Honestly, walking into the world of Hannah Nicole Maehrer feels a lot like stumbling into a workplace comedy where the boss is a literal war criminal and the coffee is probably poisoned. It's weird. It’s colorful. It’s messy. When Assistant to the Villain book 1 first started making waves on TikTok, some people dismissed it as just another "BookTok trend" that would fizzle out once the aesthetic wore off. But they were wrong. There is something specifically magnetic about Evie Sage’s descent into the service of "The Villain" that taps into a very modern, very human desire to just... give up on being "good" and get a steady paycheck from someone who values your organizational skills.
Even if that person happens to be the most feared man in the kingdom.
What is Assistant to the Villain Book 1 actually about?
Most people go into this expecting a dark, brooding fantasy. They see the title and think Villains and Virtues or some heavy, grimdark epic. It isn't that. Not even close. The story follows Evie Sage, a girl who is basically the human equivalent of a sunshine emoji, as she tries to support her struggling family. Through a series of chaotic events—mostly involving a very grumpy, very murderous man in a cape—she ends up becoming the personal assistant to the realm's most notorious villain.
Think The Office meets Shrek, but with more decapitated heads and pining.
The Villain is trying to overthrow a corrupt king, and Evie is just trying to make sure the "traitor of the week" lists are alphabetized. It’s a workplace rom-com wrapped in a fantasy skin. The stakes are high, sure, but the focus is almost entirely on the dynamic between a girl who loves bright colors and a man who is legally obligated to hate her.
The Evie Sage appeal
Evie isn't your typical "strong female lead." She’s not a master of the blade. She isn’t hiding some world-ending magic in her veins—at least, not in the way you’d expect. Her strength is her relentless, almost terrifying optimism. She walks into a lair filled with torture devices and thinks about how a nice rug would really tie the room together.
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It’s refreshing.
Too many fantasy books try to make their heroines "badass" by stripping away their joy. Maehrer does the opposite. She lets Evie be soft, kind, and organized, proving that you can survive a villainous lair just as well with a color-coded planner as you can with a sword.
Why the tone of Assistant to the Villain Book 1 works (and why it doesn't for some)
If you hate puns, you’re going to have a bad time. Let’s just be real about that right now. The book is saturated in a specific type of internet-humor-turned-literary-voice. It’s self-aware. It’s meta. It knows it’s a trope, and it leans into it with its whole heart.
- The Humor: It’s snappy. The dialogue moves fast, often relying on the "straight man" dynamic where the Villain is baffled by Evie’s sheer normalcy.
- The World-Building: It’s light. This isn't Tolkien. You aren't getting 40 pages of history on the tectonic shifts of the kingdom. You get enough to understand why the King sucks and why the Villain is doing what he’s doing.
- The Slow Burn: It is a glacial, excruciating burn. If you want spice on page five, go somewhere else. This is about the long game.
The pacing is a bit erratic, though. Some readers complain that the first half of Assistant to the Villain book 1 feels like a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive plot. They aren't entirely wrong. It feels like a collection of skits at times, likely because the story originated as a series of social media sketches. But by the time the actual plot—the mystery of the traitor within the Villain’s ranks—kicks in, the stakes feel earned because you’ve spent so much time just hanging out with these weirdos.
Addressing the TikTok origins
There’s this weird snobbery in the book world about titles that start on TikTok. People assume that because a story worked in sixty-second clips, it can't hold up as a 400-page novel. But Maehrer actually manages the transition better than most. She keeps the "voice" that made people follow her in the first place but adds enough internal monologue to make Evie feel like a real person instead of a caricature.
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It’s about the tropes. Readers love tropes. We love "He falls first." We love "Grumpy vs. Sunshine." We love "Who did this to you?" And this book is basically a buffet of every favorite trope in the romantasy genre, served with a side of severed limbs.
The mystery that keeps people reading
While the romance is the hook, the plot actually revolves around a mole. Someone is leaking information from the Villain’s lair, and Evie—despite her "assistant" title—ends up being the one most likely to figure it out. This adds a layer of tension that keeps the book from floating away on its own fluffiness.
There are actual consequences. People die. The Villain isn't just a "misunderstood softie" in the way some "villain" characters are portrayed; he’s genuinely dangerous. He kills people. He enjoys it. The book doesn't shy away from the fact that Evie is working for a "bad" guy, which creates a fun moral friction that most cozy fantasies avoid.
Key characters you'll actually care about:
- Trystan (The Villain): Broody, traumatized, and weirdly obsessed with his assistant’s safety. He’s the blueprint for the "I hate everyone but you" trope.
- The Dragon: Yes, there is a dragon. No, it isn't what you think.
- Blade: The security guard who is just tired. We are all Blade.
The ending of Assistant to the Villain Book 1 (No spoilers, but...)
The cliffhanger is brutal. Just... be prepared.
Hannah Nicole Maehrer didn't come to play with that final act. Everything that felt like a low-stakes office comedy suddenly shifts into a high-stakes betrayal. It’s the kind of ending that makes you want to throw the book across the room, but only because you realize you have to wait for the sequel.
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The shift in tone is jarring for some, but it’s necessary. It validates the "Villain" part of the title. It reminds the reader that despite the jokes about HR and office supplies, these people are in the middle of a literal rebellion. The contrast between the whimsical humor of the beginning and the gut-punch of the end is what makes the book stick in your head long after you finish it.
Critical nuances: What the reviews get wrong
A lot of critics call this "juvenile." I think that’s a misunderstanding of tone. There’s a difference between "juvenile" and "joyful." The book is intentionally silly. It’s escapism in its purest form. It’s written for the person who grew up on The Princess Bride but also spends too much time on the "corporate" side of the internet.
It also tackles grief and poverty in a way that feels surprisingly grounded. Evie’s motivation isn't power or glory; it’s keeping her sister fed and her father cared for. That’s a very real, very adult motivation tucked inside a story about a man who wears a cape and broods in a dark castle.
Is it worth the hype?
If you want a dense, political fantasy with a complex magic system: No. You will be annoyed by page ten.
If you want a book that feels like a warm hug from a slightly deranged friend: Yes. Assistant to the Villain book 1 succeeds because it doesn't take itself too seriously, which ironically makes the emotional moments land much harder.
Actionable steps for readers and aspiring writers
If you're looking to dive into this world or trying to understand why it works so well, here are the takeaways:
- Read it for the voice: If you're a writer, study how Maehrer uses voice to carry the narrative. The plot is secondary to the "vibe," and in modern publishing, vibe is king.
- Check the triggers: Despite the "cozy" label some give it, there is violence. It’s "cartoonish" violence (think heads on pikes but with a joke attached), but it's there.
- Follow the TikTok trail: To truly appreciate the book, look up Maehrer’s original videos. Seeing the "performative" version of these characters helps you hear their voices more clearly while reading.
- Look for the subversion: Pay attention to how the "hero" of the story is portrayed. The book does a fantastic job of showing how "good" and "evil" are often just matters of branding and perspective.
- Prepare for Book 2: Don't start this if you aren't ready to immediately look for the sequel. The narrative arc of the first book is strictly an introduction to the larger conflict.
The book is a testament to the power of niche storytelling. It isn't trying to be for everyone. It’s for the people who want their fantasy with a side of snark and a protagonist who is more worried about her boss's lunch schedule than the impending doom of the kingdom. It’s fun, it’s frantic, and it’s one of the most unique entries in the romantasy space in years.