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The Tyrant's Etiquette Tutor #1
The Tyrant’s Etiquette Tutor: Volume I
It's a tale as old as Livia is known as an elegant, cold daughter of Duke Blanche who upholds the etiquette of the noblesse above all else. Croft is a lonely Emperor shrouded in dark rumors in dire need of a proper court education. It seems the perfect match—except Livia, possessed by the spirit of a fiery reader who dropped the novel before reaching the end, is determined to change her fate as an Empress destined to die a violent death.
Royal intrigue, assassination plots, and political turmoil are the least of Livia's worries, of course. When she enters a magical marriage contract with Croft to rehabilitate his image, each swearing to divorce when they fall in love with someone else, forces beyond their control pull Livia and Croft toward a conspiracy that could upend their lives forever.
Royal intrigue, assassination plots, and political turmoil are the least of Livia's worries, of course. When she enters a magical marriage contract with Croft to rehabilitate his image, each swearing to divorce when they fall in love with someone else, forces beyond their control pull Livia and Croft toward a conspiracy that could upend their lives forever.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2023
124 people are currently reading
1121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 27, 2022
When I first saw the cover, I expected a love story between a domineering tyrant and a prim and proper lady.
...Okay, who am I kidding.
HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE COVER!?!?!?
LOOK AT THAT ABSOLUTE FINE SPECIMEN OF A MAN!!!
WHEN I SAW THE COVER, I WAS DEAD. HE IS PANTS DOWN, I MEAN, HANDS DOWN, THE HOTTEST MALE LEAD I'VE EVER SEEN, AND THE DESCRIPTION IN THE NOVEL DIDN'T FAIL HIM.
...But we'll get into that later.
Ahem, getting back on tracks, that was what I was fully expecting. I expected him to be forceful and all, while she be like, "As if I'll fall for the likes of you!!!" As they play a game of push and pull.
But instead, I found myself rooting for the badass heroine to protecc our delicate tyrant.
Although, delicate might not be too precise of a word.
Our male lead, Croft (Male God), was born in an unfortunate circumstance and was exiled into a foreign land later in his life, before making his way back to his former kingdom. For that reason, he was unfamiliar with the custom of his own kingdom and required an etiquette tutor.
At the same time, due to where he hailed from, his surroundings considered him as a mannerless barbaric. Which is, yeah, not a good start for the future king of the kingdom.
But it only went downhill from there.
Everything he did only incite more ire and disdain from his surroundings, and his reputation grew more and more wretched as time went on.
Why? Because everyone had already decided that he's evul from the beginning and refused to believe otherwise.
Except for our heroine, my queen, our Lady and Savior (yes that's how much I simp for her), Livia.
To start it off, while she indeed has a memory of her previous life, she wasn't Croft's die-hard fan after reading the novel and what-not, nor did she plan to deliver him from the suffering that is his life. In fact, she was as terrified as any other guy at the prospect of being in his presence. All she ever wanted was to avoid the dead end.
But unlike everyone else, she showed him compassion nonetheless; the one, single thing no one else had ever given him, because they'd rather fear, loathe, and badmouth him, the supposed Absolute Evil.
When everyone else would've scampered away, Livia stood her ground and treated Croft like an equal... like a person.
It was probably at that time when she realized that he was a human, just like everyone else,
That while the man called Croft was rough on the edges, unfamiliar with customs, and sometimes behaves slovenly, he was also a gallant and extremely passionate gentleman, and is also hot, ...cough.
That despite his shortcomings, he was determined to do everything in his power to treat her right.
It was probably around that time that I began to notice how defensive she had grown over him, doing all these small things to protect his feelings, and make him feel welcome in the castle filled with bunch of twerps who wished him ruin from the bottom of their hearts.
The moment I realize that this is a story is about protecting our emperor who had never known love before, I was fully cheering on my queen over here, "GO, GIRLBOSS, GO, QUEEN, SLAY!!!!" and sometimes, "IF YOU DARE HURT MY EMPEROR IMMA KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND THEN MYSE--" which is beside the point.
The pacing is really good, and I never feel like it was dragging, while the translation itself was very natural. When I was so hooked into the story, instead of stumbling with the words, the scene flowed vividly into my mind, forming a clear image. Kinda like a support from your bestie, if you will, giving me a push on the back, "Yoho, you're so into this story? I got your back, keep on reading!"
What a good read.
My heart was on my sleeve the entire time.
I didn't expect that going in, I'd feel so protective over THE GUY instead...
Regardless, I wish for Croft's happiness.
That's all I want.
...Okay, who am I kidding.
HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE COVER!?!?!?
LOOK AT THAT ABSOLUTE FINE SPECIMEN OF A MAN!!!
WHEN I SAW THE COVER, I WAS DEAD. HE IS PANTS DOWN, I MEAN, HANDS DOWN, THE HOTTEST MALE LEAD I'VE EVER SEEN, AND THE DESCRIPTION IN THE NOVEL DIDN'T FAIL HIM.
...But we'll get into that later.
Ahem, getting back on tracks, that was what I was fully expecting. I expected him to be forceful and all, while she be like, "As if I'll fall for the likes of you!!!" As they play a game of push and pull.
But instead, I found myself rooting for the badass heroine to protecc our delicate tyrant.
Although, delicate might not be too precise of a word.
Our male lead, Croft (Male God), was born in an unfortunate circumstance and was exiled into a foreign land later in his life, before making his way back to his former kingdom. For that reason, he was unfamiliar with the custom of his own kingdom and required an etiquette tutor.
At the same time, due to where he hailed from, his surroundings considered him as a mannerless barbaric. Which is, yeah, not a good start for the future king of the kingdom.
But it only went downhill from there.
Everything he did only incite more ire and disdain from his surroundings, and his reputation grew more and more wretched as time went on.
Why? Because everyone had already decided that he's evul from the beginning and refused to believe otherwise.
Except for our heroine, my queen, our Lady and Savior (yes that's how much I simp for her), Livia.
To start it off, while she indeed has a memory of her previous life, she wasn't Croft's die-hard fan after reading the novel and what-not, nor did she plan to deliver him from the suffering that is his life. In fact, she was as terrified as any other guy at the prospect of being in his presence. All she ever wanted was to avoid the dead end.
But unlike everyone else, she showed him compassion nonetheless; the one, single thing no one else had ever given him, because they'd rather fear, loathe, and badmouth him, the supposed Absolute Evil.
When everyone else would've scampered away, Livia stood her ground and treated Croft like an equal... like a person.
It was probably at that time when she realized that he was a human, just like everyone else,
That while the man called Croft was rough on the edges, unfamiliar with customs, and sometimes behaves slovenly, he was also a gallant and extremely passionate gentleman, and is also hot, ...cough.
That despite his shortcomings, he was determined to do everything in his power to treat her right.
It was probably around that time that I began to notice how defensive she had grown over him, doing all these small things to protect his feelings, and make him feel welcome in the castle filled with bunch of twerps who wished him ruin from the bottom of their hearts.
The moment I realize that this is a story is about protecting our emperor who had never known love before, I was fully cheering on my queen over here, "GO, GIRLBOSS, GO, QUEEN, SLAY!!!!" and sometimes, "IF YOU DARE HURT MY EMPEROR IMMA KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND THEN MYSE--" which is beside the point.
The pacing is really good, and I never feel like it was dragging, while the translation itself was very natural. When I was so hooked into the story, instead of stumbling with the words, the scene flowed vividly into my mind, forming a clear image. Kinda like a support from your bestie, if you will, giving me a push on the back, "Yoho, you're so into this story? I got your back, keep on reading!"
What a good read.
My heart was on my sleeve the entire time.
I didn't expect that going in, I'd feel so protective over THE GUY instead...
Regardless, I wish for Croft's happiness.
That's all I want.
November 14, 2022
Siiiiiighhhhh….. why do I always do this?
Me, considering a new isekai manga/light novel:
Oh, this looks good. But it’s only the first volume. Should I read it or wait until more are out? What the heck, YOLO! And if I don’t like it, I won’t get the rest!
Me, after reading the first and so far only volume of a new isekai manga/light novel series:
WHHHHHYYYYY!!!!! It’s so GOOD! I NEED the next one NOW!!!!!
5, I hate how I can’t wait, stars.
Me, considering a new isekai manga/light novel:
Oh, this looks good. But it’s only the first volume. Should I read it or wait until more are out? What the heck, YOLO! And if I don’t like it, I won’t get the rest!
Me, after reading the first and so far only volume of a new isekai manga/light novel series:
WHHHHHYYYYY!!!!! It’s so GOOD! I NEED the next one NOW!!!!!
5, I hate how I can’t wait, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2022
I really like these types of stories, isekai romances. But I’ve read so many I was worried it would be too cliché. However I was extremely delighted to find that the main character had quite a bit of backbone. I found myself enjoying the book so much I would put it down to make it last longer. (This method didn’t work, I’d jump right back in!)
The interactions between Livia and Croft are so fun to read. They have great chemistry and I often found myself laughing out loud while reading. You can see that he likes her for more than just looks and manners, he likes her fire.
All of the side characters are more than just filler and hint at more story for them in the future. The female lead is very smart, but dense in just the right way. I was the most disappointed in reaching the end of the book. I need more!!
If you are a fan of isekai romance and enjoy some humor along with hot male leads and feisty female leads, pick this one up!
The interactions between Livia and Croft are so fun to read. They have great chemistry and I often found myself laughing out loud while reading. You can see that he likes her for more than just looks and manners, he likes her fire.
All of the side characters are more than just filler and hint at more story for them in the future. The female lead is very smart, but dense in just the right way. I was the most disappointed in reaching the end of the book. I need more!!
If you are a fan of isekai romance and enjoy some humor along with hot male leads and feisty female leads, pick this one up!
January 15, 2023
Pay attention to your friend's review, I told myself. Don't read this until volume two is out. Welp, another case of giving myself good advice and not following it! This addictive little gem puts most other similar novels to shame with its heroine who boxed in her previous life and a hero who is the equivalent of every pit bull I have ever met: scary to society on the outside and a snuggly lapdog in truth. It still follows the basic tropes, but it just does them better. Shame about that cliffhanger, though.
November 22, 2022
I received this as an ARC to be reviewed.
I have to be honest, I really struggled about how to rate and review this. To put it frankly, I did not enjoy the book. However, I feel that 90% of it is the fault of the "transmigrated/reincarnated into a fantasy universe" East Asian Romance Fantasy genre as a whole (in this case, Korea). I don't know how the publishing process is like over there, but these books are dime a dozen, often with absolutely nothing memorable about them. World building are often loose and nonsensical, characters are stock tropes with little to no variation, plotlines are predictable, and cliche are abound.
It's an airport novel or a popcorn movie. You finish the story because you have some time to kill, and then forget everything the next day. I don't know if it's entirely fair for me to dock points off of it because it's just how these kind of books are. Still, after pondering about it, I decided to give it 2 stars because creative and unique novels do exist. They're very rare, buried among the pile of slush, but I feel that their existence justifies my negative review because it proves that you can put effort into making something unique.
Now to the review proper.
The main character is introduced as a modern person Possessing the body of a novel character, the daughter of a Duke. The main character's father had supported the love interest, an imperial prince, to become the new emperor. However, for some reason this new emperor "turned into a tyrant" and killed the Duke's family, including the main character. The main character has not finished reading the novel, but she knew enough about her "body"'s death because it happened pretty early on in the novel. Knowing this, she does her best to avoid that fate.
First things first, the translation is very good. The translator really did a great job with this. It flows smoothly, there is not awkward phrases or language, and I could darn well have been reading something originally written in English.
The prose feels a bit too straightforward at times, but I'm noticing that this is just something that often happens in East Asian translated books. There's no escaping the language difference, I suppose.
The title and summary is misleading, causing me to come into the book with expectations that was not met, and only serves to increase my dissatisfaction with the story. I was expecting that this will be the story of how the main character using her modern day Earth knowledge to teach the "Tyrant" (I am also tired of this word being misused in Korean novels, but I digress) etiquette in a unique manner, which would make him become interested in her.
The main character declares that she wants to quit the first 3 pages, and then even when she can't quit, the story never focused on the etiquette lessons. It was banter, superficial nitpicking on his "manners", and inane drama.
The story also spent pages upon pages constantly harping about how the "Mad Dog" (the love interest) will turn into a "Tyrant", and the main character just resignedly assuming this is a done deal. Never once does she ever stop to think "How did this man turn tyrannical in the first place?" While it's true that placing contingency plans to escape when he does turn tyrant is important, I don't know why she never even considered prevention as an option. To be fair, she said she never finished reading the original novel this world is based on, but are Romance Fantasy novels typically just go on and on and on without explaining how this man turned against the main character's family? I don't know what conventions am I supposed to anticipate from "a Romance Fantasy world".
Maybe this book is originally a Wattpad-ish story where the author updates once a week, and maybe it would've been more enjoyable to read that way. As a compiled book, this is very very dull to read. The summary promised intrigue, but no intrigue happens for over half of the book. When Act 2 started at the midpoint, all that ever happened was "slap slap kiss" banter and interaction between the Obvious Intended Couple. There was this repeated emphasis on how the main character is oh so frail and weak, while the prince is built like a brick wall, and it's really tiresome to read. There was also a duel that came off as utterly pointless, and all it serves to do is to create an excuse to segue into a scene where the main character takes off the prince's shirt, and sexual tension occur.
All the chapters are this song and dance about how the love interest is "oh so misunderstood", and that he's actually not evil/cruel. He just has the unfortunate reputation of being one, and he's actually just crude, awkward, and bumbling. I'm assuming the implication is that the "original body" the main character inhabits was just a typical noble, and so she bought into all the rumours and feared the prince, just like everyone else did. This then leads to the prince feeling even more isolated and irate, and turned him into a "tyrant".
Which is... fine and all, but I've seen this a thousand times before. All of these are very formulaic, and nothing interesting is being done to this trope/genre. Maybe I would be less irritated about this if I was younger. The problem is, I've been reading so many permutations of the "slap slap kiss" bickering couple formula since I was in junior high, and after over a decade, I think I want something a little different in my romance fantasy. I've had it with the "cold, dark, brooding, aggressive love interests" and paper-thin "spunky" heroines that makes the love interest say "yOU're inTerEsTiNg". I don't hate that they exist. I can still enjoy it if the presentation is new. I could have loved this book if, character personality aside, more attention is put on the actual etiquette lessons. Think of how Belle was teaching the Beast how to act more like a normal person in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, but actually show us full scenes of that "teaching" and not just glimpses and snippets. Unfortunately, that's not what I got in this book.
I know there's always a first time reader for every story, so maybe to some, this IS that "something new". Great! I hope you enjoy it more than I do.
I have to be honest, I really struggled about how to rate and review this. To put it frankly, I did not enjoy the book. However, I feel that 90% of it is the fault of the "transmigrated/reincarnated into a fantasy universe" East Asian Romance Fantasy genre as a whole (in this case, Korea). I don't know how the publishing process is like over there, but these books are dime a dozen, often with absolutely nothing memorable about them. World building are often loose and nonsensical, characters are stock tropes with little to no variation, plotlines are predictable, and cliche are abound.
It's an airport novel or a popcorn movie. You finish the story because you have some time to kill, and then forget everything the next day. I don't know if it's entirely fair for me to dock points off of it because it's just how these kind of books are. Still, after pondering about it, I decided to give it 2 stars because creative and unique novels do exist. They're very rare, buried among the pile of slush, but I feel that their existence justifies my negative review because it proves that you can put effort into making something unique.
Now to the review proper.
The main character is introduced as a modern person Possessing the body of a novel character, the daughter of a Duke. The main character's father had supported the love interest, an imperial prince, to become the new emperor. However, for some reason this new emperor "turned into a tyrant" and killed the Duke's family, including the main character. The main character has not finished reading the novel, but she knew enough about her "body"'s death because it happened pretty early on in the novel. Knowing this, she does her best to avoid that fate.
First things first, the translation is very good. The translator really did a great job with this. It flows smoothly, there is not awkward phrases or language, and I could darn well have been reading something originally written in English.
The prose feels a bit too straightforward at times, but I'm noticing that this is just something that often happens in East Asian translated books. There's no escaping the language difference, I suppose.
The title and summary is misleading, causing me to come into the book with expectations that was not met, and only serves to increase my dissatisfaction with the story. I was expecting that this will be the story of how the main character using her modern day Earth knowledge to teach the "Tyrant" (I am also tired of this word being misused in Korean novels, but I digress) etiquette in a unique manner, which would make him become interested in her.
The main character declares that she wants to quit the first 3 pages, and then even when she can't quit, the story never focused on the etiquette lessons. It was banter, superficial nitpicking on his "manners", and inane drama.
The story also spent pages upon pages constantly harping about how the "Mad Dog" (the love interest) will turn into a "Tyrant", and the main character just resignedly assuming this is a done deal. Never once does she ever stop to think "How did this man turn tyrannical in the first place?" While it's true that placing contingency plans to escape when he does turn tyrant is important, I don't know why she never even considered prevention as an option. To be fair, she said she never finished reading the original novel this world is based on, but are Romance Fantasy novels typically just go on and on and on without explaining how this man turned against the main character's family? I don't know what conventions am I supposed to anticipate from "a Romance Fantasy world".
Maybe this book is originally a Wattpad-ish story where the author updates once a week, and maybe it would've been more enjoyable to read that way. As a compiled book, this is very very dull to read. The summary promised intrigue, but no intrigue happens for over half of the book. When Act 2 started at the midpoint, all that ever happened was "slap slap kiss" banter and interaction between the Obvious Intended Couple. There was this repeated emphasis on how the main character is oh so frail and weak, while the prince is built like a brick wall, and it's really tiresome to read. There was also a duel that came off as utterly pointless, and all it serves to do is to create an excuse to segue into a scene where the main character takes off the prince's shirt, and sexual tension occur.
All the chapters are this song and dance about how the love interest is "oh so misunderstood", and that he's actually not evil/cruel. He just has the unfortunate reputation of being one, and he's actually just crude, awkward, and bumbling. I'm assuming the implication is that the "original body" the main character inhabits was just a typical noble, and so she bought into all the rumours and feared the prince, just like everyone else did. This then leads to the prince feeling even more isolated and irate, and turned him into a "tyrant".
Which is... fine and all, but I've seen this a thousand times before. All of these are very formulaic, and nothing interesting is being done to this trope/genre. Maybe I would be less irritated about this if I was younger. The problem is, I've been reading so many permutations of the "slap slap kiss" bickering couple formula since I was in junior high, and after over a decade, I think I want something a little different in my romance fantasy. I've had it with the "cold, dark, brooding, aggressive love interests" and paper-thin "spunky" heroines that makes the love interest say "yOU're inTerEsTiNg". I don't hate that they exist. I can still enjoy it if the presentation is new. I could have loved this book if, character personality aside, more attention is put on the actual etiquette lessons. Think of how Belle was teaching the Beast how to act more like a normal person in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, but actually show us full scenes of that "teaching" and not just glimpses and snippets. Unfortunately, that's not what I got in this book.
I know there's always a first time reader for every story, so maybe to some, this IS that "something new". Great! I hope you enjoy it more than I do.
December 29, 2023
Cute reincarnation light novel! Livia and Croft are completely oblivious to their feelings which makes for lots of miscommunications and misunderstandings. Both characters are extremely different from each other which makes their relationship so much fun. This is a perfect quick read! Light and fluffy with a fun, if not typical, plot line. This paperback edition does have some typesetting errors, but nothing that would be hard to read through.
July 26, 2024
3.75 stars
This is my first time reading a light novel!!! I enjoyed it so much. It had all the fluffy fun of the mangas I read, but it was an actual book.
Also, I think Croft is such a great male lead. He’s like a big, dumb dog. I also really like Livia, but I want to know more about her life from before.
I will for sure be reading the sequel.
This is my first time reading a light novel!!! I enjoyed it so much. It had all the fluffy fun of the mangas I read, but it was an actual book.
Also, I think Croft is such a great male lead. He’s like a big, dumb dog. I also really like Livia, but I want to know more about her life from before.
I will for sure be reading the sequel.
June 20, 2024
4.3 stars ✨ Thank you to my man Croft.
This story is soooo funny. I loved every second of it. I haven’t read any reincarnation manwha’s in a while and this knovel hit JUST the spot. I LOVE a stereotypical cold stoic duke of the north that falls for the sweet polite girl. I’m sorry I am the person who will read 90 of those. Croft was so funny and cute to me. I definitely recommend this book. The only thing that could get tedious is that the story really takes you through every single day from beginning to end with very little time skips. Also, this story is instalove so if that bothers you just leave. But I do NOT CARE I ate this UP from beginning to end.
I can’t wait to read vol 2 and also purchase a physical copy of vol 1. ✨🥰
This story is soooo funny. I loved every second of it. I haven’t read any reincarnation manwha’s in a while and this knovel hit JUST the spot. I LOVE a stereotypical cold stoic duke of the north that falls for the sweet polite girl. I’m sorry I am the person who will read 90 of those. Croft was so funny and cute to me. I definitely recommend this book. The only thing that could get tedious is that the story really takes you through every single day from beginning to end with very little time skips. Also, this story is instalove so if that bothers you just leave. But I do NOT CARE I ate this UP from beginning to end.
I can’t wait to read vol 2 and also purchase a physical copy of vol 1. ✨🥰
October 19, 2022
When Livia discovers that she has been transmigrated into the world of a romance-fantasy novel as a character destined to die, she’s determined to avoid her fate: being murdered at the hands of the arrogant, disrespectful, and unhinged male lead Croft. It’s a setup that will feel familiar for fans of the RoFan and Otome Isekai genres— but the story itself is a surprisingly subversive and delightful read!
The main characters, Livia and Croft, not only have an interesting relationship dynamic, but also experience growth. Though they initially dislike each other, their circumstances force them to spend time together. Livia is her father’s political pawn, and Croft needs Livia’s father’s support to ascend the imperial throne.
As their relationship develops, Livia becomes more sympathetic towards Croft and comes to better understand him as a person, rather than a character she’d simply read about in her past life. Typically, I don’t like possessive or tyrannical male leads; so I was shocked to find myself rooting for this one. Not only does he learn to better regulate his emotions (though he still has a lot of work to do, obviously), but he comes to better respect boundaries and consent. I appreciate that our female protagonist realizes that she can’t necessarily change him, but can guide him to choose to change himself for the better. It’s so refreshing.
That said, there was one aspect that I didn’t like about their relationship: the violence. Livia hitting, kicking, and fighting Croft happens often; especially in the beginning of the story. It’s treated as slapstick comedy since Livia can’t physically hurt Croft, but it was still a bit unsavory for me. I do think men can be victims of domestic abuse, and I think that regardless of gender, people should never resort to violence towards their partner. Luckily, Livia does have character development. She learns sword fighting, which helps her express her frustration in a more healthy way. Later on, their interactions definitely do become more playful and light. But I did have to mention this!
Another criticism that I have is that Livia’s circumstances are not explored enough. We know that she was Korean, that she took boxing classes for self-defense, and that she read web novels— that’s all. Did she die in her past life? Or did she just wake up one day in the novel? What event happened to the original Livia to cause our Livia to transmigrate into her body? Was she always this passive? The fact that she immediately accepts it is strange. Her past is not elaborated on at all, and I wish we could have gotten a bit more information on it. It could’ve made her a far more compelling character.
The most pleasantly surprising part of my reading experience was the side characters. I LOVED THEM AND FOUND THEM SO CHARMING. They have actual personalities and even goals. Some of them even have lives that don’t entirely revolve around the main characters. That’s right. They’ve got actual depth. Malik and Kinsel, in particular, have my whole heart. <3
You have Malik, who is introduced as a giant friendly himbo knight. I thought that this would be the full extent of his characterization, but after a certain revelation, he becomes an even more complex character. His gentle, kind personality contrasted against him living for vengeance is OH SO DELICIOUS!
Then you’ve got Kinsel, a chaotic and unhinged lesbian(?) sorceress. Much of her very early appearance makes it seem like she might be a predatory stereotype since she’s said to chase after uninterested women and kill their husbands. But the reveal of her killing a rapist, along with the implication that she kills men who abuse or assault women, challenges this view. Also, it seems like women do like her back— so it maybe a case of unreliable narration. Kinsel is the funniest character in this whole story. Love her “bond stronger than blood” with Croft. Found family pseudo-siblings who act like they hate each other but would actually die for each other??? SIGN ME THE HELL UP.
Anyway, if you’re wondering if you should read this book, the answer is YES. It’s a fun little read that far exceeded my expectations.
* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The main characters, Livia and Croft, not only have an interesting relationship dynamic, but also experience growth. Though they initially dislike each other, their circumstances force them to spend time together. Livia is her father’s political pawn, and Croft needs Livia’s father’s support to ascend the imperial throne.
As their relationship develops, Livia becomes more sympathetic towards Croft and comes to better understand him as a person, rather than a character she’d simply read about in her past life. Typically, I don’t like possessive or tyrannical male leads; so I was shocked to find myself rooting for this one. Not only does he learn to better regulate his emotions (though he still has a lot of work to do, obviously), but he comes to better respect boundaries and consent. I appreciate that our female protagonist realizes that she can’t necessarily change him, but can guide him to choose to change himself for the better. It’s so refreshing.
That said, there was one aspect that I didn’t like about their relationship: the violence. Livia hitting, kicking, and fighting Croft happens often; especially in the beginning of the story. It’s treated as slapstick comedy since Livia can’t physically hurt Croft, but it was still a bit unsavory for me. I do think men can be victims of domestic abuse, and I think that regardless of gender, people should never resort to violence towards their partner. Luckily, Livia does have character development. She learns sword fighting, which helps her express her frustration in a more healthy way. Later on, their interactions definitely do become more playful and light. But I did have to mention this!
Another criticism that I have is that Livia’s circumstances are not explored enough. We know that she was Korean, that she took boxing classes for self-defense, and that she read web novels— that’s all. Did she die in her past life? Or did she just wake up one day in the novel? What event happened to the original Livia to cause our Livia to transmigrate into her body? Was she always this passive? The fact that she immediately accepts it is strange. Her past is not elaborated on at all, and I wish we could have gotten a bit more information on it. It could’ve made her a far more compelling character.
The most pleasantly surprising part of my reading experience was the side characters. I LOVED THEM AND FOUND THEM SO CHARMING. They have actual personalities and even goals. Some of them even have lives that don’t entirely revolve around the main characters. That’s right. They’ve got actual depth. Malik and Kinsel, in particular, have my whole heart. <3
You have Malik, who is introduced as a giant friendly himbo knight. I thought that this would be the full extent of his characterization, but after a certain revelation, he becomes an even more complex character. His gentle, kind personality contrasted against him living for vengeance is OH SO DELICIOUS!
Then you’ve got Kinsel, a chaotic and unhinged lesbian(?) sorceress. Much of her very early appearance makes it seem like she might be a predatory stereotype since she’s said to chase after uninterested women and kill their husbands. But the reveal of her killing a rapist, along with the implication that she kills men who abuse or assault women, challenges this view. Also, it seems like women do like her back— so it maybe a case of unreliable narration. Kinsel is the funniest character in this whole story. Love her “bond stronger than blood” with Croft. Found family pseudo-siblings who act like they hate each other but would actually die for each other??? SIGN ME THE HELL UP.
Anyway, if you’re wondering if you should read this book, the answer is YES. It’s a fun little read that far exceeded my expectations.
* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 3, 2022
The Tyrant's Etiquette Tutor was originally written as a Korean web novel. As any fan of the genre may tell you, these novels can be quite long and have stories that flow quickly between various dilemmas and plot points. Knowing this, I was curious to see how the novel would be adapted to a volume-by-volume format - how the novel would be cut up into single volumes as their own cohesive storylines. I will say I was not disappointed!
As a quick aside, the translation of the novel is very well done. Even those who find themselves reading this novel as 'just' romance fans (instead of Korean webnovels that focus on transmigration... and romance) will be able to completely follow along. The translation is quite good!
For the writing, I commend Hyla on their pacing. The novel is split into two parts and 35 chapters. The story itself takes place over the span of less than 3 weeks. Part I focuses on the slow acceptance of both of the novel's protagonists and their new situation. For Livia, our female protagonist, this includes adapting to this new society - of kings and magic - along with the goal of strengthening herself and surviving the plot of the original story she's intruded into. Our male protagonist, Croft, finds himself ascending the throne of a empire he was once banished from. In a beautiful parallel of Livia's quest for strength, Croft finds himself becoming soft around Livia.
I will admit that this novel and the overall story of The Tyrant's Etiquette Tutor starts slowly. I do not think this is a bad thing - the story slowly drew me in, and I found that I could not put it down going into Part II. The ending itself left me wanting more, and I look forward to seeing the second volume.
If you are an experienced reader of this type of novel (Korean webnovel with transmigration with a focus on romance and 'courts and kings'), this novel is worth adding to your repertoire and is unique from others in the genre. For those of you new to the genre, but in need of Romance, this is a solid choice! Whether it leads to further exploration into Korean webnovels or not, I don't think many could be disappointed in having picked it up.
I was able to read this novel as an advance reader copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This review has also been cross-posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and the publisher's (Editio) sites.
As a quick aside, the translation of the novel is very well done. Even those who find themselves reading this novel as 'just' romance fans (instead of Korean webnovels that focus on transmigration... and romance) will be able to completely follow along. The translation is quite good!
For the writing, I commend Hyla on their pacing. The novel is split into two parts and 35 chapters. The story itself takes place over the span of less than 3 weeks. Part I focuses on the slow acceptance of both of the novel's protagonists and their new situation. For Livia, our female protagonist, this includes adapting to this new society - of kings and magic - along with the goal of strengthening herself and surviving the plot of the original story she's intruded into. Our male protagonist, Croft, finds himself ascending the throne of a empire he was once banished from. In a beautiful parallel of Livia's quest for strength, Croft finds himself becoming soft around Livia.
I will admit that this novel and the overall story of The Tyrant's Etiquette Tutor starts slowly. I do not think this is a bad thing - the story slowly drew me in, and I found that I could not put it down going into Part II. The ending itself left me wanting more, and I look forward to seeing the second volume.
If you are an experienced reader of this type of novel (Korean webnovel with transmigration with a focus on romance and 'courts and kings'), this novel is worth adding to your repertoire and is unique from others in the genre. For those of you new to the genre, but in need of Romance, this is a solid choice! Whether it leads to further exploration into Korean webnovels or not, I don't think many could be disappointed in having picked it up.
I was able to read this novel as an advance reader copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This review has also been cross-posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and the publisher's (Editio) sites.
November 3, 2022
I can't believe I got so invested with only 200 pages. The plot is nothing new, very predictable but the relationship between the leads is very fun. Female lead is not annoying, just too gullible. Male lead on the other hand seems irredimible at first, it's very rude, violent (not to the female lead), and even manipulative (to the female lead sadly), and overall just a bad, treacherous person. But if you can see past that, he's actually a very cute walking red flag.
I didn't like that the details from the original story are practically crumbs that don't help at all in grasping how the original plot is supposed to go. It also makes male lead's personality confusing.
Also, the reason why I gave this story only 3 stars even though I enjoyed it a lot, is because it has a lot of dumb points. Like the "duel" between the leads, it's so ridiculous and cringe and could've been easily avoided. And, said 200 pages only happen in the course of 3 weeks. It's imposible they grow so close after just that time and it makes male lead's feelings seem fake and rushed (the pace of the story is good though, just that aspect makes it unbelievable).
Anyways, even after all that, it's a cute story to read if you have nothing else to do and I'm excited to see how the author is going to make Croft more likeable (or not, I love me some good toxic fictional men), and how Livia is going to react at her plan failing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I didn't like that the details from the original story are practically crumbs that don't help at all in grasping how the original plot is supposed to go. It also makes male lead's personality confusing.
Also, the reason why I gave this story only 3 stars even though I enjoyed it a lot, is because it has a lot of dumb points. Like the "duel" between the leads, it's so ridiculous and cringe and could've been easily avoided. And, said 200 pages only happen in the course of 3 weeks. It's imposible they grow so close after just that time and it makes male lead's feelings seem fake and rushed (the pace of the story is good though, just that aspect makes it unbelievable).
Anyways, even after all that, it's a cute story to read if you have nothing else to do and I'm excited to see how the author is going to make Croft more likeable (or not, I love me some good toxic fictional men), and how Livia is going to react at her plan failing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 13, 2023
This books was good, but it wasn't great - the plot wasn't overly original and did very little to attempt to stand out; and although this story was translated from Korean, the writing still leaves a lot to be desired. (A quick note: I have read other K-Novels in the past, so I'm basing my opinion on the books that I've read that have also been translated.) With that being said, the book was actually really funny - the humor in the book definitely doesn't over shadow the romantic plot, but it's definitely there. I also enjoyed the book a fair amount - in my opinion, a book doesn't have to be well written or have a great or original plot in order to be enjoyed. I did have second thoughts on whether or not I wanted to read the next book, but I decided to give it a go since there's only one other book in the series so far, and it's not a very long read. One of the things that I find both interesting and tedious about the book as a whole, is that it seems like the readers are taken through every single day in the story - there are no time jumps or days skipped - we're literally along for every single day. Which isn't a bad thing, but there were definitely times when I was wanting to skip ahead to the days where things were actually happening. Overall, I would recommend this book if you like the premise of the story, and if you've read other K-Novels and don't mind translation errors or miscommunications (for example: there's a lot of "tsking" in this book, but I think that has more to do with subtext and the translation rather than the author's intent).
November 11, 2022
A fun read
This was fun to read! My only complaint is that it was too short! 😔 I loved the characters and can't wait for what will come.
The FL is trying to teach the ML manners that the original FL would like him, but she doesn't know that he has already fallen for her instead. The original FL is pitiful; she's being forced to be there.
I hope the FL and the original FL can build a friendship.
This was fun to read! My only complaint is that it was too short! 😔 I loved the characters and can't wait for what will come.
The FL is trying to teach the ML manners that the original FL would like him, but she doesn't know that he has already fallen for her instead. The original FL is pitiful; she's being forced to be there.
I hope the FL and the original FL can build a friendship.
December 7, 2023
This felt like an anime in novel form with over dramatic characters and reactions. I believe it was translated from Korean and whether it was a language or cultural disconnect, it doesn't quite work well in English. I'm pretty sure every character clucked their tongue at least 20 times 🤣 Every paragraph seemed to switch to a different character's pov which was so confusing.
I think this would have worked much better as a graphic novel. It had such a great premise too.
I think this would have worked much better as a graphic novel. It had such a great premise too.
June 8, 2024
I had a pretty good time reading this one, it was different from the other reincarnation stories I have read in a kind of refreshing way. I loved how the heroines attempted to both follow and change the storyline and yet somehow didn't realize that you really can't do both of those things at one time. It was interesting, I'd love to get a chance to read more of this series. The writing style was also pretty different from what I am used to but it was an interesting one to be presented with.
October 14, 2023
En cuento a edición, este volumen tuvo varios errores pero aún así fueron muy poquitos, considerando que fue de los primeros que saco está editorial se los perdono, aún así la traducción está muy bien como siempre 🥰 en cuento a la historia si me gustó pero tampoco fue algo del otro mundo xD pero le voy a seguir porque si parece que el vol2 va a estar más interesante 👁️
December 8, 2022
Great but a mildly irritating ending
This was a great book that I couldn’t put down. The characters are ones that are written like real people so you find yourself wanting to shout at them. But the last page was a typo so it was jarring to finish that way.
This was a great book that I couldn’t put down. The characters are ones that are written like real people so you find yourself wanting to shout at them. But the last page was a typo so it was jarring to finish that way.
March 22, 2025
I started reading this novel expecting to not like it, but suddenly halfway through it I found myself wanting to know more about all the characters and what the ending will be. I'm going to continue reading it to see where this goes.
March 31, 2025
👑 4 stars 👑
This was such a fun read! Livia and Croft's understanding of interactions is so different, but it leads to such cute and funny moments. I can not wait to read the next book in the series.
This was such a fun read! Livia and Croft's understanding of interactions is so different, but it leads to such cute and funny moments. I can not wait to read the next book in the series.
October 21, 2023
Charming
I feel like I've read the same sort of story before a few times now. Despite that, I like the characters a lot so it doesn't feel like a worn-out plot.
I feel like I've read the same sort of story before a few times now. Despite that, I like the characters a lot so it doesn't feel like a worn-out plot.
March 12, 2024
Poor delusional “tutor.” You will not be rid of the Mad Dog.
June 17, 2025
I had such high hopes but was utterly disappointed. First light novel that I picked up and it felt like a 2014 AO3 fan fic - not inherently bad but at the same time the plot and writing really needed some polishing.
November 14, 2024
4.5 Stars
Surprising slow burn, transmigration story but not a typical villainess story. FL is trying to set up the book characters but is ending up falling in love with ML. There is a lot more political plot then i thought there would be. FL knows shes being used by her father and so does the ML but they are buying into it and slowly building a romance
Surprising slow burn, transmigration story but not a typical villainess story. FL is trying to set up the book characters but is ending up falling in love with ML. There is a lot more political plot then i thought there would be. FL knows shes being used by her father and so does the ML but they are buying into it and slowly building a romance
February 19, 2025
I had a feeling that im a little too old for this but oh well
It's not a sin to read something silly after an exhausting day
It's not a sin to read something silly after an exhausting day
November 4, 2024
4.5★
reread 1x 4.25★
reread 1x 4.25★
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