Victoria of Many Faces (Light Novel), Vol. 1

手札が多めのビクトリア [Tefuda ga Oume no Victoria] (Light Novel) #1

by Syuu

In an age when spies act behind the scenes in every land, Chloe spends her days successfully carrying out even the most difficult missions due to her unparalleled disguise skills and martial arts abilities. However, after the betrayal of her boss, she suddenly disappears—as Chloe plans to redo her life as the ordinary citizen Victoria in the neighboring kingdom of Ashberry, striving for a “normal” life.” However, Victoria’s peaceful life is abruptly cut short as she begins to get involved with many people. In this new land, her experiences and abilities from her days as a spy come in far more useful than she ever expected!! On the other hand, the second prince and the pursuer of the organization amongst others take an interest in Victoria’s strength, and many shadows close in on the one with all the cards in her hand...!

Genres: Light Novel, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Action

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 25, 2022

About the author

守雨

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO. GOOD. Written incredibly well. The MC h was OP, but not obnoxiously so. She was well loved by others, but not obnoxiously so. This book had such good BALANCE. The characters and situations felt realistic and not OTT.

I LOVE found family as a trope and this book did it RIGHT.

Also, the story arc ended perfectly, no cliffhanger, but you still want to stay in their world and see how they continue living. It’s exquisite.

5, I am so picking up the next volume when it is out, stars!

[Susanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story set in an imaginary historical kingdom. Chloe has been trained as a spy since she was eight. Now, twenty years later, she’s disillusioned, so she stages her own death and leaves. She settles down in a kingdom far enough away that she won’t immediately be found.

She calls herself Victoria and sets out to live a new life in peace and quiet. But on her first day, she rescues an abandoned little girl and becomes a foster mother. Soon, she has interesting and helpul friends, and a young captain who is romantically interested in her. She can’t hide her skills though, and catches official interest. And her former organisation hasn’t stopped looking for her either.

The story is mostly about the everyday life of Victoria and Nonna, with some action bits here and there. But even though nothing much happenes, I wasn’t bored. The ending is conclusive, even though this is just the first volume. It leaves the characters in a good place, and I don’t really need to read more.

Suitable for middle-grade and up.

I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[~MasterDaoistQuqu~ (semi-ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of this story, and it has so many things I love: an older MC (Chloe is 29 I think) that is veryyy independent and strong ✨✨, some found family elements, an adorable little kiddo that Chloe ends up adopting, a historical European setting, and such lovable characters...but I honestly found the narration a bit boring and the execution a bit lacking...This is NOT to say that I didn't like it though!! I do think I'll be continuing the story in manga format instead of reading the light novels though since the manga was just so fun and cute 💖 can't wait for more!!

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she was only eight, Chloe was sent to be raised as a spy for the kingdom of Hagl. She would no longer be allowed contact with her family, but, in exchange, she could send them money and other things in order to see to it that they lived comfortably. Chloe's handler, Lancome, took care of the deliveries, and Chloe trusted him fully for 18 years, when she visited her hometown in an effort to catch a glimpse of her family and learned that they'd all died in a fire a couple years ago. She then spent the next year planning her escape.

Using the skills she gained as a spy, Chloe steals the identity of a missing person from the neighboring kingdom of Randall. Now living as Victoria, she then travels to the kingdom of Ashbury with the intention of stopping for only a while and then continuing on. However, not long after arriving in Ashbury, Victoria meets a six-year-old girl named Nonna who has been abandoned by her mother.

Circumstances lead to her essentially adopting Nonna. She finds a place for both of them to live and gets a job as a maid and assistant to an elderly historian named Bernard. It's a quiet life in which Victoria finds herself making more and more connections with those around her. Leaving behind her life as a spy isn't quite so easy, however. Even though she knows she needs to keep a low profile so that Lancome doesn't find her, she can't bring herself to just stand by while harm befalls others around her.

This was a particularly refreshing read in the vast sea of "reborn in another world/otome game/book I was reading" light novels out there. Victoria was pretty much perfect at everything she did, which could have been annoying but wasn't, I think because she still had to operate within certain boundaries. Her decision to never abandon Nonna meant that, if Lancome found her or others uncovered that she was a spy from Hagl, she couldn't just slip away - whatever she did, she had to take Nonna into account. Also, the longer she stayed in Ashbury, the more emotional attachments she gained towards those around her.

There was a nice light romantic storyline involving a man named Jeffrey Asher. I liked that he was smart enough to figure out that there was something going on with Victoria, and that, despite his interest in her, he took the time to consider whether she might be using him in some way. I enjoyed the way their relationship developed.

I did question Victoria's decision to help a prisoner who'd been trying to avenge his sister. It underscored her strong sense of justice, but it was also a pretty risky thing to do considering her own situation, and it wasn't anywhere near as quick and simple as, say, an earlier decision on her part to trip an escaping thief.

Reading this kind of reminded me of Violet Evergarden - the setting, the slice-of-life pacing plus occasional action scenes, and the hypercompetent heroine who isn't used to living an ordinary life. The romantic aspects of this book weren't as problematic, though, and, while certain characters did have tragic backstories, I didn't feel the need to keep a box of tissues at hand.

Extras:

A map, black and white illustrations throughout, and a few color illustrations at the front.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Riri · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this has an interesting premise with an older protagonist, which is refreshing because most female leads in light novels tend to be teenagers. Victoria is 27 and has a lot of skills due to her status as a former spy. Not just spy skills, she’s literally good at everything. She can cook, she can make clothes, she can fight, she also speaks four different languages. After running away from her organization, she somehow ends up taking in an abandoned little girl in a foreign country. The story is mostly about Victoria’s new life with her adopted daughter, Nonna. It also has romance with Jeffrey, captain of the Second Order of the knights.

The main issue for me is how this is written like a slice of life, but deals with disturbingly dark things like sexual assault, slavery, and child abuse. It’s as if the story doesn’t know which side it wants to lean towards, so it’s not cozy enough for a slice of life but it’s also really dry when tackling heavier topics. This gap could have been good if handled well, but here it just feels jarring because everything is written in the exact same, flat tone. It doesn’t help that the transitions are always so abrupt, so scene changes never flow smoothly. Lots of redundant sentences too, though I think that’s more on the editor than the author or translator.

While I liked how Victoria shows some vulnerabilities despite being a highly competent person, there is one scene that made me question the writing. It takes place when Nonna temporarily leaves her side. Victoria is always portrayed as self-sufficient and observant with a strong affection for Nonna, so the way she needed Jeffrey to comfort her instead of trusting her daughter really didn’t sit well with me. I know it’s probably intended to show how Victoria is so emotionally affected by Nonna’s absence, but still... She spent so much time teaching Nonna how to be strong and independent as a girl, and yet this is how she reacts to a distressing situation? She needs a man to remind her of how competent her daughter is? At least be consistent with the message you’re trying to send!

Towards the end of the book, things suddenly escalated as the inconsistencies of Victoria’s actions up to that point led to a situation she wanted to avoid the most. Again, this could’ve been good with better pacing but the balance is so off due to the first half having so many daily life scenes. To top it off, the whole thing was solved thanks to Jeffrey and his brother. MEN. AGAIN. Also, plenty of side characters but most of them quickly fade into the background. None are truly relevant to the plot aside from giving Victoria connections, and not a single one of them got properly fleshed out either.

I find Nonna adorable though, so even though I’m not sure how to feel about the writing and the tone, I shall give the next volume a try to see how she’d grow. Totally not because I got both volumes due to getting baited by the beautiful cover art!

[Mistress OP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this series is really hell bent on giving you that male lead as soon as f'n possible. But overall I really like her thought process. She was smart and I enjoyed it. And the few times she wasn't I felt it was an impulsive moment.
Overall this isn't my vibe. I honestly hit the point where I REALLY dislike Japanese and Korean light novel romance writing. It's too princess-savior focused. Not enough plot for me. I prefer a more contemporary romance style but even the josei stuff isn't really that.

not gonna keep reading kid is cute though. would not reread.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

What must occur for a novel, about a spy, to no longer qualify as a spy novel? A wealth of predictable character dynamics. An encroachment of overwriting. Reduced stakes. Convenient narrative pacing. VICTORIA OF MANY FACES v1 aims to be many things at once, but doesn't succeed at any of them.

Perhaps the novel's most obvious and prominent dilemma rests in its counterintuitive focus on a character attempting to do the one thing in the world she has no clue how to actually accomplish: live a civilian life. Victoria Sellers is a former spy in an old-world-coded country, and her skills in martial arts, forgery, linguistics, cooking, and more are unmatched. Fleeing the clutches of the Special Operations Force was comparatively easy; it's the freedom that comes after running away that's proving to be the hard part. Getting a job? Maintaining the life of a good neighbor? Spontaneously adopting a daughter?

Victoria is a former spy whose instincts are too good. That's why she interferes with capturing random pickpockets, decides to work for an elderly historian as a translator, and more. But the novel also pitches a bit too far to the side of Victoria reveling in her newfound freedom: the young woman pities an abandoned six-year-old girl, Nonna, and impulsively adopts her; the woman accepts job offers to clean, cook, and instruct local aristocrats; and she doesn't seem too bothered with a blossoming romance with a captain of the local guards.

To a point, VICTORIA OF MANY FACES v1 is a novel heavily fraught with awkward conveniences. That abandoned girl? She's intuitive, kind, and in need of a mother figure. Those new job offers? They naturally fill in all of the gaps for a polyglot with time to kill. Those aristocrats? Most of them are boastfully sensitive and so present little threat to her safety and security. That city guard, Jeffrey Asher? He's the otherworldly handsome younger brother of an earl and he has a crush on her. With very rare exception, the book has no (or very low) stakes for a character who risked death by defecting across two countries to claim her freedom.

One could posit that Victoria is too good of a spy for the novel as written. Victoria goes to ridiculous lengths to cover all of her needs. She dusts the floor with powder every night (to check for intruders' footprints). She regularly sews new wigs (in case she needs to leave town). She regularly posts letters to anonymous contacts in the next kingdom (to verify the identify she's stolen is still, indeed, missing). The extent to which the author goes to assure readers that Victoria is an effective spy squeezes a good deal of the actual risk of being a spy out of the narrative.

When the cost and consequences of being a spy are so far reduced such that being found out results in little more than needing to leave town in the middle of the night, then the character isn't really faced with all that much risk. Is anyone actually chasing Victoria? No, not really. Do the local authorities suspect anything from this mystery woman who can seemingly do everything? Occasionally, but only in passing.

VICTORIA OF MANY FACES v1 works really hard at showing how its protagonist is working really hard at being a normal person. So much so that the novel pulls all of the story's meaningful drama away from any otherwise compelling character or story conflict. Possible antagonists are shown to have simply been mistaken; possible rivals are shown to have simply been too curious; and possible figures of authority, worthy of opposition, are shown to have been ignorant and disinterested.

For example, a prince suspects Victoria is a high-level fighter, challenges her, and gets his butt kicked. What happens next? Envy? Anger? Fear? Sense of betrayal? Neither, since most characters are overly congenial and nonthreatening. The guy simply expresses his curiosity, and his arc ends with a stern lecture. That's it. What's the point of showing readers that a commoner is equipped to kill royalty, if nothing happens of it?

VICTORIA OF MANY FACES v1 has a dash of humor and an infrequent pulse of action, but much of it is circumscribed by carefully orchestrated scene direction that guides readers toward largely predictable story beats. Captain Jeffrey Asher, for example, is an ineffectual city guard, but he's handsome and hasn't dated in 10 years, so he's naturally going to fall for a woman who can take care of herself. (Perhaps one would be more sympathetic if a guy described in the text as tall and muscular weren't illustrated as being decidedly waifish.)

Victoria would easily qualify as being an overpowered character in any other genre, and her capacity to cover her tracks and reduce the potential for harm might be viewed as a high-end trait. But characters who don't make mistakes or conveniently erase all means of danger aren't worth following around. Whatever the author's inclinations, the book totters on the verge of enjoyable.

[Valérie Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai commencé l'adaptation animée et je la trouvais assez intéressante. À l'épisode 3, Jeffrey, le très beau capitaine, dit quelque chose qui m'a définitivement accrochée et qui ressemble à: "Elle me plaît car elle ne compte pas sur moi pour faire tout, elle est capable elle-même." Ou comme on peut le lire à la page 32 du roman: "[...] she didn't insist on relying on him, she didn't look at him like he was a piece of meat, and she'd taken in an abandoned girl on her own right after moving to a new country. [...] He was fascinated by her." Quoi, un homme assez solide pour être séduit par une femme indépendante? On ne voit pas souvent ça dans les fictions habituelles, c'est plutôt le contraire qui est la norme. Alors j'ai tout de suite acheté le premier roman en anglais!

On raconte ici l'histoire de Victoria (ce n'est pas son vrai nom), une ancienne espionne de Hagl, qui tente de laisser son ancienne vie derrière elle, même si son organisation n'offre pas la possibilité de "démissionner". Elle est donc ultra-prudente, car elle connaît bien le risque qu'elle court en quittant les services secrets. Elle espère qu'on croira à sa mort et qu'elle pourra refaire sa vie ailleurs. Elle s'implante d'abord au royaume d'Ashbury, ayant prévu de déménager régulièrement pour sa sécurité.

Toutefois, dès le début du roman (et de l'animé), elle croise la route d'une petite fille de 6 ans, tout juste abandonnée par sa mère. Touchée par sa situation, elle décide de l'aider, et elle s'attache à Nonna. Alors qu'elle l'amène aux policiers pour la confier aux services sociaux, elle croise la route d'un pickpocket et elle ne peut s'empêcher d'agir tout naturellement pour le faire arrêter. C'est ainsi qu'elle fait la connaissance de Jeffrey, le capitaine, et aussi de Dame Yolana, la victime.

Le récit s'enchaîne alors tout doucement. On met en place une romance, sans vraiment la rendre réelle; Victoria émet le souhait d'adopter Nonna mais cela prend du temps, elle sera sa tutrice en attendant. Elle trouve un emploi, un logement aussi, mais elle garde toutes les portes ouvertes pour pouvoir fuir si nécessaire.

Car même si Victoria veut être une "citoyenne ordinaire", elle ne l'est pas et, à certains moments, comme lorsque ce pick-picket courrait vers elle, Victoria agit. Si elle obéissait aux ordres de son organisation auparavant, maintenant elle le fait pour ses principes (et elle essaie d'éviter!).

C'est vraiment plus intéressant de découvrir ses pensées dans le roman, l'adaptation animée laissant derrière plusieurs de ses réflexions qui expliquent pourtant les craintes et les préparatifs un peu paranoïaques de Victoria. J'adore sa solidité et ses questionnements sur la façon d'élever Nonna: "I didn't want Nonna to have to depend on a man for money, and I didn't want her to need to sell her own children to get by, like my parents. I wanted to give her the means to become financially independant and the skills to resist those who would try to dominate her by force." (p. 52)

C'est peut-être une faiblesse du récit de montrer Victoria et Nonna invulnérables dans tout ce qu'elles entreprennent, mais dans la finale du roman, l'autrice expose aussi les vulnérabilités émotives de Victoria qui ne peut s'attacher et faire confiance, tout en craignant par-dessus tout la solitude et l'abandon. Elle en souffre beaucoup intérieurement.

Côté romance, même s'il y a des moments mignons et touchants, ce n'est vraiment pas le coeur du récit! On reste dans la pudeur extrême entre les deux personnages principaux. Je le regrette, car on peut avoir de l'action et un scénario bien monté, tout en ayant une romance un peu plus assumée, surtout quand on connaît la finale!

Mais bref, c'est un excellent roman avec plusieurs pages où il est impossible d'arrêter car on veut connaître la suite immédiatement. Le tome 1 se tient en lui-même, même si deux autres romans existent. Non seulement Victoria et Nonna sont très attachantes, mais aussi les personnages secondaires: Jeffrey, prince Cédric entre autres, ont également un passé tourmenté qui expliquent leur personnalité, ce qui donne une profondeur au récit. Excellent!

[FaclessOneLN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by Syuu and illustrated by Nanna Fujimi, Victoria of Many Faces, one of Yen Press’ latest titles, showcases the many everyday uses for spy craft.

Following the ultimate spy, Chloe, the story tells of her coming to blows with her organisation and deciding to become an ordinary citizen. Choosing to live in a new country and go under the pseudonym Victoria Sellars, she plans to start again and live a life of normality. However, for a master spy, nothing is ever so simple. After deciding to adopt an orphan, she’ll be thrust into the heart of the community and face the possibility of detection from every direction.

The series gets off to a strong start as the story introduces Victoria and her choice to defect. It’s a segment that leaves a lasting impression as her tough decision to leave is highlighted through the betrayals she’s suffered as part of the organisation. With her mind made clear, Chloe fakes her death and sets about living life in a different country as Victoria.

Victoria’s travels to Ashbury make for important scenes as they showcase her prowess as a spy. To get away from her organisation undetected, she utilises several methods of spycraft, such as donning a disguise and using fake documents, making the case that her arsenal is wide and varied.

As the novel continues, Victoria ends up settling quite nicely into her new life in Ashbury. Taking up the majority of the volume, these chapters revolve around Victoria and her newly adopted daughter, Nonna’s daily lives in the city. From this point onwards, the tone of the novel lightens slightly, thanks in part to Nonna, who makes it easier for Victoria to become part of the community.

Through their wide variety of slice-of-life adventures, the cast begins to grow alongside Victoria’s heart. Besides Victoria and Nonna, each of the characters introduced in this volume is well-developed and suitably complex. Jeffery Asher, Victoria’s love interest, is a particularly nicely presented example. As a man in his thirties, the author makes it clear that he’s lived a life before Victoria stumbled in. These experiences help colour his decision-making and also help him realise that the woman he’s fallen in love with isn’t all she says she is.

For other characters, as well, as the volume progresses, begin to realise that Victoria is more than a mere commoner. The author, Syuu, shows their talent for narrative well here. Through the little things Victoria ends up letting loose, different characters are able to discern the aspects that make her stand out, whether it be Lady Yolanda picking up on her mannerisms or education or the second prince picking up on her fighting style.

Ultimately, these slip-ups cost Victoria by the volume’s climax, as several individuals and agencies learn of her identity. In these tense “on the run” scenes, Syuu neatly ties up the overarching narratives, providing a sense of completion, even if there are more stories to be told in future volumes.

Expertly mixing spycraft, slice-of-life, and complex characters, Victoria of Many Faces’ first instalment is a breath of fresh air. Leaving a strong impression from the get-go, the author only builds on this success, creating a story filled with wonderful, heartfelt moments, exciting action sequences, and a nice little bit of comedy to top it all off. I highly recommend this series.

[Pieter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria is a 27-year old high ranking and very skilled intelligence officer in the Kingdom of Hagl who learns that her superior has been lying to her for a long time. Disillusioned she decides to retire which in her line of work means disappearing from the kingdom. Taking on a new identity she flees to the Kingdom of Ashbury where she intended to stay a few months under that identity before leaving again. She did not count on becoming responsible for the abandoned 6-year old girl Nonna and all the ties with other people that comes with it as a result and reminding how much she longs for a normal family life.

Victoria of Many Face is a story about a found family with the addition of romance. Definitely a different take on the subgenre, a strong skilled adult (none isekai) female MC, one clear love interest and a young kid to add some additional flavor to the tale. The fact that the romance doesn't drag out, and avoid many of the tropes (especially the lack of misunderstandings is great) we often see in the genre is another boon.

Victoria is a bit too skilled for my taste though. Cooking, fighting, cleaning, languages, tutoring, and even sheep shearing, she either knows it or learns it in a few days. It doesn't impact the story too much since it is more about interpersonal relations than overcoming physical challenges. She also does have flaws, knowingly taking risks and being overly cautious, which do have consequences, even if they are not too serious on the long run. Similarly, Nonna is a bit too skilled and well behaved for a 6-year old, but I don't think believable young kids are common in light novels and as such I wasn't really expecting any.

All in all, an entertaining romance with a dash of drama without dragging out things and likeable (if a bit unbelievable) characters. A good quick read.

[Sharakael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. There's not a lot of focus on romance, as the story was more about setting up the world and showing what the MC was capable of. And as far as the MC went, thankfully she's likeable despite being something of a Mary-Sue. I mean, I don't think the story ever showed her failing at anything, but at least the story gave it justification.

The ML was kind of pushed aside, but despite not showing up often he's still very likeable. He treated MC with respect and he knew what he wanted. Their romance felt like 2 adults who found each other and decided to be in a relationship. It felt natural, so much so that I didn't even realise there was no confession scene that's normally present in this genre, until I wrote this review.

Plot wasn't too complicated, and the way the issue was solved was actually pretty realistic. There's no over-the-top battle to crush the enemy, just the subtle politics which made sense given that the problem involved countries.

I liked the little girl the MC adopted. She lent a human touch to the MC who would otherwise be too alien and too detached to empathise with.

In summary, I enjoyed this, and even the lack of sugary romance didn't bother me given that it made sense within the context of the story.

[Vansh · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. Read till the end of chapter 6/51%. If you like Spy x Family, you'll also like this! I however quitted spy x family because whilst the wholesome style shows are fun (for me) in the start, they begin to get old. I feel as if one needs to show some sort of emotional struggle in how they came to acquire and maintain said happiness. Though it may be seen as a sign of problematic beliefs around contentment, I do not want to feel or see happiness 24/7 with minimal risks. It's to note that both series (Victoria and Spy Family) have the cast doing activities which are physically dangerous, however there's an element of "mary sue-ness" which I dislike in nearly all of my fiction. Ask Titus, or as I call him "John SpaceMahren". It reduces the stakes because I know they'll win at the end so what's the point? When one starts to expect chronic sad news from the world he eventually feels nothing but numb; the same is with base happiness. There is just laughter and love, no struggles, no eudaimonia, no sense of spiritual growth. It's the difference between raising a pet which will be forever loyal but dependent, and a child which will change and become his own person.
HOWEVER, these are the things I desire, if you enjoy spy X family and such works, I sincerely recommend it!

[tracy ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a light novel girly but I felt compelled to pick this up after the cliffhanger in the anime's 7th episode. I'm actually really glad I did so because the light novel fleshed out both the world and Victoria/Chloe/Anna's character much more and cleared up a lot of questions I had when watching the anime. I just loved the cozy vibe of this series and how all of its characters had strong character arcs without making their trauma the forefront of their personalities. Usually the found family trope can feel forced or cheesy but it's clear here that each of the main trio genuinely find solace and healing within one another, despite their deep individual scars. I wished the anime did this story more justice because it's such a breath of fresh air amongst all the isekai and Cinderella retelling slop ˙◠˙

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Syuu has quickly become one of my favourite authors. They write such human characters, and while Victoria is clever and good at her work, she isn't perfect.
I'm not normally one to enjoy kids in books - (part of what I like about Syuu is that their books are about adults, not adolescents) - but the children didn't grate at all because they were also well-written. Their actions were believable as children.
I'm looking forward to the next one, although the story is nicely rounded up at the end so you aren't left on a cliffhanger.

[Ghostly Ocam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could've been elevated by a more adventurous prose since it's very basic but I really enjoyed the story and its thoughtful handling of heavier themes, feels like an emotionally weightier version of Spy x Family. Victoria is an alluring character to follow even if I find her to be *too* competent which kills some potential tangible tension in the story, her relationships especially with both Nonna and Jeffrey are very well realized, by the end I'm completely head over heels for this found family formed by emotionally wounded and broken people.

[Alexander Albin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great First Book

While there are plenty of common tropes and plot elements to this as other "ex spy escaping their organization" stories, it had a solid story line, plot development, and characters. Nothing super new, but quite enjoyable. I especially like that it stands on its own and doesn't feel like you are being forced into continuing a long series to get anything. However, I am also looking forward to the continuation of the series.

[Veevee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, very fluffy with a hint of action. The writing/translation was not fabulous though, especially at the end. It would switch perspectives without any warning or clues so some parts were confusing.

[Bruhtek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, pleasant story

[Amy Chichi Hsiao · Rating 4 out of 5]

劇情一般但是人物塑造很棒，特別是諾娜。

[Lucee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this light novel was interesting, but the execution was disappointingly lacking. I felt a sense of distance from the characters and their emotions even during their POV, which I believe is mainly due to the author's use of passive voice instead of active voice. Now, that could be a problem on the translator's part, but I don't think there was much meat to this story in the first place.

Passable, but not worth continuing to a second volum

[阿近 · Rating 4 out of 5]

　　為了查詢某本新書到台灣角川官網查閱時，在女性向小說區偶然看到《奇招百出的維多利亞》這部作品的頁面，瞬間被封面氣質凜然俐落的維多利亞身影所吸引，從劇情介紹來看，內容似乎會是符合我喜好的故事，就買下來閱讀。《奇招百出的維多利亞》給我的印象是設定不夠嚴謹、感情線稍顯倉促的作品，但親情線和愛情線的安排尚稱滿足，對我而言大約是八十五分左右的滿意度吧。

　　哈格爾王國一流的諜報員克蘿伊察覺遭到上司背叛，厭倦諜報員生涯，佈置出詐死假相誆騙情報部門的同仁，暗地裡逃到艾許伯里王國以「維多利亞」的身份開啟新生活。甫至艾許伯里，就先後邂逅孤女諾娜和騎士團團長傑佛瑞，維多利亞在諾娜身上看見自己的過去，忍不住出手相救，甚至決定收養她。維多利亞在諜報員時期培養出各式各樣的技能，憑藉著流利的外語能力成為歷史學者的助理，除了輔助學術工作上的庶務，亦幫忙整理雇主宅邸。稍早協助辦理收養諾娜手續而加深情誼的傑佛瑞也非常關心維多利亞母女的後續，時常往來或相約吃飯。維多利亞在親切善良的人們圍繞下，慢慢重新構築起新的生活。

　　《奇招百出的維多利亞》是個散發出些微間諜工作氛圍的故事，之所以說氛圍是出於作者編織出的情節只是讓我感覺到他想表達的諜報員氣氛，但在部份橋段的邏輯和合理性上無法徹底說服我維多利亞的行動能夠有效反制或抵禦要傷害她和諾娜的人。因此我認為只是描寫出看似有模有樣的氛圍，但細究諜報員的運作方式其實經不起推敲，實務上亦難以自圓其說的描述。例如維多利亞幫助罪犯逃獄的方式就令我心生疑竇，質疑「這種作法真的可行嗎？」、「完全不會被人懷疑而導致事跡敗露嗎？」雖然這麼批評本作的諜報員手段設定，但老實說我對類似中世紀背景的情報人員該做哪些努力，方可平安無事地達成任務也毫無概念。不知道有沒有講述間諜史的書籍可以幫助我瞭解一下這方面的知識？

　　非常喜歡維多利亞和養女諾娜、家教學生克拉克少爺一起相處、玩鬧的情節，薰染出細水長流般的恬淡溫暖，從維多利亞的視線望出去，可以感受到這些逐次累積的溫馨時光正在緩緩融解她寒冷的內心，跟其他人的溫柔相待滋養了她受傷的靈魂，重新體悟到幸福與喜悅。我是預期會有堅強女子設法獨立自主地重新開創生活的劇情而讀這本書，有描繪親情線和愛情線稍微出乎我的預料，不過看得相當開心，尤其是維多利亞和諾娜相依為命的情節，體會到孤獨的兩人在共度各種波瀾裡正慢慢成為生命共同體，是彼此獨一無二的家人，我也很喜歡維多利亞將過往所學傾囊相授給諾娜的和樂母女時光。

　　愛情線的描寫也滿甜的，是我喜歡的清爽微甜風格，但可能是為了趕第一集內就要讓維多利亞的隱姓埋名異國冒險有某種程度的收尾，我真的覺得發展過於匆促，更重要的是才剛認識沒多久的傑佛瑞很快就愛上維多利亞也讓我感到一頭霧水？其實傑佛瑞對維多利亞的距離感也讓我覺得很困惑，才剛認識沒多久、聚餐結束後的異性察覺女性友人心情低落，就將對方擁進懷裡安慰她。這樣就肢體禮儀和兩人的交情程度而言，真的很正常嗎？

　　不過最後維多利亞與傑佛瑞互相坦白過往與求婚的情景看得滿爽快的。「這麼乾脆俐落，真不愧是維多利亞啊」不禁產生這種沒來由的感想。我猜或許是維多利亞歷經種種劫難，體會到人生短暫易逝，想要把握幸福，好好珍惜她所愛也被他們所愛的傑佛瑞和諾娜，才這麼乾脆。傑佛瑞同樣是經歷過心酸過去的人，不願再經歷失去珍愛之人的經歷，加上本來就有打算帶著維多利亞遠走高飛，一度分離的兩人重逢後不願再分開，很快就達成結為連理的共識。

　　感情線的發展十分動人，但我仍舊想看見逐漸由淺至深堆疊起雙方對彼此的在乎，愈來愈深刻到無法輕易放手的感情描寫，如果是這樣的話，我應該可以更享受感情線的發展。第一集的感情線對我而言就像本該用小火慢熬的湯，廚師卻因為時間有限趕著用大火迅速加熱後端上桌，依然嚐得出湯品的甘甜美味，卻缺少些許足以沁入肺腑的深沉韻味，是一道吃下去會在滿足裡感到稍微遺憾的湯品。

　　《奇招百出的維多利亞》有改編成漫畫，有興趣也可以追蹤連載。老實說我看到小說彩頁插畫的角色時，本來是期待二王子喜多力克，結果他年紀比維多利亞稚嫩很多，而且還有一位協議分手但仍念念不忘的前未婚妻時，就知道一開始的押股猜測失敗。傑佛瑞在彩頁的形象看起來沒有特別讓我覺得帥氣，因此沒有想到會是傑佛瑞跟維多利亞萌生情愫。漫畫的騎士團長畫得比較帥，有讓我在一開始看漫畫的時候就比較樂意聲援他的戀愛奮鬥記。



＊劃線筆記：

頁六二

　　只要諾娜能學，不管讀書、寫字、算數、語言、烹飪或體術我都樂意教。我既不希望諾娜選擇為了錢對男人言聽計從，也不希望她未來要賣自己的小孩。我希望她具備經濟獨立的能力，也希望她有技術能對抗用拳頭讓其他人閉嘴的那種人。沒有選擇的女性我看多了，而且我父母也是因為沒錢而不得已將八歲的我交給了藍寇。

　　爬術的技能也不例外，有總比沒有好，在緊急情況下應該可以多一條活路。

頁六八

　　不過無論不足之處有多少，以後我多的是機會彌補，沒什麼好焦急的。而且又沒人規定說圓滿的人生才高貴，顛簸的人生就很低賤。把自己的不足之處一個個補起來應該會很好玩，取得一項項新的絕活也不無樂趣。