Assistant to the Villain
Evie Sage's life has never gone according to plan. At twenty-three she is out of options and desperate for work, so when a chance encounter in the woods lands her a job as assistant to the most feared man in the kingdom of Rennedawn, she takes it — bloodstains, severed limbs, and all. The Villain is exactly as terrifying as his reputation promises. He is also, inconveniently, the most attractive employer Evie has ever had.
Between filing paperwork, managing an office of magical henchmen, and pretending not to notice the way her heart races whenever her boss is near, Evie throws herself into a job that is equal parts absurd and dangerous. But when it becomes clear that someone inside the manor is feeding secrets to the kingdom's ruler, she finds herself drawn deeper into The Villain's world — and closer to the man behind the menace.
Told with sharp humor and a slow-building romance, Assistant to the Villain is a witty fantasy about loyalty, found purpose, and the very bad idea of falling for evil. The first book in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's viral series pairs a relentlessly optimistic heroine with a brooding antihero for a workplace comedy set against a backdrop of dark magic and court intrigue.
Twenty-three-year-old optimist who takes a job as assistant to the kingdom's most feared man in order to support her ailing family.
Known across Rennedawn only as The Villain: a reserved, dark-humoured man whose death-adjacent magic earned him the title. Evie's employer and slow-burn love interest.
The ruler of Rennedawn, working to bring down the Villain and his operation.
The manor's head administrative assistant, territorial and initially hostile toward Evie.
The manor's dragon trainer and one of Evie's first friends on the Villain's staff.