I recently received a Kobo Libra Color from my husband for my birthday and this book was one of the first things I saved. The colors on the cover just really popped out to me but once I read that this book gives off Stardew Valley vibes I knew I couldn’t pass it up. Lucky for me and my really awful reading slump, this book did not disappoint.
“Well, did being in a cult really count as socializing?”
“Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous” By Autumn K. England
About The Book
Author: Autumn K. England
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Published Date: May 26th, 2026
Page Count: 368 Pages
Main Genre: Fantasy
GoodReads Rating: 3.82
Format: E-Reader
“Sometimes it was nice to be wrong about people.”
“Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous” By Autumn K. England
Synopsis
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 oath: 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?
“What’d they just done…was good. Oaklin was good.”
“Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous” By Autumn K. England
Rating
Review
This book sold me with the synopsis immediately. The instant cozy vibes were exactly what I needed for my reading slump. This book may have taken me about three weeks to finish but everytime I picked it up I had a great time which is all that really matters, especially when you are in a reading slump.
The book didn’t seem to have too crazy of high stakes which I appreciated. Our main character has a pretty harrowing backstory that haunts their daily life, making them their own worst enemy. Despite them struggling to accept themselves they had new friends who rallied around them and we all know how big of a sucker I am for a found family plot line.
I really loved the use of a non binary character for our main character. When I think of Stardew Valley I think of the character customization. Having the Non Binary character almost felt like that character customization screen got to come to life, so anyone who is reading this book could feel like they are this character feeling their emotions and experiencing this story right along side Oaklin. Along those same lines I loved how the town accepted Oaklin as they were and respected their pronouns without question. This all felt like such a breath of fresh air.
I know that this is going to be at least a two book series. I am really hoping that the second book follows the town baker Ryn and their potential love story. The bakery in this book left me enchanted, dying to know more. I could see myself getting sucked into that book just as quickly as I did with this one. Ryn is one of the most hardworking characters in this town and he truly has his hands full.
This is not me saying that Oaklin doesn’t deserve love or that I don’t like Oaklin and Lior together cause that’s not entirely true. I just feel like this book didn’t have to have the romance to make me enjoy this book. I would have been perfectly content to see Oaklin struggling the way they were while taking care of the farm and working on themselves while having support from just friends. If you can take a romance out of a story and still have a really solid plot line then why not let that main plot line shine a bit more and save the romance for a later book?
Overall I really enjoyed my reading experience and I can not wait for the second book to come out. I am hopefully that I will absolutely devour the next one.
“Why do you think cults work so well? They are literally designed to entrap people. They lure you in under false pretenses and wait to reveal their truth until it’s too late.”
“Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous” By Autumn K. England
QOTD: What video game do you think would make a compelling book?
World of Bai 