Nina del reino de las estrellas, vol. 3

星降る王国のニナ [Hoshi Furu Ōkoku no Nina] #3

by Rikachi, Laura Asquerino Egoscozábal (Translator)

A Nina, cuyos ojos son del color del lapislázuli, la descubrió Azure, el segundo príncipe del país de Fortna, y se ha convertido en la sustituta de la princesa Alisha, que pronto iba a casarse con el príncipe del gran reino de Galgada. Ellos dos, que nacieron bajo estrellas solitarias, acaban sintiéndose atraídos el uno por el otro. Aun así, para salvar la vida de Azure, que está en el punto de mira del rey de Fortna, Nina toma la decisión de convertirse en la reina de Galgada. Sin embargo, Sett, el heredero al trono del país, tiene otra idea...

Genres: Manga, Romance, Fantasy, Josei, Comics, Young Adult, Graphic Novels

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m usually more into dudes with black hair, but holy crackers Sett is hot.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Separated from Az, Nina is firmly entrenched in Galgada, the kingdom whose prince she is scheduled to wed. Unfortunately for her (and me), the prince of Galgada, Sett, is a real piece of... work... and in between killing the hell out of things, it appears his new favourite sport is tormenting Nina.

Sigh. Can I please have one series set in a faux-Arabian tableau that doesn’t involve threats of sexual violence? Yes, I know, genre trope and all that, but what exactly am I getting from this? I will give that the scene presented here is less disquieting than the one in With the Sheikh in His Harem, but I would put it to you that that’s like saying getting whiplash is better than being propelled through the windshield. I’ll pass on both, thanks.

There’s yet another ongoing threat of indecent assault in this volume from the captain of the guards and it’s, like, holy cats, of all the things to double down on. Between that and Sett’s relentlessly crap personality - seriously, I do not care in the slightest if Nina wins him over because I’m rooting for literally every potential assassin who might be waiting in the wings (I envision an anachronistic Julius Caesar scenario).

Except for one great scene where Nina cleverly parlays the things she’s learned over this volume to completely handle the guard captain situation everything here is way too dour. When Nina tries to call Sett’s bluff and pays a massive price for it, I just... phew. The balance of grave danger and general fun was a lot better the last two volumes. Look, we get it, power is abused by people who have only known power, we GET IT.

With Sett being utterly insufferable and beyond redemption, certainly an interesting and unintended story consequence, it falls to Nina to carry the day and at least she’s up to the task. For all my complaining about the above, she’s still deliciously clever and full of spunk. I mean, she’d never admit it, but she’s doing it all for love and it shows. Her attendant and new lady-in-waiting are both good additions to the cast as well.

The real problem is that there’s no Az and losing his chemistry with Nina results in a massive narrative void that the presence of Prince Twit and his Jagoff Revue cannot hope to fill with their charmless selves. The brief interactions between Nina and Az we do get just throw the difference into sharp relief.

Obviously you need stakes in a story and you need to be able to contrast things and watching the world be perfect and amazing would be fairly boring after a while (I think I’d have preferred it though). You can’t just turn the angst and pain dial up to eleven and have it feel palatable, however. The atmosphere around Sett is pure misery and it just becomes draining.

I will throw out one last bit of praise to that ending, which is astoundingly good for two reasons. One, it is a full stop ‘what the hell’ moment that should not be happening but very clearly is. Next, it does something I really did appreciate, which is show that life continued while Nina was away. I mean, I’d much rather have heard that story, but it’s interesting to see so much has shifted.

2.5 stars and I’ll nudge up to 3 stars because Nina’s still a great character and I didn’t find this as bad as the Sheikh book. It’s very, very close though. Nina’s just so good that she does make up for a lot, which is necessary when you have a character like Sett who is literally the worst. This volume just came up short compared to its predecessors.

[samarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i hate sett this fucking bitch

[marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vol. 1 ★★★☆☆
Vol. 2 ★★★☆☆

While Sett is an asshole, Nina is much too spirited to let that get her down. Her banter with Niena got me cracking up. On the other hand, that cliffhanger doesn't inspire any confidence. For someone who's supposed to be politically adept, Azure sure makes a lot of rash decisions with no regards for consequences.

[Ink & Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Sett. Hands down. No question. 100%.
That said, this volume really made me admire Nina. The amount of BS she has to put up with is wild, yet she keeps smiling and pushing forward. I could never do what she does. Her resilience is really incredible.

I’m a little torn on this volume overall because of some serious red flag moments, but Nina makes me want to keep reading. Also, I thought this series was setting up a love triangle between Nina, Az, and Sett, but… yeah, definitely not the case (and I honestly hope it never becomes one).

~Recap~
Nina arrives in Galgada, but Prince Sett is nowhere to be found. The whole palace feels off - the servants don’t talk and there’s rumors that Sett may have killed another princess. What’s Nina to do except explore and try to make some friends?

[★ray's bookshelf★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED SETT PLEASE GIVE HIM TO ME! NINA YOU HAVE AZURE SO I CAN TAKE HIM! HE'S MINE AND HE'S MY RED FLAG
🚩🚩🚩 DADDY 😘

[subaha]

2.5 ⭐
can't believe girl's only options are a captor who to everyone else in the world is her stepbrother (yikes) and a brat prince who threatens r*pe as an intimidation tactic.

[Kaitlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummmm, I am very much obsessed with this series. I don't even know if I have the proper words to describe how I feel. I am going to be obsessively checking on GoodReads and on Kodansha's website until I get a release date for book 6. ESPECIALLY WITH THE WAY BOOK FIVE ENDED IN A CLIFFHANGER. I am literally shooketh, and that's all I can think about....

Anyway, to see the full rambling review hop on over to Randomly Kait

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a lot darker than I thought it was going to be. Ver pleased

[hea booktubes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want more.

[Karina Catellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Já sei que vou passar raiva com esse triângulo amoroso. Sett vai ter que mudar MUITO pra eu confiar nele.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Sett is a blood thirty killer huh? I am still not sure I understand why she took off.

[Ness ┏ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ┛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Sett, I absolutely love him. That's it, that's all my review because it would be incoherent otherwise.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m usually like red flags but Sett? He rubbed me the wrong way or something.

Nina is so smart and tactful I love her dearly and I want the absolute best for her.

KING AZURE EXCUSE ME HOW WHEN WHY WHAT?

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m inspired by Nina’s resilience! And also Sett is such a scoundrel 😡 But I hope there is more to his character than just this… 🤔

[Isa Newbury | reading_isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

[Miłosz Malarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

no i znakomicie (słychać wycie)

[Stéphanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je ne m'attendais pas du tout à cette fin! Je suis encore sous le choc! Cette série semble avoir plus de potentiel finalement!

[Abeey Morsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sunread26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2024/...

Extrait :
J’enchaine les tomes et je pense que j’aurais du mal à m’arrêter au quatrième, mais comme c’est le dernier que j’ai actuellement, ce sera un arrêt forcé. Alisha est un personnage que j’ai vraiment envie de voir réussir, car elle est « crue » et n’aura donc jamais de mauvaises pensées ou de mauvais plans envers quiconque. Ce n’est pas une h��roïne au tempérament original, mais j’apprécie souvent celui-ci.

Alisha arrive dans ce qu’elle pense être son nouveau royaume, mais très vite la réalité la rattrape et elle se rend compte qu’une fois de plus, elle a trop idéalisée les choses. Le prince l’ignore totalement, les autres princesses le traite de monstre et de goujat (car elles subissent le même sort). Sans oublier que la mort d’une autre princesse est aussi évoquée. Alisha est donc un peu désemparée, mais reprend très vite du poil de la bête. Au final, ce n’est pas en tant que princesse qu’elle marquera les esprits, mais en étant elle-même (les règles de bonnes conduites en plus). Au début ignorée de tous, elle finira par se faire une petite place, comme le dit sa servante, elle est loin d’être idiote. Par contre, elle va parfois jusqu’à risquer sa vie pour tenter de marquer des points et si Azur en voit le résultat, il risque de perdre son sang-froid. Pour l’autre prince, cette marque sera un souvenir de ce qu’il a fait à Alisha, même s’il vient aussi à avoir des sentiments, elle ne disparaîtra pas (tout comme les séquelles psychologiques de certains passages). Ses passages rappellent aussi qu’Alisha est encore jeune et qu’elle ignore donc beaucoup de choses, notamment pour devenir reine. La vie lui appris pleins de choses, le palais aussi, mais il reste encore bien des inconnus. Les choses pourront-elles s’améliorer un jour ?

La fin du tome reparle un peu d’Azur, j’espère que le tome suivant sera plus complet à son sujet. Il manque beaucoup d’éléments pour saisir pleinement la situation, du coup, des questions restent en suspens. Le « pourquoi » semble lui évident, il veut récupérer Alisha des mains de l’ennemis (je ne pense pas qu’il s’agisse d’une vengeance personnelle envers son père, ça ne lui ressemble pas). Par contre, le « comment » lui est toujours un mystère ! La pose qu’il prend et son regard donnent l’impression qu’il a bien changé, et pas vraiment dans le bon sens. L’amour peut donner des ailes, mais aussi les reprendre, la chute en devient alors plus difficile. Je pense qu’il est surtout déterminé, je ne pense pas qu’il en veuille à Alisha. Il a sans doute dû avoir l’impression d’être impuissant pour la première fois depuis longtemps (puisque son propre sort ne l’a jamais affecté). Je crains aussi qu’il finisse par faire une énorme bêtise pour atteindre son but, j’espère qu’il ne sera pas idiot, qu’il ne se précipitera pas mais agira au contraire, avec intelligence. Surtout qu’avouer ses sentiments pour Alisha, c’est soit avouer qu’il est un faux prince, soit avouer qu’elle est une fausse princesse… L’amour entre Alisha et Azur va-t-il finir tragiquement ? Je ne l’espère pas…

[...]

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the storyline where I really grew to love Nina.

I have no idea how the real Princess Alisha would've fared in Sett's court - would she have fallen apart like the other princesses Sett's been lining up as excuses to invade neighboring countries? Or would she have been like Nina, who cries and despairs, just like Sett wanted her to, but then picks herself up and figures out how to move forward.

As Nina reminds herself, this isn't the first time her life has been hard. She lost her parents - she was orphaned on the streets - her street urchin "brother" betrayed and sold her - the golden-eyed prince who bought her was cold and demanding and had intended to have her killed before she went to Galgada. So while Sett is violent and cruel, it's not new, exactly, it's just something else she has to adapt to.

And what she realizes, once she thinks about things with a clearer head, is that Sett is following specific rules that she can work around once she learns them properly. While he injured her, he intentionally made it a shallow enough cut for it to heal. When people speak up against or challenge him - even Nina's lady-in-waiting - he expresses irritation but doesn't punish them. He even replaced the abusive captain of the guard Nina had targeted in his absence.

None of this makes him a good person, but it makes Nina start to understand him a little better...and in the process, her odd behavior and intelligent stubbornness starts to intrigue him.

Every day, Nina wakes up and makes a decision to small and to find joy in the little things, because even in the worst situations, there's something that can bring you happiness. Food, stars, a sunset, a conversation with a new friend - because the servants all begin to care for Nina once they realize she's not going to break down like all the other princesses.

I don't like Sett yet in this volume, but he's intriguing, and there's a lot of depth to him beyond "war lord prince." Why is he this way? What does he actually want? Is it possible for Nina to convince him to leave Fortna in peace? So many questions to deal with as the story progresses.

Az becoming king in Nina's absence is a startling event that doesn't match anything he's been doing in his kingdom thus far, so as a closing panel it's pretty dramatic.

[Luana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

Allora, per ora mi limiterò a dare un primo giudizio su Sett, perché mi riservo di cambiare opinione nel caso in cui le cose dovessero cambiare nei prossimi volumi: mi sembra che goda un po' troppo nel comportarsi in maniera crudele. Crudeltà gratuita peraltro. Certi atteggiamenti sono discretamente sadici. È vero che l'unica principessa che ha eliminato è stata anche quella che ha cercato di ucciderlo, ma non è che sia un mostro di gentilezza con le altre. Sul fatto che lui abbia il potere assoluto nel suo castello, ci sono pochi dubbi ed era abbastanza prevedibile. Meno piacevole è il clima di terrore che si instaura in suddetto castello, con il capo delle guardie che può fare quello che gli pare, mentre servitù e guardie si guardano bene dall'affezionarsi a qualcuna delle principesse per paura delle conseguenze. Insomma, per ora il mio giudizio su Sett non è molto positivo, però voglio vedere se la presenza di Nina porterà qualche cambiamento.

In questo contesto inquietante, Nina/Alisha rappresenta una ventata di novità: la ragazza ha zero desiderio di trovarsi a Galgada (ben consapevole che i vicini sono alla ricerca di qualsiasi pretesto per invadere Fortna), ma è pronta a tutto pur di proteggere Az. E a dispetto di certi atteggiamenti allucinanti di Sett, che non si fa problemi a farle del male, Nina procede per la sua strada, trattando tutti con gentilezza e guadagnandosi la simpatia della servitù quando fa finire in prigione il capitano delle guardie. La ragazza ha qualcuno da proteggere, Sett non si capisce bene cosa voglia. Tuttavia questo matrimonio è decisamente a rischio visto che, durante il viaggio verso il palazzo reale, la carrozza di Nina precipita e la poverina si troverà in pericolo...ma il volume non si chiude qui, ma qualche pagina dopo con l'incoronazione di Az 😱😱😱😱😱 forse nel prossimo numero verrà spiegato cosa è successo, ma ho come l'impressione che Az sia pronto a riprendersi Nina, con buona pace di Galgada, Sett e il resto del circondario.

[Veronica Villar · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 estrellas

El manga Nina del reino de las estrellas sigue su curso y llega a un punto en el que las tramas palaciegas van a tomar mucha más importancia.

Nina ya se ha instalado en Galgada y por fin conoce a Sett, que no es para nada como ella lo imaginaba. Donde ella pensaba que vería a un heredero buscando esposa, ha encontrado a alguien frio y calculador que ve a las princesas como marionetas y solo muestra cariño a su mascota Nyna. Aún así Nina no se da por vencida y llegará hasta el límite por ser elegida como la futura esposa de Sett.

La historia está cada vez más interesante, y es que en Galgada no faltan las intrigas palaciegas ni gente que le haga la vida más difícil a Nina. Menos mal que ella es persistente y jamás se rinde, ganándose así el cariño y confianza de la gente que trabaja en palacio, y quien sabe si en el futuro del príncipe Sett.

En este tomo aparecen nuevos personajes. Sett, del que ya os he hablado un poco antes, da la impresión de no querer amar a nadie o encariñarse. Es como si le hubieran criado solo pensando en la guerra y en conquistar, por eso estoy deseando ver como Nina puede influir en su personalidad. Hikami es la única dama de compañía que ha podido quedarse al lado de Nina, y da la impresión de ser algo más que una sirvienta, parece tener el carácter propio de una guerrera. Y Anne es una sirvienta nueva en el palacio donde reside ahora Nina, un poco tímida al principio pero que gracias a que la princesa de Fortna la salva de un despiadado capitán, se hacen muy amigas.

La semana que viene compraré el tomo 4 porque necesito saber más de la historia, de Nina, de Sett, pero sobre todo de Azure, que tras las últimas páginas me ha dejado con la intriga de saber que ha pasado en Fortna en todo este tiempo.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my surprise, considering how indifferent I tend to be toward secondary world YA fantasy, I've become invested in this one. Nina reminds me a bit of Shiriyuki from Snow White with the Red Hair in her natural disinclination to back down in a difficult situation. But she feels more vulnerable, which makes me want to root for her while she deals with princely garbage man Sett.

There's a push and pull here, that I wouldn't necessarily call a love triangle, though it does have some of those vibes. Nina's gone to Galgada to ensure peace between it and Fortna, and to save Az's life. She has to fight much harder than she thought she would, because Sett presumes that any princess who comes to his door also comes with deceitful intentions, and does his best to makes sure she cracks under the pressure. When Sett realizes how naive Nina is about what "marriage" actually entails, he assaults and taunts her. Later on, he cuts her across the chest with a sword. What a guy!

As much as the narrative is trying to push us to believe a marriage between Nina and Sett might work out with all this bonding over Sett's pet bird, I don't think he's worthy of her. :P I hope Rikachi can thread the needle between Nina living through her time in Galgada, and being able to come back home to Az, and true love.

[Anna]

I think the third volume is a good point to think about if I want to continue reading the rest of this series or not. I obviously didn't hate it enough to drop on the first volume, but am I emotionally ready to keep going?

Volume 3 finds Nina in the Crown Prince's castle in the kingdom of Bastella, where she was sent off to marry the prince in order to ensure peace between the two nations. The Crown Prince, Sett, is a Silver-hair™ trope through and through. Nina thinks he's being mysterious because he didn't officially welcome her for whatever obscure reason, but actually, he was just being a Villain (with a capital V). He's not just a red flag, he owns the red flag factory.

Of course, Nina, ever our unflappable heroine, makes it her goal to stand her ground against this crazy prince. And while I probably would've been able to continue reading this series despite Sett's cruelty (because he's a bad guy, and that's what bad guys do), it's Nina's persistence that I find unrealistic. She's up against a guy who doesn't hesitate drawing his sword to hurt her, and she still thinks she can save him? fix him?

For now, this series goes lower on the to-read pile. The art is genuinely pretty, but that's not enough to pique my interest.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a strange new land

Wanting to protect Azure from his father, Nina has found the resolve to travel to meet the man she is meant to wed regardless of Azure's attempts of trying to break up the arranged wedding. Now in a foreign land with only one servant lent to her by the Azure's grandfather she finds out that Prince Sett is by no means a kind soul as Azure has been shown to be and she also discovers there are other bride candidates in various stages of distress thanks to Sett's cruel games. With few allies save for the few she will earn Nina will face an uncertain future as only she can.

Honestly although this book carries many of the interesting things I enjoyed from the previous volumes Sett is not a very likable person but at first Azure was a diamond in the rough until Nina began to open his heart. Sadly seeing Nina not only hurt as she defies Sett but be terrified as he throws her to his bed and tears her clothes (but doesn't follow through with forcing himself on her further) makes this volume slightly less enjoyable though the surprise at the end of the volume with Azure is quite the cliffhanger. We'll just have to see how these two princeling's stories turn out as the starry bride guides their fates.

[Alessandra Ceravolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anche cui trovo molto utile l’introduzione dei personaggi personaggi e il riassunto ma lo trovo molto curato e magnifico. Sett nonostante l’apparenza angelica, è forte, crudele e spaventoso ma Nina cerca di resistere per Azure. Nina è determinata a diventare la moglie di Sett ma sono rimasta sconvolta dal fatto che lui l’abbia ferita fisicamente, il modo in cui Nina ha reagito a questo assalto mi ha colpita come ha colpito Sett. Nina con il suo modo di fare e la sua forza d’animo riesce a farsi apprezzare da tutti al castello. Mi è piaciuta particolarmente la copertina Night 12 molto curata e fantastica. Il primo bacio tra Nina e Sett nonostante sia senza amore e con freddezza mi ha colpito profondamente. Sconvolta dalla situazione in cui si trova Nina e dal fatto che Azure sia diventato re di Fortna.

[Monstragora (MiiMo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

We finally get to meet the prince Nina has been made to marry and oh boy. OH BOY. He's something haha. We know by this point that he's going to be a bit cruel but I didn't expect him to be as much of a brat as he is. It's great, since I feel like Nina can actually talk to him without being completely pushed away or scared off. Can't wait to see how these two end up and where their relationship goes. It's rocky, but Nina is trying her hardest to make it work, bless her.

This one ends on two cliffhangers that had me shaking in my seat! The next book isn't coming out for at least a month and I want it so badly right now haha

[Mathou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans le château de l’ennemi

Nina a donc piégé Azur et est partie dans le royaume ennemi sans lui laisser le temps de comprendre la situation.

La voilà donc propulsée aux côtés du prince fou, du prince sanguinaire, du dieu de la mort : le prince Sett. Mais alors qu’elle pensait que son rôle de reine était sécurisé, déjà prête à aider Azur de loin, elle se rend rapidement compte que Sett est un être imprévisible et dangereux. Va-t-elle réussir à devenir reine et sauver son amour?

Les dessins sont superbes, les personnages hauts en couleur et les deux royaumes sont extrêmement développés et intéressants.

On ne peut qu’avoir hâte à la suite!

[Les petits livres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nina du royaume aux étoiles est un superbe manga, j'ai plus que hâte de connaître la suite de cette saga.

Les personnages sont intéressants et attachants, les rebondissements sont inattendus et globalement l'histoire est superbement écrite et illustrée.

On se demande bien si quelqu'un découvrira les secrets de Nina, si elle finira par rentrer dans son pays, si elle finira par marier un prince ou un roi...

Je ne sais pas quand sort la suite mais ça va vite atterrir dans ma bibliothèque une fois sorti !