Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain combines common fairy-tale tropes with elements of fantasy, romance, and workplace comedy to offer a fresh take on a genre that is often dominated by familiar character archetypes and plot devices. Even the trappings of Maehrer’s worldbuilding invoke key aspects of the standard fairy-tale setting. For example, Evie resides in a kingdom complete with a dark enchanted forest (which is home to the Villain), and the novel also describes small towns and the gleaming city that contains the king’s palace. At first glance, the world also contains the standard fairy-tale relationships. The king is beloved by his people and is believed to have their best interests at heart, while the Villain is widely believed to be an ugly and evil outcast whose dastardly deeds are feared and reviled, and Evie is a young woman just trying to live her life without running into trouble. Quickly, however, it becomes clear that Maehrer has flipped many of these tropes upside-down. The king is actually a terrible tyrant hiding behind the love of his people, and although his plans are not revealed by the end of the novel, it is clear that he does not have the best interests of his subjects in mind. This twist emerges as Trystan’s (the Villain’s) backstory is revealed and the abuse that the king has heaped upon him is finally brought into the light. Rather than being hideous and terrible, Trystan’s so-called dastardly deeds mainly involve staying one step ahead of the assassins that the king sends after him, and he reserves his villainous acts for those who have proven themselves hateful and destructive toward innocent people. In this way, Maehrer explores what makes someone heroic or villainous and examines the powerful influence that public opinion can have on the definitions of these roles.

The use of a villainous workplace brings humor and relationship dynamics into prominence throughout the novel. Once she becomes Trystan’s assistant, Evie finds herself navigating officemates who hold varying opinions of her, much like she might at any office job. In addition, the attraction she feels for Trystan allows Maehrer to explore many facets of a romantic relationship that doesn’t feel completely proper. Evie constantly chastises herself for finding Trystan and his evil deeds attractive, but her internal reprimands do not curb her feelings. As a result, she finds herself learning more about Trystan and discovers that he is more than the villain he is portrayed to be. As their relationship develops, the novel also explores how people hide parts of themselves to conform to society’s expectations. Despite taking place in a fairy-tale world that is far removed from reality, Trystan and Evie’s situation is relatable because the strictures of society are present even in this magical world; Maehrer ultimately uses the known roles of fairy tales to demonstrate that societal expectations and standards play a prominent role in personal identity and development.