What do you think?
Rate this book
Who Calls Me Villain
Not yet published
Expected 27 Jan 26Centuries ago, the Mirian Goddess of Death was known by a hundred names whispered through the realm like secrets; now she’s Raven.
When the death of a queen drags her from exile, she’s forced into a blood bargain with the manipulative King of Tyrlas. He expects her to restore the broken pieces of her godhood and return to full power in service of his kingdom.
In the king's demand, Raven sees an opportunity to thwart fate and put herself and the loathsome power of the gods to rest. However, in order to succeed, she must find the pieces of her godhood and restore the powers she'd given up by retracing her immortal past with the help of sworn knight, Orion Blackthorn—the much too talkative wolf-shifter.
As she reclaims her power, she finds herself reluctantly drawn to Orion. The gravity of her attraction only gets more complicated when they encounter Adler, the mysterious fae prince with a vested interest in her survival.
Will Raven save the realm from herself and end the power of gods, or will love be her downfall, as it was so many times before?
When the death of a queen drags her from exile, she’s forced into a blood bargain with the manipulative King of Tyrlas. He expects her to restore the broken pieces of her godhood and return to full power in service of his kingdom.
In the king's demand, Raven sees an opportunity to thwart fate and put herself and the loathsome power of the gods to rest. However, in order to succeed, she must find the pieces of her godhood and restore the powers she'd given up by retracing her immortal past with the help of sworn knight, Orion Blackthorn—the much too talkative wolf-shifter.
As she reclaims her power, she finds herself reluctantly drawn to Orion. The gravity of her attraction only gets more complicated when they encounter Adler, the mysterious fae prince with a vested interest in her survival.
Will Raven save the realm from herself and end the power of gods, or will love be her downfall, as it was so many times before?
559 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 27, 2026
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 28, 2025
Thank you to Allison Trebacz for allowing me a chance to read this as an arc reader!
Raven is a 784-year-old, jaded, grumpy goddess of death who was thrown into her role without any say. Pulled from exile, she finds herself forced into a blood bargain with King Tyrlas to raise an undead army. Before she can do that, Raven must restore her lost power by locating the pieces of her godhood she scattered throughout the realm. Accompanied by her newly assigned bodyguard, Orion Blackthorn—tasked by the king to ensure her return—they embark on a journey where nothing goes as planned. Raven has her own dark agenda, and she is not easily controlled.
The world-building was immersive and complex, with Allison Trebacz doing an excellent job of weaving history and politics naturally throughout the story. The magic system involving the gods of the Pantheon was especially intriguing. Character development was well executed, and the inclusion of flashback chapters from Raven’s long life added meaningful depth and emotional weight to her character.
My only critique is that some sections felt slightly overwritten and could have been condensed into fewer pages rather than full chapters. That said, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to read this beautifully written book.
The cliffhanger is heartbreakingly unfair, and I cannot wait for the next installment to see what awaits Raven.
Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating 3.5 stars
Raven is a 784-year-old, jaded, grumpy goddess of death who was thrown into her role without any say. Pulled from exile, she finds herself forced into a blood bargain with King Tyrlas to raise an undead army. Before she can do that, Raven must restore her lost power by locating the pieces of her godhood she scattered throughout the realm. Accompanied by her newly assigned bodyguard, Orion Blackthorn—tasked by the king to ensure her return—they embark on a journey where nothing goes as planned. Raven has her own dark agenda, and she is not easily controlled.
The world-building was immersive and complex, with Allison Trebacz doing an excellent job of weaving history and politics naturally throughout the story. The magic system involving the gods of the Pantheon was especially intriguing. Character development was well executed, and the inclusion of flashback chapters from Raven’s long life added meaningful depth and emotional weight to her character.
My only critique is that some sections felt slightly overwritten and could have been condensed into fewer pages rather than full chapters. That said, I truly enjoyed the opportunity to read this beautifully written book.
The cliffhanger is heartbreakingly unfair, and I cannot wait for the next installment to see what awaits Raven.
Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rating 3.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Author
Who Calls Me Villain by Allison Trebacz [ARC REVIEW]
★★★★☆
4/5 stars
Release date: January 1st, 2026
What is love to an immortal god? Everything, it turns out.
IF YOU LIKE:
• Fallible gods
• Morally grey characters
• YEARNING …but denying it
• So. Much. Banter.
• Love as an escape
• Angst :(
YOU’LL LOVE Who Calls Me Villain
≪ I’d found love too many times and let it ransack my reason. Love led me to stand in the ashes of my mistakes, soaked in blood that never should have spilled. ≫
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Lady Raven (Queen Foriana, Goddess of Death)
→ Ancient, powerful, exhausted, and desperate for an escape, Raven is a complicated and beautiful character. She is hero and villain, moral compass and morally corrupt, resilient and ready to die, broken and rebuilt time and time again. Love is her driving force and her greatest weakness. Her self-loathing is equal only to her need to be held, and she is haunted by a thousand lifetimes of mistakes. She is, to put it mildly: everything.
• Miria and its cities
→ From the gold-soaked marble of the Untouchable Library to the shelves of Vharos; from Linvia, wrapped in mountains to the labyrinthine layers of Avilla; from the god-trees surrounding Reen to the eternal spring of Belfiante; this world is stunningly beautiful, highly detailed, and full of wonder.
• The characters (all of them)
→ The chemistry between Raven and Orion is electric and lived-in, scalding but comfortable. Alder’s self-confident charm is threatening in the best possible way. Ophie is a burst of light, Henry is pure warmth, and the myriad gods and ghosts that find their way into Raven’s memories and mind are all uniquely interesting. There is not a single character whose presence isn’t necessary, and each of them brings more depth to Raven and the story.
• Raven’s plan
→ The longer she commits to it, the more you realize that it’s not as selfish as she thinks it is. She isn’t running away from her responsibility (anymore): she’s trying to return power and control to the mortal people of Miria who she loves so much. She thinks she’s a villain, but she’s trying to be a martyr: trying to build a better world for those who come after. I love her.
≪ What if he gave me the will to keep going? ≫
WISHLIST:
• More exposition
→ It is rare that I want more info-dumping in a novel, but this book could really benefit from just a little more point-blank explanation. The intentional ambiguity starts as intrigue but could eventually twist into confusion.
≪ There weren’t any gods left to ask for forgiveness. The primordials long ceded their power. Only Fate remains and he could go fuck himself. ≫
--
*I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the author
★★★★☆
4/5 stars
Release date: January 1st, 2026
What is love to an immortal god? Everything, it turns out.
IF YOU LIKE:
• Fallible gods
• Morally grey characters
• YEARNING …but denying it
• So. Much. Banter.
• Love as an escape
• Angst :(
YOU’LL LOVE Who Calls Me Villain
≪ I’d found love too many times and let it ransack my reason. Love led me to stand in the ashes of my mistakes, soaked in blood that never should have spilled. ≫
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Lady Raven (Queen Foriana, Goddess of Death)
→ Ancient, powerful, exhausted, and desperate for an escape, Raven is a complicated and beautiful character. She is hero and villain, moral compass and morally corrupt, resilient and ready to die, broken and rebuilt time and time again. Love is her driving force and her greatest weakness. Her self-loathing is equal only to her need to be held, and she is haunted by a thousand lifetimes of mistakes. She is, to put it mildly: everything.
• Miria and its cities
→ From the gold-soaked marble of the Untouchable Library to the shelves of Vharos; from Linvia, wrapped in mountains to the labyrinthine layers of Avilla; from the god-trees surrounding Reen to the eternal spring of Belfiante; this world is stunningly beautiful, highly detailed, and full of wonder.
• The characters (all of them)
→ The chemistry between Raven and Orion is electric and lived-in, scalding but comfortable. Alder’s self-confident charm is threatening in the best possible way. Ophie is a burst of light, Henry is pure warmth, and the myriad gods and ghosts that find their way into Raven’s memories and mind are all uniquely interesting. There is not a single character whose presence isn’t necessary, and each of them brings more depth to Raven and the story.
• Raven’s plan
→ The longer she commits to it, the more you realize that it’s not as selfish as she thinks it is. She isn’t running away from her responsibility (anymore): she’s trying to return power and control to the mortal people of Miria who she loves so much. She thinks she’s a villain, but she’s trying to be a martyr: trying to build a better world for those who come after. I love her.
≪ What if he gave me the will to keep going? ≫
WISHLIST:
• More exposition
→ It is rare that I want more info-dumping in a novel, but this book could really benefit from just a little more point-blank explanation. The intentional ambiguity starts as intrigue but could eventually twist into confusion.
≪ There weren’t any gods left to ask for forgiveness. The primordials long ceded their power. Only Fate remains and he could go fuck himself. ≫
--
*I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the author
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is a BEAST! I loved it, I yearned for it, I stayed up late reading and am desperate for more. Raven is an extremely complex character with hundreds of years of atrocities. She is immortal but in her heart still mortal; a human woman who doesn't want to get hurt again, but has been hurt more than anyone should ever be. She is cunning and thoughtful and pained and guilty and full of stories and memories. She clings to a previous fling as desperate as a desert elephant clings to water, but is grieving a historical husband with her whole soul.
I think her and Dianna from The Book of Azrael would be fast friends.
When a book has a scene in it that makes me do a full body shudder/chills, that makes me gasp and then cry and feel so deeply that I find myself thinking of the scene when I'm stuck at a red light - WOW. I cannot put into words what it felt like to read this scene (Leander's ghost). I felt Raven's heartbreak as it was my own. This is incredible writing and storytelling.
Yes, the beginning felt very rushed and I felt really confused as to why she's striking a deal with a mortal king, or cares about anyone else around her, but after about 5 or 6 chapters I felt myself pulling towards reading more. By about 1/6th in I knew I'd be giving an amazing review.
I loved Ophie, I loved that Raven loved her also. I wish we got more of her, more of her stories and her experience and her future.
I felt more connected to Adler than Orion, I think I got their connection more. The immortality and the similarities. He had a lot more depth as a character, but I am coming onto Orion. Then BAM that ending twist!!!
I really enjoyed reading about the depths of being the Goddess of Death and the things she could do and things she could see. I felt sorry for the souls she hadn't helped in 500 years.
Save this book for a time when you can really sit with it and focus and don't have distractions. I loved sitting on the sofa or in bed and just diving in, especially if my partner was out for a few hours or asleep already. I could 100% focus in and that's exactly what I needed. What a beautiful, complex, heartbreaking book.
My one irritation is the repeated 'trope' of characters dying (or historically have died) and suddenly resurrected. Surely death is death. This seems to be a recurring theme to Romantasy books, one that I am not a fan of personally!
I think her and Dianna from The Book of Azrael would be fast friends.
When a book has a scene in it that makes me do a full body shudder/chills, that makes me gasp and then cry and feel so deeply that I find myself thinking of the scene when I'm stuck at a red light - WOW. I cannot put into words what it felt like to read this scene (Leander's ghost). I felt Raven's heartbreak as it was my own. This is incredible writing and storytelling.
Yes, the beginning felt very rushed and I felt really confused as to why she's striking a deal with a mortal king, or cares about anyone else around her, but after about 5 or 6 chapters I felt myself pulling towards reading more. By about 1/6th in I knew I'd be giving an amazing review.
I loved Ophie, I loved that Raven loved her also. I wish we got more of her, more of her stories and her experience and her future.
I felt more connected to Adler than Orion, I think I got their connection more. The immortality and the similarities. He had a lot more depth as a character, but I am coming onto Orion. Then BAM that ending twist!!!
I really enjoyed reading about the depths of being the Goddess of Death and the things she could do and things she could see. I felt sorry for the souls she hadn't helped in 500 years.
Save this book for a time when you can really sit with it and focus and don't have distractions. I loved sitting on the sofa or in bed and just diving in, especially if my partner was out for a few hours or asleep already. I could 100% focus in and that's exactly what I needed. What a beautiful, complex, heartbreaking book.
My one irritation is the repeated 'trope' of characters dying (or historically have died) and suddenly resurrected. Surely death is death. This seems to be a recurring theme to Romantasy books, one that I am not a fan of personally!
December 29, 2025
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved this book. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting, which made me love it even more. I was pulled into Raven’s story right away and found myself constantly wanting to know what would happen next.
Raven is the God of Death who has lost parts of her godhood. She makes a deal with the King to find and regain her godhood so she can make shades for him and in exchange, he’ll spare her traveling companion and his sister’s lives. Early on, Raven realizes that Orion, the knight who is accompanying her, is her soul bound. Raven will not allow herself to form any sort of attachment to him for fear of falling in love and losing someone yet again. Raven has lived over 700 years and has been through too many losses, betrayals, and inflicted too many wrongs. You can feel her self-loathing throughout this story and throughout her journey with Orion to regain her godhood.
This is a why choose book with Raven having a second soul bound. I enjoyed the dynamics between the 3 of them and the spice was well done. The end was shocking and leaves us with a cliffhanger, but Allison warned that was going to happen.
I was expecting a story with a badass FMC with feminine rage but this was not that. Raven comes off very cold and detached but is very sad and defeated underneath. I loved the complexity of her character. Check the trigger warnings before reading this because it does delve into suicidal thoughts and ideation quite a bit. I loved WCMV and can’t wait for the next book. I hope Raven gets her HEA.
Raven is the God of Death who has lost parts of her godhood. She makes a deal with the King to find and regain her godhood so she can make shades for him and in exchange, he’ll spare her traveling companion and his sister’s lives. Early on, Raven realizes that Orion, the knight who is accompanying her, is her soul bound. Raven will not allow herself to form any sort of attachment to him for fear of falling in love and losing someone yet again. Raven has lived over 700 years and has been through too many losses, betrayals, and inflicted too many wrongs. You can feel her self-loathing throughout this story and throughout her journey with Orion to regain her godhood.
This is a why choose book with Raven having a second soul bound. I enjoyed the dynamics between the 3 of them and the spice was well done. The end was shocking and leaves us with a cliffhanger, but Allison warned that was going to happen.
I was expecting a story with a badass FMC with feminine rage but this was not that. Raven comes off very cold and detached but is very sad and defeated underneath. I loved the complexity of her character. Check the trigger warnings before reading this because it does delve into suicidal thoughts and ideation quite a bit. I loved WCMV and can’t wait for the next book. I hope Raven gets her HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2025
I absolutely loved this one. I was a little confused at the beginning, but I think that was intentional. The world building is fantastic and you can tell how much thought went into creating it. The cold, wintry atmosphere throughout the story makes this an especially great winter read.
Raven is such a great character. She steps into the role that most MMCs usually fill in other books, and I really appreciated that switch. She’s done so many good things, but also plenty of bad things as well, which is what she dwells on. I loved the flashbacks because they helped me understand her on a deeper level. I also loved how she falls in love so hard and so fast.
Both Orion and Adler offer her something different, and she doesn’t shy away from admitting to herself that she wants them both.
And the spice is absolutely spice-ing. Since this is a why choose, you get scenes with her, Orion and Adler 🤤
There are so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was absolutely wild, and I cannot wait to see Raven get her HEA.
Raven is such a great character. She steps into the role that most MMCs usually fill in other books, and I really appreciated that switch. She’s done so many good things, but also plenty of bad things as well, which is what she dwells on. I loved the flashbacks because they helped me understand her on a deeper level. I also loved how she falls in love so hard and so fast.
Both Orion and Adler offer her something different, and she doesn’t shy away from admitting to herself that she wants them both.
And the spice is absolutely spice-ing. Since this is a why choose, you get scenes with her, Orion and Adler 🤤
There are so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending was absolutely wild, and I cannot wait to see Raven get her HEA.
November 29, 2025
This book is thick y’all!
The twist and turns and plot.
Raven is a troubled heroine who has lived, in her opinion, to long. Shes experienced a lot both good and bad. Her soul is weary.
The flashbacks give us insight into her life, both the struggles and the triumphs.
She’s had a lot of betrayal.
That cliffhanger ☠️. Can’t wait to read more and see Raven get her HEA
The twist and turns and plot.
Raven is a troubled heroine who has lived, in her opinion, to long. Shes experienced a lot both good and bad. Her soul is weary.
The flashbacks give us insight into her life, both the struggles and the triumphs.
She’s had a lot of betrayal.
That cliffhanger ☠️. Can’t wait to read more and see Raven get her HEA
December 5, 2025
I am absolutely devastated why can't she be happy at last with her two soul bounds? I'm crying on the sofa rn and I can't move. Why oh why you had to leave me like this at the very end? Orion, Foriana and Adler😭😭😭😭😭please don't make them suffer in the next one and let them have their happy ending 😭🤍 please please please
Absolutely brilliant 5 stars
Absolutely brilliant 5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
That was a lot. I'll be honest I struggled a bit to follow along. That was particularly my fault. I need to stay away from dense fantasy books when I'm having flare ups. The brain fog makes me feel so dumb. It's an amazing book. Highly recommend just take your time and don't push yourself on this one. Definitely gonna reread this one.
That was a lot. I'll be honest I struggled a bit to follow along. That was particularly my fault. I need to stay away from dense fantasy books when I'm having flare ups. The brain fog makes me feel so dumb. It's an amazing book. Highly recommend just take your time and don't push yourself on this one. Definitely gonna reread this one.
August 15, 2025
Had the privilege of Beta reading this and loved it!
Raven is so complex, and her journey is very compelling.
I'm so excited to see what Allison has in store for the ARC version!
Raven is so complex, and her journey is very compelling.
I'm so excited to see what Allison has in store for the ARC version!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews