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mel. is Currently Reading

mel. is currently reading

A Stage Set for Villains

by Shannon J. Spann (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: arcs, net-galley, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in December 2025

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mel. said: " when i saw the title and the cover of this book, i knew i needed to read it. i’m such a villains girly and then add in the concept of the theatre? i was hooked.

i absolutely love the theatre! watching theatre productions, not being on stage that is. when i saw the title and the cover of this book, i knew i needed to read it. i’m such a villains girly and then add in the concept of the theatre? i was hooked.

i absolutely love the theatre! watching theatre productions, not being on stage that is. i was in one theatre production in grade school and that was.. an experience 🥲 so when i found Shannon’s book i couldn’t wait to dive in. everything about this book was so incredibly well thought out and the incorporation of theatre elements such as the stage manager, props master, the stage productions themselves, and even how the actual book was structured was so creative! it truly made the whole experience for me and i still cannot believe this is a debut novel! the writing, the creativity, the story structure, the twists, everything just screams talent from someone who has done this before. you can tell Shannon thought about each and every aspect of this story and worked hard to ensure it was all perfectly placed. the execution was just brilliant.

i love Riven and Jude, the two main characters of this story. Riven is so strong willed, determined, clever, witty, smart and so so hilarious! she knows who she is and sticks to her guns when it comes to it. and Jude, the loml. i am obsessed with this fictional man. being the Lead Player, he is so confident (or cocky 🤪) and self-assured, but so mysterious! like i felt anytime i finally figured him out, he had me questioning everything! oh and let’s not forget about the third main character, the Playhouse. like i said before, Shannon thought of everything and the Playhouse is the perfect, slightly haunting, setting for this story! such great ambiance, uniqueness, and influence the Playhouse can absolutely be classified as a character in my books 📚

there are so many layers to this story, these characters, and this world. the more i think about it, the more i discover and fall in love with this book. i already can’t wait to re-read it! add this to your tbr, pre-order it if you feel so inclined, and remember, finders keepers 🎭

releasing February 3, 2026 🖤 thank you SO much, Shannon and @entangledteen for the advance copy of this book! only 4 weeks until my trophy copy is in my hands! 🤪 ...more "

progress:

(29%)
— Jun 20, 2026 10:30AM

Jan 06, 2026 09:59AM · see review