Ratings100
Average rating4.1
Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference - as Charlie discovers when he inherits it. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and James Bond-like supervillain rivals. Warning: supervillain in training. Risk of world domination. Inheriting his late uncle’s business proves complicated. It’s also way more dangerous than Charlie could ever have imagined. Because his uncle had kept his supervillain status a secret – until now. Divorced and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie wasn’t loving life. Although they weren’t close, news of his Uncle Jack’s death didn’t help. And that was before Jake’s rivals (seriously vengeful ones) ambushed his funeral. Now Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . . Even harder to get used to are the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats – and the fact that in the organization’s hierarchy, they’re management. If Charlie does say yes, this lifeline could become a death wish. Because there’s much more to being an Evil Mastermind than he suspected. Yet could this also, finally, be his chance to shine? Praise for John Scalzi: ‘Hugely enjoyable, intelligent and good-humoured fun’ - The Guardian ‘Sheer geeky pleasure from start to finish’ - Financial Times ‘An escapist delight’ - The Times
Reviews with the most likes.
Imagine being bequeathed your uncle's supervillain empire—sounds cool, right? Prepare for undersea lairs, an army of minions, and a globe-trotting game of ‘who-wants-you-gone.' But the real twist? The top brass are tech-savvy cats that hold board meetings. Yup, you read that right!
Starter Villain? Hands down, the most delightful misadventure I've delved into this year. From sentient feline bosses to dolphins with agendas, and that quintessential villainous volcano lair, it's a rollicking romp that had me side-eyeing my own cat, wondering about her double life. Bursting with humor and lightheartedness, it's a one-sit, chuckle-a-minute, sci-fi frolic. Dive in and thank me later!
I enjoy the blend of sci-fi, humor and warmth found in a John Scalzi novel. While not necessarily laugh out loud funny, it does a nice job of turning the "supervillain" genre on it's head. There's some great one liners and how cats fit into the story universe is pretty cool. There's enough plot and twists to move the story along brisky. Plus, the resolution is solid and - warm. Not an earth shaking tale nor a story which will linger with you, yet it
Beautifully daft, and I loved it!
Need another book.