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An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride, Vol. 14

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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.

Last time I asked where the story could go after the previous volume really seemed to wrap up most of the plots and put a bow on them. I really should have been able to guess, as the answer is: a short story volume. This one has a wraparound of the cast all having a post-saving the world party at Zagan’s castle, and Gremory (who is in a wheelchair, and also looks 16 years old becauze of, I assume, nearly dying) is trying to get everyone to tell her love stories, which ties in to Foll going around asking about love a couple of volumes ago. There’s a bit of ongoing romance stuff – Selphy has clearly very much come to terms with her love of Lilith, and is going to try harder to make sure she does not take the het route. (She probably will, be warned.) But really this volume is about the four stories, which range from good but slight to excellent.

In the first story, Zagan, Nephy and Foll go to visit a haunted house… one that looks very familiar. Chastille is there as well, separately, and runs into a boy who seems to have gotten lost. In the second, shortest story, Shax and Kuroka eat cute. In the third and longest story, we learn the story of how Raphael met Kuroka’s mother, and the love affair that sadly never was. And in the final story, Zagan and Nephy go on the most adorable date you ever did see, buying cute outfits eating parfaits, and making everyone else around them ill. It’s basically everything that readers of this series have dreamed of, except it doesn’t end with them banging each other like drums at the end of the date.

The reason to get this book is the third story, where Raphael comes to a merchant town to try to track down a serial killer who has been murdering people with swords. Also there is Heidi, who by day is a waitress at an inn and also helps out the local church, and by night goes around masked and attacks people with swords. Is she the person with swords who’s been killing everyone? This one was very compelling, and I sort of hoped that they’d get together, even though I know based on what we know about Raphael and Kuroka that wasn’t happening. It does, however, really require the reader to know what the significance of “the moon is beautiful” is. The first story (and the wraparound) give us the return of crybaby Chastille, who I’ve never really been too fond of, but oh well. The last story is absolute 100% pure sugar, and will be perfect for those who love that sort of thing. Also, Zagan and Nephy’s outfits are pretty cute.

I assume next time we will kick off whatever the next plotline is – Alshiera, I assume – but till then, this was a pretty solid short story collection.

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Vol. 1

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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.

As I think I’ve said before, I’m not the biggest fan of bodyswap stories. It’s just a personal squick, and always makes for uncomfortable reading, particularly when one of the people swapped is responsible for it. And also a terrible person. So, as you can imagine, the premise of Though I Am an Inept Villainess did not fill me with glee. That said: villainess book, one of my big genres. Also recommended by the authors of Bookworm AND Apothecary Diaries AND Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent. This book had a huge amount of expectations for me. As always with my reading, it would probably depend on the lead character. How does she react to this? How does she fight back? Also, unique to bodyswap stories: how does the rest of the cast not immediately sense something is off? Especially in a world where bodyswapping IS possible? Well, good news all round: the book passes both tests with flying colors. In fact, the book is amazing.

Reirin is a beautiful court lady beloved and doted on by everyone, though also suffering from illness frequently. A butterfly. Keigetsu is a gangly, freckled, bitchy court lady that everyone hates, mostly as she’s terrible to anyone she doesn’t have to suck up to. A sewer rat. Then one day Keigetsu pushes Reirin over a balustrade… and Reirin wakes up in Keigetsu’s body. Which is now in prison, awaiting execution. She’s been bodyswapped! Worse, thanks to the nature of the swap, she’s physically and mentally unable to explain this to anyone. So, now she’s got to somehow avoid execution – which involves being eaten by a starving lion – and then somehow make a life where everyone hates her and she’s in this… wonderful, healthy, robust body? Meanwhile, Keigetsu discovers that Reirin isn’t just sick a lot, she’s at death’s door most of the time. Whoops.

Reirin is astonishingly good. Her combination of joy and guilt over being able to suddenly do ordinary things like eat fried potatoes all the time is hilarious, of course, but she also gets to unleash the tempered blade that is her personality, honed under years of training to not die from fever at any given moment, and use it to do things like show righteous fury, or spend an entire night sewing a new robe for her attendant (the old robe was damaged when the attendant tried to murder her). We also get the sense that she’s not fully formed yet – there’s a realization towards the end of the book that she always tried to keep everyone at arm’s length and made every conversation as if it would be her last, and she’s just realizing now how sad that is. As for the swap itself, I appreciate how everyone IMMEDIATELY realizes that there’s something up, as Keigetsu’s personality has done a complete 180, but it takes till the end of the book to actually figure out HOW. This means there’s less annoying bodyswap humor, which I always dislike. I will admit I wasn’t as fond of Keigetsu in Reirin’s body, but that’s because her character journey is “oh fuck (slowly begins to die)”.

There is a particularly vicious cliffhanger at the end of this volume, not helped by the extended short story that follows (though the short story is excellent, giving much needed backstory to several characters.) It is going to make waiting rfor the next volume a chore, though, especially as I’m not sure how they’ll keep the bodyswap up. Regardless, I found this book a wonderful read.

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, Vol. 3

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By Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and Xiao Tong Kong (Velinxi). Released in China as “Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong” on the JJWXC website. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Faelicy & Lily.

There is a 4th and final volume in this series, but it consists of prequel and sequel short stories, from what I hear, so for all intents and purposes this is the final volume. It’s a good volume, though has even less humor than the previous book, as the author is forced to actually take this world seriously given that the demon world is literally trying to imprint itself on the human world. Shen Qingqiu has a particularly rough time of it, ending up in a coffin early on and with things only getting worse from there. It doesn’t help that Luo Binghe is proving to be one of the most annoying stalkers ever, and his affection for Shen Qingqiu is something so obvious that literally everyone in the world sees it and is vaguely offended by it. Even Shen Qingqiu, who finally gives in near the end of the book. Unfortunately, if you want a tender mutual love scene, you may have to wait for Book 4. Sexual assault warning for what comes next.

As noted above, Shen Qingqiu finds himself in a coffin within a cursed mausoleum, and has to deal with both Luo Binghe’s demon father and also Zhuzhi-Lang, one of the weirder henchmen I’ve ever read about. That said, he’s actually doing pretty well at dealing with both of them. Luo Binghe, not so much. Things aren’t helped by the fact that he keeps getting into what looks like sexual situations with Luo Binghe… including feeling him up. Indeed, by now everyone assumes the two of them are already gay lovers. Unfortunately, world saving comes first, as Luo Binghe’s father is bitter and wants to unite the demon world and the human world… physically, by having one overlay the other. Which will, um, kill the humans. But so goes life. Can Shen Qingqiu solve this set of problems while still reminding the system messages that he’s not gay? Signs point to no.

First of all, gotta give some praise. Wu Chen is awesome. Yue Qingyuan is even more awesome. And the backstory for the original Shen Qingqiu is both realistic and also reminds you of something this book hammers home, which is that usually webnovel readers don’t want depth and character development, they want violence and sex, and lots of it. Living in a book like that can be terrible. As Shen Qingqiu finds when he is raped by Luo Binghe at the end of the book. It is theoretically a “I have to do this to save the world” sort of thing, but is thankfully not remotely portrayed as erotic or fulfilling, but as incredibly painful. That said, the tortured relationship between the two leads is at last ironed out, even if it means Shen Qingqiu leaving everyone else in his life to go off with Lup Binghe, who has, well, managed to offend everyone in Shen Qingqiu’s life.

As noted, this is not usually my genre, and I’m not sure if I’ll be reading the epilogue book. But for what it was this was pretty good, and I can see why it has its followers.

Strike the Blood, Vol. 21

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By Gakuto Mikumo and Manyako. Released in Japan by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jeremiah Bourque.

For once I have actual things to talk about in this volume of Strike the Blood, which is fairly low on cool action sequences. And by “fairly low” I mean there are still about 50% action scenes in the book. However, Kojou being depowered means that he can’t participate in them – indeed, for once, HE is the damsel in distress, as he makes a Faustian bargain that ends up biting him in the ass… gosh, where have I heard that before? So it’s up to Natsuki to get the band back together, as all of the girls who are in love with Kojou and also superpowered (and yes, this includes the two grade schoolers, though at least an objection to this is raised) band together to offer themselves as blood servants. All this so that he can control the new beast vassals inside him, regain his vampiric nature, and this series can FINALLY wrap up in the next. book.

There’s a bit of poignancy at the start of the book, as Kojou is forcibly reminded (by his childhood friend, no less) that giving up his powers means he is no longer the protagonist and therefore he needs to just go away. Of course, that does not stop him trying to think of ways to save Avrora, and he’s helped in this by the First Primogenitor and his servant, who could use a good laugh… erm, I mean, genuine have a desire to see Kojou succeed. Unfortunately, this goes so badly that Kojou has to literally be put on ice for twelve hours while Yukina and company try to gather twelve blood servants who can help to fight and quell Kojou’s twelve new beast vassals. Unfortunately, some of them are easier to persuade than others.

I’ve talked before about how Strike the Blood’s humor frequently is painfully unfunny,l though it’s gotten better recently. (It’s hard to top the record holder in “bad humor in light novels”, A Certain Magical Index.) As for this volume, well, it has a really solid joke that made me laugh. The way that Asagi gets the Second Primogenitor to cooperate with them is genuinely hilarious and also true to character. I will therefore forgive the “we have to fight while dressed in bunny girl outfits” bullshit, which is as lame as it sounds. And doesn’t work. Honestly, girls, it’s been twenty-one books and you’re still trying to figure out what makes Kojou aroused? Even hardcore yanderes would have given up and and found another love interest by now. We also seem to be confirming, in case you hadn’t guessed, that future Kojou is going to have multiple wives – my guess is twelve, though hopefully they will not include his sister. Or his teacher. Or the tank-driving grade-schooler. (Sadly, pretty sure it will include the succubus grade-schooler.)

Strike the Blood is never going to rise above the level of “solid”, and this volume also had some boring parts where it tried to give backstory and explain the villains, which I expect few readers care about. But it sets up the finale and gives the anime fun stuff to animate. That’s really all you can ask.

Chronicles of the Hidden World: How I Became a Doctor for the Gods

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By Tamaki Itomori and Izumi. Released in Japan as “Kakuriyo Shinjuku: Isekaide, Kamisama no Oishasan Hajimemasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Luke Hutton.

Given the huge explosion of villainess stories we’ve had in the last few years, I’ve actually seen some people describing the genre as “isekai for girls”, which is ridiculous. Mostly it’s ridiculous because we already have a well-established isekai for girls genre, called, well, isekai. My god, it’s as if Fushigi Yuugi never existed. This sort of isekai usually involves a young girl transported to another world, discovering that she has powers no one else does, and also attracting the attention of a number of handsome young men, all of whom are usually either divine spirits of some sort or at least supernatural. And aside from the fact that Yae is reincarnated into this world rather than being transported, this new series hits all of those buttons. Fans of Kamisama Kiss and the like will enjoy this greatly… though possibly the other big difference is in our heroine, Yae, who has a heaping helping of self-deprecation that’s destroying her life, even if she’s not aware of this.

Yae, in Japan, lived a relatively unhappy and unassuming life where she spent most of her time accepting whatever anyone else pushed onto her because she was “nice”. (This may sound familiar to the target reader for this series.) She then dies and is reincarnated in Kumo, a land that seems to be connected to Japan in many ways but is also very different and filled with divine beings and cursed beings. The world is no stranger to isekai reincarnation, and Yae is eventually taken in by a village chief, the typical solution to such matters. Sadly, Yae is NOT like those other isekai girls. She retains her memories of Japan, and she also lacks a “nature”, which helps to define a person in this land. As a result, she feels like an outsider in her village. Then, one day, while doing a yearly ritual, she ends up freeing a divine spirit…

This is one of those books that’s all about the worldbuilding. Yae can be a bit over the top in her moping, and the revelation that it’s actually her who’s distancing herself from everyone else rather than the other way around is not exactly a news flash. Arai, the divine spirit, and his brother Sui, are both fairly standard types for this sort of story as well. However, the world itself is amazing, with artifacts from Japan ending up here changed in size and use – Yae’s new house she settles down in is not literally named as such, but it’s clearly a Coke can the size of a house. I also really liked the way that she uses her “doctor” abilities to cure those with afflictions and curses, which again involves some really cool descriptions and imagery.

The series clearly sets itself up to have Yae and her two boys wandering the land seeking out others who are suffering and “naming them”, in a way that will sound VERY familiar to anyone who’s read Natsume’s Book of Friends. That said, it’s been two years, and this is the only volume in this series, so we’ll just have to hope for more down the road. I definitely enjoyed this one, though.

Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!: God’s Blessing on These Wonderful Adventurers!

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By Natsume Akatsuki and Kurone Mishima. Released in Japan as “Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kevin Steinbach.

After a couple of volumes where I felt that perhaps the page count did not justify the limited content within, this final book in the main KonoSuba series seems to be just right. The final battle against the Demon Lord contains just about everything you’d want in a KonoSuba book. Kazuma wins by being kind of scummy and tricky; Aqua wails and whines but is also kinda lovable; Megumin casts explosion so much that the overuse of magic makes her nose bleed (at least I hope it’s due to overuse of magic, as otherwise that’s one weird fetish); and speaking of fetishes, Darkness is Darkness. The only thing missing is Yunyun being toyed with; she’s here, but mostly functions as a real competent person. As for the plot, it’s pretty much what you’d imagine, and the one big surprise I had with the book was not seeing one of the characters killed off, but when it happened.

We pick up where we left off last time, with our heroes getting most of the Demon King’s minions out of the castle by simply having Megumin carpet bomb it to death. And yes, she does this with Yunyun and the other heroes IN the castle. Then they’ve got to go find Aqua, which Kazuma does almost immediately, as he overthinks a trap for dumb people and therefore picks the dumb option. We then get a series of KonoSuba-esque scenes, which involve fighting minions, arguing, and comedy, until everyone reunited and takes on the Demon King and his most powerful supporters. Unfortunately, the Demon King is not named that for nothing; he’s pretty much impossible to kill, unless Kazuma does something that he’d really rather not do, as he was told that if it happens again there’s no turning back…

I’ve spent several reviews discussing the romance, such as it is, in KonoSuba, and it’s therefore amusing how little it actually matters here. Megumin’s still in the lead, yes, but that’s mostly by default, and it’s mentioned that darkness is turning down the many marriage proposals she’s getting for a reason, and that, after the final battle’s legend is passed around, Princess Iris has more of a crush on her “older brother” than ever before. But the romance is irrelevant because it’s secondary to the family. This whole adventure came about not because they actually wanted to kill the Demon King, but because Aqua was depressed. By the end of the book we’ve solved that, although I think Aqua wishes there was a way to do that that involved less of her sobbing desperately. The series ends restoring everything to the status quo, although things will presumably be easier with the lack of a Demon Lord making all monsters stronger than they should be.

There are many other unlicensed spinoffs in this series, featuring Darkness, Dust and Yunyun, Cecily, etc. The author also says he has ideas for sequels – this volume has several final battles, both in Axel and at Iris’ castle, but we don’t actually see any of them, and it’s hinted he may write that as well. That said, aside from the upcoming fanbook, I think Yen On is finished with KonoSuba novels for now. This is a very satisfying conclusion, and all fans should enjoy it.

Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight, Vol. 14

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By Hyougetsu and Nari Teshima. Released in Japan by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen.

A new publisher for Der Werwolf made fans of the series briefly panic, as we’ve seen manga titles cancelled in the past when they jumped from one publisher to another. Fortunately, after a brief delay, the series is back with its 14th volume. Nothing has really changed now that it’s with Square Enix – cast is the same, artist is the same, it has the same “the entire book is one long chapter” style to it. And it still stars Veight’s daughter, although (as the author admits in the afterword) the balance between her own adventures and that of her dad is struggling a bit. This is The Annals of Veight, not The Annals of Friede, and I think a lot of fans would rather we stuck with the vice-commander. That said, they may be disappointed – there’s some setup here for Airia retiring, which means she and Veight might do more traveling and leave governing in the hands of the future generation. As for Friede herself, well, she’s a lot like her dad, and that includes getting young women to fall in love with her.

After tearing up Rolmund in the last book, this time Friede and company are invited to Wa, partly as a goodwill visit but mostly so the leaders there can see what sort of person she is. Veight is fine with this, ready to give her more slack to do what she wants, and she heads out with her best friends/harem. While there she’s given a minder, Iori, a serious-minded teenage girl who at first regards Friede as soft and riding on her dad’s reputation, a first impression that changes very, very rapidly after seeing her fight and seeing her steamroll any possible obstacles with her cheerful, straightforward attitude. Heck, she even charms the local cat people Grimalkin so much that they reveal to her a secret dance that might reveals a hidden treasure…

I mentioned on Twitter that I was not expecting this book to be yuri, and I suppose it’s not TECHNICALLY yuri, but it is true that Iori falls for Friede so hard and fast that it might as well be, and most of the latter half of the book is made up of what should absolutely be scenes of flirting romance. She’s an orphan girl who has struggled to prove herself, and (like half the cast in this series, including its two leads) tends to put herself down constantly. That said, I think she’ll be a fun addition to the series, because she definitely invites herself to go back with Friede and the others at the end of the book. I also loved her and Friede discussing Veight’s habit of downplaying all his own achievements, which I’ve mocked him for since the series began – “I’m just a simple vice-commander”, etc. It’s called “toxic humility” here, and I could not agree more. That said, I doubt it will go away anytime soon.

I agree with the author, I’m not sure where the series goes from here, but be it Veight or Friede’s book, I’m looking forward to finding out.

The Ideal Sponger Life, Vol. 7

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By Tsunehiko Watanabe and Jyuu Ayakura. Released in Japan as “Risou no Himo Seikatsu” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by MPT.

This is a series that began with the premise that our hero was being isekai’d solely for his ability to breed the queen, hence the now ludicrously inaccurate title. There has been the occasional bout of really good sex over the past six books, though usually we cut away before it happens. That said, as I’ve mentioned before, if you’re reading this book for the sex, find some other series. Or is that true? Let’s face it, The Ideal Sponger Life has pretty much made its reputation on its political wrangling, as Zenjirou has to learn the ins and outs of a world where everyone is trying to get a leg up on everyone else, and one misspoken phrase can lead to disaster. This book is ALL about that sort of situation, and let me tell you, the way Zenjirou resolves it? Is just as good as sex. There is, however, one snag. Aura’s barely in the book, left behind to rule the country and possibly be diagnosed with Baby #2. Hope you like Princess Freya!

Zenjirou is going to be attending a wedding, and since Aura can’t go he’s taking Princess Freya, despite the fact that this helps her case for being his first concubine tremendously. Once there, though, his hospitality is taken care of by the father of the bride’s second daughter, Nilda. Which is all very well and good, but Zenjirou was not told that there was a second daughter… and the records they have back at the palace did not mention it. Nilda is illegitimate, but that’s not the concern, the concern is that the records don’t match up. Fortunately, the wedding itself goes fine. Unfortunately, Nilda, Freya and Skaji spot a knight from a rival nation coming out of a corridor he should not have been in… and the knight denies that he did this. Now Zenjirou is going to have to play detective in order to avoid an international incident.

This is, as many light novels these days are, based on a webnovel. That said, I was startled when I read that the webnovel does not feature Freya at all – she’s not in it. The only other webnovel I know where a major character was created out of whole cloth for the official version is The Saga of Tanya the Evil… which makes it appropriate that the queen’s maid refers to her and Zenjirou’s son as “Carlo Zen”. Pretty sure that’s intentional. As for this book, Zenjirou was pretty damn awesome in it, despite having to talk over and over about how weak and feeble he is as a fighter. I think he realizes by now he’s screwed in regards to Freya, because if nothing else she’s fallen 100% in love with him. Treating a woman as an equal is ALSO as good as sex. And in this case Freya is trying to turn it INTO sex. So far he’s holding out.

Everyone but Aura fans should be happy with this (and given she’s not getting another cover picture till Book 14, they may want to give up). Its title and premise may put readers off, but it’s moved way beyond that.

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer, Vol. 5

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By MOJIKAKIYA and toi8. Released in Japan as “Boukensha ni Naritai to Miyako ni Deteitta Musume ga S-Rank ni Natteta” by Earth Star Novels. Released in North America digitally by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

I’ve said this before and I will say it again: I greatly appreciate that the publisher has let us know that the books are done in Japan and that this is not one of THOSE Daddy/Adopted Daughter series. Mostly because I can thoroughly enjoy the angst that both daddy and daughter are going through right now without having to worry about a future trap door. Belgrieve is worrying about the fact that his daughter has grown up, and he doesn’t know the right way to balance out being her dad vs. letting her go off on her own. It’s extremely identifiable. As for Angeline, well, she’s just starting to worry about the whole “I probably have some demon in my parentage” thing, which is less relatable, but as an adopted daughter curious about her parents while also not really wanting to know because she loves her dad, that resonates a lot. They’re a great parent-child couple.

Everything is smiles and happiness at the start. Angeline and Belgrieve are once again in the same place at the same time, and are reveling in it, even if it means having to find a new house because they just have too many houseguests now. The whole group then, once spring comes, returns to Turnera in one big group… joined by two extra women, who are tagging along as they say they have business where they’re going. Unfortunately, the business turns out to be them, as Charlotte is once again suffering the consequences of her own actions, as well as her own background as royalty. Now Belgrieve and Angeline have to figure out a way to make everyone happy and smooth things over… and this isn’t even getting into the overarching plot of the demons, or finding Belgrieve’s old party.

I really liked the two adventurers we met in this volume, and I am relieved that things could be taken care of without turning them into enemies. In particular, one of them speaks in an odd combination of normal speech and lyrics from Western rock songs (I wondered if it was a localization thing, but no, the afterword says it’s Western rock songs), and its noted to be because the beastmen in her country are treated much worse, and they use that speech as a form of coded language. This is the sort of world building I can absolutely get behind. I also liked reminding Charlotte that sometimes apologies, even when meant in earnest, won’t solve everything that she did before, and sometimes it’s best NOT to apologize in person as the wounds are still fresh. It’s literally mentioned by Angeline’s companions that Belgrieve collects daughters rather than love interests, and Charlotte is one of the best examples.

Some hinting at the end of this book suggests we’ll be tracking down the rest of Belgrieve’s old party soon, and I expect that will probably mean he and Angeline are separated again. it’s fine. I’m sure they’ll work out the right distance while staying a loving family.

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~, Vol. 19

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By Tappei Nagatsuki and Shinichirou Otsuka. Released in Japan by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia.

First off, for fans of Subaru/Emilia, this book is a full-course meal with chocolate trifle for dessert. After worrying when Emilia ended up getting kidnapped and forcibly married off to the worst man in the world (who, we are reminded here, killed her mother and “father”), Emilia spends most of this book kicking ass eight ways from Sunday. She’s joined in this by Subaru, who has his handy whip but more importantly has a increasingly analytical mind, as he, Emilia, and Reinhard (who is occasionally sent off the state in order to allow Subaru and Emilia to be cooler) to try to figure out why Regulus is invulnerable and how to stop it. Over half the book is just this fight, and it’s well worth it. That said, I am a bit worried now, as past arcs have told me that I should expect Emilia to be absent from the 6th one, just because the author simply hates using the same heroine more than twice in a row. Who could be next? Well…

Summary of this volume: They fight. They fight. They fight and fight and fight. Some sights are merely teased and will play out in full in the next volume (Otto, Garfiel, Wilhelm), and one is left for the cliffhanger (Lust vs. Anastasia, Ferris, and Al), so we’re left with two major battles. Subaru and Reinhard break up the wedding just in time, but Regulus is not only seemingly impossible to kill, but also the single most annoying character in Re: Zero to date – and this is a series which includes Subaru himself! The other big battle we get here is Priscilla and Liliana taking on Sirius, which also serves to give us some Liliana backstory. Based on the rather abrupt ending, I’m not convinced Sirius is dead yet, whereas Regulus definitely is. Through it all, Priscilla is simply fabulous. As expected.

First of all, given that I have yelled at illustrators in the past for not drawing the really obvious scenes that should be drawn, bless you, Shinichirou Otsuka, for the two-page color spread of all of Regulus’ wives tearing him a new asshole. That was beautiful. Elsewhere, I really did enjoy Priscilla here, who does show off that a) she has her own limits and weaknesses, and b) she can be quite kind – in her own arrogant way – to those that she likes and respects. And if that happens to be an incredibly annoying bard, so be it. Liliana is much better here, mostly as she’s under threat of death, so we don’t get to see her be irritating. Instead, she pretty much helps save the day. And again, Subaru and Emilia are wonderful here, so trusting of each other. Particularly at the climax, where Subaru uses some very bad powers to do good things. That said… I think he may have gotten more bad powers as a reward.

The next volume wraps up this arc, and we’ll see if there’s any of the city left. Given the cover, I expect it will mostly focus on Wilhelm. Till then, enjoy another volume of one of the strongest light novel series for pure thrills.

I’m in Love with the Villainess, Vol. 5

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By Inori and Hanagata. Released in Japan as “Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou” by GL Bunko. Released in North America by Seven Seas. Translated by Kevin Ishizaka. Adapted by Nibedita Sen.

As the author notes in the afterword to this volume, this series has come a long way from its first volume, which was mostly dedicated to the relationship between Rae and Claire. That’s still the case in this final volume, but it ends up being the first volume writ large; where the first volume focused on the school they were enrolled in, and the second their kingdom, this final volume sets their romance against the end of everything. I am going to try not to spoil too much in this review, but there’s a big swerve about 1/4 of the way into this volume that makes sense on a plot level, and also helps to explain a few things that have been bubbling under since the third book began and we started to get the continuation plotline. Unfortunately, it appears that once again events may conspire to force Claire to make the difficult decision that will save the most people, leaving Rae to scream about it.

So it turns out that the ones who’ve been going after Claire so much are servants of the Demon Queen, who is here to destroy the Empire in order to get her way. Dorothea, realizing a bit too late that being the sort of person that she is means that calling for aid is going to get her nowhere, decides to abdicate in favor of Philine, who is not going to be winning any sword battles but is certainly far better at actual negotiation. And then there’s the Apostle, who bounces between bodies in order to tell Rae and Claire that she’s on their side… despite the fact that she honestly feels extremely untrustworthy. In any case, at least our heroes finally get the Demon Queen herself to make an appearance. And… oh no, that face seems really familiar somehow…

I’m not spoiling you on the main surprises, but finding out the Demon Queen has a Rae face should not be too much of a surprise after meeting the Pope in previous books. We know this series stacks up Raes the way that the Fate franchise stacks up Sabers, so the reader’s reaction is more “ah, knew it” than anything else. Also without spoiling anything, Rae reacting to things, both for good and ill, is one of the highlights of this volume. Her lack of confidence in herself deep down comes up here again, even to the point where she’s surprised that her children show her as much affection as they do Claire. It helps to make the climax of the book have even greater impact. The fight scenes are also nifty, with lots of cool battles that would look great animated, hint hint. And let’s also pour one out for poor Lilly, who is fantastic here and absolutely gets shafted by the narrative, because that’s what the narrative has to do. Ah well.

If it sounds like I’m not saying much, that’s because I really want the impact of the reveals here to surprise the reader. Trust me when I say you won’t regret it. This was an excellent finale to the series… but I’m also very happy we’re getting She’s So Cheeky for a Commoner in the next few months.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian!: Royal Academy Stories – First Year

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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.

While we have gotten short stories at the end of each volume of Bookworm from the perspectives of the people in the cast who are not Myne/Rozemyne, it’s nice to have an entire volume that does not feature her at the center – in fact, a lot of these stories revolve around her absence. Instead we get a sense of what the Academy is supposed to be like for people who are not Rozemyne, and how she really is just tearing through everything like a bull in a china shop. There is political wrangling about tea parties, political wrangling about sports, and literal assault as a romantic overture. One thing I will note: everyone who said “I still hate Wilfried” as we went into the 4th arc should read this, as you really do feel bad for him. That said, anyone who hated Traugott will find only things that make you hate him more. I can’t believe he was once engaged to Best Girl.

Many of these stories are from Hannelore’s POV, and indeed the collection itself came about as the author wanted to find a place for the web-only Hannelore stories that didn’t fit into the main books. I can sum most of them up as “Being Hannelore Is Suffering” and leave it at that. There’s also a long story from the POV of Rauffen, the ditter-obsessed housemaster of Dunkenfelger, and how he proves to be much more on the ball than I had anticipated. And we get a wonderful story with Angelica, showing how even if she wants to serve Rozemyne for the rest of her life, she still has to realize what that actually means (though she also proves more emotionally adept than I had anticipated at handling the temple servants). And there’s Hartmut, as we see the short story that had been referenced before in the 7th book of Arc 4 (this volume came out in Japan before that one), and it’s a lot of fun.

I’d argue this is pretty essential reading even if it’s just short stories without Rozemyne in them. The discussion of ditter and what it was originally meant to do, as well as the changed made to it, forecast an ominous fate for the knights if there is, say, a civil war. The most ominous short story is the one with Ortwin and his sister Adolphine, who had been expecting a relatively easy and happy engagement, but thanks to Rozemyne’s intervention and the power of True Love, is going to get one that’s far less easy and far less happy. The words “I’m screwed” do not pass her lips, but they drench the text, and I think this is also going to play out in future volumes of the main series. And we also learn that even if she may only be 11 years old and look like she’s 7, Rozemyne is still a hot item, which helps explain why she got a rushed engagement. Powerful people want her in their duchy.

As with most short story collections of large series these days, this came out awkwardly after the books that refer to it. I assume that’s the usual rights issues and contract stuff. Still better than Re: Zero, which relies on “no, we’re not doing these volumes, just read the wiki to figure out who this is”. Thankfully, we have it now, and it’s a great read for Bookworm fans.

Housekeeping Mage from Another World: Making Your Adventures Feel Like Home!, Vol. 2

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By You Fuguruma and Nama. Released in Japan as “Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu: Boukenchuu no Kasei Fugyou Uketamawarimasu!” by Ichijinsha Bunko Iris NEO. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hengtee Lim.

I remember thinking after finishing the first volume of Housekeeping Mage that it was a lot darker than I had really expected. But I noted in my review that the story did its level best to try to have the trauma and abuse of our heroine be in the past so that it could be a cute romantic novel. That said… there is still the past trauma and abuse, and that comes to the fore here in the second volume, where we go into more detail about Shiori’s struggles after being isekai’d to this world (we still don’t know the reason) and we go into much greater detail about her time with her previous party, who were all such good kids… AT FIRST. And, well, bad things happen to her here as well. It’s just volume 2, so I’m OK with this, and it’s quite well written. I do hope we’ve sort of turned a corner, though. It can be cathartic but also exhausting to read.

As Alec and Shiori return from visiting Rurii’s family, they are beset upon by a snow wolf. And then, later on, three snow wolves. This is very unusual, they tend not to attack humans without a reason. They then arrive at a nearby village and find the reason, which leads to a huge battle between 60-70 wolves and only a few knights and adventurers. Unfortunately, during this, Shiori is badly injured, and this triggers memories of her past adventure party, to the point where she’s almost delirious with fear that Alec will abandon her. From this we also learn about how her party self-destructed so badly, and who was the mastermind behind it. Oh yes, there’s also a torture brothel involved. That said, this *is* still a romance, and by the end of the book Alec and Shiori are essentially a couple, and resolving to reveal to each other their secret backstories.

I am slightly optimistic that the worst of this is behind us, mostly because the narrative makes it textually clear. By the end of the main story, Shiori’s old diary detailing her travails since arriving in this world up to her abandonment has been burned, and the records showing exactly who was behind everything and why have also been burned, thus literally allowing her to start over fresh. Not admittedly there’s still Alec’s past, which is also touched upon here, and we also don’t know the reason she’s even here at all. But the summary of the next volume, while it implies bad things will be happening, at least says they’ll be fresh new bad things. And the romance between Alec and Shiori really is sweet. I could have done without the brothel subplot entirely, though, to be fair, which mostly seems to be there to show off what a bad guy the bad guy was.

So yes, I’m going to be reading more. I like the leads, I like Shiori’s slime, I like the supporting cast who aren’t evil, and honestly the ones who were evil are all dead now. Let’s hopefully move on.

My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World, Vol. 3

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By Tamamaru and Kinta. Released in Japan as “Kajiya de Hajimeru Isekai Slow Life” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Linda Liu.

Still enjoying this series, don’t get me wrong, but it’s time I face up to the face that I am skimming a large chunk of it every time simply because I really don’t care one jot about the Blacksmith Life part of this book. There is just so much detail about how to make swords correctly, knives correctly, and katanas correctly, including hilts and scabbards and the like. And of course we also get to hear Eizo talk a lot about how he’s using his cheats too, so these are essentially IKEA blueprints that contain the S. Harris punchline “then a miracle occurs” halfway through the process. It is a BIG chunk of every book, and I think the series would benefit from less of it, even if it means sacrificing a bit of the slow life pacing. Which gets a bit of a kick in the pants in this volume anyway, as halfway through Eizo is called out to help with a monster subjugation that turns nasty.

In the first half of this volume, we essentially get the same thing as the second half of Book 2, only with the elf replaced with a demon. Nilda recently suffered a crushing defeat battling against a mere human, and the mere human had a very familiar sword. Now Nilda wants a sword of her own to challenge her, so basically stakes out Eizo’s hometown till she runs into him. What follows is a lot of slow life sword building and all the girls admiring Eizo’s muscular blacksmith body. After this, Marius asks that Eizo go monster exterminating with them, so that he can repair the swords and armor when they’re broken in battle. This battle ends up being more personal than he expected, as he runs into the elf Lidy, who just left his shop with her own magic sword. She’s here to help them take out the main monster boss… and avenge her brother.

I gloss over it a bit in these reviews, but this is still very much that genre of “a harem series without any actual sex or even kissing” that is so popular in Japan. Nilda clearly likes Eizo. By the end of the book, Livy has gone back to his shop and moved in with everyone. We meet a young woman, Frederica, who is in charge of logistics and can best be summed up as “small insecure accountant” but also clearly is in love with Eizo by the end of the book. Hell, it’s implied that the Queen of the Demons has taken a liking to him as well, and the flashforwards we occasionally see very pointedly say he has a wife but never say who it is. This book is written for folks who love seeing a man surrounded by a dozen women but who will be making precisely zero moves. I know this upsets some light novel fans.

Still, it is what it is. It’s slow life, adding girls one by one, and smithing. So much smithing.

Nina the Starry Bride, Vols 1 and 2 by Rikachi

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Nina the Starry Bride Volumes 1 and 2 by Rikachi

I’m really bad at buying digital volumes of manga and then totally forgetting to read them, but I got a new tablet recently so I’m hoping to start getting caught up on some digital series that have been out for awhile. Nina the Starry Bride is likely one of those series that I would have glommed onto immediately if it had a print release, but I’m coming to it a bit late.

Nina the Starry Bride Vol 1

Royal duplicate plots are fairly common in fantasy manga, but Nina the Starry Bride is a solid example of the genre, helped a great deal by charming and detailed art. Nina is an orphan with unusual blue eyes who has found a family of sorts with a couple brothers. They spend their days hiding out and stealing occasionally to support themselves. When they fall on hard times, Nina is betrayed and handed over to slavers and her unusual eye color leads to her being recruited to be a stand-in for a recently deceased princess by the amber-eyed Prince Azure.

After some initial resistance, Nina works hard to develop her knowledge of etiquette and ability to behave like a princess. As only Azure and a few trusted servants know her secret, Nina grows closer to the second prince as she learns more about the royal family. Azure has a younger brother who is the acknowledged heir, a snarky stepmother, and his mysterious father is king. Nina and Azure share a certain loneliness, and it is nice to see how they begin to open up to each other. This series is fairly fast-paced as by the second volume Nina has a strong grasp of geopolitics and decides to save Azure, even though he’s attempting to prevent Nina from being sent off to a neighboring kingdom as part of a political alliance.

Rikachi has attractive character designs, with Azure looking particularly cool with his standoffish manners and asymmetrical earrings. Nina shifts from orphan to princess, and the lush detail of her life in the palace contrasts with the sparseness of her previous life. While Nina might not have the royal background of the people surrounding her, she’s true to herself in a way that makes it easy for her to deal with the political and family issues that she she encounters. While the elements of Nina the Starry Bride aren’t used in a particularly novel way, it is overall a strong fantasy manga that should appeal to fans of Dawn of the Arcana