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Reviews

Matcha Made in Heaven, Vols 7-9

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Matcha Made in Heaven Volumes 7-9 by Umebachi Yamanaka

Time to check in on this low-key extremely slow-burn josei series! Chaco and Isshin are continuing with their faux marriage of convenience, which has of course led them to develop feelings for each other. Isshin is an intense, grumpy tea-making perfectionist, while Chaco is much more free spirited. Despite growing up in a family of tea producers, she’s been away for so long that she’s not super familiar with the business, so her support of Isshin also means that she’s connecting with her roots in a new way.

Matcha Made in Heaven 9

After a separation where Isshin is working in the corporate tea business, he returns home. Chaco is excited to take their relationship to the next level, but childhood friend Jin appears with a girl named Roa, who happens to be a tea social media influencer! The traditional craft of tea-making clashes with Roa’s approach, which seems to stir up some distressing sentiments against the small business that Chaco’s family is trying to take to the next level with Isshin’s help. The trash-talking is mild, and the stakes are fairly low in this extremely relaxing manga where one can always count on respect for tea to further bond the characters and see them through any crisis. While Roa ends up not be as terrible as Chaco originally assumed, she leads Isshin into accepting a challenge at a high stakes tea blending competition. With Isshin, Jin, and Chaco’s brother who is such a non-entity it is not really worth remembering his name as the main competitors things are surely not going to go very smoothly.

For fans of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, this series delivers. I find myself constantly rooting for Chaco and Isshin even though they cycle through excuses to not progress in their relationship. The latest barrier is Isshin’s nobility, as he doesn’t want to ask Chaco’s dead father for her hand in real marriage until he has proven himself as a tea master. As always, the illustrations are clear and dynamic. Chaco’s niece is reliable both for comic relief and expressing the readers’ point of view that Chaco and Isshin should just get together already.

Raven of the Inner Palace, Vol. 7

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By Kouko Shirakawa and Ayuko. Released in Japan as “Kōkyū no Karasu” by Shueisha Orange Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason. Adapted by T. Burke.

Probably the most startling thing about this final volume of Raven of the Inner Palace is how little Jusetsu is in it, and when she appears, it’s not really her actions that save the day, just her actual presence. She’s spent her life being a vessel for a higher power, and being involved in a God vs. God battle is something that she has to get dragged into or else bad things will happen. But it’s not what she herself wants. Honestly, I think she’s still flailing around trying to figure out what she wants until this final volume, and it’s not saving the day and unleashing her inner raven. Nor is it headed back to the palace to deal with the unstated romantic feelings she and Koshun have dealt with since Book 1 – that ship has run aground already. That said, we do get to see the resolution of a ship, sort of – the trouble is that it’s Jusetsu/merchant marine life. Which, refreshingly, is not what anyone was expecting.

This book is essentially divided into two plotlines, one on and going to the island, and the other up in the mountains. They’re actually mostly completely separate. We already know about Jusetsu, who needs to somehow get past an underwater volcano exploding to get to the island so that she can reunite the two halves of the raven. She’s got to do this despite the turtle god resorting to threats, more threats, and possession in order to win the day. The other half of the book is still drenched in Saname family drama, which we already got a heaping helping of in the last book. Ko has been sent by his father to use the mountain tries to incite a rebellion, which won’t succeed, but will mean that they’ll have to kill Jusetsu in order to calm everyone down. If you think this makes no sense, well, it doesn’t make much sense to Ko either, but it’s hard to go against Daddy.

I’ll be honest, this book was not quite the big finale I was hoping for. As noted, Jusetsu is just present rather than active for the battle, which makes sense but is dramatically unsatisfying. Likewise, there’s no rebellion, because in the end the stability of the country is more important than an old man trying one last time to exercise his power. And yes, Koshun has almost been the co-protagonist of the series, and so seeing him so uninvolved in the finale – he doesn’t leave the palace – makes sense but is dramatically unsatisfying, the second time I’ve typed that. I did like Jusetsu’s career choice – she can’t stay in the palace, after all, especially not with an Empress and two kids from other wives – and so traveling the world and seeing other cultures makes sense. And I’m delighted she takes her entourage with her – I love Jiujiu.

So yes, something of a mixed bag finale, but overall this was a good series, and a worthy addition to “intrigue in the inner court of the emperor” genre.

An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 18

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By Fuminori Teshima and COMTA. Released in Japan as “Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga, Dou Medereba Ii?” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Hikoki.

There is a moment in this book that initially made me roll my eyes at the stupidity, but upon reflection I realized it actually makes perfect sense in the context of the books. Zagan is reaching out to other archdemons, trying to ally with them before they ally with Marchosias, and Acheron is one of these powerful archdemons. He plans side side with Zagan, but then Eligor, an archdemon working for Marchosias, arrives to threaten him into joining the other side. Not to spoil too much, but Acheron is killed because it never occurred to him that she wouldn’t arrive without backup. But then I realized that at the start of the series a big deal was made about how none of the archdemons trusted each other, and that Zagan’s big change is actually forming partnerships and gaining allies. So yes, the enemy can now do that too, as our archdemon learns in his last moments. This has come down to just two sides.

Oh my God, cover, spoilers! I think the author knew what the cover would be, as we open with Zagan and Nephy in wedding outfits, blushing heavily at each other, and then flash back to try to show how we got here. As I said above, both sides are still trying to recruit the few remaining unallied powerful people to their side. We saw the fallout of one of those attempts last time, and now Zagan’s castle as additions of a porcelain robot girl trying to be human and her twitchy archangel minder. The most powerful of these people is Phenex, whose name might give an idea as to her powers, and she is (like most of the cast) deeply eccentric. She’s also lived longer than the rest of the cast, due to the nature of her existence, and Zagan might be able to do something that no one else ever has before.

I managed to get to this point without discussing the romance, go me! It’s still here, and the couples continue to be obvious, with the one exception of the love triangle between Lilith and her straight and gay options. Micca and Furfur are the newest at this, so they get the most focus, and they’re adorable. Shax and Kuroko are the old hands at this, and they also get to be adorable. Chastille and Barbatos… are still in denial, and aren’t really in this till the end, but yeah, they’re adorable in a way where you want to punch them both. As for that cover image, I admit I was expecting it to not amount to much. It’s signposted that this is a setup by Chastille as a petty revenge for Zagan broadcasting her own supposed relationship to the entire world. But for once, Zagan steps up when it comes to his love life rather than everything but his love life, and even if we don’t end up getting a wedding, we do get a punch the room, “Finally!” moment.

This is apparently Part 1 of a 2-part arc, and I expect the next one to have far more fighting. That said, it will still have schmoopy romance. The plotlines intertwine, they can’t be separated.

My Magical Career at Court: Living the Dream After My Nightmare Boss Fired Me from the Mages’ Guild!, Vol. 5

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By Shusui Hazuki and necomi. Released in Japan as “Black Madōgushi Guild o Tsuihō Sareta Watashi, Ōkyū Majutsushi to Shite Hirowareru: White na Kyūtei de, Shiawase na Shinseikatsu o Hajimemasu! ” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Mari Koch.

I swear that the main villains of this series are not dedicating themselves to evil in order to destroy the royal family and ensure that the nobles have the power to crush commoners whenever they want. The villains are evil for the sole purpose of getting in the way of love confessions. We were so goddamned close! We finally resolved all the things that could possibly stand in the way, Noelle is finally in the frame of mind where she might possibly get it if given a direct confession at point blank range (which is more than I can say for Letitia), and Luke has invited her out to finally pop the question. So you know what happens? Yup, cliffhanger ending, love interest in peril, film at 11. Fortunately, it’s Luke in peril, so maybe Noelle can really kick ass and take names. But gosh darn it, I want my resolved love!

Luke is now the captain of a new Magicians’ Division, and Noelle is his lieutenant! She might even get an office! Well, no, she does not, because Luke is still a little too obsessed with being around her all the time. She does, however, get a bunch of new recruits, which are, surprisingly, not ALL eccentric misfits – just two of them. Fortunately, neither difficult recruit is able to hold up in the face of Noelle’s aggressive goodness and niceness. Unfortunately, the nobility is very angry at this new division. They think it’s a waste of money. They think Luke doesn’t deserve it. And boy, do they hate Noelle. Honestly, the nobility is acting a little TOO aggressively awful. Maybe they’re getting too close to finding out who’s been behind every bad thing that’s happened in the last five books? Time for a stakeout… OK,, that went badly. Time for another stakeout… OK, that went even more badly.

The subtitle of this series hasn’t been relevant since the start of the first book, but I do like how it manages to tie into one of the new recruits, somewhat, who also loves magic but was railroaded into an awful job and abused. Unlike Noelle’s Pollyanna personality, he gets broken down, and is now deliberately half-assing everything as a sort of petty whining. As for the other recruit, she’s the standard genius who’s never been beaten by anyone at anything, and her specialty is… magic! Yeah, you can see where this is going. Getting Noelle to mop the floor with her cures most of this. I also enjoyed how the first half, which was basically “train the new guys”, paid off near the end, which was basically a Police Academy ending only serious, as the new recruits fight for their lives and show they really can protect each other and fight back if they try.

Unfortunately, the author is still writing Volume 6 on the webnovel version, so expect a wait. Still, we get very close to a resolution here… but alas, no.

Lacey Longs for Freedom: The Dawn Witch’s Low-Key Life after Defeating the Demon King, Vol. 1

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By Hyogo Amagasa and Kyouichi. Released in Japan as “Akatsuki no Majo Lacey wa Jiyū ni Ikitai” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Alex Honton.

One of the more popular genres recently, which I read a couple of but in general I’m not a fan, is the “thrown out of the party” genre of fantasy. In this genre, our protagonist, who tends to either be overly specialized, too competent, or just in the way, is either told they aren’t needed anymore and abandoned (the “good” kind) or attempted murdered (the “bad” kind). Inevitably, things don’t go well for the party afterwards. I am very relieved to tell you that Lacey Longs for Freedom is almost the polar opposite of this genre. Here we have a party of misfits, each one overpowered but weird except for the hero who binds them all together, defeating the demon lord, parting company… and staying good friends who have each other’s backs. It’s just wonderful to see. It’s also something of a relief, as our heroine is the sort where, if she were abandoned by the hero’s party, would just quietly lie on the side of the road till she died. Yup, another OP introvert.

The Demon King has been defeated and our heroes have returned to the kingdom. They all get one wish, anything they want. But their mage, Lacey, doesn’t use her wish. She already knows her future. She’s engaged to be married to the son of a duke, and will spend the rest of her time being expected to give birth to other powerful mages. She seems depressingly okay with this, even though she’s aware that her fiance doesn’t like her. However, when she sees her fiance cheating on her with the princess of the country – right after she’d seen him cheating with yet another woman – she stands up for herself a bit. And is promptly screamed at by the traditional appalling fiance these books have. Fortunately, the hero is on her side, and is able to help her get what she really wants – not to be tied down to anyone.

For the most part, this is a very good book, especially once we get past the obligatory engagement guff at the start. Lacey is magically super-powered but socially inept, and has to be reminded to eat and sleep. She wants to improve, though, and over the course of the book, as she settles into a nearby village and sets up a shop where she’ll do anything, anytime, anywhere (sadly, though she’s as short as Bill Oddie, there’s not much else similar to the Goodies), she comes out of her shell a bit and can interact with folks – especially when there’s a problem that needs solving. That said, she’s clearly in love with Wayne, the hero, but unaware of it, determined instead to become independent of him taking care of her. Amusingly, Wayne, who is clearly besotted with Lacey, also has not quite hit the point where he’s ready to admit it’s romantic love – he frames it, as she does, as taking care of her as he worries she’ll just fall over dead if he looks away. They reach an understanding at the end of the book, but aren’t quite a couple yet.

This is a good series to read if you like seeing painfully shy girls who can change the weather, heal life-threatening injuries in seconds, and tame magical phoenixes. I think we all like that, really.

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 9

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By Sarasa Nagase and Mai Murasaki. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijo Nanode Rasubosu o Katte Mimashita” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel.

Everyone loves a good harem series. But, unless you’re reading The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You or other polyamorous titles, you’re going to wind up with fans of one love interest happy and the fans of the other love interests disappointed. This is even true in a series like this one, where there’s been no doubt since the beginning of the first volume that Aileen and Claude were the OTP. This series was based around a series of otome games, and as a result there are any number of hot guys that you could, theoretically, pair a heroine with. Sadly, Lilia blew all that up, and Aileen kicked fate in the nuts, so we’ve got a few guys who are dedicated to their work. Can’t have that, though. This is a romance, and romances with lots of unattached love interests get hit with “pair the spares”. That’s the entire purpose of this volume, taking place a little while after the main series.

This book consists of three stories, but honestly it feels like the author had a complete volume that didn’t quite meet the word count and so they added a (normal-sized) short story to the start and a (very small) short story to the end. The first has Elefas going back to his homeland to find that he’s suddenly married to Neifa, one of the harem queens of Baal’s that he has no use for now that he has Roxane. He thinks he can quickly get out of the marriage, but sadly she’s brilliant *and* has big boobs, a deadly combination. In the final story in the volume, Claude and Aileen try to go on a date where it’s just the two of them, despite everyone trying to stop them. The story that takes up the most time, though, involves Walt and Kyle, who get involved, once more, with demon snuff, as well as a very mysterious “fairy” girl.

The reason to read this is the middle story, though I did like Neifa, whose use of “all-ages” a la Lilia makes me wonder if she’s another import from Japan. (Lilia is fantastic in her one scene, where she looks like she’s being serious for once but later turns out to be a troll as always.) But Walt and Kyle – OK, mostly Walt – are the reason to pick this up. Walt tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, so even as he’s told to investigate a teenage girl who’s suspected of making and distributing a highly potent demon snuff, and even after discovering that yes, she is doing that, he still wants to prove that she’s innocent, because it doesn’t match with her character. In fact, her character doesn’t match from one day to the next, which is a bit of a spoiler except that the cast portraits at the start of the book give it away anyway. This is basically a thriller where they’re working against the clock trying to stop a horrible chain of self-sacrificing against a virulently disgusting bad guy who’s been sexually abusive (so yes, warning for that), and thankfully the day is saved.

The day is saved without Aileen, who only makes small appearances in the first two stories – after all, they don’t involve her being executed if she makes one wrong move, so what should she care? The next book, though, sees us back in familiar territory once more, as the author admits that the series isn’t ending just yet.

Spy Classroom: Sara’s Meadow of Opportunity

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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.

The basic premise of this series, more than the spy shenanigans, or the moves and counter-moves, or the traumatic cliffhangers, is fairly simple. The narrative lies to the reader over and over again, and we have to try to figure out what’s going on before we have the rug pulled out from under us again. We get a lot of that in this volume, as Lamplight use the idea of narrative convenience to plant doubt in their colleagues’ mind. Everyone knows Avian were really amazing spies. Everyone knows that their symbol was a phoenix, the symbol of rebirth. And everyone knows that faking deaths for drama is something that books have been doing ever since there were books. Surely it’s possible that we were all bamboozled, especially considering THIS author. But that’s not all we’re here to doubt. There’s piles and piles of lies here, and therefore it’s doubly ironic that the star of this book is Sara, who is the most straightforward, honest, and true cast member.

Lamplight is smashed to pieces. Monika is a traitor, and presumed dead. Klaus and Thea are imprisoned. Annette, Erna, and Grete are hospitalized. That leaves the three “weakest” members of Lamplight to figure out who set them up, find the traitor and save the day. Unfortunately, no one trusts them, and they aren’t really allowed to do anything without a watchdog. Despite this, they try to figure out how to stop White Spider, whose backstory we get here, from doing his damndest to kill Klaus – and see exactly why he wants to kill Klaus. There’s traitors galore, there’s one of their members going off the rails and deciding to go full evil, and there’s everyone calling them weak, stupid, and saying they’ll be executed as soon as they blink. With all this going against them, can they find a way to rescue Klaus, stop White Spider, and clear their name? Well, as much as it’s possible to clear their name.

I’ve gushed about Sara before, and want to avoid repeating myself, but man. This is her book, and it’s here when she finally gets a purpose, a reason she wants to be a spy. She’s also brilliant, using her abilities and talents in the best possible way – when White Spider sneers at her and says he saw through it all, I wanted to yell at what a dipshit he was being. I don’t care that he saw through it, it was incredible! I also liked her final conversation with Klaus, and hope she gets that happy ending. Lily and Sybilla, of course, also get their chance to shine, though Sybilla also gets a heaping helping of verbal abuse – EVERYONE seems to loathe Lamplight beyond all reason in this book. I also liked how the ending to this 8th book was a dark, serious mirror to the wacky comedy ending of the 4th book – one involving Lily, the other involving Monika.

This was an excellent ending to this arc. And now it’s time to start a new one… after yet another short story volume. The SS volumes come fast and furious with this series.

A Certain Magical Index NT, Vol. 3

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By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “Shinyaku To Aru Majutsu no Index” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse.

The first volume of New Testament did not really feel like the return of the beloved/infamous series, mostly as Touma was entirely absent until the very end of it. The second volume consisted almost entirely of exposition, so also felt like an oddity (sorry, Kaori, I know you tried hard). This one, though, is Index hitting the ground running and announcing that it’s back for good in a full-throated roar. The series has never shied away from action setpieces, of course – that’s its bread and butter – but it’s never felt more like an American action movie than it does in this book. That’s clearly by design, of course – everything’s set up to have the maximum number of explosions and volcano eruptions, everyone gets a chance to show off their cool powers, and even the President of the United States feels more like a movie star than he does an actual President. Unfortunately, Touma ends up figuring out that World War III ending did not, in fact, return everything to normal.

Leivinia Birdway has led a group of all-stars to Hawaii – Touma, Mikoto, Accelerator, Misaka Worst, and Umidori, the villain of the first book, now reduced to mostly being Misaka Worst’s toy, though she gets to be cool near the end, as is traditional with Index books. Unfortunately, from the moment they get to Hawaii, they are caught up in non-stop attacks, explosions, more explosions, terrorists attacks up the wazoo, the aforementioned volcano eruption, and an actual coup by a media mogul who wants to make the United States a theocracy, and also really wants to find her estranged daughter. All of this converges in Hawaii, along with the US president, who has run away from all his handlers as he can’t trust anyone anymore. In fact… can Touma trust anyone anymore?

I mean, probably. Despite her annoyingly evil words to Touma at the end of the book, I doubt that Birdway is really involved with GREMLIN. But it simply works better for her to have Touma in a constant state of righteous fury, and that’s what she gets here, despite the best efforts of Mikoto. Mikoto has, honestly, suffered almost as much as Index (that’s the character, Index, who wears a nun habit, in case everyone had forgotten) since this series began, with whole volumes in a row where she barely does anything. For most of this book, it looks like that may also apply here, given she spends much of this Hawaii trip trying to buy matching promise rings for her and Touma that supposedly tell you if your boyfriend is cheating. Even Misaka Worst points out that she’s been far more relevant than the original Misaka lately. (Every time Misaka Worst mentions the “Third Season”, I roll my eyes.) But Mikoto is pretty much the only one who can try to talk Touma down from the “it’s all my fault, and I alone will shoulder this burden” complex he’s got. I don’t think she succeeds. But she does better than anyone else might have. Touma’s a stubborn nut.

We will be headed back to Academy City next time, but the 4th book isn’t solicited yet. Which is fine, I think we need a small break, this book was exhausting but fun.

Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle, Vol. 6.5

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By Hiromu and raemz. Released in Japan as “Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Evie Lund.

To my surprise, this isn’t a normal short story volume, where the author inserts either stories that fit in in the earlier volume timeline, or uses the chance to officially release all those stories that came as bonuses with various giveaways in Japan. This says Vol. 6.5, but that’s mostly as it doesn’t feature Chitose’s POV in it. What we really get is the continuation of the fallout from the 5th book, in the form of four very long short stories. All the girls have “what now?” on their minds, either wondering how to interact with Chitose again after confessing and getting rejected (Yuuko) or realizing that just continuing to do what they’ve been doing and hope those days last forever isn’t really an option (everyone else). There’s a lot of talk of college and the adult world in this book. The future is coming. And these girls want Chitose in their future, even if he’s still not chosen them. So, they move forward. Bit by bit.

If you’re wondering who that is on the cover art, why it’s Nazuna, the girl who seems to clash with Yuzuki a lot and has been the one supporting female cast member who’s not in love with Chitose. She’s in the first short story, where Yuuko, after the events of the 6th book, is still struggling with reconnecting with her friends and figuring out how to treat Chitose, so invites Yuzuki and Nazuna on a shopping trip in a nearby city. The second story has Asuka get to see what editing is like in a local ‘style’ magazine, and she invites Chitose for moral support… only to come up against the giant wall she still has to climb. In the third story, we get the mirror image of Yuuko’s story, as now it’s Yua who is trying to figure out how to treat Chitose after the last book, and she decides to ask him on a date to try and shake things up. And in the last story Haru is a mess, and it’s affecting her basketball, so the coach asks some old graduates to stop back at high school and be incredibly mean to her until she snaps out of it. This… doesn’t work till she gets a “remember to actually like the sport you like” call from Chitose. Then it works.

The Asuka story was easily my favorite one in the book. In a volume discussing where everyone’s going to be headed in the future, it makes sense that it’s the one closest to that future that would resonate the most. The moment Asuka started to “interview” the editor on her time at the magazine, I winced, because I immediately recognized what she was doing wrong. Worse, when Chitose is given the chance, he doesn’t make the same mistakes, and gets a much better interview. But, as multiple people point out, she has passion, and feels the frustration and anguish at her inadequacy, whereas Chitose doesn’t really mind how he does. It’s the passion that she has to hold on to. I also enjoyed Yua’s story – she’s possibly my favorite at this point, despite the fact that I know she won’t “win” – where she tries to figure out what happens to her current role in Chitose’s life – being his wife figure – if he gets an actual girlfriend. The scene where Chitose meets Yua’s dad is also a big highlight.

So yes, this actually is a short story book you need to read. Next volume we’re back to the main plot, and with a girl I don’t recognize on the cover art, we’re sure to shake things up. One of the best romcoms out right now – well, romdram.

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, Vol. 6

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By Mamecyoro and Mitsuya Fuji. Released in Japan as “Watashi wa Gotsugou Shugi na Kaiketsu Tantou no Oujo de aru” by B’s-LOG Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Moon.

I find it amusing how the author goes on in the afterword about the fun romcom parts of the book. Now, to be fair, there is a bit of that, but I… am I reading this book wrong? Are the bulk of the readers less interested in the intrigue than in seeing if Octavia and Klifford will realize they’re in love with each other?” Is this Earl and Fairy? Well, no, probably not, but it has to be said that the far more interesting part of the book is Octavia trying to discover the real past of previous generations while the narrative literally tries to sabotage her. The two plotlines converge when she finally decides on her fake boyfriend, and everything is ready for her to introduce him to her parents and finally get a clue as to how to resolve this and make everyone happy. Boy, sure hope that no one is trying to destroy her schemes! That would suck!

After a brief prologue showing us who our “villain” might be, though like half the cast they’re dealing with past memories and evil manipulation, we see Octavia trying to meet up with Hugh… only to find he’s been moved too a secret location. Unfortunately, Sirius is back to being brainwashed, so he’s no help. Her father the king knows where Hugh is and will tell her, but under one condition: she has to introduce her boyfriend to everyone in a week. You know, the fake boyfriend she still hasn’t nailed down. After briefly doing some boyfriend math, she settles on Derek, and he seems amenable to it. She also discovers a lot more about the relationship between Derek’s father and her own, and finds that her father may not be as happily married as she’d thought. Turns out just because a couple is hot and BL, it doesn’t mean they can’t be torn apart by… well, that’s still a secret.

Let’s get back to that romance. I think by now both Octavia and Klifford are very, very, unconsciously aware that they’re in love with each other. It’s the unconsciously that’s the problem. Octavia is held back by the whole “I will obey every order you give, please give me an order” thing coming from Klifford, and the climax of the book features him dragging her kicking and screaming into finally giving him a real order rather than one of her requests. And Klifford, as is pointed out by the king, is supposed to be unable to feel love like a real human being, though anyone who has read the previous six books might be snorting at that. It helps that immediately after this we get Klifford’s perspective briefly, where he wonders what these strange feelings are? The rest of the book was the usual excellent intrigue, though I am annoyed that the only way to get our leads to step up was the brainwash the opposition. If nothing else, that means one less ally, and Octavia needs allies, as the world is out to get her.

And now the words everyone dreads: we’re caught up with Japan, and Book 7 is not out there yet. So get ready to wait. But till then, yay, they’re fake lovers! Yay? Maybe?

Death’s Daughter and the Ebony Blade, Vol. 7: Finale

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By Maito Ayamine and Cierra. Released in Japan as “Shinigami ni Sodaterareta Shoujo wa Shikkoku no Tsurugi wo Mune ni Idaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sylvia Gallagher.

I’ll be discussing the final pages of the book, but only under the picture, so be warned.

Before we get around to how this series seems to love to lead me around by the nose, we need to, I suppose, address the fact that this is definitely the second part of Book 7, not a book in itself. I probably should have saved the two books and read them as one. If only as this is 95% fights, and I just don’t have it in me to talk about those. Wow, those undead really are hard to kill. Oh man, the goofy scientist is mortally wounded (and then never seen again). The large cast means that we have a lot of viewpoints to flit between, but I’m going to be honest, I don’t care about most of these people. I like them well enough, and wish them well. But in the end, I’m here for Olivia, Ashton, Claudia, and maybe Felix. If pressed.

Felix and his knights, along with the sleeping emperor, have defected to Olivia’s side in hopes that she can do something about the emperor (easy) and the man currently causing the undead to overrun the entire country (difficult). Fortunately, while they may not have Ashton anymore, they do have that old librarian from previous books, who also turns out to be a strategist, and she comes up with a plan: Fernest, Mekia, and Sutherland all join forces and offer a deal: one big battle against Darmes’ undead army, and if they lose they’ll surrender. Olivia knows he’ll take the deal, but that will also give her and Felix the opportunity to run straight for the castle to take out both Darmes and Xenia, the evil God supporting him. That said… they still have to fight scores of undead. No getting around that.

Even given the fact that it’s the second part of a 550-page book, this book is still badly paced, and needed an epilogue that was longer than the 4 pages or so it gets. I was starting to get a bit suspicious of the ending around 3/4 of the way through the book, when we see Claudia and company fighting valiantly but NOT dying tragically. If this book was going to keep going the way it had been, we needed a lot more death, and no, that one woman from Mekia doesn’t really count. Then at the end, when Olivia wins (yeah, sorry to spoil, but you guessed that) and she is told she can get one wish that’s anything she wants, I knew where it was going. So yeah, I was wrong. AGAIN. And it’s fine, I’m OK with it. I’d be a lot more OK with it if the epilogue was 20 pages rather than 4, and showed ANY of the other characters in the book. Which, um, guess that means I did care about people other than Olivia, Ashton and Claudia.

I think I’ve now run out of “military battle fantasy” series that I’m following, and this certainly was one. It’s worth reading for Olivia’s eccentric, striking personality, but also in seeing how much she grows and changes, particularly in the last two books after Ashton’s death. And she has only more room to grow.

Even a Replica Can Fall in Love, Vol. 1

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By Harunadon and raemz. Released in Japan as “Replica Datte, Koi o Suru” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

I admit that I have gotten rather blase about titles that have won or been nominated for awards in Japan. They seem to have a LOT of awards for manga and light novels, and there are so many titles that carry “award-winning” and “award-nominated” on it that it tends to pass me by. I had not really realized that this was the winner of the most recent Dengeki Grand Prize till I was about to start it. There have been a few Grand Prize winners in the past that I’ve admitted were excellent, such as Kept Man of the Princess Knight and 86. That said, these days that can’t even guarantee that you’ll get licensed in English at all – sorry, Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio. It was going to take a lot more than just winning an award for me to be blown away by this book. But I was unprepared. The book steps up and immediately proceeds to blow you away. I love it to bits, everyone should read it. It deserves its award.

Our heroine is a replica, created by Sunao Aikawa when she was seven years old. She looks and speaks exactly like her. The replica takes Sunao’s place when she’s feeling grumpy, tired, or is on her period. The replica has all of Sunao’s memories, but they’re sort of like reading a book that’s been smudged. (Sunao does NOT have her replica’s memories, which causes problems later.) The replica likes to read a lot more than Sunao, so she joins the literature club, where she reconnects with Sunao’s childhood friend Ricchan, a budding novelist. Then one day she interacts with recently injured basketball player Sanada, who seems captivated by her, and joins the literature club to get closer to her. But that’s a problem. After all, she’s a replica.

You know I really love a book when I try not to spoil it, but that also makes writing reviews harder. There are some really fantastic twists in this book, not least of which is what the hell a replica IS, something that we don’t really find out here. Before I read it I thought it was some sort of android – nope. Sunao can simply “unthink” her replica and she goes away till needed again. Then I wondered if it was dissociative identity disorder, but later events show that can’t be right either. As for the original, well, trust me when I say you will not be very find of Sunao throughout a lot of this book. But everything about her behavior makes sense, and she’s very quick to change when she realizes what’s really going on. Near the end of the book, there’s a terrifying tragedy that becomes an “oh thank God” moment of relief for everyone involved… except the replica, who now begins to despair. Again, for reasons I don’t want to spoil, but man, it’s so good. This book has serious thought put into its concept (which is echoed by the novel her friend is writing, a nice touch).

Like most grand prize winners of a contest, this works well as a stand-alone book. There’s more of it, though, and I am very happy to hear that, even as I worry – there was a lot of serious drama in this book, and I’m sure later books will have it too. But I’m desperate to read more. If only to see if we’ll be told what’s going on with the replica. Or if it matters in the end.

I Abandoned My Engagement Because My Sister is a Tragic Heroine, but Somehow I Became Entangled with a Righteous Prince, Vol. 1

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By Fuyutsuki Koki and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Higeki no Heroine Buru Imōto no Sei de Konyaku Hakishita no Desu ga, Naze ka Seigikan no Tsuyoi Ōtaishi ni Karamareru you ni Narimashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Sarah Moon. Adapted by Veles Svitlychny.

I spent most of this book feeling that it was schizophrenic. There’s a very serious plotline at the core of this, with the prince doing his best to ferret out corruption despite assassination attempts, our protagonist suffering from an uncaring family, a broken engagement and unverified accusations, and a lot of dead bodies (at one point a puppy is murdered, for those of you who want to add this title to Does the Dog Die?). And yet throughout the book there are bouts of comedy, at times so broad that I wondered if it was parody. This comes to a climax at the climax of the book, appropriately enough, where ferreting out a horrible man and a literal murderer descends into exposing the world’s two dumbest people. The author says that it was deliberate, so well done, I guess, but I’m not actually sure if it worked or not.

Leia Westoria is the saint of the kingdom, whose magical barriers help prevent monster incursions. She’s also engaged to a duke. And she has a younger sister who is NOT the Saint and is NOT engaged to a duke, but is very good at crying on a dime and making gullible people believe what she says – which is that Leia is abusing her. This includes Leia’s fiance, who breaks off the engagement and quickly gets engaged to Jill. Then, when she’s reinforcing barriers in the forest, the crown prince, Eric, drops by to accuse her as well. Leia, finally snapping (though really her mood is “overly serious and a bit passive” throughout the book, till the end), denies the accusations and tells the prince to actually investigate. The prince is taken aback, possibly because, as we learn, investigating is what he does. So he apologizes, and asks Leia to be one of his many bodyguards to protect him against the multiple assassins that arrive every day.

Some of the humor here *is* very good. I really loved Leia pointing out that the reasons the assassins have slowed is that whoever is sending them does not have an “infinite cauldron of assassins”, if only for the mental image. There is a Chinese stereotype girl who is an odd cross of Tenten and Shampoo but who is goofy enough to not be too offensive. Leia frequently has a taste for very dry humor. And the ending is so over the top that one cannot help but laugh. But there’s a black hole in this book, and it’s Jill, the “tragic heroine” of the title and a massive spoiled brat that I don’t think I’ve seen quite so bad in any other “villainess” title. She’s worse than anyone else you might think of. We also get her POV at times, which almost made me drop the book. It’s beneficial, as it helps sell the ending – it’s hard to be a mastermind when the pawn you decide to trick is unable to carry out a simple murder plot without cocking the whole thing up. But it’s hard to read.

This is multiple volumes, and I really hope Jill does not come back and this becomes an artifact title, but the fact that she’s not dead at the end of this one leads me to think I will be seeing more of her. If you like straightforward, serious protagonists facing off against a girl so dumb she will happily murder a puppy for the guy she has a crush on, this is ridiculous enough to give you what you want.

By a Twist of Fate, I’m Attending the Royal Academy in Disguise, Vol. 2

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By Ringo and Tsukasa Satsuki. Released in Japan as “Wake Atte, Hensō Shite Gakuen ni Sennyū Shiteimasu” by PASH! Books. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Alex Castor.

The proliferation of both isekai series (which take place in a sort of vague middle-late European setting) and villainess series (which usually are more “Edwardian England”) means that we have a lot of writers who are fascinated with the concept of nobility and how it works. And trust me, most writers think it works – they are not here to revolutionize the world. Usually there’s a token evil noble, who tends to be either unattractive, stupid, or both, and they are so over the top evil that it makes all the other nobles look better. We get two of those here, both blonde women. That said, our heroine is a commoner who is (sorry to spoil) going to end up with the prince, so she has to learn why noble mannerisms are important and what they are meant to convey… and as a result, realizes why she was bullied at school. Which, if I’m being honest, makes me tilt my head and say “really?”.

This volume is neatly divided into two. the first part starts where the last left off, with Cesia being set up to take the fall for Marcus’ evil fiancee, who it turns out is far more evil than everyone was expecting. She manages to escape, and holes up with the help of Maria/Marcus (still probably the best part of this series – the resolution works here, and it’s telling that after it happens we never see Maria again). Eventually, by Marcus being incredibly stupid on purpose, they are able to save the day, and Cesia and Marcus are finally able to confess. Of course, Cesia is still a commoner, but they can do something about that – she’s saved enough nobles that one is willing to make her a baroness. Unfortunately, she and Marcus are reckoning without two people who really don’t want to see them married. One is very subtle and clever. The other… is not.

The “you were bullied for your own good” thing rankled on me a bit, but there were other parts of the story I liked. Cesia’s over-serious nature and tendency to blame herself for not being perfect meshes perfectly with the way she grew up, and I appreciated Marcus realizing that and seeing that family was absolutely what she needed. There was also the delightfully silly way Cesia’s “crime” was resolved, – it wasn’t silly how she was punished, of course, but it definitely was silly how our overly serious girl never realized that she was punished at all. The family of her evil duplicate was forced to pay a hefty fine, which no one told her, and she was under house arrest for three months – which she was told was a study camp, and no one bothered to clarify it. Given that she’s one of the most serious of the “villainess” protagonists we’ve met, this was likely for the best.

This ends with this volume, which is good – if nothing else, the title is even sillier in this second volume, which takes place years after those events.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!, Part 5: Avatar of a Goddess, Vol. 12

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By Miya Kazuki and You Shiina. Released in Japan as “Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by quof.

And so, with the exception of more short story volumes and the Hannelore-driven sequel, we come to the end of Ascendance of a Bookworm, a long but mostly very satisfying series. This volume is a victory lap, with the actual danger to our heroine dealt with in the first 50 pages or so, leaving the rest of the book to have engagements, elevations to Aub, saying goodbye to everyone and moving into the new digs. And Rozemyne is now going to get married to Ferdinand, which both of them are very comfortable with keeping as a familiar rather than romantic marriage, even if literally everyone else in the book, as well as the author, disagrees with them. I mean, I’d love for my asexual Rozemyne headcanon to be confirmed, but the implication at the end of this book seems to be “once she grows up, she’ll change her mind”, which eh. She’s theoretically mentally 40, something the author I thing tends to forget at times. Anyway.

We pick up where we left off, with Rozemyne desperately draining all her god mana and trying not to die. After this, Ferdinand takes her on a tour of her memories, via the events he was present for, which succeeds in restoring them. Including the fear of feystones, but we can’t have everything, and she’s getting better. Now it’s time to find those in Ahrensbach who weren’t on Detlinde’s side and tell them who their new Aub is, punish those who WERE on Detlinde’s side, prepare for Alexandria to be Rozemyne’s new library city, move in there along with… well, some of her retinue (poor Judithe, though I don’t blame her father), and say goodbye to everyone else in Ehrenfest. And then, in a lovely epilogue, she gets to once again meet up with her original family as Myne, because now that she’s Aub of a new city any previously made contracts can suck it. (Even the narrative voice calls her Myne again, which I liked.)

There were a ton of little scenes that I really liked, which is typical with “victory lap” ending novels. Rozemyne’s heart to heart with Elvira, as well as explaining to Aurelia that no, she will not have to be executed just for being related to the other terrorists. (We see Aurelia’s face!) She has a nice conversation with Florencia, who I honestly wished had more to do throughout, and a great scene with her siblings, showing Wilfried once again being annoying but also getting right to the heart of the matter. Even Delia gets a sendoff, as Rozemyne basically says no, you won’t see Dirk again ever, so be Big Sister to the other orphans going forward. This is not a “forgive and forget” world, as much as Rozemyne does her best. Sometimes the dumb things you do when you’re 12 years old define your entire life. Oh, and Eckhart and Angelica have the most boring “let’s get engaged again” ever. Totally in character, it was great.

Oh yes, “I *am* the precedent!” goes in everyone’s top 5 Bookworm lines.

I will deeply miss Rozemyne, Ferdinand, and company. I was also sad that Hannelore did not appear in this at all, but she does have the spinoff, where I’m sure she’ll be happy and have everything go her way. Right?