Adversary to the Villain (2026) is the fourth novel in the Assistant to the Villain fantasy romance series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Hannah Nicole Maehrer. The series first gained widespread popularity through a viral series of videos on the social media platform TikTok before being published by Red Tower Books. The novel follows Evie Sage, who, after learning she is the true villain of a manipulated prophecy, must learn to control a powerful dark magic. Her former boss, Trystan Maverine, is now cast in the role of the kingdom’s prophesied prince. As magic fades from the realm of Rennedawn, the pair must work together to fulfill the prophecy while navigating their burgeoning romance and the schemes of the corrupt King Benedict.

The novel continues the series’ exploration of key themes, including Action as the Basis of Morality, which argues that goodness is defined by protective choices rather than by societal labels or fated roles. The narrative also examines Vulnerability as Strength, showing how emotional honesty provides characters with the resilience to face immense danger. These ideas are woven into the overarching plot, which is driven by The Tension Between Fate and Free Will, as the protagonists fight to assert their own identities against the powerful, prescriptive narratives of cosmic beings and magical storybooks. The series, which also includes Assistant to the Villain, Apprentice to the Villain, and Accomplice to the Villain, is known for blending workplace comedy with high-stakes adventure, establishing it as a notable entry in the romantasy subgenre.

This guide refers to the 2026 Red Tower Books First Edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of graphic violence, sexual content, sexual harassment, cursing, illness, death, physical and emotional abuse, animal death, and substance use. 

Plot Summary

Evie Sage, former assistant to The Villain, grapples with her new identity as the wielder of a powerful, semi-sentient dark magic. This role reversal places Trystan Maverine, the former Villain, in the prophesied position of the true prince of Rennedawn and a Core Healer, a magic user with healing abilities. As magic across the kingdom of Rennedawn continues to fade, they must fulfill a storybook prophecy to save it. Trystan attempts to help a struggling Evie control her chaotic new powers, which manifest as a protective dark mist that responds to her emotions. During a training session, he admits he has fallen for her. Their budding romance is complicated by the prophecy, which positions them as destined adversaries, and by the machinations of the manipulative King Benedict.

The fragile peace at Trystan and Evie’s home of Massacre Manor is shattered by compounding crises. The guard Marv, who betrayed them, is revealed to have been coerced by King Benedict’s Valiant Guards and afflicted with a magical poison that prevents him from revealing his controller. An ancient, powerful being known as Destiny appears, vowing to enact a “correction” curse that will reset the world to a timeline where Trystan never became The Villain. Meanwhile, the magical locks in the manor’s dungeons fail, resulting in a prison break and the escape of a shapeshifting creature called a Silk. Amid the chaos, Trystan’s long-time frog companion is revealed to be the cursed Prince Alexander Kingsley, who begins unstably transforming back into a human. 

The group is tested by another powerful being, Fate, who appears as a librarian named Moira. She confirms that to fulfill the prophecy, they need several key components, including the venom of a guvre youngling (a dangerous, magical creature) and Evie’s younger sister Lyssa’s rare starlight magic. To secure the necessary components, the team hatches a daring plan. Lyssa uses her starlight magic to make a nest of long-abandoned guvre eggs viable again, and they successfully hatch two babies, whom they name Clarke and Cassandra. To counter Destiny’s looming threat, Trystan, Evie, and Kingsley travel to the kingdom’s border to retrieve a magical key that can act as an anchor against the curse. Upon their return, Gideon, Evie’s brother, reveals that the second copy of the book of Rennedawn is hidden within Massacre Manor itself. They deduce it is magically sealed inside a stained-glass window in Trystan’s office. Using Lyssa’s starlight magic and venom from the baby guvres, they successfully release the book from its enchantment.

The moment of triumph turns to horror when the book magically opens to reveal an image of Evie, labeling her as “Rennedawn’s sickness” and declaring that it is a Core Healer’s duty to destroy her. Shortly after, King Benedict, along with Evie’s traitorous father, Griffin, traps the group on a ship under a magical peace accord that prevents any violence. Evie and Trystan escape by jumping overboard and swim to his home village. They intend to dig up the original pieces of the prophetic stained-glass window, which Trystan’s adoptive father, Arthur, had buried. Kingsley follows them and, after helping them unearth the window, betrays them. Holding Evie at knifepoint, he confesses he has been working with Benedict all along to ensure the curse happens. Trystan, having anticipated a trap, summons an ally who helps them escape, but as they flee, Kingsley pickpockets the key and delivers it to Benedict.

While Trystan and Evie are away, the adult guvres arrive at the manor. Valiant Guards ambush them, injuring the male with a spear. Gideon attacks the guards in a rage and is stabbed with a poisoned sword. Benedict and Destiny then confront Trystan and Evie, using the dying Gideon as a hostage. They reveal that the only cure for the poison exists within the new world the curse will create. To save her brother, Evie is forced to agree. Before they are separated, Trystan vows to find her. Evie and Gideon contribute their magic to the book, and the curse is unleashed.

Two weeks later, the world is reset. Prince Trystan Benedict Martin, an honorable knight, hunts “The Wicked Woman,” Evie Sage, the established Villainess of Massacre Manor. When they finally confront each other, they have no memories but feel an undeniable and confusing connection. Trystan’s men capture Evie, but he is horrified by their brutality. Acting on an instinct he doesn’t understand, he frees her and gives her a key. Evie returns to her lair with her guvre companion, eagerly awaiting her next encounter with the prince who is destined to be her adversary.