Once There Was a Villain

by Indy Guerra

What if nobody ever came to save the princess in the tower? What if she made her own escape? What if she became the villain? Vivienne Hawthorne has lived her entire life as a pampered, sheltered princess, but all that changes when an evil witch steals her away on her 16th birthday. Locked in a mysterious tower, she awaits her rescue, but as time passes she is forced to face the reality that no one is coming. With no choice but to make her own daring escape, a deep seed of anger takes root in Vivienne’s heart. Torn between the person she was and the person she’s becoming, Vivienne fights against a potent desire for revenge. She quickly learns that nothing is as it seems as her unexpected journey brings her face to face with cryptic prophecies, family secrets, and a handsome sorcerer she’s not sure she can trust. Her path will determine the fate of her kingdom, and her rage could be its destruction.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

308 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2023

Reviews

[MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly yet endearing…

3.5 / 5.0 I picked this up on a whim from Bookstagram. It’s not well written but since the FMC spends the first 25% of the book alone, it is effective. Think “Uprooted” meets “A Sorcery of Thorns” with a little “Starter Villain” tossed in towards the end.

The romance is very soft and the magic is pretty interesting. I can say there is plenty to like in each of the characters though their availability and access to magic is pretty convenient; I wish they had been more developed. The world building is done in an info-dump style which is vaguely “Fourth Wing”-ish, but maybe the next one will have some more depth.

Overall, not bad, not boring, and not the best thing you will read this year.

Until Next Time,
MC

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt rushed but overall enjoyed it

I wished there was more world building and detail to it, a lot of it felt rushed. I really liked the idea of the magic in this, is was different and hope the next book goes more in depth with that.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unterhaltsam, aber geschrieben wie ein ins deutsche übersetztes russisches Pferdemärchen

[Rachael Alexandra]

I love the plot concept. It was an enjoyable read.

[Kaylynn Kilmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book features a sweet, no spice romance, some epic action scenes, a unique magic system, an amazing cast of characters, and a great message of forgiveness and redemption despite the things you have done.
Cleanliness rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Squeaky clean, but not boring. All romance was super clean and consisted only of feelings and a few brief non invasive touches.
Enjoyment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked this book and really enjoyed the characters and their growth, the plot, and the message. However to me it felt like some things were said to be a bid deal but the author never showed them to be a big deal, such as when Vivienne cursed the kingdom it was said to be a big deal but we never saw the ramifications of it.
Overall I really liked this book and will definitely recommend it to others.