Long Live Evil is an adventure from beginning to end! It’s meta, theatre-kid style fun, and filled with cleverness. When Rae is given a chance to enter her favorite fantasy series, she is dropped into the plot as an existing character. Rae is now the villain and she’ll have to remember all her knowledge of the books to make it back to life as she knew it. With the help of her handmaiden, a bodyguard, and a multifaceted spymaster, Rae is determined to find her own happily ever after. 

I loved this book! Long Live Evil is so funny and unafraid to take risks. The characters are well-designed and complex- especially the Golden Cobra! His origin story and the secrets he held were fascinating to watch unravel. I loved his romance! Rae is incredible as a villain and intent on deciding her own fate. The side characters (like Key!) are equally as compelling. 

Throughout the book, Brennan’s clear love of fantasy tales and how these books can provide an escape shines. Long Live Evil is the perfect book for readers who love fantasy and have wished they could slip through a doorway to a different realm. It’s a love letter to fantasy readers who love their villains as much as their chosen ones.  

Long Live Evil is action-packed, has hilarious dialogue, and is filled with captivating characters. Readers who seek meta fantasy and villains with hearts of gold will love this book. I seriously can’t wait to find out what happens next in the sequel! 

Thank you to Sarah Rees Brenann, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.