It's clear that John Scalzi enjoyed writing Starter Villain as much as I enjoyed reading it. Like his other shorter recent novels (notably The Kaiju Preservation Society), you really get a sense that he just was having fun and putting that fun down on the page. And that fun really comes through.

Nothing in Starter Villain is very serious, from sentient cats to ridiculous cabals that were literally the inspiration for Bond villains. It starts quickly and engages you both with humor and a tightness of prose that doesn't include anything it doesn't need. But throughout all that he still manages to capture some real character development and invest you in the outcome.

While I loved Starter Villain, I will say that I don't think he perfectly nailed the landing, at least not like he has in other books of the same vein. But even with that, the book is short and ends well enough that I still set it down satisfied with the experience. It's a perfect holiday or airplane read and you won't regret picking it up.