This week’s review started off very rough. This is actually the second time I’ve picked up this book to read. When I tried a couple of weeks ago, I had to start over from the beginning. That’s surprising because I loved the first book in this series. This week’s review is for Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
The story begins right after the previous book, Assistant to the Villain, ends. Evie Sage is determined to rescue her boss at all costs. She routinely puts herself in dangerous situations, only to come out on the other side. The Villain is also determined—determined to make people fit into the boxes he has put them in. Evie’s life purpose is to ensure that the Villain cannot figure out her next move. While they try to figure each other out, the kingdom is in danger. The motley crew of characters in this novel are all doing their part to save Rennedawn. With everything from mischievous little sisters to a long-lost sibling, there is a lot happening in this book.
There are several things that made this a very sluggish read. One reason is that this story is a very slow burn. The Villain and Evie only share a kiss, then spend the rest of the book fighting the feelings they have. Evie knows she cares for the Villain, but the Villain does not believe that Evie feels anything for him. He’s so busy fighting his feelings for her that he constantly hurts Evie throughout the book. Some moments could have been avoided if they had just admitted how they truly feel. While I believe Evie is ready to do this, the Villain still has some growing to do.
The next issue was the pacing. The beginning of the book was fast-paced because the motley crew was helping the Villain escape. After the Villain was out and back at the manor, it felt like everything slowed down so much that it seemed to take forever to read the chapters. This was why I put it down the first time. I loved the first book, so I was determined to finish it, even though I set it aside at the end of my to-be-read pile. When I finally picked it up again, I tried reading it, but it still took a while—especially with my birthday approaching and life happening.
While this book was just okay, I do like the characters in this series. I want to see how they come together to save Rennedawn. There are a lot of things in the air that I want to see get settled as well. I especially want to see what happens when Evie and the Villain admit their feelings for each other.
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