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Series · romantic comedy

Assistant to the Villain

by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Assistant to the Villain series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Assistant to the Villain (2023). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Adversary to the Villain.

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
2023
Status
ongoing
Shelved under
Romance, Humour
Last checked

Start here: Assistant to the Villain (2023) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain (2023)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Assistant to the Villain

    Novel

    Assistant to the Villain, released August 29, 2023, opens the series with Evie Sage taking a job nobody else wants: personal assistant to Rennedawn's most feared official evildoer.

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  2. Apprentice to the Villain

    Novel

    Apprentice to the Villain (August 2024) is the longest entry so far at 416 pages, arriving almost exactly a year after the opener and continuing Evie Sage's slow-burn workplace romance with her unnervingly competent boss. Hannah Nicole Maehrer keeps the cozy fantasy rom-com's banter-over-angst formula intact as Evie further settles into a job everyone else was too scared to take.

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  3. Accomplice to the Villain

    Novel

    Accomplice to the Villain (August 2025) marks a third consecutive August release in Maehrer's cozy fantasy rom-com, running 368 pages as Evie Sage's chatty, self-deprecating narration keeps the found-a-guy-everyone's-scared-of romance moving forward against Rennedawn's evil-doing backdrop.

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  4. Adversary to the Villain

    Novel

    Adversary to the Villain, published August 4, 2026 at 444 pages, is a fourth consecutive August release and the longest in the series so far, continuing Evie Sage's low-violence, high-charm romance with the Villain ahead of the fifth and concluding volume Hannah Nicole Maehrer has yet to title.

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About the Assistant to the Villain series

Evie Sage needs a job badly enough to take the one nobody else wants: personal assistant to the Villain, Rennedawn's most feared official evildoer. She expects torture devices and casual cruelty. Instead she finds a boss with dry wit, genuine (if gruff) fairness, and absolutely no patience for the actual monsters -- corrupt nobles, scheming princesses -- causing real harm in his kingdom.

Hannah Nicole Maehrer's cozy fantasy rom-com runs on banter rather than angst: Evie's chatty, self-deprecating narration, a slow-burn workplace romance with her unnervingly competent boss, and a fantasy-court setting used mostly for comedic set pieces rather than grimdark stakes. It's low-violence, high-charm, and leans hard into 'found the guy everyone's scared of, he's actually just tired and wants his paperwork filed correctly' as a romantic premise.

For readers who want fantasy romance that's genuinely funny rather than dark and brooding, with accessible worldbuilding and a will-they-won't-they office dynamic transplanted into a kingdom of prophecies and evil-doing, this series is a comfort-read favorite.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Assistant to the Villain series?

Four published so far -- Assistant to the Villain, Apprentice to the Villain, Accomplice to the Villain, Adversary to the Villain -- with a fifth and final volume expected to conclude the series.

What order should I read Assistant to the Villain in?

Publication order: Assistant to the Villain, Apprentice to the Villain, Accomplice to the Villain, Adversary to the Villain. It's one continuous story.

Is the Assistant to the Villain series finished?

Not yet. A concluding volume is expected but has no announced title or release date as of August 2026.

When is the next Assistant to the Villain book coming out?

No title or release date has been confirmed yet for the next installment.

Do I need lots of fantasy knowledge to start this series?

No. It's a comedic, low-worldbuilding entry point into fantasy romance built around banter and a workplace-style romance rather than dense lore.

Reading order last verified .