Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 13

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

It feels like every review I whine about this slow burn romance being too slow, but, I mean, look at it. Indeed, the author is now anticipating us whining, as we not only get to see Volf once again having people ask if he’s in love and essentially saying “what’s that? Food? Can you eat it?”, but we also see Dahlia realize that she might actually be in love with Volf and practically have a trauma response to the idea. Which makes sense, given what happened with Tobias, who I’m amazed has not been quietly murdered by now by the rest of the cast. But that’s OK, as we also have a lot of other things going on to make sure that we stop paying attention to the lack of romance… or indeed, the lack of barony, as we’re still ALMOST there but not quite, and having looked at the synopsis of the Japanese Vol. 14, I suspect I will be saying the exact same thing next time. Anyway, what DOES happen in this book?

After an amusing start where Dahlia and company try to figure out how to stop killer pigeons nibbling on their vital green slimes, we get down to what has now become a running theme of this series: Dahlia trying to create a cool magic sword for Volf. Volf clearly wants a sword that shoots lasers or somesuch, but instead he gets something that increases speed and is very durable. Indeed, perhaps a bit TOO durable, as after seeing the sword in action Dahlia is asked to visit the Magical Toolmaking Department to explain why this sword has slaughtered twenty huge monsters and still doesn’t need to be sharpened? While there, she meets a duke with a comically evil face, and also discovers that her accident as a child where she dissolved her own hands by touching black slime may have more consequences than just mental trauma. Finally, she and Volf go to meet Guido’s wife Rosaria, who has wanted to see Dahlia… and that also goes off the rails, thanks to Volf wearing his special disguise glasses.

It’s been apparent for a while, but one thing I really like about this series is that Dahlia is not simply doing things like inventing mayonnaise or soy sauce like the usual isekai potatoes, but is essentially creating aides for people who are disabled. We get that really clearly here with Rosaria, who it turns out has facial blindness – she can see, say, a portrait of her husband, but can’t see his face as more than a blur. This is why Volf wearing the glasses that mask his appearance was such a shock – to her, this means she now CAN see Volf’s face. I also enjoyed seeing the magical tool creator who assumes that Dahlia is this smug powerful woman who comes up with amazing ideas every breakfast, and as he watches her struggle to create another pair of fairy glasses – which requires her to hallucinate a terrible nightmare – the creator realizes the reason Dahlia’s stuff is so great is because she’s not got a political bone in her body, and is not thinking of gain at all – she’s just there to help. This is also, of course, why she’s in danger, and I worry that she may run into the equivalent of a stranger offering candy from a van before long.

Next time we’ll get the investiture, right? Surely there’s nothing that can possibly put that off even longer… wait, I forgot what series I’m reading. In any case, still great.

Earl and Fairy: When You Wish Upon the Crimson Knight

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By Mizue Tani and Asako Takaboshi. Released in Japan as “Hakushaku to Yōsei” by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns.

I always tend to have the same pattern when I read a new volume of Earl and Fairy. I start off a bit reluctant, remembering the slow pacing and the fact that Lydia always seems perpetually angry and Edgar has a tendency to always make things worse. I think to myself, “if it weren’t for the fact that I’m the only reader, I would drop this”. Then as the book goes along, it gets more exciting and the thriller aspects take over, and I am reminded once again why I do keep going and why I like it so much: the romance is meh, but the supernatural thriller is great. This book actually manages to improve on the romance a bit as well, as Lydia has admitted her feelings for Edgar, and he is deliberately trying not to mack on other women. Unfortunately, as we will see, both of those things combine to once again make everything terrible for our still not married couple.

Lydia is trying to figure out what to get Edgar as an engagement present, given that he can buy anything he wants. After shopping with Lotta (been a while since we’ve seen her), she goes home and is accosted by a young Scottish man who insists that they need to get married to save the clan. Turns out the short story regarding Lydia’s mom, from the previous volume, is more relevant than expected: the village she left is suffering, and they all think marrying Lydia will solve the problem. Unfortunately, there’s also someone else who wants to marry Lydia – no, not Edgar, although yes, him too. A trow kidnaps her, Lotta, Raven, Nico, and the Scottish guy and says that Lydia will, in fact, be marrying him. Meanwhile, Edgar is still dealing with having the Prince’s memories, and the fact that every problem lately has one obvious solution: access the Prince’s memories and turn more evil.

So I got my wish of Lydia and Edgar growing and changing, but I did not get my wish that this means the entire book won’t be about romantic conflict. Lydia still has huge piles of self-loathing, and while she trusts Edgar now she worries about the depth of his love – especially when, for the plot reasons above, she has to disguise herself as another woman and have Edgar intuitively realize it’s her. Unfortunately for her, reality is not quite as kind, and Edgar, for once trying to be a good fiancee, just finds her suspicious. Much as it makes me uncomfortable, I can’t deny its effectiveness. There’s even a dollop of humor in these otherwise mostly serious books, as Raven learns what it means to forgive someone, and applies it in very funny ways. Oh Raven, one day you will be a real live boy.

All this plus an Ermine cameo! This series is down to twice a year, so I expect we’ll get Book 14 in the spring. But I still really do love it.

From Bumbling Prodigy to Villainess: Will the Duke’s Love Go Unnoticed?, Vol. 1

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By Saki Ichibu and Yukako Fujimura. Released in Japan as “Munou Saijo wa Akujo ni Naritai ~Gimai no Migawari de Totsuida Reijou, Koushaku-sama no Dekiai ni Kizukanai~” by Dengeki no Shin Bungei. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Joshua C Shupp.

It can sometimes be hard with these villainess books that are on the lighter end of the scale, such as this one, for me to wholeheartedly recommend a big, dumb, goofy heroine. Frequently when I ask “gosh, I wonder what in her life led her to being as fun to read as this”, the answer is inevitably “a lifetime of abuse from her family”, and that’s the case here as well. And yet I want to write about Avril anyway, as she’s simply a joy to read. The author’s other big series, Formerly the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, has certain similarities to this one, especially with the obnoxious younger sister who threatens to throw the book off its axis. But that heroine was nice but dull. Our heroine here has a perfect photographic memory and nothing else going for her, and is the sort of person who will speak her own thoughts out loud, then remind herself she should not be doing that.

Avril Allingham has had a rough life. Her mother died when she was young, and her father remarried. And her new stepsister looks really suspiciously just like her. Avril has a photographic memory, which you’d think would be praiseworthy but her family finds it creepy. They use her as a servant. She never goes out or really interacts with others. She *does* have servants who support her, but that’s about it. Meanwhile, Corina, her younger stepsister who looks a lot like Avril, is going out to parties and seducing young men. Using Avril’s name. As such, when an engagement is inevitably broken due to Corina’s actions, it’s Avril who has to pay the price, getting married off to the horrible old lech the Duke of Lanchester. Only, on arriving there, she finds he’s quite young and handsome. Oh well, no worries. She’s out of the house, and can now live her own life. Provided she maintains her cover as Avril, the hussy who seduces men, of course. But that should be easy!

Avril is a wonderful example of “dumbass (affectionate)”. She’ll happily eat stale bread and half-spoiled food because it’s what she ate back home. She’s kind to all the servants, and covers for them when they (very briefly) try to bully her. She’ll help her new husband with managing his territory, and a young noble child who doesn’t have his sheet music, thanks to her perfect recall. And yet every time she does this, she reminds herself she’s supposed to be evil and tries to act like a bad person. I cannot begin to tell you how cute this is. Everyone agrees with me as well, including the noblewoman whose fiancee Corina bonked to start this whole plot in the first place. (Alexandra is great too. She can crush apples with her bare hands.) They would all be perfectly happy if Avril simply admitted she’s covering for her evil sister and settle down with her fiancee, who falls for her almost instantly. But they don’t have the heart. She’s trying so hard to be a villainess.

For some reason (anime soon?), the second volume of this is out in less than a month’s time. I won’t complain. This was a lot of fun.