The Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer is very underrated in my opinion. It’s not as spoken about on the tiktok accounts or Facebook groups I’m following even though the books are so much fun to read! It’s actually one of the few series that has me snorting, chuckling or laughing out loud.

The fourth book is named Adversary of the Villain and OH MY GOD there were things happening in this book that I did not see coming and in hindsight still can’t wrap my head around.

Let’s recap just a little bit on the book before this one. Alexander Kingsley has been cursed years ago, Kingsley, an actual prince has been a frog and has always been by Trystan’s side since. Trystan AKA the villain has searched for a cure for his dear friend but has never been able to find any until in the last book where he believes that breaking Kingsley’s curse will lead to fulfilling the prophecy and with Evie and friends at his side, he actually gets people with the right knowledge talking due to Evie’s kindness. With the enchantress that cursed Kingsley being turned to stone they only have one option left, the enchantress had a daughter and because they share a bloodline the curse might be able to be lifted.

Fast forward to book 4 (:

When Evie was just a baby, there was a dark kind of mist encircling her which spooked her parents. Her father was a spy for king Benedict and he told him about his problem. There was a prophecy, you see? One where someone with dark magic will destroy all. This is where king Benedict wanted to do a switcheroo, taking Evie’s magic and transferring it to Trystan, who was at that time just at the age of six. They thought Trystan’s core healer magic would eventually get rid of the bad magic.

And now? Kingsley has dropped of the face of the earth and Evie can’t seem to come to terms that her magic is back, the dark mist encircling her and that prophecy would surely mean that she’ll probably kill Trystan, which is why she doesn’t want to go near him to much but he’s making it hard because Trystan finally let his guard down and professed his love to her, they even ‘fornicated’ in the previous book and it’s the only thing Trys can think about.

After months of absence Kingsley is finally found but not in the form you think. He’s actually human and is learning how to use his voice again, no more signs! But the euphoria he feels is short lived because he does turn into a frog now and again which means he’s human half the time.

After a horrible event Evie is so scared of the prophecy coming true and her hurting the one man she loves most, she runs leaving Massacre Mansion and even her sister Lyssa behind. Taking shelter at her niece Helena’s village where she runs the Deadlands Theatre but her venture doesn’t go unnoticed for long. Just when Evie learns about the infiltration in the theatre which is something Helena didn’t know about does she learn that nowhere is safe anymore. Trapped inside a burning Theatre there is only one thing she hopes… for Trystan to come to her rescue and if right on cue he actually comes to her rescue, promising to always search for her if she runs for he can’t life live without her.

Blade has an idea that might seem stupid and it’s an idea Evie surely would be against but it’s the only way to trick the guvres in coming back. Before being captured all those years ago there were guvre eggs. They never hatched but with Lyssa’s star magic they might be viable once more. With the task at hand Blade, Becky, Keeley, Gideon and Lyssa take Fluffy the dragon to get to the eggs.

Learning more about the prophecy with each passing day but also getting to know how little time they have left getting the things necessary to fulfill this prophecy is priority number one. They need an original stained-glass window but Trystan broke that when he moved into Massacre Mansion and sent the broken pieces to his father. There is only one place they can think off that his father would have stored it. Inside Trystan’s grave.

A lot lot lot more happens in this story but I just can’t divulge any more without spoiling. You have to read this series because it’s so much fun!

I’m giving this book a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating!