Book Review: Starter Villain

by Bonnie Tollefson

Starter Villain, John Scalzi, Tor Publishing Group, 2023.

Libraries have changed on cruise ships. Currently the library on the Zuiderdam is a room tucked away on deck three. It actually looks more like a small book store than a library. There are cubbies with 3, 4 or even 5 copies of a book displayed. At the beginning of the cruise, the cubbie facing the entrance contained copies of a book called Starter Villain. Within weeks, it had swept the ship with people recommending it to friends and strangers. After reading it, I suggested it to the RVM Library and I am glad they were able to get a copy. I hope you will be glad too.

Charlie is the star of this book. He is living in Chicago. He is divorced and has lost his job as a business reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He is almost keeping life together as a substitute teacher and talks to his cat. Charlie lives in his father’s house, which was left to him, if he can pay the taxes and utilities. His three siblings hope he will fail so they can sell the house.

Charlie has an estranged great uncle who dies and leaves Charlie his business – as a super villain. But, there are strings attached – aren’t there always. Uncle Jake had declared war on his fellow super villains and it is up Charlie to finish what Jake started. There is a beautiful assistant, a tech savvy talking cat (with apprentice) and a secret lair on an island. After all, every villain needs a secret lair. When Charlie arrives on the island, he discovers that they are having a labor dispute with the dolphins. Fair Warning: if salty language offends you, then the dolphins will definitely offend. They are the ones who scoff that Charlie is just a starter villain.

Not wanting to give away any spoilers, I will let you read for yourself about Charlie’s adventures, his attendance at the Super Villain Conference, his hunt for the hidden treasure and his final confrontation with the head villain. Will Charlie survive all that and get to open the pub of his dreams? Enjoy!

This book is available from the RVM library and the JCLS in regular print.