The details…
- Title: Chaos Agent
- Author: Lee Winter
- Publisher : Ylva Publishing
- Publication date: February 8, 2023 (Ylva Publishing), no date set yet for Amazon
- Available formats: epub, mobi, pdf, paperback (Amazon)
- Length: 352 pages/105,000 words
- IBSN: 978-3-96324-750-7 (ebook), 978-3-96324-751-4 (pdf)
- Genre: romantic mystery/thriller
- Themes: politics, political agendas, media, good vs evil, activism, corruption, espionage, greed, power, justice, vengeance, women loving women
- Tropes: age gap romance, enemies to lovers, ice queen romance, opposites attract romance, workplace romance
The blurb from the publisher…
What happens when the sweetest employee learns her boss’s evil secrets? This opposites-attract ice queen romance asks: Can a villain truly be redeemed?
CEO Michelle Hastings has foolishly promoted a kind, clueless activist to her full-time staff. Now, on top of fighting her inconvenient feelings, Michelle must hide the evil they do.
Eden Lawless relishes her new job, the hot boss who gives her butterflies, and her eccentric workmates who tell weird jokes about their day. Blackmail? Hacking? Doxing? Hilarious! But what if it’s not a joke? Would that mean Eden has to fight the boss she’s falling for?
Chaos Agent, the last book in The Villains Series, is a lesbian romance filled with intrigue, humor, hurt, and heart. It’s set in The Red Files universe but can be read as a standalone series.
My thoughts…
I don’t even know where to begin to describe how bleeping fantastic The Villains Series is; I’m still trying to shove my brain back in my head after finishing the last installment Chaos Agent. To say Winter has outdone herself would be a gross understatement. She knocked it so far out of the park, it went home for a snack and strolled back before anyone could even figure out what direction it went!
When I sat down to write my review for The Fixer, book one of this series, I thought that it was one of the best books Winter has written, and that’s saying something because she’s amassed a long list of awards for her work. Chaos Agent, however, is a unique book. In this final book of the series, she not only ties up the loose ends efficiently and effectively, she does it with supreme skill and genius. It’s easy to see the beauty in this novel; it’s definitely award worthy.
Most sapphic fiction tends to be formulaic; writers have a tried and true approach to building the story and arriving at a HEA. Winter likes to toy with the formula though. She likes to play with archetypes, and it makes the storytelling very exciting. But in Chaos Agent, it’s beyond exciting; it’s riveting. She plays with archetypes in ways writers seldom do. She turns Michelle Hastings, her protagonist, inside out, stretching her shades of good and evil. I was often left wondering, “How is she going to write her way out of this one?” She does though, and Michelle’s character development expands the storytelling in ways that are jaw dropping. She is definitely one character readers will not soon forget.
When readers first meet Michelle in The Fixer, she is an ice queen like no other. She is ruthless, cruel and cold. In the beginning, readers can’t fathom finding any sympathy for her. Yet, by the end of Chaos Agent, readers will throw down and fight for her willingly. Why? Because Winter takes readers on an incredible character arc ride. She breaks Michelle down until she is almost unrecognizable. Yet, she is still very much worth knowing. Eden, her one time nemesis, even thinks she’s worth loving. Eden’s mother sums it up best when she tells Michelle, “Eden has a beautiful heart. And you, Michelle, ache to have one too.” In that ache, readers find compassion for her. They also find an ice queen that isn’t as icy as they had once believed.
As much as I love Michelle and the way she’s developed on the page, I find Eden equally as compelling. She’s a captivating and charming character; her goodness is hard to resist. However, she’s a bit too trusting and naive for her own good. Perhaps that’s why readers like her. She does have some “mommy issues” though, and the way Winter addresses them near the end is masterful. She scripts a big moment between the two that not only resolves their family’s tensions but pushes their character. It’s just one scene, but the story is made a bit softer for it.
As much as I enjoyed the character work in this book, I came to appreciate Winter’s use of literary devices even more. The way she deftly and craftily integrates secondary characters, dialogue foreshadowing and irony into this story and series is quite remarkable. Seemingly without knowing it, readers are pulled farther into the story, making them connect to the characters and storytelling on a deeper level. Be warned: Book hangover is a thing and this one will cause it.
As I mentioned earlier, the use of secondary characters is stellar. Safta, Ottilie (Tilly), Phelim, Aggie, River, and Eden’s dad Peter—though only secondary—are all important to the story. Each are interesting and unique in their own way, serving the story well. Most of all, their presence enhances the storytelling. They aren’t shoehorned in. Readers develop a fondness for them, but Winter never allows these characters to overtake the stage. Ultimately, it’s a testament to Winter’s talent as a writer and a storyteller.
Final I remarks…
The Villains Series got my attention in ways that few books do. Chaos Agent is a fantastic closer for the series and gives readers something they may not expect but certainly will appreciate. I’d encourage everyone to read it!
Strengths…
- Well-written
- Well-plotted
- Great characters
- Fantastic storytelling
- Engrossing storyline
- Must read
This book is available from…
A bit about the author…
Lee Winter is an award-winning veteran newspaper journalist who has lived in almost every Australian state, covering courts, crime, news, features and humour writing. She is now a full-time author and part-time editor.
Since becoming a full-time writer, Lee’s accumulated an impressive array of awards:
- 2015 Lambda Literary Award finalist and Golden Crown Literary Society Award winner (The Red Files)
- 2016 Lambda Literary Award finalist (Requiem for Immortals)
- 2017 Golden Crown Literary Society Award-Mystery/Thriller (Requiem for Immortals)
- 2017 bronze winner for mainstream Independent Publisher Book Awards for E-book Mystery/Thriller (Requiem Immortals)
- 2018 Golden Crown Literary Society Award for sci-fi/fantasy (Shattered)
- 2021 Golden Crown Literary Society Award-Romantic Blend (Hotel Queens)
Currently Lee lives in Australia with her long-time girlfriend, where she spends much time ruminating on her garden, US politics, and shiny, new gadgets.
Want to know more about Lee? Check her out on her social media.
Women Using Words 