If I hadn’t read I Swear volume 5 manga before this, this would have been five stars. As it is, this is 4.5, rounded down.
I liked this one much better than the manga. I’ve found that usually light novels go more in-depth, so you get more of the plot and character thought process than in a manga. I enjoyed getting into the MC’s mind in this one and we definitely got more background than in the manga. Not saying the manga was bad, but it was average. The light novel is a step above in my opinion.
If the trope of someone waking up in the character of a book/game villainess if your thing and you like three being OP in the knowledge department so they can make all of the right choices to reach their goals, then this is the light novel for you.
There is a bit of mystery re: who is the bishop and what are his goals and is he a love interest, but it’s not a huge cliffhanger. It’s manageable, but MAN I want the next volume something fierce!
4, I really enjoyed this one and not a bad book to end 2024 on, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fairly typical OP Isekai getting into their favorite game except it is more about cute girls doing cute things than is standard. World, story and characters are fairly simple and predictable. Considering I have a weak spot for these kind of stories, I probably would have liked it more if the world did not retain all its game elements that are in games for ease of play and not because they make good world building (let alone story elements). It just made an already stake less story feel even more like a breeze (a stiff one at that considering the speed of the plot) since all the MCs game knowledge applied one-on-one. Otherwise it was entertaining enough...
Ceritanya enak, tempo ceritanya pub relatif cepat. Ada beberapa trope klise yang sudah menjadi ciri khas cerita fantasi, apalagi dengan karakteristik shoujo seperti pada light novel ini.
The first book in the series is fine. It’s written by someone who clearly understands how these games work, and the fact that if this were real, it would need more depth. Bruh. But then it slides straight into the light novel lane. Hard. Where American novels tend to expand, deepen, and get richer, this one follows the light novel formula. Just shorter and shorter books, still charging seven bucks a pop. Arcs don’t get filled out. Battles and events get off-screened. Then they toss in random side stories, not even about those missing pieces, but from random POVs. It’s like they don’t want to write action or questing anymore. But you’ll get five thousand words about dinner. Lunch. Lush soy sauce–dipped oysters or something, roasted with butter in the shell. Great visual. But if you can write five thousand words about that, can you do it about the story?
It's really disheartening because it's a really good premise. There's some solid world building. And you can read the authors deep understanding of how to actually play. The MC is a little too knowledgeable but I feel like that's going to change as the series goes. But the off screening ruined it for me. I'm going to finish off the series. But not going to recommend the author or the series. Might reread myself but mostly naw.
Charlotte starts out as a Dark Mage, but she knows more about the world than she initially lets on. Due to her playing an MMO in her past life, she possesses knowledge of skills and class changing that allow her to shine in battle. Now she’ll become the Holy Maiden if my assumptions are correct and start a revolution.
I was looking for a quick and enjoyable read and lately, these Villainess subgenre stories are a go-to. This one didn't disappoint and might be one of my favorite ones.
I'll say first and foremost, the whole Villainess aspect of this story was just lip service and potentially marketing. So if you are looking at this book because you actually want a female MC acting like a haughty evil character, then this isn't the one for you. But, if you are looking for one of the better light novels I've read with a person who wakes up as a character from one of their favorite games and who then decides to leave their assigned story path in the ditch, then this seems like a great bet so far.
Our MC is a twenty-something Japanese office worker who works tons of overtime and spends their little bit of free time playing an immersive VR rpg. While waiting for a game update, she falls asleep and then wakes up as a game character in the classic villainess scene where her fiance-prince breaks their engagement and exiles her from the kingdom.
She's basically like, "Okay, best of luck with the kingdom!" Then packs her bags and embarks on a new life as a Level 1 Healer, eager to explore her favorite fantasy world in person.
While many familiar tropes make an appearance, I think they're used well. Namely, they are used as guideposts for readers familiar with the genre so we can keep the plot moving and spend a little time inserting some game mechanics unique to this story. There are specific game tools and mechanics introduced that actually play a role in how our MC deals with problems and navigates the world, which is nice compared to other stories that just throw random mechanics in for decoration.
I think one of the main reasons I enjoy Light Novels written with female characters is that I don't have to worry about harem tropes seeping in. The characters tend to focus on the game mechanics, the magic, and making friends. So many male authors seem to have a Dr Jekyll and Mr Harem disorder where they just can't help but surround their character with a bunch of girls, but then it goes nowhere and feels like a waste of time. I'm not a big harem reader, but I feel like if you're going to have one, then much like game mechanics, it shouldn't just be for decoration.
Either way, this was a fun book and I can't wait to read more of the series. My only concern is the usual issue with light novels being so short and having 15% of the Kindle length being side stories always pains me.
This relaxed slice of life adventure light novel is executed well. The descriptions are sparse but detailed enough to give guides to reader's thoughts. The pacing is consistently quickly moving from action item to action item, pausing for world building text as needed. It's not super nuanced or original and maintains a positive tone. The protagonist has some OP halos which might get annoying but don't feel out of place in a starter volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Written by Punichan and illustrated by Yoh Hihara, J-Novel Club’s latest title, From Villainess to Healer, tells the tale of the ultimate support skill villainess!
Following the villainess, Charlotte Cocoriara, a brush with memories of her previous life in Japan, finds her all too keen to go through the sentence of exile handed out to her by her ex-fiancee. Finally free from noble constraints and can do what she wants, she sets out on a quest to explore the game world she loved so dearly and to live out her fantasy of becoming the ultimate healer support skill character.
The story begins by setting out the concepts of MMORPGs, the Otome world, and the usefulness of healers. The author’s keen eye for detail is immediately noticeable through these scenes. Often a positive sign in any novel, which it is here, the sheer amount of detail given throughout the first couple of chapters slows the pace a little too much in an otherwise fast, adventure-driven plot.
Once this small hurdle has been overcome, however, the series’ detailed approach to storytelling becomes its greatest success.
As the story progresses, Charlotte loses her noble ties and dons the hat of an adventurer under the name of Sharon. Beginning by joining a team of rookie adventurers, she eventually lands a role as a healer with an adventuring team of heroes. This is where the story starts coming into its own, as Punichan manages to capture the essence of what it means to be an explorer. There’s a lot of unfiltered joy and excitement to be read through Charlotte’s descriptions and dialogue that culminates in vivid, expressive imagery of the different dungeons within the Otome world.
Additionally, the author displays a nice level of foresight as to the overall plans for the series. Dropping small plot threads towards reaching the unique skill of Holy Maiden provides the series with a certain level of focus. However, this is underscored somewhat by the abrupt end the first volume comes to.
Overall, From Villainess to Healer’s first volume makes a strong case for the series’ continuance. Despite a slow start, the story puts the rockets on as it progresses. As the story focused on Charlotte’s adventuring days, the author’s keen eye for detail and vividly imagined world made for an engaging and interesting read. Hopefully, this level of commitment continues into its sequel.
I greatly enjoy books where the MC has a wealth of knowledge to employ so I was pretty going to be giving this book 4 stars from the git go unless it was truly bad. Thankfully it is fun and well written and should be enjoyable to any who like this type of book. Two things to note: 1) The MC is not presented as any kind of villain. Instead the prince who dumps her and his new girlfriend are consistently presented as selfish louts. Not a big deal but somewhat odd given the title and wealth of other stories in this line where the MC really was a villain until some otherworldly intervention changes that.
2) The author is writing in installments so book one doesn't have any story resolution. Generally this truly irritates me since novels really should include a story resolution, here, however my irritation is mitigated by two factors: First the author focuses on the MCs journey and "travel books" (as I like to call them) go al0ng way towards removing the need for a resolution. Second, I have now read a lot of books that start life as manga and they are always written in installments. I assume this is because the original material, much like comic books in the USA, are written in installments (generally called issues when referring to comics and, personally, I am glad collecting a series of issues into one graphic novel is sometimes done here in the States as I greatly prefer actual books). Do I wish authors would respect the novel format and provide story resolution? Sure, but no one seems to care about that and I'm tired of harping on about it. Plus, as per point one, it is less relevant to this particular book.
This was so good!!!!! I am SO glad I stumbled upon this!!!!
Literally ticks so many of my boxes - and executed them so well!!! I’ve tried some light novels recently where the premise was promising but the execution was lacking. But this!!! This was even better than I was anticipating!!!!!!!
Literally my only criticism is that there’s only 2 volumes out in English at the moment. (Well, that & the name “Sharon” which I don’t super vibe with. But we overlook!)
I also love that I already know the author? I don’t know why I assumed they only had the one series, but I did. Love their other series (“RVing My Way Into Exile with My Beloved Cat: the Villainess is Trippin’”) but honestly this one was better.
The characters! The isekai! The game mechanics! The magic system! The characters! So so good!!!
Also I love that The Hero is a woman? I’m so tired of it being men… even though I read predominantly female main characters/POV. Loved that.
Also also loved the healer/cleric + track? I’ve read it in webnovels but honestly have not had a main character in books with this before! The closest would probably be Sei from “The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent�� but that doesn’t really get into the church/religion/goddess element. Very unique! (For me).
If you like isekai/villainess/game mechanics light novels, cannot recommend this one enough.
And if you’ve read this book & would like some recommendations, please try “Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear”, “The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent” & “7th Time Loop”.
Oddly enough.... the story that I make the most connections with this is NOT any of the 'reborn as the villainess' that I have read (I will mention them in the Volume 2 review)... but oddly enough, Shachi Sogano's 'Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World'.. In both series, the main character is the ONLY character that can 'access' the games menu (unlike series such as Arifureta or Shield Hero where everyone can).. and most of their in universe power comes from using that to their advantage. The main character of this series is MUCH more powerful than others of the same 'level'... not due to some overpowered cheat ability, but being able to see all of their statistics and advance based on that. There are of course differences (Harem having..well...a male main character, a Harem, and a good deal of sex).. but both main characters take time to go to an isolated area to test their abilities, try to work out exactly what the effects of different abilities are, are the sole character that can see the statistics of different things... both (at least initially) try to hide their abilities and fade into the background ... I just find the similarities of two stories that are so very different interesting.
I picked this up as I've not been reading much and needed something light as a palate cleanser. I wasn't really expecting much, but I was still disappointed in this.
The plot and characters are paper thin. I get that the crown prince and his lady love are - it's poking fun at the otame game tropes - but I really despised the main character by the end of it. Whilst I didn't mind that she's obsessed with changing job so she can run the prince's nose in it, her self centeredness just irked me.
Feeling generous and the translation was lovely, so two stars you get and I'm dropping this series from a great height.
Consider this a review for the entire series as none of them really have any particular differences.
Taken for what it is, this is a light & pretty shallow but enjoyable low-effort read, as long as you don't think too hard about the various issues with game design (as a gamer that does annoy me with litRPG) or the too common inconsistencies (nothing major but still) or the fact that so much time is spent on describing level grinding that they probably could have cut out an entire book from the series if they cut that.
If you can get past that, it's a fairly enjoyable light read when you don't have the headspace for something more complex.
It was really cosy, just what I was looking for. I'd already read the other series by Punichan so everything was pretty much as expected! This novel seems much more in-depth than rving my way into exile. There's a good amount of world-building. I was really sad when I realised volume 2 isn't out until march! Waiting is so hard. I'm really glad this was my first read of the new year. Start as I mean to go on with cosy isekai ❤️
This one is cute. It is not the typical villainess story as the main character decides not to follow the script and instead goes her own way. It took a little to get into it, after the first couple chapters it started to move more. I stayed up late and finished it in a few hours. Don't start at bed time or you may not sleep. One caution is it appears to be the beginning of a series and does not end in one novel. I really hope more is available soon!
This was so much fun and such an easy read. Think how a video game adventure plays out and you've got an idea of how this story feels. It is a quintessential video game story and the MC is such an active person. She moves the plot forward simply by existing and that is always a win in a story. I can't wait to see how "Sharon" moves forward.
This story features an innocent adventure - no gore, no violence against good people, no sexuality. It’s appropriate for young people, while being fast-paced enough and mature enough to not bore an adult to tears. I’m intrigued and will probably buy the next volume.
I really like these type of reincarnation/isekai genre of books and this one was pretty nice. I love the mc and the fantasy theme, It’s cliche but I lo be when mc’s put their knowledge from their previous life to their current. And that’s what Charlotte did when in the world of Reas, I can’t wait to read the second volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A light read that while predictable I still found fun and engaging. The adventure aspect and genuine excitement that the MC feels discovering the things from their previous memories in person brings a lot of joy.
Perfect aside from the kitty speech. I hate that. The rest of the book though is great and I try to ignore it.
And I just realized that I like both series this author has written! The other series is another villainous series where she travels around in an RV and that one's really fun too.
World building is basic (kind of reminds me of Ragnarok Online?? More than other games) but the characters are likeable and fun (and yuribait). Sharon/Charlotte is the kind of heroine I like!