Navi's Ranobe Blog

Onmyoji and Tengu Eyes: The Tale of Kushinada’s Vengeance - LN 4

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT

There will be major spoilers throughout this post, because honestly we're already so far into the series and I want to talk about some parts that require spoilers.

First of all, I'm a physical collector for these books, and this is the first book where I waited to buy the physical release before reading it. Because I waited for the physical, I noticed right away that this book was slimmer than the other books. After finishing the book, it's apparent that this is because the whole story was split into two parts, which is kind of annoying. It probably could have fit into one thicker volume, but capitalism prevails, I guess.

The last volume covered Ryouji's past with his sister, and a great "conclusive" feeling to the stories of Ryouji and Misato. However, the author clearly knew that she wasn't done, as this volume dives heavily into the emotional states of Misato, his friend Hirose, and others.

The premise is as follows: In a neighboring town, there's a cursed mask used in Kagura dances that breaks containment, and ends up possessing a distraught, downtrodden man. This possession causes the man to attempt to seek vengeance on the people he believes have wronged him (hence the subtitle of the book: "The Tale of Kushinada's Vengeance"). The Tomoe City Abnormal Disaster Unit is brought in to investigate and recover the mask.

While previous cases have been relatively on a smaller scale, this is a big one. The havoc caused by a supernatural entity posessing a flesh-and-blood human being means that everyone can see and be affected by this person, not just supernaturally inclined folks like Misato. This entity presents a real physical threat, and that changes how everyone operates. The characters must learn to rely on non-powered staff and officers to help them in their efforts to subdue the mask, which I thought was a fresh idea.

The story also addresses Misato's mental health, as although we have seen him overcome much in this series, real trauma and the subsequent self-loathing/coping mechanisms that might arise from it doesn't just simply disappear. The care that Ryouji shows Misato in this instance shows that the two have evolved from simply "landlord and tenant" to a much closer relationship, as if it wasn't hinted at before.

Also, as a supporter of the Ryouji/Misato ship, I feel like while previous volumes might have had very wink/nudge casual ship bait for the two, this was the first volume where I felt like it was seriously subtext to the main plot, and a shame that this series wasn't officially a BL series. Super spoilery thoughts below:

<spoiler-block>

It's been confirmed previously that Misato's snake familiar, Shirota, is really just another facet of his soul. When he is heartbroken by another person's rejection of this snake side to him (though they couldn't help it due to ophidiophobia, the phobia of snakes), it wounds him deeply. Shirota ends up leaving Misato's body and refusing to rejoin him, even crying to Ryouji due to perceiving Misato's hatred of snakes (self-loathing). Ryouji reassures Shirota that he'll always love him.

And after that, there's a scene where Misato confesses that he has had (and continues to have) suicidal thoughts due to his existence as a cursed entity and his past. Ryouji handles this in the most green-flag way possible, insisting that Misato tell him about that whenever possible. Ryouji however, doesn't simply insist that Misato suffer alone.

"When that day comes, tell me. Don'tcha dare try to leave on your own. Wherever we go, we go together--so don't up and leave me." (Page 160)

What follows is level of physical intimacy that we've never seen between them before, where he strokes Misato's back right where Shirota (the snake) enters his body. Shirota re-entering Misato is not even an analogy, he LITERALLY feels whole when he's around Ryouji. He feels safe, taken care, and acknowledged for who he truly is (half-human, half-spiritual-snake entity?).

There's even a cute scene afterwards where he notices that Ryouji is actually really handsome while they're bathing at an onsen together (meaning that he's starting to catch feelings). What is this if not the beginnings of a true romantic relationship????

</spoiler-block>

It feels like the author really wanted to pursue that angle, but also didn't want the series labeled as a BL series either.

Despite the relatively shorter book and the lack of a conclusive ending (it will follow in a 5th book it seems according to the afterward), this was another great book with thoughtful characters and interesting commentary on the nature of human relationships. There's no date for the English release of the next book, but since the 5th volume released in Japan in May 2025, and the 4th book only released in November 2025, hopefully the next book is coming soon.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Vol. 3

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

This book came out in March and I only read it just now (whoops). To be fair, I'm reading the physical versions, and I'm waiting to make bulk orders so I can make the most of existing discounts and free shipping. Being a light novel fan is not cheap, especially when the books are so short.

This volume was all about Kim Dokja thwarting the efforts of a group of people known as "Oracles" who are basically other readers of the original "Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse" series. As we've always known since the beginning of the series, Kim Dokja is the only true fan of the novel, and everybody else has very incomplete knowledge of future events.

Because everyone keeps messing with the events of the timeline, Dokja has to find a way to eliminate the Oracles before they skew the timeline into one where Dokja can't predict the future. I'm just guessing here, but is Dokja really just aiming to replicate the winning sequence of events from the last loop, with an early loop Yu Junghyeok? I don't think his plans are that simple, given that he probably has different goals compared to Junghyeok. My impression of the original TWSA is that it wasn't a particularly happy ending, so there must be a better one that Dokja can accomplish right?

This volume was also heavy with Korean history and culture, and it had me googling quite a bit. There are explanations for who and what these historical figures/constellations are, but understandably, it's all new to me. Japanese culture and history has had quite a long time to introduce and familiarize audiences with key historical figures like Oda Nobunaga and the like, so I presume these figures are just as prevalent and famous. I would have appreciated some additional footnotes, so we could know as much about them as the average Korean reader.

The ending of the 4th Scenario was so surprising, I can't wait to see where this series goes next. The mystery of "real" people turning into "characters" is also compelling, and I'm hopeful about more hints in the next volume.

Also, a spoiler-filled guess about the future: <spoiler-block> Is it the throne of an Orwellian/Cthulu like being? </spoiler-block>

The next volume is out July 21st, which is not to far away. Yen Press has consistently been releasing these at the pace of 1 book every 4 months, and I think that's pretty brisk, all things considered. Let's not think about the fact that it's going to take 6 years to finish this series off 😅.

By the way, one of the things I like to do after finishing each ORV volume is to rewatch this video: "badly explaining all of omniscient reader in 6 minutes" by ferd up till where I've read. It's really fun to understand those parts of the video after having the full context of the events. Seeing the oracles explained as a bad book club where nobody finished the book is hilarious!

Lord of Mysteries: The Clown Part 3 - Vol. 3

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I finished this book yesterday and still needed some time to get my thoughts together. I've already seen the donghua (anime) for this series, as you might know, so it's not like I didn't know how the Clown arc was going to end. I saw it coming. But it still hurts a lot.

This entire review will be spoiler filled for both the book and the show, sorry it's not possible to discuss the finer details without them. I won't be blacking them out like I usually do either, so this is your warning.

Over the course of these three books, we've spent a huge amount of time with Klein, and varying amounts of time with other side characters such as the other members of the Tarot Club, and even single one-off characters. There were certain events that played out minor differences in details in the show, such as the timing of when Old Neil goes berserk, and how much we get to know about the other members of the Nighthawks. You can feel how close Klein becomes with the Dunn, Leonard, and Neil, and how they build their comradery. That makes the tragedy all the worse for it.

Lord of Mysteries is a series that luxuriates in the small details. Most people who don't appreciate this approach probably dropped off in the first book, but this volume was the one that truly rewards the reader for paying attention. Little inconsistencies like Klein forgetting to use his spirit vision with Megose, his luck with Beyonder cases/encounters, and Trissy's getaway from the Nighthawks all culminate in a disastrous outcome, where nobody could have stopped what was about to happen.

The power of Ince Zangwill's artifact 0-08 is not to be underestimated, and we find out that there was a mastermind to many of the unsolved crimes in Tingen. He has targeted Dunn the entire time to try and orchestrate the circumstances where he could steal an important artifact from the Tingen Nighthawks.

There are three really important points that the book makes that I'm surprised the show left out.

Although potion ingredients are rare, most organizations are quick to fill out their lower ranks of Beyonders and happily give out potion ingredients for lower sequences. It's implied that this is because when Beyonders die, there's a "Conservation of Ingredients" that occurs, where there's a random chance of a higher level ingredient or artifact spawning upon death. This is is why they're hesitant to spread the known method of stably digesting the potions.
The above information is common knowledge to Derrick, who is from an unknown location, presumed to be the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
The Tarot club is highly unusual because most organizations contain members of neighboring sequences. Klein's group doesn't focus on any singular pathway, which makes it really hard for authorities to track. Of course, the police are pretty quick to catch onto there being a leak of information, but they have no idea where it's coming from.

Many of the events involving Alger, Audrey, and Azik in Backlund were left out of season 1 completely, which is astonishing since it's clearly part of the buildup. There was an important villain featured in that "arc" called Hurricane Keelings, where an item was recovered as part of the Tarot Club's first "mission". It was exciting to read something I hadn't seen before, and I hope it gets adapted eventually. The show really did suffer from the lack of allotted episodes.

There was also a lot more characterization of the Tarot Club members, and even Audrey's associates (like Xio and Fors) that was delightful to read about. It really makes the world feel alive to see everyone's reactions to the same news and events.

The last part of the book, which involved Dunn, Klein, and Leonard against Megose/Evil Spawn of the True Creator was just as nerve wracking as one would expect. Due to how close Klein has become with his new family and colleagues, seeing him lose them all over again is doubly heartbreaking.

It's also interesting to see how Leonard's grief is portrayed here. In the show we see him sad for a few scenes before they display his conviction to become part of the Red Gloves and hunt down Ince Zangwill. In the book, we also see him mourn Klein and Dunn, and even go through the process of delivering the news to Klein's family. It feels kind of mean to say, but I didn't realize how much Dunn and (especially) Klein meant to him until this moment, where he feels lost and hopeless in their absence.

Klein's goodbye to his family is equally upsetting. He has to see them off with a smile in the guise of a clown, because he was already buried with funeral rites.

This was a fantastic end to the first "episode/arc" of the Lord of Mysteries series. I love this series and these characters, and I can't wait for Volume 4 to come out on September 8th, where we're starting the "Faceless" arc.

The Ninety-ninth Dawn | Tsukumo no Reimei [LN 1-4]

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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One of the first blog posts I ever wrote for this blog was for Dawn of the Mapmaker, Volume 1.

This is a book that had an immediate impact on me, and one that I gave 5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the first volume, and hoped that the Cross Infinite World would finish the series, since it was only 4 volumes long (pretty short, considering how long light novel series usually run). I even emailed them, and received a reply that they still planned on continuing, but were waiting out of respect for the original artist (Monokubo) who unfortunately passed away.

After 3 years (and considering that the English volume 1 was published in 2018, it's been 8 years) of waiting, no official English volumes were forthcoming. No announcements of subsequent books ever materialized. I can only assume that the series wasn't continued because it wasn't a big seller, which makes me sad. This is a truly special series, and I hope to convey that in this post.

I always wanted to continue reading this series, but my Japanese ability isn't sufficient for reading full length novels. I contemplated machine translation, but the outputs 3 years ago were brain-meltingly clunky, so I decided against it.

Well last year, a Japanese publishing company called Publishing Link announced an official ebook release of the series, with all new cover art and additional cast illustration. I was super excited, and was eager to read it someday.

Well considering the advancements in AI and machine translation, I decided to give it a shot! I bought the ebooks and then ran them through a translation service (I've detailed my methods in a separate blog post).

To my surprise, while it still wasn't as good a proper professional translation, it was still readable and understandable. I read all four volumes this way, and want to talk about my impressions of this series. Keep in mind that I read a machine translated version, so if I get any major details incorrect, it's because of that (lol).

Recapping, this series is about a girl named Unen who has advanced mapmaking abilities taught to her by her adoptive father, Hereh. Hereh is a fugitive who disappeared from the village 3 years ago, fleeing from pursuers who were looking for him. After being approached by two mysterious adventurers named Ori and Mouru who are tracking Hereh, Unen decides to cooperate with them in their search for Hereh, and find out why he decided to flee all those years ago.

As I've stated previously, from the outset this is a very different series in the light novel space. There are no game mechanics, no isekai, and no wish fulfillment. While there is magic, it feels mostly low-fantasy. It's gritty, and not afraid to tackle dark, emotionally complex subjects. Oddly, in terms of "vibes", the closest comparison that I could draw is to Apothecary Diaries.

Unen, Mouru, and Ori travel to places while tracking Hereh, and help some people along the way using a combination of their abilities. Mouru is a sorcerer/mage, Ori is a strong swordsman, and Unen has her education and childlike appearance. These are very dynamic characters that are fun to follow, and they endear themselves to the reader very quickly. Throughout the series, you see the three of them grow much closer, as they learn to trust one-another and their unique abilities.

The plot is a little slow in the beginning, but it picks up by the end of the 2nd volume. By the 4th, I couldn't even put down the book, it was that gripping. The world-building is also great! There are many twists and turns that I was surprised by, and it's a joy to discover the world at the same time as Unen.

Please believe me when I say that this series is deserving of your time and investment. There were several moments where I teared up, only wanting happiness for these characters. The story that's delivered over the 4 volumes is great, and I'll be thinking about it for a while.

Now that the non-spoiler reaction is out of the way, onto spoilers! Beware since I'll be spoiling the entire series. Go read and then come back! 😊

<spoiler-block> I could NOT have anticipated what the story would end up becoming, and I'm genuinely shocked at the direction of this series. The method it takes of introducing scientific and sci-fi concepts slowly in the low fantasy setting was fun, and it had me guessing the entire time until the truth was revealed. The fact that even the title has deeper meaning when you think about it's relation to the series makes me regret CIW's choice to localize the book as "Dawn of the Mapmaker". Tsukumo no Reimei (or The Ninety-Nine Dawns / Ninety-ninth Dawn) really is a fitting title.

There are so few light novels that explore sci-fi, so I'm excited that this series went that direction. I'm honestly still not clear about how the magic abilities work, given that the sources of magic aren't really gods as we would think of them? This is probably one of the areas where I suffer from reading a machine translation, since these concepts are integral to the plot but not very well explained with a pure literal machine translation.

Another thing I want to comment on is the relationship between Unen and Ori. I was hardcore shipping them already in the first volume, but when the plot was pushing them into a more sibling-type relationship, I was so convinced that my ship was sunk. Then the ending happened where Unen said that she loves Ori (and everybody else) and now my ship is sailing for real 😎. Mouru knew what was up the entire time, that's why he was teasing Ori, which is hilarious.

I love the found-family between these characters, and the feeling of belonging that they bring to one another. My dream is that this series receives a complete English translation, AND a manga and anime adaptation. I truly believe this series is a diamond in the rough, just waiting to be discovered. </spoiler-block>

Lout of the Count's Family Vol. 7

Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Another action-packed volume from start to finish. Most of this volume focuses on the aftermath of the battle at Death Canyon, including Raon's developmental fever and Cale's brush with death regarding his Ancient Powers.

Even though it was a bit of a fake-out (plus Cale is always giving everyone around him heart attacks), the author used this moment to really flesh out some of the side characters emotionally. Cale's crew is a true family, and it hurts them to see Cale sacrifice himself for the greater good, even though that's definitely not what he's doing (according to him). This will probably serve as a catalyst for everyone to get even stronger than before, so that they can protect their leader.

The most notable thing in this book (for me) other than the ongoing political movements and wartime strategies are that this is the first book where I think it's made really clear to the audience that Kim Roksu's previous life in Korea was not as ordinary as we may think. I appreciated getting these previous glimpses, because honestly I had the wrong perception of what kind of person he is.

Maybe it's due to the influence of Japanese Isekai, but the main protagonists of those stories tend to fit into a certain stereotype: unassuming, unassertive, mob-characters, etc. I had the misconception that Kim Roksu's life was basically similar to other isekai protags, but with the added tragedy of being an orphan, hence why he read quite a few webnovels. I was honestly thinking that he was similar to Kim Dokja from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (though I've only read 2 volumes of that so far).

Yeah, I was definitely wrong, and it makes sense in hindsight that someone this competent would obviously have real-world experience in managing an organization. That and other details about the Korea that Kim Roksu left behind only bring up more questions than answers, and I hope that this series will answer those eventually.

The Twelve Kingdoms – Sea of Wind, Shore of the Labyrinth [LN3]

Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

While the first two volumes of The Twelve Kingdoms focus on Youko's story, this volume covers a character we haven't met yet, a young boy named Kaname Takasato. We learn that Kaname is actually a Kirin (Kirin of Tai, AKA Taiki) who was meant to be born in the world of the Twelve Kingdoms before being mysteriously transported in a storm, born in Japan instead. After 10 long years, his caretakers rescue him from Japan and bring him back to his rightful home and place.

This is such a heart-rending book. Taiki is a victim of familial abuse, and is desperate for love and affection. On top of that, he's thrust into this strange world and tries his best to live up to everyone's expectations as a sacred Kirin whose job it is to select the next ruler of Tai. The poor boy doesn't want to disappoint anyone, especially not his new caretakers who are lavishing him with attention.

As I've mentioned previously, I've already seen the anime for the series, and I was intrigued while reading to spot any difference in the plot. To be honest, the anime stays pretty faithful to the book, other than some necessary cuts to exposition about the characters' feelings on certain plot events. Since this book predates Youko's story by about 6-7 years, It's interesting to see characters like Keiki and Enki in a slightly different light. Keiki especially gets a lot of development in this book, which is interesting since he actually doesn't appear very much during Youko's arc.

Because Taiki is a Kirin, we have a lot of opportunity to see the more fantastical elements of the series. This world is fascinating, and I always love learning more about it, harsh though it may be.

That's it for non-spoilery thoughts, but I want to talk about anime/novel differences, which requires spoilers below:

<spoiler-block> Since it's not easy to include exposition when adapting the novel to screen, one of the plot details that got lost was Gyousou's feelings about meeting Taiki. We can tell just from Taiki's reactions that he feels something around Gyousou, and that he's desperate for him not to leave at the end of the Ascension to Mt. Hou, but curiously the anime left out a small detail. Gyousou explains that he doesn't take loss lightly (especially since Taiki hadn't sworn fealty yet) and is leaving both the mountain and the service of Tai as a General of the Forbidden Army (what a sore loser lmao). This makes sense since he's quite prideful, but the novel adds some additional flavor.

"Even as he was filled with wonderment, a lingering feeling of regret reared its head. He could not abide his own unwillingness to leave the Kirin behind, and so he pushed himself to descend the mountain as quickly as possible." (Page 322).

Why leave this part out? It bring up SO many questions. Do Kings feel some unconscious mystical pull towards their Kirin as well? Or is this just personal feelings on Gyousou's part after spending a scant few days with Taiki (he's very lovable that kid). This also relates to how Keiki's first King (Queen Joukaku) ended up falling in love with him to both her and her country's detriment. Why was she chosen to begin with?

Another change between the novel and the anime is the ending of the arc, where we actually see Taiki and Gyousou work on administrative tasks together, as well as Gyousou's coronation. We see that Tai has serious cash flow issues, and Gyousou gets to work right away cutting unnecessary expenses. The anime already spoils the fact that Taiki ends up back in Japan after just a year, so what happened after Gyousou's coronation? We have no idea, and it's not revealed in this book at all. I'm sure we'll circle back eventually, and the country is totally stable without Taiki 👀 😅 </spoiler-block>

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill - LN 3-4

Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Volumes 3 and 4 cover most of what was shown in Season 2 of the anime, which I watched first. Mukouda gains another familiar, a pixie dragon that he (unfortunately) decides to name "Dora-chan" (seriously Mukouda even I could probably think of a better name than that) and they explore the dungeon in Dolan and travel around some more.

Since the anime played these plot points pretty faithfully, there's not a lot that I can comment on about how they're portrayed in the novel. There's little tension here as we know that Fel is much stronger than any living creature we've met so far, and Fel, Dora, and Sui easily clear a dungeon and defeat anything that comes their way. Honestly, Mukouda's hardest task is having variety in their meals, and satisfying everyone's gargantuan appetite.

It's interesting that the anime chose to leave out the entire plot surrounding the 3 highschoolers which were summoned, where they're nearly forced into slavery as the kingdom's pawns. This is one area that I thought was really interesting, as we see the "dark" side of this fantasy world, where Mukouda's prescience as an adult really shines. He really did a good job getting out of there as fast as possible after realizing how tenuous the situation was. There's even an interesting alternate scenario included in the bonus content for Volume 4.

We see little flashes of the same malicious intent in the nobles and the king of the country of Merveille, where Elrand's insistence that it's a bad idea to interfere with Mukouda gets the king to leave him alone. Fel would raze the entire country to the ground for interfering with his tasty meals.

The gods are, of course, annoying and funny at the same time. He is making money hand over fist, and their demands are only going to get more expensive. I wonder how he could possibly keep up with their lifestyle inflation? Especially when it comes to alcohol, where rare bottles can get ridiculously expensive. Then again, Mukouda's skill is "Online Grocery", so there's an upper limit to what he can purchase online (probably has to be mass produced and within purchasing power of a regular consumer).

Surprisingly, Season 2 actually adapted part of Volume 5 as well (not that I've read it yet) where they finally arrive at the ocean. I thought reading this series might get repetitive, but it's surprisingly easy to keep going. I can't get enough of Mukouda's heartwarming found family I guess!

The Water Magician: Arc 1 Volume 4 [LN4]

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Whoops I've fallen off on keeping up with this series a bit. It's pretty hard being a light novel fan sometimes, since I have so many series that I'm interested in. Between series where I've fallen behind, and others that are in constant hiatus (👀Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom), it's difficult to feel motivated to push new releases to the top of my priority, especially when the series is not at a climactic story beat. However, I don't intend to pressure myself into reading series I'm not feeling at the moment, since this is a hobby that I want to continue enjoying in the long run.

Anyways, at least I have more to read! This volume was super action-packed! Ryo's escort of Prince Willie ends as they finally make it to the capital of the Kingdom of Knightley, but before he even has a chance to relax, everything goes to hell in a hand basket and monsters descend upon the city. While the main characters are able to stay relatively safe, the author shows no mercy towards side characters who end up brutally getting murdered by the invasion.

Between that and another encounter later on in the book, the stakes are now increasing, as there are foes that Ryo can't simply kill and be done with. It's good to see Ryo actually have issues that he needs to deal with, since it would be a pretty monotonous story otherwise.

<spoiler-block> I was especially shocked seeing Ryo lose his arm to Leonore. I knew Ryo wasn't stronger than her, but I figured it would be more of an even fight. I was genuinely worried he was going to lose it permanently, but I should have known he would come up with a way to treat himself. I hope the author doesn't just forget about this injury, and takes it into account for Ryo's future battles. </spoiler-block>

Anyways, all kinds of new elements and characters are being introduced into the story, and I appreciate that it's not the same bog-standard isekai story beats that one would expect (though Ryo misses those and wishes it would play out for real).

Abel and Ryo continue to have a hilarious dynamic with each other, but isn't Ryo picking on Abel too much now? I get that he's comfortable around the guy, but he should be nicer to someone who's essentially bankrolling him despite Ryo being independently wealthy.

Divine Incursions - LN 1

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis:

NEITHER GOOD NOR EVIL In this world, there exist divine beings beyond mortal understanding. To them, the concepts of morality mean nothing. From destructive physical manifestations to the manipulation of dreams and the distortion of the very fabric of reality, the gods continuously threaten peace across Japan. And humans are completely at their mercy. Agent Katagishi and his junior partner, Miyaki, belong to a secret government organization tasked with investigating supernatural incidents. It’s their job to handle cases involving deities and the dangerous humans who worship them. And in the midst of it all, Katagishi is determined to track down his missing wife, even if it forces him to confront a terrible truth…

I started this book in February and it took me till now to finish reading it. That's not to say that it's a bad book (it's pretty good), but the structure of this book sort of killed my flow for wanting to continue reading due to its episodic nature.

The front half of the book explores how our two main characters, Katagishi and Miyaki, investigate and report on several disconnected supernatural occurrences that happen and are attributed to gods. These events are called "Divine Incursions", hence the name of the books.

While I don't normally read horror novels, I am interested in supernatural investigation series like "Ghost Hunt", "Mysteries, Maidens, And Mysterious Disappearances", and "Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist", usually in manga or anime form. This was a first for me to read such a series in novel form.

I thought maybe I would have a tough time feeling "scared" since it's missing the visual component, but the opposite ended up being true. There were several moments that caught me off guard because the descriptions do a good job of selling the confusion and lack of understanding the MCs have for what they're seeing. They're in as much shock as the reader is, which sells the suspense even more.

Another thing that's notable about this series is that unlike the other works I mentioned previously, many of the incidents encountered in this book have no conclusive resolution or ending (sorry for the mild spoilers, but you find this out in the first case of the book). The main characters state many times that humanity is powerless against the divine, and can at best mitigate it's power by decreasing a god's influence slowly over time.

This was part of why I had trouble finishing the book. Unlike other series where plot points may slowly get resolved and build up to something more, many of the cases felt like a bucket of cold water. There was nothing for the main characters to do other than report what they've experienced. Luckily, there is more of a plot in the latter half of the book, and I would say it does end satisfactorily.

This volume felt very self contained, and the next book happens to be a prequel. From what I understand this is a 4(?) book series, so not overly long either. It's nice to read something different in the light novel space!

The next book is out on May 12, 2026.

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine - Vol. 2

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

These books are a decent length, but they go by so quickly when reading them!

In this volume, we continue following the machinations of Jiang Suizhou (JSZ) as he uses deception to survive the cut-throat political climate. Devastated by the harm he's caused his superior in the Rites department, he decides to do everything he can to save him from execution.

Politically, JSZ is always walking the tight-rope, pretending to be hateful toward Huo Wujiu (HWJ), ineffective against Pang Shao, and deferential to his incompetent older brother Emperor. It's a delicate skill and the intrigue of what would happen next kept me reading.

The other, arguably more important, part of the story is the relationship between HWJ and JSZ. This is the volume where they've thoroughly defrosted their feelings towards one another, and have started to earnestly trust each other in their schemes as true partners. I found it adorable how they slowly started to rely on each other emotionally, seeking validation and comfort when things wouldn't go to plan.

The two of them are fighting their own growing feelings for each other, and it's all ridiculously wholesome.

<spoiler-block> I also found it interesting that the narrative establishes that HWJ has always had an interest in men, while JSZ doesn't, but falls for the other anyways. I thought the narrative would have spent more time on JSZ maybe dealing with his new found feelings towards the same sex, but he doesn't really seem bothered by it other than the fact that he thinks HWJ doesn't reciprocate. I got the vibe that he may have had a historical/fictional crush on HWJ to begin with, even when he was a modern professor. That means JSZ is living out his historical romance dreams right?! 🤣

The assassination attempt at the end of the book was both surprising and totally expected, but it was amusing to see HWJ completely decimate the enemy. Seeing their little campout afterwards was also cute, and hilariously anti-climactic. </spoiler-block>

As much as I enjoy the political machinations, I appreciate that this book has tilted to focus back onto the main characters.

I was a little late on this post since the book released on March 17th, but the next volume is out July 14th, so we still have a decent wait.

Finding My Way to (You) in This MMO World - LN 1

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis

After his grandparents—the last of his family—pass away, Kariya finds himself free to discover what awaits outside the harsh confines of his remote mountain village. However, beyond its borders lies a world embroiled in the fires of war, and Kariya is conscripted into the army before he can take his first step toward freedom. It doesn’t take him long to realize the truth: this world is a near carbon copy of a game he played in his previous life. When his identity as a reincarnated player comes to light, Kariya is tasked with a perilous mission to escort Wald, a handsome prince disguised as his twin sister the princess, safely through enemy territory and back to the royal capital. But Kariya isn’t the only one who knows the secret of this world—and having the combat proficiency of a common NPC won’t keep anyone safe. Armed only with player foresight and the skills of an S-tier craftsman, he’ll need every ounce of cunning he can muster to turn the tides of battle and bring his prince home.

In many ways, I wasn't ready for what this book actually ended up being. I had certain expectations for the content given that it was a BL Light Novel, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised and quite invested. I was expecting a fun game-isekai tale that would probably have a very light touch of worldbuilding, just enough to move along the romance of the main two leads. Instead, what I got was BL "Log Horizon" with a touch of "Quality Assurance in Another World". If you've read or watched either of those series, you'll know exactly what I mean.

First of all, this volume is twice to three times as long as any normal light novel (140k words long!), and it makes use of that extra runway to fully expand on the first half the synopsis. We spend a long time getting to know Kariya and his exploits as a conscript in the army before he even meets the prince.

While the story is not shy about discussing how the "game mechanics" of the MMO translated to the isekai world, it astutely removes the "menu" aspect, leaving the characters to figure out and gather information based purely on their observation, intuition, and magic abilities. The magic system and tier ranking concepts are nothing new, but the way the characters interact with it was thoughtful and deliberate.

The story spends the time to build up this new world, and how although it's similar to the MMO that Kariya played in his previous life, that these are real people with real problems. The politics and difference in status between "NPCs" and "Transmigrators" is a key focus of the story, similar to Log Horizon. And similar to Quality Assurance, the story pulls no punches in how the increased abilities and status of transmigrators lead to their depravity and disregard for the people of this world.

Kariya is also a delightful character to follow. While he's naive about the world due to his circumstances, he's still a grown adult with years of experience, and an unselfish man. He's also oblivious to his own charm and good looks, which makes for some funny scenes.

There is some "questionable" world building in regards to how sex works in this world, but it wasn't anything so crazy that I haven't seen before in other series. Kariya starts the series firmly in the "straight" category before realizing that there might be more to his feelings than he initially thought. Also, this first volume is entirely chaste; Kariya and Wald are only starting to broach the topic of their relationship.

Overall, both the premise and execution of this series was great in the first volume, and I now understand why J-Novel Club has to split each book into 20+ prepub parts. Volume 2 will be published September 24th, 2026 and I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold on for that official release, or break and read the prepubs every week.

I would highly recommend this series even to light novel fans who aren't necessarily into BL. This series seems like it has a lot to offer.

Lout of the Count's Family Vol. 6

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

It took me a while to finally get started on this book, even though it came out in December. I was occupied with other series, but in a way I'm glad I read this closer to when the next volume will be out.

We've finally hit the war arc with this book. It started in the last volume with the battle in Henituse territory, but now we're truly in the middle of the war between the "Indomitable Alliance" and the allied countries of Rowoon, Brek, and Whipper.

This volume was action packed from start to finish, with several battles in different areas, one after another. There was hardly a dull moment between the fights on sea and land, between the shores of Rowoon, the desert of Karo, and Death Canyon. The author really showed their abilities here, as I was locked in trying to find out what happens next.

Cale's squad has been hiding their abilities for the most part, so it was exciting to see them display their prowess and finally be recognized for it in the outside world. Everyone is firing on all cylinders, and using their full range of abilities to try and win, and it's fun to see how the outsiders realize that Cale is a force to be reckoned with, just by virtue of his family. Of course this comes with it's own set of issues, but those will be dealt with in due time, I assume.

There was also the additional hook of finding out what's really going on with the Eastern Continent, and that "mini-arc" was a welcome break between all the ongoing battles. We've always known that Cale was much more suited to be a "villain" and it was funny to see it displayed here. Good thing he's on Rowoon's side!

<spoiler-block> Raon Mir also finally entered his 1st growth spurt, and is out of commission for the Death Canyon battle. We already know that the 1st one doesn't involve any visible changes on the outside, but I'll be curious to find out how he will adjust to being not so cute and cuddly shaped anymore when he hits his 2nd one. Maybe he'll learn a way to transform his shape early on so he can continue to be babied by Cale. </spoiler-block>

Anyways, next volume is out March 3rd, 2026, so I won't have long to wait!

The Wicked Princess and Her Twelve Eyes: The Legendary Villainess and Her Elite Assassins [end]

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis:

Betrayed and framed by the crown prince, one woman gets a second chance to avoid death and exact her revenge in this action fantasy light novel! From the author of Who Killed the Hero? and When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne.

Lady Serena was betrayed by the crown prince, framed for a crime she didn’t commit, and executed by poison. But instead of dying, she wakes up in the past with a second chance—and this time, she’s not playing nice. After all, the so-called “murder” she was accused of was just a little misunderstanding! Looking back, Serena realizes her downfall wasn’t due to poor scheming but a lack of competent underlings.

Determined to rewrite her fate, she recruits a group of desperate orphans and puts them through ruthless training, forging them into the most lethal, fanatically loyal elite force the kingdom has ever seen. Armed with her deadly entourage and sharp wit, Serena is ready to crush anyone who stands in her way. In this thrilling, cutthroat adventure, a morally flexible villainess seizes her second chance—not for redemption, but for revenge.

I've heard of this author from their now more famous work "Who Killed the Hero?", but I've yet to read that particular novel. Since "Who Killed the Hero?" got such rave reviews, and this one got some pretty good reviews as well (for example, from A Case Suitable for Treatment), I was kind of interested and decided to check it out from my library.

I would say it's mainly a dark comedy about a villainess who barely manages to turn it around in their next try at their current life, kind of like Mia from Tearmoon Empire. Unlike Mia, whose true personality is more bratty than it is actively malicious, Serena Rosenberg is actually as wicked as you might expect a villainess from an otome noble-school dating sim game to be.

Unsure of why she regressed, she plans to get her revenge for sure this time, by levelling up her powers and gathering minions to do her dirty deeds.

Although Serena is legit evil, and her poor minions have to rise to the challenge of becoming competent squires by undergoing a Garp (from One Piece)-like approach to training, it never really felt that serious. The closest comparison I can give is how Ainz from Overlord is legit evil, and the floor guardians of Nazarick worship him and his decisions, to comedic effect.

Serena's squires aren't as brainwashed as the Nazarick denizens (barely), and maybe that's for the best. She would have had an easy time taking over the kingdom otherwise. It was also interesting to see her squires grow from their weaknesses and develop into truly competent individuals.

There are several plot twists at the end, which I won't spoil here. Overall, it's a complete oneshot with no plot threads hanging, and is worth the short read.

Buying You on the Day You Were to Die [end]

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis:

“I’d like to buy your time—for two hundred thousand yen a month.” For Sakata, the winter of his junior year brings nothing but loss. His mother is dead, his useless father is gone, and each day nearly costs him everything he has left. Then a young man named Nishikawa approaches him with an offer—and generous pay that could give his mother a proper funeral. However, the deal comes with several bizarre conditions that Sakata must meet: go to school every day, get into the same university as Nishikawa, and lastly, act like his friend until the end of their contract. As their bond deepens, the two boys starved for love must face the question neither dared to ask: Can a friendship built entirely on money turn into something real?

Just by the title and synopsis, I knew this book was going to be a tearjerker, and it certainly was. It's a pretty short book too, so I was able to read it in one afternoon. Due to its length, the story only really develops the two main characters, Sakata and Nishikawa, with little time given to anyone else.

There is some brief development of Sakata's best friend, Toyota, but it's mainly to juxtapose Sakata's new circumstances (and feelings of survivor's guilt) against his friend. Toyota is in a similarly dire position as Sakata, facing an abusive family without anybody to protect him. Meanwhile, Sakata was saved (monetarily and mentally) by Nishikawa's offer of hiring Sakata as a friend/companion. Nishikawa offers not only financial freedom, but the solace and comforts of a real family.

The story is a deeply emotional examination of what it means to love someone (friends, family, significant other, etc.) without being about romance. There's no fairy-tale happy ending here, but there was significant character growth and emotional catharsis. There were several moments that brought me to tears, specifically: <spoiler-block> the moment where Sakata finally lets go and mourns for both his mother and Nishikawa. All the guilt, rage, and grief pent up over the years finally washes over him and renders him helpless. </spoiler-block>

I wouldn't call this a light read at all, and was actually curious whether it was actually a "real" light novel, since this book is very different from J-Novel's usual fare. When I researched it after the fact, I learned that the original publisher, Kadokawa Media Works Bunko, has actually shelved this in the "literary" category rather than "light novels" which makes a lot of sense given both the content and writing style.

I would recommend this book, though it might be prudent to be ready with some tissues!

Lord of Mysteries: The Clown Part 2 - Vol. 2

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

I feel like even though I just finished reading this book, I have a hard time gathering my thoughts about this volume. It can basically be summed up as follows: Klein does his job at the Nighthawks, digests his potion, and spends his "free" time scheming with the Tarot Club and getting up to no good.

That doesn't sound like a very interesting book, does it? Yet, I binged this book in a few days. Maybe because I've seen the anime already, I had fun reading and comparing it to what I've seen before. You can almost see the discussions the creative team for the anime must have had, such as "This character doesn't contribute much to the plot, let's cut them" (Poor Gawain), or "This idea is really funny, let's animate this one!".

There must be some Leonard Mitchell fans on the anime team, because they took a brief aside from Klein and turned it into an entire scene (of him falling down the stairs quite ungracefully). I thought he was particularly flirty in the show, but he really is just like that. I didn't really catch this from the show, but in the book it's clear that Leonard manages to build a sense of trust with Klein as they divulge a little of their own secrets.

I can see why people would complain about the adaptation though. While the show was quite action packed, the book explains in careful detail how Klein navigates cases with the Nighthawks and advances his own interests. Every small detail is builds up the mysterious atmosphere, and it sells not only how extraordinary the Nighthawks and other Beyonder institutions are, but also how vulnerable the regular folks of this world are.

For example, one gruesome detail is how if a family is too poor to bury the dead, they may resort to dumping their body in the river. In this world, this has a secondary consequence of causing the dead to become resentful and become zombies, wraiths, etc. It makes sense, but it makes the situation even more tragic.

I also quite appreciated the "slice of life" moments Klein has with his coworkers and family. Klein's welcome dinner with the Nighthawks was a pleasant surprise, and I'm sad it wasn't in the show: <spoiler-block> Leonard choosing to sit next to Klein just to steal his food is too funny. Only for Klein to to get hungry later and beg the captain for another plate, which he graciously agrees to. My heart just about melted! </spoiler-block>

There was some material that wasn't in the 1st season of the anime in regards to the introduction of a new character, so that was fun to read. Hopefully he has more involvement in the next book, as he brings a lot to the Tarot Club dynamics.

Another spoiler thought (Don't read unless you've watched the 1st season of the anime or read all of "The Clown" in the webnovel): <spoiler-block> The gall of the design team to put Ince Zangwill RIGHT THERE on the cover of this book, is crazy. He's hidden just well enough that you might not notice him on the cover, which is very fitting. </spoiler-block>

It'll be another long wait until May for Volume 3, and I just can't wait!

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman - LN 3

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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I decided to take a slightly different approach while writing this post. Instead of writing my thoughts after finishing the entirety of Volume 3 (both parts 1 and 2), I wanted to write about my thoughts on 3.1 while they're still fresh in my mind. I'll come back to this post and revise before uploading (so you'll just receive the final product!).

As usual, it's insane that this series's books are double the length of normal light novels. Last book left off with a cliffhanger of poor Karen getting kidnapped to another dimension. We finally find out the outcome of that, and how she manages to get out of that situation. We end up finding out that the house next door has a lot more going on than it seems, and ties to some of the ancient magic in the capital.

We also find out about Six's true identity, and get more world-building and development around the politics of the Empire, including the different factions jockeying for power and what Karen's role is in all of this. We already know that Reinald and Wilhelmina are the main people vying for the throne, but who picks which side and for what reason becomes quite the interesting twist. I didn't see this one coming, but in hindsight it was obvious it would turn out this way. I honestly felt just as blindsided as Karen was, which is probably not a good thing lol.

Since Ern is on the cover, you would be right to assume she plays a much bigger role in this book. We've known that there is actually high-level magic in this world, and both Ern and Six bring a perspective of what can actually be done when you have their level of prowess. I was glad to see more interactions between Karen and her friends, as the last volume felt (understandably) isolating. Karen is in a delicate position after completely moving countries and pledging loyalty to Reinald, and she doesn't have many true friends in the Empire who know what she's going through.

Both she and Ern really go through some major character development in Volume 3.1, and I was honestly shocked and impressed that Karen approached their hurdles in the manner that she did.

<spoiler-block> It's hard to accept that your friend may have played an integral role in the development of war technologies that led to the desecration of your land and peoples, but Karen handled the difficult subject as best as she could. </spoiler-block>

Overall, the first part felt a lot lighter and more slice-of-life-esque than I was anticipating, despite all the struggles and obstacles that continue to appear in Karen's way. Let's see what I think when I finally finish part 2.

Okay Volume 3.2 was crazy, but what's new for this series? After finding out that Karen was invited to the Emperor's birthday party, there's a mad dash of preparations made to make sure that she doesn't end up embarrassing herself, or worse, offending the Emperor at the party.

To be honest, the entire sequence with the party had me on edge. This series loves to give off the illusion that everything is going to be just fine, until all hell breaks lose. Volume 3.2 was the most nerve-wracking book yet.

The rest of my impressions are going to be spoilery since there's no other way to talk about them.

<spoiler-block> WHAT THE HELL. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. I AM NOT REMOTELY OKAY. Okay, so I was somewhat spoiled on what happens in this book since I accidentally read the synopsis of the next novel on J-Novel Club, but I had a misunderstanding since I thought Ern was going to commit some crime that deserved getting offed. But no, I'm just dumb and misread. It makes total sense that she would be working with Reinald to free Sixtus, and the whole side-plot with the Elder Mages trying to get rid of Ern is something Karen was afraid of this entire time.

But then that dumbfuck Emperor shows his "pure race" hateful ideology hand, and now I'm rooting for Reinald to kill that guy. Poor Karen barely got out of getting killed by navigating the situation so carefully (and Reinald showing up just in the nick of time to save her).

ERN .·°՞(≧□≦)՞°·. She didn't deserve to die, and I'm going to miss her already. I have to wonder if her last act of causing Karen to shoot her destroyed her brain enough to prevent the other mages from finding out her plans/knowledge? I guess we'll find out next volume.

The extra side stories did also show Karen come to the realization that she really does love Reinald, which is obvious to everyone but her. The scene between her and Ern on the way back from the party was really sweet and funny, and it seems like everyone already knows what's going on between Karen and Reinald except for the two involved. I'm also glad that Karen's love is not depicted as some crazy passionate feeling, just the quiet care of someone who simply wants to spend time with the other person. </spoiler-block>

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine - Vol. 1

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis:

An outrageous thesis has just hit the desk of esteemed history professor Jiang Suizhou. Dubiously sourced, it tells the story of the General Huo Wujiu, a man who was captured, incapacitated, and forced to serve as concubine to his enemy’s brother—the cut-sleeve prince. For three grueling years, the general lived as a prisoner until he escaped and sought vengeance against his tormentors.

Convinced the story is pure fiction, Jiang Suizhou brands the thesis a failure, that is, until he wakes up as the cut-sleeve prince himself!

Now, stuck lording over his concubine and prisoner Huo Wujiu, Jiang Suizhou only has one option to avoid facing the general’s future wrath: Ally himself with Huo Wujiu. Still, this strategy could backfire if Huo Wujiu were to get the wrong idea about his intentions.

Ever since this license was announced and I read the synopsis, I was hyped for this story. The premise is just so ripe for drama. In fact, that's what makes the main character, Jiang Suizhou, so incensed by the thesis that (may have) caused him to transmigrate.

While this is a danmei series, it seems like the other main focus will be on politics. The majority of the first book focuses on setting the scene. The main character has to navigate the current situation of being the scorned prince that is part of a weak, losing faction in the emperor's court. Not to mention that the emperor is totally unfit to rule, and will eventually cause the country to be taken over.

Amidst all this, Jiang Suizhou is trying to find his footing and survive in this era by making some unexpected allies. It's just that his actions and plans lead to a very funny "fake married/fake dating/fake lovers" scenario that he's trying to portray while trying not to lose his head. Except that everyone else in his household can see the real feelings that are starting to develop (as they usually do in stories with this trope).

The relationship between Jiang Suizhou and Huo Wujiu starts icy, but it very quickly starts to thaw. There are quite a few adorable moments, as well as some genuinely funny ones that had me cracking up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this first volume. I'm sure there will be more political machinations and misunderstandings galore in the future volumes (the series will only be 4 books long) which I will be eagerly anticipating.

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill - LN 1-2

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

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Official Synopsis

Mukouda Tsuyoshi was nothing special in modern Japan, so when he was summoned to a world of swordplay and sorcery, he thought he was ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Too bad the kingdom that summoned him only got him by mistake! Not only was he not one of the three summoned heroes, but his stats were laughable compared to theirs. On top of that, there's something really sketchy about this kingdom... "Ah, these people are the kind to try and use the Hero," he realized, and immediately left to make his own way in this other world. The only thing Mukouda can rely on is his unique skill: the "Online Supermarket," a skill that allows him to buy modern goods in a fantasy world. It's useless for combat, but if he plays his cards right, he could lead a comfortable life, maybe? At least, that's what Mukouda thinks, but it turns out modern food bought with this skill has some absurd effects! What happens when Mukouda introduces ridiculously tasty modern cooking to a fantasy world like this? He gets some ridiculous repeat customers begging for more...!

This is another light novel series that I basically "cheated" on by watching the anime first. (Is it cheating if this is what the anime is intended to do, drive sales for the novels?)

Anyways, I watched the first season when it aired in early 2023. I had a great time watching, as the show was a comfy iyashikei series about a guy whose isekai adventure consists of being a functional adult with cooking skills AND really cute pets. It's sort of in the same vein as Dungeon Meshi, without the underlying deeper plot (from what I can tell). When the second season was announced, I held off on starting the light novel, since I prefer watching shows first before diving into their source material.

I assumed that the anime would cover a good portion of the novels, but turns out I was incorrect. The first two books cover up until the 1st episode of season 2! For reference, there are already 16 books out for this series, so it's fairly long running. Does that mean there's some epic plot in the works? Probably not. The anime took the chance to shove tons of product placement into the show, and that's probably why it got a second season. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a third season in the future.

The fact that there's not some epic story is one of the series' core strengths. When you're weary from the absurdities of life, you want nothing more than to relax with some entertainment that heals your soul (hence the "iyashikei" sub-genre in Japan). It's interesting to see what the main character cooks using both ingredients from his world and the monsters native to this fantasy world. The world-building isn't too thorough, but it has a couple touches here and there to keep it engaging.

Mukouda, being an adult, instantly realizes after getting isekai'd that he probably shouldn't stay in the country that summoned him, since the officials were acting really suspicious. He leaves the country immediately, and we're introduced vaguely to the state of things. It's mostly a generic isekai-western fantasy world, with adventurer's guilds, dungeons, elves, and dwarves. So far, we haven't seen any crazy powerful abilities or technologies among the other non-monster characters, so it's relatively low-fantasy and low-stakes.

There is a mild progression, as Mukouda does gain some stats and abilities over time. However, the focus is firmly on the cooking and light-hearted adventures. In two books, he's already gained a Legendary Fenrir (Fel), Slime (Sui), and rare Pixie Dragon (Dora-chan) as familiars. He's already got quite the party, so I'm curious to see who might be added next.

This series is recommended, but not on an empty stomach!

The Twelve Kingdoms – Shadow of the Moon, Shadow of the Sea: Part 2 [LN2]

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

This is the second book in the series, but concludes the 1st "episode", which is Youko's story. At the end of the last book, we left off on Youko meeting a mysteriously large rat creature while on the verge of death. We finally learn more about this person, whose name is actually Rakushun and is a half-rat half-person (called a Hanjyuu in this world).

Meeting Rakushun becomes a huge turning point for Youko. She is unable to trust anyone in this world, but Rakushun becomes the first person to earnestly lend her aid without any malicious ulterior motives. Through him, we learn more about the world (literally, he's full of infodumps) while they travel together to Youko's next stop in the adventure.

Youko's character development is accelerated by meeting Rakushun, as he serves as a counterpoint to all her preconceived notions about this world. Of course, Youko continues to fend for herself when she has to, which is nice to see.

There's not much more that I can say about this book without spoiling the rest of the plot, so spoilers below!

<spoiler-block> I honestly thought that the anime did this part of the journey to En much better than the book, simply because they spent more time fleshing out the world not through infodumps, but real interactions between Youko and the citizens of Kou and En. She spends much longer in Agan trying to catch the boat, and she develops some life skills as well.

That said, I'm happy to report that the En-Ou and Enki are just as delightful in the books as they are in the anime.

It's unfortunate that much of the interesting "climax" gets cut out here, as we don't see Youko take the throne back from Jyoei. She saves Keiki, and the rest is basically hand-waived away. I guess Ono-sensei isn't too interested in showing how all that went down, since Youko's choice to become King of Kei is done by that point. </spoiler-block>

The next book isn't about Youko, but rather about Taiki and the country of Tai. This series is pretty famous for jumping around, but at least the next episode is a complete story in one volume. I've already got Book 3 in hand, but we'll see when I get around to reading it haha.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint - Vol. 2

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ORV books are like crack, honestly. I'm kind of mad at myself for starting the series from the beginning of the physical Yen Press release (and sticking to it), since there is just SO MUCH that happens in these books!

I'm also glad though, since it prevents me from bingeing the series and staying up late at night to keep reading. If I had multiple volumes to read, I would probably be finishing 1 book a day. It wouldn't even be that difficult, since each volume only contains roughly 50k words, which is on the shorter side for light novels.

After the events of the previous book, Dokja and company must now travel the subway and chase after Yu Junghyeok. Dokja intends to survive the trials to come by being on the same team as Junghyeok but that requires finding him first.

They arrive at Chungmuro station, and are then immediately thrust into their next "Scenario", or quest that they need to overcome. They have to survive hordes of enemies while fighting against humans who have their own motives, many of whom are willing to screw them over. Of course, this requires some violent actions when necessary.

There is also the introduction of a dungeon and dungeon boss with a very cool concept that involves movies, which I really liked. Dokja also has to go out of his way to save Junghyeok at one point, which leads to a very funny misunderstanding that causes people to believe that they're a couple. Let the shipping begin! (I already had my shipper goggles on ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

It's also great to see some development of the side characters, such as Junghyeok's disciple. We also learn that Kim Dokja has been through some major trauma in his life, though he refuses to elaborate on what exactly that was.

I'm sure we'll end up learning more, but it's clear that he really sees the "characters" in Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse as actual people, and he wonders how he will cope with some of the sins that he's committed. Technically, everyone who has survived has had to kill somebody, so in some ways it's just out of need. I'm glad this is addressed.

The side characters such as Sangah, Hyeonseong, Gilyeong, and Huiwon have really grown on me, and it's exciting to see their abilities continue to grow.

I'm reminded a lot of the Hunter x Hunter series, which had lots of "game" like scenarios and abilities that the characters had to overcome. This is such a fast paced series, and it even ended on a cliffhanger with another interesting "Scenario" quest to beat, this time in the form of capture the flag. Looks like Dokja will have to fight against some other scheming enemies, so I can't wait to find out how he ends up curb-stomping them (hopefully).

Volume 3 is out in March, and it'll be another long wait sigh.

P.S: Also, as an aside, since I'm reading the physical versions: I think the design with the cutout cover is really cool, but I also find it kind of annoying since I don't want to touch the inside illustration through the hole. While the design of the physical books is great, that's one unfortunate downside now that the novelty has worn off.

Lout of the Count's Family Vol. 5

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

With this volume, I'm finally caught up with the series! However, Volume 6 comes out on December 2nd, so I won't have long to wait.

This is the book where things are starting to move. Cale has been making preparations in the past few books for an invasion expected to come from the north, and we finally see things start to move on that front. He's made allies with the Whale and Tiger tribes, and even helped Rowoon establish an alliance with Brek, Whipper, and the Jungle.

Although I'm not certain of all the details, I feel like we're finally starting to get answers to some of the ongoing questions that I've had. Where are all the dragons? Who were the owners of the Ancient Powers, and why did they all know each other? Why do they (the Ancient Powers) like Cale so much? Reading this book felt like seeing just the tail of the cat that I've been trying to chase down a dark alley.

Cale also traveled to the North in this volume, and we get some worldbuilding on who these invaders are. As always, there are two sides to this story, and it's interesting to find out more about the other countries in actual detail. I wish there was a map included with this series, as it would help with keeping track of all the countries and alliances. I've been using the vague maps from the manhwa to try and visualize everything until now.

I appreciated the further development of the side characters in this volume, like Raon and Choi Han. Up until now, Cale's party has been pretty overpowered with their intelligence-gathering, political leverage, and capital. However, we finally see an adversary that has gone beyond their physical and magical abilities.

Cale no longer has the backup of future knowledge from reading Birth of a Hero, and he's even finding that some of the info may be wrong. I'm excited to see how he adapts to the twists and turns that come. We're in a proper war arc now!

Welcome to Monstrous Miss Sophie’s Enchanted Salon of Healing - LN 2 [end]

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

I finished this book two days ago, but I needed some time to gather my thoughts on this one.

This is the second (and last) book of the series, and while there are some patients that come by here and there, the majority of the focus is on Sophie and Kurt's relationship.

Kurt is sent on a mission to help subdue a dragon, and it's a life-threatening one. He leaves Sophie with the other half of his dog-tag, and promises to come back alive. This forces Sophie to come to terms with her true feelings, and promise to be truthful about them when the time is right.

Everything up to this point in the book was as heartwarming as you would expect. Sophie tries to heal other people, and the book spends some time showing that just because Sophie is able to heal people's "skin-deep" problems, they still need to work on bettering their own lives.

It's at this point that there were a few twists in this book that I have complicated feelings on. It's hard to talk about without spoilers.

<spoiler-block> We find out that Sophie's affliction is not caused by some auto-immune condition or any physical abnormality, so much as a messed up mana flow. There is an old apothecary/doctor who is pretty much the only one in the world who is able to see and fix such issues, and luckily he's visiting the town! All of Sophie's patients and acquaintances band together to find him so that he can heal Sophie. Once Sophie's mana flow is fixed, she heals her own skin with her magic abilities. So far, so good. A little cheesy, but an enjoyable plot twist. </spoiler-block>

<spoiler-block> This is not the part that bothers me. Later on, we find out through "hints" that Sophie's mother is the crown princess of a neighboring country who had to go into hiding due to a revolution. Once Sophie is healed, she doesn't just feel "normal" again. Her lineage has elevated her looks from "Monster" to "Helen of Troy" levels of beauty. Luckily, Kurt loves her anyways, and has always found her beautiful. </spoiler-block>

<spoiler-block> It's very fairy-tale like, and it's kind of a slap in the face when the series has been quite adamant about showing people with non-traditional features finding happiness in the end. The rest of the book is about other people finding out how beautiful Sophie is, and their reactions of being jealous of Kurt. Sophie gets her happy ending with Kurt, but Kurt never has to spend time supporting Sophie in the public sphere. We never see him stick up for her publically, because he doesn't have to. </spoiler-block>

<spoiler-block> There's also the implication that Raymond the Chef was the Olzon family's back up plan as a possible support system/love interest for Sophie. This is after they already scarred her for life with their meddling with Sophie's doctor in the beginning. What irks me about this is that as a reader, I felt that Raymond had burgeoning feelings for Sophie that would have bloomed if given time, even despite her never being "fixed". Sophie even has the beginnings of a crush there, so I feel like there could have been a natural development there, even without Kurt in the picture. Was there a need to show Sophie as some once-in-a-lifetime bombshell? Couldn't she just have been a sweet girl who finally finds the health and courage to step out into the open world, and finds people who love her for who she is? Not to say that isn't what the story represents, but I think Raymond represents these ideals better than Kurt in some aspects. </spoiler-block>

The story has a happy ending, but there's all these little hints that sort of distort the sweetness of the ending. I do find the exploration of Kurt as a neuro-divergent character to be quite interesting, but it feels odd that Kurt's mannerisms change completely once they both become a couple.

Is that just how people are when they're in love? I'm not sure. I really wanted to love this story, and I definitely did enjoy it, but I have some mixed feelings about some of the plot points. It was enjoyable nonetheless, and it's not too long either. I would still recommend this series.

Welcome to Monstrous Miss Sophie’s Enchanted Salon of Healing - LN 1

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Official Synopsis

Her powers may only heal skin-deep…but she’s determined to mend every wound with all her heart!

Meet Sophie Olzon, the only daughter of a wealthy merchant family, cursed from birth with a mysterious skin condition. With her rough, bark-like appearance, Sophie has been cruelly nicknamed “The Monstrous Miss” by her peers and bullied relentlessly at school until she could bear no more. Forced into isolation, she retreats to her family estate and dedicates herself to mastering her peculiarly weak brand of magic that can only heal surface wounds.

One fateful day, when Sophie nearly succumbs to the weight of her condition, a forgotten truth hits her—she once lived a life as a single mother in modern-day Japan! With renewed purpose, the Monstrous Miss opens her heart and doors to those seeking her unique brand of healing.

I don't know if I was particularly in a tearful mood when I read this book (it's very possible) but this book made me very emotional.

The main character is a single mother in Japan who manages to raise her daughter with a skin condition (it's implied to be some sort of autoimmune psoriasis or eczema). Although they struggle due to poverty and social exclusion, eventually her daughter manages to study, becomes a doctor, and meets someone that she wants to marry.

However, when her daughter leaves for her honeymoon, Mariko suffers a devastating stroke. Instead of calling for help, Mariko chooses not to call for help, and perishes in the process.

Unlike other isekai series that don't spend much time on the character's "past" life, this one spends extra time to characterize Mariko, and it pays off quite well. You truly understand why she makes the choices she makes in the beginning, such as choosing to die rather than force her daughter to care for her during her rehabilitation. Unlike other series, Mariko isn't young, and brings a different perspective.

Mariko reincarnates into Sophie Olzon, a girl who is distraught by her own skin condition. She eventually finds out that she has a weak healing magic that has the ability to heal other's skin. After hitting rock bottom, Sophie decides that she wants to help others and opens a "salon" where she offers her services for free for the 1st year.

Salon in this sense is a noble salon, a room in an upper-class family's house where people meet to discuss, have tea, and socialize. For Sophie's purposes, her healing abilities are too weak to be of use to the government, so she is left to her own devices, for the most part.

The series focuses on a "patient of the week" style, where you learn the stories of everyone who comes to seek treatment. Her patient's stories are emotional as well, and many of them deal with how their scars are a painful reminder of their past mistakes or obstacles to their future happiness.

Through it all, Sophie heals others while struggling with her own condition, unable to find a solution. Although this series showcases something as "shallow" as skin, skin is the first thing that people see, and form their opinion of a person on. For young women, appearing youthful and beautiful is an expectation, and anything that impedes that might even reduce their job opportunities. Even for men, scars or tattoos can have negative connotations or become reminders of a previous life that no longer represents you.

If you want to see similar real-life examples of how physically and emotionally painful skin conditions can be, I suggest watching "Save My Skin" which features cases treated by dermatologist Dr. Emma Craythorne.

It's hurtful to feel like you're ugly, a monster that shouldn't be viewed or loved by anyone. I appreciate that this series exists, and provides a view into how debilitating such conditions can be. I shed real tears at some of the stories, it was that emotionally moving.

In this first volume, it mostly focused on Sophie's patients. I'm hopeful that the next (and last) volume will also focus on Sophie healing herself, whether emotionally or physically. There's a hint at a romance here, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops.

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System | Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong Vol. 3

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

If you're interested in my liveblog for this series, you can read it here (beware spoilers).

This is the 3rd book in the series, but it's actually the last book of the main plot, since Volume 4 is side stories and "falling action", I presume.

In the last book, Shen Qingqiu gave himself up to Luo Binghe in order to prevent the attack on the sect. He basically enters house arrest under Binghe's control, but that doesn't last for long, as he is called back to his real body, which was stolen from it's resting place at the sect.

When this happened, I couldn't believe that these two had been separated so quickly after barely coming together. However, although Shen Qingqiu is stolen away or kidnapped multiple times, the main story-line is advanced thoroughly and we learn a great deal about the side characters and the "villain" of the story. It felt much less frustrating because there's so much plot instead. Also, although Shen Qingqiu is "separated" from Binghe several times, in reality he follows soon after, so their separation doesn't feel as frustrating as the previous book.

Shen Qingqiu is tasked by the System to "fill plotholes" from the original Proud Immortal Demon Way novel, and plotholes were definitely filled. It was an emotional roller coaster, learning about Shen Jiu's true origins, as well as the true backstory behind Binghe's parents, and the circumstances that led to Tianlang-Jun's current villainy. This book wasn't that much longer than the other ones, but it was consistently paced and constantly moving forward.

For a series where the two main characters can barely have a proper, honest conversation for 2 minutes, the plot stresses the tragedy of being unable to communicate your true feelings to your loved ones. In this way, I feel like Bing/qiu finally beat the odds, in the most painful way possible.

Multiple characters show hidden depths, even Master Airplane who Shen Qingqiu attempts to strangle at every opportunity they meet.

I also appreciated that although the buildup to the final battle was quite drawn out, the actual "climax" was less about the fighting and more about trying to save Luo Binghe from himself. No longer is this a "stallion" novel, so it makes sense that the climax isn't about that either. The development of the Bingqiu relationship was hard fought, and they finally manage to stay together, with the support of their peers (begrudgingly).

Overall, I've truly enjoyed what I've read so far. It's been a relatively breezy and engaging read, though it could have been frustrating since there wasn't much "resolution" after the conclusion to the story. However, knowing that there's at least one more book is comforting. I'm not ready to part with these characters yet.

Lout of the Count's Family Vol. 4

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

One of the difficult things about giving my impressions on this series is that I genuinely don't know where it's going, or even what to compare it to. Since it's a long Korean webnovel (with at least 18 books of content), I know the story will only continue to build from here. But the content and tropes of the story don't fit into any story structures or overarching plots that I can identify right now.

Cale Henituse is now well and truly past the point where his previous knowledge about the Birth of a Hero novels will help him navigate this world. However, he's navigating it well just with his "selfish" nature and scheming. We're aware that there will be a war in the future due to intelligence that the northern countries are building up their armed forces, so Cale has no choice but to help his country and his region build up defenses as well.

Cale's main character ability (other than all the other random magic tools, skills, and ancient powers that he's picked up) must be persuasion, because he never falters in a single negotiation. The Prince of Rowoon, Albert, knows this, which is why he drags him in as part of his political entourage. As much as Cale hates this, he's really good at it!

Of course, people without knowledge of his internal thoughts continue to view him as a saintly nobleman who only cares about the good of his country (lol). He certainly cares about the people around him. His bleeding heart is obvious to everyone but him, especially when he can't ignore the two Saint twins of the Sun religion, one of whom was previously with the evil secret organization Arm, before defecting. We get their backstory, and Cale tries to help them out, even despite everyone else's misgivings. He also ends up helping the Tiger tribe and the Whale tribe get their revenge on Arm as well.

Oh, I also can't forget about the other dragon that ends up joining Cale for the time being. He's just recruiting and adding people to his crew left and right, even when he doesn't want to. He's literally collecting weirdos in his family like Pokemon!

I've been enjoying the political machinations; it's still fun to see Cale prepare and then trounce people in negotiations. As much as I'm enjoying the various side quests that he chooses to take, I am curious about the bigger picture.

Edit: I also forgot to add, we got a new cover artist this volume! I really like their style, Cale looks as regal as one would expect.