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Apprentice to the Villain

by Hannah Nicole Maehrer · 2024

Apprentice to the Villain is the second novel in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's comedic fantasy-romance series that began with Assistant to the Villain, a story she first developed as a viral TikTok serial. It follows Evie Sage… more

First published 2024 · 336 pages · Assistant to the Villain #2 · English

30 quotes ★ 4.09 (204,837) Fantasy

Quotes from the Book

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.
78
She was afraid, but she knew now: fear usually meant you were standing on the edge of something new, something self-altering, something potentially good. Fear was not something she would shy away from ever again.
54
It had occurred to her many times over that "impossible" was merely a word people used to describe limitations they wished for you to adhere to, so you wouldn't upset the balance.
47
There was no emotion in his voice when he said, “Does your mind live in the gutter?” She shook her head, tapping a finger against her lips. “No, but it rents there on occasion.
38
She breathed, “It’s so beautiful.” Her boss had been silent beside her, but now he replied hoarsely, still gripping her hand, “Yes, it is.” And when she turned, he was looking at her.
36
I do not lack equilibrium,” she argued. “The ground merely lacks the courtesy of letting me know when it is coming closer.
31
Because we are always expected to plaster a grin on our faces even when we don’t wish to. I used to do it so often, I stopped being able to tell when I was smiling for me or for someone else. So now, I don’t smile unless I’m one hundred percent sure it’s something I want to do, not something someone else wants me to do.
30
The Villain didn’t miss light. He missed color.
30
He would follow her off a cliff without question. And Evie knew she was in love with him. Right then, right there.
28
She’s in big trouble,” Evie said grumpily. “Go easy on her—she’s young,” The Villain said diplomatically. Evie turned toward him, planting her hands on her hips, a look of mock outrage on her face. “Aren’t you supposed to be evil?” “Encouraging children to neglect their education fits under that bracket, does it not?
24
I think I am very sad. But I won’t be forever.
23
Of all the foolish, horrific things he'd ever accomplished, falling in love with a woman he so completely didn't deserve made the top of his list. But he did love her. It wasn't a question or eve a sudden realization. He'd known, hadn't he? It was like a tether was between them, wrapped directly around his heart, that she had the power to push and pull at her leisure. She was woven into his being; in the blink of his eyes, in the crinkle of his smile, in his rusty unused laughter, she was there. From the moment he'd met her, he thought of her like the sun. Bright and vibrant, untouchable. But he was wrong. She wasn't light; she was color. Every single one, dancing otherworldly and bright over his unworthy eyes. She was the explosion of the vivid gleams and glows of the world around him, like a constant rainbow, shining not after the rain but during. She was everything he never deserved but longed for anyways.
21
You laughed.” “I know,” Trystan said, shaking his head, hoping to knock the building ache out of it. “You’re fucked
21
Losing someone didn’t mean the end; it merely meant the beginning of the life you’d lead without them, the beginning of letting in the people you’d gain in their stead.
20
There is nothing written in any text, gods-created or not, that says we cannot be more than one thing. You’ve been told for a very long time that you are made for destruction, but there is nothing that says you cannot be more. You can be capable of bad and do good. You can do good things and still be bad. Nothing is set in stone, and if it helps, I’ll stand by you no matter who you choose to be.
19
But she had one powerful and far more ridiculous tool in her arsenal. Spite.
17
He wished to find Sage. He wished to tell her he was sorry. He wished to be better about revealing how he felt, bit by bit. And perhaps, most importantly—he wished to have a godsforsaken tea party with her little sister, Lyssa.
15
demonize what they cannot understand. It isn’t our job to educate them, just to live the way we’re meant to with the knowledge that being called a monster does not make you one.
14
She took each moment of her life with a natural good humor, no matter how painful, no matter how tragic. She trekked on with nothing but her will. No magic to protect her. Just faith and optimism and belief in her survival.
13
Emotions didn’t always know right or nuance; they just knew to be hurt when someone caused pain.
12
This woman was unraveling him like a bloody ball of yarn.
12
You think I do not care? As if thoughts of you and your well-being don’t plague me daily. Nightly. Every second we are apart! I watched you die! I thought I’d never see you again! I have never known such darkness, and I never wish to again. If you think that makes me overbearing, so be it. But do not ever claim I do not care about you. You are wiser than that, Evie. Do not be a fucking fool.
11
When one spent their entire life feeling weak, it was quite thrilling to be viewed as a threat
11
I can say with the utmost assurance”—his eyes raked over her, and she stopped breathing—“when given the privilege, I have no issue performing.
11
It is fiction for a reason, you menace. By the gods, what if you carried out every impossible act you read about?” It was a rhetorical question, but she couldn’t resist the urge to slip into the normal ease of their cadence, like no time had passed. “Oh, I suppose that I would need to become very, um—flexible.
10
Why do men take pain as well as ice takes heat?
9
The destiny creature is searching for any ounce of goodness worth saving," Raphael called down to her. "It will test his resolve, his soul - and judging by his screams, he will not be saved. The creature will consume him and his soul. What can you possibly do?" She shrugged against the panic trying to consume her and reached Trystan in three long strides, hovering her hand over his. She closed her fingers around destiny and its overwhelming light as she said with a sureness that was absolutely faked. "I'll give him mine.
9
A tragic inheritance- seeing your mother’s flaws pop up in yourself and having the awareness to know it but no idea how to stop it.
8
we are always expected to plaster a grin on our faces even when we don’t wish to. I used to do it so often, I stopped being able to tell when I was smiling for me or for someone else. So now, I don’t smile unless I’m one hundred percent sure it’s something I want to do, not something someone else wants me to do.
8
She looked like the most beautiful nightmare he’d ever seen.
7

Did you know?

  • It is the sequel to Assistant to the Villain, which began as a viral TikTok serial by the author.
  • The series concept is often pitched as 'Once Upon a Time meets The Office.'
  • Television rights to the series were acquired by Legendary Television.
  • It was nominated for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Romantasy.
  • The book is published under Entangled's Red Tower Books fantasy imprint.

About Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Hannah Nicole Maehrer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who first gained an audience by serializing 'Assistant to the Villain' on TikTok before it was published as a novel. Before writing she worked in childcare and teaching emotional management, and she is known for blending romance, humor, and fantasy.

More about the author →

About the book

Apprentice to the Villain is the second novel in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's comedic fantasy-romance series that began with Assistant to the Villain, a story she first developed as a viral TikTok serial. It follows Evie Sage, the relentlessly upbeat personal assistant to The Villain (Trystan), as her role expands from organizing his sinister office to training as his apprentice in the kingdom of Rennedawn. As the realm's magic grows unstable and threats from the king mount, Evie must learn new and dangerous skills while the slow-burn attraction between assistant and boss continues to simmer.

The book leans into the contrast its premise is built on: workplace-comedy banter set against a darker fantasy backdrop, often described as 'Once Upon a Time meets The Office.' Its central themes include found family, the blurry line between good and evil, grief and emotional vulnerability beneath a fearsome exterior, and the idea that kindness and competence can be their own kind of power. Humor is used throughout as both a coping mechanism and a storytelling engine.

Apprentice to the Villain arrived on the back of the runaway success of its predecessor, which became a New York Times bestseller after going viral on BookTok. The sequel was widely anticipated by that built-in online readership and was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Romantasy in 2024. The series as a whole attracted a television adaptation deal, with Legendary Television acquiring the rights.

Key characters

  • Evie SageThe cheerful assistant turned apprentice to The Villain
  • Trystan (The Villain)The feared, secretly vulnerable villain Evie works for and is drawn to
  • KingsleyA frog who is part of the household's quirky inner circle
  • BeckyA coworker in The Villain's manor
  • BladeA member of The Villain's staff and Evie's circle

Book details

First published
2024
Length
336 pages
Series
Assistant to the Villain #2
Reading time
7 hours
Genre
Fantasy
Goodreads rating
4.09 (205k ratings)
First line
“NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism.”

Critical reception

  • Nominated for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Readers' Favorite Romantasy.
  • Builds on the New York Times bestselling success and large BookTok following of the first book.
  • Reviewers highlight its workplace-comedy humor paired with a darker fantasy setting and a slow-burn romance.

Series & reading order

  1. 1 Assistant to the Villain
  2. 2 Apprentice to the Villain
  3. 3 Accomplice to the Villain

If you liked this, read…

  1. 1
    Assistant to the VillainThe first book in the same series, establishing Evie and The Villain.
  2. 2
    Legends & LattesCozy, low-stakes fantasy with warmth and humor.

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