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Starter Villain

by John Scalzi

A broke divorcé inherits a top-secret supervillain empire complete with minions, a volcano lair, and management-level cats who communicate through keyboards.

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About Starter Villain

Divorced, broke and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie hasn't been loving life. Then he finds out his recently deceased Uncle Jake has left him a top-secret, international supervillain business. And, as if this wasn't problematic enough, Jake's vengeful rivals ambush the funeral. Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . .Even harder to get used to are the cats who communicate through keyboards - and the fact that they're management. If Charlie says yes to his inheritance, could this lifeline become a death wish? Or could it finally be his chance to shine?

Reading signals

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Content warnings
  • death of a family member
  • funeral scene
  • violence
  • murder
  • gun violence
  • fire
  • bombing
  • missile attack
  • animal abuse
  • attempted murder
  • familial estrangement
  • terminal illness
  • cancer
  • mutilation of a dead body
  • strong language
  • suicide references

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