Apprentice to the Villain Review | A Twisty Fantasy Sequel with Slow-Burn Romance

💫🎤 Book Spotlight: Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Genre: • Romantic Fantasy • Humor • Villain POV

☕ Book Details & Rating

Format: Paperback

Series: Assistant to the Villain Series #2

Year Published: 2024

Page Count: 354

Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕ (5 Coffees!)

🥤 Coffee Pairing: Midnight Cauldron Mocha

Dark roast espresso brewed strong and bitter, like something straight from the Villain’s kitchen. Add dark chocolate and a hint of blackberry syrup for depth, then finish it with just a touch of vanilla cream hidden beneath the foam. At first sip it’s bold, broody, and a little intimidating—but if you look closer, there’s unmistakable sweetness tucked just out of sight.

Just like Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, this drink balances darkness with heart. Intimidating on the outside, secretly soft on the inside… and far more addictive than you expect. 🖤☕✨

About the Book

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer picks up where Assistant to the Villain left off, returning readers to a world where evil empires run on paperwork, loyalty, and a surprising amount of emotional chaos.

Evie Sage has officially settled into her role working for the Villain, and while the job comes with plenty of danger, strange coworkers, and morally questionable tasks, it also brings something she didn’t expect: a sense of belonging. But as new threats begin to close in on the Villain’s kingdom, the stakes grow higher than ever.

Between political intrigue, mysterious enemies, and feelings neither of them are quite ready to confront, Evie and the Villain must navigate a world where loyalty is everything—and where even the darkest hearts might hide a little softness beneath the surface.

Packed with sharp humor, slow-burn tension, and chaotic found-family energy, this sequel deepens the story while keeping the wit and charm that made the first book so addictive.

My Thoughts

There are so many twists and turns in the second installment of the Assistant to the Villain series. In Apprentice to the Villain, we see Evie, the Villain, and the rest of the team set out on a quest to find Evie’s mother. Along the way, Evie and the Villain’s feelings for each other finally come to a head… at the worst possible time.

The kiss they share is a little on the steamy side, but it doesn’t cross any lines. And unfortunately, that’s all we get. They immediately go cold again, both trying very hard to deny the feelings growing between them. The Villain’s magic even starts acting strangely whenever Evie is around, which only makes him try to keep his distance. Of course, Evie sees his distance as more of a challenge. She absolutely loves making him squirm with her comments—and her outfits.

This installment ends on a cliffhanger (of course), with a prophecy from Destiny that sets up what promises to be even bigger chaos in the next book.

Getting to see Becky’s point of view was an absolute delight. We finally get her backstory and learn why she is the way she is. I love multiple POVs in a story like this because we get to understand the motivations behind actions that might otherwise seem confusing. It also gives us a look into the innermost thoughts of characters we might not fully trust yet.

The character growth in this book is impressive, especially between Becky and Evie. They actually become friends—which I would not have predicted a million years ago. We also see the Villain soften a little more, and the rest of the inner circle slowly begin to feel more like a real team.

"Sometimes family isn't a thing we are born into, but a choice we make. Sometimes," Evie smiled, "the people who love you most in your life are the ones who choose you." - Hannah Nicole Maeher, Assistant to the Villain

Another thing I really enjoyed in this installment is how much the world expands. We meet a lot of new characters throughout the story. Some of them end up living in the manor, while others we only encounter along the journey. Each new character adds another layer of depth and complexity to the story. It makes the world feel bigger and more lived-in, and it gives the inner circle even more personalities to bounce off of.

It also raises the stakes. With Destiny’s prophecy looming over everything, the growing cast makes it clear that what’s coming next will impact far more than just Evie and the Villain. The story is no longer confined to the manor—it feels like the entire world is beginning to shift.

Another thing Maehrer does incredibly well is the humor. Even with the darker stakes and the looming prophecy, the book never loses its chaotic charm. The banter between the characters, the ridiculous situations they find themselves in, and the overall workplace-meets-villain-lair dynamic keep the story feeling light and fun. It’s that balance of danger and comedy that makes the series so addictive.

The Villain begrudgingly starts to accept that if he wants Evie in his life, the rest of the group comes with her—and he doesn’t exactly hate it. He even begins to think that doing something to save instead of destroy might make him deserving. In many ways, he’s the perfect example of how villains are created. He was told his entire life that his magic made him evil, and eventually he started to believe it. Does that make his choices right? No. But it does help explain the why behind them.

At the same time, we also start to see the beginnings of Evie’s own villain arc. Her hurt and anger are starting to bubble beneath the surface. She’s still optimistic and cheerful on the outside, but there’s a darker edge forming that makes her character even more interesting going forward.

My Final Thoughts

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer continues to build on everything that made the first book so fun: the chaotic quest, the slow-burn tension between Evie and the Villain, and the found-family dynamic that keeps getting stronger. Maehrer’s humor and wit really shine in this installment. The banter alone had me laughing more than once, and honestly I now need a T-shirt with the quote: “I do not lack equilibrium. The ground merely lacks the courtesy of letting me know when it is coming closer.”

Because of the kiss between Evie and the Villain leaning a little more toward the steamy side, I would categorize this one as low spice rather than completely no spice. They’re also a bit more openly attracted to each other in this book, so there is some language that comes along with that. Like the first book, there’s also a bit of cussing sprinkled throughout.

Overall, this sequel delivers on character growth, emotional tension, and plenty of humor while setting up an even bigger story ahead. If you loved Assistant to the Villain, this next installment absolutely keeps the momentum going—and that cliffhanger will have you impatiently waiting for the next book.