Loyal Soldier, Lustful Beast

by Sumire Saiga, Stella Dorro

A dangerous romance unfolds between a lovestruck soldier and the king's concubine. The first light novel ever for Steamship, Seven Seas' imprint dedicated to sexy romance for women!

Noblewoman Giselle’s world is turned upside down when she’s summoned to serve as the king’s prized concubine. Her heart already belongs to her manservant, Wallace, a soldier who worships the ground she walks on. Just as Giselle accepts that their blissful days are numbered, Wallace steals into her room in the palace with a desperate, hungry gaze. Spending the night with him is tantamount to treason…but their love is not one so easily denied.

Genres: Romance, Light Novel, Fantasy, Audiobook, Manga, Smut, Historical Fiction

Audible Audio

Published May 29, 2024

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are good books, and there are books it's fun to read. They aren't always mutually exclusive, but this one is definitely in the latter category - it's mostly just a bunch of strung together sex scenes against a political backdrop. But it's also the rare light novel that understands that slavery is bad (hero Wallace was enslaved for most of his life, and there are definite repercussions for his mental health), and I kind of wish we'd gotten more of the political stuff, because it's pretty interesting. But really this is just a fun book to turn your brain off with, and precisely what I needed after an anxious day.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to support all of the steamy josei content Seven Seas's Steamship imprint puts out. Also this story being a period piece put it right in my wheelhouse.

This felt like playing an otome game where I liked the main character, I liked the setting, I liked the premise, but I didn't like the Love Interest (LI) too much. There were aspects of Wallace I did like and I enjoyed seeing his development but his relationship with Giselle felt founded on servitude. Their chemistry couldn't rise above the servant and mistress relationship they started with.

The steamy scenes were really well done! That last scene where Giselle encouraged Wallace to fuck her the way he wanted to was just mind-blowingly sexy. And somehow so sweet because it communicated their love so well. I felt the passion between Giselle and Wallace there. Let's be direct; this is a smutty josei light novel so there are sex scenes aplenty. But they didn't feel gratuitous? I felt the relationship between Giselle and Wallace building every single time.

I loved how adorable Wallace found Giselle. To the point where even the slant of her nose made him want to nibble on it! How he was afraid to hug Giselle the first time and hugged her so "lightly it, he might as well have been holding cotton candy."

Second act Wallace's ruthlessness and cunning did blow me away. I wished he showed that side of himself earlier on because that added a different vibe to their relationship.

Let me just talk about Giselle's first meeting with King Raymond. I was SO perplexed as to how he started jumping to all those accurate conclusions.

Giselle: I believe in the teachings of the church so I don't want to be your concubine

Raymond: Oho, so you're saying you're in love with another man?

WHAT!? The ending clears up why he knew what he knew, but I was soo confused. Giselle should've realized something was off because their conversation made 0 sense!

Don't let all my bellyaching make you think I didn't enjoy this book, because I did. The plot twists truly had me gagged! And I'm hoping Steamship localizes more steamy josei light novels

[Riri · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐

If this book is an otome game, it's the type that I'd have to turn off my brain to play. It's basically just smut with a tiny bit of politics, and by tiny I mean it's only there to provide a way for the main couple to be together. It's cheesy, everything is conveniently solved, and it also feels a lot like soap opera. If you want smut then it's a pretty good spicy read, but if you want plot I suggest you look elsewhere.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christopher Debono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

An otome game and a Harlequin Romance novel merged into 1. Every bit as cheesy and romantic as I expected. I hope Seven Seas gives us even more novels like this for the steamship line!

[Helene Black]

DNF @ 40%

If you want smut and a young, naive, “childlike” heroine, here you have it.

I’ve got to admit that I was invested in this story up until the point where the first real sex scene happens. The fact that the heroine is so young and sooooo inexperienced, made me super uncomfortable. And when I say inexperienced, I mean… doesn’t know what a 🍆 is.

Not what I was looking for in this book.

[Akshay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loyal Soldier, Lustful Beast
by Sumire Saiga

 A competently executed but formulaic historical romance that sacrifices narrative depth for fantasy fulfillment and steamy encounters. 

This 320-page light novel represents an inaugural foray into adult romance literature through the Steamship imprint, targeting female readers with more explicit romantic content previously unavailable in English-language light novel markets. Published in December 2023, the work exemplifies the "josei" genre's Western adaptation, combining historical European fantasy settings with contemporary Japanese romance sensibilities.

Plot Summary:

The narrative follows Giselle, a sixteen-year-old noblewoman from the kingdom of Rowady, whose comfortable life is disrupted when King Raymond summons her to serve as his concubine. Giselle's heart belongs to Wallace, her twenty-five-year-old manservant and former slave from the western nation of Holathan. Wallace was rescued from slavery by Giselle's brother during military service and has since devoted himself completely to her care and protection.

When the royal summons arrives, both Giselle and Wallace face the reality that their unspoken love may be permanently severed by her obligation to the crown. However, Wallace's desperation leads him to infiltrate the palace, where he and Giselle consummate their relationship despite the treasonous nature of their actions.

The political backdrop reveals that King Raymond is actually a usurper who murdered the rightful heir's father and assumed the throne. The legitimate ruler, Prince Justinian, has been secretly alive and working to reclaim his inheritance. Through a series of revelations, it emerges that Raymond’s interest in Giselle stems from his knowledge of her relationship with Wallace, whom he views as a political threat due to his military connections and loyalty.

The climax occurs when Wallace is captured and sentenced to execution for treason. However, Prince Justinian orchestrates a coup that overthrows Raymond, reveals the truth about the succession, and liberates both Giselle and Wallace. The epilogue shows them married two years later, with Wallace having overcome his psychological conditioning from slavery and Giselle having developed greater agency and confidence.

Character Analysis:

Giselle functions as the archetypal "unremarkable girl" protagonist common to romantic fantasy, beginning the story with limited self-confidence and agency. Her character arc involves developing assertiveness and sexual agency, though her growth remains largely reactive to external circumstances rather than proactive choice-making. Her noble birth provides the class distinction necessary for the forbidden romance dynamic, while her supposed ordinariness allows reader identification.

Wallace represents the devoted servant archetype elevated to romantic lead. His background as a former slave provides both tragic depth and problematic power dynamics, as his servitude to Giselle transitions from literal to emotional dependency. The character wrestles with psychological conditioning from his enslaved past while developing tactical intelligence and protective instincts. His "worship" of Giselle, while intended as romantic devotion, reinforces themes of subservience that can be troubling.

King Raymond serves as the primary antagonist, embodying corrupt authority and sexual threat. His character remains largely one-dimensional, functioning more as obstacle than fully developed person. His political machinations provide the external conflict necessary to drive the plot toward resolution.

Prince Justinian appears as the deus ex machina figure, resolving political conflicts with convenient timing and wisdom that seems implausible for his stated age of thirteen. His character serves primarily as a plot device to enable the romantic resolution rather than as a fully realized person.

Structural Strengths: The novel successfully balances romantic development with political intrigue, maintaining narrative momentum across six chapters while providing satisfying character progression and resolution.
Problematic Elements: The sixteen-year-old protagonist's explicit romantic encounters with a twenty-five-year-old partner raise ethical concerns about age representation in adult fiction, while the servant-mistress dynamic uncomfortably parallels historical power imbalances.
Genre Conventions: The work competently executes familiar romance tropes—class differences, forbidden love, loyal devotion, political conspiracy—without subverting or significantly innovating within established frameworks.

Contemporary Reception: Reader responses demonstrate clear polarization, with supporters praising the emotional intensity while critics cite concerns about character ages, power dynamics, and narrative convenience. The work succeeded in its primary function as accessible romantic fantasy while generating discussion about ethical boundaries in translated adult literature.

Loyal Soldier, Lustful Beast succeeds primarily as commercial entertainment rather than literary achievement. Its competent execution of genre conventions and emotionally intense delivery fulfills market expectations while raising questions about Western adaptation of Japanese romance literature and appropriate age representation in adult fiction.

 Rating: ⭐⭐✩✩✩ out of 5 stars 

[Nicole Nieto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like reading a mix between a hallmark movie, a harlequin romance, and a soap opera all in one. The melodramatics were something else sometimes, but I still enjoyed myself. There are times when you want to just sit back with some popcorn and watch the drama unfold.

[Michelle Easton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and not a favorite of mine, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

The characters seemed very 2 dimensional and didn't make me feel for them as I hoped they would. Some of the phrasing was off-putting while other times it felt like the same thing was repeated over and over again.

The plotline was what appealed to me the most. A former slave falling for the one who helped him learn to be a human. An unremarkable girl who just wants to help those around her catches the attention of the king. Then you throw in the long-lost prince who wants his throne back, and you're just asking for trouble.

It's overall a short, fun, spicy read that is perfect for a pallet cleanser.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I honestly loved this. For what it strives to be, a tender and steamy romance mixed into a plot with some political scheming, it succeeds very well. The leads are likable and both become stronger throughout. It's their mutual devotion to each other that really sets this apart though. These two, especially Wallace, will do anything for the other and it's just as dramatic and intense as I could have hoped. The end is also very sweet.

[Siiri Mirjami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oops, finished this in secret.

It was fine. The underlying plot was good, but there was TOO. MUCH. SEX.

I know it's my own fault for knowing what this book had and still buying it, but it wasn't a total waste of money.

Wallace did not make me fall in love with him, but I found Giselle to be alright.

[kay reads]

Dnf

She is 16 and he is 25. Plus she was just married off to someone else. Nope.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really fun to read but it was quite boring for me but it was still fun to read fun, spicy for perfect read .

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a high 3/ low 4 at best.

I overall enjoyed the novel, but the biggest problem with the novel (which sadly drags it down a lot) is that the novel focuses on the woman protagonist's prospective, meaning that we miss out on the political intrigue that is strongly hinted at and it makes events of the novel seem sudden, also, the female protagonist doesn't do much in the story proactively.

The novel would've been more intriguing if it followed Wallace (the main male protagonist's prospective) as the politics involving the royal family and war (both internal and external) seems far more interesting and could've made the story far more interesting. But to do that, the novel needed to have been told from Wallace's prospective, it would've make him a more interesting (and sexy) character if we know what he was doing and what he was thinking during his times of slavery and on the battlefield.
The female POV perspective also causes a lot of pacing issues, as some of the important political plot points are rushed whilst some scenes are too long and cause the book to become a bit boring at times.

The smut was pretty meh (if you have a foot fetish, you will love this novel, as many of the sex scenes incorporate this in a gentle femdom setting). But I have seen scenes like this written better in other novels.

The way this book is written and translated is similar to the old DMP/June Yaoi novels, so if you're familiar with them, you know what to expect from this novel.

Seven Seas seems to have behaved when staying loyal to the translation. They didn't censor out the slavery theme (which has been a victim of localisation changes as of late). I have yet to read the original Japanese version, so I cannot guarantee that this is the case, but judging by some of the themes kept in the novel, it seems unlikely that any censorship has took place here. But do remain cautious and do some research before purchasing any light novel/manga that has been released in the last 5 years because of this reason.

Honestly, it's not as good as Beast Blood, but the ending of this novel is much more satisfactory.

Hopefully, better women's smut light novels will be released and translated into English.

I cannot recommend that you buy it for full price (£15 in the UK), but if you can find it for £7-8 (UK money) or borrow it from the local library, it's worth reading.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, this light novel was nothing special. I don't know how old Wallace was, but by the epilogue, we find out that the couple has been together for two years. I guess people can use the "it was normal back then excuse" but I still think it's a bit weird, unless Wallace is the same age, which I doubt. I also don't really like the way that Giselle and other people from her nation call the people from the West heathens and distinguish that the people from the East have pale skin while the people in the West have a tanner complexion. They also make it known that the Western country, Holathan, engages in slavery and trafficking. I just can't help but think that it's a bit colorist to make the people who have tan skin the bad guys. It seems quite unnecessary, since their only contribution to the plot is the fact that Wallace was enslaved by them, which attributes to his "heathenistic behaviors." The principal antagonist at the end of the day was King Raymond and mainly because he lusted for Giselle and tried to assassinate his nephew, Justinian, who was the rightful king. It also incorporates the deus ex machina plot device with Justinian's introduction. I don't know if I'm remembering this correctly, but I believe that he was introduced in the same chapter where he fakes his death, usurps King Raymond, and undoes King Raymond's command to have Wallace hanged. It all just resolves too conveniently, and for a young teenager (of thirteen years old, I believe) he is unrealistically wise, too wise to be giving Wallace and Giselle relationship advice. Quite disappointing since the cover and illustrations in the book are beautifully drawn, although there are less than a dozen in the book.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was browsing my local anime shop for Manga and decided to pick up a light novel. I liked the summary of Loyal Soldier and so I took a risk, despite the low ratings here. I'm glad I did!

Sometimes, you want smut and fluff and pretty much nothing else. If you can look past the icky age-gap (she's 16 and he's 25? not confirmed), then you will have a fun time with this read.

Giselle must marry for a title. Wallace is the solider who saved Giselle's brother's life. Wallace isn't any ordinary solider, he's borderline crazy, but in a good way. I promise. Wallace was once a slave, now fights in the military. He's living with Giselle's family and Giselle happens to catches his eye (because his other eye doesn't work anymore).

I really liked Wallace, he will do ANYTHING for Giselle and so Giselle must watch what she says. It's pretty adorable how much Wallace loves Giselle. Giselle is the typical naive girl and you can't help but love her too. The spice is pretty good and I appreciate the random illustrations throughout the novel (it's all tasteful, nothing naughty).

As I said, it's a pretty smutty and fluffy read. I appreciate it was originally published in Japan. I will continue to look for novels at my local anime shop.

[Atlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

i, too, would like to have a man who commits treason against the crown just bc the king made me uncomfortable😔

this was such a harlequin type of romance, a remedy for the times you find everything and anything boring. i eat the whole "blind devotion" trope up everytime, but his background as a slave and talk about serving her as a mistress got a side eye from me. not only that but my dumbass totally missed giselle being sixteen in the prologue while listening. they could've put some time skips between the certain events; if anything at least they celebrate wallace's birthday on the anniversary of their meeting. so she's either seventeen or eighteen when she goes to palace? still kind of iffy because it's got smut in it. and because giselle is a young country noble that lived in a bell jar her life, she's naive and always sees the good in people; her knowledge of adult affairs are zero to none, only source being wallace doesn't help i think. i hated her parents the whole book since they just acted like she was a lifestock to be wed all the time; so it's weird that her mom never taught her anything about marriage and married life.

[Katha · Rating 3 out of 5]

An sich ist das hier eine schöne, kurze Geschichte aber sie hat einige Mängel weswegen sie von mir nur 3 Sterne bekommen hat.
Einmal das alter der Hauptprotagonistin sie ist ganz am Anfang 16, dann als sie anfangen eine mehr Körperliche Beziehung zu beginnen ist sie 17 und ganz am ende des Buches ist sie 18, nicht wirklich meins.
Dann ist da das nicht wissen wie alt der Hauptprotagonist ist, sein aussehen wird als Jung beschrieben aber aussehen kann täuschen.
Die Beziehung der beiden ist anfangs nicht wirklich auf liebe seinerseits aufgebaut sondern dem Pflichtgefühl seiner Herrin gegenüber auch wenn es später zu liebe wird.
Die hälfte der Charaktere um die beiden Protagonisten herum sind entweder ziemlich plump oder einfach nur durchweg scheiße. Es gibt keinen Charakter neben Giselle und Wallace denen nicht einfach alles egal ist was um sie herum passiert oder die einfach nur grundtief verdorben und scheiße sind.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a short one-shot light novel I could listen to, and I chose this one! I though the plot was promising and cute.

I did like the world on this. It has regency vibes. I don't think you can be too deep on this. What you read/listen, is what you get. It's very straight forward and it's entertaining.

The way the story flows is good. I really like Wallace and how smart he is. I really like the conflict in the kingdom and how the story plays out in that one.

The romance... well it's something...

For me, the narrator was good. I liked how she stuck to the story and I thought the narrator delivered the characters well. Especially Giselle. Her voice for Giselle fits so much. It was well done!

Some warnings:
- our heroine is underage
- potential dubious consent
- spice level is 🌶🌶🌶
- almost grape

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love! I’ve been really pleased with the majority of the Steamship titles from Seven Seas, so when they announced this light novel I was so excited! I love how we get to see the very beginning of their relationship and follow along with them to the happily ever after at the end. I couldn’t stop gushing about this book to my husband, and I honestly felt as if I was watching my babies grow up into a loving relationship 🥹 I couldn’t put it down, it was an easy read, and it was just so full of heartwarming moments. There is a conflict in here, but it gets wrapped up fairly quickly. I personally didn’t mind that since I was mainly focused on our two main leads. I’m hoping Seven Seas will continue to release more light novels for the Steamship imprint in the future!

[Boots LookingLand · Rating 1 out of 5]

had i seen this book physically first, i would have never picked it up. unfortunately i ordered it trusting Seven Seas without reservation. that was a big mistake.

i gathered that it would be spicy from the title, cover, and description, but i thought there would at least be an interesting plot. but much of this was squick and cringe, and even the author refers to this as a kind of "otome" in the post-notes, which just makes me sigh. why read this when A03 is right there with every kind of imaginable fantasy at your fingertips?

everything about the book s disappointingly low quality production for this publishing house based on my experience with other titles of theirs. just overall a bad experience.

[Lissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly not a great book, but an entertaining and spicy book. And sometimes that's all you need. I def recommend it if you like romance, spice, and mild political intrigue, but don't expect too much from that latter point. It's mid and I'm okay with that. It entertained me while I was reading it and, like I said, sometimes that's all you need!


I will say however... I listened to the audiobook, and I genuinely think I would give it at least a 3.5 to 4 if I had read it physically. So maybe take that into consideration!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does exactly what it sets it to do, so in that way I think it’s worth the read. The characters are surprisingly endearing, if a bit surface level, and I liked what little world building we got. The build up in the relationship was also well done, and it didn’t feel too insta-lovey, which was nice. The steamy scenes were varied and… yeah, you get what the title promises, so if you’re looking for that, this isn’t a bad read.

[estherbookster · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Men like him are the last ones people suspect. Remember that.” (46)

Predictable plot, easy story to read because the stakes aren't high enough. The smut is mediocre, often cringe with the fetishes. The illustrations are stunning and perfectly portray the characters emotions and personality. A decent novel that's reasonably paced.

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

So just to be clear, this is a sexually explicit romance novel (which I read and enjoy frequently) that features a 16-17 year old as a main character… I stopped reading after chapter 2 because of how uncomfortable that made me.

Also the writing is horrible.

[Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't even remember the last time I read a het romance. Story was a bit goofy but I liked how Wallace ended up being what got Giselle to start sticking up for herself. Quite a lot of not particularly realistic sex; Giselle has the stamina of a marathoner. Enjoyed it decently.

[J-Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In regard to the romance and politics, I thought both were very well done and intriguing.


In regard to the sex, I could do without the licking and petals; also, I could do without the armpit and the feet moments. Gross!

[Savvi Styles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐️

Lmao I picked this book up at B&N because I was intrigued. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever read, but it’s definitely a total vibe read. It was cute, sort of silly, and definitely spicy. I, very much enjoyed it 🤭😂❤️

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

slay lol

[Onnah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

😏😏🥰🥰