Reforming an Icy Final Boss: Getting Back at the Self-Proclaimed Villainess with the Power of Friendship, Vol. 2

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By Takamedou and Nemusuke. Released in Japan as “”Jishou Akuyaku Reijou” ni Korosareta Last Boss no Yarinaoshi: Bocchi na Reitetsu Koujo wa, Dai Ni no Jinsei de Riajuu wo Mezashimasu” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Sheldon Drzka.

The famous Bible quote “the sins of the father are visited upon the son” can apply to daughters as well, and it certainly does here. Milly may be doing her best to make friends, show off, and live her best second life, but her father Kyle is still regarded by everyone as the absolute worst, and he is certainly not above destroying families because he’s in a bad mood. As such, no one wants to be close friends with Milly except those who know her really well – why risk it? What’s more, it turns out that her life is still in danger, mostly because there’s someone else trying to change the current timeline. Not, I hasten to add, because they’re another person who remembers the otome game. No, they just remember the first timeline, and they think the country is headed to ruin and Milly is helping it.

Milly is a bit stressed. She still hasn’t made friends beyond the Student Council and the girls she saved from Angelina’s evil plan in Book 1. And since final exams are upon them soon, there’s no time to make them. Fortunately, she’s good at studying, so can help the others, even if they may not really want her to. And then there’s her class, who are still terrified of her… at least until they see how adorably socially awkward she is, whereupon they fold like card tables. She’s even getting closer to her father, who she still sees as evil incarnate, but who we the reader see is simply very overprotective and even more socially awkward than she is. Will she be able to take first place in exams and get the First Dance at the next ball? Wait, isn’t Angelina still around? And is she the ONLY villain?

Last time I said I wanted to see more of Kyle, Milly’s father, and we do get a lot more of him here. The reason this plot is happening at all is that he’s got so much power, and the future shows him betraying the country, which almost destroys the country. Unfortunately, Milly is not really dealing with that end of the problem, focusing instead on not having everyone at school not care if she gets brutally murdered. She’s also still not great at picking up social cues. She gets that Ike hates her, and wants to fix it, but she hasn’t noticed that there’s someone else in the Council who remains cool to her, and that becomes a big issue. Also, the Council very quickly learns that “we want to keep this quiet so we’ll just keep her under house arrest” is not a great move if she, y’know, escapes. On the bright side, possibly as this is mostly not from the webnovel, Milly’s characterization is more consistent – not too stoic or too goofy.

This is a Dre Novels series, so I assume it will end with Vol. 3, which I don’t believe is out yet. Milly, talk to your father.

Even Exiled, She’s Still the Beloved Saint! St. Evelyn’s Weird and Wonderful Friends, Vol. 2

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By Harunadon and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Tsuihousareta Seijo desu ga, Jitsu wa Kunijuu kara Aisaresugitete Kowain desu kedo!?” by Earth Star Luna. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Camilla L.

It can be difficult for me to do a review of a title that relies so much on just being funny. We aren’t really going to get much in the way of ongoing plot, and while there is character development, it’s not really why folks would want to read this book. This book is read for the laughs. Watching Evelyn suffer, seeing her misunderstand, seeing everyone else just completely losing their minds when she supposedly vanishes, and of course everything about the curse and its aftereffects that we get in this volume. The translator must have had a ball, as there a whole lot of puns that will make even the most inveterate jokester feel a bit sheepish. (Ahem.) Fortunately, there is a dramatic nugget to grab a hold of here, and it’s actually very interesting. It also involves a new character who is, rest assured, just as weird as the others, but can also give Evelyn something she desperately needs – a mother figure.

Evelyn is going through some tough times. She’s trying to learn how to be a proper noble lady, after years of only having to be The Saint. The problem is, she’s not very good at dancing, posture, etc. The bigger problem is all her tutors insists she’s perfect, they have nothing to teach her, and then they quit. Kira is the only one who seems to recognize that she’s upset at all this. So she decides to run away for a bit, taking Kira with her and leaving a note to explain things. Unfortunately, she tried to write the note in poetic language, which means folks think she ran off to commit suicide. She actually ends up at the shore of a lake, one with gorgeous scenery, a mysterious curse, and Europa’s mother, who has a tendency to pass out at the drop of a hat but is otherwise exactly what you’d expect from a light novel mother. She’s called Mamaropa, because of course she is.

There’s some other interesting things in this book, particularly the unexpected friendship (and maybe more? Yuri?) between Theodore’s younger sister Karin and Evelyn’s evil sister Mary, who is still a bit of a brat but is now far less evil thanks to Karin’s tutelage. But the main reason I enjoyed this is seeing Evelyn and Mamaropa interact. Evelyn’s issues in this book stem from one very specific problem – almost everyone in her life puts her on a pedestal, and refuses to tell her she’s doing anything wrong. She needs family guidance, and her family are either dead or mostly still bad people. Mamaropa is very silly (it is a comedy book), and the Mommy jokes can wear a bit thin, but she doesn’t talk to Evelyn like she’s The Beloved Saint, and may even manage to teach her – we’ll see, a third book is coming. Technically there’s also Kira, and he does function as a little brother, but he has to be there to be the tsukkomi when Evelyn can’t do it herself, so he’s too busy.

I think I enjoyed this a bit more than the first book. Assuming you don’t mind – I emphasize once more – this being very, very silly, it’s a fun read.

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life As a Noblewoman: A Ray of Hope, Part 1

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By Kamihara and Shiro46. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijo to Sūki na Jinsei o” by Hayakawa Shobo. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hengtee Lim.

The one thing that I think has surprised me most about this series is its dedication to the “My Next Life” part of the title. Let’s face it, in a LOT of these types of series with, if not a villainess, at least a villainess shape, the actual reincarnated from Japan part sometimes gets forgotten. Deliberately so, in many cases – like the male counterparts, a lot of writers write villainess books because people will read that. Trials and Tribulations, though, has quietly continued to point out Karen and Ern’s isekai life, even when it already has a ton of other plot that it could more simply focus on. Last time we saw that Ern was bringing modern guns and gunpowder into a world not ready for it, and the genie really isn’t going back into that bottle. This time, we see there was a country of reincarnators. It even talks about how the original soul “dies” and is replaced with the otherworld one. This series remains a LOT.

As you’d expect, Karen is not doing well after the events of the last book, and ends up in her bedroom basically falling deeper and deeper into depression. Fortunately, she has an angry but kind-hearted tsundere to drag her out and force her to deal with life again. And she also has Reinald, who is not angry or tsundere but is still quietly very interested in her, though she does come far behind his ultimate goal. Karen, though, has far TOO much to deal with. Ern’s parents are being banished for being the parents of a traitor, and while they understandably are a bit pissed at Karen, they also give her a secret message. This allows Karen to discover Ern’s legacy, which can be seen on the cover art but which we’re not quite sure what’s it’s for yet. Six definitely seems to think it’s for him, though. Oh yes, and she’s getting honored by the Emperor for blowing her best friend’s brains out. As one does.

This book is filled with my favorite thing in the series, which is Karen’s matter of fact narration about herself and everything else, followed by someone asking if she could possibly have reactions like a real person. They’d love to see the part early on when she finally gets a delivery of rice, and she’s so overjoyed when she eats she starts to cry. Again, this series has not forgotten its isekai beats. As for Karen and Reinald, I do still think the series is working its way towards them being, if not married, at least engaged by the end. But wow, it’s making me work for that, as that’s quite a Napoleonic goal Reinald has. And it’s so very, very Karen for her advice to him being “why stop there?”. These two absolutely deserve each other. And that’s terrible.

The main flaw of this book is that it is, of course, only half a book. Presumably the subtitle will make more sense after the second part. Still great, though.