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Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire ♀ Light Novel #1
Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire, Vol. 1 (light novel)
From his deathbed, Hero-King Inglis, the divine knight and master of all he surveys, gazes down on the empire he built with his mighty hand. Having devoted his life to statecraft and his subjects’ well-being, his one unfulfilled wish is to live again, for himself this a warrior’s life he’d devoted himself to before his rise to power. His patron goddess, Alistia, hears his plea and smiles upon him, flinging his soul into the far future. Goddesses work in mysterious ways―not only is Inglis now the daughter of a minor noble family, but at her first coming-of-age ceremony at six, she’s found ineligible to begin her knighthood! However, for a lady of Inglis’s ambition, this is less a setback and more the challenge she was (re)born to overcome. “It’s not the blood that runs through your veins that makes a knight; it’s the blood you shed on the battlefield!” The curtain rises on the legend of an extraordinary lady squire reborn to master the blade!
196 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2019
104 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 12, 2021
First of all, I love that the author was inspired to write this while watching Pretty Cure with their kids - previously, they said, they'd never considered writing a female protagonist. That makes it especially interesting the way that they handle some things, like Inglis being actively uncomfortable with male attention. She brushes it off by saying that "her tastes haven't changed" since her last life as a man (possibly a demi-sexual one, although I doubt the author has thought about that), but it's clear that any sort of sexual attention is uncomfortable, including from her female cousin Rani. (Yes, there's a boob groping scene. Yes, I hate it.) The story is a little too into Inglis' battle-thirst, but the sword-and-sorcery/steampunk world is interesting, and I'm curious to see where the story goes.
March 5, 2024
Rising to the demonstrative heights of mere mediocrity, this novel renders a so-so adventure through templated character archetypes, a middling magic system, and relatively poor writing. REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE v1 doesn't harvest a single grain of intrigue beyond what the fields of presumption verily promise. Some readers may find that passable. Others, indeed most, may cringe a little and avoid opening future volumes.
Poor writing and awkward translation efforts have scuttled numerous efforts to engage the burgeoning light-novel market. Readers must contest the work of inexperienced publishers, underpaid editors, and raw translators, in addition to the usual travails laid out by heavily saturated markets, book genre expectations, and incomplete release schedules. REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE v1 reads like an unfortunate quarry, nicked from the slush pile and yet unworthy of its opportunity.
Hero-King Inglis exhales his final breath, held to the bosom of a goddess. The old man, initially an orphan from a distant farming village, rose through the knighted ranks to become a benevolent king. Inglis was revered. Surely, then, when he is reborn, given the opportunity to study swordsmanship rather than statecraft, he would return to such heights, correct?
Inglis Eucus, of the Citadel of Ymir, does not recognize the land she once ruled: magic-wielding beasts roam the wilds, class hierarchy and corruption taints all politics, and for some reason, there's a massive island hovering ominously overhead. But that's okay. Inglis has retained her control over aether, a magical attribute, and pledges to devote herself to the blade ("The best training was against a foe actually trying to kill you," page 31). Being reborn as an attractive young woman may not be so great, but action and adventure is in Inglis's blood. Strange creatures? Betrayal at the hands of rebellious knights? Bring it on.
REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE: FROM HERO-KING TO EXTRAORDINARY SQUIRE v1 moves at a sleep-inducing pace; the book doesn't explore anything worth paying attention to for the first 60 pages. The first one-third of the novel is, in short, The Story of Inglis the prodigy toddler, and thus nothing of consequence. But when the girl is a teenager, and willingly steps into fights against purported holy knights bearing the powers of sacred artifacts, the story shifts. When the author stops indulging the book's painfully retroactive worldbuilding, and focuses on individual character conflicts, the novel becomes interesting.
For example, Inglis, true to the novel's premise, is wildly overpowered. The character's abilities make much of her fighting broadly uninteresting. But when the young woman faces off against sentient weapons, called hieral menaces, then the trajectory of the narrative changes. Readers will enjoy how the author sets up underdog secondary characters, who ostensibly fight for good causes, against a brash and overeager hero character. The clash of personalities and the clash of powers make for good drama. Regrettably, readers must to wait until they're nearly halfway through the book to find it.
However integral combat is to this novel, one discovers the fight scenes aren't written particularly well. Redundant narration is a big problem (e.g., Inglis uses the same moves over and over), scale is a recurring issue (e.g., spellcasting is insulated and melodramatic, and by extension, also garishly inconsistent), and poor narrative spacing often leaves readers utterly confused (e.g., of a swordfight: "And Rahl's slid uselessly down hers to the side," page 29). Similarly, the book's use of magic falls into the bucket of "interesting," but struggles to be truly unique. Every time Inglis uses her aether attribute, the author plows through an excruciatingly dry explanation that cobbles together a retroactive continuity to justify the young woman's ridiculous abilities. The book's ham-fisted magic system further problematizes the isekai trope of the character being gloriously overpowered for no purpose other than narrative convenience.
A story's background conventions of culture and politics are essential, particularly for a book about the balance of a mind built for fighting versus one built for rulership. But keen readers know that bland or inert secondary characters represent a sly and subtle disparity between so-so fantasy novels and those of a higher caliber. Desperate readers might identify with Rafinha, Inglis's childhood friend, but the effort is worthless, for the girl is a prop and doesn't move or do anything unless the protagonist tells her to. Leone, who wields a longsword and slaughters without a second thought, is probably the book's best character. Too bad she doesn't appear until page 151.
These problems feed into others. Inadequate translation or editing work may have extrapolated the title's inherent shortcomings: awkward euphemisms and deficient figurative language ("Inglis's eyes narrowed in a grin," page 55); the wrong word use (e.g., "haul" instead of "hall"); and repeat efforts of devilishly bad syntax ("Inglis took Eris's and Rafinha's hands, and they were gone in a flash, running through the streets of Ymir to the outer walls," page 80).
The most perplexing note is the inclusion of unusual nicknames and diminutives. Through erroneous logic, readers are instructed to use "Chris" instead of "Inglis," and "Rina" instead of "Rafinha." Whether a consequence of an ineffective transliteration strategy or a mark of dubious and thus misinterpreted creativity, the use of nicknames for these (and other) characters is wildly, unnecessarily awkward.
REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE v1 strikes at being clever but largely misses, settling for a kaleidoscope of horrible scene breaks, unnecessary and incomprehensible POV shifts, inexpert narrative spacing, copious examples of the male gaze, wasteful worldbuilding, unbalanced magecraft, and a worrying amount of forgettable characters.
Poor writing and awkward translation efforts have scuttled numerous efforts to engage the burgeoning light-novel market. Readers must contest the work of inexperienced publishers, underpaid editors, and raw translators, in addition to the usual travails laid out by heavily saturated markets, book genre expectations, and incomplete release schedules. REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE v1 reads like an unfortunate quarry, nicked from the slush pile and yet unworthy of its opportunity.
Hero-King Inglis exhales his final breath, held to the bosom of a goddess. The old man, initially an orphan from a distant farming village, rose through the knighted ranks to become a benevolent king. Inglis was revered. Surely, then, when he is reborn, given the opportunity to study swordsmanship rather than statecraft, he would return to such heights, correct?
Inglis Eucus, of the Citadel of Ymir, does not recognize the land she once ruled: magic-wielding beasts roam the wilds, class hierarchy and corruption taints all politics, and for some reason, there's a massive island hovering ominously overhead. But that's okay. Inglis has retained her control over aether, a magical attribute, and pledges to devote herself to the blade ("The best training was against a foe actually trying to kill you," page 31). Being reborn as an attractive young woman may not be so great, but action and adventure is in Inglis's blood. Strange creatures? Betrayal at the hands of rebellious knights? Bring it on.
REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE: FROM HERO-KING TO EXTRAORDINARY SQUIRE v1 moves at a sleep-inducing pace; the book doesn't explore anything worth paying attention to for the first 60 pages. The first one-third of the novel is, in short, The Story of Inglis the prodigy toddler, and thus nothing of consequence. But when the girl is a teenager, and willingly steps into fights against purported holy knights bearing the powers of sacred artifacts, the story shifts. When the author stops indulging the book's painfully retroactive worldbuilding, and focuses on individual character conflicts, the novel becomes interesting.
For example, Inglis, true to the novel's premise, is wildly overpowered. The character's abilities make much of her fighting broadly uninteresting. But when the young woman faces off against sentient weapons, called hieral menaces, then the trajectory of the narrative changes. Readers will enjoy how the author sets up underdog secondary characters, who ostensibly fight for good causes, against a brash and overeager hero character. The clash of personalities and the clash of powers make for good drama. Regrettably, readers must to wait until they're nearly halfway through the book to find it.
However integral combat is to this novel, one discovers the fight scenes aren't written particularly well. Redundant narration is a big problem (e.g., Inglis uses the same moves over and over), scale is a recurring issue (e.g., spellcasting is insulated and melodramatic, and by extension, also garishly inconsistent), and poor narrative spacing often leaves readers utterly confused (e.g., of a swordfight: "And Rahl's slid uselessly down hers to the side," page 29). Similarly, the book's use of magic falls into the bucket of "interesting," but struggles to be truly unique. Every time Inglis uses her aether attribute, the author plows through an excruciatingly dry explanation that cobbles together a retroactive continuity to justify the young woman's ridiculous abilities. The book's ham-fisted magic system further problematizes the isekai trope of the character being gloriously overpowered for no purpose other than narrative convenience.
A story's background conventions of culture and politics are essential, particularly for a book about the balance of a mind built for fighting versus one built for rulership. But keen readers know that bland or inert secondary characters represent a sly and subtle disparity between so-so fantasy novels and those of a higher caliber. Desperate readers might identify with Rafinha, Inglis's childhood friend, but the effort is worthless, for the girl is a prop and doesn't move or do anything unless the protagonist tells her to. Leone, who wields a longsword and slaughters without a second thought, is probably the book's best character. Too bad she doesn't appear until page 151.
These problems feed into others. Inadequate translation or editing work may have extrapolated the title's inherent shortcomings: awkward euphemisms and deficient figurative language ("Inglis's eyes narrowed in a grin," page 55); the wrong word use (e.g., "haul" instead of "hall"); and repeat efforts of devilishly bad syntax ("Inglis took Eris's and Rafinha's hands, and they were gone in a flash, running through the streets of Ymir to the outer walls," page 80).
The most perplexing note is the inclusion of unusual nicknames and diminutives. Through erroneous logic, readers are instructed to use "Chris" instead of "Inglis," and "Rina" instead of "Rafinha." Whether a consequence of an ineffective transliteration strategy or a mark of dubious and thus misinterpreted creativity, the use of nicknames for these (and other) characters is wildly, unnecessarily awkward.
REBORN TO MASTER THE BLADE v1 strikes at being clever but largely misses, settling for a kaleidoscope of horrible scene breaks, unnecessary and incomprehensible POV shifts, inexpert narrative spacing, copious examples of the male gaze, wasteful worldbuilding, unbalanced magecraft, and a worrying amount of forgettable characters.
August 25, 2021
I couldn't say there was anything strikingly novel here, but more so than a lot of the other light novels making the rounds. There are some interesting hints hanging around of deeper worldbuilding. I may try the second volume to see where things go.
And... there's not much else I can think of to say, honestly. I enjoyed it. It's competently written. (Though the 'extra' at the end was a waste of space.)
And... there's not much else I can think of to say, honestly. I enjoyed it. It's competently written. (Though the 'extra' at the end was a waste of space.)
June 29, 2020
タイトル通りに、英雄王は転生して美少女の騎士になりました。新鮮のコンセプトですね。個人的に、とても面白いストーリーでした。主人公の名前はイングリすです。前世界の影響ので、イングリすは武闘派の魂があります。結果はカッコいくて美し騎士です。イングリすの幼じみの友はラフィニアという名前です。二人の関係はとても仲がいいです。そして、二人の夢は騎士になりたいです。イングリすとラフィ二やを楽しくて難しい冒険始まります。時間があれば、是非読んでください！
March 6, 2023
Well, that was better than I expected from the generic-sounding premise. First because it turned out to be actually a parody of that particular kind of generic power fantasy light novels, and second because it actually had some pretty cool and creative worldbuilding instead of being set in the usual video game world.
So our story starts with an old paladin being reincarnated courtesy of his god and finding out that 1) she is now a girl (not that it bothers her too much) and 2) the world around her has completely changed while she was dead. Gone is the Utopia she spent her previous lifetime building, which vanished without a trace in the mists of history. The world is now a steampunk colonial dystopia where a floating island (the Highland) oppresses the surface world and where magic rains turn animals into ravening monsters, and where knowledge of magic and the gods has almost completely disappeared, with knights now using runes on their hands to wield Artifacts and fight the monsters perpetually threatening humankind, and with absolutely no clue of how this new world has come to be.
All of which of course means that Inglis, who reincarnated with all her old paladin powers and knowledge of magic and fighting intact, is now one of the strongest warriors in the world ! She is puzzled by the changes in the world, and kind of bitter that all the work of her previous lifetime came to nothing, but she won't let that bother her too much. The fact that the world is full of monsters means that she has a lot of things to fight, and Inglis is a crazy battle maniac that will try to fight everything and everyone just for fun. So she doesn't intend to do anything to save or fix that world. After all, she already did that hero gig once before and did not like it, so now she will be happy just wandering the world fighting things with her cousin/sidekick Rani, whether those things are monsters, shapeshifting sentient weapons, idealistic knights, oppressive Highlanders, or the fanatical anti-Highlander Steelblood Front. And that is basically the story.
Now, I actually liked that story. Inglis and Rani antics were pretty funny, and I liked the interactions between the cynical and bloodthirsty Inglis and the naive and idealistic Rani. And there is still in the background the mystery of how the world came to be like that, and the conflict between the Highland and the surface world, and that part was also pretty interesting. However, it was also very pulpy and silly, and the author obviously really likes fanservice, boob jokes, and yuribaiting. I think it would have been much better at times if the story took itself a bit more seriously and toned down that fanservice. But I still liked this volume well enough to keep reading this series.
So our story starts with an old paladin being reincarnated courtesy of his god and finding out that 1) she is now a girl (not that it bothers her too much) and 2) the world around her has completely changed while she was dead. Gone is the Utopia she spent her previous lifetime building, which vanished without a trace in the mists of history. The world is now a steampunk colonial dystopia where a floating island (the Highland) oppresses the surface world and where magic rains turn animals into ravening monsters, and where knowledge of magic and the gods has almost completely disappeared, with knights now using runes on their hands to wield Artifacts and fight the monsters perpetually threatening humankind, and with absolutely no clue of how this new world has come to be.
All of which of course means that Inglis, who reincarnated with all her old paladin powers and knowledge of magic and fighting intact, is now one of the strongest warriors in the world ! She is puzzled by the changes in the world, and kind of bitter that all the work of her previous lifetime came to nothing, but she won't let that bother her too much. The fact that the world is full of monsters means that she has a lot of things to fight, and Inglis is a crazy battle maniac that will try to fight everything and everyone just for fun. So she doesn't intend to do anything to save or fix that world. After all, she already did that hero gig once before and did not like it, so now she will be happy just wandering the world fighting things with her cousin/sidekick Rani, whether those things are monsters, shapeshifting sentient weapons, idealistic knights, oppressive Highlanders, or the fanatical anti-Highlander Steelblood Front. And that is basically the story.
Now, I actually liked that story. Inglis and Rani antics were pretty funny, and I liked the interactions between the cynical and bloodthirsty Inglis and the naive and idealistic Rani. And there is still in the background the mystery of how the world came to be like that, and the conflict between the Highland and the surface world, and that part was also pretty interesting. However, it was also very pulpy and silly, and the author obviously really likes fanservice, boob jokes, and yuribaiting. I think it would have been much better at times if the story took itself a bit more seriously and toned down that fanservice. But I still liked this volume well enough to keep reading this series.
June 29, 2021
A male hero-king on his death bed (old age) wishes to be reborn in the distant future to see how his kingdom is faring and to dedicate his life to fighting as opposed to ruling. The goddess fulfils his wish and he is reborn as the daughter of a knight captain sometime in the distant future. We follow her breezing through her first few major events in her young life until she enters the knight academy at the age of 15, events that tease us about the world and that it is quite troubled.
The premise of the story is interesting. It raises the question on how much of an impact an individual has on the world in the long run and whether doing good is worth one's personal happiness. The question is given a bit more attention than just a backstory for the MC. The world is also intriguing. What is going on - both on the nature of magic, magic beasts and the threat of the floating city? What will happen?
On the other hand, characters are simple (although the MC at least acknowledges how painfully naïve some people are), there is a child prodigy without repercussions and the MC breezes through life. What little is done with the gender bender part feels rather like boxes being ticked off. She now likes fitting dresses, sweet things, feels disturbed by the stares of men and is grossed out by the idea of marriage. There is of course the obligatory bath scene with women grabbing each other's breasts, although this trope was limited to only one scene.
The pros and cons are reasonably in balance, and in the end I found it a reasonable enjoyable read, hence 3 stars.
The premise of the story is interesting. It raises the question on how much of an impact an individual has on the world in the long run and whether doing good is worth one's personal happiness. The question is given a bit more attention than just a backstory for the MC. The world is also intriguing. What is going on - both on the nature of magic, magic beasts and the threat of the floating city? What will happen?
On the other hand, characters are simple (although the MC at least acknowledges how painfully naïve some people are), there is a child prodigy without repercussions and the MC breezes through life. What little is done with the gender bender part feels rather like boxes being ticked off. She now likes fitting dresses, sweet things, feels disturbed by the stares of men and is grossed out by the idea of marriage. There is of course the obligatory bath scene with women grabbing each other's breasts, although this trope was limited to only one scene.
The pros and cons are reasonably in balance, and in the end I found it a reasonable enjoyable read, hence 3 stars.
October 17, 2022
Action packed story
This is a cool concept, a King being reborn generations later. And getting to see how much of a mark that he has made. I liked all of the characters, especially Inglis. I don't really understand how Inglis is short for Chris though. I also found it both weak and refreshing how the author gave siblings similar names. It was convenient how Inglis had the same name when reincarnated.
Still with that being said it was a great book and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
This is a cool concept, a King being reborn generations later. And getting to see how much of a mark that he has made. I liked all of the characters, especially Inglis. I don't really understand how Inglis is short for Chris though. I also found it both weak and refreshing how the author gave siblings similar names. It was convenient how Inglis had the same name when reincarnated.
Still with that being said it was a great book and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
January 25, 2024
I wasn't sure about this book when I first read the blurb or when I first starting reading it . Those thoughts are all gone now. I really like this book and the characters in it. These Light Novel books are always mega short so I glide through them pretty fast, but that doesn't change the fact it's a good book. I like the idea the author came up with when writing this book as it's not something I've really seen before. I think He/She executes it really well and does a great job with the combat detail and world building. I can't wait to jump right into book two. See ya there
February 28, 2025
I generally enjoy books where the MC has a knowledge advantage to exploit but here the author failed to create any interest in the MC or world for me. I quit reading fairly quickly- I already deleted the book so I have to guess it was about an hour in (listening to an audiobook). Also the author gendered swapped the MC. No basis in the story and in fact ran contrary to the story so far. After all the MC is being reborn as a reward so why would the goddess arranging things change his gender without even mentioning it?
June 30, 2021
A fun story
One of those where the protagonist just starts off super powerful. A overpowered protagonist book with some interesting ideas, especially that Highlander floating island. I enjoyed it, would recommend.
One of those where the protagonist just starts off super powerful. A overpowered protagonist book with some interesting ideas, especially that Highlander floating island. I enjoyed it, would recommend.
March 19, 2023
loved it
I’m reading the light novel after watching the anime of it. I really do enjoy the characters and the pace it’s going. Not a lot of unnecessary fillers but good content. Can’t wait to read the rest.
I’m reading the light novel after watching the anime of it. I really do enjoy the characters and the pace it’s going. Not a lot of unnecessary fillers but good content. Can’t wait to read the rest.
April 29, 2025
it was ok. it might be because iv re-watched the anime a lot that i didnt enjoy this as much, the anime is much further a head in the story so this just felt really slow and like i was just waiting for it to get to/past certain plot points.
July 9, 2021
An interesting approach to a character's development.
The fantasy world has some great original components that work well. The characters are a limited, but interesting.
Worth a read.
The fantasy world has some great original components that work well. The characters are a limited, but interesting.
Worth a read.
July 19, 2021
The Exceptional growth of the characters
The adventure of magic and adventure time to strap in. This story promotes a new dimension to the way you think.
The adventure of magic and adventure time to strap in. This story promotes a new dimension to the way you think.
May 8, 2022
I found this to be incredibly dull.
August 27, 2022
I can't bring myself to complete this garbage 😔
January 14, 2023
Okay, gender-bent izekai with a pitch that isn't being hit by a semi-truck.
A heroic king Manis reincarnate as a girl hoping to be a sword-hero... An interesting pitch.
A heroic king Manis reincarnate as a girl hoping to be a sword-hero... An interesting pitch.
March 30, 2023
amazing book
Very nice and a pleasure to read can’t wait to start volume 2
Thank you Hayaken for your hard work !
Very nice and a pleasure to read can’t wait to start volume 2
Thank you Hayaken for your hard work !
February 16, 2025
Amusing and with some interesting elements. I'll keep reading this series.
August 22, 2021
Inglis was a Hero-King, the most revered leader his country has seen. But as he's dying, he still has regrets. He wondered how much more of a warrior he could have been, if the endless timesink that was ruling a country had been put aside. And a goddess answers him by reincarnating him. Now a girl child of a minor noble family some years after his former life ended, Inglis is ready to challenge the path of the sword, and see if she can find its ultimate limit.
In theory, I should have liked this. In practice, it's still bogged down by the horrible female-unfriendly light novel tropes so prevalent in Japanese fiction. Boob-groping, casual sexual harassment, and a focus on getting girls naked in the bath that proves to me that the only reason Inglis is now a girl is so all these idiotic tropes can exist.
The only good moment in that regard is when Inglis is close to her coming of age, and finally notices the lustful glances coming her direction, and is uncomfortable with them. But rather than lean into that, the story tosses it right back out to her "appreciating female beauty" in the mirror and the bath.
Otherwise, there isn't a lot that's different about this so far. Inglis is a battle-crazed lunatic, which her family has tried to temper into something socially acceptable. She's aiming to support her cousin, who is perceived to be the stronger because of her cousin's rune (Inglis herself uses a more ancient form of power incompatible with rune magic). But this suits Inglis fine, because she'd rather have a low social status this time around so she can go kill more monsters.
There's some interesting bits of worldbuilding with the Highlanders (who literally live on floating islands) and those on the ground, the magical beasts and what causes them, and some presumably future political issues thanks to how Inglis resolved the current problems. But the story puts just as much focus on far-overdone tropes like how much her cousin can eat.
Overall, I'm just not inclined to put up with the "fanservice" long enough to find out if the series as a whole can rise above its mediocre start. I've read better gender-benders that actually dig more thoughtfully into what it would be like to live as the opposite sex. I've read better adventures that aren't 50% reused tropes. At the end of the day, the characters, the humor, and the adventure itself just aren't good enough to catch my interest for longer-term. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
In theory, I should have liked this. In practice, it's still bogged down by the horrible female-unfriendly light novel tropes so prevalent in Japanese fiction. Boob-groping, casual sexual harassment, and a focus on getting girls naked in the bath that proves to me that the only reason Inglis is now a girl is so all these idiotic tropes can exist.
The only good moment in that regard is when Inglis is close to her coming of age, and finally notices the lustful glances coming her direction, and is uncomfortable with them. But rather than lean into that, the story tosses it right back out to her "appreciating female beauty" in the mirror and the bath.
Otherwise, there isn't a lot that's different about this so far. Inglis is a battle-crazed lunatic, which her family has tried to temper into something socially acceptable. She's aiming to support her cousin, who is perceived to be the stronger because of her cousin's rune (Inglis herself uses a more ancient form of power incompatible with rune magic). But this suits Inglis fine, because she'd rather have a low social status this time around so she can go kill more monsters.
There's some interesting bits of worldbuilding with the Highlanders (who literally live on floating islands) and those on the ground, the magical beasts and what causes them, and some presumably future political issues thanks to how Inglis resolved the current problems. But the story puts just as much focus on far-overdone tropes like how much her cousin can eat.
Overall, I'm just not inclined to put up with the "fanservice" long enough to find out if the series as a whole can rise above its mediocre start. I've read better gender-benders that actually dig more thoughtfully into what it would be like to live as the opposite sex. I've read better adventures that aren't 50% reused tropes. At the end of the day, the characters, the humor, and the adventure itself just aren't good enough to catch my interest for longer-term. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
February 5, 2024
A simple quote can essentially make up the entirety of Inglis’s character: “I simply ate more than I budgeted for, so I’m helping her out to earn some money. But now I’m grateful for my appetite. If not for that, we’d never have been able to fight like this.” In other words, she is bloodthirsty and gluttonous.
Inglis, or Chris, is reincarnated sometime in the future after living his life as the hero-king after the goddess Alistia grants him this wish so he can live a life dedicated to mastering the blade. To Inglis’s surprise, he is reincarnated to a decently well-off family, and his father is the captain of the local lord knights—and reincarnated as a girl.
Chris, however, gets over this fact rather quickly, but she does become aware of the attention from men, which even makes her uncomfortable, as well as still having her preferences from her past life.
Chris also retains her status as a divine knight, which is essentially her being half-human and half-god. Because of this, even as an infant, she is quite powerful, and as she continually trains, she becomes more OP as she reaches her mid-teens. Her cousin, Rani, whom she trains and spends most of her time with, is also quite strong and shares her gluttonous trait.
There are a few side characters, but they get little attention. So there is not too much to say about them. However, because they get little attention and due to the story being extremely fast-paced, the majority of characters end up being shallow. For example, Rahal, the first villain to appear, has no substance as a character and is evil simply because he is in a position of power and wealth.
The issue of pacing and lack of character building notably pop-ups again a bit later. Characters intended to add conflict and emotion to a situation ended up feeling cheap because they were given a couple of sentences at most.
As mentioned, fighting and eating food are the only things Chris essentially cares about. Chris also seems to care little about what is right or wrong as fighting strong opponents and getting stronger herself is what she gives the most importance to. Her demeanor changes slightly if it affects Rani and others close to her, but the safety of innocent people is unimportant.
While that is not necessarily bad, as that can be an interesting character trait, such as with Eliana from Wandering Witch, it could be executed better with Chris. The main issue is her being essentially a one-dimensional character, as almost every thought of hers or comment from someone else is about how bloodthirsty she is. Unsurprisingly, for that reason, the comedy of the series revolves around Chris’s bloodthirstiness and her ability to eat copious amounts of food along with Rani. Although Rani does share similar characteristics with Chris, there is more to her character as she does care about ordinary people and is unsure which side(s) are right or wrong.
Although there are a lot of weak aspects to the story, the worldbuilding and magical parts of the story have the potential to be interesting. For example, the political situation with the Highlanders and using the threat of Magicite Beasts to control the soil-bound kingdoms and the anti-Highlander groups have promise. Additionally, the magic system is interesting with the Runes, Artifacts, Hieral Menaces, and Chris’s ability to use Aether because she is a divine knight. There isn’t much indication the gender-bent aspect will amount to much. If anything, it simply serves as a means for fanservice. However, the pacing is definitely an issue if future volumes continue to be as fast-paced as the first. Additionally, it is a bit odd that the series is called *Reborn to Master the Blade*; but the only time she uses a sword is within the first few chapters. Although, there are plot reasons as to why that is the case.
Inglis, or Chris, is reincarnated sometime in the future after living his life as the hero-king after the goddess Alistia grants him this wish so he can live a life dedicated to mastering the blade. To Inglis’s surprise, he is reincarnated to a decently well-off family, and his father is the captain of the local lord knights—and reincarnated as a girl.
Chris, however, gets over this fact rather quickly, but she does become aware of the attention from men, which even makes her uncomfortable, as well as still having her preferences from her past life.
Chris also retains her status as a divine knight, which is essentially her being half-human and half-god. Because of this, even as an infant, she is quite powerful, and as she continually trains, she becomes more OP as she reaches her mid-teens. Her cousin, Rani, whom she trains and spends most of her time with, is also quite strong and shares her gluttonous trait.
There are a few side characters, but they get little attention. So there is not too much to say about them. However, because they get little attention and due to the story being extremely fast-paced, the majority of characters end up being shallow. For example, Rahal, the first villain to appear, has no substance as a character and is evil simply because he is in a position of power and wealth.
The issue of pacing and lack of character building notably pop-ups again a bit later. Characters intended to add conflict and emotion to a situation ended up feeling cheap because they were given a couple of sentences at most.
As mentioned, fighting and eating food are the only things Chris essentially cares about. Chris also seems to care little about what is right or wrong as fighting strong opponents and getting stronger herself is what she gives the most importance to. Her demeanor changes slightly if it affects Rani and others close to her, but the safety of innocent people is unimportant.
While that is not necessarily bad, as that can be an interesting character trait, such as with Eliana from Wandering Witch, it could be executed better with Chris. The main issue is her being essentially a one-dimensional character, as almost every thought of hers or comment from someone else is about how bloodthirsty she is. Unsurprisingly, for that reason, the comedy of the series revolves around Chris’s bloodthirstiness and her ability to eat copious amounts of food along with Rani. Although Rani does share similar characteristics with Chris, there is more to her character as she does care about ordinary people and is unsure which side(s) are right or wrong.
Although there are a lot of weak aspects to the story, the worldbuilding and magical parts of the story have the potential to be interesting. For example, the political situation with the Highlanders and using the threat of Magicite Beasts to control the soil-bound kingdoms and the anti-Highlander groups have promise. Additionally, the magic system is interesting with the Runes, Artifacts, Hieral Menaces, and Chris’s ability to use Aether because she is a divine knight. There isn’t much indication the gender-bent aspect will amount to much. If anything, it simply serves as a means for fanservice. However, the pacing is definitely an issue if future volumes continue to be as fast-paced as the first. Additionally, it is a bit odd that the series is called *Reborn to Master the Blade*; but the only time she uses a sword is within the first few chapters. Although, there are plot reasons as to why that is the case.
March 20, 2023
i like this book
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