Long Live Evil (Time of Iron, 1)
"Funny, audacious, and supremely satisfying, Long Live Evil is the chosen one we've been waiting for." --Leigh Bardugo, New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House
"Brilliant." --Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Night
This is a tale for everyone who's ever fallen for the villain ...
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He's impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
★ "Absolutely wonderful." ―Kirkus (Starred)
★ "Brennan's adult fantasy debut is two great stories in one: the romantasy in the background and Rae's adventure in the foreground." ―Booklist (Starred)
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES "BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY OF 2024" AND "BEST ROMANCE NOVELS OF 2024"
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Community Reviews
finished at 4am
i just dissociated at one specific point until the end if you know you know
i loved this book so much for many different reasons, the two main ones are : the chronically ill rep i need more, and how well the meta premise of this book was executed. I'm in awe truly, i can't wait to see what awaits us in the sequel
truly a me-book, the ones that make you feel like they were written specifically for you, and an all time favorite
yea this one gets a rating hehe
reread
Oh rereading was such a good idea!!
I totally blacked out a large part of this book, and as I started this reread I realized it was because of the emotional damage it caused me.
The great news was that since I forgot most of it, and I read it two years ago too lmao, I doubted my past self's reading experience, and got to discover once again how great this book is :')
I didn't lie, the chronic ill rep in this book is so important to me (that, i never doubted) and the meta element is so well thought out and crafted it is delicious to read.
The parts I vaguely remembered actually brought me a lot of comfort, as I remembered only the horrors. I got to appreciate the many wonderful moments between beloved characters, and with the characters on their own.
The meta aspect being as good as it is, characters impact the story in a very specific way, which -apart from being a great element in and of itself- makes each of the characters' values and personalities shine in a spectacular way. (I love you Eric please never change <3)
If this book and its premise intrigue you, if you can appreciate a campy tone in your books, please try reading this i swear you won't regret it <3
The narrator did a good job. I think the story was fun, and there was a good amount of action. The main character does announce a lot that she's a villain and evil, but in a story where she's not taking it too seriously because it's all based on some romantasy in her world, I didn't mind. I'm iffy on the use of current slang and that some things didn't make full sense, but I tried not to think about it too much.
This book has such an interesting premise and is very unique! It makes you fall in love with the villains and challenge your perspective. Although, the writing felt difficult to follow at times with dialogue, POV changes, information dumping and flashbacks, it was still an enjoyable read! I saw the twists coming but not exactly in the way it happened. Still worth the read and I’ll absolutely read the next one!
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