The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom, Vol. 5

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By Fuyutsuki Koki and Masami. Released in Japan as “Kanpeki Sugite Kawaige ga Nai to Konyaku Haki Sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason. Adapted by Shaenon K. Garrity.

I always enjoy it when a series that has long since evolved away from its title decides to backtrack and remind us of it. Sure, we remember the “tossed aside’ part, mostly as her fiance is such a clown, but it’s easy to forget the ‘sold’ part, especially because she was sold for a lot of money – money that had to come from somewhere. It’s never really come up since then, mostly as the purchase of Philia as the Saint turned out to be the best one they’ve ever made, but it does make you wonder where the money to pay for her came from. As it turns out, their world is not all that different from our own, and it turns out that a lot of the money came from grants being given to various research and development facilities around the kingdom. Which can be a problem if some of those researchers are, shall we say, a bit obsessed.

Having finally wrapped up the wedding (and sent Mia home, so alas she is not in this book), Philia and Osvalt are finally ready to embark on their honeymoon… but Philia is still Philia, which means their honeymoon involves a lot of research. She’s touring the ruins of the country to try and figure out if there’s a way to stop the magic fluctuations in the volcanic area so that they can get more flowers. While there, unfortunately, they come across what seems to be an attempted break-in… and then, at another site, they catch those responsible. The main culprit is a merchant named Harry, who smiles but seems to lie as easily as he breathes, has been selling arms to the country just in case of foreign invasion, and has a far closer connection to Philia… or rather, Philia’s attendants… than anyone realizes.

Leaving aside the spoilery relationship that makes up the bulk of the last half of the book, it is entertaining seeing Philia actually coming to terms with herself as an emotional being. Getting married seems to have freed up her body to actually do things like smile and cry, and I don’t think she’s come to terms with it yet… nor has she come to terms with losing somebody near and dear to her, which we come close to this time around. She’s mirrored by Osvalt, who his brother doesn’t trust to deal with tense political situations because he’s too empathetic, but he ends up doing really well here, showing off that empathy can also be “really good at reading people”, which is actually quite handy for political situations. Lastly, a brief wish: I really hope we’re not suggesting Grace will marry Reichardt when she grows up. I like her as the little sister of the group, and hope she stays in that role.

That said, if she keeps saying things like “I’ve never seen a magic tool that large before”, I may have to reconsider. Oooooh, Matron!

The Isle of Paramounts: Reborn into a Slow Life Among the Strongest in the World, Vol. 2

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By Heiseiowari and Noy. Released in Japan as “Tenseishitara Saikyou Shu-tachi ga Sumau Shima deshita. Kono Shima de Slow Life wo Tanoshimimasu” by SQEX Novel. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Alex Castor.

The general theme of this book seems to be that everyone has a certain amount of stress in their lives, and that the best way to get rid of it is to totally relax in a place where your work can’t get to you. The two mages who were sent to check on Reina, and don’t really like her much, by the end of the book are just another part of the extended family being built up here. Of course, it helps when everyone on the island is so ludicrously powerful that there’s no point in stressing – you’ll just die if you don’t relax. Above everyone else is Arata, who gets annoyed every time someone implies he’s not human but by the end of the book is starting to get why they say it. As far as we can tell so far, he’s literally omnipotent. Even the vampire, who is able to take anyone else out no trouble, has issues dealing with him. He is OP Guy personified.

Arata and Reina have gotten completely settled in on this island (and are essentially acting like husband and wife, though his cluelessness and her shyness means they’re not really going much further than “we’re really good friends”). They’re also getting new visitors: as I noted above, two of Reina’s fellow mages wind up washed ashore on the island, and are quickly forced to get used to what life is like here. (Notably, they both specialize in an element and are jealous Reina can use all of them, while she’s jealous they’re really strong in one of them, calling herself a jack-of-all-trades.) We also meet the ancient dragons and ogres… or at least their teenage versions, who are fighting for supremacy but refuse to let Tailtiu join… not because she’s a girl, but because she’s too strong.

There’s a glorious scene midway through the book where, I thought at first, Arata had been yeeted to a completely different light novel to solve their problem and then yeeted right back. As it turns out that’s not true – while the Saint and the Hero were trying to summon someone to solve their problem, they exist in this world as well, and as it turns out Arata can solve the killer dragon problem but can’t help with church politics. I get the feeling we’ll see them again. I’m also not sure if this series is going to go polyamory, and if it does how many wives Arata will get. Reina is a given, of course, but Tailtiu, who is currently in the “little sister” role, does not look as if she’s prepared to stay there, especially as, once again, Arata solves all her personal issues by punching a few people till they understand. That said, give his “no, no, mustn’t have sexual thoughts about anybody” attitude, I doubt I need to worry for a while.

This is sort of a slow life series, even if the life is hanging around on what is basically the island where the gods live. I enjoy it.

Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance, Vol. 2

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By Rei Kazama and Fujiazuki. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijō wa Seirei ni Aisarete Saikyō Desu…… Dakedo Futsū ni Koi Shitai)” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by okaykei.

Last time I described the events in this series as being “a political hotbed”, and if anything I feel bad now for underselling it. I joked online that TO Books waylaid JNC after it had licensed Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman and sold them this series, like Sheldon Leonard’s tout trying to sell Jack Benny a horse. (Never let it be said I don’t provide modern references for the youth of today.) This book starts out with Deirdre and company getting involved in major rivalries, then moves to finding out that half those rivalries were not what they were told about at all, and ends in… well, I’ll talk about the last quarter or so of the book later. It’s absolute dynamite, though. The writer knows that light novels are drenched with 6-year-olds who talk like they’re middle-aged women, and so decides to weaponize it, with everyone not in her family seeing Deirdre as a terrifying creature.

Deirdre is six years old now, meaning her parents are finally letting her out of the house so that she can have destined encounters with dusky pretty boys… destined encounters that she totally ignores, of course. She’s also going around to various domains and trying to patch things up between the rulers and the royal spirits, who have made it perfectly clear that if they have to choose between destroying the entire nation and Deirdre, the nation will lose. Unfortunately, things are still very bad with the Empress and her family. What’s more, the faction that was supposedly opposing our heroine and her family… may not be after all? It turns out there’s another family in this race behind the scenes manipulating things. Oh, and there’s also an Evil Religion. It *is* a reincarnation book, after all.

Let’s talk about the last quarter of this book, which is when I started to compare it to T&T. It certainly racked up a hefty body count, and not the bodies that I was expecting. I had wondered whatever happened to the magical Wikipedia that Deirdre used in the first book, but it comes back with a vengeance here, as it’s a great way to summarize all of the backstabbing and manipulation that’s been happening to either keep the empress on the throne or get her off of it. Even Andrew, the closest thing in the Royal Family they have to an ally, doesn’t fully trust Deirdre and her family as they’re simply too powerful, too eccentric, and do not remotely care about power or the throne. Deirdre is here as a spirit guide. That said, she is quietly amassing a badass group of young girls who will presumably grow up to be a badass group of young women. Assuming they get to grow up.

The epilogue of this book shows us Deirdre about to turn ten, and I am assuming by the cover of the third book we’re headed off to the academy that always happens in these sorts of books. That said, I’m sure politics will not go away. Also, the thirteenth volume that just came out in Japan is the final one, so while we have a long way to go there’s at least an end point.