Talking Cats, Magical Villainy, and More Dynamite Recommendations

Sarah Rees Brennan’s epic adult debut is for everyone who has ever wondered, “Wait—what if I’m the villain of my story?” Rae is a young woman who is dying, which, you know, sucks. To keep it from happening, she makes a magical bargain that transports her into her favorite fantasy series. Like many fantasy novels, there’s a kingdom, and monsters, and a shining knight, and a villain. Spoiler: It’s Rae, hi, she’s the villain, it’s Rae. Then she’s like, “Welp, not what I expected, but okay, we’re doing this,” and gathers together all the baddies of the land to figure out a way to keep from meeting a terrible end. But with self-awareness of the story on her side, can Rae change the outcome of the story? And does she have what it takes to be evil?