Do I need to read Assistant to the Villain first?

Yes. Apprentice to the Villain is the second book in the Assistant to the Villain series and picks up Evie Sage and Trystan Maverine's story directly where the first book left it, including the consequences of its ending. It is not written to be read on its own. The series continues with Accomplice to the Villain and Adversary to the Villain.

Has Apprentice to the Villain won any awards?

It was a finalist for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Romantasy, reaching the final round of voting, but it did not win the category. It was also an instant New York Times bestseller on publication in August 2024.

Is there a special edition of Apprentice to the Villain?

Yes. Entangled's Red Tower Books has announced a Special Edition Hardcover with sprayed edges, 384 pages, due on 3 November 2026 (ISBN 9781682817452). The original 2024 release is available as an Entangled paperback and ebook in the US, a Penguin paperback in the UK, a Cengage Gale large-print edition, and a Spanish translation, Aprendiz del villano, from Faeris Editorial.

Apprentice to the Villain

Alejandra Romo · 2026-08-27T20:18:03.000000Z

I waited months for this book, so I knew my expectations were high, and maybe I set myself up for disappointment because of that. It keeps much of the essence of the first book, with the familiar characters and the magic. The beginning was thrilling, but after that, the rhythm dropped. While there were interesting moments and new bits of information, it felt like the story dragged on, leaving me wondering if we really needed an entire book for that. The romance, in particular, was exhausting. I understand it's a slow burn, but how many times can they be interrupted? How often can they promise to be together in high-stakes moments, only to overthink everything again? It was the same repetitive monologue, filled with dumb excuses for why they can’t be together. Then there are countless subplots and new characters that ultimately go nowhere—they don't contribute to the main story at all. I think the ending was meant to be a big plot twist or revelation, but it felt like something we already knew from the start of the book. I love Trystan and Evie, and the little family they've built in their office, but I can’t help feeling that a middle book wasn’t necessary.

Cozy Fantasy Romantic Comedy

Pages: 336
Published: 2024
Language: English

Synopsis

Evie Sage loves her job. Never mind that her employer is the most feared man in Rennedawn, or that the work involves treason, daggers, and the occasional severed limb — being assistant to The Villain is the most alive she has ever felt. But the kingdom is changing. Magic is turning unpredictable, the king's reach is growing, and the manor that once felt untouchable is suddenly full of cracks.

To protect the people she has come to think of as family, Evie must become more than an assistant. She takes up training in combat, subterfuge, and the darker arts of her employer's trade, stepping into a role that will test her loyalty and her heart in equal measure. Meanwhile, the man she works for is guarding secrets of his own, and the feelings neither of them will name grow harder to ignore.

The second book in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's bestselling series raises the stakes on its grumpy-sunshine romance while keeping the sharp humor and workplace chaos that made the first so beloved. Apprentice to the Villain deepens the world of Rennedawn as its heroine trades the sidelines for the front lines.