The cover of Starter Villain by John Scalzi, showing a portrait of a cat wearing a suit

I love reading John Scalzi books. They’re silly, and complicated, usually sci-fi, and most of all, they’re entertaining, with a pace that means I can whip through them in a couple of days and enjoy every minute.

Starter Villain is no exception, although I think that unlike the Old Man’s War series, this will be a standalone entry.

Despite the fantastical nature of the story I found the main character - Charlie - completely believable. It could be because he’s an ex-journalist struggling to get by during the slow-motion death of the newspaper industry, has tried teaching, but is realistically looking at a career in a content mill or PR. OK, I’m a little further along the line than Charlie, but elements of his life still felt too familiar.

Facing this future and unable to fulfil his dreams, Charlie discovers that his recently deceased uncle was a “supervillain” with a base on an island volcano. Charlie must take it over, and run the business while rival villains attempt to manipulate and murder him.

It’s a thrilling ride, with humour at every opportunity, and weird developments throughout.

It’s also the second book with talking cats that I’ve read this year.