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The Saga of Tanya the Evil Light Novel #6
The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 6: Nil Admirari
Through the bone-chilling winter wind, the clashes of war can be heard. Equipped with fragile weapons and machinery, Tanya and her unit march toward the Eastern front. There, Tanya realizes the primitiveness of it all, and that it'll take more than a miracle to emerge unscathed...
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 21, 2020
On the eastern front of an increasingly complex, increasingly damaging and increasingly fruitless war, Lieutenant Colonel Tanya von Degurechaff goes through the motions: she receives new orders, she gripes, her battalion accomplishes the required tasks, she discerns something amiss in the military strategy, she adapts, her battalion survives and she passes along a report to the General Staff regarding the increasingly complex, damaging and fruitless direction of the war effort. If there is anything about war and its parade of death that can be deemed ordinary, then the purview chronicled in THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL #6 would match such a description.
This volume of the novel series is dedicated almost entirely to providing a view into the political maneuverings and the sidelong frustrations of soldiers pressed into service in spite of the arrogant or clueless ethos of nation-state operators. Other volumes have done this while splitting time with gripping action, but Volume Six tilts the balance more heavily in favor of politics.
So much so that Tanya and the Salamander Kampfgruppe hardly account for one-third of the book's story elements. Much of the novel shifts the narrative focus over to a pair of unlikely friends, commanding officers for the Federation and the Commonwealth who are pressed into a series of joint operations for the sake of publicity and international pseudo-diplomacy ("Military action for political ends often means committing foolishness at the request of unreasonable people," p. 60). And while it's worth mentioning that the struggles these two men face run parallel to the difficulties Tanya faces, Tanya is not in the spotlight.
It's both frustrating and comical, however, to witness experienced soldiers lose their minds whenever they cross paths with moralists who have no place on the battlefield. First Lieutenant Liliya Ivanova Tanechka (political officer, Federation) and First Lieutenant Mary Sue (aerial mage, Commonwealth) represent the height of idiosyncratic political sophistry. The views of these characters arise from a nationalism starved of pragmatism and bereft of the flexible empathy required to navigate the fog of war. In the previous volume, one wondered if these characters would prove problematic for Tanya . . . but it turns out their ideological arrogance is a foil for cohorts in their own ranks.
The best part of THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL #6 rests in a curious exchange between Colonel von Lergen and Colonel Virginio Calandro, an intelligence officer and special envoy for the Royal Ildoan Army. The Empire is interested in curtailing the Kingdom of Ildoa as it conducts military exercises near the border they share. It's doubtful an actual conflict will emerge but the meeting between von Lergen and Calandro escalates quickly, from a casual and informal meeting of counterparts to a heated negotiation of brokered peace talks meant to undercut multinational embassy delegations.
It's clear von Lergen is in over his head but the man adapts surprisingly well, if only at the very last moment. He manages to convince the incredibly wily Calandro to defer to using a paper trail for official purposes and manages a successful push to allow Imperial air service members to train with the Ildoan army — a ruse to borrow fuel and skirt international law — on the pretense that training in civilian aircraft with a neutral nation-state is fair game (as opposed to the direct purchase of fuel, as "war supplies," for native aviation technology ("There was no reason to punish someone for doing something no rule prohibited," p. 147). It's a move von Lergen acknowledges is reminiscent of something Tanya would do on the battlefield, noting that being able to flexibly respond to an opponent's own knack for precision is a worthy (necessary) effort.
This volume of the novel series is dedicated almost entirely to providing a view into the political maneuverings and the sidelong frustrations of soldiers pressed into service in spite of the arrogant or clueless ethos of nation-state operators. Other volumes have done this while splitting time with gripping action, but Volume Six tilts the balance more heavily in favor of politics.
So much so that Tanya and the Salamander Kampfgruppe hardly account for one-third of the book's story elements. Much of the novel shifts the narrative focus over to a pair of unlikely friends, commanding officers for the Federation and the Commonwealth who are pressed into a series of joint operations for the sake of publicity and international pseudo-diplomacy ("Military action for political ends often means committing foolishness at the request of unreasonable people," p. 60). And while it's worth mentioning that the struggles these two men face run parallel to the difficulties Tanya faces, Tanya is not in the spotlight.
It's both frustrating and comical, however, to witness experienced soldiers lose their minds whenever they cross paths with moralists who have no place on the battlefield. First Lieutenant Liliya Ivanova Tanechka (political officer, Federation) and First Lieutenant Mary Sue (aerial mage, Commonwealth) represent the height of idiosyncratic political sophistry. The views of these characters arise from a nationalism starved of pragmatism and bereft of the flexible empathy required to navigate the fog of war. In the previous volume, one wondered if these characters would prove problematic for Tanya . . . but it turns out their ideological arrogance is a foil for cohorts in their own ranks.
The best part of THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL #6 rests in a curious exchange between Colonel von Lergen and Colonel Virginio Calandro, an intelligence officer and special envoy for the Royal Ildoan Army. The Empire is interested in curtailing the Kingdom of Ildoa as it conducts military exercises near the border they share. It's doubtful an actual conflict will emerge but the meeting between von Lergen and Calandro escalates quickly, from a casual and informal meeting of counterparts to a heated negotiation of brokered peace talks meant to undercut multinational embassy delegations.
It's clear von Lergen is in over his head but the man adapts surprisingly well, if only at the very last moment. He manages to convince the incredibly wily Calandro to defer to using a paper trail for official purposes and manages a successful push to allow Imperial air service members to train with the Ildoan army — a ruse to borrow fuel and skirt international law — on the pretense that training in civilian aircraft with a neutral nation-state is fair game (as opposed to the direct purchase of fuel, as "war supplies," for native aviation technology ("There was no reason to punish someone for doing something no rule prohibited," p. 147). It's a move von Lergen acknowledges is reminiscent of something Tanya would do on the battlefield, noting that being able to flexibly respond to an opponent's own knack for precision is a worthy (necessary) effort.
December 15, 2024
A nice change of pace. Liked the reveal of new players
June 18, 2025
So far, I think the weakest out of all the volumes. Action took a backseat in this one, instead very slowly laying the groundwork for the upcoming conflicts in the following volumes
February 7, 2021
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2021/02/...
Simply put, Nil Admirari is the weakest book in The Saga of Tanya the Evil so far. The phrase Nil Admirari is Latin for “to be surprised by nothing”. Tanya has spent a lot of this series doing just that thanks to her knowledge of Earth’s military history. And just like certain real-world wars, this book deals with how it’s a really bad idea to invade Russia during winter. The characters know this and everyone on both sides starts to hunker down for the winter. So, that doesn’t leave much room for the fighting this series is really built on. It takes a backseat this book and the story spends most of its time on another component of war: politics.
Personally, I still enjoyed this because politics interest me. But it is very different from what this series has been up until now. It may be a turnoff for a lot of readers who are much more interested in the action.
So, we’ve reached the point where the story is mimicking late-WWII in a lot of ways. Particularly the political failings that affected Germany at the end of WWII. In both real history and this book, there comes a point where people start to realize the war can’t go on forever. Militarily, the Empire is at its limit and they will run out of manpower and resources eventually.
So, when you cannot keep fighting, what’s the next step? Negotiate, of course. That’s the simple, logical solution. But humans are rarely simple, logical creatures. Yes, you can look at material numbers, but how do you justify all the sacrifices it took to get to that point? The generation of young people that have been wiped out by the conflict? Should you get nothing for all the sweat and blood you spent to get here?! Depends on how much you value your pride.
And just because Tanya (and others, mostly others. Tanya’s barely in this book, actually) are debating all this doesn’t mean the war is on full pause. We do still get a few minor action scenes in here plus more battles that are mentioned rather than seen. But it’s clear to everyone that before long something is going to break. The Empire? Their enemies? Time will tell in the next book. And hopefully with more action sequences to pick up the pace.
Simply put, Nil Admirari is the weakest book in The Saga of Tanya the Evil so far. The phrase Nil Admirari is Latin for “to be surprised by nothing”. Tanya has spent a lot of this series doing just that thanks to her knowledge of Earth’s military history. And just like certain real-world wars, this book deals with how it’s a really bad idea to invade Russia during winter. The characters know this and everyone on both sides starts to hunker down for the winter. So, that doesn’t leave much room for the fighting this series is really built on. It takes a backseat this book and the story spends most of its time on another component of war: politics.
Personally, I still enjoyed this because politics interest me. But it is very different from what this series has been up until now. It may be a turnoff for a lot of readers who are much more interested in the action.
So, we’ve reached the point where the story is mimicking late-WWII in a lot of ways. Particularly the political failings that affected Germany at the end of WWII. In both real history and this book, there comes a point where people start to realize the war can’t go on forever. Militarily, the Empire is at its limit and they will run out of manpower and resources eventually.
So, when you cannot keep fighting, what’s the next step? Negotiate, of course. That’s the simple, logical solution. But humans are rarely simple, logical creatures. Yes, you can look at material numbers, but how do you justify all the sacrifices it took to get to that point? The generation of young people that have been wiped out by the conflict? Should you get nothing for all the sweat and blood you spent to get here?! Depends on how much you value your pride.
And just because Tanya (and others, mostly others. Tanya’s barely in this book, actually) are debating all this doesn’t mean the war is on full pause. We do still get a few minor action scenes in here plus more battles that are mentioned rather than seen. But it’s clear to everyone that before long something is going to break. The Empire? Their enemies? Time will tell in the next book. And hopefully with more action sequences to pick up the pace.
August 23, 2019
Oof, this was quite a heavy read. This time the action takes a backseat as Tanya and her superiors take stock of the impending disaster their military outings has become and it is very obvious this volume is an analytical take on the failings of late-WWII Germany leadership; although I must stress this is very lacking on the Nazism aspect of it.
Instead, it's more depicted as a downfall of the Empire's "pride" and this volume focuses a lot in depicting the sufferings of the frontline and the generals in trying to keep up appearances despite being stretched to the limit in every aspect.
There is barely any action here as well, with only minimal engagements seen and mostly happening off-screen as well. It is a very wordy tome and I admit I did get bored of it at parts, but a big payoff seems to be in the wings the next volume.
Instead, it's more depicted as a downfall of the Empire's "pride" and this volume focuses a lot in depicting the sufferings of the frontline and the generals in trying to keep up appearances despite being stretched to the limit in every aspect.
There is barely any action here as well, with only minimal engagements seen and mostly happening off-screen as well. It is a very wordy tome and I admit I did get bored of it at parts, but a big payoff seems to be in the wings the next volume.
December 7, 2019
It’s not that it is a bad book, it it turns from a military story to a political one. The MC isn’t really the focus of this volume. So it was good, necessary for the story to progress further, but uneventful
September 17, 2023
Unwavering Resolve Amidst the Chaos
The Saga of Tanya the Evil continues to be a remarkable journey into the depths of war, ambition, and the enigmatic nature of destiny with Vol. 6: Nil Admirari by Carlo Zen. This volume in the series pushes the boundaries of Tanya's quest for power and survival while providing readers with an intense and thought-provoking experience.
Carlo Zen's storytelling remains a strength in this volume. The intricately woven plot propels the reader further into a world consumed by warfare and political intrigue. The tension is palpable, and the stakes are higher than ever as Tanya confronts the consequences of her relentless ambition.
One of the standout aspects of this series is the character development, and it continues to shine in this volume. Tanya, the ruthless yet complex protagonist, faces new challenges that push her moral boundaries and provide readers with a deeper understanding of her character. Her interactions with other characters reveal the intricate web of relationships and motivations that drive the story forward.
The pacing of Nil Admirari is well-crafted, balancing intense action sequences with moments of introspection. This ensures that both large-scale battles and personal conflicts receive the attention they deserve. The narrative's twists and turns keep readers engaged, and the exploration of the consequences of Tanya's actions adds depth to the story.
Carlo Zen's writing style is sharp and evocative, capturing the intensity of war and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters. The dialogue is both philosophical and reflective, offering insights into the characters' motivations and the complex nature of the world they inhabit.
When compared to other military fantasy novels, The Saga of Tanya the Evil stands out for its unapologetic portrayal of the consequences of ambition and the moral complexities of warfare. While other works may focus on epic battles or political intrigue, this series excels in its examination of the human condition under the extreme conditions of war.
In conclusion, The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 6: Nil Admirari is a powerful continuation of Tanya's journey through a world of conflict and moral ambiguity. Carlo Zen's complex characters and relentless storytelling make this volume a compelling read for fans of military fantasy with philosophical depth. Readers seeking an intense and morally challenging exploration of war will find this work to be a captivating and unforgettable experience.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil continues to be a remarkable journey into the depths of war, ambition, and the enigmatic nature of destiny with Vol. 6: Nil Admirari by Carlo Zen. This volume in the series pushes the boundaries of Tanya's quest for power and survival while providing readers with an intense and thought-provoking experience.
Carlo Zen's storytelling remains a strength in this volume. The intricately woven plot propels the reader further into a world consumed by warfare and political intrigue. The tension is palpable, and the stakes are higher than ever as Tanya confronts the consequences of her relentless ambition.
One of the standout aspects of this series is the character development, and it continues to shine in this volume. Tanya, the ruthless yet complex protagonist, faces new challenges that push her moral boundaries and provide readers with a deeper understanding of her character. Her interactions with other characters reveal the intricate web of relationships and motivations that drive the story forward.
The pacing of Nil Admirari is well-crafted, balancing intense action sequences with moments of introspection. This ensures that both large-scale battles and personal conflicts receive the attention they deserve. The narrative's twists and turns keep readers engaged, and the exploration of the consequences of Tanya's actions adds depth to the story.
Carlo Zen's writing style is sharp and evocative, capturing the intensity of war and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters. The dialogue is both philosophical and reflective, offering insights into the characters' motivations and the complex nature of the world they inhabit.
When compared to other military fantasy novels, The Saga of Tanya the Evil stands out for its unapologetic portrayal of the consequences of ambition and the moral complexities of warfare. While other works may focus on epic battles or political intrigue, this series excels in its examination of the human condition under the extreme conditions of war.
In conclusion, The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 6: Nil Admirari is a powerful continuation of Tanya's journey through a world of conflict and moral ambiguity. Carlo Zen's complex characters and relentless storytelling make this volume a compelling read for fans of military fantasy with philosophical depth. Readers seeking an intense and morally challenging exploration of war will find this work to be a captivating and unforgettable experience.
June 18, 2025
This novel is very political and personal. The focus lies more with singular actors and their interpretations of the state of the war.
The intrigue and backroom scheming between the major countries is somewhat important and fits the tone of the story completely. However I miss some action, heroic exploits and cold, merciless rationality.
Lots of things I would have liked to be explored more in the story were glanced over which was unsatisfying. It is still good reading material, but one of the weaker books in the series.
The intrigue and backroom scheming between the major countries is somewhat important and fits the tone of the story completely. However I miss some action, heroic exploits and cold, merciless rationality.
Lots of things I would have liked to be explored more in the story were glanced over which was unsatisfying. It is still good reading material, but one of the weaker books in the series.
December 27, 2022
While Tanya is the titular character, probably eighty percent of the book was focused on other characters. So calling it "The Saga of Tanya the Evil" is very misleading. I understand the need to give us an idea of what's going on behind the scenes, but when they get to the point of being boring enough to make the reader's eyes cross, it's a bit excessive.
March 10, 2023
(Listened to audiobook)
A fairly good book, set mostly during a winter of the war. Being it's winter, there's not so much progress and more so setting the mood and what the countries are planning.
I see others say it's a bad book because of that, but at least in the audio format it's still enjoyable.
A fairly good book, set mostly during a winter of the war. Being it's winter, there's not so much progress and more so setting the mood and what the countries are planning.
I see others say it's a bad book because of that, but at least in the audio format it's still enjoyable.
August 5, 2019
Less action oriented but building up to it. The Empire is showing the strain over the various demands of bloodshed. Enemies surround it and are allying. Worse the cypher it uses is cracked and plans lie open book to them. Eagerly I await the next novel.
December 24, 2021
Took a while to get through but was necessary for setting up the story. Tanya takes a bit of a backseat during this volume due to the war dragging on and the need for the political point of view to be shown.
January 6, 2021
Continues to impress with such an interesting outlook and perspective on a World War.
April 18, 2022
And the war continues. I'm loving the descriptions of the issues faced by prolonged war and how the countries involved keep scheming. This is the side of war you usually don't get to see.
March 22, 2023
Not as good as the previous volumes, but its ok.
October 14, 2024
What does it say about me that I read this all in basically a day
November 5, 2019
In Summary
Characters on both sides keep the story lively with challenges physical and political. We still have Tanya struggling to compensate for the gap between General Staff’s view of things and reality, but now the Commonwealth’s Drake also provides a similar perspective as a commander in the multinational mage unit. The high level scope of the growing continental conflict unfortunately remains a difficult read, but the scenes of those in the trenches cut straight to the heart.
The Review
As with the previous volume, this one begins with Tanya on the Eastern Front dealing with a dilemma. Whereas before the Salamander Kampfgruppe was struggling against guerrilla attacks, it’s now contending against a greater, nondiscriminating enemy: winter. Although they do have the assistance of the newly formed Council for Self-Government, their collaboration is mostly in name only. Yet Tanya once again sees through the mess of problems and to find solutions that protect her forces and cement relations with the Council for Self-Government. While her insights aren’t as revolutionary as the not-everyone-in-the-Federation-is-a-Commie realization of last time, watching her rational brain deal with the challenges that beset her still makes for an engaging read.
Of course, the Commies aren’t taking the PR fallout from the formation of the Council for Self-Government lying down. They counter with their own campaign: a multinational mage unit to display their international ties. Leading this unit are Colonel Drake of the Commonwealth and Colonel Mikel, recently a resident of a Federation concentration camp, and embedded in their group is Lieutenant Mary I’m-gonna-kill-the-Devil-of-the-Rhine Sue. Perspectives on the anti-Imperial side have bounced from character to character throughout the series, but that role looks like it’s going to be carried by this threesome moving forward.
This is a nice development because we’ll actually get a chance to truly get acquainted and attached to the people stuck with carrying out the orders of Commonwealth and Federation. Despite being representatives of very different ideologies, Drake and Mikel hit it off right away. Both are talented mages with a keen understanding of the political forces that have teamed them up. With a Communist political officer attached to watch the multinational unit’s every move, the two men are continually thrust into situations where they must put on a show for the Commies so that Mikel doesn’t get tossed back into the concentration camps.
While the Mikel and Drake walk a political tightrope to keep themselves and their subordinates alive, Mary tears about like the proverbial bull in a china shop. She might’ve gotten sympathy points before as the bereaved daughter of a fallen Entente Alliance mage, but now she’s just a thoughtless officer causing trouble for everyone around her. If Tanya has an antithesis, Mary is it. She’s fighting for completely personal reasons, has no regard for rules and procedure, and despite the line in the narrative, “[Mary] wasn’t a girl who couldn’t read the room,” Mary really can’t read any perspective but her own. Any appearance of Mary inevitably causes a headache for her commander Drake, and I’m groaning right alongside him.
As far as the broader scope of the continental conflict goes, things get muddled further when the kingdom of Ildoa does some saber-rattling. The introduction of a potential new player on the current theater of war turns the narrative into a bit of a slog. Zen-sensei’s tendency toward untagged dialogue and minimal setting descriptions, unfortunately, means that all the conjecturing about Ildoa’s intent and motives results in confusion rather than an aura of intrigue. As such, I look forward to the manga’s version of these events to clarify the situation for me.
Extras include map and fold-out illustration in color; appendixes of the history timeline and general commentary; author afterword; and six black-and-white illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
Characters on both sides keep the story lively with challenges physical and political. We still have Tanya struggling to compensate for the gap between General Staff’s view of things and reality, but now the Commonwealth’s Drake also provides a similar perspective as a commander in the multinational mage unit. The high level scope of the growing continental conflict unfortunately remains a difficult read, but the scenes of those in the trenches cut straight to the heart.
The Review
As with the previous volume, this one begins with Tanya on the Eastern Front dealing with a dilemma. Whereas before the Salamander Kampfgruppe was struggling against guerrilla attacks, it’s now contending against a greater, nondiscriminating enemy: winter. Although they do have the assistance of the newly formed Council for Self-Government, their collaboration is mostly in name only. Yet Tanya once again sees through the mess of problems and to find solutions that protect her forces and cement relations with the Council for Self-Government. While her insights aren’t as revolutionary as the not-everyone-in-the-Federation-is-a-Commie realization of last time, watching her rational brain deal with the challenges that beset her still makes for an engaging read.
Of course, the Commies aren’t taking the PR fallout from the formation of the Council for Self-Government lying down. They counter with their own campaign: a multinational mage unit to display their international ties. Leading this unit are Colonel Drake of the Commonwealth and Colonel Mikel, recently a resident of a Federation concentration camp, and embedded in their group is Lieutenant Mary I’m-gonna-kill-the-Devil-of-the-Rhine Sue. Perspectives on the anti-Imperial side have bounced from character to character throughout the series, but that role looks like it’s going to be carried by this threesome moving forward.
This is a nice development because we’ll actually get a chance to truly get acquainted and attached to the people stuck with carrying out the orders of Commonwealth and Federation. Despite being representatives of very different ideologies, Drake and Mikel hit it off right away. Both are talented mages with a keen understanding of the political forces that have teamed them up. With a Communist political officer attached to watch the multinational unit’s every move, the two men are continually thrust into situations where they must put on a show for the Commies so that Mikel doesn’t get tossed back into the concentration camps.
While the Mikel and Drake walk a political tightrope to keep themselves and their subordinates alive, Mary tears about like the proverbial bull in a china shop. She might’ve gotten sympathy points before as the bereaved daughter of a fallen Entente Alliance mage, but now she’s just a thoughtless officer causing trouble for everyone around her. If Tanya has an antithesis, Mary is it. She’s fighting for completely personal reasons, has no regard for rules and procedure, and despite the line in the narrative, “[Mary] wasn’t a girl who couldn’t read the room,” Mary really can’t read any perspective but her own. Any appearance of Mary inevitably causes a headache for her commander Drake, and I’m groaning right alongside him.
As far as the broader scope of the continental conflict goes, things get muddled further when the kingdom of Ildoa does some saber-rattling. The introduction of a potential new player on the current theater of war turns the narrative into a bit of a slog. Zen-sensei’s tendency toward untagged dialogue and minimal setting descriptions, unfortunately, means that all the conjecturing about Ildoa’s intent and motives results in confusion rather than an aura of intrigue. As such, I look forward to the manga’s version of these events to clarify the situation for me.
Extras include map and fold-out illustration in color; appendixes of the history timeline and general commentary; author afterword; and six black-and-white illustrations.
For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
Not as much action as the previous novels. But does serve as a nice set-up for what is to come.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews