Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous
by Autumn K. England
Publication Date: May 26th 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Find This Book: Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous
Source: NetGalley eARC
Rating: 2.5/5
When Oaklin Nettlewood accidentally joined an evil world-ending cult, mind control magic forced them to do unspeakable things. Years later, the realm's heroes have finally saved the day, defeated the villain, and shattered the last remnants of the spell...leaving destruction in their wake. And so, with a spell-damaged memory and whole bushel of trauma, Oaklin escapes to a small farm on the edge of Mossley's Rest and swears an After all the things they were forced to do with their magic, they will never use it again. Ever.
The no-nonsense ghost granny who lives in Oaklin's house has other ideas. As she coaxes Oaklin out of their shell and back into the world, they find companionship (a grumpy horse and a very good dog), friendship (a local bard and magical baker who should just kiss already), and tentative romance (a paladin-librarian who makes Oaklin's heart come alive for the first time in ages.) Magic even seems possible again—though strictly for foraging magical mushrooms and protecting the farm from bugs.
Healing comes in gentle waves, and Oaklin doesn't have to do it alone. So what does it mean when an inquisitor comes to town to hunt former cultists just as Oaklin begins to think that maybe, just maybe, they deserve a happy ending after all?
I went into Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous expecting a cozy fantasy, but it ended up being much quieter than I anticipated. The conflict is small-scale: the biggest question is whether Oaklin will be accepted by the town they've chosen to call home. The book explores themes of redemption, community-building, trauma recovery, and finding a place to belong, all of which sounded like they would make for a heartfelt story.
Unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me.
The biggest issue was that the book relied far too heavily on telling rather than showing. We're often told that Oaklin is making friends, settling into the community, or healing from their past, but we rarely get to experience those moments alongside them. Instead of watching relationships deepen through conversations, shared experiences, and vulnerable interactions, we're simply informed that those connections exist (especially with their baker and bard friends). As a result, I never felt emotionally invested in Oaklin or their relationships.
The pacing also felt slow. Cozy fantasy doesn't need high-stakes action to be engaging, but when a story intentionally keeps the external conflict minimal, the emotional journey has to carry the narrative. But as mentioned above, that emotional payoff really suffered from moments of "tell, don't show" when we're looking for moments of "show, don't tell." Without the emotional journey, the story lacked the momentum needed to keep me engaged.
I can appreciate what this book was trying to do. It offers a gentle story centered on healing and second chances rather than epic quests or dramatic battles, and I think readers who enjoy extremely slow-paced, slice-of-life fantasy may find comfort in it. For me, though, the combination of sluggish pacing and the persistent "tell, don't show" writing style kept me at arm's length from both the characters and the story, making it a miss for me.