Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: September 19, 2023
Received: Own (Aardvark)
Find it on Goodreads | Aardvark | Aardvark Reviews
Book Summary:
Charlie’s life has hit a bit of a dead-end. His career as a reporter is (probably) over. He’s recently divorced, and now he’s living in the house he grew up in. Which his siblings aren’t too thrilled about, mind you.
Then Charlie’s uncle, whom he never met, passes away. In doing so, he left his supervillain business (yes, really) to Charlie. Naturally, this comes with all sorts of complications. Though there is a nice lava pit, so there’s that.
My Review:
Oh, my goodness. I knew Starter Villain would be a delightful (not to mention hilarious) read, but it still managed to surprise me! This book is brilliant. It’s clever, witty, and has a sense of humor that I love.
Think about it. Supervillain business. Cats. Dolphins. Oh, and a substitute teacher taking charge of all of it. It’s so much fun. Throw in the desire to overthrow a few multinational corporations (IE, other supervillains), and you have something going for you. That something happens to be chaos, but it works.
Ironically, I think it’s all the side details and elements that I loved the most about this book. The core plot is fun, don’t get me wrong. But it’s the details that sell this book. Okay, all the twists help, too. What I’m trying to say is that Starter Villain is a blast and a half to read. It’s not like your typical superhero/villain book – it’s better.
Highlights:
- Supervillainy as a Business
- Cat Spies
- Pro-Union Dolphins
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