This book review is part of a new #Octobooks series. #Octobooks are books associated with authors/guests/members (past and present) of #Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention. Find out more about Octocon on their website and their socials: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky, and Mastodon.
One piece of advice I received as a writer is to learn the rules of storytelling, that way you know how to break them. This book is the realisation of this advice and more. Sarah Rees Brennan knows storytelling and like the villainess she is, she rips up the rule book and throws it into The Dead Ravine. She makes us root for evil, question good, and cheer for the background characters. This is the world of Eyam, where your next great read awaits.
Twenty-year-old Rae has cancer – which is very serious, I know, but this book is a lot of fun, I promise. In order to find a cure, she has been given the chance to travel into her favourite fantasy series where she takes on the body of the villainess of the story.
Rae has a leg up as she is familiar with the story, but like time-travel, can she predict what happens next if she changes the present? I often wonder if Rees Brennan had to plot this book twice. The plot of the book before Rae enters, and the plot Rae creates throughout the story.
I’ve heard this book described as a mix of Deadpool and Game of Thrones and I can see why. The comic/dramatic/exciting scenes created by Rae as she tries to navigate the bumpy plot of her own making within a harsh, medieval-like setting makes for an entertaining read.
Rees Brennan has created a cast of colourful characters, despite their despicable ways.
Rae shows early on that when she isn’t sick, she is the protective big sister type. But when she travels into the book and takes on the body of Rahela, she feels the freedom to embrace the role of the villainess – because the people in this fantasy aren’t real, but fictional characters, right? Evil will win at last.
Key, the lovable yet murderous goon who vows to serve Rae, is supposed to be just a background character, (if there was a character most like Deadpool in this book, it’d be Key), but it turns out he is way too intriguing to be just a background character. I think Key has the most engaging character arc in this story and from speaking to other readers, I hear he’s many people’s favourite.
The women in this book prove very interesting. Emer for example, Rahela’s maid, shows the makings of a fierce warrior despite her station. She proves how smart and observant she is as she’s the most suspicious of Rahela’s change in demeanour since Rae takes over. Rees Brennan shines a light on the choices women must make to survive in a world dominated by men which in turn gives insight into the society Rae needs to navigate.
The plot is ironically unpredictable even though Rae is familiar with both the characters and story. Interfering with the plot means the story of the book can take some unexpected turns. Scenes happen out of sequence, characters aren’t doing what they’re supposed to, and in order to fix the plot to suit her needs, Rae often takes matters into her own hands. It’s reminiscent of when Marty McFly in Back to the Future inadvertently ruins the meet-cute between his parents and needs to figure out how to fix things. Rae often finds herself trying to fix the plot she helped disrupt, resulting in entertaining consequences.
There are some nice twisty bits in this book, Deadpool style violence, and exciting scenes. I very much enjoyed this book, and I hear this is going to be a trilogy so watch this space, as I’m sure I will be reviewing the sequels to this excellent book.
Find out more about Long Live Evil and Sarah Rees Brennan here.
My review on Goodreads here.
MARK KIELTY 