Starter Villain (2023) Book Review

 Hey everyone, how's it going? I'm doing pretty well for a Monday. So today, I'm going to be reviewing a novel called Starter Villain by John Scalzi, who also wrote the 2012 novel, Redshirts. There might be some minor spoilers in this review, but I'm not sure on that yet. Let's get into it.

Despite having heard of Scalzi's work from people talking about Redshirts for years, I've never read it and I want to so badly, as a fan of Star Trek. However, my sister got me Starter Villain for Christmas last year and I read it as soon as I finished another book I was reading at the time. I loved it. I didn't review it at the time though because I was focusing a lot on nostalgic stuff, and with this book having come out in 2023, it doesn't exactly fit the bill for a piece of nostalgic media. 

So the book is about Charlie Fitzer, who lost his dad and is barely making ends meet as a substitute teacher. When his estranged uncle, Jake, dies, Charlie inherits millions of dollars and all of his uncle's businesses. However, he also inherits all of the dangers that come along with those businesses. He also gets a secret volcano island lair though, and finds out his cats talk and dolphins are planning on going on strike due to their working conditions. 

If you're confused about anything in that synopsis, you've never watched the James Bond series, or the Austin Powers Trilogy. Or any spy thriller or even superhero movies and shows. While having nothing to do with Science Fiction properties like Star Trek or Star Wars, Starter Villain is one of the geekiest books I've ever read. And I've read Ready Player One and Armada by Ernest Cline. Basically this book is James Bond meets The Godfather by way of Austin Powers. Like I said in the synopsis, Charlie has a secret island volcano lair like Dr. Evil does in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. 

The thing about Scalzi's writing is that it's satire. So, even though the stakes are real and the dangers the characters face are real, it's meant to be humourous and make fun of the James Bond movie tropes that people love so much. The same way that Seth MacFarlane or Mel Brooks make fun of the tropes in the genres they love in movies like A Million Ways to Die in the West, Spaceballs, Ted, and Blazing Saddles.

My favourite scenes in this book is whenever Charlie talks to the dolphins. There's just something about the dolphins that make me smile. Probably because they serve as a commentary, along with Mathilda Morrison, on things happening in the world currently. Especially when it comes to rich people and how frustratingly despicable the majority of them are. Mathilda, or Til, is Charlie's assistant and had been his uncle's assistant before that.

Something I found interesting about Starter Villain is that Charlie has no love interest in the book. He'd been married, but he and his wife had gotten divorced at some point prior to the beginning of the book, so he's single throughout the book. Yet, Scalzi chose not to give him a love interest. Til is a badass assistant, but there's nothing between her and Charlie, and the only other women in Charlie's life are his two cats, Hera and Persephone. So there really isn't anyone for Charlie to become romantically involved with.

Overall, this was a really good book. If you like Kevin Smith films, Seth MacFarlane films and TV shows, or Mel Brooks movies, you'll love this book. It has all the right kind of poking fun at movie genres that few other things end up being able to do.

That's it for me for today. I'll be back soon with more posts. Until then, have a great rest of your day and I will talk to you all later. Take care.