If We Were Villains
by M. L. Rio · 2017
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.2/5
A Shakespeare-soaked dark academia thriller where actors become their villainous roles—with fatal consequences. Rio's debut thrills through formal daring, even as romance occasionally lags.
M. L. Rio's If We Were Villains weaves Shakespearean tragedy into a modern dark academia thriller that thrills even as it occasionally strains under its own theatricality.
This debut novel earns a firm recommendation for readers who relish the interplay of art and life; Rio's command of dramatic structure and voice creates a narrative as taut as a soliloquy. Yet its strengths lie not in plot alone—which unfolds predictably in places—but in the formal mimicry of Shakespeare's ensemble tragedies. A very good book, with reservations noted below.
Oliver Marks emerges from a decade in prison, greeted by the detective who incarcerated him; what follows is his reluctant retelling of events at the elite Dellecher Classical Conservatory, where a tight-knit group of fourth-year actors—immersed in productions of Caesar and Macbeth—descend into a maelstrom of jealousy, passion, and violence. Rio frames the novel as a confession, punctuated by epigraphs from Shakespeare that mirror the unfolding drama; this device—elegant and precise—elevates the story beyond mere whodunit, transforming it into a meditation on performance as identity. The conservatory itself becomes a character, its isolated lakeside halls fostering a hothouse atmosphere where lines blur between rehearsal and reality, role and self.
Structurally, Rio emulates the five-act tragedy with rhythmic fidelity; the actors' speech—peppered with iambic echoes and quoted verse—builds a linguistic texture that immerses us in their world. Consider the group's ritualistic late-night swims or their fevered rehearsals under stormy skies; these scenes pulse with the novel's central question: when does artifice license atrocity? 'You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough,' one character remarks—a line that encapsulates Rio's formal daring. The voice is patient, almost conspiratorial, drawing us into Oliver's unreliable narration without ever losing authority.
The ensemble shines brightest: James as the brooding Mercutio-like leader; Filippa, the enigmatic Viola; Meredith, whose Desdemona veers toward femme fatale. Rio's close reading of Shakespeare manifests in how roles bleed into psyches—Richard's brute Tybalt rage foreshadows doom—creating a novel that performs its themes. It's character-driven in the richest sense; friendships fracture not through exposition but through charged silences and half-spoken sonnets. This formal ingenuity rewards rereading, as early jests accrue tragic weight.
Yet for all its ambition, the novel falters in its romantic subplot; Oliver's fixation on James—intense, inevitable—feels underdeveloped amid the group's chaos, resolving in a climax that prioritizes poetic symmetry over emotional depth. The prose, while lyrical, occasionally tips into self-consciousness—dialogue strained with too many bardic flourishes; one tires of every tension voiced in pentameter. These are not fatal flaws, but they blunt the blade of an otherwise incisive thriller; Rio's reach exceeds her grasp in humanizing the villains beyond their villainy.
If We Were Villains endures as a love letter to the stage—tragic, intoxicating, alive with the thrill of transgression. It asks what happens when players forget the curtain call; Rio's answer, though imperfect, resonates long after the final bow. For those attuned to the Bard's shadow in contemporary fiction, this is essential reading—a debut that stages its own quiet triumph.
Key Takeaways
- Life Imitates Art
- Villainous Ensemble
- Poetic Justification
Summary
- Framed as a prison-release confession, the novel recounts a 1990s murder among Shakespeare-obsessed drama students.
- Dark academia setting at isolated Dellecher Conservatory heightens tensions of rivalry and passion.
- Shakespeare quotes and iambic dialogue immerse readers in a world where life imitates art.
- Ensemble cast—led by magnetic James and narrator Oliver—drives character-focused tragedy.
- Themes of identity, performance, and moral ambiguity echo Macbeth and Julius Caesar.
- Taut structure mimics five-act play, building to a violent, inevitable climax.
- Strengths: Lyrical prose and formal ingenuity; minor flaws in romance and over-reliance on verse.
- Verdict: Highly recommended thriller for literary fiction fans; a modern Shakespearean ensemble drama.
Chapter Guide
- Chapter 1: Prologue: Ten Years Later
- Detective Colborne visits Oliver Marks, recently released from prison, to understand the truth of what happened a decade prior among a group of drama students. Oliver, initially reticent, agrees to recount the events leading to the murder.
- Chapter 2: Act I: The Players Assemble
- We are introduced to the seven fourth-year Shakespearean acting students at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a tightly knit and competitive group. Their intense academic and personal lives are detailed, highlighting their shared passion and rivalries.
- Chapter 3: The Ides of October
- During a contentious performance of Julius Caesar, the rivalries among the students escalate, particularly between Richard and the others. A violent confrontation occurs, leaving one student dead and the group bound by a terrible secret.
- Chapter 4: Aftermath and Alibis
- The remaining students, fearing exposure and ruin, concoct a story to protect themselves, meticulously crafting alibis. The weight of their shared secret begins to fray their relationships and individual psyches.
- Chapter 5: A Web of Deception
- As Detective Colborne investigates, the students maintain their collective lie, but internal tensions mount. Oliver reflects on the shifting dynamics and loyalties within their insular world, where truth becomes increasingly elusive.
Read the full review at https://reviewerinsight.com/book/69ed4f8cf2f1713bdeb2c4af/if-we-were-villains