Assistant to the Villain Book2: Apprentice to the Villain

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer continues Evie Sage’s story in the second Assistant to the Villain novel. Evie has discovered that working for an evil overlord can be surprisingly satisfying, despite the dangers and her inconvenient attraction to her employer. Now the problems extend beyond office life: Rennedawn’s magic is behaving strangely, leaving the Villain’s manor exposed to enemies who have been waiting for an opportunity.

Apprentice to the Villain: Evie takes on greater dangers

The change makes the workplace Evie has learned to navigate far less secure. The king is among the threats to the manor, and the kingdom itself appears to be heading towards catastrophe. What began as a role supporting someone else’s operations becomes a demand for independent judgment. Evie must decide how to protect the people and activities with which she has become involved.

Her employer is not conveniently available to handle everything, so relying on an intimidating reputation is insufficient. Evie has to acquire skills that were unlikely to appear in her original job description: using a dagger, dealing with enemies and taking part in treason. The contrast between professional development and criminal fantasy adventure preserves the series’ playful view of employment.

Rennedawn’s failing magic changes the job

The title marks a shift in responsibility. An assistant can help keep an organisation running; an apprentice begins to learn the work at a deeper level. Evie’s new challenges therefore concern confidence as well as competence. She has to move beyond the comfort of a role she understands while remaining alert to the consequences of the choices she makes.

The threat to the kingdom adds an appealing contradiction to the villain’s business. Protecting a supposedly nefarious enterprise may also involve protecting a much wider world. The comic reversal leaves room for questions about loyalty and appearances: the people labelled good or evil may be less useful guides than what those people actually do when danger arrives.

Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s second Villain novel

Readers who enjoyed Evie’s first adventure can return for the continuing romantic tension, the unusual colleagues and an expanding fantasy conflict. This second instalment is best approached after Assistant to the Villain, which establishes the relationships and workplace. It is particularly suited to readers who like a heroine’s growing agency to change the direction of a series rather than leave her repeating the same tasks.

Buy the English Penguin paperback, ISBN 9781804993392, to continue the Assistant to the Villain series in a physical edition. Apprentice to the Villain brings Evie’s capacity for practical action into a more dangerous setting, where protecting a manor may also mean protecting Rennedawn. Hannah Nicole Maehrer gives the next step in an unconventional career a mixture of magic, conspiracy and romantic anticipation.