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Betrothed to My Sister’s Ex, Vol. 2

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By Tobirano and Mai Murasaki. Released in Japan as “Zutaboro Reijou wa Ane no Moto Konyakusha ni Dekiai Sareru” by M Novels f. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Rymane Tsouria. Adapted by Zubonjin.

(There’s a spoiler I talk about, but I’ll try to wait till after the summary. Also, the spoiler is obvious.)

I will reiterate that those who cannot accept that Marie’s entire life to date has revolved around being told how terrible she is will find this volume very hard going, because it will feel grating that she loathes herself to such a degree that it almost drowns the narrative. The third quarter of the book is awash in everyone just being very, very sad, and I get the feeling the author knew this and wanted to make sure it didn’t overflow. As such, eventually, when Marie ends up fleeing from her engagement and the castle, things proceed to turn into farce, starting with Mio driving around and around the castle while pretending to be driving her back home, waiting for her to change her mind, and then getting capped off by Kyros leaping onto the carriage to follow them around the castle. It’s so over the top it’s fun.

Marie is doing her best, even though she may not think that it is. As we learn more about her childhood, we discover that she can speak/write in multiple languages, that her dancing is excellent, and that the fact that her favorite children’s book was delivered to her may be the holding thing keeping her from a breakdown. Meanwhile, Mio investigates back at her parents’ manor, and discovers that things are far more disturbing than they or we imagined, especially in regards to the death of Marie’s sister. Even a lovely outing in the merchant district to look at rings and clothing can’t pass by without Mio hearing the voice of her sister calling her and having nightmares. Surely the best thing to do is to simply call everything off and go back to her abusive home.

Rest assured, dear reader, this does not happen. For one thing, Anastasia isn’t dead. I know this will come as a shock to no one. What came as a shock to me was that I was expecting her to have deliberately faked her death to go off the the capital to make things. As it turns out, no, she was almost raped by her coach driver, escaped by the skin of her teeth, and only by miraculous fortune did she wind up in the capital. Oh yes, and her hair is being used to pacify her half-insane mother. Suffice it to say, neither sister has had it easy, and they both love each other yet also deeply envy each other’s positions. Towards the end of the book, when both parents are taken into custody, Marie has to decide what to do with them, and we get a bit of backstory that explains but does not excuse their actions. Much as I liked the wackiness in the middle of the agony, the agony is very much there.

That said, there’s more to this series. Marie and Kyros aren’t married yet. The third prince is hitting on a former noble turned commoner who just wants to be left alone. And what of Mio, the best character in this series? We’ll find out next time.

Dinners with My Darling: How the Former Monster King Ate Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 3

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By Mugi Mameta and Nagisa Hanazome. Released in Japan as “Aisanai to Iwaremashite mo – Moto Maou no Hakushaku Reijou wa Kimajime Gunjin ni Ezuke wo Sarete Shiawase ni naru” by M Novels f. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by JC.

The scope of this series is expanding a bit as we get to the third book, and as we continue to deal with the fallout of what happened with Abigail’s parents. Their domain is currently turning into a bit of a nightmare, and while Gerald doesn’t really wish otherwise, he does have to help investigate it. Moreover, Abigail may be human now, and theoretically able to do magic, but it’s clear that she has a foot in both worlds, and that she needs to be very careful to keep that balance, because right now her ability to talk to and control monsters may be more important than things like learning to do healing and recovery magic. That said, rest assured that we do get a lot of food here, and Abigail regales us with how good it is. The series is not going to abandon its title anytime soon.

As the book opens, Abigail and Gerald are still being pestered by the fourth prince, who desperately wants their help because Abigail is the only one who can possibly decipher the horrible bookkeeping of her old domain. Gerald agrees, albeit very reluctantly, but Abigail is fine with it. She meets some old schoolmates of Gerald as well, who are very different personality types but who both share a trait of being far too blunt and direct about everything. And she has to cope with managing the household when Gerald has a military maneuver that takes him away for a while. Unfortunately, her stepmother takes this opportunity to try to invade and demand that Abigail return with them. Even more unfortunately, she seems to have tried to stage a rockfall to kill off Gerald. Can food save the day?

As with the prior two volumes, I still have an issue with Abigail frequently sounding like a six-year-old rather than a young woman who used to be the Monster King. It makes the lovey-dovey stuff a bit weird. Apart from that, we get two new cast members here, though one may also leave us here. The Wendy subplot feels a bit half-baked, mostly as she’s not really aggressive or awful, she’s just direct and can’t take a hint. I was expecting her to clash with Abigail, but that didn’t happen, she just sort of finally gets the message and decides to go be a good girl from now on. You get the sense she was there for Abigail to pick up healing magic from. Much better is the other woman, Rickman, a brilliant but autistic (it’s not explicitly stated in the text, but it’s pretty obvious) aide to the prince who finds Gerald scary but warms to his fiancee right away, telling her stories. Frankly, she’s really good at telling the stories, and I wonder if a career change is in the offing. She’s also fun, as she too can’t seem to stop saying – well, stuttering – what she thinks.

This isn’t great, but it’s decent, and there’s enough meat on the bones for me to keep going despite my issues.

Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry, Vol. 3

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By Kou Yatsuhashi and Mito Nagashiro. Released in Japan as “Ojou Denka wa Ookari no You desu” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Tokyopop. Translated by Katie Kimura.

Generally speaking, it must be fun to be a petty noble in a world like most of these otome game-esque magic academy worlds. The protagonist being a little too perfect, a little too attention-grabbing, reinventing all of modern magic to replace it with the powerful ways of old? Just do your best to discredit and ruin her. What’s that? Didn’t work? Her fiancee the prince is now seemingly a vegetable? Not a problem. She has friends. You just have to show them what a bad idea it is to be friends with her. Make it really clear that being tight with her can destroy not only your life but that of your entire town. Hrm? That didn’t work either? It’s OK, there’s a school festival. You can show up to belittle and crush her with your sneering, mocking ways… hrm? Is that the third Queen? Going gaga over what they’re selling? Talking with the protagonist about her health and inviting her to the palace soon? Maybe it’s NOT fun to be a petty noble…

Leticiel has a lot on her plate. Despite doing well in nearly everything at school, she’s struggling in liberal arts. She’s still getting the odd nightmare flashback to Drossel’s memories, including time spent with the mysterious Alec. Her older sister is trying to manipulate her twin sister into hating her even more, which… honestly does not really need that much of a push. The two spirit kids she made friends with last time have spirit parents who are very angry that they deigned to talk with a human. Heck, even the book she really wanted to buy from a mysterious merchant who totally doesn’t have a secret identity isn’t for sale. Oh, and innocent people are being kidnapped and shipped to another country to be sold as slaves. With all this going on, it’s no wonder that she’s behind in black cloud investigation.

The big climax of this book, in addition to allowing for a really cool sorcery battle (and showing off alchemy, which apparently also exists, and I’d love to see the final volume somehow combine magic, sorcery AND alchemy), Leticiel discovers that it’s not just Drossel’s past that she needs to worry about but her own. The bad guys are using some very familiar sorcery, and that means that someone else has returned from the dead like she has. As for the Drossel side, that’s also getting harder, as it’s becoming more and more clear that this is not simply a case of “if I just pretend everything’s fine, no one will notice I am a blank slate”. The Third Queen I mentioned before has been ill, and apparently she and Drossel used to be “sick buddies”, so it’s hard to just say “yeah, I totally know who you are” and nod politely. Especially when you may be asked to heal said Queen later on.

Basically, this series has a LOT of balls in the air, and whenever the fourth volume comes out, I hope I remember what they are. Also, I still would not describe her as angry. Peeved? Vexed?

The Brooding Duke’s Guide to the Lie-Detecting Lady

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By Mayo Momoyo and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Fukigen na Koushaku-sama wa Uso Hakkenki Tsuki Reijou no Torisetsu wo Goshomou desu: Ophelia ni wa Uso wa Tsukenai” by Maple Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Victoria Kasahara.

I saw the premise for this and I thought it would just be another one of those “girl has an ability that no one understands except the guy who is perfect for her” books, sort of the distaff equivalent of “everyone says my power is useless but it’s the strongest power”. But the author does not go down that road, mostly as Ophelia’s power is literally crippling. Being able to tell someone is lying is bad enough given how the world functions around lies, but her body literally shakes the longer and worse the person is lying, to the point where she falls over just because her limbs are vibrating too hard. This is not a cute power, it’s actually a bit horrifying. Fortunately, the girl with the power is cute enough on her own, though it’s unsurprising that she has a bit of an anxiety problem, and she’s now found the perfect job… maybe?

Ophelia is an earl’s daughter, but unfortunately she’s rarely left the domain since she was a child, because… well, see the previous paragraph. In a world where divorce is almost unheard of because cheating is considered socially acceptable, she’s simply unable to cope… and her parents are one of the few couples who have ever had to divorce, for that very reason. All she has is her very overprotective brother and a job cleaning at the Architectural Institute. However, she is a young woman, and as such has wants and needs. She wants to see the Duke, who is very, very handsome, and that means forcing herself to go to a party. Unfortunately, when she’s near the duke and his fiancée Stella, she has a bad reaction and has to leave. Unfortunately for her, the duke eventually figures out what she can do, and requests she change jobs, as he’s in charge of interrogating lying nobles. And boy does he hate liars.

Despite its premise being a bit more focused on how much Ophelia’s ability affects her, this isn’t as dark as I expected. Claudio turns out to be an awkward guy who doesn’t like admitting things straight out, and boy has he fallen for the wrong girl in that regard. After hearing about Ophelia’s childhood I was worried that her family was torn apart by it, but as it turns out her mother still meets regularly with her and her brother, and seems very happy married to her lover. Indeed, this turns out to be an important plot point, as it turns out she’s not the only one dealing with wanting to marry someone else. Oh yes, there’s also a lot of talk of religious symbols and how important they are, and a different duke with a big secret. Actually, the other duke may be my favorite character, and I’m glad Ophelia and Gian ended up bonding.

This is complete in one, though if you like the author you may want to watch the Always a Catch! anime, based on another LN of theirs. If you like cute, awkward people falling in love despite a disability this is a good one.

Loner Life in Another World, Vol. 14

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By Shoji Goji and Saku Enomaru. Released in Japan as “Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Andrew Schubauer. Adapted by Zubonjin.

This is the second volume in a row that can be described as “nothing happens except dungeons and fanservice”, with one exception, but even that exception stays pretty local. Haruka even remarks on the fact that the Empire, who you’d expect would be very angry about everything that’s been happening in the four months (!) since the arrival of our main cast, are instead being ominously silent. So instead Haruka concentrates on improving himself so that he can run dungeons without everyone being terrified he’s going to die, which he manages to make… some progress on. And he also manages to have a lot of sexy encounters with all the women in the cast, culminating in a scene I suspect I’ll have to simply not talk about in this review. Throughout this, though, we’re never allowed to forget how Haruka feels guilty over every bad thing that happens in this world, even things he can’t control, and that all the girls adore him, much as they might yell.

The one bit that’s not dungeon crawling or fanservice involves a ceremony to honor the dead. The dungeon crawls at the start of the book are less wacky than usual, and we’re reminded that all of these dungeons were, until the arrival of Haruka & Co., handled by the people of Omui, who fought to save their city and often died horribly. And that doesn’t even get into folks like that village that was destroyed by monsters, the one that Haruka continues to agonize over. So they decide to do a Shinto-esque ceremony, complete with a shrine on top of the hill (there is no hill, so Haruka built one expressly to have a hill for a shrine to be on top of), and the girls are all dressed as Shrine Maidens. Including Angelica, which is a bit awkward, as this shrine is dedicated in her name, and there’s a statue of her at the center of it. Should she really be eating yakitori next to it?

Moving on to the other 4/5 of the book, the dungeon sections are more interesting than usual as it shows, over the course of the book, that Haruka’s current style of “react so fast that he never dies” is not going to be sustainable. Eventually he is going to get hit – and indeed we see his HP rapidly go down. So he actually listens to what the dungeon emperors are saying, sits back and watches as they kill all the monsters, and takes notes. He’s got to be fast AND clever, not just instinctual. As for the fanservice, it continues to be the reason why, as much as I love this series, I cannot recommend it to anyone except people who are already reading it. There’s another round of underwear making (the series continues to imply that Haruka and the girls are gradually getting a bit less than human, as the girls’ bodies are basically “evolving” a bit too rapidly), and the girls’ attempts to flirt with/get a rise out of Haruka, in the hope that he’ll stop avoiding the very concept of being with anyone other than dead monster girls, ends up getting very… messy. This was the scene that, having read a Japanese wiki about the webnovel, I was waiting for to see if the light novel would cut it. It did not.

The next volume promises a new girl, if the cover is any indication. Until then, enjoy a book that uses the phrase “and stuff?” a lot, only the stuff is more like what you get in Oreo cookies. Also, another MariMite reference, the 2nd in the series!

Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 7

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By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Rymane Tsouria.

This is a relatively plot-lite book. Apart from introducing the next presumed antagonist (who shows up to be menacing and then goes away until the next book), the main thrust is that, as much as Ekaterina would like to just quietly work behind the scenes and let other people shine instead of her, that’s simply not going to fly. Not only is she gorgeous, smart, compelling, etc, but everyone around her also sees her as if… well, as if she’s the main character in a light novel. When she tries to deflect, people interpret it in the best possible light. Especially her brother. Yes, it’s another volume of Goodbye Overtime so we get a lot more of Alexei and Ekaterina talking about how devoted they are to each other, though thankfully it’s as sexless as always. And for all that she’s trying to do her best to avoid getting a bad end/executed, I think she may have more trouble NOT marrying the crown prince. The universe wants her to be Queen.

This does take place at a magic academy, and even though it’s not Japan and there are nobility and commoners, all that is irrelevant as it’s School Festival time. Ekaterina is worried as she vaguely recalls the game has their class doing a play where she’s cast as the wicked villainess, and she’s like to avoid that, thank you. She wants to do a choir, seeing as they now have classmates beloved by the God of Music. Unfortunately, her classmates have other ideas, and want a play. But it’s OK. She can write it, and, well, direct it, produce it, and stage manage it, but she doesn’t have to BE in it, she can cast everyone else! Flora is the heroine, of course. And Olga is the villain, and will get the big weepy song, as sung by Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent! Nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong!

The highlight of the book is the performance, because of course, something goes wrong. In a world where you have Gods who can literally whisk people away to Valhalla for concert performances, casting their new talent in your play is perhaps not the best idea. So Ekaterina has to play the villain after all, and try to fit into a dress that’s far too tight for her more voluptuous figure, sing a song that requires hitting a few high notes she’d rather not, and also try to remember her lines. She succeeds at two of these, but fortunately not only does everyone adore her, but her desperation fits the character she’s playing anyway. And she’s as oblivious as ever, not realizing the danger she’s in in the student council room, and also not realizing the song she’s ripping off from Les Mis could also describe her own childhood. Let’s just say the sister complex is not getting smaller anytime soon.

The next volume only came out in Japan a few months ago, but seems to continue the festival. Fans of the series should enjoy this new volume.

From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!, Vol. 5

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By Masamune Okazaki and Hayase Jyun. Released in Japan as “Mob Dōzen no Akuyaku Reijō wa Dansō Shite Kōryaku Taishō no Za wo Nerau” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Caroline W.

All otome game villainess stories are, by definition, somewhat metatextual. It has characters who are trapped in a world based on a game, trying to avoid Bad Ends. Even if they don’t talk to others about their choices, they narrate to the reader about them. But Two-Bit Baddie is even more meta than most. We have two people who’ve both played the game and know what’s coming, and discuss it with each other. We have a narrative that occasionally tries to lure them back into canon, even if they both want to disregard it. More to the point, the entire reason Elizabeth dresses and acts the way she does is to avoid a bad end that’s already passed. There’s no need to keep doing it. So when Richard asks why she’s dressed as a man, she answers “because I like it”, and I think not only does this surprise her but she means it. This is who she is now.

The book picks up where it left off last time. Elizabeth, Christopher, Edward and Lilia have to stay a little longer than planned. Sure, thanks to Lilia accidentally turning Diana into a BL fangirl, the marriage seems to be off the table. But there’s the troubling information that people are kidnapping nobles, and then giving them back the next day. What’s going on there? Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Lilia get an opportunity to explore a dungeon, and while they don’t find any monsters, they do come across some very human villains. When they are finally allowed to go home, after everyone finally realizes that Elizabeth is a woman and her brother is rejecting the marriage proposal, Elizabeth finds new problems. Yoh, the villain from the last book, has joined the knights and become a masochist. And worse, the plot of the second fandisc is beginning… four years too early!

The otome game mechanics are not the only things analysed in this volume. There’s an extra bonus route involving Lilia getting romanced by her teacher, a forbidden love sort of thing, and while Lilia is not interested in anyone but Elizabeth, Elizabeth is furious at the very concept of the route’s existence. She delivers a multi-page takedown of “teacher/student romance” as a concept, stating that anyone who would take advantage of a student in real life is the worst of the worst. Lilia finds this baffling, but that’s because Lilia is still caught up a bit too much in thinking in terms of tropes and fiction – to her, teacher/student romance is hot because of the forbidden aspects. It’s a very interesting diversion in what ends up being a solid but typical volume in the series. Elizabeth remains handsome and seductive but unable to see the very obvious affection anyone has for her – except Lilia, who had to literally confess. Subtlety is not gonna fly here.

The main drag on this volume is that it ends not even 2/3 through, and the rest is taken up with other POV stories and side stuff. It’s the equivalent of a LaLa volume, and I hate it. But the bulk of this is still pretty good.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ~Prelude~

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By Mei Hachimoku and Tsukasa Abe, based on the manga by Kanehito Yamada. Released in Japan as “Sousou no Frieren: Zensou” by Shogakukan. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jenny McKeon.

It’s another tie-in novel, and by now I think we know what to expect with these. The title says “Prelude” because it’s the safest place to play around it. You can’t change the story the original author is still getting to, and sometimes you can’t even tell stories set at the same time as the manga. But things that take place before the manga starts, or in the past, are fair game, provided you don’t change the future. As such, it’s no surprise this is a short story collection, and honestly of the five short stories three of them are really obvious: seeing Fern and Stark before they met Frieren is a gimme, and seeing Frieren with Himmel and party is also unsurprising. The other two stories are more interesting choices, and they’re also both pretty strong. I usually talk about whether a short story collection is front or backloaded, and this is the latter, which is good, as that means it gets better as it goes.

The five stories: 1) A young Fern practices her magic and worries about Heiter, who is not only very old but is also down with a cold, so she decides to go searching for herbs; 2) Stark is at the village with the dragon, which he “drove off” by being in its face when it decided to go away, and frets about his reputation, while also saving the one guy who doesn’t like him when he goes missing; 3) Kanne and Lawine are taking the test to prove they’re mages back in their hometown, but have to deal with a bratty rich girl mage and a stronger than usual monster; 4) Aura the Guillotine runs into the hero’s party and lives to regret it; while recovering from her wounds, she talks with other demons around her, most of whom are familiar to us; 5) Frieren wakes up on a wagon headed for… well, somewhere, and is distressed to see her friends getting off it and leaving her behind.

Fern and Stark’s stories aren’t bad, but they’re both very predictable and stay in their lane. Kanne and Lawine’s story is surprising in that it happens at all, but I enjoyed seeing them again, and their teamwork and bond is in full force here. Aura’s story may be the best in the collection. She’s a terrible… well, demon, not person, but you know what I mean. But the story is designed to poke around Frieren’s “all demons are evil and you need to kill them on sight” philosophy, as we see some demons trying o understand why humans do things and failing, and some continuing to make the effort regardless – we’ll be getting to that in the 3rd anime season late next year. Finally, the Frieren story is basically an “all things must one day pass” metaphor, but it’s well written and emotional, and works well with Frieren, who is coming to terms with people she cares about passing, bit by bit.

So yeah,k this is a solid book. Fans of the manga will definitely enjoy it. Casual buyers… read the manga first, OK?

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Vol. 10

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By Satsuki Nakamura and Kana Yuki. Released in Japan as “Futsutsuka na Akujo dewa Gozaimasu ga: Suuguu Chouso Torikae Den” by Ichijinsha Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Tara Quinn.

Something we’ve seen throughout this series but especially in this volume is the idea of what an “ideal” woman is in this Court Intrigue series. The series began by showing us that Reirin was delicate, fragile, and good at all the things that men prized in a woman, whereas Keigetsu was boorish, clumsy, and the one thing she’s really good at she has to keep hidden. Of course, we now know that delicate flower is not the word anyone would use to describe Reirin – except maybe Seika, and even she, by the end of this volume, has had the Reirin pedestal in her mind taken down. Here we also get a foreign delegate who explicitly regards all Ei women as weak and unable to fight back, and Seika (who among the five maidens has been the most feminine one) has to come to the realization herself, and then tell him, that in fact the Maidens all learn to be silk hiding steel. No more so than Reirin.

After the events of the last two volumes, everything is seemingly back to normal, and the maidens are back to learning how to be consorts. However, a foreign prince is visiting the country, and Seika is in charge of the welcome. She decides to rope in Reirin (because she adores her) and Keigetsu (because Reirin won’t go without her) to help her with the ceremony, which is mostly ceremonial – they roll out the red carpet and the prince says he is content, and everyone is happy. Unfortunately, it turns out that Seika, especially after torturing and starving the consort and effectively moving up in the power structure, is battling family who very much want to bring her down. What’s more, Seika’s seaside city is a lot less happy and content than she thought when she grew up there. And the prince, who has his own agenda, is far from content. Worst of all, I used the word “seemingly” at the start of the paragraph for good reason.

When I started this volume I was a bit puzzled. The last book ended with such a dire cliffhanger for Reirin, what happened to it? As it turns out, I had reckoned without Reirin’s powers of trying to make everyone around her think things are totally fine. We’ve had lingering in the background the fact that the bodyswaps seem to be affecting Reirin’s health to a degree, but it’s only to a degree – and after the last extended swap, she’s actually worse than before. Reirin has a chronic unknown illness that no one can find a cure for. She has been dying for years, and it feels much closer now. And she just cannot quite work up the strength to tell Keigetsu about it. Unfortunately, that means that when Keigetsu, trying to protect Leelee by being brash as usual, ends up in a dire situation., a bodyswap means that Reirin is now in the dire situation. Reirin, who has come very, very close to accepting this is how she dies.

Keigetsu, needless to say, is utterly devastated when she finds out, especially when she realizes that she doesn’t have the power for several days to swap them back. Keigetsu still has a tendency to feel that everything she has achieved is thanks to Reirin, and even more so, that everything bad that’s happened to Reirin is her fault, leading to her literally saying “let’s stop being friends” at one point. Keigetsu, of course, fails to realize that she is the best thing in Reirin’s life right now. One of the funnier scenes in this book is seeing Gyoumei trying his damndest to talk to Reirin via Keigetsu’s fire every day, and realizing, as does Keishou, that Reirin honestly is just not that into him – or anyone, really. Again, this isn’t yuri, but if there’s anyone Reirin is interested in most at the moment, it’s Keigetsu.

Fortunately, the fact that there’s been another body swap, as well as Keigetsu literally begging Reirin to live, makes things better for the moment. Though I’ve no doubt that Reirin’s chronic illness is the series’ final boss. In any case, next time, it’s Reirin’s time to fight back. And we all know what that means. There’s going to be utter chaos. Highly recommended, and I hope the anime is good.

Too Many Losing Heroines!, Vol. 7

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By Takibi Amamori and Imigimuru. Released in Japan as “Make Heroine ga Ōsugiru!” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Hayame.

The strength of this series does tend to be the fact that, in regards to everything except his own attractiveness to women, Nukumizu is a pretty savvy guy. While you want to beat his head in with a shovel during casual, downtime moments, when the chips are down and you’re having a crisis, he will be the one that’s there to offer the best thing to say that will make all your problem feel like they’re in focus. Unfortunately, it won’t make all your problems go away, and in other respects, as the girls note, Nukumizu is the worst. Not only is he absolutely a sucker for a pretty face, something his matter-of-fact narration denies but is obvious regardless, but he has hung out with all these insane losing heroines for so long that he will naturally assist them even if the idea is not only lunacy but literally illegal. If their teachers weren’t there this would be the final volume as they’d be expelled.

It’s the start of the new school year, and the literature club is in trouble. After a disastrous club presentation, none of the first years will give them the time of day, and without a fifth member they’re disbanded. Fortunately, their advisor has a first-year who will join… except somehow she’s already serving a two-week suspension. Riko Shiratama is cute and nice, and the guys love her, while the girls… don’t love her as much, but don’t despise her yet. Unfortunately, she has a problem. You see, her childhood crush is getting married, and it’s not to her, so she’s actually… a losing heroine! As such, Nukumizu is quick to offer the club’s help to let her get over her issues. Even if that means breaking and entering. Which she’s already been arrested for once already.

Riko makes a good addition to the cast, essentially being Kaju only without the incest, and she also reminds me of the new first-year in Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle, in that she’s a lot more straightforward and honest about her feelings than the rest of the cast, and that means she’s going to make a lot of them very unhappy. Elsewhere, assuming your favorite isn’t Lemon, who’s barely in this because she had the last book, you should be pretty happy. Chika is a wreck, Kaju is obsessed and creepy, Shikiya is going to try to airhead her way into being married to Nukumizu, etc. As with a lot of these “balanced harem” series, though, the balance can be off, and if your favorite isn’t Anna, you may not like how I suspect this series would end if the author weren’t a coward. Anna gets several long scenes, both comedic and serious, with Nukumizu, and she identifies so much with Riko’s crush that she even genuinely loses weight in order to help. You could argue she and Nukumizu would be very bad for each other, but I mean, what series are you reading again?

All this plus the student council president seducing women while dressed as a man. Next is the eighth….. no it’s not. Short story collection? Short story collection.

Reforming an Icy Final Boss: Getting Back at the Self-Proclaimed Villainess with the Power of Friendship, Vol. 2

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By Takamedou and Nemusuke. Released in Japan as “”Jishou Akuyaku Reijou” ni Korosareta Last Boss no Yarinaoshi: Bocchi na Reitetsu Koujo wa, Dai Ni no Jinsei de Riajuu wo Mezashimasu” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Sheldon Drzka.

The famous Bible quote “the sins of the father are visited upon the son” can apply to daughters as well, and it certainly does here. Milly may be doing her best to make friends, show off, and live her best second life, but her father Kyle is still regarded by everyone as the absolute worst, and he is certainly not above destroying families because he’s in a bad mood. As such, no one wants to be close friends with Milly except those who know her really well – why risk it? What’s more, it turns out that her life is still in danger, mostly because there’s someone else trying to change the current timeline. Not, I hasten to add, because they’re another person who remembers the otome game. No, they just remember the first timeline, and they think the country is headed to ruin and Milly is helping it.

Milly is a bit stressed. She still hasn’t made friends beyond the Student Council and the girls she saved from Angelina’s evil plan in Book 1. And since final exams are upon them soon, there’s no time to make them. Fortunately, she’s good at studying, so can help the others, even if they may not really want her to. And then there’s her class, who are still terrified of her… at least until they see how adorably socially awkward she is, whereupon they fold like card tables. She’s even getting closer to her father, who she still sees as evil incarnate, but who we the reader see is simply very overprotective and even more socially awkward than she is. Will she be able to take first place in exams and get the First Dance at the next ball? Wait, isn’t Angelina still around? And is she the ONLY villain?

Last time I said I wanted to see more of Kyle, Milly’s father, and we do get a lot more of him here. The reason this plot is happening at all is that he’s got so much power, and the future shows him betraying the country, which almost destroys the country. Unfortunately, Milly is not really dealing with that end of the problem, focusing instead on not having everyone at school not care if she gets brutally murdered. She’s also still not great at picking up social cues. She gets that Ike hates her, and wants to fix it, but she hasn’t noticed that there’s someone else in the Council who remains cool to her, and that becomes a big issue. Also, the Council very quickly learns that “we want to keep this quiet so we’ll just keep her under house arrest” is not a great move if she, y’know, escapes. On the bright side, possibly as this is mostly not from the webnovel, Milly’s characterization is more consistent – not too stoic or too goofy.

This is a Dre Novels series, so I assume it will end with Vol. 3, which I don’t believe is out yet. Milly, talk to your father.

Even Exiled, She’s Still the Beloved Saint! St. Evelyn’s Weird and Wonderful Friends, Vol. 2

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By Harunadon and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Tsuihousareta Seijo desu ga, Jitsu wa Kunijuu kara Aisaresugitete Kowain desu kedo!?” by Earth Star Luna. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Camilla L.

It can be difficult for me to do a review of a title that relies so much on just being funny. We aren’t really going to get much in the way of ongoing plot, and while there is character development, it’s not really why folks would want to read this book. This book is read for the laughs. Watching Evelyn suffer, seeing her misunderstand, seeing everyone else just completely losing their minds when she supposedly vanishes, and of course everything about the curse and its aftereffects that we get in this volume. The translator must have had a ball, as there a whole lot of puns that will make even the most inveterate jokester feel a bit sheepish. (Ahem.) Fortunately, there is a dramatic nugget to grab a hold of here, and it’s actually very interesting. It also involves a new character who is, rest assured, just as weird as the others, but can also give Evelyn something she desperately needs – a mother figure.

Evelyn is going through some tough times. She’s trying to learn how to be a proper noble lady, after years of only having to be The Saint. The problem is, she’s not very good at dancing, posture, etc. The bigger problem is all her tutors insists she’s perfect, they have nothing to teach her, and then they quit. Kira is the only one who seems to recognize that she’s upset at all this. So she decides to run away for a bit, taking Kira with her and leaving a note to explain things. Unfortunately, she tried to write the note in poetic language, which means folks think she ran off to commit suicide. She actually ends up at the shore of a lake, one with gorgeous scenery, a mysterious curse, and Europa’s mother, who has a tendency to pass out at the drop of a hat but is otherwise exactly what you’d expect from a light novel mother. She’s called Mamaropa, because of course she is.

There’s some other interesting things in this book, particularly the unexpected friendship (and maybe more? Yuri?) between Theodore’s younger sister Karin and Evelyn’s evil sister Mary, who is still a bit of a brat but is now far less evil thanks to Karin’s tutelage. But the main reason I enjoyed this is seeing Evelyn and Mamaropa interact. Evelyn’s issues in this book stem from one very specific problem – almost everyone in her life puts her on a pedestal, and refuses to tell her she’s doing anything wrong. She needs family guidance, and her family are either dead or mostly still bad people. Mamaropa is very silly (it is a comedy book), and the Mommy jokes can wear a bit thin, but she doesn’t talk to Evelyn like she’s The Beloved Saint, and may even manage to teach her – we’ll see, a third book is coming. Technically there’s also Kira, and he does function as a little brother, but he has to be there to be the tsukkomi when Evelyn can’t do it herself, so he’s too busy.

I think I enjoyed this a bit more than the first book. Assuming you don’t mind – I emphasize once more – this being very, very silly, it’s a fun read.

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life As a Noblewoman: A Ray of Hope, Part 1

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By Kamihara and Shiro46. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijo to Sūki na Jinsei o” by Hayakawa Shobo. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hengtee Lim.

The one thing that I think has surprised me most about this series is its dedication to the “My Next Life” part of the title. Let’s face it, in a LOT of these types of series with, if not a villainess, at least a villainess shape, the actual reincarnated from Japan part sometimes gets forgotten. Deliberately so, in many cases – like the male counterparts, a lot of writers write villainess books because people will read that. Trials and Tribulations, though, has quietly continued to point out Karen and Ern’s isekai life, even when it already has a ton of other plot that it could more simply focus on. Last time we saw that Ern was bringing modern guns and gunpowder into a world not ready for it, and the genie really isn’t going back into that bottle. This time, we see there was a country of reincarnators. It even talks about how the original soul “dies” and is replaced with the otherworld one. This series remains a LOT.

As you’d expect, Karen is not doing well after the events of the last book, and ends up in her bedroom basically falling deeper and deeper into depression. Fortunately, she has an angry but kind-hearted tsundere to drag her out and force her to deal with life again. And she also has Reinald, who is not angry or tsundere but is still quietly very interested in her, though she does come far behind his ultimate goal. Karen, though, has far TOO much to deal with. Ern’s parents are being banished for being the parents of a traitor, and while they understandably are a bit pissed at Karen, they also give her a secret message. This allows Karen to discover Ern’s legacy, which can be seen on the cover art but which we’re not quite sure what’s it’s for yet. Six definitely seems to think it’s for him, though. Oh yes, and she’s getting honored by the Emperor for blowing her best friend’s brains out. As one does.

This book is filled with my favorite thing in the series, which is Karen’s matter of fact narration about herself and everything else, followed by someone asking if she could possibly have reactions like a real person. They’d love to see the part early on when she finally gets a delivery of rice, and she’s so overjoyed when she eats she starts to cry. Again, this series has not forgotten its isekai beats. As for Karen and Reinald, I do still think the series is working its way towards them being, if not married, at least engaged by the end. But wow, it’s making me work for that, as that’s quite a Napoleonic goal Reinald has. And it’s so very, very Karen for her advice to him being “why stop there?”. These two absolutely deserve each other. And that’s terrible.

The main flaw of this book is that it is, of course, only half a book. Presumably the subtitle will make more sense after the second part. Still great, though.

The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods, Vol. 3

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By Yanagi and Yoh Hihara. Released in Japan as “Mori no Hashikko no Chibi Majo-san” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Nathan Macklem.

There’s a famous early episode of M*A*S*H where Hawkeye tries to save a patient but fails, and is despondent about it. Henry Blake, in a rare serious turn, says that the first thing he learned in the war was two rules. Rule #1: Young men die. Rule #2: Doctors can’t change Rule #1. This third volume of Tiny Witch is very much about teaching Misha that lesson, as she goes through all the worst things a doctor – sorry, apothecary – can go through. There’s a pandemic that she finds near impossible to solve, people blame her for it and even attack her at one point, and even once she helps to find an answer, some people still die from it and her relationship with the survivors will never be the same. Being an apothecary is not just handing out magic medicine that makes everyone better. Sometimes people die. Misha does learn this lesson, but there are a lot of tears and breakdowns afoot here.

Misha is having a lot of fun at the Kingdom of Redford. She’s helped the princess regain some of her health, she’s made friends with the local children, and she even gets to walk around a town festival. Unfortunately, then those same kids come to tell her that one of them is sick. Along with her grandmother. And the sickness turns out to be very familiar – it’s the plague that almost destroyed the kingdom a generation ago. Now she has to try to solve what others couldn’t before, and without any other help… or so she thinks, but fortunately, some allies arrive to remind her that while the elves (cough) sorry, People of the Forest are loners who tend not to get involved in other people’s business, they will actually help her if she needs help. Even more fortunately, friends she made along the way in the first book turn out to be more valuable than she thought.

This is very much both a “Misha grows up” volume and also a reminder that Misha is not grown up yet, and also has had a lot of trauma in the past. As it turns out, and I’m sure this won’t become relevant in a later book, the woman who set up the death of Misha’s mother, who was confined to an asylum, has escaped. Her friend tries to ask if it’s OK to tell her the information, but the mere reminder of the incident sends Misha into a panic attack. Because she’s good at remaining outwardly nice and friendly, it’s hard to tell sometimes how she’s barely holding it together, and the plague absolutely does not help. By the end of the book, she’s the definition of sadder but wiser, especially with the children she made friends with, who now see her and can’t help but think “she promised to save my granny but did not”. Misha, think of those you did save as well.

The end of this book suggests that we will spend the next several books stuck in the People of the Forest’s closed-off village, and I am 100% sure that’s not going to happen, so it will be interesting to see how that gets derailed. Till then, this is a very solid fantasy.

The Villainess Speaks Not: The Awoken Genius and the Once-Lost Pawn

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By Kei Yose and Ruria Miyuki. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijou wa Shaberimasen” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Adam.

I always find it very interesting when J-Novel Club puts a villainess title in their “main” imprint rather than in the romance-oriented J-Novel Heart line. The implication is that the romance is not the point in this series, and that’s certainly true in this first volume, where our pre-teen villainess does her best to try to avoid becoming the official fiancee to the crown prince. But more to the point, this is one of those villainess series that runs entirely on politics and intrigue, and that places it squarely in the main line of books. Liliana has assassins try to kill her over and over again in this book, and she’s only six years old for most of it. The kingdom is being torn apart and a coup may be imminent. There’s an aggressive mage running around simply starting chaos on behalf of someone unseen. Then again, give the sheer OP capabilities of Liliana, maybe everyone is right to worry.

I need you to bear with me while I write the next sentence, because I promise this book was really good. Liliana Clarke wakes up from a week-long fever to find that she now remembers her past life from Japan, and also that this is the world of an otome game where she is the villainess. (You can’t be too surprised, given the title and the genre.) She also finds that she can’t speak anymore, due to the illness… or due to a curse. This is not good news, because magic here requires spoken incantations. She can’t even call for help in case assassins attack her. Which, given that her dad is one of the biggest power brokers in the country, is a problem. Fortunately Liliana already knows that most magic is not “ironclad rules” put “power of imagination” Which means she has no need for speaking. Also, she can do literally almost anything.

It’s a rare villainess book that has almost no humor at all. What’s more, while her life is truly terrible, Liliana does have allies in her corner (including the crown prince – she may want to break off their engagement, but not if he has anything to say about it). This is important, because danger lurks around every corner here. Possibly the most chilling moment in the book is when, after a monster stampede that destroyed a town and killed dozens, which she managed to stop but passed out from mana loss, her father happens to be passing my in the aftermath and murmurs “what, still alive?”. Fortunately, Liliana really is OP, and her allies are fun, especially mage Petra (who may treat Liliana too casually but knows her stuff) and mercenaries Gildo and Olga (whho marvel at the fact that she’s not like those other nobles). By the end of the book she’s regained her voice but decides to hide it to fool her enemies. It’s a good plan, especially as the apple-eating bad guy who doesn’t have a name but certainly has a mission to wipe her out continues to hang around.

The webnovel has finished for this, and there are five volumes so far in Japan, so we’ve barely gotten started. What’s more, this was 380 pages, so it’s a beefy book. I felt rewarded, though. Thrilling stuff.