They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and you can take that from one of the greatest villains of all time, Khan from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. With the paperback release of Starter Villain by John Scalzi officially out now, we’re diving back into the chilling world of villains—perfect for the crisp, cool vibes of fall. So, grab your copy and get ready to root for some ice-cold baddies. 😎
Here’s a rundown of some of Tor’s most notorious villains.
Okay we’re warming things up a little for this one. Charlie isn’t really ice-cold, but he’s a good villain to start with, if you’re more looking to dip toes in the waters of villainy. That’s really what Charlie’s doing, in a lot of ways. He’s new to the gig, the inheritor of an evil organization, weapons, and a cadre of spy cats from his long-lost uncle. This is a cozy story for when you need to steal a little warmth back from an ice-cold world. Cozy villainy. Out now in paperback!
Roommate squabbles are often a sad fact of life. Sometimes dishes pile up and noise happens at unfortunate times and you have to work that stuff out for the communal good of your homespace. Or, you could read Vicious, which has the worst ever case of and they were roommates… Eli and Victor go from arrogant and ambitious college roommates working together to arrogant and ambitious and superpowered ex-roommates now enemy villains.*
Eli would contend that he is not a villain, and in fact saving the world by doing all that murder. And Victor is trying to stop him, but is more of an antihero, in this case, technically
Oh, this villain is a classic. Literally. Arch-Conspirator is Veronica Roth’s science fiction retelling of Sophocles’s famous tragedy Antigone. Diligent scholars may note that the spelling “Kreon” is a little different from the original “Creon,” but Antigone goes by Tig in this story too, because it’s the future. Other things have changed too—in Roth’s dystopian world, only those birthed through a eugenic process are considered rightly souled. Tig and her sisters, being born outside of the process, are unnatural, and Kreon doesn’t like that, or women. The rest of the story is pretty deadly, but far be it from us to spoil it, if somehow you’ve managed to avoid learning the deets of a famous story that’s been around for 2464 years.
Not only does the rigorous process of higher education often feel like a system designed by a particularly sadistic villain, but sometimes the best way to survive a mad situation is to go a little mad. Enter, the entire cast of The Atlas Six, basically. They’re grad students with a lot of magical powers and even more issues and attractions to work out amongst themselves. And while they work on their research, they also must contend with the mandatory institutional tradition of sacrificing one member of each cohort. Sometimes grad school is murder.
So Cairdine Farrier. This villain wears a lot of hats, including: merchant, explorer, agent, father figure (?!), and patron. He’s part of the Masquerade—the empire that took over Baru’s home and killed her parents. Manipulative and highly savvy, it’s difficult for others to parse his full motives and hidden thoughts. A truly dangerous villain, by which we mean: The kind who knows how to ingratiate.
If Halloween’s about one thing, it’s the delicious candy. But! If Halloween’s about two things, it’s the delicious candy and good books (We’re Tor. We’re nerds).
Check out these pairings of sweet treats and matching reads!
The tag for Sour Patch Kids might be Sour, Sweet, Gone—but not V. E. Schwab! They are BACK, returning to the expansive world(s) they created in the Shades of Magic Trilogy. The Fragile Threads of Power features both new characters and old, which is why we’ve paired it with Sour Patch Kids Watermelon. It’s everything you love and a little more. A little different. Familiar, yet new. Out now in paperback!
For very brief spans in 2019 and 2020, Skittles ran a special limited-time Halloween campaign, delivering unto us Zombie Skittles. They’re just like regular Skittles, but a few—visually indecipherable from their more delicious brethren—were zombies, and tasted awful. Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald is way cooler than Zombie Skittles because it brings all the scary candy’s suspense without tasting abominable (probably just tastes neutrally of paper, if you tried to snack on it). Out in paperback on 10/15!
The much-loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup owes its storied position in candy history to its artful fusion of two flavors: Chocolate. Peanut butter. We honor Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree by pairing it with the peanut butter cup, because it too is a smooth blend of distinct flavors. Viv is a mercenary, but a warrior stuck in recovery in a tiny beach town. But adventures seldom play out as you expect. This sleepy town and its cozy bookshop are full of peanut butter, or they are peanut butter and adventure is the chocolate. This metaphor makes sense. We will not be taking any questions. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!
Cat Rambo’s Disco Space Opera series (and playlist! Check out their playlist!) began with You Sexy Thing and continued with Devil’s Gun, named respectively after the rock time tunes “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate and “Devil’s Gun” by C.J. & Co. Fittingly, we have elected to pair this sci-fi adventure with Disco’s, a candy we’ve never heard of before and seems to be available primarily in the United Kingdom? But whatever. C’est la vie. We did it for the name. Out now in paperback!
For R.R. Virdi’s hugely epic The Doors of Midnight, we’re hauling in the world’s largest gummy shark. Like this massive gummified carnivore confection, The Doors of Midnight will sustain you for a while. One will feed your body, and one will nourish the soul.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi is the story of a hapless guy who inherits his uncle’s supervillain business, including among other assets, an array of espionage-ready cats. We pair it with the original Sour Patch Kids, harkening back to that aforementioned tag, Sour, Sweet, Gone. This is a book of cozy opposites—namely surprisingly cool supervillains. Out now in paperback!
Far from a traditional Halloween trick-or-treat staple, these energy drinks nevertheless taste like candy, and pair perfectly with Jon Evans Exadelic, which is a book about occult magic and computer code. A trusty goto beverage for exhausted software engineers everywhere, this sweet, sugary drink counts as candy for the purposes of this article, and is the perfect fuel to keep you awake late into the night as you read Exadelic.
David Edison’s Sandymancer is a classic fantasy adventure of mad god-kings, regular people with extraordinary powers, and lots of hot climates. The final note is what inspires us to dedicate a spot on this feature to Red Hots. Can you feel the heat? Hopefully you can’t taste the sand. Hopefully you have escaped the ire of mad gods. Out now in paperback!
T. Kingfisher’s A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm’s “The Goose Girl,” rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. If you’re going to snack on anything while reading this book, it HAS to be the Witch’s Brew KitKat bars. Fitting, isn’t it?
From award-winning Korean author Sung-il Kim & translated by the world-renowned Anton Hur, Blood of the Old Kingsbegins an epic journey unlike any other. Think fires, volcanoes, sun…and other slightly orange things! Which is why we’ve paired it with Orange Starbursts — yes, just the orange ones. Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero. Out on 10/08!
Ah, Starling House. The vibes? A cursed town, a haunted house, very vivid, very eerie. You know what’s more eerie? Blackberry Cobbler Candy Corn. Out in paperback on 10/01!
After her rollicking standalone Dual Memory, Sue Burke returns to her Semiosis series and the world of Pax in Usurpation. Think human rebellions, robot uprisings, and global pandemics. Chaotic, right? We’ve paired Black Licorice with this one, purely out of vibes. Out on 10/29!
Wind and Truth….wind….blow….blow pops? We’ve paired Blow Pops with Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson. The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive will blow (get it?) you away! Out on 12/06!
From books to burritos, author John Scalzi is an expert at delivering ingenuity, excitement, and unexpected plot twists (and ingredients).
With so much Scalzi, it’s hard to know where to start. Fret not, to celebrate the paperback release of Starter Villain, we at Tor Books have put together a helpful quiz to point you toward the Scalzi you should read next!
Looking for the perfect fall-themed escape without leaving the comfort of your home? Whether you’re craving crisp autumn air, cozy settings, or a touch of magic, these staycation destinations from Tor Books have you covered.
Marsyas Island is the perfect escape for those looking to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This idyllic setting, filled with charming locals and breathtaking landscapes, offers a magical retreat where you can find yourself—or perhaps lose yourself in the enchantment of the sea.
A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything. Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.
The Starling House Estate in Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
The Starling House Estate, in Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, is an eerie, crumbling mansion located in the southern town of Eden, Kentucky. Perfect for cozy fall time, right?
Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around. And now she’ll have to fight. Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare. Out in paperback 10/01!
In Starter Villain by John Scalzi, the Secret Base is an underground lair filled with advanced technology and guarded by hyper-intelligent, genetically enhanced cats. Located in a hidden location, the base serves as the headquarters for a shadowy villainous organization, inherited by the protagonist, Charlie. Out in paperback on 10/01!
For those who crave a cozy, homey atmosphere with a hint of magic, Thune from Legends & Lattes is your ideal destination. This quaint town is renowned for its delightful coffee shop, where the air is filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed lattes.
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is… This luxe edition is out on 10/29!
In Bookshops & Bonedust, Murk is a small, quiet coastal town where Viv, a wounded orc mercenary, finds herself recuperating. The town is home to a charming little bookshop where Viv spends much of her time, leading to her unexpected love for books and community. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!
Known for its towering, storm-battered landscapes, Roshar is shaped by the destructive highstorms that regularly sweep across the continent. Maybe not the coziest location but hey, who would say NO to visiting Roshar?
The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive—the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson. Wind and Truth is out on 12/06!
Looking for books that pair perfectly with cozy nights this autumn? From epic fantasy sagas to spine-tingling mysteries, this list is packed with fall reads that are as satisfying as wrapping yourself in a chunky knit sweater. Scroll down to discover some books that should definitely be on your autumn radar!
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart. Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.
Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion. And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.
TJ Klune’s The Green Creek Series is a completed fantasy romance saga that explores love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. Following the Bennett family, a close-knit pack of werewolves, the series captures the emotional highs and lows of their supernatural world. As they face challenges that test their bonds, Klune’s masterful storytelling shines, delivering a heartfelt and captivating journey that has earned its place as a fan favorite.
Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers. When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.
When the words went away, the world changed. All meaning was lost, and every border fell. Monsters slipped from dreams to haunt the waking while ghosts wandered the land in futile reveries. Only with the rise of the committees of the named—Maps, Ghosts, Dreams, and Names—could the people stand against the terrors of the nameless wilds. They built borders around their world and within their minds, shackled ghosts and hunted monsters, and went to war against the unknown. For one unnamed courier of the Names Committee, the task of delivering new words preserves her place in a world that fears her. But after a series of monstrous attacks on the named, she is forced to flee her committee and seek her long-lost sister. Accompanied by a patchwork ghost, a fretful monster, and a nameless animal who prowls the shadows, her search for the truth of her past opens the door to a revolutionary future—for the words she carries will reshape the world. Out on 9/24!
Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around. And now she’ll have to fight. Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare. Out on 10/01!
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!
Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. This luxe edition is out on 10/29!
Whether you’re looking to start a completed series or dive into one with a new release, this list has something for everyone. From TJ Klune’s beloved Green Creek series to new releases like Blood Jade in the Phoenix Hoard series, these stories are perfect to binge as we prep for cozy weather again. Grab your favorite fall beverage and get ready to fall (see what we did there) into a new book series!
TJ Klune’s The Green Creek Series is a completed fantasy romance saga that explores love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. Following the Bennett family, a close-knit pack of werewolves, the series captures the emotional highs and lows of their supernatural world. As they face challenges that test their bonds, Klune’s masterful storytelling shines, delivering a heartfelt and captivating journey that has earned its place as a fan favorite.
The Expanse meets the Night’s Watch from Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes’ fast-paced, science fiction adventure The Divide. An outcast war hero, a banished prince, and a division of delinquent soldiers stationed at the edge of the universe and left for dead by their military, they hold humanity’s survival in their hands as they contend with a collapsing universe, an oppressive tyrant, and a pangalactic war—the outcomes of which will change the face of the universe as they know it.
Based on author R.R. Virdi’s South Asian heritage and inspired by the many culturally divergent stops along a fantastical Silk Road, Tales of Tremaine is not your typical medieval European fantasy series.
All legends are borne of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.
The first book in this fast-paced, worldbuilding series, The First Binding, tells the story of Ari, an immortal wizard hiding as a storyteller. Ari’s buried villages, killed gods, stolen magic, and knows he is a monster for it. On the run and seeking obscurity in a remote tavern, he and his companion, a singer, soon find their pasts aren’t forgotten, and neither are their enemies.
From the author of the critically-acclaimed Blackwing trilogy comes Ed McDonald’s The Redwinter Chronicles, a brilliant, action-packed fantasy series.
In the first epic book, Daughter of Redwinter, Raine, who can see—and speak—to the dead, must do everything she can to save her own skin. But when she rescues an injured woman, who was fleeing from Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of warrior magicians who answer to no one, and who will stop at nothing to reclaim what this woman’s stolen, Raine realizes this random act of kindness might just be the most dangerous decision she’s ever made. Forced to join the citadel, she soon learns that her secret ability could be the key to saving an entire nation.
Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle’s Phoenix Hoard series kicks off with Ebony Gate, a thrilling urban fantasy where magic meets martial arts. Set in contemporary San Francisco’s Chinatown, former assassin Emiko Soong, once known as the Butcher of Beijing, is pulled back into a deadly world when a shinigami demands she repay a family blood debt. Tasked with recovering the Ebony Gate, an artifact that holds back the spirits of the Yomi underworld, Emiko must face dark forces and reclaim her lethal reputation to save the city. The action-packed follow-up, Blood Jade, continues Emiko’s battle against the undead in this gripping blend of dragon magic and assassin intrigue.
TJ Klune’s The Cerulean Chronicles begins with The House in the Cerulean Sea, where by-the-book caseworker Linus Baker is sent to evaluate a mysterious orphanage filled with magical children who could potentially end the world—or become the family he never knew he needed. In the heartwarming sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Klune continues his enchanting, life-affirming tale, offering readers a charming and queer-centered story that celebrates love, found family, and acceptance.
The Ambit’s Run series kicks off with Cascade Failure, a high-octane sci-fi adventure that follows a ragtag team as they uncover a planet-killing computer virus. Faced with the task of exposing the corporate giant behind the threat, the crew must act quickly to save millions of lives. In the action-packed sequel, Gravity Lost, this wild crew returns with more daring missions, vibrant new worlds, and a discovery that could alter the universe forever.
Genoveva Dimova’s The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters duology, inspired by Slavic folklore, begins with Foul Days, a fast-paced fantasy perfect for fans of The Witcher and Naomi Novik. In this gripping debut, Dimova introduces a world filled with dark magic, mythical creatures, and intense battles, showcasing her unique voice in genre fiction. Stay tuned for the upcoming conclusion, Monstrous Nights, as the tale of witches and monsters continues to unfold. Out on 10/22!
The Stormlight Archive is the latest epic fantasy from the imaginative mind of Brandon Sanderson: welcome to the remarkable world of Roshar, a world both alien and magical, where gigantic hurricane-like storms scour the surface every few days and life has adapted accordingly. Roshar is shared by humans and the enigmatic, humanoid Parshendi, with whom they are at war.
Wind and Truth, the long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive is out on 12/06!
Back to school season is here! Love english? Obsessed with history? Tell us your favorite school subject, and we’ll match you with the perfect book to read.
Science meets cosmic mystery in a story where the stakes are as vast as the universe itself.
Anna Sinjari—refugee, survivor of genocide, disaffected office worker—has a close encounter that reveals universe-threatening stakes. Enter Ssrin, a many-headed serpent alien who is on the run from her own past. Ssrin and Anna are inexorably, dangerously drawn to each other, and their contact reveals universe-threatening stakes.
While humanity reels from disaster, Anna must join a small team of civilians, soldiers, and scientists to investigate a mysterious broadcast and unknowable horror. If they can manage to face their own demons, they just might save the world.
Think power, prestige, and the intricacies of human behavior.
Every decade, six exceptional magicians are chosen for the Alexandrian Society, a secret group promising unimaginable power. But as they navigate alliances and rivalries, they’ll discover just how high the stakes are. In this trilogy, social dynamics and the pursuit of knowledge intertwine with a thrilling narrative where not everyone will survive. Perfect for those fascinated by the complexities of human interaction and ambition.
Rogue Sequence by Zac Topping is like the ultimate workout for your imagination! Set in 2091, it follows super-soldier Ander Rade, who’s been genetically modified for peak performance. After being captured and thrown into brutal fighting pits, he’s offered freedom in exchange for tracking down a former teammate. With high-stakes action and intense physical challenges, this book is perfect for anyone who loves a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping read.
Dive into the mind-bending world of The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, where physics and science fiction collide.
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. This one’s for you, physics lovers.
Dive into the world of Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil, an intoxicating debut that every English literature fan will adore! This surreal tale follows a writer who weaves impossible yet true stories for the devil himself. With themes of love, tragedy, and the power of words, this book is a masterclass in the kind of storytelling that leaves a lasting impression—essential for any literary enthusiast.
Step into the past with The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman, a thrilling adventure set in the war-torn, goblin-infested years before The Blacktongue Thief. Just like a good history lesson, this book is packed with battles, political intrigue, and family drama. Discover the enslaved cities, burned fields, and epic conflicts in this captivating prequel.
For those who live for imaginative worlds and epic journeys, The Naming Song is a must-read! Perfect for theater lovers, this tale is filled with marvelous discoveries, strange adventures, and dangerous truths. If you’re into stories as rich and vivid as a stage play, this fantasy—reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki and Guillermo del Toro—is calling your name. Out on 9/24!
Curious about human societies and cultures? When Among Crows is a must-read! This swift and striking tale dives into Slavic folklore, exploring what it means to face our deepest fears. It’s a fascinating look at how cultures shape us—and how redemption might just be found in embracing the unknown.
Get ready for some serious sparks in this beloved romantasy by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune! Love, loyalty, and a little bit of magic make this story a perfect reaction for fans of chemistry in ALL its forms.
We’ve all had a boss who’s made us question our life choices, but in the world of fiction, bad bosses take things to a whoooooole new level. Whether they’re ruthless tyrants, manipulative masterminds, or just downright evil, these overlords make our real-life work woes seem like a walk in the park. Celebrate the release of Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby by diving into our spoiler-free list of the bad, the worse, and the downright diabolical bosses in our books!
A group of employees and their CEO, celebrating the sale of their remarkable emotion-mapping-AI-algorithm, crash onto a not-quite-deserted tropical island. Luckily, those who survived have found a beautiful, fully-stocked private palace, with all the latest technological updates (though one without connection to the outside world). The house, however, has more secrets than anyone might have guessed, and a much darker reason for having been built and left behind.
Kristen, the hyper-competent “chief emotional manager” (a position created by her eccentric, boyish billionaire boss, Sumter) is trying to keep her colleagues stable throughout this new challenge, but staying sane seems to be as much of a challenge as staying alive. Being a woman in tech has always meant having to be smarter than anyone expects–and Kristen’s knack for out-of-the-box problem-solving and quick thinking has gotten her to the top of her field. But will a killer instinct be enough to survive the island?
Csorwe does—she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice. But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power. But Csorwe will soon learn—gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.
Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place. Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie.
His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.
But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. Out on 9/10!
Arthur Parnassus lives a good life, built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the headmaster of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six magical and so-called dangerous children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago.
And he is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth; Zoe Chapelwhite, the island’s sprite; and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.
Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story. Out on 9/10!
All meaning was lost, and every border fell. Monsters slipped from dreams to haunt the waking while ghosts wandered the land in futile reveries. Only with the rise of the committees of the named—Maps, Ghosts, Dreams, and Names—could the people stand against the terrors of the nameless wilds. They built borders around their world and within their minds, shackled ghosts and hunted monsters, and went to war against the unknown.
For one unnamed courier of the Names Committee, the task of delivering new words preserves her place in a world that fears her. But after a series of monstrous attacks on the named, she is forced to flee her committee and seek her long-lost sister. Accompanied by a patchwork ghost, a fretful monster, and a nameless animal who prowls the shadows, her search for the truth of her past opens the door to a revolutionary future—for the words she carries will reshape the world. Out on 9/24!
Taken in a certain light, Vanilla Ice’s classic Ice Ice Baby is a quest song. A group of heroes must collaborate and listen. They travel for a while, pursuing to the next stop. Action heats up when Gunshots ranged out like a belland our heroes must get away before the jackers jack. But in the end they pull together as if with a rallying cry of, if there was a problem, yo, I’ll solve it.
What does that make you think of?
Obviously, the fantasy epic The Cradle of Ice by James Rollins! Where a soldier, a thief, a lost prince, and a young girl must form a fellowship to stop an apocalypse by traveling into a vast region of ice and to a sprawling capital of the world they’ve only known in stories. It’s an incredible, gripping fantasy, because Rollins truly understands that “anything less than the best is a felony.”
Pat Benetar’s Fire And Ice + Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six
This anthem to the inevitability of attraction and heartbreak is the perfect tune to compliment the messy, messy personal dynamics at play in The Atlas Six. In the book, six powerful magicians do graduate research and contemplate asking out their crushes and murdering their friends. In the song, Pat Benetar is familiar with the capricious and cruel nature of the one she’s craving (You come on like a flame, then you turn a cold shoulder), but knowledge is not enough to prevent carnage. She knows if she surrenders to the heat she feels, it’ll fall away and she’ll be left in the cold (I want to give you my love, but you’ll just take a little piece of my heart).
In the end, Pat seems determined not to fall for her crush’s games, while the characters of The Atlas Six are pretty much incapable of not allowing their peers to burn them, but talk is cheap.
Ask Atlas Society resident Tristan Caine if he’s going back for more Fire And Ice, knowing he’ll be hurt, and he’ll tell you to shut up and get lost, but that’s only because he has somewhere to be.
Also something something re: Robert Frost’s poem about fire, ice, and the end of the world.
Okay, on the outside, Cold as Ice by Foreigner may seem like it’s about a broken-hearted ex describing a former lover’s rejection. But ice can be deceiving, just like this song! I think it’s actually about a group of billionaire super villains trying to run the world, much like the cabal in John Scalzi’s sf romp, Starter Villain.
They are cold as ice. They are willing to sacrifice. The line you’re digging for gold, particularly relevant, as these turds are just as into money as they into power. You want paradise well, their version of paradise, anyway. You leave the world behind, they don’t care about the world, they just want what they can get out of it.
But it ends on a hopeful note, as both Starter Villain and Foreigner promise us, someday you’ll pay the price, I know. Oh, we know.
PinkPantheress & Ice Spice’s Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 + Emma Mieko Candon’s The Archive Undying
So before getting into more advanced parsing, The Archive Undying is a match for Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 because every boy in this book is lying through his teeth. Now, you could say that about all the women characters, nonbinary characters, and nonhuman characters too, and you’d be right. But Sunai, who is the main character of The Archive Undying—well, you just want to grab him by shoulders and plead with him to love himself a little and tear himself away from the long line of men that have only emotionally devastated him, knowing that Sunai himself is absolutely one of those men. The lyrics I don’t sleep enough without you / And I can’t eat enough without you are very Sunai-coded; he’s definitely not taking care of himself. He’s a man who would sooner feed himself to a giant starving robot than love himself enough to tell someone he loves them.
Billy Joel’s Running on Ice + Cory Doctorow’s The Bezzle
When we were picking out pairings, this one felt like an obvious choice. Although Billy Joel could not possibly have read The Bezzle (on sale 2.20.2024) when he wrote Running on Ice (part of Joel’s album The Bridge, released 7.9.1986), it does feel like this song is about forensic accountant Martin Hench, AKA the culmination of technology and civilized experience.
The song describes someone pushed to the brink by modern civilization, and though the narrator doesn’t specifically say that he’s battling amoral billionaires trying to make their next buck no matter the cost, it’s basically implied. In a world of high rise ambition most people’s motives are ulterior? Definitely what Hench runs into in both Red Team Blues and the follow up, The Bezzle, where now he’s pitted against a group of the ultra rich taking advantage of the private prison system to make even more money. Poor Martin Hench, always wandering into another nefarious scheme. But as the song says,as soon as I get one fire put out
There’s another building burning down.
At least that means we’ve got lots of Martin Hench adventures to read?
Simon & Garfunkel’s A Hazy Shade of Winter + Max Gladstone’s Last Exit
Look around / Leaves are brown / And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.
Last Exit is kind of like that. Look around—things are not as they were. Leaves are brown—no youth, no hope. There’s a patch of snow on the ground.
In the distant past before the events of Last Exit, Zelda and her friends discovered a magic sort of spiritual momentum that could propel one into a different dimension. The roads to alternate realities were a navigable spiderweb, and they knew they could use their findings to improve not just their world, but all of them.
There’s a patch of snow on the ground.
They were wrong, and they suffered for it, and the future is colder than the past. The rot between worlds—an interdimensional sickness—claimed Zelda’s girlfriend, but she’s still out there. Calling. Approaching. Does the old gang have enough idealism left to band together for one last adventure?
There’s a patch of snow on the ground.
It is very cold.
Christina Perri’s Jar of Hearts + S. E. Porter’s Projections
When we made this list, things were pretty silly. We called our brainstorming sess ice ice meeting. We were so, so goofy. But honestly, a lot of these songs that invoke ice are about pain, which perhaps we could have anticipated, had we not been so initially focused on Vanilla Ice.
Anyway, the ice in Jar of Hearts comes from this chorus: You’re gonna catch a cold / From the ice inside your soul / So don’t come back for me / Who do you think you are? The novel Projections is about as harrowing as those lines. A rejected sorcerer murders Catherine, the woman who denied him, and then sends projections of himself out into the world to seduce more women to add them to his jar of hearts.
Catherine’s not about this, and haunts him. Seeks vengeance. As Christina Perri sang, Don’t you know I’m not your ghost anymore?
The song and book aren’t 1-1 parallels, but the notes are all present. The hurt. The betrayal. The haunting.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and you better believe it, because one of those people doing the saying is Khan, titular villain of 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In the spirit of Khan, and winter—being the time of cold, and of villains in general—being incredibly cool, have inspired us.
Here’s a rundown of some of Tor’s Ice-Cold Villains™ 😎
Roommate squabbles are often a sad fact of life. Sometimes dishes pile up and noise happens at unfortunate times and you have to work that stuff out for the communal good of your homespace. Or, you could read Vicious, which has the worst ever case of and they were roommates… Eli and Victor go from arrogant and ambitious college roommates working together to arrogant and ambitious and superpowered ex-roommates now enemy villains.*
Eli would contend that he is not a villain, and in fact saving the world by doing all that murder. And Victor is trying to stop him, but is more of an antihero, in this case, technically
Oh, this villain is a classic. Literally. Arch-Conspirator is Veronica Roth’s science fiction retelling of Sophocles’s famous tragedy Antigone. Diligent scholars may note that the spelling “Kreon” is a little different from the original “Creon,” but Antigone goes by Tig in this story too, because it’s the future. Other things have changed too—in Roth’s dystopian world, only those birthed through a eugenic process are considered rightly souled. Tig and her sisters, being born outside of the process, are unnatural, and Kreon doesn’t like that, or women. The rest of the story is pretty deadly, but far be it from us to spoil it, if somehow you’ve managed to avoid learning the deets of a famous story that’s been around for 2464 years.
Okay we’re warming things up a little for this one. Charlie isn’t really ice-cold, but he’s a good villain to start with, if you’re more looking to dip toes in the waters of villainy. That’s really what Charlie’s doing, in a lot of ways. He’s new to the gig, the inheritor of an evil organization, weapons, and a cadre of spy cats from his long-lost uncle. This is a cozy story for when you need to steal a little warmth back from an ice-cold world. Cozy villainy.
Not only does the rigorous process of higher education often feel like a system designed by a particularly sadistic villain, but sometimes the best way to survive a mad situation is to go a little mad. Enter, the entire cast of The Atlas Six, basically. They’re grad students with a lot of magical powers and even more issues and attractions to work out amongst themselves. And while they work on their research, they also must contend with the mandatory institutional tradition of sacrificing one member of each cohort. Sometimes grad school is murder.
So Cairdine Farrier. This villain wears a lot of hats, including: merchant, explorer, agent, father figure (?!), and patron. He’s part of the Masquerade—the empire that took over Baru’s home and killed her parents. Manipulative and highly savvy, it’s difficult for others to parse his full motives and hidden thoughts. A truly dangerous villain, by which we mean: The kind who knows how to ingratiate.
Charlie from Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Eli & Victor from Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Kreon from Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
Everybody from The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Cairdine Farrier from The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
The Green Creek Series
Tales of Tremaine
The Ambit’s Run Series
The Witch’s Compendium of Monsters
