Review: A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann

*I received a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

A Stage Set for Villains

by Shannon J. Spann

February 3, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players…

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Caraval meets One Dark Window in this lush and dark fantasy.

Review

A Stage Set for Villains was a high-octane story set in a mesmerizing world with vicious characters. Though I wished the ending was a bit more fulfilling, I fell hard into the story. Sinking into its depth, I was thoroughly charmed and sometimes horrified.

The play-style writing in A Stage Set for Villains made for an unforgettable reading experience. The complex magic at work defied logic yet made so much sense in the unique setting that was the Playhouse/Theatron. The Players and their Craft held me. Even as I knew something was odd about them, I was swept into their world- revering in their performances and wanting more. They were magnetic.

A Stage Set for Villains felt drawn out but in the best of ways- allowing the characters to be fleshed out. Each person/Player’s complicated past drove them to act the way they did and I was eager to learn. Riven, in particular, was a living flame. Her determination to regain her health and freedom left me with no doubts she’d achieve a great many things. “Pain is protection, too. Pain will blame everything outside itself and never once check to see if something is broken within.” (p. 293) Riven had so much life in her (ironically) and it truly was a pleasure watching her rip the world apart ;)

From the very beginning of A Stage Set for Villains we were told to be wary of the Players. But aside from their supernatural powers, they were just like any ordinary human with regular emotions and normal desires. “All that stands between a hero and villainy is proper motivation. Love provokes the hero as violently as it does the villain, and it’s merely who tells the story that determines which is which.” (p.441) Getting to know them was a treat.

While romance was not a big part of A Stage Set for Villains, I can’t not mention the pull between Riven and Jude. From their first meeting, something lurked just beneath the surface. Her barbed words and his easy retorts were the perfect banter. Riven and Jude’s connection turned out so much bigger than I imagined. No wonder they felt so right.

I didn’t quite enjoy the ending of A Stage Set for Villains as much as the rest of the book. I wish we had more defined answers though the vague explanations were on par with the overall tone of the story. Even weeks after finishing A Stage Set for Villains I’m still savouring its intense atmosphere. A standing ovation for Ms. Shannon J. Spann!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.