I Used to Be an Evil Genius: But Now I Have to Save the World cover art

I Used to Be an Evil Genius: But Now I Have to Save the World

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I Used to Be an Evil Genius: But Now I Have to Save the World

By: Pixel Ate
Narrated by: Sawyer Varvel
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About this listen

Xander Quinn is a genius. A teenage mastermind. Some might even say a supervillain in training, though he prefers the term “ethically flexible entrepreneur.”

His latest heist? Foolproof. The part where a superhero showed up and he got yeeted into a world of magic, monsters, and medieval nonsense?

Yeah. Not part of the plan.

Now, Xander is stranded in a land where dragonkin rule and magic is real. Which sounds kind of cool, except his high-tech gadgets are toast and humans are low man on the food chain.

But Xander didn’t become a genius by giving up. If the laws of physics don’t always apply, fine. He’ll make new ones. With a little rune magic, some serious upgrades, and a dangerously snarky attitude, he’s about to change the game.

©2025 Pixel Ate Books (P)2025 Pixel Ate Books Science Fiction & Fantasy Magic
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“I Used to Be an Evil Genius: But Now I Have to Save the World” by Pixel Ate is a super fun fantasy romp. Narrated by the stellar Sawyer Varvel, it follows Xander Quinn, a snarky teen genius with a villainous streak, tossed into a magical world of dragonkin and struggling humans. His quest to get home sparks a surprising shift, as, with his super-smarts and modern knowledge, he decides he might as well fix a village while learning the ways of (and potentially saving?) this new world.

I don’t usually dig villain stories, but Xander’s selfish-yet-secretly-good vibe hooked me, and the story’s blending of Minecraft-like trial-and-error inventing with rune-tech magic flair, made it exciting to see what he’d cook up next. The story races along with clever beats, totally keeping me eager to see what’s next. All that, and then you have Varvel’s smooth narration and on-point voices, which helps make every scene pop.

The book delivers exactly what it promises - a fast, fun adventure with no major missteps. I’d say it’s a blast for young adult readers, fantasy fans craving sharp and snappy heroes, or anyone looking for a little more Isekai and Dr. Stone in their life. Here’s hoping Pixel Ate delivers more tales of Xander and company soon!

Snark, tech, magic, and isekai fun - An easy ‘A’!

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Pretty decent, but the writing can get repetitive with the constant 'scowling' and 'Eye rolling' from the main characters.

it's ok.

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