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Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter: Tales of the Royal Academy

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By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Koujo Denka no Kateikyoushi 0” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by William Varteresian.

I had tied myself in a bit of a knot trying to figure out what the header for this review should be. See, this is Volume 0, a common conceit for Japanese manga and light novels that want to do a prequel but sound cool. But it’s also getting a 2nd volume, out in Japan later this week, so it will be Volume 0-2? In any case, then I remembered that I used the subtitles for my reviews anyway so it didn’t matter. In Japan this came out the same day as the 20th volume of the main series, but you know that’s not how we roll here. But we do finally, at last, have the first meeting between Allen and Lydia. Sort of. Amusingly, the VERY first meeting between them is skipped, in order to give the book a more exciting opening scene grab showing the two of them teaming up for the first time. It doesn’t matter, we know why we’re here. For the harem. Which, yes, includes Zel.

The cover features a young Lydia, making a face that we don’t really see at all in this book. The wraparound has Stella, Tina, Ellie, etc. asking Lynne about the time Allen and Lydia were at the academy. From there we cut to the entrance exam, where Allen and Lydia are forced to fight against the headmaster in order to get in. This is fine, though. Lydia can’t use magic, but she has her swordplay, which ends up basically hitting away all magic. Allen, of course, is Allen. Both of them do very well… in fact, they do better than Princess Cheryl, which is controversial, albeit not to Cheryl or her father. Once in the academy, Allen has to deal with the usual prejudice and bullying, as does Lydia to a smaller degree. They also meet Zelbert, who is mysterious and yet somewhat pathetic right from the get go, and honestly comes across as just another character who immediately falls for Allen, just like Lydia and Cheryl. The four of them then get to take on a diabolical dragon conspiracy…

It can be easy to forget that both Allen *and* Lydia are dealing with vicious bullying most of their lives, and with Lydia there’s also emotional abuse from her extended (though not immediate) family. Lydia’s tsundere nature is here in full effect, but the arrogant confidence that she has through most of the main series is completely absent, and without Allen (who she falls for literally immediately), she simply falls apart. We joke about Allen’s dry, deflecting reaction to everyone and everything, but his narration also masks the fact that Lisa and the maids are incredibly, pathetically grateful to him for helping their shut-in daughter to achieve great things. As for Cheryl, she certainly gets more to do here than the main series, and she’s also the secondary narrator when Allen’s not around, but she mostly fulfills the function of “the normal one”, so lacks as much of an impact.

Honestly, reading this book makes me feel like a Leinster maid – not that I’m suddenly a combat expert, but that I want to take the Allen and Lydia stuff, record it, and rewatch it endlessly. Fans of the series should eat this up.

Manga the Week of 9/16/26

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SEAN: As the leaves start to change and Sean longs for the end of poison ivy season, what does next week bring us for manga?

23rd Street Books, who may be First Second under a new name, are reprinting Shuna’s Journey (Shuna no Tabi), the manga Hayao Miyazaki drew right before he founded Ghibli. A prince goes on a journey to help his people.

ASH: Oh! I had totally missed that First Second had spun off an imprint for adults.

ANNA: Interesting!!

SEAN: Airship has one print book, The Strange Adventure of a Broke Mercenary 15.

And in early digital they have Adachi and Shimamura 13 and I’m the Heroic Knight of an Intergalactic Empire! 5.

Ghost Ship debuts My Useless “Cuddle” Skill Awakened, and Now I’m Building the Ultimate Harem! (Hazure Skill “Soine” ga Kakuseishi, Boku ga Saikyou Harem o Kizuku made: Micchaku Soine de Ganbou Kaihou!? Yuuwaku Saremakkutte Komattemasu!!), which runs in Gaugau Monster. A guy finds that anyone who sleeps next to him recovers all health. Naturally, girls want to sleep next to him… among other things.

ASH: That is quite the talent.

SEAN: They also have The Cursed Sword Master’s Harem Life: By the Sword, For the Sword 7 and Virgin Knight: I Became the Frontier Lord in a World Ruled by Women 3.

Hanashi Media debuts The Side Character Who Thought He Was the Protagonist Mistook the Real Hero for a Side Character and Accidentally Won Everything (Jibun no Koto o Shujinkou da to Shinjite Yamanai Fumidai ga, Shujinkou o Fumidai da to Kanchigai Shite, Yuushou Shite Shimau Ohanashi desu). The title is the plot.

Inklore has the third and final volume of King’s Maker.

No debuts for Ize Press, but they do have Jungle Juice 8, Marriage of Convenience 5, Men of the Harem 7, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner 6 (the final volume), and Villains Are Destined to Die (the novel) 4.

J-Novel Club has a debut. I’ll Become an Elegant Villainess! Time to Enjoy My Second Life to the Fullest (Karei naru Akujo ni Naritai wa! ~Aisare Tensei Shoujo wa, Tanoshii Nidome no Jinsei o Okurimasu~) has a plot you may be able to guess. Yes, she’s reincarnated, she only knows household magic, but she has no Patience whatsoever.

Also in light novels: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon 13, Butareba -The Story of a Man Turned into a Pig- 9 (the final volume), D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared 10, The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World 11, Imperial Reincarnation: I Came, I Saw, I Survived 7, The Invincible Little Lady 8 (the final volume), The Petty Villain Plays by the Rules: Rewriting This Otome Game with Honest Work! 3, The Reincarnated Mastermind: Sundering Fate with Magic Swords 2, and The Water Magician Arc 1 7.

Kana has Cat’s Eye Omnibus 4.

ASH: I need to catch up with this and the other series from Kana.

SEAN: Kodansha is looking out for your kids next week, as they debut Cells at Work! Picture Book, an edutainment manga dedicated to laying out the human body for the little munchkin in your life.

ASH: I truly appreciate the range of Cells at Work!; no matter your age, there’s something to learn.

ANNA: I’m always surprised by the greater Cells at Work! universe!

SEAN: Also in print: Dead Rock 5, How to Treat a Lady Knight Right 5, Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits 5, Love, That’s an Understatement 7, Mars 30th Anniversary Edition 2, MF Ghost 7, Sheltering Eaves 5, Snow & Ink 6, and Wistoria: Wand and Sword 13.

MICHELLE: I need to get caught up on Sheltering Eaves!

SEAN: Digitally they have Blue Lock 39 and Ya Boy Kongming! 25.

One Peace Books has a manga debut. The Villainess Who Came to Marry Into the Frontier Noble’s Household Is an Exceptionally Capable Wife, Isn’t She? (Henkyo Mob Kizoku no Uchi ni Totsuidekita Akuyaku Reijo ga, Mechakucha Dekiru Yoi Yome nanda ga?) is an adaptation of an as-yet unlicensed light novel. it runs in Dra Dra Flat ♭. An isekai’d guy finds his new wife is the villainess of the otome game, but she’s actually a sweetie… right now. He has to stop events turning her evil.

ASH: He better be helping out with keeping the household, then.

SEAN: Seven Seas has a danmei debut, Panguan: The Twelfth Gate. This is in the same world as Copper Coins and Three Hundred Years of Longing. There’s cultivation. There’s homoerotic longing. There’s… actually, I think that’s all danmei needs.

MICHELLE: Pretty much!

ASH: It’s certainly a solid start.

SEAN: And in not-danmei-but-nearly, we see Lout of Count’s Family 9.

Two manga debuts. Gilded Seven is a seinen manga from Comic Zenon. What if the Wild West was riding high, but Lincoln was never assassinated? This action series seems to ask that question.

ASH: It does seem like at least a few things would have been different.

ANNA: Is Lincoln also a vampire hunter????

SEAN: I Like Cat Butts (Neko no Oshiri ga Suki Nan Desu) is the story of a cat owner and her chaotic cat and his chaotic butt. It ran in Comic Ruelle. And yes, OK, fine: I like cat butts and I cannot lie, you other owners can’t deny, that when a kitty walks in with an itty bitty… OK, that’s enough.

MICHELLE: Snerk.

ASH: That is immediately where my brain went.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: Chainsmoker Cat 4, Exotic Animal Doctor 2, Fluffy Café in Another World 3, Hope You’re Happy, Lemon 4, I’m in Love with the Villainess 11, The Lady and Her Butler 6, Time Stop Hero 15, Wolf’s Daughter: A Werewolf’s Tale 4, and A Yuri Love Story That Begins with Getting Dumped in a Dream 3.

Square Enix debuts My Ex-Boyfriend Loves Boys’ Love (Motokare ga Fudanshi ni Natte Orimashite), which ran in Gangan Pixiv. A girl looking for manga discovers her old high school boyfriend… in the BL section! But he wasn’t interested in BL in high school! What happened?

ASH: I love when fudanshi get a chance to shine.

SEAN: They’ve also got Holoearth Chronicles Side:E Yamato Phantasia 3, A Starlit Darkness 2, and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 32.

Takumigraphics are trying to make sure Gary Groth isn’t a liar by trying again with Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko), and this time it’s coming out in two-volume paperback omnibuses and a digital version. The story may be a bit less cutting edge than it was twenty years ago, but it’s still really good stuff.

MICHELLE: Ooh! Somehow, this was not on my radar!

ASH: I hope we might be able to get the rest of the series with this release, too.

ANNA: Good, glad it is being released again.

SEAN: Titan Manga debut The Assassin Laughs at Twilight (Ansatsusha wa Tasogare ni Warau), a manga based on an as-yet-unlicensed light novel, this ran in Comic Gardo. A doctor killed in an earthquake while operating on his sister finds himself in a fantasy world… where he’s a killer.

ASH: That was somewhat unexpected.

SEAN: Titan Manga also have a second volume of Strange Pictures and a third of Villain Actor.

Three debuts for Viz. And Then There Were None (Soshite Dare mo Inakunatta) is a manga based on the famous Agatha Christie novel, and ran in HayaComic, which seems to be devoted to manga adaptations of novels. The cover features a handsome young man, a pretty woman, and eight background folks. Some are more None than others.

MICHELLE: Huh! I have read the novel, so might have to see how this compares.

SEAN: Nobuo Uematsu: On the Record is a biography of the famous Final Fantasy composer.

ASH: Oooooooh, very nice.

SEAN: Sound of a Blink (Mabataki no Oto) is the latest from Shuzo Oshimi, and it runs in Big Comic Superior. A young man seems to have it all, till his younger brother is diagnosed with a brain tumor and he finds you can’t escape family.

Viz also has Choujin X 13, Fool Night 10, Haikyu!! 3-in-1 10, Kingdom 11, Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt 26, Not So Shoujo Love Story 4, One-Punch Man 34, Sakamoto Days 23, and Taika’s Reason 2.

Some pretty damn good titles in there. What are you buying?

Spy Classroom: Monika’s Thin Veneer

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By Takemachi and Tomari. Released in Japan as “Spy Kyoushitsu” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Nathaniel Thrasher.

Don’t worry, this is still Erna’s arc. I’m sure she’ll get the next cover. But each of these books has featured one of the main characters going beyond, finding new ways to live, new ways to be a spy, and new ways to cope with what they are inside, and then getting ushered off the stage for a while. Last time it was Sara, who spends this volume in prison, being tortured. (I was going to bitch once more about how fiction makes people believe torture works great, but the convoluted plot this series always has makes it work.) And this volume it’s Monika, who gets what may be the best “big action scene fight” we’ve seen in this series to date, and makes the most of it. Because she’s up against Nike, who is strong as hell, smart as hell, and angry as hell. This is a good matchup for Monika, then, who is also strong, smart, and angry. And, as it turns out, they may have even more things in common.

We pick up where we left off, with everything being terrible. Sara is in prison and getting the crap beaten out of her, and we hear that she’s revealed the names of her companions. Erna has PTSD after dealing with Nike, a mental block that makes her natural twitchy mess of a self even more of a twitchy mess. And Annette… is Annette, I’m afraid, no matter how much Erna might be trying to make her see the virtue of not being a psychopath. Fortunately, there are more allies. There’s Sybilla, who accomplishes a hell of a lot in this book by just going around, helping people, and talking to them. There’s Thea, who does what she does best – having amazing sex in order to advance the aims of her nation. And there’s Monika, who sees that Nike has made Erna scared and decides that the best solution to this problem is to kill Nike. Easy peasy.

I remain impressed at how this series is handling Monika’s sexuality. It’s a core part of her character. Its illegality in her nation means that suppressing it, keeping her feelings inside, is not only natural to her but what is the right thing to do for her. And she recognizes that in Nike as well, recognizes a fury and drive that stems from a repressed love for another woman. They’re kindred spirits, and Nike even says that she’s incredibly upset Monika isn’t on her side. (There’s also Thea, who sleeps with both men and women in this book, but her arc is more about “enjoying sex is not only part of my job, it’s also great, and I’m not a slut because I have it.) I also appreciated that – finally! – we got a flashback to Monika’s heart to heart with Lily. Monika being Monika, she triers to do the “let’s pretend it never happened” thing, but Lily doesn’t want to do that. She realizes that she hates it when guys leer at her because of her body (can I read this as a tacit critique of most Spy Classroom artists – she gets more skeevy fanart than the other girls combined) and the only thing holding her back is her inexperience with love at all. Basically, I like that this series makes LGTBQ issues part of the intrinsic plot without making the romance the point or making it for fanservice.

The author says the 5th SS collection is next, but bad news, we already had that one. As a result, we have to wait to see when Yen schedules 12, which I think wraps up this arc. Good luck, Erna! And your increasingly small number of allies!

BLADE & BASTARD: Saga of the Unknown Adventurers

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By Kumo Kagyu and so-bin. Released in Japan as “Blade & Bastard” by Dre Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sean McCann.

I think this may be the 6th time I’ve said this, but I have never played or delved into Wizardry. And so far this hasn’t really been too much of a problem. There’s the vague annoyance of the parenthetical telling you that someone’s mental well-being is really something you should roll for, i.e. all the “hit points”. There’s the hilarity that sometimes comes when one of the ridiculously named spells is accidentally something familiar – TILTOWAIT in this book just kept making me think of the amusement park ride Tilt-a-Whirl. But in this volume, I really get the sense that the author is talking about backstory the reader should already know. Are these characters – who everyone seems to know except Raraja, who I have never identified with more than I do now – something from the Lore? Are they part of spinoffs, sequels, side-stories? And in the end, do I really need to care? Or can I go back to thinking that Iarumas and Ainikki really need to bone?

We pick up right where we left off. The prince is missing (and sorry, court ladies, I guess you’re all really dead dead after all), and the dungeon is being overrun by essentially possession goop monsters. Iarumas’ group has to go down there, as they’re the main characters. Schumacher’s group is also going down there, as they’re the less good, more realistic ones. And as for the top party in the city… well, they’re missing, whoops. It will come as no surprise to learn that the bulk of this book is spent is a slow, almost lethal, sometimes actually lethal dungeon crawl, with trick doors, hidden doors, hidden chutes, zombie dragons, and everything else a teenage boy could want to roleplay with. And when they finally reach their destination… wow, are we finally getting Iarumas characterization? Yes! Spoiler: he shows multiple emotions in this book!

Generally speaking, Japanese light novels tend to have first person narration, or third person omniscient. This one has the POV spin from character to character from scene to scene, and frequently within the same scene. One could argue this is bad writing, and to a degree it is, but it also helps to get across the desperation and determination this book is meant to ooze. Iarumas’ party have become, mostly thanks to Garbage, something pretty famous, but the party themselves are filled with doubt and fear. Schumacher’s party is filled with even more of that, along with a heaping helping of self-loathing (hell, even the left-behind childhood friend seems to hate herself), despite the fact that they’re really freaking awesome this book. There’s also a lot of trying to get past the thing you hate the most, be it a dragon that killed you before, a demon that enslaved you before, or just an evil boss who has your face but does a lot more than you do. Ah well. In the end, we can always listen to the words of Garbage. “Arf”, she said.

We’re caught up with Japan again, but fortunately this book finishes up the arc. What will happen next? My guess: dungeon crawling.

Invaders of the Rokujouma!?, Vol. 48

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By Takehaya and Poco. Released in Japan as “Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Warnis.

I had not realized that it had been over a year since the last volume of Rokujouma. The author apparently had heart issues that left them in the hospital for a while. As such, it’s something of a relief to hear that the series is coming to a close soon – thought I’ll take “soon” with a grain of salt, given I originally thought this was gonna end at Volume 29. This is also the 50th book in the series, counting the two .5 volumes, and I was wondering if we’d get an old-fashioned short story volume of fluff to celebrate. But no, we’re in the middle of the big final arc, and there’s no time for delays. As such, the bulk of this book is something that can be fun to read about but is very difficult to review: it’s strategizing and fighting, as our heroes try to rescue Kenji and Nalfa from the clutches of the Gray Knight. That said, if I’m being honest, having Kenji around may be just what the Gray Knight needs right now.

Kenji has figured out who the Gray Knight is, and is trying to see what makes him tick… as well as get a little more freedom so that he can check on Nalfa, who spends most of this volume asleep or depressed. Also depressed is Koutarou, who is dwelling a lot more than he should. Fortunately, although a lot of contingency plans failed, and some people even died, Clan’s last contingency plan worked, and they can mount a rescue mission much quicker than the enemy might expect. They end up on a planet that seems ready for battle, with drones galore, automatic defenses, and reinforcements coming – for the Gray Knight. So things are not looking great. Fortunately, Koutarou not only has a harem, but it’s a Battle Harem, so he and the girls are all in sync with each other and ready to kick ass and rescue their friends!… maybe.

While it’s always nice to see the girls again, and I enjoyed seeing Sanae, Shizuka and Theia kicking ass, and Maki and Nana being really clever, the most interesting parts of the book revolved around the hostages. Kenji knows that the Gray Knight is really Koutarou from an alternate world, but is trying to figure out how he ended up the way that he did. We’re reminded that Koutarou has the power of eight dead girlfriends at his beck and call, with only Sanae (yeah, remember alt-Sanae? It seems so long ago) missing, and we have assumed, to be honest, that the major point of divergence was that something went wrong and he lost nearly everyone. But that’s not the case, as we find out here. This is a Koutarou that grew up without KENJI. A Koutarou that never ended up trusting anyone because he never had that first crack that made him begin to open up. That’s really fascinating. And it helps me accept the fact that in the end we read 160 pages of fighting back only to achieve very little. They’re still hostages, and will be as long as Kenji gets to play therapist.

There won’t be nearly as long a wait for the next book, though that will catch us up with Japan again. Stay healthy, author!

Pick of the Week: Old Friends in New Outfits

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MICHELLE: I have never read Appleseed, so the prospect of getting the whole thing in one gorgeous hardcover edition was too good to pass up. I am excited to finally check it out!

ANNA: I’m feeling very nostalgic about Appleseed, and am excited to check out the new edition!

SEAN: Same. The new hardcover of Appleseed has all my attention this week.

KATE: I’m going to break ranks and make Say Hello to Mister Wallaby my PotW. I need a light-hearted marsupial comedy right now.

ASH: Say Hello to Mister Wallaby looks like it should be cute, but Appleseed is what has my attention this week. I’ve actually never read the original series before, only Iou Kuroda’s Appleseed Alpha, so a giant omnibus seems a good way to correct that oversight.

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 7

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By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

Last time I talked about the fact that this world is still trying hard to re-rail things so that they go the way the game wants them to, and that’s still true, but it’s also astonishing how many “doubles” this has led to, and in some cases triples and quadruples. We have Celesty, of course, now Melody, maiding it up. And reincarnated. And not Cecilia, at least not anymore. There’s Serena, a walking, talking, living doll who Melody accidentally and unknowingly put the soul of her dead mother inside. There’s Celedia, who is really an evil minion of darkness, but is also a young girl who’s also a reincarnate. There’s the missing foreign prince, busy being a lothario servant. There’s his sister, who has lived her life as a man, till given the chance in this book to see what the life might have been like. There’s Luciana, who isn’t the tragic dead one anymore, and Luna, who got her role, and Olivia, who almost got her role. Hell, even Anna-Marie disguises herself as her own maid. And then there’s Maika, and the end of this book, where she may be adding to the heroine pile. It’s a Heroine Pileup.

It’s finally time for the school festival! Given all the fuss about the maid cafe, we don’t actually see very much of the cafe itself. Instead we get a lot of the before and after, as everyone tries to finish the uniforms in time and ensure that everything is perfect. That said, Melody can’t participate, so she’s at a loss for what to do. She’s reminded she promised (without thinking) to tour the festival with Schue, so she does this for a while, until Schue’s own subplot comes smashing through the narrative and he literally flees. Then Lect is told to escort her around, which actually goes pretty smoothly, though her lack of romantic interest in him (or indeed anyone) is very obvious. Unfortunately, there’s still supposedly an event that’s due to happen tonight… in the game. Is this world now so different that it won’t happen after all?

Honestly, of all the characters I thought I’d find most interesting in this volume, Celedia would not have topped my list at the start. And yet, here we are. It’s fascinating the way that she’s written, in an almost Umineko-esque way, not quite multiple personality disorder but something else. Tindalos is filled with darkness, rage, evil plans, and an increasing desperation that nothing is going right. Celedia, meanwhile, is clearly suffering from depression. She’s an absolute mess throughout the book, collapsing twice, and even when she’s out and about she’s so clumsy she causes disasters just by walking around. Honestly, her evil side taking over may be good for her. As for Maika, well, she finally has her magical familiar, but as expected with this series, it’s not quite as it should be. It does allow us to get a magical girl parody in here as well, that was fun. That said, the most interesting thing in the book may be the cliffhanger into Book 8.

So yeah, what’s Melody going to do now? Can Celedia use this chance to actually, y’know, achieve a thing? Anything? And will the anime, which ends next week, get a second season? We’ll know in a few months. For Maid fans and Villainess fans.

Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance, Vol. 4

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By Rei Kazama and Fujiazuki. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijō wa Seirei ni Aisarete Saikyō Desu…… Dakedo Futsū ni Koi Shitai)” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by okaykei.

First of all, I feel the need to apologize to Karla, who I clearly jinxed in my last review. Thanks to her family, not only is she no longer a candidate for Prince Andrew’s hand, she’s barely in the book at all. She’s not particularly happy about this of course, and I think is quietly trying to get herself disowned as well. In the meantime, this is good news for Monica and Susanna, the other two candidates. First of all, because hey, Andrew is a catch and you get to be Empress, but also because the “loser” in the wife wars gets Chris, who is himself just as much of a catch. Of course, there’s also the elephant in the room, which is who Deirdre is going to marry. The longer she waits, the worse her options get, and the political kudzu that is her home nation means that there’s a limited number of partners available there. Fortunately, there is one obvious option.

Just as everyone learns about House Johannes blowing up Karla’s social status, the spirits come to take folks to Kohaku’s domain, so that the spirits can meet Andrew properly. This actually ends up defusing another small crisis, as the second prince, Eldred, has been feeling so guilt-ridden over what happened in previous books that he wants to leave the royal family altogether. Elsewhere, Deirdre is busy with her various projects, such as a book – one for children, one for young adults – about how to care for and raise spirits; getting a decent edible chocolate, with the help of Kamil and his country; watch how her other brother proves to be far more romantically adept that her and Chris will ever be; and also meet the spirits of other nations, who quickly get involved in a bidding war for her favor that promises to turn nasty in future volumes.

I appreciate the fact that, by the end of this volume, Deirdre has acknowledged her own ineptness when it comes to perceiving romantic interest, and she’s rapidly also coming to realize that her choice of potential partners who will not somehow make her life a misery is down to one. It was pretty clear in the third book that she and Kamil would be endgame, and it’s made crystal clear here. That said, the combination of Deirdre’s reluctance to get engaged at the age of ten, and her own discomfort with the fact that she’s not only an adult in a child’s body, but an immature adult n a child’s body, lead her to kick the can down the road. Fortunately, a road trip in the next book may help there. As for the rest of the book, there are a few dark suggestions of Deirdre’s future in the story of another woman who was found to be beloved by spirits, and possibly a reincarnator, who ended up killing herself out of depression. Let’s avoid that Bad End, please.

We’ve got a ways to go, though (this is book 4 of 13), so I’m sure there will be drama a-plenty before Deirdre gets both old enough and politically savvy enough to tie the knot. In the meantime, this is a great deal of fun.

The Twelve Kingdoms, Book Six: A Thousand Miles of Wind, the Sky at Dawn, Part 2

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By Fuyumi Ono and Akihiro Yamada. Released in Japan as “Kaze no Banri, Reimei no Sora” by X Bunko White Heart. Released in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. Translated by Kim Morrissy. Adapted by Monica Sullivan.

This is a book – well, the whole series is, but especially this book – with a message. This whole volume shows us what life is like in a city, and indeed a county, that is so used to corruption and venality that it doesn’t even matter that the new queen is supposed to be better than the old one, things will still continue. We see, over and over in this book, the normal law-abiding folks turning away whenever there’s something horrible going on – or worse, cheering it on – because they’re scared that if they speak up, it will happen to them and their loved ones. The trouble is… sometimes that happens anyway. Youko’s friend in the village, whose name I couldn’t remember from Book Five so I just called her “tragic girl who’s going to die”, lives up to her name. Fortunately, things do get better by the end of the book, as Youko finally comes to terms with that fact that, advisers or no, in the end, she’s the Queen.

Our three heroines continue along their journey of self-discovery. 1) Youko goes touring around the land of Wa in disguise, occasionally helping people out, and discovers that things are much, much worse than she expected… then goes back to the village where she’s staying to find death and disappearance; 2) Suzu decides, after the death of her friend by the evil guy in charge of the city, that murder is okay, but fortunately before she can put her poorly thought-out plan into action she hooks up with the local resistance group, who are here to tell you “murder is okay but only if you have a plan for post-murder”; 3) Shoukei, having finished being shown the life of an abused commoner and also having finished being educated about life in other countries by Rakushun, manages to hook up with the OTHER local resistance group. Eventually the three women meet each other, and they all agree that while murder may be OK, revolution is the way to go here.

The bulk of the character development here goes to Suzu, who got the least last time. She spends most of the first half of the book in a rage, snapping and deciding that murdering Shoukou will solve all her problems, then realizing that in fact it doesn’t solve the most important part, which is that she blames herself for Seishuu’s death, and then realizing that her entire life here to date was built around passively accepting abuse without doing anything, and that changing that is what she needs to do. Youko, meanwhile, simply needs to be galvanized into being proactive, and once she gets past “I don’t know enough about this world” by going on the road and finding out, she quickly cleans house and starts what will hopefully be a prosperous reign. As for Shoukei, she’s not only had recent experience as an abused commoner, but also years as a pampered princess. I admit her character arc here was a bit too “I’m suddenly mature now”, but hey, talking with Rakushun for weeks on end can do that to a person. I’m not sure we’ll see those two again (Youko I’m sure will turn up), but it was nice to follow their journey.

Next up… short story collection? Short story collection. Till then, please read this lovely series that reminds you that overthrowing the state can be a good thing… though admittedly it helps when the leader of the state is on your side.

Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden, Vol. 10

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By Umikaze Minamino and Katana Canata. Released in Japan as “Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by okaykei.

If you have been following A Livid Lady’s Guide to Getting Even: The Anime, and felt that she was perhaps going a bit TOO far and getting a bit TOO evil, may I recommend the latest volume of Nia Liston? In which Nia gets very angry, and gets her revenge. But it’s the sort of revenge that may actually make everything better, and, while she confesses this is a surprise to her, no bad guys actually die who are not giant insects. Ah yes, that reminds me: if you like to see tiny ojou-samas fighting ants with the power of fists and kicks, also good news! Nia is here to kick ass and kick more ass, and she’s not remotely out of asses to kick. She does have a soft spot for her cute l’il orphans, of course, as well as the Fourth Princess, who she, um, literally buys. OK, that’s a bit too much like Livid Lady. But it’s OK, it’s not as a slave, it’s as her next disciple.

Having had her mansion destroyed by Mech Knights, Nia returns there to find that officials are busy erasing the evidence that there was any wrongdoing done there, and shortly thereafter they send Nia a bill for all the repairs. To the neighborhood. This is, by the way, while Shylrane has been desperately trying to get Nia on their good side, as she needs her to defeat the insects that are barely being held back by the country, which turns out to be on the verge of doom much more than folks know. Needless to say, Nia is unhappy with the bill. She decides to work off her stress by beating up the head of the mafia underworld, taking the contents of his safe, and then going on a bug-hunting party, where she wipes out the first level of the bugs – the only level, so far, the nation had been able to fight. This, of course, means the more dangerous bugs are no longer held back. And then she’s arrested and thrown in prison. Really, we’re very lucky this ISN’T Livid Lady…

I’ve always found the “Nia beats people up” part of this series to be the least interesting, and I always like it when the author throws in curveballs. Of which the biggest has to be Akashi’s obsession with inventing the car. This may seem baffling, given this is a book filled with sky islands, pirate airships, and flying cars, but the idea of cars on the ground – and, in particular, the prototypes crashing into walls – is not only hilarious and fun, but a terrific Magivision idea. Which, in case you forgot, is why Nia is here at all. I am also very amused with the Lynokis subplot. I’ve never had time for her stupid lolicon persona, which is present and incorrect here as always. But now Nia not only has a royal princess who’s studious and respectful towards Nia’s teachings, but also a young prodigy orphan girl who’s blazing through leaning about chi in record time. Seeing Nia get tired of her maid/bodyguard who doesn’t really want to get stronger is magical. As in it’s basically “let’s torture her”.

We’re still in the middle of this arc, but I am hoping that the next book has a bit less people being awful and a bit more filming reality TV. Oh yes, the anime is out soon!