Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous

Everyday Magic #1

by Autumn K. England

What happens to all the mind-controlled minions when the evil villain is finally vanquished?

When Oaklin Nettlewood (accidentally) joined an evil cult, they and the rest of their small community were promptly whammied by mind control magic and forced to do unspeakable things. Now, years later, the realm's heroes have saved the day, defeated the villain, and shattered the last remnants of the spell...leaving destruction in their wake. Because the minions who were nothing more than obstacles were Oaklin's last remaining family and friends, and now as the entire realm celebrates, Oaklin is left alone to pick up the pieces.

And so, with a spell-damaged memory and whole bushel of trauma, they buy a small farm on the edge of Mossley's Rest and swear an After all the things they were forced to do with their magic, they will never use it again. Ever. But the gentle ghost who lives in Oaklin's house has other ideas. And as she coaxes Oaklin out of their shell and back into the world, Oaklin begins to find companionship (a grumpy horse and a very good boy dog), friendship (a local bard and magical baker who should just kiss already), and even romance (a paladin-librarian who makes Oaklin's heart flutter.)

Healing comes in gentle waves, and Oaklin doesn't have to do it alone. So what does it mean when an inquisitor comes to town just as Oaklin begins to think that maybe, just maybe, they deserve a happy ending after all?

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, LGBT, Queer

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed.

[Sophie]

dnf @ 34%.

you know when a book looks perfect on paper, but then you start reading and realize you’d literally rather be doing anything else? yeah…

i’ll admit i’m not always in the mood for cozy fantasy, but the slow pace here was not even the issue (ok, maybe a little bit). to be honest, i just didn’t care.

the characters were uninteresting, and the dialogue felt immature and started to annoy me. and the use of the exclamation marks was so irritating. it was everywhere!!! for a while, i thought the ghost lady would be grumpy and fun, but she turned out to be just as boring.

compared to other cozy books I’ve read recently, the writing here just fell flat.

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall for healing, cosy vibes, romance, festivals, and a new perspective on self-acceptance. It's Harvest Season for personal growth! 🍁🍂🪴

🀨🥮This was so enjoyable: cosy while having stakes and character growth. The fall vibes are layered vibrantly throughout like sparkling medicinal fungi. This is the kind of book that makes you feel like you are around a warm bonfire surrounded by supportive friends. Conversations with Ghost Granny were delightful and funny while also be grounded and supportive.

🍄Oaklin is ready to heal from their past and meets a librarian who makes their heart flutter. With encouragement from no-nonesense Ghost Granny, Oaklin is taking small steps to reconcile their lost memories and trauma and be more present. An Inquisitor comes around searching for former cult members and Oaklin has to confront their past and learn what it is to forgive themself and move on. They develop bravery from a sense of vulnerability.

👻 "They couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that could be lurking in the tall grass just beyond the flickering sphere of their lantern light. Could be foxes. Or wolves. Or vicious rat creatures. Or evil cult leaders."

🍄Nice blend of spook and whimsy. On one end of the spectrum we have glowing mushrooms that could be from a Lisa Frank notebook cover, and on the other end there are evil cult leaders, relentless Inquisitors, and trauma.

🍄 "The tree line was dotted with mushrooms and other fungi that loved the moist creek-flooded earth more than they hated the filtered sunlight, and Oaklin could feel the hum of ant colonies, beetles, worms, and more that sang just beneath the surface. Ducks marched along the banks in groups, chatting animatedly as they snapped up bugs and splashed in the shallows. Oaklin breathed in the magic of it all, feeling the vibrant glow and delicate threads of every single plant and creature, a sparkling tapestry overlaying the natural beauty."

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC

The entire premise is chef’s kiss: former villain attempting to exist peacefully without committing crimes, and discovering the power of ✨️community✨️

There's no lone-wolf brooding nonsense. Instead, we have this gentle exploration of healing through other people that's executed so well. Watching the protagonist stumble through normal social interactions after a lifetime of villainy is peak entertainment. They’re awkward and every conversation's like, “hello fellow humans, I definitely know how friendships work and have never orchestrated mass destruction.”

And the COMMUNITY. Oh my god.
Love the found-family vibes! Everyone's just collectively like “yes, you were terrifying, but have you considered soup and emotional support?” It’s cosy in a warm, slice-of-life way where the stakes are emotional instead of apocalyptic.

It’s so heartwarming to see how much the story leans into forgiveness and belonging. The overarching theme is people aren't meant to heal on their own.

BUT (because there is always a but) sometimes the pacing goes a bit too quick. I’d be settling into a lovely emotional moment and the narrative would be like ANYWAY MOVING ON.

I wanted a few scenes to linger longer. Let me bask in the cosiness and the heartwarming community goodness.

[❁lilith❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.
____________

If this wasn't at least in part inspired by Stardew Valley or other cozy, farming sim games, I will eat my hat. I can imagine this book so so so clearly as a cozy farming sim game, with an amazing art style and cast of characters. That's really what this felt like to me: a really immersive, beautiful world with great writing and descriptions that made you almost able to taste or smell what was being written on the page.
ADORED how supportive and inclusive this world feels, we have a nonbinary MC which was amazing, and a plethora of diverse side characters. It was absolutely the right amount of cozy to plot ratio that kept me interested and reading on, rather than there being no plot developments at all.
My least favourite part was the romance, which I was just generally uninterested in, but it was by no means egregious or off-putting from the rest of the story. There were some characters that were introduced fairly late in the game that had plot significance, so their characters did not feel as well developed or thought through as some of the earlier ones-and I wish there had been more focus on the main friend group rather than just the blossoming romance between our MC and their love interest.

PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 02 2026

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25✨
Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!

« Have you noticed you seem to get ill every time something from your past comes up? That’s trauma, love. That’s all the burden you’re holding eating at you from the inside out. Maybe it’s time to share some of them. Lighten your load. Some wounds can’t heal until they get some air. »

I just needed to see it being recommended to fans of Stardew Valley, Studio Ghibli & The Spellshop to hit request so fast. (And yes, it lived up to it!)

The main character was victim to a Cult for a few years of their life. They lost total autonomy during those years and did some horrible things they can’t remember.

We follow this character in their healing journey ; with all the difficulties it brings. The highs and the lows - and how even if you have all the right support around you… it’s not as simple as just believing you deserve something great.

This novel resonated with me on the healing aspects. I found myself crying in the last 15% and my throat was completely closed up. It was wholesome, and depicted grief in such a marvellous & relatable way.

I hope the author writes novels for the other victims of the cult. I had a feeling one of the characters (I won’t say the name as it could be a spoiler) was hinted for a stand-alone of her own.

« There is no ‘if only I’d tried harder’. You were in an impossible situation… and you survived. I’m glad of it. »

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Stardew Valley in book form 💚

I really liked the concept of the main character wanting to start anew after being mind controlled by a dark enchanter for years. Oaklin sets out to restore an abandoned farm, and the way they slowly figure out where to start and how to make their farm grow felt a lot like many cozy games I love to play.

But our main character has a lot of guilt and self hatred they need to overcome, and the story also focuses on their path towards healing after being manipulated and mind controlled for years by the former villain that terrorized the world.

The romance is also really sweet although it’s not the main focus of the book.
Overall this is a really enjoyable book, perfect for lovers of cozy fantasy, found family, and stories with a lot of heart.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley for providing an eARC

[Lizette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommend-O-Meter: It’s like I got tricked into going to therapy but like, Bad

I feel like maybe I should’ve known what I was getting into when I picked up a cozy fantasy involving wizard PTSD. But the author REALLY doubled down on the theme, more so than I felt was actually necessary. Honestly, it just felt like a heavy dose of grief porn, if you’ll excuse the term.

Our protagonist Oaklin (who uses they/them pronouns! Yay for representation!) is an ex-mind-controlled-minion whose first order of business upon being set free is to buy an entire farm in some random countryside. As one does. We watch as they slowly learn to live with the trauma they endured under an evil villain lord, and along the way get to know the town and its inhabitants too. So basically, it’s a whole personal healing thing through the power of self-love and friendship, yadda yadda yadda. And also there’s a granny ghost haunting the farm, which. Okay. Sure.

I don’t know, I just didn’t connect with this book the way I wanted to. The wizard PTSD thing is the entirety of the story, even though it would’ve been so interesting to know more about the world these characters lived in, especially right after the defeat of some great evil. Like, I get that the author probably wanted to focus on the healing aspect, but man. It was too much of Oaklin’s introspection and not enough tangible story for me. Especially because I absolutely could tell what Oaklin’s friends were gonna think about their secret past, making that entire main conflict moot in my eyes.

Audio Assessment: Something about the audio quality on this one was off to me. I’ve read lots of audiobooks before, but this is the only time one has sounded so… not clear. It’s not really a HUGE problem, and maybe to others it wouldn’t be so noticeable, but I found myself having to adjust my phone’s audio settings because the lack of crispness irked me so much.

[I received an ALC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. This does not in any way affect the contents of my review.]

[Stacey Beane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope, nope AND NOPE! This book is boring & just not for me! I had no connection to the characters or the story & it makes me sad because this book gets 5⭐️ for its adorable sprayed edges & cute cover. I wish the story held up its end of the bargain!

[Melani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished the book last night and then spent the next hour or so puzzling it over in my brain as I fell asleep trying to figure out why it didn’t work for me. The more that I thought about it, the more it started to dissolve, and in the end, it left what I think is a rather icky residue. See, the thing about fantasy is that the trappings can be made up, magic can exist, but the heart of the story needs to be real or else there’s no reason for the story to be told, and in this book the emotional core IS the fantasy. And I find that so disturbing, to the point that I’m dropping this down from a rounded up 2.5 (read 3 because I felt bad-it’s so very very ernest) to 1. Let me explain.

Oaklin is a cult survivor, they spent the past few years under the spell of the evil Enchantrix. A spell that put them fully under her control, and the book is ostensibly about the recovery of trauma from that loss of control. I think what the author intended here was the transference of this trauma recovery to real life, many people deal with domineering and abusive partners (or escape from cults) and thus the recovery story could healing for those people. However, Oaklin was under control to the point where their actions were not their own, in other words you have all the trauma of doing awful things, but none of the responsibility. In fact, there are multiple characters who say “It wasn’t your fault” when Oaklin reveals the memory they have OF MURDERING SOMEONE. In non-fantastical settings even when someone is under the influence of a cult, for example Allison Mack and Nexium, the actions they take while under that influence are still their responsibility. Oaklin is not held accountable in any way, they can’t be, because the things they did were quite literally not their fault. And that’s the ickiness I was left with, all the uwu sadness of being a poor victim who did horrible things, but none of the rough parts of actually dealing with the consequences. You get the good feelings of healing, but none of the hard parts of dealing with the bad things you did that caused part of your trauma.

This is the fantasy, that you can have all the sweet feelings of forgiveness and acceptance without actually dealing with the hurt you caused. And that is the ugly bits underlying the book that made me wince through it, and undercut any moment that should have had emotional weight. That emotional weight can't be there when Oaklin declares their love or finds acceptance with their friends or gets forgivness from the ghost of the person they murdered, because the whole thing is just built a fantastical lie.

Once I realized this, I immediately jumped to another popular example of this “I did bad things, but they weren’t my fault” type of blorbo that fandom loves (and oh my god, this book is so very, VERY fandom), which is Bucky Barnes in the MCU. The thing is, I do think Bucky is done a bit better, I think that while he isn’t held accountable by society, he acknowledges that he is still responsible for what he did while mind controlled. That said, I could be wrong, Bucky has never been a favorite character and I don't pay super close attention. Anyway, making the connection there made me realize this book is basically a gender screwy (not flipped because Oaklin is non-binary) Steve/Bucky AU fanfic and now I can’t unsee it.

There are other problems with the book. The dialogue is painful, real people don’t talk like that. The characters, aside from Oaklin, are underdeveloped. I’m not sure the author has ever actually been near a farm, let alone worked on one, and that lack of knowledge shows. This romanticization of rural life/small towns life is a trope of cozy fantasy though so I’m mostly willing to let it slide – still bugs me though.

There is a part of me that feels bad for being so critical, but at the same time I think there’s something very rotten underneath the sweetness of this book and I need to exhume it.

[Birte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book I got more and more suspicious that the author is a 14-year-old with a family member in publishing. "Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous" reads like a story a teenager would post on Wattpad: intriguing concept, lukewarm execution.
Autumn K. England creates this world where magic exists, but the real fantasy is Oaklin not being held responsible for their actions at all.
Murder a beloved member of the community? No biggie, you were mind-controlled! Everyone forgives you instantly!
Ghost your new friends? Doesn't matter, they just keep inviting you!
Kiss someone and then run away several times? Definetly not a red flag at all, your date is still heads over heels for you!
There is no conflict, no stakes. In an earlier chapter it is implied that the evil Enchantrix might still be alive because Oaklin can hear her voice in their head. Don't worry about it, this storyline is never picked up again! Then, the whole town is threatened by a plague and only Oaklins magic can save them, but they swore to never use magic again. An ethical dilemma, exciting! Well, in the next chapter they just get over their trauma and save everyone with magic, yay Oaklin! When the inquisitor comes to town (which was specifically mentioned in the blurb), I expected a bit more than the townspeople throwing her out after five minutes while Oaklin hides behind a roof.
"Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous" was boring, badly written and underdeveloped.
2 stars because of that beautiful, beautiful cover, and because everyone's gay.

[Mar Rose]

4.5 stars

Review of arc for NetGalley

A cozy and relaxing read with well-written characters, interesting worldbuilding, and vivid descriptions. I loved reading this book and I savored it for as long as I could reading a chapter here and there whenever I was having a bad day. My favorite parts were the gardening scenes and how Oaklin used their magic to connect with the plants and earth.
I was delighted to get nonbinary representation in Oaklin, who was a very enjoyable main character, plus there was a sweet sapphic romance with the love interest who was a well-developed character, and good supporting characters which, of course, includes the ghost haunting Oaklin’s farm.
Oaklin’s trauma and path to healing after escaping the mind-controlling cult were well written and the heavy memories and emotions were evenly dispersed with peaceful, comforting scenes of nature, friendship, and slightly awkward flirting.
This book definitely reminded me a little of Stardew Valley which was great because around the time I got approved for an arc, I’d been thinking I wanted to read a book that reminded me of Stardew. I’m definitely going to read more of this author’s books.

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

💫🌿Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous🌿💫

This was equal parts cozy queer romance and a heartbreaking journey of healing. It explores redemption, forgiveness, and what it looks like for a community to rebuild after a reign of terror.

I teared up toward the end, but I really loved how it all came together.

🌱 What to Expect
• Former villain
• Cozy farm
• Healing ARC
• Ghost granny
• Found family
• Queer romance
_ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 5 stars
📅 Pub Date: June 2, 2026
📝 Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Alexa Scalese · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was genuinely painful to read, despite being not too long. This is the last time I ever trust what the B&N employees recommend.

The writing is extremely annoying and amateurish. It’s the exact vernacular and cadence of a chronically online millennial. Or of ChatGPT. Every character was one-note and exactly the same, and I did not care about any of them. The entire tone of the book was super sickening, saccharine sweet. I kept having to look away from the pages just from sheer embarrassment. I could not believe what I was reading. It did not feel real. And there were so many arbitrary italicizations! Too much! Stop! And the pacing was not good either.

Maybe it’s just a matter of taste, but wow this was not good. The entire time I was reading, I was finding more and more offensively bad phrases. At most it’s okay for a bit of mindless fun, but even then I really wouldn’t pick this one up.

I really can’t stress enough how little I thought of this. Maybe I just wasn’t the intended audience. Eh.

[Cori Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delighted to announce that Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous -- released today, yes I got an ARC, no that wasn't enough of a big deal to sway my feelings -- does comfortably merit the 'Stardew meets Ghibli' comparison. (Yes, I have a bee in my bonnet about comps which oversell the poor overshadowed book.)

Especially on the Stardew side, as there are little quests for our new-to-town farm owner to 'go to the bakery', 'learn about farming' etc. On the Ghibli side, there's a fairly full-on backstory (Formerly Villainous) which I did like and thought the character development was done well. Bonus points for a nonbinary MC, fully queernorm world, and charming side characters.

Not necessarily life-changing, but for me definitely up there in the 'cosy fantasies I really rate' list. Recommended in particular to anyone who's wanted a Stardew Valley book but doesn't want to fanfic it. Note: I would class this as a Serious Cosy, since the former villainy is not light content, nor is it handled frivolously. There's some thoughtful trauma recovery here, and that takes time.


Rating: 15/20
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even have the energy to rant about this book and give it one star. It's so surface level, no deep characters just caricature, with nothing supporting it. The magic and the farming are just hand waived explanations so if you wanted an in depth sim your out of luck. You can guess everything that's going to happen in the book save for one detail that at that point I just didn't care. I won't lie I skimmed through this to get it over with, so who knows what I missed, but I doubt much.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is cozy fantasy!

[Andra-Mihaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today is #review day!🥰

From me, #fieldguidefortheformerlyvillainous by Autumn K England gets 4⭐! 🥳

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a honest review!

General info: a cozy adult fantasy focused on healing, redemption and the beauty of simple living, with a romantic subplot; a story set in a queer-normative world with a non-binary MC, perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and Stardew Valley ( or any other farming game you play for comfort and relaxation) 🥰; a story about forgiving yourself, and accepting the kindness offered to you.☺️

CW: panic attacks, PTSD, grief, death, mentions of war

BOOK THOUGHTS

This was such a breath of fresh air!😄
I don't know exactly what I was expecting from this #book, but the author surprised me in such a good way!🥹

As I said in the general info section, this is heavily focused on a well-constructed redemption arc accompanied by a touching healing journey for our MC, Oaklin Nettlewood.
You could say the author used them to impart a beautiful message : everyone deserves kindness, a second chance and a place to heal. 😌🤌

This story follows Oaklin as they just bought a suspiciously cheap farm on the outskirts of Mossley's Rest, a quiet and very charming village. They are there to start a new life, and maybe, find peace from their horrible past.🥲

I highly enjoyed my time reading this, and despite a couple of flaws I'll talk about in a second, this title is perfect for fans of cozy fantasies meant for a relaxing, somewhat nostalgic time. Those of you liking you stories with a very defined plot, should know that this isn't one. We have a plot, but it's not some urgent threat to the world, but something more akin to taking a walk in the forest and seeing where that leads you!☺️ No rush, just quiet contemplation and permission to breath.😌

Why 4 stars? I had 2 issues : one - I'm not someone that really enjoys simple plots with quick and very neat solutions. I definitely need a full-on confrontation with whatever plagues our characters so I can be satisfied that they journey is complete.🤷‍♀️; two - right at the beginning, we have 2 minor instances of MC knowing information that they shouldn't.😅 ( I believe this can be easily overlooked by the majority of readers. I'm just extra attentive for gaps in logic and the actions of characters🫣)

Back to the positives! ☺️
The character development and journey for our protagonist was really well executed! 🥹 Oaklin was presented from the 1st moment as extremely anxious, suffering from PTSD, extremely shy and an over-thinker.🫣
They're naïve in many aspects ( see here their past choices), but they're kind and compassionate; They tend to second-guess themselves and are always ending up to the conclusion that they were in the wrong, that they deserve less or that they shouldn't take up space in the world.🥲
You quickly feel sympathetic to them and start cheering as soon as they make a step in the right direction!☺️
A big help with that, and another amazing character, is ghost granny!😆 She's awesome!😤…probably my favourite character from this book!☺️
I loved how beautiful her bond with Oaklin grew! It was natural and layered, slow but meaningful, and when the ending came..🥹…I cried!😭
She's also a veritable source of comfort, knowledge and compassion for the MC. I really, REALLY appreciate the role she played, and even if it was obvious for me who she was, I still felt connected to her and Oaklin 's friendship.

Side note: I want to quickly mention that the farm was almost another character!🤌 The vibe of it, the description, the time there between our characters and all the farming knowledge imparted with us… Beautiful!😇 ( in the farm character I also consider Daffodil and Grumpy Horse😤, just to be clear🤭😉)

Back to business…
The romantic subplots in this story are very charming and have a quiet beauty! ☺️ We have a fretting mess and a constant sunshine 👀… And I'll live it at that🤭.
All the other perspectives are done just right for our story here! From Ryn the bread mage, to Jules the bard, Lior the paladin and Sister Talla…even Grer and the mushroom guy 😂…all of them serve to create the atmosphere of the novel, to nudge our MC in the path to healing with their kindness and respect of boundaries, and to add to a beautiful, magical world you'd want to live in.🥹 🫶

Plot: as I said…the plot is not overly present…this isn't that type of book. But!...we do have a looming fear hanging over Oaklin's head, some mysteries and the whole 'oh no! They'll find out who I am and what I did' thing🤷‍♀️…so I believe you'll be satisfied.

Themes: this book is charming, and friendly; a warm hug whispering to you the importance of therapy, finding strength in yourself to move on, accepting trauma and processing it safely among people who respect you and your boundaries. It's about the human need for connection of any kind ( friendship, love, community and with nature).

World Building : This book has a solid world building.☺️ We get a perfect amount of information on not only the history and customs of Mossley's Rest, but how that shaped its people!😆 We get some history of the setting and of the recent events in the world, we get descriptions, how the village is configured, we get religion and local government 🥳 ( loved this for needs like me who really want to understand how these people decide to live and what laws, unspoken rules they follow), we get celebrations and economy 🤭. You get the idea🧐…it feels like a real place you can visit!☺️ ( I very much do!🙋‍♀️ I'd love to plant tomatoes with Oaklin 😆)

Before I forget!😁 The magic is surprisingly complex for this kind of narrative!👀 I really enjoyed all the instances when it's used and loved the creative way in which is inserted into the village's life.☺️
I'd 100% eat a cake I fused with some confidence boost.😁

That's it…in conclusion, I highly recommend you #read this if you enjoy cozy fantasy with romance, stories talking about trauma, grief and how to move on, and don't really care about overly complex stories with twists and turns…if you're here for a feel good ride, a beautiful story between heavy books, I think you'd love this!

P.S. If you love farming, this book is for you!^^

[Lucianne Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

should have stayed on wattpad, waste of paper. elementary writing, very poor dialogue, felt like a tumblr post that never should have been expounded upon

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The coziest of the cozy fantasies 💕

I loved this. I loved all of the characters. The plot. The ending. The friendships. The love. Ugh this was so adorable!! Happy to see there will be a 2nd novel in the series!

[Shandis · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded up) the coziest of cozy books. i cried really super extra hard towards the end. my only critique is i wanted to see more of the hot sexy bard and hot sexy magical baker. what are they doing?? a second book about them?? i want it

[Dori · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much better than I could’ve possibly imagined. Cozy fantasies aren’t always my favorite, but this one was incredible. I loved the LGBTQ+ and mental health representation. Perfect read for pride month! As a lover of Stardew Valley when I heard this one was good for SV players I knew I had to pick it up. I loved the hilarity of people throwing themselves at Oaklin bc that’s very SV as well as the weekly markets and cute seasonal events. Can’t rec enough! Really enjoyed this one.

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. A couple things were personally a miss for me, for some reason I just couldn’t connect with the antagonist. I also went into this expect a super chill cozy vibe read and while it has cozy elements it also has some really deep themes running thru it (main character is working thru some trauma) so kind cozy adjacent. I absolutely love the representation and the small town FOUND Family, it felt so real warm and welcoming. The writing style was also super enjoyable! Thanks Netgalley the author and the publisher for this arc!

[Jude · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very by the book cozy fantasy that brings to life a farm-management simulator, complete with slow-paced rural life, romanticized small town, and surprisingly quick farming skill uptake. Oaklin, formerly a mind controlled lackey of the Enchantrix, a properly villainous Big Bad that used her underlings to kill and pillage or whatever (it's unclear what the end goal was- just that she's Dead), starts afresh by buying a farm in a small town largely untouched by the war. Whatever moral complexity one could have gleaned from the premise is largely pushed aside for the sake of whump. It feels like I Had to feel sorry for Oaklin to enjoy the story, beacuse PTSD and vague backstory, and yes the mind control was horrible, but the structure did not leave much room to build a connection with Oaklin's character since it's so insistent on treating their complicated past as a blackhole that could spoil their healing journey. This works fine for me when I have prior investment in a character (series/spinoff/fanfic) but it's hard to pull off in a standalone (or first in a series?).

Side characters also feel a bit cookie cutter, to the point that the author's note explaining this was formerly a CYOA made me go "ahh no wonder everyone other than Oaklin felt like an accessory character". However, i could definitely see that the author was starting to lay down the threads of potential series continuations in Ryn and Jules (and one Truly surprising hint at a future couple near the end). Despite everything above, I did like how cohesive the vibe was, like I could picture the scenes quite vividly in the exact same color scheme suggested by the cover. So anyone drawn in by that will likely get the chill vaguely DnD-inspired mundane fantasy that they're looking for. I also liked how the author built-up to the pivotal events in each arc, very solid storyboarding for the present (if only the same thing could be said for the backstory). I also love to see a queernorm world in fantasy, and this book has no shortage of queer characters and relationships .

Overall, this feels like a cozy fantasy that tried to play it too safe and couldve done way more with its premise. Cant help but feel like this would work better for me if I read it as a serial fiction with episodic weekly releases, like it could be better enjoyed as the occasional snack instead of a meal...

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The coziness, vibes, healing arc, farm stuff, animal stuff, food stuff, all impeccable. Oaklin and Granny were great characters. Unfortunately, I thought all the other characters were a bit thin, and the dialogue often suffers from being pretty obvious and too straightforward, which is not how people talk, even in cozy fantasy. I would have given it five stars with more fleshed out side characters, and better dialogue. But overall, a really good cozy fantasy that deals with recovery from trauma.

[abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) i wish i lived in mossley’s rest ;( this is perfect for any stardew valley lover! a gentle reminder that community is essential for our health + communal love and support can help us heal

[Demeter Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read cozy anything often, and I tend to get bored with some of the themes in such stories.

But.. I enjoyed this very much. It’s Oaklin who made me feel compassionate about. They are so sweet and deep into their own story they told themself i wanted to put them in my pocket until everything was fine.

Shame, feeling unworthy of anything because of some events took a swing at my cold heart.

So yeah sometimes it works for me.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

As warm as a cup of tea and as sweet as a blueberry scone, Field Guide to the Formerly Villainous is a delight.

Despite not getting an evil necromancer (who mends their ways) but a rather anxious young plant mage, I was not at all disappointed - this book is delightful. As someone who has a love of gardening, this book totally worked for me, as did the small-town factor, the ghost mentor, the love story, the friends, the queer normativity, and the worldbuilding, which was light but adequate for the storyline and premise. The world felt larger than what we saw, which, to me, is successful in this sort of story. You don’t want too much worldbuilding or it loses its coziness, but too little and it feels flat.

There was actually more about farming than I expected too, though it’s not an excessive amount. There are also descriptions of great food and a library. The prose falls on the colloquial at times, but it was never too much that it drew me out of the fantasy setting.

Oaklin is very likable. They are a traumatized, rather frightful person at the start, but they grow into themselves. And while they do things that are sometimes frustrating - out of fear - it never feels belaboured or excessive. They are also young - like early 20s - so that immaturity also makes sense. If they were my age, I’d be like, what the hell are you doing, but Oaklin also always owns up to it and there’s never the annoying miscommunication trope. It felt like a younger person learning how to adult.

The other side characters are such fun. There’s the baker and bard, who may or may not have a thing going on, a bunch of townsfolk who add to the quaint factor, and Lior, of course, a paladin librarian. I loved how Oaklin is first drawn to her because of her muscled arms, something that never gets enough attention on a woman. She also had her own minor arc, which fleshed her out and didn’t leave her feeling like “just the love interest”. The love story takes up a bit of the plot but doesn’t drag it into a romance with a capital R. It’s closed-door too.

The plot itself was well-balanced. While it is definitely not a plot-heavy book, Oaklin does have things they are wrestling with, and there is an overarching external threat to add some tension. Most of the book, though, is Oaklin learning to deal with their trauma and regain self-worth.

It’s cozy but not slow, charming, sweet, and I had a great time reading it. If you love cozy queer books with a bit of magic and small-town quaintness, you’ll really enjoy this. I thought it was delightful.

[Nadia · Rating 1 out of 5]

💩💩💩💩

[Maggie Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite book I have read all year. Cozy fantasy, LGTBQI, found family, add in a cultist past?!? Who can ask for more.