Tags: Action, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, School Life, Isekai, Villainess
Sub-Tags: Otome, Game Elements, Politics
Cover Illustration for Volume 1
Synopsis:
Yukimura Rina is an overworked twenty-something systems engineer who’s dangerously close to her breaking point. Her only comfort is an otome game with a charming side character, the brother of the villainess, who soothes her weary heart. She gets so hooked that she forgoes sleep and ends up blacking out…only to wake up inside the game as the villainess, Ekaterina. She’s now the little sister of her favorite character! Her new brother Alexei is handsome, kind, and responsible—the whole package. Rina, now Ekaterina, would be happy just staying by his side, except for one little problem. If she allows the game to run its course, she and her brother are headed straight for a terrible future! Can Ekaterina overcome the doom flags that threaten her new family and the empire, while also preventing Alexei from working himself to death? (Source: J-Novel Club)
Navigating Death Flags and Brotherly Love!
Written by Chidori Hama and illustrated by Wan Hachipisu, J-Novel Club’s latest title follows on from an earlier manga release.
Goodbye, Overtime is the latest in a long line of light novel releases focusing on the Otome genre. Following a Japanese businesswoman as she wakes up in the body of famed villainess, Ekaterina, her journey takes the form of many others within the genre as she attempts to quash a series of doom flags to stop her own downfall. The twist? Both she and her brother are major brocon/siscons.
Despite using an unusual gimmick, however, there’s more to this series than meets the eye.
Chidori’s Otome series is equal parts competent and well-written, ultimately creating a story with surprising depth. From the very start, the author’s seasoned penmanship is put on full display as they immediately add background to the game world.
This is displayed best when looking at Ekaterina, the villainess. The motivations behind her original obsessive behaviour towards the prince are made clear with scenes taking a closer look at the emotional abuse and isolation she and her mother suffered at the hands of the family’s matriarch. This informs Rina which direction to take Ekaterina for a journey of redemption and doom avoidance.
As the story continues, it also becomes clear to see that even the series’ main gimmick has extra layers. Originally played for a few laughs, the deuteragonists’ unusually close displays of affection evolve into a more down-to-earth sibling relationship. Through thick and thin, they’ll always protect each other, and their more over-protective nature stems from the two of them being all that’s left of their family.
Finally, what helps this series stand out in a crowded field, is giving Ekaterina more grounded reactions to the fantastical and horrifying aspects of the world.
For the volume climax, a monster attack threatens the academy. Not out of place for an Otome series, the experience between in-game and real life are miles away, and the Japanese businesswoman side of Ekaterina shows this. Even if you’ve experienced the scene hundreds of times within the game, it’ll still bring you on edge considering your life is on the line, and it’s something that series within the genre tend to neglect. The resulting scenes provide a fresh sense of realism that most series often miss.
For its opening instalment, Goodbye, Overtime provides an offering that goes beyond the generic setting and seemingly gimmicky twist. Key to this success is the author’s seasoned writing skills and clear focus for fleshing out the original game world. Most important of all, however, is how the author has turned a quirky plot device into the heart and soul of the series. By volume’s end, it’ll be all but guaranteed that you’ll be rooting for Ekaterina and Alexei to escape their doom and create a new and exciting future for each other.
Goodbye, Overtime! Vol. 1
My Rating: 9/10
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You can read the first volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
A woman reborn, Crown Princess Luxeria is derided as a doll, beautiful and docile. But that’s merely the mask she wears. Powerful magic courses through her veins—magic that can corrupt hearts, erase memories, and pluck one’s innermost thoughts from the air. After years of being confined to a tower, she is finally set free…only to become embroiled in a grand conspiracy that kicks off with her parents’ murder. Thrust onto a tragic stage of love and betrayal, she will play her part to perfection. (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)
The Doll Princess’ Revenge!
From the same author that brought us The Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter comes the newest light novel series from Seven Seas Entertainment featuring revenge, tragic romance and kingdom-building.
Personal Vengeance
Revenge can be a difficult theme to manage. A balance of catharsis and believable motivations, it’s a theme that, on the whole, The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles navigates adeptly.
Key to this successful navigation is the volume’s central revenge act – Luxeria, the protagonist’s revenge against those who murdered her parents. Acting as a puppet ruler over the novel’s first half, it allows the revenge plot to build bit by bit. Throughout, her façade allows her to plan secretly gathering allies, leading to the perfect moment of catharsis as Luxeria reveals her true intentions in a bloody wedding sequence. It’s well-focused and staged, helping to feed into Luxeria’s prized narrative as the cold-hearted queen.
Unfortunately, the rest of the volume’s subplots aren’t so well-focused.
Romance and a Revenge for the People
In the case of the volume’s climax, the focus is taken away simply due to the novel already having peaked. Going one step beyond a personal vendetta, she takes her plans to stop the kingdom’s bureaucratic decay and create a system that helps both commoners and the nobility equally. A fine concept in practice, unfortunately, it falls foul of the fact that not one member of the nation’s ministry holds a candle to her power and, therefore, barely feels like a threat.
As for the series’ romantic subplot, the problem stems from an overall lack of connection between the series’ two romantic leads. Beyond a small flashback, Luxeria and Wilhelm barely speak more than two words to each other throughout the entire volume. As a result, I find it difficult to connect with their love story, and what’s more, I barely find it believable that she would use her abilities on him in a way that could endanger her entire motivation as ruler.
Fortunately, the theme of friendship is one subplot that offers some light at the end of the tunnel. The relationship between Luxeria and Alicia is the only link that the protagonist doesn’t sever from their childhood years. Offering a very different side to Luxeria from the ruthless ruler, their fun-loving moments together come as a welcome tension-breaker. Although, even this subplot suffers from a few holes. Explaining a plot point as being happenstance isn’t exactly a favourite of mine.
To conclude, whilst the story’s central revenge plot is well-focused and delivers the perfect amount of catharsis, this positivity doesn’t extend towards the rest of the story. A less-than-stellar climax and an underdeveloped romantic subplot mean that I won’t be picking up the sequel in the series.
The Evil Queen Vol. 1
My Rating: 6/10
If you like what you read and what I do, why not consider supporting me through Ko-Fi. Any donation helps keep this site up and keep me writing.
You can read the first volume of this series physically and digitally through the distributors listed on the Seven Seas website.
Topping off the trilogy, the climax of the Revolutionary Reprise saga proves the old saying – saving the best for last.
Reaching the point of the start of the revolution on her original timeline, the third volume finds that Alicia and her country haven’t come out of the woods just yet. In fitting for a series climax, the final volume is filled with twists, turns and tension as the journey delivers antagonists, political and systemic.
More than anything else, however, this volume delivers on character. This volume feels like the culmination of Alicia’s developmental journey throughout the trilogy. In a story that sees the empire plunged into turmoil, it forces Alicia to take the final steps toward becoming a ruler. Powerful in her own right, this volume sees her use her abilities to act as equal to the empress as well as talk two neighbouring nations out of war.
Alongside Alicia’s standout performance, Charlotte and The Prince get their moments in the spotlight. Both breaking tropes, their journeys of emancipation see them take very different paths throughout the volume.
For Charlotte, this journey is one of betrayal. Despite her admiration of her father and her lovesickness towards the Prince, she’s still able to stand up for what’s right, an act that sees her help Alicia, thus betraying the ones she loves.
For the Prince, this journey is an attempt at lashing out. With a mother who’s regarded as all-powerful and constantly being compared to her achievements, the Prince’s act of defiance is a way for him to move out from under her shadow. Damaging though the act may be, it eventually gets the job done.
For those looking for a complete villainess saga, this series is highly recommended. 4.5/5 stars.
The Romantic Finale For The Blue Rose Princess & Her Adviser!
After the eventful visit to Erdal, Princess Alicia finally confesses her feelings to Clovis. The two savor a short-lived period of bliss—but memories from Alicia’s previous life suddenly plague her, etching the fear of losing Clovis deep in her heart. Resolved to prevent his death, Alicia hatches a plan, only for it to create a rift between the new couple…?! How will Alicia’s revolutionary reprise end for her, Clovis, and everyone they’ve worked with throughout the years? (Source: Cross Infinite World)
The Princess’ Problems in Erdal!
Saving the best till last, the final outing of Revolutionary Reprise ramps up the pace as Alicia and Clovis close in on the tragic events that led Alicia to wake up in the past. Revolving around the relationship between the Kingdom of Heilland and the Empire of Erdal, it sees the series’ titular romantic duo trying to catch a traitor willing to start a war for the sake of unification between the two nations.
A True Future Queen
A step up from the author’s previous writings, the plot of the third volume makes for a tense read. Successfully employing numerous twists and turns, it proves to the very last page that Alicia and Clovis’ happy ending is a hard-fought affair.
With her citizens and even the Empress under threat from the unionists and their malicious schemes, facing off against members of the empire’s highest nobility forces Alicia to put all her previous training into practice and don the role of a future queen. In this plot, all of Alicia’s previous interactions and development over the past trilogy come into play here as she uses wit, cunning and intelligence to ensure a peaceful solution that doesn’t end in all-out war.
Alicia’s interactions with the Empress are particularly noteworthy. As conversations between a present leader and a future one, they show how far Alicia’s come to be able to gain approval about becoming a future queen.
Clovis also gets his own moments to shine throughout this volume. Whilst getting more in touch with his emotions makes for good progress, his best moments come as he proves himself every bit a match for the princess. By the end of the volume, it only takes a few words from Alicia for Clovis to know what to do.
A Usurper in the Empire
As for the usurper’s side, thanks to some quick thinking on behalf of the story’s heroes, it culminates as a trial. The Prince and Chancellor Yggdrasil are revealed to be behind the plot. A short-lived alliance, their different reasons for wanting reunification end up being their undoing.
The prince and Charlotte steal the show in these segments partly due to the final touches of development being added to make them complex and nuanced characters. In this volume, Charlotte moves away from the typical light novel Otome heroine archetype. Despite her lovesickness and admiration for her father, she’s still able to break away from their moments of folly and act alongside Alicia for what is right.
At the same time as Charlotte, the Prince finally reveals his full character. Long held under the shadow of his mother, his need to break free and accomplish something beyond the powers of the Empress is understandable and makes for a natural progression for his character. His eventual repentance also makes sense as a result.
Overall, the climax of the Revolutionary Reprise saga makes for a solid ending to this tragic romantic fantasy. Including a final plot filled with twists and turns and a set of nuanced, complex characters, it’s a series that is highly worth checking out.
Revolutionary Reprise Vol. 3
My Rating: 9/10
If you like what you read and what I do, why not consider supporting me through Ko-Fi. Any donation helps keep this site up and keep me writing.
You can read the third volume of this series digitally through the distributors listed on the Cross Infinite World website.
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Slice of Life, School Life, Villainess, Shoujo
Sub-Tags: Spirits, Cute, Personal Growth, Weak to Strong
Cover Illustration for Volume 2
Synopsis:
The Smallest Spark Can Grow into a Fire
When Prince Joseph broke off his engagement to Brigitte, her life was shattered—but meeting Yuri helped her start putting it together again. The two may have started off as rivals, yet the more she learns about him, the more she’s come to appreciate him…Unfortunately, Joseph is ready to turn everything upside down again, suddenly attempting to reinstate their engagement. Brigitte is far from eager to go back, but her relationship with Yuri is getting complicated. Not only that, but it seems her weak, no-name spirit might be something else entirely…! (Source: Yen Press)
A Villainess’ Spirit Awakens!
After picking herself back up from a broken engagement, the second instalment of If the Villainess and Villain Met follows Brigitte as her whole world is about to change.
It Peeped!
Unwilling to address the cliffhanger left over from volume one, the series’ sequel begins with new developments regarding Brigitte’s spirit. Above all other aspects of the story, segments surrounding spirits inject the most of Brigitte’s personality within them, hence why it continues to be the story’s strongest aspect in this volume.
Developments appear thick and fast as Brigitte’s magical powers transform, eventually inviting a spirit. As a result, the novel’s first half finds the series’ protagonist searching for personal growth as Brigitte is forced to confront her past and future.
The future offers a lighter side to her development. It is signified by her blossoming romance with Yuri, which has no shortage of cute moments. Confronting her past takes a more serious approach. These scenes find Brigitte forced to overcome her traumas, which remain raw and vivid. Her memories describing when her hand is put in the flame are especially poignant.
As for the spirit awakening itself, it adds some entertaining moments of comedy to the series. Brigitte’s spirit takes the form of a small chick that likes to peep away and cause all sorts of chaos.
Prince (Not so) Charming
The Prince Joseph question is eventually answered in the latter half of the volume. Determined to get Brigitte back, this plot line follows a similar path to others in its genre, as Joseph’s motives turn out to be less than pure. Joseph is obsessed with Brigitte due to his perceived notion that she’s the only person who’s more of a failure than he is.
For as cutesy as this series portrays itself, this segment turns out to be a rather unpleasant read. Prince Joseph’s cruel and vindictive behaviour feels out of place in a series as light-hearted as this one. It does, however, provide the series with some necessary developments for the future. Firstly, the romance between Yuri and Brigitte is solidified, and secondly, the event serves as the final key to unlocking Brigitte’s true spirit power.
Overall, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love’s second volume builds on the solid foundations laid in its opening act.
In addition to further exploring the world’s spirit magic system, the second volume finally gives the boot to Prince Joseph, allowing for the romance between Brigitte and Yuri to take centre stage.
If the Villainess and Villain Vol. 2
My Rating: 8/10
If you like what you read and what I do, why not consider supporting me through Ko-Fi. Any donation helps keep this site up and keep me writing.
You can read the second volume of this series physically and digitally through the distributors listed on the Yen Press website.
Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, School Life, Villainess, Isekai
Sub-Tags: Otome, Game Elements, Misunderstandings, Romantic Subplot
Cover Illustration for Volume 4
Synopsis:
Ellize gave her life to save Verner’s and rid the world of the witch for good—or so she thought! Unfortunately, while the poor people of the royal capital are grieving the loss of their beloved (fake) saint, the witch’s curse strikes again! A giant abomination that contains the darkest emotions of all the previous witches materializes and marches on toward Ellize’s final resting place. But who else can save Fiori from the strongest, most wicked foe in its history if not for its greatest (fake) saint? Bear witness to the true ending of Kuon no Sanka in the last volume of this thrilling comedy, followed by a collection of short stories! (Source: J-Novel Club)
The Fake Saint’s Final Threat!
Reaching its epic conclusion, the final volume of Fake Saint of the Year finds the cast of Kuon no Sanka facing their toughest opponent yet.
In the final volume, things aren’t looking good for the citizens of Fiori. The (fake) saint is dead, and the grievances of the saints throughout history have grown form into the most all-mighty witch. With their greatest light extinguished and tragedy and sorrow engulfing the world, who will save Fiori in its time of need?
The Brightest Timeline
The saint is dead…or at least she was for the first few chapters. After dying in battle upon defeating Alexia, the end of the previous volume left the rest of the Kuon no Sanka cast at a bit of a loss as the final boss, the witch of all witches, makes an appearance ready for the grande finale.
With a big final fight on the horizon, it’s understandable that the author didn’t want to keep Ellize dead for long, not that this was in any doubt given the series’ temperament. She’s able to return with the help of a little in-universe magic, and the fight between her and the amalgamation of witches constitutes the rest of the main plot.
Taking the part of a long, drawn-out battle, the fight between them is suitably epic and grand for a final climax. Over half the novel is dedicated to the fight and sees Ellize dig deeper than ever before. The actual finishing move, however, was sappier than I would’ve liked.
The Darkest Timeline
As for the rest of the volume, the pages are filled by two feature-length extra stories. Perhaps better placed in a .5 volume and the final fight added on to volume 3, they are strong entries into the series nevertheless.
The first features Ellize as she travels to the darkest timeline and one of the original endings of the game. A type of “have your cake and eat it” situation, it achieves Fuudo’s dream of pairing off Eterna and Verner. Additionally, it provides an interesting look at the Otome world without the overpowered version of Ellize.
The second story sees Ellize go back to Japan for a few adventures. Not as strong as the first extra story, it still gives some great goodbye moments between Ellize and Proftea.
To conclude, Fake Saint of the Year’s climactic volume manages to stick the landing, creating a series filled with action, comedy and tragedy.
My only gripes about the volume come from knowing that only half the novel is focused on the main plot and that some of the extra stories could have done with a change of perspective. A look at Alexia or Eterna’s new life beyond a single line wouldn’t have gone amiss.
For anyone looking for a new Otome or villainess series to get stuck into, this series shouldn’t escape your notice.
Fake Saint of the Year Vol. 4
My Rating: 8/10
If you like what you read and what I do, why not consider supporting me through Ko-Fi. Any donation helps keep this site up and keep me writing.
You can read the fourth volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
After defeating the god of evil, Yumiella has finally surpassed the level cap of 99. While this achievement ought to be a joyous occasion for a power-obsessed gamer like her, she can’t seem to focus on it with her marriage to Patrick just a few months away. When the reality of what a big, aristocratic wedding really looks like starts to set in, Yumiella realizes that while she wants to get married, she really doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of a whole ceremony. Impulsively fleeing home to clear her mind, Yumiella ends up in the neighboring kingdom, where she finds that the citizens are completely terrified of her. A mysterious man gives her shelter so that she can avoid conflict, but despite her best efforts, Yumiella finds herself entangled in the conspiracies surrounding a power struggle in the kingdom. How will she use her newly leveled-up Yumiella Strength to get out of trouble this time? (Source: J-Novel Club)
A Hidden Boss Goes Undercover!
Managing to defeat her double and a demonic dark entity, the fourth volume in the series finds that even the hidden boss has trouble in paradise.
As Dolkness County prepares for the wedding of a century, the latest release in the series sees relations between Yumiella and Patrick at an all-time low. After they get into an argument, Yumiella flees only to crash land into the roof of someone in the neighbouring kingdom. Thinking it’ll be a great place to lie low, the hidden boss’ hopes are dashed when the unfortunate crash victim’s owner is seemingly involved in shady conspiracies and the kingdom’s long-held aspirations for war.
Crashing Right Into the Action
Back to the usual antics, the story this time around gets going after Yumiella and Patrick get into an argument. Quite literally crash-landing into the action, our titular hidden boss becomes embroiled in plots and conspiracies alongside her flatmate, Gilbert, who looks suspiciously like Patrick.
Unlike previous volumes, the fourth in the series bucks the trend, opting for a lower stakes threat. The conspiracy in the Kingdom of Lemlaestia and the return of the heroine, Alicia, are all overshadowed by Yumiella’s powers going out of control. And even that’s fixed with a quick word from Patrick. In some ways, this story should’ve come before volume 3. With her powers going out of control, it would make more sense why Lemn and the God of Light would want Yumiella eliminated. Paralleled alongside an already out-of-control Yumiella, it would serve as a wake-up call for her on the dangers of levelling up too quickly. Unfortunately, placing it afterwards feels like the volume was meant to fill in a gap for the next arc.
While the plot is underwhelming, what has soured me about this series a little bit since its previous entry is the way the characters treat Yumiella. They’ve gone from seeing her as an overpowered but lovable goofball to seeing her as this ever-present threat. Whilst the latter has always been true of those who don’t know her, this latest volume has seen the change of attitude occur in those closest to her.
Given Yumiella’s overall strength, this strong reaction is expected when she meets strangers, but not from Eleanora and Patrick. As her closest friends and the ones who’ve known her the longest, they should know her intentions. So, when they come to see her new power-up as a threat, it comes across as a little cruel and mean-spirited. I hope this is leading to something rather than the new norm between them.
Despite the convoluted entrance into the plot and its lowered stakes, there are some moments of joy to be found throughout. The interactions between Yumiella and Gilbert are a lot of fun. Cut from the same cloth, the dance of misunderstandings that alludes to the fact that they’re badmouthing each others’ real identities works well within the comedy of the series. Furthermore, Alicia’s return is handled well. After a year in prison, her newly acquired erratic behaviour is to be expected given her circumstances.
To conclude, whilst the same loveable antics can be seen throughout the volume, I can’t help but be underwhelmed by the overall plot. Add to this the new direction in which characters close to Yumiella treat her, and I can only hope that this volume is a blip in the road.
Villainess Level 99 Vol. 4
My Rating: 6/10
If you like what you read and what I do, why not consider supporting me through Ko-Fi. Any donation helps keep this site up and keep me writing.
You can read the fourth volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
Following on from the celebration of all things that continued throughout 2023, with the second and final blogpost, I’ll be looking back at all my favourite new light novel series that were released throughout the year.
10) If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love
Cover Illustration for Volume 1
With the light novel market quickly becoming saturated by the villainess and Otome genres, you’d expect a level of exhaustion or quality drop to come into play. Thankfully, 2023 still managed to keep the high level of quality we’ve come to expect from the genre ever since they started coming to the West.
Marking the first of many from the genre to make my top 10 list of 2023, If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love takes the genre back to basics with a love story between two originally ill-fated characters.
Whilst a series of this calibre wouldn’t normally make the list, I was surprised by the story’s overall solid writing and in-depth spirit system, placing it well above average and well worth a read.
9) Lovestruck Prince! I’ll Fight the Heroine for My Villainess Finacée
Continuing with the villainess theme, this next title, released at the start of 2023, saw the genre come full circle.
Managing to make it to ninth on the list, Cross Infinite Worlds’ Lovestruck Prince follows the misadventures of Prince Vincent as he fights anything and everything that gets in the way of the romance between him and his supposed villainess fiancée.
Besides the promise of a cute, fluffy rom-com, which is right up my alley, the series combines a fresh twist to the genre alongside some interesting mystery elements. These positives also continue into the novel’s sequel, which gives the villainess of the story the spotlight.
8) Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord
Completing the list of villainess light novels, for now, Villainess Level 99 makes it to eighth place on the list and the first to have had an anime on the series air or airing.
The story follows the tumultuous tales of Yumiella. Born as an Otome game’s hidden boss, she’s determined to keep out of the main game’s events, but this turns out to be a harder task than expected after discovering she’s at level 99 – one of the strongest humans on the planet.
Unlike the two previous Otome entries on this list, Villainess Level 99’s strength is drawn from its comedy. This series is filled with hilarious, memorable moments as Yumiella is drawn into increasingly crazy events and situations. Moreover, this series also features a cute romantic subplot, which serves as a nice bit of icing on the cake to this villainess kerfuffle.
Approaching the list’s halfway point and the next entry marks a change of genre.
Written by Fuurou, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects falls into the category of a cutesy, slice-of-life story. Taking place on seemingly barren plains, the story sees Dias, the protagonist, learn to adapt to life after the war and attempt to grow his newly acquired territory.
Being one of several fish-out-of-water fluffy episodic adventure series, The Frontier Lord manages to stand out from the crowd and earn a place on this list through strong writing with a comedic undertone, a natural-flowing family dynamic between the main cast, and a well-developed tribal setting.
6) I Guess This Dragon Who Lost Her Egg to Disaster is My Mom Now
Earning its place at sixth and just missing out on a top-five spot, the next series on the list features a unique family dynamic.
I Guess This Dragon Who Lost Her Egg is a heartfelt story filled with betrayal and mystery. Following Lushera’s recent reincarnation, the story depicts the protagonist’s new life of danger and discovery as she learns to grasp what it means to be the child of a dragon.
Whilst this series is filled with interesting scenes of action and mystery, its interactions between the human child and dragon mother earned it a place on this list. From their early moments filled with miscommunication as two different species come to terms with one another to their eventual understanding and mutual fight on the mountain, their relationship is depicted with wonderful clarity.
Making it to the top five is a late arrival on the scene. Released at the end of December, Finding Avalon marks the first alternative Japan title to make the list.
Mixing a plethora of dungeon-crawler and mystery aspects, the story follows an avid gamer as he’s reincarnated into the game’s most hated character, Piggy. Faced with a world filled with unfortunate game events and an all too real in-game conspiracy, he’ll have to level grind like never before if he’s to protect both himself and his family.
Of all the new series I’ve read this year, this one shocked me the most. On paper, this series would have me running for the hills, but I was pleasantly surprised at how all the aspects of the series came together. A detail-orientated author, complex character dynamics and motivations beyond the usual harem antics make for one of the most engaging reads of the year.
Just missing out on a spot in the top three, The Crown of Rutile Quartz represents another late arrival onto the 2023 light novel scene – also premiering in late December.
A real culture shock affair, it’s a novel that focuses on a bastard son’s journey from everyday commoner to a nation’s prince regent. Half political drama and half war story, the first instalment of the series details Slaine’s troubled ascendancy to the throne as he soon discovers the true depths necessary to become a successful royal.
What makes this series one of the year’s highlights and deserving of a place on this list is how clear the author’s vision for the series was right from the word go. It’s a masterclass of balancing the themes of love, war and politics with the end product, creating a story where all the characters feel naturally human.
Reaching the top three, and finally, we’ve arrived at the brass tax section of the 2023 light novel celebration. Winning the bronze award is The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey. A new title from Yen Press, it’s a story that mixes adventure alongside human drama.
Gaining a third chance in life, the story’s premise revolves around the newly summoned Setsuna. Having spent most of his life in a hospital bed, Setsuna is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the world after another hero offers up their lifeforce to him. What follows is a journey of self-discovery, of meeting new people, and experiencing new places.
What made this series worthy of a spot in the top three – the author’s innate talent for writing characters. Complex, flawed, and always engaging, they make the fantasy world of Setsuna’s Journey come to life as a vivid spectrum of lived experiences.
2) Butareba – The Story of a Man Turned Into a Pig
My silver award winner and series narrowly missing out on the top spot, Butareba, is one that many may dismiss simply through seeing its title.
What at first seems like another gimmicky, weird reincarnation story soon unfolds into an interesting mix of dark fantasy and mystery. Following the story of a man unfortunate enough to eat a raw pig’s liver, it sees him reincarnate into the body of a pig under the care of a Yethma named Jess. Any illusions that this may be a comfortable second life for him are soon shattered, however, when he discovers that this world is hiding a cornucopia of dark secrets.
Beyond its slightly raunchy style of comedy, the series reveals an ever-twisting mystery that I couldn’t help but place high on the list. Dark, powerful and emotional, it fits alongside the developmental journey of Jess and Mister Pig completely, leaving you raw from the tragic decisions they must make by the volume’s end. It’s a series that perfectly encapsulates dark fantasy without making it too edgy.
1) Fake Saint of the Year: You Wanted a Perfect Saint? Too Bad!
Cover Illustration for Volume 1
Reaching the crème de la crème, the apex of the new series in 2023, and for me, there could only be one series that wins the coveted gold award – Fake Saint of the Year!
The general premise of the series follows the hijinks of a man reincarnated into the body of his least favourite character from an Otome game, the villainess Ellize. Given this unique opportunity, Niito decides to use this twist of fate to enact some of the wrongs of the game and enact a happy ending between his favourite characters, Verner and Eterna. Unfortunately, even as the strongest fake saint in history, he can’t predict the strange mysteries that lie within this fantasy world.
Comedy, mystery, romance, tragedy; this series has it all. Honestly, this series has no business being as good as it is. Cooking up deep philosophical questions alongside raunchy comedy and deranged otaku fantasy creates a story of pure magic that all light novel enthusiasts should check out.
JP Cover Illustration for Brunhild the Dragonslayer Vol. 1
2023 has been a busy year for fans of light novels. With more series than ever being licensed and in more genres than ever before, sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of all the different series being released, especially the ones earmarked for the future.
Bearing that in mind, and whilst I take a little bit longer to compile my own lists of my favourite new and continuing series of 2023, here’s a short list of series that I’m looking forward to with a release date for 2024.
(Please note that I haven’t added any series from J-Novel Club to this list because I’m reading their newest licenses in pre-pub format, and it wouldn’t be fair to add them to the list when I’ve already started to formulate an opinion of their general story already)
1. The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles (Seven Seas Entertainment)
First on the list is the newly announced title from Seven Seas Entertainment, The Evil Queen’s Beautiful Principles.
It was a toss-up whether to pick this series or Reincarnated as the Hero’s Friend for this list, but what clinched it for me was that this series is written by the same author as Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Reia. Given the well-thought-out story of the former, I’m intrigued to see how the author will tackle a series filled with revenge and royal schemes.
2. Rich Girl Caretaker (Monogatari Novels)
Cover Illustration for Volume 1
Moving away from revenge and royalty, the second series I’m looking forward to in 2024 is the rom-com Rich Girl Caretaker.
One of the premier titles from fledgling publisher Monogatari Novels, this long-running title, originally published by HJ Bunko, follows the misadventures of Itsuki as he ends up hired to look after one of his rich classmates, Konohana Hinako.
Having already read parts of the manga for the series, I’m looking forward to seeing its zany comedy come to life in novel format.
3. Brunhild the Dragonslayer (Yen Press)
For the final title on this list, we turn to Yen Press and the slew of titles they’ve announced over the year. Of these titles, however, the one that caught my attention the most is the Dengeki big-hitter, Brunhild the Dragonslayer.
Not knowing much about the series, I find myself putting it on the list simply from the hype it generated amongst light novel fans. A dark fantasy revolving around the concepts of revenge and justice, sign me up!
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You can check out any of the series I’ve mentioned in the post by following these links:
Tags: Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, School Life, Villainess, Shoujo, Isekai
Sub-Tags: Otome, Game Elements, Misunderstandings
Cover Illustration for Volume 4
Synopsis:
Another school year begins! This time, Mary’s friends from Elysiana College join her at Karelia Academy for an exchange program. With crybaby Parfette, icy Carina, and ambitious hunter Margaret thrown into the mix, Mary’s life becomes all the more boisterous. But her lively routine is swiftly interrupted when Veltina, a younger girl from the exchange program, swoops in and starts doting on Adi! Veltina openly loathes Mary, taking every opportunity to bully her. The girl’s cheap tricks remind Mary of her in-game self and shake loose yet another insight: Veltina is an original character from the Heart High anime! Could Veltina have past-life memories too? How will former villainess Mary deal with this targeted harassment? And why does a strange dark mist swirl within her chest whenever Veltina embraces Adi? It’s enough to make poor Mary fear that her heretofore blissful relationship with Adi may be headed through troubled waters for the very first time… (Source: J-Novel Club)
Lady Mary and the Curious Case of Indigestion!
Lady Veltina and Lady Mary
Having found her happy ending, my latest review catches up with the cast of Young Lady Albert as someone seems set to tear the young lovers apart.
In the series’s latest instalment, Lady Mary suffers an about-face, discovering what it is like to receive petty harassment and bullying. As her friends from Elysiana join the academy in an exchange program, their reunion is cut short when someone else on the program steals the limelight. A junior member of the exchange, Lady Veltina creates ripples, openly doting on Adi and treating Mary with copious amounts of venom. Whilst her treatment of Mary amounts to little more that childish tricks, her open affection towards Adi causes an awakening of strange feelings within Mary.
As the story of the Heart High anime begins, the novel’s main plot follows the conflict between Lady Mary and Lady Veltina. A hilarious ordeal to add to Mary’s growing list of oddballs, it finds her at the mercy of all manner of childish tricks reminiscent of what the original Lady Mary would do.
From silly name-calling to committing faux pas on guest invitations, Lady Veltina’s actions can be shooed away with little more than admonishment or just ignoring her.
Indigestion or Jealousy
What can’t be easily shooed away, however, are the feelings brought about by Lady Veltina’s constant fawning over Adi. Serving as the major conflict of the volume, the plot forces Mary to come to terms with her true feelings for Adi.
At first, fearing that it might be a serious case of chronic indigestion, it is through her friend’s tireless work that she’s able to face up to the truth of her jealousy. This results in a much-needed outpouring of emotion from Mary, similar in style to the one given by Adi only two volumes previously. Moreover, with each other’s feelings laid-bare, it puts both protagonists on equal footing within the relationship emotionally.
After a previous volume, which mainly consisted of side stories, I’m glad to see that the latest edition of Courting Disaster is a fantastic return to form.
Much in the same fashion as the series did with Adi in the second volume, the story of the latest outing forces Mary to come face to face with the depths of her feelings for her beloved husband.
This comes to pass through the use of Lady Veltina. A handy mirror into her own past, her constant doting on Adi makes Mary realise a horrible future where she and Adi are no longer together. No longer content in merely watching the drama unfold, for the first time, she truly has to fight – a move that inevitably makes their relationship stronger.
Courting Disaster Vol. 4
My Rating: 8.5/10
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You can read the fourth volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.
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