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Assistant to the Villain #2

Apprentice to the Villain

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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 said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-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 (provided no one finds out) 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…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 2024

10959 people are currently reading
161209 people want to read

About the author

Hannah Nicole Maehrer

7 books11.9k followers

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5 stars
51,910 (36%)
4 stars
60,981 (42%)
3 stars
26,006 (18%)
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4,151 (2%)
1 star
736 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,308 reviews
Profile Image for Clace .
841 reviews2,640 followers
August 29, 2024
4.19!

“The Villain didn’t miss light. He missed color.”


I'm not as critical about this series as im about other books because this is a more comfy, feel good series and I review this solely based on my enjoyment

I had such a fun time reading this book. It's a book that you can read on a bad day and would make you happy or a book that you can read while you're sad and will make you laugh. It has so much angst, tension and swoon-worthy romance. It is worth it and I think this trilogy is shaping up to be one of my comfort reads. While, I did not enjoy it as much as the first one, the middle book syndrome really played a part in this one because the pacing wasn't as fast and the first and not much happened of substance but the way this story is written and presented is so fun to read which made these issues of less significance for me. I loved how it started with all the action and plotting and humor and as we progressed the action minimized a bit and the plotting drifted away as well but the humor remained lol and I was hoping for a big cliffhanger like we got in book 1 but that was missing so my only urge to read the third one is to see Evie and the Villain get together.

The characters were so fun to read. Evie was strong and stood up more, she made decisions and I liked her. We got to see more of her badass side and she was ready to risk everything for that kiss lmaoo, she was great but The Villain stole the show for me he was such a grumpy, broody, jealous, possessive cutie patootie. I loved him so much and I love his relationship with Lyssa. Him taking the things he did with her so seriously lol and I love how Lyssa tried imitate him. I also loved the scene where villain kicked Blade because he got jealous of Blade hugging Evie lol. Becky and Blade deserve their own book because I want more from their side- tbh screw all of them. We need Kingsley's book!!

The romance was the dumbest, cutest, giggles inducing, feet kicking, blush inducing, smirk forming romance that I have ever read!! it was so fun to read them both pine over each other and think about each other and care for each other. uggh I loved it soooooooo much!! I want MOREEE. I am not satisfied but also am??

Overall, this was super fun to read and I cant wait to dive into book 3!!
___
I'm here to collect my cutie patootie villain 🤭

(Why do books not have recaps 😭)
Profile Image for SK (Back for good this time? We'll see).
516 reviews10.7k followers
August 29, 2024
I had a lot of fun with this book but it wasn't as good as book one.

I absolutely LOVED the slow burn, angsty romance between Evie and Trystan. The chemistry between the two is just magical. The fact that they're both protective, possessive and so into each other just makes me smile. I was giggling, blushing and kicking my feet. They need to happen already 😩😩

Evie is becoming so confident and badass. I like how she's taking charge of things. Her powers were really interesting to me but the way it was executed was just mediocre. Where did those powers come from? What happened there? It needed plentiful explanation done in the right way. We're expected to just understand it.

I love Trystan. He is the best part about these books. His whole persona of the Villain is so sexy. I always enjoy his scenes and whenever he is with Evie, makes it even better. I love how he's into her, how villainous he can get for her. I absolutely adore his pov. Always. More. Trystan. 🥵

The execution of the book is chaotic and it sort of drags in the second half. The fantasy elements were really weak in this book compared to book one. If you're going to be building a romantasy, there needs to be some level of fantasy foundation and this book did nothing of that sort. Things just happen, explanations are weak and questionable. I simply did not understand unfortunately. I also did not care for the side characters pov that much...

I found the ending to be on the weaker side as well. I am definitely curious where it all leads to in the next book but at the same time am not holding my breath for it. This book had a lot of potential but a lot of what happened did not make any sense. Hopefully the next book will be better.


~•~•~
Here for the villain cause he is my hero... Too cheesy? 👀
Profile Image for Kasia Zubrzycki.
28 reviews10 followers
September 4, 2024
I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to smack both Evie and Trystan over the heads and shout, "Get on with it!".
Such a frustratingly wonderful slow-burn of a romance!
Profile Image for Emmy Rosam.
238 reviews27.5k followers
May 6, 2025
Both book 1 & 2 are 3.75 stars to me ⭐️ They’re just really fun, silly, comedic books. I also love the audiobooks for these if you’re looking to listen to something!! Can’t wait for the 3rd book.
Profile Image for little shovel.
108 reviews7 followers
August 8, 2024
I was super excited for this book, and loved the first in the series. However, I am left with a feeling of disappointment at the conclusion. The first book felt like a compilation of episodic stories about two people falling in love. I know that may not be everybody’s cup of tea but I ate that shit up. This sequel felt like a mess. The story jumped back and forth and introduced new characters that didn’t really affect the plot that much? The relationship between Evie and Trystan was completely sabotaged by the author’s misplaced sense of tension. There are only so many times an intimate moment can be interrupted before I lose my mind. It’s not clever writing, just redundant. The introduction of new point of views was also a questionable decision, and I found myself speeding through those sections to get back to Evie or the Villain. I think the author lost her grasp on this story and allowed for too many ideas to break free at once. I will read the final book but I am severely disappointed with this sequel.
Profile Image for ✧ hayley (the sugar bowl) ✧.
418 reviews122 followers
May 25, 2025
➳ 4.5 ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚

╰┈➤ ”the villain didn’t miss light. he missed color.”

<— that quote alone was enough to make me give this five stars 😭 i’m a sucker for a well timed callback (*cough* kaz brekker ‘that’s the laugh’ *cough*)

but anyways!! i loved this. i still think the first one was my favorite but this was such a fun time and i read this so fast and now i have to wait another year for the third book 🫠 it’s fine I’m fine I’ll be fine. maybe since hannah and i are totally friends we don’t know each other she’ll let me read an advanced copy? hannah if you’re reading this: i’ll let you out of my basement if you do!! still don’t know each other

but i digress 🤭 evie and trystan were adorable as always and they had me giggling and kicking my feet through this whole book. the miscommunication trope runs strong in this but it’s in such a fun way that it’s not even annoying in the context of the story. the villain dying to keep his composure at everything evie does never gets old 🤭 he’s so bbg and i love him so much. fictional 👏 husband 👏 material 👏

and blade and becky!! i didn’t expect to love them that much but becky reminds me a lot of myself and i want me a blade yk? 🥹 also kingsley being the mvp as always 🐸 your crown isn’t the only thing making you a king, sir 👑

like i know i said this last time but this series is just so fun like it’s so unserious and ridiculous and rom-com core and it makes me feel like i’m 13 again and obsessing over my latest crush (cause believe me there was or is a lot).

like the whole ‘evie losing a journal where she has drawings of her and the villain kissing and then he finds it and gets mad because who is she drawing herself making out with?’ you know what i mean? it’s just so cheesy, disney channel show core and i love it!! it’s just so adorable and wholesome and this book made me so giddy fr 🤭 like if you’re looking for a complex world and a serious plot this isn’t for you but if you want this hilarious, silly, fun time then please read this 🎀🫶

also lyssa was one of my favorite characters!! everyone being so sweet to her and loving her immediately was so cute and she is such a fun character. also the tea party—😭

ok let’s just make a list of adorable, screaming crying throwing up, laugh out loud moments because i have too many

• the villain having a tea party with lyssa and taking it deathly serious
• the reveal at the end with the whole antidote thing (iykyk, i can’t say more bc spoilers)
• the villain kicking blade because he hugged evie (jealous king 🙇‍♀️)
• the ‘it’s so beautiful’ ‘yes it is’ but he’s looking at her trope ahhhh
• all of chapter 46
• lyssa baking and everyone saying it’s the best treats they’ve ever tasted
• the tornado night light 😩
• becky’s hot brothers who are all trained in combat (ok hawthornes 💅)
• the constant bashing of the interns lolol
• and last but certainly not least, kingsely wearing a dress

also i enjoyed, like the first one, how this had no spice!! the romance (or what there was of it 😭 admit your feelings outright guys cmon) was still super strong with it still being clean and i hope she keeps it like that for the final book

the plot was super fun and there was more of the magic system and the world in this one. some parts still confuse me but hey i was just along for the ride 🩰

ok hannah, you know the drill from last time, you have to leave now for just one second. ok, my only two complaints with this are that 1) sometimes everything felt a little too dramatic and like the emotions the characters were feeling only existed for that particular scene to work well yk? and 2) there was some cussing and innuendos that this book would have been fine without!

but there were such minor things and anyways, i just had such an amazing time with this book and i am so proud of hannah and i hope this book does so well. so you should all read it. for me. please?

i can’t recommend this series enough and i can’t wait for book 3 and i am going to be sitting here waiting until next year for it to come out until then 🤭💋


₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚


pre review ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚

we have a title and a cover!! i’m so excited for this book (and for the tv series like whattttt) i love this series sm 🤭 august cannot get here fast enough 😌🎀


₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚


update 8•6•24 ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚

release day lets goooo!!!! this book cannot get to my house fast enough


୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
Profile Image for chan ☆.
1,304 reviews59.7k followers
December 19, 2024
this was kind of messy, unfortunately. i really enjoyed the first book, it was fresh and not so serious. and this was definitely not serious but it felt a lot less fresh.

i think it's a case of "performed well, publisher loves it, let's make it a longer series than necessary." because effectively, nothing happened here. there's more will they won't they with the villain and sage. there's some funny mishaps. but character development? not so much. and we don't seem to be heading in any real direction with dev or with plot.

it was perfectly pleasant to listen to, but the last 50% were really frustrating when i realized that the problem introduced at the beginning wasn't ever going to get solved.
Profile Image for Mel.
165 reviews12.9k followers
Read
February 23, 2025
DNF @ 76%

i tried, but then it turned into a descendants movie and i couldn’t do it anymore
Profile Image for ✨Julie✨.
739 reviews1,361 followers
May 31, 2025
✩ 2 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Morally Gray Characters
➼ Villain gets the Girl
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ Grumpy x Sunshine
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Workplace Romance
➼ Animal Side Kick
➼ Dragons
➼ Magic
➼ Multi POV

Wow… what a mess this was. I wanted to love this, but it was just so poorly executed. I’ll admit that my confusion started because I had forgotten the ending of book one. Book two starts out with an unnecessary prologue that takes place in the past (confusing) and then jumps straight into where book one left off without any recap or context given. I eventually caught up enough to vaguely remember what was going on and then that issue was resolved (too quickly) and they were off and onto the next thing.

The chapters were extremely short and most of them felt like they had deleted scenes. I think the main thread of the story was that they were looking for her mom or clues about what had happened to her?? And there was a prophecy that factored into the cliffhanger ending… I think it was all meant to be connected, but the author didn’t do a great job of explaining how it all fit together. They essentially did a bunch of side quest without the author very clearly telling the reader that that’s what they were doing and then suddenly there would be a dragon or someone would have a new power or we’d be hearing from a random side character and I was left scratching my head trying to figure out how we got there.

This book also relied heavily on the angst and tension between the two MC’s. Typically I’d be eating that up, but in this case it started to feel really repetitive. I felt like the author was just trying to stretch out the tension between them to make it to the third book. When it comes to slow burn, there is such a thing as too slow. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I feel like the author had so many ideas she was trying to get out and onto the page that she kind of lost the thread of the story. I wish her editor had encouraged her to beef up the world building and the explanations for the quests and the magic they wielded a little more. The author deprived us of the romance and then kind of tanked the execution of the fantasy elements. I almost gave this 3 stars, but I just can’t justify it. I really wish I had loved this more! I hope you’re able to find more enjoyment in it than I did!

P.S. …apparently all it takes to make someone a villain is to call them one repeatedly. Very little villainous activity detected.

✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼  ҉  ✼

Pre-read: Ready for this “villain” to unmask his ooey gooey center!

I need all the murdery bits to be explained so I can fully endorse this romance. 🤣

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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Profile Image for clara bow.
133 reviews
January 15, 2025
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
⤷ minor spoilers (quotes)

”i thought id never see you again! i have never known such a darkness, and i never wish to again.”


ೃ⁀➷ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: WDYM THE NEXT BOOK COMES OUT IN AUGUST??? I CANT WIST THAT LONG??? *cries*


ೃ⁀➷ 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞:
”beware the wraith of a kind heart.”

WOW! i wärmt expecting that but i should’ve seen it coming. THAT IS MY EVERYTHING OMG!!!! JUST WOW! i love her so much and i’m so proud of her for her promotion and some other things that i’m not mentioning because of spoilers <3


ೃ⁀➷ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧:
”you think i pretend to care about you?”

HES SO ADORABLE AWWWWW HE LOVES HER SO MUCH! trystan is just so cute when he shares that gentle side of him, he just is so caring and lovable <3


ೃ⁀➷ 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧:
”i like who you are, not what you’re capable of.

AHHHHHH I CANT CONTAIN THE JOY THEY BRING ME. THEY ARE JUST THE PERFECT MATCH (as grumpy x sunshine’s usually are)! SHE WILL BE HIS DOWN FALL (because he loves her so much) AND HE WILL BE HER UNDOING (because she loves him so much). THIS SHIP IS JUST ONE OF TYE ABSOLUTE CUTEST SHIPS EVER, THEY ARE JUST SO ADORABLE!

ೃ⁀➷ 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: this book is do much better than the first one, idk how that’s possible since assistant to the villain is literally PERFECT…but somehow it got even better! long story short: READ. THIS. SERIES.


⋆༺𓆩⚔️𓆪༻⋆


ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: buddy reading with november! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, SHE BETTER SAVE HIM OR IMA SCREAM
Profile Image for Katie Colson.
787 reviews9,746 followers
September 18, 2024
If you liked 'Assistant to the Villain', RUN to pick this book up.

I keep telling myself not to give this 5 stars because it's a silly, goofy, fun time. But...it's a silly, goofy, fun time. How am I supposed to look a Gift-Horse in the mouth?

If you liked 'Assistant to the Villain', you will adore the sequel. It takes every trope and elevates it with better writing and more feelings.

This book came to me at the precise moment I needed it. And I will always be grateful to it for that.

p.s. the TORNADO NIGHT LIGHT ??!!?!?!?!?!????!!?!?!?
Profile Image for Susan Kay - trying to catch up!.
448 reviews159 followers
September 10, 2024
Clearly, I am in the minority here. I'm truly happy for everyone that really liked it, and I wish I was one of those people. Disappointed is an understatement because I genuinely enjoyed the first book and was excited for this one. I gave the first one 4 ⭐ for its lighthearted fantasy elements. It was amusing and charming. It wasn't a literary masterpiece by any means, but it was a cute fun time. This was not those things for me.

This book seemed to suffer from an identity crisis. There were so many plot points that were never fully developed. The magic elements just exist, but they are never truly explained. The chapters were each like 4 pages long, and something new happened in each chapter and half the time we never came back to why it happened or got any reason. This was a classic example of telling not showing. It was a lot of rando events that were often not cohesive and, ultimately, I didn't care about any of them. There is a "twist" I guess which I saw coming a mile away. And the constant repeating of inner dialogue over and over of Evie and Trystan, ugh. I think 50 pages could have been shaved off without all that filler.

I love this cover, so much. Right now, that's my favorite thing about it. I don't know if I can make myself continue with the series or not.
Profile Image for sophie.
164 reviews84 followers
August 14, 2024
love love love!!! everything about this is just so good 🤌🏻🐸👑🪧
Profile Image for Charity (Booktrovert Reader).
835 reviews634 followers
March 29, 2025
Kingsley is everything. Loved this book so much. 🐸👑

Kingsley does have more appearances in this one which brought me giggling a lot throughout the book. He certainly adds to a flare to this one.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one but I think it is still good in a terms of a cozy fantasy romance.

This is still slow burning which is causing me to now say that I am ready for it to end. My patience is waning and I wish it would have developed more in this book. I hope it doesn't take up most of the third book for something to actually happen. Now I have to patiently and painfully wait for the next book.

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Profile Image for Flo Camus.
222 reviews231 followers
March 10, 2025
[1.6⭐] 𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙯 𝙙𝙚𝙡 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙤 es una novela de fantasía romántica escrita por Hannah Nicole Maehrer y publicada en 2024. En esta secuela, seguimos a Evie Sage en su intento de mantener el castillo de El Villano a salvo mientras lidia con amenazas externas, secretos mágicos y nuevas traiciones.


Voy a ser sincera: siento que a la autora se le acabó la inspiración y está desesperada por dinero. Ya el primer libro no era una obra maestra, pero al menos era entretenida y había una buena dinámica entre los personajes. En cambio, este se siente como un intento desesperado de alargar una historia que ya no tiene nada más que contar. Todo el desarrollo se siente innecesario, la trama no es atrapante ni intrigante y, aún así, ¡van a haber otros dos libros más! De verdad no entiendo qué más se puede sacar de aquí. Intenta dejar algo de “suspenso” al final (como sucedió en el libro anterior) para resolverlo todo en los primeros capítulos como si nada, luego mete más relleno y pone otro intento de suspenso al final.

Uno de los mayores problemas es lo obvio que resulta todo. Desde el primer momento supe quién era el caballero misterioso, lo que hizo que la supuesta "gran sorpresa" no funcionara para nada. Si un libro quiere venderse como intrigante, lo mínimo que debería hacer es construir bien sus revelaciones, pero aquí todo es tan evidente que me daban ganas de abandonar el libro porque ya sabía todo lo que iba a pasar. De hecho, acerté todos los "plot twists" que intentó meter la autora, hasta podría decir quién es el traidor sin haber leído los siguientes libros.  

Otro detalle que me sacó de quicio es la escritura. No sé qué pasó aquí, pero este libro se siente mucho más básico que el primero, casi como si estuviera leyendo una historia de Wattpad sin editar. La autora tiene un mundo interesante con potencial, pero no sabe aprovecharlo. Y para colmo, sigue esta tendencia que odio, donde las novelas están escritas para que el lector se salte todas las descripciones y solo lea los diálogos. Lo peor es que las pocas descripciones que hay son redundantes y no aportan nada, así que efectivamente se podría entender el libro sin leerlas. Descubrí esta "moda" por TikTok hace un tiempo (contra mi voluntad) y ahora no dejo de notarla en cada historia que sigue este estilo. Si esta es la dirección que está tomando la autora, cada vez me dan menos ganas de seguir con la saga.  

En cuanto a los personajes, Evie ya empezó a desesperarme. Al inicio la toleraba porque entendía que la idea era que fuera ingenua, testaruda y con un gran corazón, pero en este libro su terquedad se vuelve insoportable. Se enoja por cosas que no tienen sentido, como cuando El Villano le dice que ella es su asistente y él su jefe (¡porque es la verdad!). ¿Por qué hacer un drama por algo tan obvio? En serio, hay momentos en los que parece que la autora mete conflictos solo por meterlos, sin importar si tienen sentido o no.  

Por otro lado, la autora es muy mala escribiendo momentos emotivos. Cada vez que tenía la oportunidad de construir una escena que realmente transmitiera algo, la desperdiciaba con diálogos insulsos o resoluciones apresuradas. Sentí que nunca había una verdadera carga emocional y eso hizo que me importara cada vez menos lo que les pasaba a los personajes.  


Para ser honesta, lo único que realmente me entretuvo fueron las últimas 15 páginas, porque todo lo anterior se sintió como puro relleno. No aprendí nada nuevo de la historia, no hubo escenas memorables y terminé el libro sintiendo que había perdido el tiempo. Si la autora sigue exprimiendo esta saga de esta forma, no creo que quiera seguir leyéndola.
Profile Image for Gillian.
262 reviews368 followers
February 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! This was a fun and cozy fantasy about friendship, family, love, and finding your purpose. I became immersed in this book from the very beginning. I loved the fall and cozy vibes in this book. The plot was interesting, but it was a bit chaotic at times. The world building was underwhelming, the history of the world and the magic was underdeveloped. The characters were great and relatable. I love Evie, she’s fun, bubbly, brave, caring, and resilient. I’m proud of how confident and resilient that Evie has become. I also love The Villain, he’s mysterious, supportive, protective, confident, handsome, and funny. I love seeing the softer and caring side that the Villain shows to Evie. I was swooning and blushing at the sweet things he did for Evie. Both Evie and the Villain’s character development were great, I loved seeing their growth. The chemistry and tension between Evie and the Villain. I loved the banter between Evie and the Villain, I was laughing and smiling a lot. I really enjoyed the side characters as well, especially Lyssa, Becky, Blade, Clare, and Tatianna. The interactions between the characters were awesome and wholesome. The ending was surprising, but I was expecting more and it was underwhelming. I’m looking forward to the next book!
Profile Image for Noi (in & out) .
831 reviews489 followers
August 25, 2024
What is the definition of a cozy mystery? because I don't usually like them but reading this gave me a cozy mystery vibe and I did like it (my sister said I'm way off so I need your knowledge).

This picked up without a major time jump after the 1st, we have out main characters in different places and they are trying to find their way back to each other in a way. This is fully YA on the romance front, with no funny business (I WISH WE GOT SOME).

It was a bit slower and we got more characters involved than the 1st, we even had some not main character's POV chapters this time around. Had some really cute and funny moments in it. Not a 5-star because of the pacing and the way the 'we will ignore this ever happened' was dragged out a little too much for my taste.

Want the 3rd, had a good time, give me a little less slow burn PLEASE.
-----------------------------
💘 Buddy Read With Bestie Bella 💘
Profile Image for mica.
320 reviews3,158 followers
September 1, 2024
chicas no puede ser la autora realmente dijo "vamos a volver a los valores tradicionales de slow burn que duran tres libros"
31 reviews
August 8, 2024
How am I supposed to wait until Sept. 2024 for book two to be released?! 😭 Book 1 was everything I didn't know that I needed, and that ending had me gasping 😱 I'm holding my breath for more spice between The Villain and Evie 🫶🏻
Profile Image for ✪ JY ✪ (conans version)(Semi-Hiatus).
94 reviews59 followers
October 6, 2024
3.25 stars🐸

Ok but i feel lowkey bad for giving this book like 3 stars cause I did enjoy it but i think it had middle book syndrome, so there wasn't much happening and it sort of dragged along...

what i did enjoy was the development between the villain and Evie
i am obsessed and having his POV js made it better
also the slow burn was so ahhh i was screaming at them to kiss half the time

clare and tati were soo cute with thier second chance romance but it was a little hard to tell wat was going on with them without thier povs

Blade and becky didnt have much development but I still love them(though we got more of becky's backround in this one)



╰┈➤ ❝ Evie❞
She is so relatable and I like her development throughout this book shes definitely got more of a bold, confident edge to her now but still carries her fun personality.Excited to see what goes on regarding her after that ending

*Kinda Spoiler*
Now I have to talk about becky's family aside from her brothers🤭 I found her mother a interesting(annoying) character i get she might be desprate for the cure but like wth??


╰┈➤ ❝ Gideon❞
hmm idk how to feel about him he seems charming and stuff but his appearance was a bit spontaneous and he def has a crush on keely







Pre-read

"For all of you, this is what I think it would be like to be the morally gray fantasy villain's apprentice"


AHHHHH I GOT IT I GOT IT!!!🥳🎉
I AM SOO EXCITED FOR THIS🤩
(I though I was gonna get it in a month or two)
Profile Image for Dez the Bookworm.
546 reviews349 followers
February 23, 2025
This book has been on my tbr for a year…finally getting around to it! Thanks for pushing me GR challenges. 😅

I love how fun and humorous this series is. Fantasy meets “The Office” with a dash of Princess Bride is as best I can describe this series!

I also highly appreciate the clean romance and love I can listen to the audiobook out loud without worrying about my kids walking in.

The storyline is captivating and I enjoyed the mystery without the heaviness. It really does have Princess Bride vibes which is one of my fav classic fantasy stories. If you enjoy that, you’ll probably appreciate these books.

So excited to read the next one in the series!!!
Profile Image for ✨⚡  Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨.
604 reviews517 followers
June 3, 2025
4.5 stars

Another ridiculously entertaining read.

Still absolutely love the characters in this one, especially getting to know some of them more and getting introduced to new ones.

Evie is getting more and more badass, which I think we all knew was coming. If Trystan wasn't already completely gone for her, these new developments would have swiftly kick him over the edge.

My only complaint is the back and forth with Trystan's feelings. Not that he's not desperately in love with her the whole time, but that he keeps switching between trying to push her away and then saying fuck it. I think it happened one too many times here and was a bit annoying.

But I think he will be powerless against her with the trajectory the story is taking. Hopefully 🤞🏻
Profile Image for emma ⚘.
207 reviews824 followers
May 28, 2025
solid 4 stars!! i think i liked the first one better but this one was still very fun. it definitely had more action. the plot twists were just a little too predictable, and—for some reason, i thought there would be a lot more romance in this one…seems like we’re in for a slowwww burn. the fact that they keep denying each others feelings?? ITS SO DAMN OBVIOUS. just say you love each other already and live happily ever after—please!

but this book kept me up all night, and i am so here for the other budding relationships. the dragons were my favorite part! and the frog’s backstory, I LOVE HIM. this series is honestly so worth it, i’m having a great time!

tell me why book 3 doesn’t come out until AUGUST?? i will be snatching that up as soon as it comes out. i cannot wait!!

She breathed, “It’s so beautiful.”
Her boss had been silent beside her, but now he replied hoarsely, still gripping her hand. “Yes, it is.” And when she turned, he was looking at her.
⋆˙𓍊₊ ⊹˚
Profile Image for val ᝰ.ᐟ.
104 reviews36 followers
January 3, 2025
this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and it ended up disappointing. i rated book one a 5 star, but this felt like a completely different story. the main reason i didn’t enjoy it as much was because of the miscommunication. okay, it wasn’t really that, also the plot is a bit all over the place. the first book was so easy to follow so i binged it so fast. but this one really had me working to process everything. characters were randomly showing up and disappearing, but i was too lazy to keep track of who everyone was, so i just went with the flow. there were so many reveals happening that it was hard to comprehend how certain things connected. it felt like there wasn’t a solid structure. i also predicted most of the plot twists.

actual rating: 3:25 stars
Profile Image for ♡✿Mania⁠✿♡.
38 reviews11 followers
August 28, 2025
5🌟
╰┈➤𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

🧸🎀{𝕮lose to you: Gracie abrams}
0:24 ─●──────── -2:56
↺ |◁   II   ▷|   ♡

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘗𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘯 𝘐 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵
𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦
𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶

#𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨𓂃 ࣪˖
{🍷} People can say what they want about this series — the critiques might  be valid — but do I care? Not really(c̶u̶z̶ ̶I̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶T̶r̶y̶s̶t̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶E̶v̶i̶e̶). I may understand the critisism, but the hate??!  ABSOLUTELY NOT —This series is just sooo fun and owns a peice of my heart — and Hannah definitely adds crack to her books cuz like why are they so addictive!!

The found family in this book is everything . The crew at the Villain’s lair becomes even more lovable as they band together against bigger threats. Though Not gonna lie, the pacing and POV changes threw me off a bit i found it overlapping eachother, and as much as I adore all the side characters, some of the extra perspectives at times, felt kinda unnecessary.(o̶r̶ ̶m̶a̶b̶e̶y̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶g̶u̶i̶l̶t̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶i̶n̶v̶e̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶T̶r̶y̶s̶t̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶E̶v̶i̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶m̶e̶n̶t̶s̶)

The fantasy element tbh could be more fleshed out but now there’s actual stakes: magical catastrophes, the kingdom under threat, high-stakes villain-apprentice hijinks, and a prophecy to fulfill.(̶I̶ ̶b̶a̶r̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶i̶d̶c̶)̶

# 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𓂃 ࣪˖
{🍷} OMG Evie + Trystan in this book??? I’m not okay yet I devoured!!!There the reason for which I gave this book 5⭐stars. THIS is exactly what I mean when I say I live for slow burn and tension like—the banter??? the ANGSTTT??? the YEARNING??? the way it HURTS but you can’t stop reading???THE SLOW BURN WAS DEFINITELY BURNIGGGG like Inject it straight into my veins.They know each other inside out, guarding and understanding one another. It’s swooning, intoxicating, raw, and tender—simultaneously strong and fragile. Evie and Trystan constantly test each other, push every boundary, yet somehow, always find each other again.They destroy me in the best ways possible!!

I ADORED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THERE SCENES BUT CHP 46&69 ARE MY ROMAN EMPIRE!!


# 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𓂃 ࣪˖
              ᯓ★ Spoilers
🌹THE VILLAN : JELLY POSSESIVE VILLAIN OWNED THE DAMN SHOW!👏👏👏. No one talk to me—the way he cried for Evie—I’m completely undone. AHHHH ...I AM SO DOWN BAD FOE THIS MAN —IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE. We got a lot more depth to Trystan's character in this book and my heart is in complete shambles for what he endured, his fears are valid . Beneath that dark exterior lies a man of deep internal conflict and emotional vulnerability. His struggles with his dark magic and his growing feelings for Evie make him a complex and compelling character!

🌹EVIE: Evie grows SO much in this book!! I was literally shook — she goes from assistant to full-fledged apprentice, leveling up her badassery and breaking out of her comfort zone like a boss—AND SHE HAS POWERS??? HELLO?? Umm... I NEEED TO KNOW MORE!! I loved her character arc smm. This sequel really leans into Evie’s emotional depth as well ,  she doubts herself. Constantly. She’s terrified of not being enough, of messing up, of letting down the people she cares about — and honestly, reading her thoughts felt like holding up a mirror to my own insecurities. She’s soft, she’s scared, and yet she keeps going.S̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶m̶b̶a̶r̶r̶a̶s̶s̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ SHSHSHHH

🌹KINGSLEY : An icon as always—He deserves his owns books!!
🌹LYSSA: She's such a sassy diva and a cutie patutie!! My heart hurts for my baby.
🌹BECKY: She is such a girl boss her character development had me soo giddy —I deeply understand her!! She absolutely didn't deserve what happened to her.
🌹GIODEN : The way I was shook when we found out he was the knight omlll. He gives total “charming menace” vibes, Ik know he still has a lot of secrets to spill and my heart bleeds for him and what he and his siblings endured/ing . Can't wait to read more about him!!!
🌹BLADE: Ahh I love him smm— such a wholesome character!!
🌹TATIANA : We didn't really get much of her in this book compared to the first one, which is kinda sad cuz she is definitely one of my fav characters!!!
🌹CLARE: She has this gothic aura I just love her!!
🌹 MALCOLM : Not much to say though his bickers with Traystan are super entertaining lamoo
🌹EDWIN: His bond with Lyssa is soo frickin adorable and I js have this feeling that he gives the best hugs ever!!
🌹THE KING: I HATE THIS MAN WITH MY BEING!!!

જ⁀➴  𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒

❥𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳.

❥𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.

❥𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴”—𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥—“𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

❥“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦? 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵! 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘦! 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯! 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘌𝘷𝘪𝘦. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭."

❥"“𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘴, 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦".

❥ 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯.

❥"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯…𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

❥“𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘷𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴? 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥? 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘈 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.”
“𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭,” 𝘚𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥

# 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𓂃 ࣪˖
{🍷} The cliffhanger isn't the tearing your heart into pieces type though it keeps on your toes intrigued and sets the next book perfectly.

             ────୨ৎ────

THEY HAVE ME ON A CHOKE HOLD || RTC

°•√°•~๑⁠♡~x•°•°•x~♡⁠๑~√°•°

┆ ⊹ . ݁ 🎀 . ⊹ 𝑷𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅
⤷ IT'S TIMEEE!!! So ready to read about my favourite Villan and his c̶l̶u̶m̶s̶y̶ adorable assistant again 💌🍷💌
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293 reviews872 followers
May 24, 2025
- post read 💜❤️ -
FFS I FORGOT ABT THE ENDING WTFFFFFFFF 😭😭😭

- preread ❤️💜 -
you know… i’m already reading 5 books, so what better idea than to start another!! 😭😭😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,308 reviews

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