The Villains Club: A Delightfully Devious Anthology

by Janina Scarlet (Editor), E. M. Noller (Editor)

Welcome to The Villain's Club!



Here, chaos is mandatory, caffeine is non-negotiable, and every meeting starts with a complaint about heroes who get in their way.  

Inside this delightfully devious anthology, villains finally get their own POV. That means no oversight, no interruptions, just pure, unfiltered rebellion. 



On the surface, these villains may seem like ordinary scoundrels, delinquents, bandits, and baddies. Scratch the surface (preferably with a dagger-shaped, impeccably manicured pinky nail), and you'll find all the complexities, contradictions, impossible choices, and longing for connection that make even villains human. You'll get to know misunderstood monsters, overworked overlords, demons with major Inhuman Resources issues, and even a few villains who might actually be heroes (but we didn't have the heart to tell them).



There are no tidy lessons or shiny trophies here. Sometimes we're the hero, sometimes the villain. 

And sometimes, it just feels good to be bad.



So grab a chair, pour something bubbly, and settle in.



Contributing

·      Brianna Alers

·      Dave Beaudrie

·      M. B. Bruce

·      Dennis K. Crosby

·      Jasmine Griffin

·      Hannah Kate Kelley

·      Chance Kistler

·      Jonathan Maberry

·      E. M. Noller

·      Janina Scarlet

·      Meghan Spelbrink

·      Robin Talamas

·      R. V. Thomas

·      Jocelyn Wallen

·      Morag Wherle

·      Alexis Wright

·      Dewey L. Yeats

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2026

About the author

Dr. Janina Scarlet is a psychologist, author of 18 books, and a TEDx speaker. She is also the Founding Director of Divine Feminine Publishing. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Dr. Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy.
Her work has been featured on Yahoo, BBC, NPR, Sunday Times, The New York Times, Forbes, and many other outlets. She regularly consults on books and television shows, including HBO’s The Young Justice. She was also interviewed
for Marvel’s MPower series and was portrayed as a comic book character in Gail Simone’s Seven Days graphic novel.

Reviews

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, my review is biased as one of the contributing authors to this anthology, but I found the entire collection to be really enjoyable. It was a great balance between heartfelt/dramatic and humorous/light. Twisted tales and stories from the villain’s perspective can get a bit predictable, but I didn’t feel that way with most of the stories. There was a wide range of villain types from supervillains, vampires, witches, and even a spider. They encountered unique struggles and adventures that I never would have expected. I think there were about two stories that I wasn’t a huge fan of, but most of them really nailed it. I laughed out loud a number of times and it brought a lightheartedness that assuaged the stress this world can bring. My favorite stories (aside from my own) were Monster Smut is Ruining My Life, Origin Story, My Bonnie Girl, The Invitation, and The Villains Club. Overall, I would recommend giving this anthology a try, and that’s not just coming from someone who wrote one chapter of this book!

[Sarah McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of dark humor, fantasy satire, and morally gray characters, this anthology is both mischievous and heartfelt. It celebrates rebellion, chaos, and the freedom of embracing imperfection—and by the end, you may find yourself rooting for the villains more than the heroes.