain... READ MORE
Rooting for the villain!!
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... READ MORE
Hugely fun fantasy satire
It has been interesting seeing the pretty mixed reviews of this book and I suspect some of the lower ratings might be a result of the way the book is being... READ MORE
Call me Cruella!
Long Live Evil is Sarah Rees Brennan’s first foray into adult fantasy and I am so happy it’s not her last. I absolutely loved this book, the characters, th... READ MORE
I'm swapping to the evil side!
Having read some of Sarah Rees Brennan's work previous works, I was expecting her trademark wit, expansive worlds and well-developed characters. LONG LIVE ... READ MORE
Evil, Heart-Warming, and FUN
There is nothing like this book, and I am OBSESSED with it. Long Live Evil is a lush indulgence for anyone who prefers the villains in stories.
This boo... READ MORE
How can you resist that title?
Rae is dying. But then a woman appears in her hospital room, and tells her that she still has a chance at life … if only she can enter into the world of Ey... READ MORE
Fun and original
How many times have you dreamt of entering the world of your favourite novel or series? Got lost in the thought of meeting that character or leading the ch... READ MORE
5* read for me!
What a read!! Can’t wait for the next book. It gave me Assistant to the Villain vibes where it made you laugh and kick your feet in the air. I really want ... READ MORE
Long Live Rae!
Long Live Rae!!! I had a wild good time devouring this book and cheering on the so called viper villains. I will say despite the chance Rae got to escape h... READ MORE
A Unique Fantasy, Perfect For Certain Readers Who Want A Laugh With Their Dark Adventure
Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK for providing an ARC via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Buzzwords: portal fantasy, villain main character/... READ MORE
A fun fantasy romp!
Thank you so much for reading my Book Review of Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan. I was lucky enough to be read an ARC copy from NetGalley, so thank yo... READ MORE
Wild and hilarious
This book is deliciously wicked. Meta, campy, taking every established trope and turning it on its head in the most ridiculously fabulous ways possible. I’... READ MORE
Contender to be my favourite book of the year
"Long Live Evil" is my first novel by Sarah Rees Brennan, and it's easily one of my favorite reads this year. By playing with classic fantasy tropes and su... READ MORE
The most fun I've had with a book for a long time
The most fun I've had with a book for a long time. Long Live Evil provides an absolutely jam packed story full of action, intrigue & humour, I devoured the... READ MORE
An upside down romantasy that does not go where you think it's going
With its influences firmly on its sleeve, Long Live Evil is a portal fantasy that takes the point of view of a (minor) evil character: terminal cancer pati... READ MORE
A proper isekai story
This was a perfectly fun time with high stakes, great characters and a very twisty plot. Need a sequel ASAP. Perfect for fans of isekai.
Amazing yet again!!
Sarah Rees Brennan did it again. Somehow made something so intricate of something that sounds like it would be a joke. The rollercoaster of emotion I felt ... READ MORE
Oh you'll be hooked after that ending
Originally I gave it a 3.5 stars BUT okay I'm been obsessively thinking about the ending for the last hour! So ACTUALLY 4 STARS!
This was such a fun rea... READ MORE
A love letter to fantasy!
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 reall... READ MORE
A great idea... not so great realisation
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 villa... READ MORE
Different fantasy tale, interesting and quite fun.
Rae, lying in hospital on chemotherapy, finds herself becoming a character in a much-loved fantasy series. She decides to become the villainess as a more i... READ MORE
A big disappointment
Villain POV fantasy books are very popular right now and I do really enjoy reading them, so Long Live Evil was one of my most anticipated books of the summ... READ MORE
Fun!
On the brink of death, Rae is offered the chance to enter the world of her favourite fantasy book series. She wakes up in a castle filled with scheming cou... READ MORE
Beautifully Tantalising & Satisfying
This book was tantalising and satisfying in all the right ways. You truly get taken on a journey through this book, where evil truly reigns.
Rae is an i... READ MORE
Bold and exciting
A wonderfully entertaining spin on traditional fantasy! We have a twenty year old girl, seriously ill in hospital and whose doctors are advising won’t make... READ MORE
Choose evil
When you’re given the opportunity to turn your impending The End into To be continued…, you take it.
Rae, who life cruelly cast in the role of the charac... READ MORE
Fun, high energy fantasy
Long Live Evil is a fun, high energy fantasy that is full of adventure. It is funny, witty and doesn't take itself seriously, full of references and nods t... READ MORE
This book is it for me!
A story within a story within a story. There were so many plot twists and cliffhangers sprinkled across the book like confetti that I couldn’t have guessed... READ MORE
Evil is in …
#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... READ MORE
A book that changes every time you read it
Have you ever wondered what the villains were really thinking? Have you ever been sick of the perspective always coming from the heroes?
Have you ever w... READ MORE
An upside down romantasy that does not go where you think it's going
With its influences firmly on its sleeve, Long Live Evil is a portal fantasy that takes the point of view of a (minor) evil character: terminal cancer pati... READ MORE
Fun read with feels that sneak up on you
I absolutely loved this book! It was so entertaining, great characters and more shocks than I was expecting. That ending though! I was both heartbroken & f... READ MORE
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