Category Archives: reviews

Heavenly Swords of the Twin Stars, Vol. 1

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By Riku Nanano and cura. Released in Japan as “Sōsei no Tenken Tsukai” by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu.

This was one of two titles that recently came out that I’m reading because I like the other series that the author has released over here. Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter is from the same writer and artist as this series (and indeed is from the same publisher), and it’s always a big highlight when I read it, despite mostly being a collection of harem tropes with a subplot of cool battle scenes. This new series is the inverse, it’s a cool battle series with a subplot of romance. (I assume it will eventually be a harem, but right now there’s only two love interests, the one on the cover and the one who will lose.) The two series don’t really have all that much in common, besides a lead guy who downplays every single accomplishment he’s ever had. Unfortunately, may I’m just not a fan of these Chinese-inspired fantasy combat books, but I found this series a lot duller than his first.

One thousands years ago, Kou Eihou and his comrade Ou Eifuu helped the Emperor to conquer nearly the entire land. Unfortunately, the emperor died seven years ago, and now Kou Eihou has been branded a traitor and has a “wanted dead or dead” warrant out for him, so, after a farewell to his friend, he leaps off a tall cliff into icy waters. In the present day, Sekiei is the “freeloader” (his terms) or adopted-in-all-but-name son (everyone else’s terms) of the great general Chou Tairan. He was found as a child, having murdered the bandits who killed his parents, and was taken in when Tairan’s daughter Hakurei insisted that he be taken with them. Now she’s a gorgeous young woman with incredible sword skills, and he’s a guy who just wants to be a civil official. despite the fact that he’s Kou Eihou’s reincarnation, and his sword and strategy skills are still there with him.

The downside to this book, honestly, is that there is not a single beat that cannot be predicted by the reader before it happens. Hakurei is skilled, but no match for her “brother”, who she has a massive tsundere crush on. Before the book begins, Sekiei was sent to the big city to learn, and ended up saving the live of a merchant girl, who is both brilliant and madly in love with him. If I asked you to describe her for me, you’d have a few ideas, and “girl who looks really young except for her big breasts” is indeed the correct answer. It’s stuff the author wanted to play around with, rather than a really strong idea. On the bright side, the fight scenes are at least well handled, and given they’re the bulk of the book, that’s a good thing. Sekiei rates about a 6 or 7 on the Kirito scale, but that’s tolerable enough for me, and he and Hakurei make a good team when she’s not doing the equivalent of “it’s not like I did it for you, OK?” all the time.

If you like military fantasy, or silver-haired tsunderes, this is a decent read. I might just stick with Duke’s Daughter, though.

I Could Never Be a Succubus!, Vol. 2

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By Nora Kohigashi and Wasabi. Released in Japan as “Watashi wa Succubus Ja Arimasen” by Hero Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Roy Nukia.

In the first volume of this surprisingly fun series, we meet Lisalinde, the beloved, perfect and pure student at the academy, and over the course of the book we discover that she has amnesia, and is actually Liz, a succubus who was part of the hero’s party to defeat the demon lord but also a raging pervert who slept with half the party and can turn anything into sexual innuendo… or indeed just sex, period. The contrast is what makes it funny, and that’s still true here. Here, though, we also get an added dimension, and it’s the reason why this series works beyond one volume. Liz is a perverted succubus, yes, but she’s also a hero, and is basically kind, good, and wants peace in the world. We see that kindness a lot more here too, and yes, it’s tied in with a lot of the sex stuff, but that’s the point of her character, and it’s why the hero’s party are frustrated by all this. They want their Liz back.

We pick up where we left off, with Lisalinde trying to live her normal, peaceful school life but having to deal with these occasional weird urges. She’s attending a fancy dress party (and sniffing Cain’s shirt after he’s forced to change due to a drinks spill); she’s helping to finish the combat uniforms that have been ordered at her friend’s shop (and also dress in erotic outfits provided by said shop); she’s going out shopping with friends and dealing with the hero party’s massive tsundere Rachel (and, in the past, helping her get stop denying her feelings and get together with another member of their party); and she’s dealing with Aina, who is certain that she’s making moves on Cain but is mostly just jealous… and honestly, Aina’s evilness is rather pathetic. Unfortunately, near the end of the book, the hero’s party goes off to take care of a crisis… but it’s a trap, and now the school is being attacked, and only Lisalinde… or rather, Liz… can save them.

I don’t want to make this sound TOO heartwarming. It’s absolutely not for anyone who is not ready for unrepentant horniness. I quoted a passage on Twitter where Liz (past Liz) is doing a perverse sentai performance, and demanding children love underpants, but was advised to remove the tweet as, well, it’s deeply, deeply, wrong. Honestly, I was rather surprised that it’s not the ENTIRE hero’s party who are part of Liz’s sexual polycule, and that Rachel and Mitter appear to be a separate couple (albeit sexual, thanks again to Liz). Even the final battle, which is mostly a dramatic fight showing how, when she actually HAS her memories back, Liz is stupid powerful, is triggered by her huffing Cain’s gym shorts for an extended period. Unfortunately, while she’s recovered enough to regain her memories for emergencies, she’s not recovered enough to keep them beyond that, so it’s back to horrified pure Lisalinde at the end.

So yes, better than it sounds, again, but only read it if you’re interested in what it sounds like.

Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster, Vol. 5

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By Saki and Haduki Futaba. Released in Japan as “Albert-ke no Reijō wa Botsuraku o Goshomō Desu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Ray Krycki.

I am pleased to say that the antagonist of this new volume is not a new heroine or villainess fro yet another spinoff of the original game this world is based around. No, we’re going back to first principles here. Remember how this series began in the first place? With Mary Albert trying to cause her own doom because she knew that her family becoming too powerful would lead to bad things within the kingdom? Well, um, she failed, if you recall. And thus, well, her family, as well as Patrick’s, have gotten so insanely powerful, at least in the minds of some of the lesser nobles, that the worry is that soon there be be no need for those lesser nobles. And since attacking Mary Albert has, well, worked very badly for the last four books, it’s time to try to do the next best thing: go after Alicia, who even Mary says lacks any behavior at all that makes her a royal.

I appreciate that this series knows how to have the broadest possible caricatures of characters and yet also use them seriously for plot purposes. One of the best things about Alicia has been that she’s basically a bullheaded puppy who only cares about Mary (and Patrick, if she’s forced to admit it), but now it’s come back to bite her, and seeing her cowed and doing her best to learn manners (even if she’s quickly distracted) is something new. Likewise, Mary’s desires to exile herself and start her own fried migratory bird stand are all very well and good, but there’s a reason that her brothers have been absent from the last four books. We finally meet them… and they’re exactly what you’d expect from a couple of opposite personality twins who are also siscons. If I told you just that sentence, you could write all their dialogue. Marty may not want to be, but this book makes clear she NEEDS to be the next family head.

And she manages to win the day without ever really changing at all. Sure, she does end up giving in and throwing her hat into the succession ring, mostly to save Alicia, but the rousing speech that she gives at the climax amounts to one giant tsundere hair flip, thrown at the (increasingly pathetic) oppositional lords. And there’s even room for the sensible straight men of the series as well. OK, Adi is not always sensible, but he does the detective work here, which involves Mary’s old drill hair, believe it or not. And Patrick and Gainas help to remind everyone WHY Mary is so powerful and influential – every family and house that tries to go up against her becomes an ally, and they all (remotely) rally to her here.

So yes, no worries, Alicia is the princess, and she’s allowed to tackle hug Mary again. And Mary might be the next head of the family, but she’s still far more interested in croquettes and etiquette. Still a very fun series.