The Deer King, Vol. 1

October 10, 2023 by Leave a Comment

By Nahoko Uehashi and Masaaki Yamamoto. Released in Japan as “Shika no Ō” by Kadokawa Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Cathy Hirano.

I was not originally planning to read this book, as I have sort of given up on any license that is basically “we got this because there’s an anime movie version of it”, and most folks saw this when the movie came out two years ago. But then I saw it was from the author of the Moribito series, and I recalled a lot of friends were very much into that series, so I thought I would give it a shot. I’m glad I did, as it’s a very different kettle of fish to the standard “what if we were transported to another world?” fantasy novel that you see these days. The Deer King is a more fantasy kind of fantasy book, exploring a world where, over two centuries ago, a plague ravaged the land. Now that plague has returned, and doctors are desperately trying to figure out how it’s spreading and how to cure it. Meanwhile, one of our two main characters has it, and instead of dying he seems to be changing.

The book is divided between two protagonists, alternating their stories. Van is a rebel leader who was captured and has now been sentenced to work in the salt mines as a slave. Suddenly the mine is invaded by wild dogs – and those who are bitten go into convulsions and die. Van does not die, though, but seems to gain some sort of unworldly connection with something instead. He takes the one survivor – a toddler who was also bitten but did not die – and escapes, trying to find a place to stay. Meanwhile, a doctor, Hohsalle, has discovered that an ancient plague is returning, seemingly brought about by being bitten by wild dogs/wolf hybrids. Is all of this somehow being deliberately engineered in order to kill off the conquerors? and can Hohsalle find a cure or a vaccine while also negotiating troubling politics?

The double viewpoint can be frustrating – this 350-page book is divided into sixths, with Van getting part 1, 3, and 5, and Hohsalle 2, 4, and 6. Just as you’re getting into the narrative from one protagonist, it switches to the other. That said, I also appreciate the different viewpoints. Van can be difficult to like, despite the fact that he’s clearly meant to have the audience’s sympathy – it’s not quite clear what he’s become after being bitten, but the general sense is that if he ever gives into it and stops trying to be human, Bad Things will happen. Which, um, makes it a bit of a problem that Yuna, the little girl he rescued and then adopted, has been kidnapped. As for Hohsalle, his care as a doctor is excellent, and he clearly wants to save people, but he’s also rather casual and flippant about the other aspects of life. We frequently follow his bodyguard and straight man, Makokan, just for a more down-to-earth viewpoint.

Still, the plot was interesting enough that I’ll read the second volume. recommended for those who like high fantasy combined with race-against-time thrillers.

Filed Under: deer king, reviews

The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-Up, Vol. 3

October 9, 2023 by Leave a Comment

By Rino Mayumi and Machi. Released in Japan as “Jimihime to Kuroneko no, Enman na Konyaku Haki” by M Novels F. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Evie Lund.

I am pleased to report that, at long last, this series about a break-up actually has it. As for whether it’s satisfying or not, well, I can’t speak for the characters, but as a reader it exceeded my expectations. Given that this series began with a misunderstanding because a bunch of teenage dumbasses were shit-talking at each other, so I’m amazed that in the end everything is resolved by people maturely behaving like adults. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone is happy… honestly, the only happy one may be Seren… but it does mean that this book is blissfully free of people doing dumb impetuous things or kidnapped fiancees or any of the plot twists that happen in countless other light novels. The main complaint, as with the previous books, is that the books are still a bit too long, and Seren ad Viol are still a bit too dull. That said, this book features a speeder bike chase through the forests, which surprised me. All it needed was Ewoks.

As the book begins, Seren is already ridiculously good at magic, and we see her in this book go from that to ludicrously good at magic. She’s a prodigy, and that’s honestly the only reason this plot works at all. She even manages to surprise Viol several times, especially when she takes the cart she’d been using and combines it with flying to essentially make a hovercraft. She’s also still training with the others in the salon, though her sister Marietta is starting to feel the crush of expectations, and it’s depressing her, because she’s not a prodigy like her sister. Finally, in order to get Seren to do what she’s unconsciously been avoiding and TELL EVERYONE what she’s doing, Vi reveals the truth: he’s actually Viol, something that she frankly takes much better than I expected given she’s been clutching this cat to her bosom every night. Now all she has to do is tell her family and the royal family she’s dumping them.

As I said, this *is* a satisfying break-up. Seren explains exactly what she wants to do, what was the inspiration for her studying to do it, and shows off that she absolutely has the skills to pay the bills. The reaction of her mother and father is basically “we are bad parents because she didn’t even consider telling us about any of this”, but they do make sure to tell Seren that, yes, she SHOULD have told someone else about this, and that is a fault of hers. As for Prince Helios, given that this basically arose because of one accidentally misheard conversation where he was agreeing with his dumbass friends to brush them off, he’s a bit devastated, but once he sees her resolve (and possibly her love for Viol, though that doesn’t really occur to her till the end of this book), he makes the best of things and moves on. Hell, even Marietta, who I was certain was going to snap at some point, recovers from her depression slightly and resolves to try her best.

So yes, a bit boring still, but this was probably the best in the series to date. And yes, there’s a 4th and final book in the series, which may consist entirely of sweet love-love moments, since most everything wrapped up here.

Filed Under: drab princess black cat and satisfying break-up, reviews

Raven of the Inner Palace, Vol. 4

October 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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

Usually when you see character development, it’s meant to be heartwarming, or affirming, and generally a good thing. And there is that here. Seeing Jusetsu gradually open up to being around others, helping people, and growing more comfortable in her own skin is absolutely a good thing, and the Emperor knows it. That said, the fact that she is the Raven Consort makes this a bit of a double-edged sword. The classic joke “I’m not like other girls” is eerily true here, and that’s why there’s a sense of this series moving faster and faster down a hill towards a crash that Jusetsu is not going to be able to stop. It does not help that certain factions in the court are trying to apply the accelerator rather than the brakes, and suddenly instead of being fond of Jusetsu, or looking up to Jusetsu, they are WORSHIPING Jusetsu. And that’s definitely a bad thing, give that’s she’s already a part of a god, and the other god who is the enemy may be getting back to full strength.

The main plot shows the Crane Consort’s father, Choyo, arrive at the palace, supposedly in order to apologize to the Emperor for what happened in the last book, and grace him with some of their most valuable silkworm cocoons. In reality, Choyo is there to blackmail/threaten the Emperor with the knowledge that he knows who Jusetsu is and that she should stay isolated in her own quarters. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the events of the third book, Hakurai, may have lost an eye but is not remotely down and out, and he’s here to try to kill Jusetsu *and* destroy her reputation – and nearly succeeds at the second. And, of course, these events are interspersed with the meat and potatoes of this series; a ghost is in the palace, let’s figure out why.

Generally speaking the main reason to read any of these “inner palace of the Emperor” series, be it Apothecary Diaries, Though I Am an Inept Villainess, or this one, is for the court politics, and that’s no exception here. Jusetsu is trying her best, helping people and making sure to right wrongs and save those who can be saved (and send to the afterlife those who can’t). But by the end of the book she’s basically been asked to stay shut up until further notice, and while I doubt that will last long, it feels like a loss for her. This is not to say that Choyo wins, however. Banka easily gets the most interesting plotline and the best moment in the book, as she’s seemingly ineffectual, useless, and getting sicker and sicker over the course of the book. I say seemingly because she confronts her father angrily near the end, reveals a secret she’s been holding back that upends a lot of what will be coming, and basically says “I’m not your toy anymore”. It’s great. I can’t wait to see how she nobly dies in a future volume.

Good intrigue, great characters, worrying that it will end with half the cast dead, but hey. Romance is sort of vaguely there but very much in the background. To sum up: read this, it’s good.

Filed Under: raven of the inner palace, reviews
« Previous Page
Next Page »