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Hench #2
Villain
The Boys meets Starter Villain and Assistant to the Villain in Natalie Zina Walschots’s electrifying, sharp, violent, and hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Hench, in which the Auditor must confront the near-impossible in order to right the many wrongs in the superhuman industry…or cause more of them. She’s not picky.
Anna, better known to superheroes as the Auditor, has carved out a name for herself. Any hero unlucky enough to cross her path knows her potential and powers. Surely, success should taste she has an incredible job with lots of perks, and her boss will literally annihilate anyone who crosses her, and her greatest enemy, the former hero Supercollider, has been utterly defeated and literally ground to a pulp.
But Anna still has her sights set on a greater destroying the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s most powerful superheroes. These “heroes” have shown time and time again that they do more harm than good, and now is the time to stop the damage at its source.
Yet all is not well for the Auditor and her fellow evildoers. Her employer, Leviathan—the world’s most feared supervillain—is not coping well with Supercollider’s defeat at someone else’s hands. Moreover, her unlikely ally and unexpected friend, Quantum Entanglement, has vanished without a trace, leaving Anna to examine all the ways they deceived each other. Tension and uncertainty fill the air, and fear that this moment of triumph is about to crumble looms over all of them.
Anna soon finds herself facing down an opponent unlike any she’s taken on before—not another superhero, but someone like her…someone much more the Draft’s Chief Marketing Officer. This isn’t a test of physical prowess, but ideas, and as the fight spirals deeper and deeper, with new foes popping up every day—she’ll need more than just her superpower—data research—to keep ascending through the supervillain ranks.
It’s guerrilla ad warfare, and the Auditor might have finally met her match.
Anna, better known to superheroes as the Auditor, has carved out a name for herself. Any hero unlucky enough to cross her path knows her potential and powers. Surely, success should taste she has an incredible job with lots of perks, and her boss will literally annihilate anyone who crosses her, and her greatest enemy, the former hero Supercollider, has been utterly defeated and literally ground to a pulp.
But Anna still has her sights set on a greater destroying the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s most powerful superheroes. These “heroes” have shown time and time again that they do more harm than good, and now is the time to stop the damage at its source.
Yet all is not well for the Auditor and her fellow evildoers. Her employer, Leviathan—the world’s most feared supervillain—is not coping well with Supercollider’s defeat at someone else’s hands. Moreover, her unlikely ally and unexpected friend, Quantum Entanglement, has vanished without a trace, leaving Anna to examine all the ways they deceived each other. Tension and uncertainty fill the air, and fear that this moment of triumph is about to crumble looms over all of them.
Anna soon finds herself facing down an opponent unlike any she’s taken on before—not another superhero, but someone like her…someone much more the Draft’s Chief Marketing Officer. This isn’t a test of physical prowess, but ideas, and as the fight spirals deeper and deeper, with new foes popping up every day—she’ll need more than just her superpower—data research—to keep ascending through the supervillain ranks.
It’s guerrilla ad warfare, and the Auditor might have finally met her match.
19 pages, Audio CD
First published May 19, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.
It's been a LONG wait for this novel!! And it is everything you want it to be. This will be one of the best books I read this year.
I have tried for weeks to properly gather my thoughts and give this masterpiece the review it deserves. I have failed. This is the best I can do. In the author's note, Walschots says that writing this book nearly killed her, she re-wrote it four times. Her hard work and dedication (and blood sweat and tears, perhaps) shows. This book is brilliant, a work of genius. I often had to pause and remind myself I was reading a novel , not a documentary.
I was worried that I would have forgotten a lot of important details over the years (yes my memory is a sieve, which is why I always write a review - to help ME remember!), but Walschots managed to include all the information you need, without EVER making it feel like she was just info-dumping. Her writing feels effortless.
Every line of dialogue, every speech, every description - it all flows naturally. Instead of being distracted by the writing, I was THERE, immersed in the story. Every plot development feels organic, every step builds on the previous step.
I took my time reading, savoring every aspect, every plot development, every passage of dialogue. As a result, this took me several weeks to finish, but I'm glad I did not rush. This deserved a slower pace to fully appreciate it, to let my mind dwell on it during the day when I was not reading.
I never quite knew where the story was headed. (Unlike the Auditor, I am not a genius at predicting the future based on past events). I could not imagine how it would end.
The ending is left open-ended, which normally feels unsatisfying, but in this case it felt fitting. The characters will continue their lives, making choices, moving forward . I am glad they continue to live and evolve, in my head. Is it left for the reader to imagine what comes next? Or will Walschots write another sequel? (I am so HERE for it if she does!!)
character list (in case there's another book and I need to remember - its not really a spoiler, just uninteresting):
words I looked up:
narthex - an antechamber, porch, or distinct area at the western entrance of some early Christian churches, separated off by a railing and used by catechumens, penitents, etc.
gelid - icy, extremely cold.
pauldron - a piece of armor covering the shoulder where the body piece and arm piece join.
tasset - a piece of plate armour designed to protect the upper thighs
chelicerae - appendages on the head of spiders and other arachnids: often modified as food-catching claws
contrapposto - Contrapposto is an Italian visual arts term that describes a human figure in a natural pose with most of their weight concentrated on one leg. With both feet on the ground, the body forms an asymmetrical shape—the shoulders and hips tilt in opposite directions, while the torso and pelvis do the same. One leg is teso, or tense, and the other is rilassato, or relaxed
********
I don't even need to know what this book will be about - you're promising me more-book in the Hench world? that's all I need to know. Give it to me.
It's been a LONG wait for this novel!! And it is everything you want it to be. This will be one of the best books I read this year.
I have tried for weeks to properly gather my thoughts and give this masterpiece the review it deserves. I have failed. This is the best I can do. In the author's note, Walschots says that writing this book nearly killed her, she re-wrote it four times. Her hard work and dedication (and blood sweat and tears, perhaps) shows. This book is brilliant, a work of genius. I often had to pause and remind myself I was reading a novel , not a documentary.
I was worried that I would have forgotten a lot of important details over the years (yes my memory is a sieve, which is why I always write a review - to help ME remember!), but Walschots managed to include all the information you need, without EVER making it feel like she was just info-dumping. Her writing feels effortless.
Every line of dialogue, every speech, every description - it all flows naturally. Instead of being distracted by the writing, I was THERE, immersed in the story. Every plot development feels organic, every step builds on the previous step.
I took my time reading, savoring every aspect, every plot development, every passage of dialogue. As a result, this took me several weeks to finish, but I'm glad I did not rush. This deserved a slower pace to fully appreciate it, to let my mind dwell on it during the day when I was not reading.
I never quite knew where the story was headed. (Unlike the Auditor, I am not a genius at predicting the future based on past events). I could not imagine how it would end.
The ending is left open-ended, which normally feels unsatisfying, but in this case it felt fitting. The characters will continue their lives, making choices, moving forward . I am glad they continue to live and evolve, in my head. Is it left for the reader to imagine what comes next? Or will Walschots write another sequel? (I am so HERE for it if she does!!)
character list (in case there's another book and I need to remember - its not really a spoiler, just uninteresting):
words I looked up:
narthex - an antechamber, porch, or distinct area at the western entrance of some early Christian churches, separated off by a railing and used by catechumens, penitents, etc.
gelid - icy, extremely cold.
pauldron - a piece of armor covering the shoulder where the body piece and arm piece join.
tasset - a piece of plate armour designed to protect the upper thighs
chelicerae - appendages on the head of spiders and other arachnids: often modified as food-catching claws
contrapposto - Contrapposto is an Italian visual arts term that describes a human figure in a natural pose with most of their weight concentrated on one leg. With both feet on the ground, the body forms an asymmetrical shape—the shoulders and hips tilt in opposite directions, while the torso and pelvis do the same. One leg is teso, or tense, and the other is rilassato, or relaxed
********
I don't even need to know what this book will be about - you're promising me more-book in the Hench world? that's all I need to know. Give it to me.
Want to Read
May 20, 2024Expected publication October 24, 2023
heavy breathing
Update: Expected publication October 1, 2024
Maaaaaan! I'm willing to wait for quality though
Update 5/20/2024
Noticed Amazon has the title listed as "Villain."
As we all know, the real villain is pivot tables. I assume the Auditor will have many worthy fights ahead of her in this novel.
heavy breathing
Update: Expected publication October 1, 2024
Maaaaaan! I'm willing to wait for quality though
Update 5/20/2024
Noticed Amazon has the title listed as "Villain."
As we all know, the real villain is pivot tables. I assume the Auditor will have many worthy fights ahead of her in this novel.
Want to Read
February 27, 2024GIVE IT TO ME WHY AM I STILL WAITING
May 27, 2026
Villain
by Natalie Zina Walschots
Hench #2
Science Fiction Superheroes
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 19, 2026
William Morrow
Ages: 18+
*Read both books back to back!
In a world inundated with superheroes and villains, Anna doesn't have any gifts, and she was just another worker trying to get by. As a temp, she takes any job she can get, but after a hero and villain fight it out in the office where she was working, she is left badly injured and can't work. While laid up, she does the math, and it seems the heroes might be doing more damage than the villains.
Now, Anna has made a name for herself as “the Auditor,” and working with Leviathan, she is putting her talent for spreadsheets and data research to work, trying to take down the Draft, the 'good guys'.
But the Draft's Chief Marketing Officer is a lot like her, and he wants to take her down.
I was excited to discover there was a second book in the series, as I read the first also as an ARC back in 2020... Yeah, six years ago! And sadly, there wasn't much of a recap, so even though I kind of remembered the story, I was still reading blind: as if I only read the first book's blurb and review... Which I did to make sure I was thinking of the right book when I requested it. And since there was such a gap between books, I was expecting a really good recap... NOPE! And that affected my impression, thus rating.
The book was good, but would have been better and a lot more enjoyable with a recap! That would have given a deep connection between the reader and the characters. Plus, I didn't remember all that had happened, how this came about, who this person was, or why they were important, etc. And then maybe the story wouldn't have felt as if it was dragging, because I had no connection with the characters.
There is violence and some adult content that I don't feel is suitable for readers under eighteen.
If I had read the books back to back, I would have enjoyed this a lot more and would have given it at least another star!
A VERY low...
3 Stars
This eARC was granted by William Morrow through NetGalley (Thank You) in exchange for my honest review.
by Natalie Zina Walschots
Hench #2
Science Fiction Superheroes
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 19, 2026
William Morrow
Ages: 18+
*Read both books back to back!
In a world inundated with superheroes and villains, Anna doesn't have any gifts, and she was just another worker trying to get by. As a temp, she takes any job she can get, but after a hero and villain fight it out in the office where she was working, she is left badly injured and can't work. While laid up, she does the math, and it seems the heroes might be doing more damage than the villains.
Now, Anna has made a name for herself as “the Auditor,” and working with Leviathan, she is putting her talent for spreadsheets and data research to work, trying to take down the Draft, the 'good guys'.
But the Draft's Chief Marketing Officer is a lot like her, and he wants to take her down.
I was excited to discover there was a second book in the series, as I read the first also as an ARC back in 2020... Yeah, six years ago! And sadly, there wasn't much of a recap, so even though I kind of remembered the story, I was still reading blind: as if I only read the first book's blurb and review... Which I did to make sure I was thinking of the right book when I requested it. And since there was such a gap between books, I was expecting a really good recap... NOPE! And that affected my impression, thus rating.
The book was good, but would have been better and a lot more enjoyable with a recap! That would have given a deep connection between the reader and the characters. Plus, I didn't remember all that had happened, how this came about, who this person was, or why they were important, etc. And then maybe the story wouldn't have felt as if it was dragging, because I had no connection with the characters.
There is violence and some adult content that I don't feel is suitable for readers under eighteen.
If I had read the books back to back, I would have enjoyed this a lot more and would have given it at least another star!
A VERY low...
3 Stars
This eARC was granted by William Morrow through NetGalley (Thank You) in exchange for my honest review.
May 30, 2026
The weirdest office romance ever. I knew at the end of Hench that Anna/The Auditor was attracted to her boss Leviathan. She sees past the mandibles and carapace to the being underneath.
In the first chapters of this book, we learn that the loss of his nemesis, Supercollider, has plunged Leviathan into a dark depression. The Auditor is holding his organization together by her fingernails as she also mourns for the actively evil Leviathan of the past. In the meantime, the Draft (the training and support organization for superheroes) has been trying to restore Supercollider to normalcy. It does not go well. Leviathan is determined to attend the midnight funeral for Supercollider, so the Auditor leads the way.
The results for Leviathan are positive—he regains his equilibrium. And sweeps the Auditor off to his private quarters to nibble on her with those amazing mouthparts. Initially delighted, Anna comes to wonder about his motivations. What seemed protective and caring before suddenly feels manipulative and controlling. Leviathan seems strangely unfamiliar with human reactions and emotions. He is prepared to impose his will on Anna in a very paternalistic fashion. An employer may expect loyalty and obedience, but how much? How do you say no to someone who can easily rip you apart?
The Draft are not sitting on their hands either. Their Chief Marketing Officer is offering amnesty to any of Leviathan’s people willing to leave and is concentrating his attention on Anna. As they watch Leviathan’s workforce drain away, the Auditor struggles with her own desire for more autonomy versus her loyalty to her boss.
In the acknowledgements, Walschots writes about how difficult this book was to write. Despite that, I have a feeling that we have not seen the last of the Auditor and Leviathan. At least I certainly hope not.
In the first chapters of this book, we learn that the loss of his nemesis, Supercollider, has plunged Leviathan into a dark depression. The Auditor is holding his organization together by her fingernails as she also mourns for the actively evil Leviathan of the past. In the meantime, the Draft (the training and support organization for superheroes) has been trying to restore Supercollider to normalcy. It does not go well. Leviathan is determined to attend the midnight funeral for Supercollider, so the Auditor leads the way.
The results for Leviathan are positive—he regains his equilibrium. And sweeps the Auditor off to his private quarters to nibble on her with those amazing mouthparts. Initially delighted, Anna comes to wonder about his motivations. What seemed protective and caring before suddenly feels manipulative and controlling. Leviathan seems strangely unfamiliar with human reactions and emotions. He is prepared to impose his will on Anna in a very paternalistic fashion. An employer may expect loyalty and obedience, but how much? How do you say no to someone who can easily rip you apart?
The Draft are not sitting on their hands either. Their Chief Marketing Officer is offering amnesty to any of Leviathan’s people willing to leave and is concentrating his attention on Anna. As they watch Leviathan’s workforce drain away, the Auditor struggles with her own desire for more autonomy versus her loyalty to her boss.
In the acknowledgements, Walschots writes about how difficult this book was to write. Despite that, I have a feeling that we have not seen the last of the Auditor and Leviathan. At least I certainly hope not.
April 17, 2026
2.5; in the nicest way possible, this wasn’t good. too many things were left dangling and unaddressed and even though there’s going to be a follow up book, that still didn’t excuse anything. not going to be reading the next one and honestly don’t know how i got through this one.
Want to Read
January 3, 2023hmmmmmMMMMMM? Hench sequel? I am very intrigued…
June 7, 2026
Sticky and messy and complicated and not at all the story I expected to find, but one I was completely enthralled by. Villain was a far more compelling and challenging read than Hench and I feel like I'll be ruminating on it for a while. The ending definitely felt like the door was left open for a sequel, so I'll for sure be keeping an eye out for announcements and ARCs at that time. 5/5, going on my best of 2026 list.
There's a lot of character exploration here, and the tangled motivations a person can have. I really felt the conflicts they had and thought it played out very realistically. I'm not normally a character-driven reader, but this fully captured my attention.
I have to admit that Hench was a nice book and all, but it didn't really blow me away or stick with me. But I'm so glad I decided to pick up Villain anyway because I found the experience much more rewarding.
side note: This book made me realize that I kinda absolutely love funeral scenes that are attended by villains. This was the second one I've read and just as delicious as the first, so maybe this is a secret craving of mine.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There's a lot of character exploration here, and the tangled motivations a person can have. I really felt the conflicts they had and thought it played out very realistically. I'm not normally a character-driven reader, but this fully captured my attention.
I have to admit that Hench was a nice book and all, but it didn't really blow me away or stick with me. But I'm so glad I decided to pick up Villain anyway because I found the experience much more rewarding.
side note: This book made me realize that I kinda absolutely love funeral scenes that are attended by villains. This was the second one I've read and just as delicious as the first, so maybe this is a secret craving of mine.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 29, 2026
This book gave me very bad vibes… book one ends with main character Anna, aka The Auditor, in a position of triumph, poised to claim her mantle as a capital-V Villain. Book two does… not go that way, despite the title.
The Auditor spends the entire first half of the book just… waiting for Leviathan to allow her to do any of her evil-for-the-greater-good plans, but Leviathan is having a bit of a mental breakdown and says no. She tries to cajole him and make him confront his feelings and he brushes her off.
At this point I’m starting to get very turned off by the unequal power dynamics between them: Leviathan controls where Anna lives, he employs her, he has a GPS tracker in her, he is so physically powerful that he could kill her as easily as breathe. And then we find out that he has the ability to spy on her (look out of her own eyeball and hear her conversations and monitor her vital signs) AT ANY TIME without Auditor being aware that it’s happening.
This is not an empowerment story. It’s a story of escalating domestic violence. Made worse when the characters become sexually involved as well. Auditor has her agency undermined or revoked multiple times; her hard (and reasonable) boundaries are negotiated down; the power imbalance forces her to justify making decisions that go against her moral code to please him because she cannot admit that her judgment is compromised because of the abuse.
This all would have been fine if Auditor did not so frequently brush it off. Or if Decoherence, the one voice of reason in this whole book, wasn’t shrugged off for no good reason. If there was an actual conversation about domestic violence / psychological abuse / emotional manipulation so that it’s obvious that the author/story are not condoning it. But that doesn’t happen. We don’t get to see Auditor turn away from the toxic environment with any permanence in this book.
I may still read book three if it really will unravel this very dangerous web that Auditor has found herself in (or at least take a very clear stance on the fact that this is Bad) but honestly even without the ick factor, this book was slow and I really didn’t like the formatting of big long sections full of long paragraphs without chapter breaks.
{Thank you HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
The Auditor spends the entire first half of the book just… waiting for Leviathan to allow her to do any of her evil-for-the-greater-good plans, but Leviathan is having a bit of a mental breakdown and says no. She tries to cajole him and make him confront his feelings and he brushes her off.
At this point I’m starting to get very turned off by the unequal power dynamics between them: Leviathan controls where Anna lives, he employs her, he has a GPS tracker in her, he is so physically powerful that he could kill her as easily as breathe. And then we find out that he has the ability to spy on her (look out of her own eyeball and hear her conversations and monitor her vital signs) AT ANY TIME without Auditor being aware that it’s happening.
This is not an empowerment story. It’s a story of escalating domestic violence. Made worse when the characters become sexually involved as well. Auditor has her agency undermined or revoked multiple times; her hard (and reasonable) boundaries are negotiated down; the power imbalance forces her to justify making decisions that go against her moral code to please him because she cannot admit that her judgment is compromised because of the abuse.
This all would have been fine if Auditor did not so frequently brush it off. Or if Decoherence, the one voice of reason in this whole book, wasn’t shrugged off for no good reason. If there was an actual conversation about domestic violence / psychological abuse / emotional manipulation so that it’s obvious that the author/story are not condoning it. But that doesn’t happen. We don’t get to see Auditor turn away from the toxic environment with any permanence in this book.
I may still read book three if it really will unravel this very dangerous web that Auditor has found herself in (or at least take a very clear stance on the fact that this is Bad) but honestly even without the ick factor, this book was slow and I really didn’t like the formatting of big long sections full of long paragraphs without chapter breaks.
{Thank you HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2026
I enjoyed this, despite a rough start. It is the delayed sequel to Hench, which provided an entertainingly down-to-earth take on working for a supervillain, along with a critique of officially condoned violence. This book takes the story in a bit of a different direction, as the protagonist, Anna—now going exclusively by her villain name, “the Auditor”—gets more deeply entrenched in villainy. She remains an interesting, morally compromised character, with some moments of humor and badassery despite the story ultimately being a serious one.
Character relationships remain a highlight, being messy and fraught with genuine emotion, and everyone imperfect; even more so than in the first book, there aren’t clear-cut heroes and villains here. One relationship does turn sexual, but happily remains interesting because it soon becomes clear this is anything but a standard romance arc. Everything makes more sense once you realize it is an abusive relationship as seen from the perspective of someone in denial, a bold and refreshing move in a media landscape where things are most often spelled out for the reader. That non-traditional portrayal is mirrored by the rest of the plot—I really had no idea where it was going to go (ultimately not quite where I guessed).
The book does take quite awhile to get going; the first 150 pages or so feel a bit padded with long conversations and a lack of meaningful developments, but it improves as it goes. The voice, and the combination of everyday realism with over-the-top fantastical elements, remain strong. It ends on a clear sequel hook rather than with any finality, but I wound up enjoying it enough that I’ll happily read a third when it comes—hopefully in less than six years!
Character relationships remain a highlight, being messy and fraught with genuine emotion, and everyone imperfect; even more so than in the first book, there aren’t clear-cut heroes and villains here. One relationship does turn sexual, but happily remains interesting because it soon becomes clear this is anything but a standard romance arc. Everything makes more sense once you realize it is an abusive relationship as seen from the perspective of someone in denial, a bold and refreshing move in a media landscape where things are most often spelled out for the reader. That non-traditional portrayal is mirrored by the rest of the plot—I really had no idea where it was going to go (ultimately not quite where I guessed).
The book does take quite awhile to get going; the first 150 pages or so feel a bit padded with long conversations and a lack of meaningful developments, but it improves as it goes. The voice, and the combination of everyday realism with over-the-top fantastical elements, remain strong. It ends on a clear sequel hook rather than with any finality, but I wound up enjoying it enough that I’ll happily read a third when it comes—hopefully in less than six years!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5/19/26: HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY
I could read 100 more books set in this world. I want all the fascinatingly mundane inner-workings of the superhero/supervillain industries!
Stepping into her role as the Auditor, Anna (and the rest of Leviathan's retinue) are taking on a new foe: not a lone superhero, but the institution that empowers them, known as The Draft. In this complicated chess game of corporations, politics, violence, and (perhaps) love, is Anna a queen or just another pawn?
This series is so joy-inducing that I even had fun writing that blurb. Don't get me wrong, it's still dark and messy as hell, but I lapped up every bit of it. Hench totally surprised me by being one of the best books I read this year, and I can't say I like Villain as much (it would have been a very hard bar to reach), I'm so delighted with how this series is continuing. I think the 'problem' with Villain is that it definitely has some middle-book syndrome where it's clearly setting up a lot for later so there are long stretches where a lot is going on but little is being resolved.
That said, I just really like Anna, okay? It's that simple for me. I don't really care about plot if the characters are good and Anna (as well as the supporting cast) are great. Leviathan is bringing a whole new level of drama in this book, and weirdly I'm kind of glad that he's not...a good person. Like, he is annoying and dangerous and not great at boundaries, which makes him an unreliable boss and a pretty shitty partner. But like....he's a supervillain. I didn't want him to be this nice normal guy under the scary exterior, partially because that wouldn't make sense consider the amount of trauma he's experience and also because that would be boring to me! I want mess! There are some heartbreaking scenes in this book where his pain is at the center, and I loved those. Anna also becomes more unhinged in this one, and thank god she does! Go crazy, girl!
I love what's being built up with Quantum Entanglement/Decoherence. I love Mom as a new antagonist. I love the plot line with the other auditor. I love that Anna and June's relationship doesn't get magically fixed and that's going to be an ongoing conflict. I love Anna and Molly's presentations. I love all of the drama going on with the Future. I love Keller and Jav and Vesper and Doc Proton!!!
I need more right now (or whenever Walschots decides to put out the next book. Please, take your time. No Rush. I'm dying over here but No Rush. No, but seriously I can wait).
Thank you to Natalie Zina Walschots and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Pre-review: I GOT THE ARC OMG GUYSSNJDJDJSKSKS
I could read 100 more books set in this world. I want all the fascinatingly mundane inner-workings of the superhero/supervillain industries!
Stepping into her role as the Auditor, Anna (and the rest of Leviathan's retinue) are taking on a new foe: not a lone superhero, but the institution that empowers them, known as The Draft. In this complicated chess game of corporations, politics, violence, and (perhaps) love, is Anna a queen or just another pawn?
This series is so joy-inducing that I even had fun writing that blurb. Don't get me wrong, it's still dark and messy as hell, but I lapped up every bit of it. Hench totally surprised me by being one of the best books I read this year, and I can't say I like Villain as much (it would have been a very hard bar to reach), I'm so delighted with how this series is continuing. I think the 'problem' with Villain is that it definitely has some middle-book syndrome where it's clearly setting up a lot for later so there are long stretches where a lot is going on but little is being resolved.
That said, I just really like Anna, okay? It's that simple for me. I don't really care about plot if the characters are good and Anna (as well as the supporting cast) are great. Leviathan is bringing a whole new level of drama in this book, and weirdly I'm kind of glad that he's not...a good person. Like, he is annoying and dangerous and not great at boundaries, which makes him an unreliable boss and a pretty shitty partner. But like....he's a supervillain. I didn't want him to be this nice normal guy under the scary exterior, partially because that wouldn't make sense consider the amount of trauma he's experience and also because that would be boring to me! I want mess! There are some heartbreaking scenes in this book where his pain is at the center, and I loved those. Anna also becomes more unhinged in this one, and thank god she does! Go crazy, girl!
I love what's being built up with Quantum Entanglement/Decoherence. I love Mom as a new antagonist. I love the plot line with the other auditor. I love that Anna and June's relationship doesn't get magically fixed and that's going to be an ongoing conflict. I love Anna and Molly's presentations. I love all of the drama going on with the Future. I love Keller and Jav and Vesper and Doc Proton!!!
I need more right now (or whenever Walschots decides to put out the next book. Please, take your time. No Rush. I'm dying over here but No Rush. No, but seriously I can wait).
Thank you to Natalie Zina Walschots and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
Pre-review: I GOT THE ARC OMG GUYSSNJDJDJSKSKS
June 2, 2026
* thanks to William Morrow for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: May 19, 2026)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's always a pain when the things you loved in one book annoys you in another. Maybe its because I read the first book for the first time in order to read this arc so I was far too familiar with the author's rambling style of prose/narration, maybe it's because the world wasn't as fresh to me anymore, or maybe it's just a mood thing but I did not like this very much.
There was far too much winding around and while I understand it was necessary for the build up, it still dawdled horribly in the middle. I read the author's note and I can appreciate the author's efforts and love put into this book but I'm sure other people will love it more than I did.
I will say that the book kept my favorite aspects from the first one and that's the characters. They were still so flawed and real to me, ugh I missed them so much. Bonus points for the romance, I screamed when it was consummated!!!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
There was far too much winding around and while I understand it was necessary for the build up, it still dawdled horribly in the middle. I read the author's note and I can appreciate the author's efforts and love put into this book but I'm sure other people will love it more than I did.
I will say that the book kept my favorite aspects from the first one and that's the characters. They were still so flawed and real to me, ugh I missed them so much. Bonus points for the romance, I screamed when it was consummated!!!
Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 25, 2026
What I wanted from this was to follow Anna/The Auditor on her further journey, kicking ass and taking superhero names, working with Leviathan as an equal (and maybe see their relationship develop in other ways too), and unlock her full Villain potential.
What I got was to watch her fall victim to Leviathan's controlling behavior and essentially domestic abuse (even if he wasn't physically violent). Their relationship was extremely icky... and I'm not talking about the sex with an insect guy bit, the bedroom actually was the one place their relationship didn't make me feel sick.
Apart from the Auditor/Leviathan relationship, this suffered from middle book syndrome. I didn't feel it added enough to the story to "justify" the need for a sequel instead of leaving it where Hench ended. Also, it felt like so much of this story/new character introduction was told through info dumps disguised as work meetings, making me sit through second-hand powerpoint presentations that left me soooo bored.
I might read the next book - if there is one - as long as it's clear the arc will be about Anna/The Auditor escaping from under Leviathan's thumb (maybe with help from Decoherence). I don't care if she'll ultimately get a redemption arc or if she'll descend further into evil... as long as she doesn't keep making excuses for Leviathan's controlling behavior and keep submitting to him. But if I do decide to continue, I'll go into it with much lower expectations. And I might still end up deciding to consider Hench a great standalone and deny the existence of this and any further sequels.
What I got was to watch her fall victim to Leviathan's controlling behavior and essentially domestic abuse (even if he wasn't physically violent). Their relationship was extremely icky... and I'm not talking about the sex with an insect guy bit, the bedroom actually was the one place their relationship didn't make me feel sick.
Apart from the Auditor/Leviathan relationship, this suffered from middle book syndrome. I didn't feel it added enough to the story to "justify" the need for a sequel instead of leaving it where Hench ended. Also, it felt like so much of this story/new character introduction was told through info dumps disguised as work meetings, making me sit through second-hand powerpoint presentations that left me soooo bored.
I might read the next book - if there is one - as long as it's clear the arc will be about Anna/The Auditor escaping from under Leviathan's thumb (maybe with help from Decoherence). I don't care if she'll ultimately get a redemption arc or if she'll descend further into evil... as long as she doesn't keep making excuses for Leviathan's controlling behavior and keep submitting to him. But if I do decide to continue, I'll go into it with much lower expectations. And I might still end up deciding to consider Hench a great standalone and deny the existence of this and any further sequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2026
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
I was bored and disinterested in the plot. So bored that it was truly a struggle to complete the book. This just doesn’t read the same as Hench. I understand the stories are vastly different, but the writing seems stilted and overall not as smooth. There’s a sharpness that’s missing. It feels like the reason this sequel was so long in coming is that the author didn’t have much to say. Oh, the fiendish workings of the Auditor’s team are there, but I didn’t really care about them this go ‘round. The romantic relationship felt like the publisher made the author add it to turn the series into a “slow-burn romantasy” for gimmicky reasons. There must have been some redeeming qualities but I can’t fix one in my mind to tell you about it.
I wanted to note that there are an absurd number of ellipses which often result in putting stress on words or ideas that don’t need it. That’s it. I’m done.
I was bored and disinterested in the plot. So bored that it was truly a struggle to complete the book. This just doesn’t read the same as Hench. I understand the stories are vastly different, but the writing seems stilted and overall not as smooth. There’s a sharpness that’s missing. It feels like the reason this sequel was so long in coming is that the author didn’t have much to say. Oh, the fiendish workings of the Auditor’s team are there, but I didn’t really care about them this go ‘round. The romantic relationship felt like the publisher made the author add it to turn the series into a “slow-burn romantasy” for gimmicky reasons. There must have been some redeeming qualities but I can’t fix one in my mind to tell you about it.
I wanted to note that there are an absurd number of ellipses which often result in putting stress on words or ideas that don’t need it. That’s it. I’m done.
Want to Read
January 21, 2024please i will give you my firstborn child for this book i beg of you
please … i can’t wait until October
please … i can’t wait until October
June 13, 2026
CW: intimate partner violence
I really enjoyed this long-awaited sequel to Hench but it went in such a different direction than I was expecting. Anna has fully embraced her role as the Auditor, ready to do anything to take down the Draft and bring Leviathan back into power. She's less sure about how to navigate the sexual relationship she and Leviathan are embarking on.
This examines emotional abuse and coercive control from a number of angles, from the way Leviathan seeks to control Anna to the way heroes can't ever say no the Draft. While I would have preferred a different direction for Leviathan and Anna, it makes a certain amount of sense that he has to learn a new way to be in a relationship and cede control. I just wish it hadn't taken the whole book for them to even have a conversation about it. It makes me unsure whether I want them to be together or if it's possible for him to grow enough to treat her better (or if she should even give him a chance to do so), whereas I left Hench hoping something would develop.
This is now set up to be a series. Anna and Leviathan are against the Draft and Chief Marketing Officer Mom, plus a shift in Anna's relationship with Decoherence. As much as I enjoyed this overall, I'm not sure how interested I am in reading more about this particular fight. Something like the Draft is going to be hard to defeat and while there is a part of me that wonders if Mom could be genuinely interested in a new way forward, I doubt any of them are in a place to completely dismantle the system. That feels a bit bleak for right now but we'll see how I feel whenever the next book is here.
Characters: Anna/Auditor is disabled and attracted to multiple genders. Leviathan is a Villain and has an iguana named Shannon.
Content notes: emotionally abusive relationship/coercive control, panic attack, postpartum depression (mother of telepathic baby), surveillance/violation of privacy (Leviathan replaced MC's eye so he can look in on her), past workplace abuse, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, breaking and entering, biological warfare, psychological warfare, body horror, puncture wounds, lacerations, broken bones, limb loss, needle inserted in eye (surgery), MC uses a cane (leg was shattered), scarred side of head, left eye replaced/invasive medical procedure, casual and overt ableism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, homophobia, homophobic slur, systemic racism, boss-employee relationship, infidelity (secondary character), death of disabled person (during surgery to "fix" them), past death of family in house fire, past foster care (secondary characters), past bullying (secondary character), on page sex, biting, alcohol, cigarettes, gendered pejoratives, ableist language
I really enjoyed this long-awaited sequel to Hench but it went in such a different direction than I was expecting. Anna has fully embraced her role as the Auditor, ready to do anything to take down the Draft and bring Leviathan back into power. She's less sure about how to navigate the sexual relationship she and Leviathan are embarking on.
This examines emotional abuse and coercive control from a number of angles, from the way Leviathan seeks to control Anna to the way heroes can't ever say no the Draft. While I would have preferred a different direction for Leviathan and Anna, it makes a certain amount of sense that he has to learn a new way to be in a relationship and cede control. I just wish it hadn't taken the whole book for them to even have a conversation about it. It makes me unsure whether I want them to be together or if it's possible for him to grow enough to treat her better (or if she should even give him a chance to do so), whereas I left Hench hoping something would develop.
This is now set up to be a series. Anna and Leviathan are against the Draft and Chief Marketing Officer Mom, plus a shift in Anna's relationship with Decoherence. As much as I enjoyed this overall, I'm not sure how interested I am in reading more about this particular fight. Something like the Draft is going to be hard to defeat and while there is a part of me that wonders if Mom could be genuinely interested in a new way forward, I doubt any of them are in a place to completely dismantle the system. That feels a bit bleak for right now but we'll see how I feel whenever the next book is here.
Characters: Anna/Auditor is disabled and attracted to multiple genders. Leviathan is a Villain and has an iguana named Shannon.
Content notes: emotionally abusive relationship/coercive control, panic attack, postpartum depression (mother of telepathic baby), surveillance/violation of privacy (Leviathan replaced MC's eye so he can look in on her), past workplace abuse, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, breaking and entering, biological warfare, psychological warfare, body horror, puncture wounds, lacerations, broken bones, limb loss, needle inserted in eye (surgery), MC uses a cane (leg was shattered), scarred side of head, left eye replaced/invasive medical procedure, casual and overt ableism, misogyny, toxic masculinity, homophobia, homophobic slur, systemic racism, boss-employee relationship, infidelity (secondary character), death of disabled person (during surgery to "fix" them), past death of family in house fire, past foster care (secondary characters), past bullying (secondary character), on page sex, biting, alcohol, cigarettes, gendered pejoratives, ableist language
Want to Read
December 5, 202512/2025, arc secured!
I've avoided arcs for months now, but I had to make an exception and apply for this one 😂
**************************************
03/16/2025, @4:35am
I've avoided arcs for months now, but I had to make an exception and apply for this one 😂
**************************************
03/16/2025, @4:35am
May 19, 2026
Okay, so right out of the gate I need to let you know that this isn't a duology. This is definitely planning to be a series -- more than a trilogy, I don't know, but basically I'm just warning you to not expect an ending here.
Also, I definitely liked this less than book one. Even though it sorta aligns with my reread rating, the reasons for said rating differ. Mainly, though, I can't deny how well this is written. How carefully thought out, how well curated, how many places this goes that is so so smart.
"She'll only talk on neutral ground."
"Fine, where."
"One of your favourite places: the gym."
"That is a hostile location."
"You don't have to do anything."
"It's still rude."
I just wished I loved some of those places, and those choices, more. So it's very much a personal thing. And the main reason? I still cannot get behind the dynamic between Anna, or the Auditor if yer nasty, and the evil overlord she works for. I do not like Leviathan. His army of henchmen? Absolutely. Him? Pass. Worse, I disliked the chosen direction of the romance. We were sorta setting up two paths of possibility near the end of book one, which were still present in the sequel, and oh how I wish we went for door number two. And this feeling was multiplied by a billion after a certain reveal which was so heinous. Straight to jail! I don't even care that it was mostly taken out of the picture by the end. Damage done.
And we spend so much time navigating the complexities around this (now, I guess, committed..) relationship and I was just exhausted by it all. This book has a lower page count than book one but it does not feel like it at all.
So, yes, these are mostly personal feelings, so your mileage will definitely vary if we don't overlap on those bits.
"What was done to us, whether through neglect or stupidity or malice, those were failures. Any person or process that breaks so many people in so many ways is built of failures. But we are not the failures."
I'll definitely be reading on because the narrative is so good, and timely, even if nothing is an outright parallel to the world around us (thank you for this, by the way! thank you for treating your readers as intelligent creatures). And I really, despite some of her choices, feel like I'm ride or die for Anna. She is such an interesting character and her journey has been wild. I really have no idea where it goes from here. Hopefully we don't have to wait six years to find out*!
If you're a fan of The Boys, or love any kind of superhero storyline but are looking for something with more nuance and realism, plus an obviously swapped perspective, this might be just your thing.
* Please note, this isn't a snipe, just a genuine hope.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Also, I definitely liked this less than book one. Even though it sorta aligns with my reread rating, the reasons for said rating differ. Mainly, though, I can't deny how well this is written. How carefully thought out, how well curated, how many places this goes that is so so smart.
"She'll only talk on neutral ground."
"Fine, where."
"One of your favourite places: the gym."
"That is a hostile location."
"You don't have to do anything."
"It's still rude."
I just wished I loved some of those places, and those choices, more. So it's very much a personal thing. And the main reason? I still cannot get behind the dynamic between Anna, or the Auditor if yer nasty, and the evil overlord she works for. I do not like Leviathan. His army of henchmen? Absolutely. Him? Pass. Worse, I disliked the chosen direction of the romance. We were sorta setting up two paths of possibility near the end of book one, which were still present in the sequel, and oh how I wish we went for door number two. And this feeling was multiplied by a billion after a certain reveal which was so heinous. Straight to jail! I don't even care that it was mostly taken out of the picture by the end. Damage done.
And we spend so much time navigating the complexities around this (now, I guess, committed..) relationship and I was just exhausted by it all. This book has a lower page count than book one but it does not feel like it at all.
So, yes, these are mostly personal feelings, so your mileage will definitely vary if we don't overlap on those bits.
"What was done to us, whether through neglect or stupidity or malice, those were failures. Any person or process that breaks so many people in so many ways is built of failures. But we are not the failures."
I'll definitely be reading on because the narrative is so good, and timely, even if nothing is an outright parallel to the world around us (thank you for this, by the way! thank you for treating your readers as intelligent creatures). And I really, despite some of her choices, feel like I'm ride or die for Anna. She is such an interesting character and her journey has been wild. I really have no idea where it goes from here. Hopefully we don't have to wait six years to find out*!
If you're a fan of The Boys, or love any kind of superhero storyline but are looking for something with more nuance and realism, plus an obviously swapped perspective, this might be just your thing.
* Please note, this isn't a snipe, just a genuine hope.
3.5 stars
** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
June 2, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
The Boys meets Assistant to the Villain. Less action and more weighty dialogue than the original.
Pre-reading:
Goddamn, I have been waiting years for this sequel!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Jumping past those content warnings, but love that they're there if you need them.
JUST KISS
We are 2 1/2 hours into this book and there’s kinda been no change from where last book left off.
Lucky (he wasn’t) made me cackle.
Alex Stern, that you?
That devil‘s rates line was so good!
This first quarter is slow.
JUST KISS
God, that was a slow part one.
Look, the writing is good, and I like all the PR spins to this, but holy fuck, we need to start having faster conversations. This is almost to the point that I didn’t need to reread book one! Which I can see people appreciating because there were so many years between books, but like oh my god, we’re six hours in. I need some new plot. We have no villain, we have no goal. Something needs to point me where we’re headed in the next 5% of this book, or I’m gonna get so cranky.
You know, I did ask for a new villain. Sinister optimism slaps. Tone deaf culty corpo Mom is an excellent addition. Also an evil ad man? Brother, that’s John Hamm. I’m so in! (I will also consider Josh Gad.)
I love Keller. If he doesn’t make it out of this book alive, I’ll sob.
JUST KISS
I thought he was more reptile than bug. I don’t like the bug.
Are they finally gonna smash???
So like does he have a dick or no? He must, right?
He gave her his eye!!!!
So that’s a threat. Oh man, the way my stomach dropped because I was like oh, so romantic! at first, and then I was like oh fuck, he knows she kept Supercollider’s death from him then. This book has the most interesting-it’s not accidental- but it’s kind of like burgeoning dom/sub, and then toxic relationship with a narcissist because of all the control commentary. It’s so good!
Also, the way this means she’s literally bugged.
I’m also like am I supposed to root for them? Am I not supposed to root for them? I want to root for them because I love enemies to lovers, but I’m kind of getting a bad feeling that they’re not gonna wind up together.
When does girlypop get her powers? (Don’t think I’ve forgotten, Walschots!)
I’m still really liking it, but it is really slow. Every time I think we’re about to ratchet up the tension, we kind of back off. I want some gas here!
Mismatched libidos, when the woman’s is higher is the most soul crushing insecurity breeder. A special kind of hell for the straights.
Wow, felt THAT about the casual contact lol. I’m like you’re touching me. Are we having sex? No? Why are we doing it then? What do you want?
Confusing I’m scared with I’m horny-also relatable.
I love her scary dog privileges. I live for her ballsy dialogue.
I really, really liked her showdown dialogue, and then him ruining it by murdering the guy.
Did she really kill him?!? I don’t believe her. I feel like she had to fake him out. That’s gonna be one hell of a heist when he can literally see you doing it!
Oh man, that’s a turn. I really didn’t think she was gonna kill him!
‘It’s not god, it’s just me’ works for me every time, good lord!
Goddamn, this is dom and subby, and I’m living for it.
This consent convo is SO GOOD. Fifty wishes. Dark romance wishes.
Oh no, you gave your dom boundaries-this better have a good outcome, I swear to god, book! Just let them be healthy and kinky and happy. I’m begging! And I know that’s fucked because this is a toxic little villain romance, but please goddddd
Are we getting a third book????
Miss girl, you better not touch a single hair on Daddy Keller’s head.
ARE WE GETTING A THIRD BOOK?!?
Post-reading:
So like book three when? Because I’m gonna need more. I’m gonna need a lot more.
It’s kind of an odd sequel to talk about. You say superheroes and you’re primed for action. This book is a lot quieter. It’s a lot slower than the first. It’s more concerned with interpersonal dynamics and inner monologue than anything else, and I think I would normally be complaining about this in a thriller. But this is just so well done? The world is so realized, and the humor beats are top-tier. It’s very cinematic. There’s a lurking menace to Anna and Leviathan‘s relationship, that fits so well in the context of them being emotionally stunted bags of insecurities with such a D/s undercurrent that I can’t help but think it’s a cheeky nod to Fifty’s own infamous Anna. And hoo baby, does it work. You’re gonna be SAT for those conversations. I think they’re the richest moments of tension in the entire book.
I also love that the book rejects a redemption arc. We don’t see a lot of that. Mom and Keller are scene stealers. Mom is such a charismatic villain.
I can see people being disappointed by the sequel if they loved the first book for its snappy pacing. This does not have that. It almost goes out of its way to kill any plot tension that it creates. This is entirely character driven. So if you fell in love with them in the first book and you wanna see more, you’ll fuck heavy with this. If you’re a plot reader, I think this’ll be a snooze for you.
I reread book one to prepare myself for the sequel and actually bumped the rating up. This is a solid four star series, and I think you should pick it up. I hope to god we’re getting another book, and that I won’t have to wait nearly as long this time.
Who should read this:
The Boys fans
Megamind fans
The Incredibles fans
Assistant to the Villain fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
I would reread it to prepare for a follow up.
Would I buy this:
Yup!
Similar books:
* Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-campy, fantasy romance, family drama, revenge, workplace, enemies to lovers
* Nimona by N. D. Stevenson-graphic novel, urban fantasy, revenge, queer
* Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan-campy, meta fiction, fantasy romance, satire, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Boys meets Assistant to the Villain. Less action and more weighty dialogue than the original.
Pre-reading:
Goddamn, I have been waiting years for this sequel!
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Jumping past those content warnings, but love that they're there if you need them.
JUST KISS
We are 2 1/2 hours into this book and there’s kinda been no change from where last book left off.
Lucky (he wasn’t) made me cackle.
Alex Stern, that you?
That devil‘s rates line was so good!
This first quarter is slow.
JUST KISS
God, that was a slow part one.
Look, the writing is good, and I like all the PR spins to this, but holy fuck, we need to start having faster conversations. This is almost to the point that I didn’t need to reread book one! Which I can see people appreciating because there were so many years between books, but like oh my god, we’re six hours in. I need some new plot. We have no villain, we have no goal. Something needs to point me where we’re headed in the next 5% of this book, or I’m gonna get so cranky.
You know, I did ask for a new villain. Sinister optimism slaps. Tone deaf culty corpo Mom is an excellent addition. Also an evil ad man? Brother, that’s John Hamm. I’m so in! (I will also consider Josh Gad.)
I love Keller. If he doesn’t make it out of this book alive, I’ll sob.
JUST KISS
I thought he was more reptile than bug. I don’t like the bug.
Are they finally gonna smash???
So like does he have a dick or no? He must, right?
He gave her his eye!!!!
So that’s a threat. Oh man, the way my stomach dropped because I was like oh, so romantic! at first, and then I was like oh fuck, he knows she kept Supercollider’s death from him then. This book has the most interesting-it’s not accidental- but it’s kind of like burgeoning dom/sub, and then toxic relationship with a narcissist because of all the control commentary. It’s so good!
Also, the way this means she’s literally bugged.
I’m also like am I supposed to root for them? Am I not supposed to root for them? I want to root for them because I love enemies to lovers, but I’m kind of getting a bad feeling that they’re not gonna wind up together.
When does girlypop get her powers? (Don’t think I’ve forgotten, Walschots!)
I’m still really liking it, but it is really slow. Every time I think we’re about to ratchet up the tension, we kind of back off. I want some gas here!
Mismatched libidos, when the woman’s is higher is the most soul crushing insecurity breeder. A special kind of hell for the straights.
Wow, felt THAT about the casual contact lol. I’m like you’re touching me. Are we having sex? No? Why are we doing it then? What do you want?
Confusing I’m scared with I’m horny-also relatable.
I love her scary dog privileges. I live for her ballsy dialogue.
I really, really liked her showdown dialogue, and then him ruining it by murdering the guy.
Did she really kill him?!? I don’t believe her. I feel like she had to fake him out. That’s gonna be one hell of a heist when he can literally see you doing it!
Oh man, that’s a turn. I really didn’t think she was gonna kill him!
‘It’s not god, it’s just me’ works for me every time, good lord!
Goddamn, this is dom and subby, and I’m living for it.
This consent convo is SO GOOD. Fifty wishes. Dark romance wishes.
Oh no, you gave your dom boundaries-this better have a good outcome, I swear to god, book! Just let them be healthy and kinky and happy. I’m begging! And I know that’s fucked because this is a toxic little villain romance, but please goddddd
Are we getting a third book????
Miss girl, you better not touch a single hair on Daddy Keller’s head.
ARE WE GETTING A THIRD BOOK?!?
Post-reading:
So like book three when? Because I’m gonna need more. I’m gonna need a lot more.
It’s kind of an odd sequel to talk about. You say superheroes and you’re primed for action. This book is a lot quieter. It’s a lot slower than the first. It’s more concerned with interpersonal dynamics and inner monologue than anything else, and I think I would normally be complaining about this in a thriller. But this is just so well done? The world is so realized, and the humor beats are top-tier. It’s very cinematic. There’s a lurking menace to Anna and Leviathan‘s relationship, that fits so well in the context of them being emotionally stunted bags of insecurities with such a D/s undercurrent that I can’t help but think it’s a cheeky nod to Fifty’s own infamous Anna. And hoo baby, does it work. You’re gonna be SAT for those conversations. I think they’re the richest moments of tension in the entire book.
I also love that the book rejects a redemption arc. We don’t see a lot of that. Mom and Keller are scene stealers. Mom is such a charismatic villain.
I can see people being disappointed by the sequel if they loved the first book for its snappy pacing. This does not have that. It almost goes out of its way to kill any plot tension that it creates. This is entirely character driven. So if you fell in love with them in the first book and you wanna see more, you’ll fuck heavy with this. If you’re a plot reader, I think this’ll be a snooze for you.
I reread book one to prepare myself for the sequel and actually bumped the rating up. This is a solid four star series, and I think you should pick it up. I hope to god we’re getting another book, and that I won’t have to wait nearly as long this time.
Who should read this:
The Boys fans
Megamind fans
The Incredibles fans
Assistant to the Villain fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
I would reread it to prepare for a follow up.
Would I buy this:
Yup!
Similar books:
* Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer-campy, fantasy romance, family drama, revenge, workplace, enemies to lovers
* Nimona by N. D. Stevenson-graphic novel, urban fantasy, revenge, queer
* Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan-campy, meta fiction, fantasy romance, satire, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Want to Read
July 30, 2023this book is going to satisfy every piece of my soul I can feel it (in the meantime, I will sob until September 2024 because it’s not in my hands)
Want to Read
November 19, 2025THIS BOOK FINALLY HAS A RELEASE DATE AND A COVER??
January 26, 2026
It’s hard for me to separate my opinion of this book from my absolute adoration of Hench, so forgive me if my thoughts are all over the place. I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the first one. In part I think because the ferocious rage of Hench calcifies a bit in Villain, which is a reasonable progression of characterization and stakes, but does lose some of the energy I loved so much with the first one. The pacing was a bit odd, didn’t have the driving central focus of “fuck this guy in particular” from the first. Which, again, makes complete narrative sense because dismantling a system is harder and less focused than getting revenge on one man.
I love stories where people Chose to be bad, where its not something they fall into because of circumstances but because they look at all the options and decide “no, this is what I’m doing with my life” and boy does Villain deliver there. The Auditor has so many people trying to offer her an off ramp and she intentionally chooses not to take it.
Also love the depiction of what dating (ish?) a supervillain would be like. Not just in the romantized “oh he’d do anything for you” way but like. How do you navigate communication in a relationship where one person can singlehanded take down a small army? How do you establish boundaries when you’re so codependent and don’t really have a life outside of working with your sort of lover? It’s a wildly unhealthy situation but neither person involved is a good person and it’s really interesting to watch two self-proclaimed villains navigate a relationship.
All of the existing non-central relationships from book one continue and move in interesting, occasionally heartbreaking directions. Honestly I think the most interesting things were happening with those relationships as the Auditor doubled down on her life choices and how that impacted everyone else in her orbit.
Overall this book is an excellent continuation of Hench, and while there isn’t a third book confirmed I would really love to see more from these characters and world.
4/5 stars from me, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I love stories where people Chose to be bad, where its not something they fall into because of circumstances but because they look at all the options and decide “no, this is what I’m doing with my life” and boy does Villain deliver there. The Auditor has so many people trying to offer her an off ramp and she intentionally chooses not to take it.
Also love the depiction of what dating (ish?) a supervillain would be like. Not just in the romantized “oh he’d do anything for you” way but like. How do you navigate communication in a relationship where one person can singlehanded take down a small army? How do you establish boundaries when you’re so codependent and don’t really have a life outside of working with your sort of lover? It’s a wildly unhealthy situation but neither person involved is a good person and it’s really interesting to watch two self-proclaimed villains navigate a relationship.
All of the existing non-central relationships from book one continue and move in interesting, occasionally heartbreaking directions. Honestly I think the most interesting things were happening with those relationships as the Auditor doubled down on her life choices and how that impacted everyone else in her orbit.
Overall this book is an excellent continuation of Hench, and while there isn’t a third book confirmed I would really love to see more from these characters and world.
4/5 stars from me, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
April 2, 2024I hate that Assistant to the Villain has been attached to this book because that one was pretty bad (very juvenile, definitely should've been Young Adult) and Hench was ridiculously amazing, I loved it so much. I don't know who made that decision but they're not even remotely on the same level; it's like mentioning Twilight when recommending Anne Rice or Dracula, just because they all have vampires. Hopefully it gets removed from the official promotions later, but probably not unfortunately. Very much looking forward to Right Hand!
Want to Read
March 7, 2023I am. Very. Looking forward to this.
Want to Read
September 3, 2024i'm literally only halfway through hench and i'm already foaming at the mouth for this sequel!!!!!! evil queer women who love to analyze and strategize we RISE <333333
June 5, 2026
The best aspects of this book are slow, subtle, and quietly pervasive. I feel like even an allusion might undermine the narrative. So, I’m going to just leave out everything that made this book amazing for me and hopefully share enough that it’s at least obviously a five star book. (But maybe I can just cover that with one line—all characters are just as strong and fascinating as they were in the first.) Also, if Hench is not fresh in your mind, it would enhance your enjoyment if you reread it prior. I reread via the audiobook. However, I still found myself pausing quite a few times to flip back through Hench and confirm various scenes and interactions.
Because it is difficult for me to separate the instinctual need to identify with an intelligent protagonist with a strong voice sharing in the first person, witnessing the Auditor’s complete thought process soothed me from overreacting to how jarringly different her decisions were from what I would done in the same situation. Almost like a slow hypnosis—like she was convincing me along with herself. I particularly enjoyed her moments of crisis—where she had to mask her feelings and respond sometimes in complete opposition to them. Her guarded speech is almost always eloquent and hilarious. “‘Alright, so it’s Schrödinger‘s meeting, which I may or may not survive.’” The extensive inner monologue is also practically a hyperactive bildungsroman as she continues to come to terms with how much she and her circumstances have changed since the first book. What is a realistic assessment of how important I am?” And practically goes into a big of a midlife crisis. “She wasn’t willing to destroy herself for this job…the way I was—and the worse parts of me resented her for it.”
As with Hench, I feel like the ending is completely satisfactory, but now that this is officially a series, I did note that the author left space for a continuation.
Because it is difficult for me to separate the instinctual need to identify with an intelligent protagonist with a strong voice sharing in the first person, witnessing the Auditor’s complete thought process soothed me from overreacting to how jarringly different her decisions were from what I would done in the same situation. Almost like a slow hypnosis—like she was convincing me along with herself. I particularly enjoyed her moments of crisis—where she had to mask her feelings and respond sometimes in complete opposition to them. Her guarded speech is almost always eloquent and hilarious. “‘Alright, so it’s Schrödinger‘s meeting, which I may or may not survive.’” The extensive inner monologue is also practically a hyperactive bildungsroman as she continues to come to terms with how much she and her circumstances have changed since the first book. What is a realistic assessment of how important I am?” And practically goes into a big of a midlife crisis. “She wasn’t willing to destroy herself for this job…the way I was—and the worse parts of me resented her for it.”
As with Hench, I feel like the ending is completely satisfactory, but now that this is officially a series, I did note that the author left space for a continuation.
June 15, 2026
A well written, extremely dark and compelling sequel to the first novel, Hench. The Auditor, Anna, who was able to free her employer, the Supervillian Leviathan, at the conclusion of Hench, is still set on destroying the Draft. The Draft is an organization that makes, trains and manages the world’s Superheroes, who actually inflict a great deal of harm on the population. Unfortunately, Leviathan is not dealing well with the death of his arch nemesis Supercollider and the former Hero, Quantum Entanglement, who helped kill Supercollider, has reappeared and her feelings for the Auditor and her mission to take down the Draft are complicated. With the death of Supercollider, the Draft has reorganized and a new enemy emerges. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so readers can expect another book in this series.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really enjoyed this - more than Hench because there was no surprise body horror. The development of The Auditor as a character with her own self-reflection is so well done and I just want Walschots to finish this series and write so many more.
May 23, 2026
4.5
Eine würdige Fortsetzung. Ich hoffe es kommt noch mehr 🤞🏻
Eine würdige Fortsetzung. Ich hoffe es kommt noch mehr 🤞🏻
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