What started as a quirky TikTok skit quickly turned into one of the most talked-about romantasy debuts in recent years. Hannah Nicole Maehrer made waves when she transformed her viral villain-assistant comedy videos into a full-fledged fantasy romance series.
The result was the Assistant to the Villain series, which became a bestselling blend of dark humor, slow-burn romance, and whimsical fantasy that has captivated readers worldwide.
Maehrer’s debut novel, Assistant to the Villain, was published in August 2023 and immediately found an audience eager for its mix of banter, dangerous lords, and office-romance-with-a-twist vibes. She followed it up in August 2024 with Apprentice to the Villain, and the third book in the series, Accomplice to the Villain, was released in August 2025!
And we have some good news! The author has just revealed the official title & cover of the fourth book: “Adversary to the Villain!” It is scheduled for release in August 2026.
We have more good news because Assistant to the Villain is also being adapted into a TV series, which means you will soon be able to watch the fan-favorite story and its characters on your screen!
The success of Hannah Nicole Maehrer was no accident because her background in online storytelling gave her a sharp sense of comedic timing, character chemistry, and how to build momentum with readers. She blends romantic-comedy energy with high-fantasy stakes, and her prose is light, witty, and compulsively readable, yet she doesn’t shy away from darker themes.
Readers often describe her books as both cozy and chaotic, filled with sharp dialogue, outrageous villains, and a surprisingly heartfelt exploration of loyalty, morality, and love.
Assistant to the Villain Series Reading Order:
If you plan to read Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s series, the best way to do so is in publication order, as there are only three books published so far, with a fourth one announced.
Here’s how to read the books in order:
Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s Assistant to the Villain Series in Order:
1. Assistant to the Villain (2023)
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion is a must. Excellent benefits.
With an ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer, naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work and ensure he makes them pay. After all, a good job is hard to find!
2. Apprentice to the Villain (2024)
NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. ―Mgmt
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding; the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and the forbidding boss is somewhat out of the office.
But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies, including their nemesis, the king.
Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.
It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so delightfully fun.
But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?
3. Accomplice to the Villain (2025)
REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to “Evie” or “Stop that.”
Evie Sage didn’t mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom’s most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised “light paperwork and occasional beheadings,” and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.
Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire—or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.
Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again, neither was falling for The Villain.
4. Adversary to the Villain (Coming in August 2026)
The follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensations Assistant to the Villain, Apprentice to Villain, and Accomplice to the Villain by laugh-out-loud TikTok darling Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
The official blurb for the book will be revealed soon!
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