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Tearmoon Empire Light Novel #1
ティアムーン帝国物語～断頭台から始まる、姫の転生逆転ストーリー～
崩壊したティアムーン帝国で、わがまま姫と蔑まれた皇女ミーアは処刑された――はずが、目覚めた彼女は12歳に逆戻り??第二の人生でギロチンを回避するため、帝政の建て直しを決意する。手始めに忠義に厚い下っ端メイドと、左遷されたが優秀な文官を味方につけ、失敗した過去をやり直す日々が始まった。けれど、ミーアの本音は「我が身の安全第一」。仇敵を遠ざけ、人脈作りに励むうちに、なぜか周囲の忖度で次々と奇跡が実現！やがて、身勝手なはずの行動は大陸全土の未来を大きく変えていくのだった……。
「こ、これぐらいわたくしにかかれば簡単ですわ！」
保身上等！自己中最強！小心者の元(?)ポンコツ姫が前世の記憶を使って運命に抗う、一世一代の歴史改変ファンタジー！
「こ、これぐらいわたくしにかかれば簡単ですわ！」
保身上等！自己中最強！小心者の元(?)ポンコツ姫が前世の記憶を使って運命に抗う、一世一代の歴史改変ファンタジー！
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2019
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841 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 14, 2021
My friend who got me into this has a LOT to answer for, as they only let me borrow the first two books! So I ordered books 3-6 as soon as I started book 2. AWESOME storyline and I LOVE the MIA Fan Club, lol. 5, amazing and I am on to the next, stars!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2020
Give it up for the narration on this book, which elevates a basic (but well told) tale of replaying one’s life after a bad ending (please don’t turn into an isekai... please...) into a genuinely funny read.
The narration loses some of its edge towards the end, sadly, but at least one line made me snort out loud and that’s a tall order for any book I’ve read. I also like the way the story plays out, so I will happily check out the next volume.
To be fair, it’s not straying from a well-worn light novel path, but it’s got a lot of heart. Despite her being an awful person, you can’t help but feel a little bad for Mia, and she does sort of (kind of) grow over the course of the book and her desire to not get her head chopped off at least files her edges down significantly.
Honestly, I think this would make a fun anime - I’d kill to see the cooking section animated. Poor Keithwood.
The narration loses some of its edge towards the end, sadly, but at least one line made me snort out loud and that’s a tall order for any book I’ve read. I also like the way the story plays out, so I will happily check out the next volume.
To be fair, it’s not straying from a well-worn light novel path, but it’s got a lot of heart. Despite her being an awful person, you can’t help but feel a little bad for Mia, and she does sort of (kind of) grow over the course of the book and her desire to not get her head chopped off at least files her edges down significantly.
Honestly, I think this would make a fun anime - I’d kill to see the cooking section animated. Poor Keithwood.
May 21, 2022
3.25
A very interesting premise: a 20-year-old Princess who ultimately ends up with her head chopped off by a guillotine is given a second chance to fix her empire and stop plague, famine, and revolt by being reincarnated (time-traveled? teleported?) into her younger self.
I definitely enjoyed the whole "second chance" aspect, as I'm sure we'd all like to be able to go back and fix past mistakes. Even with a lot of seemingly adult topics though, this was still a bit childish. I think I just have to accept that light novels just aren't going to be that deep.
Not bad, not amazing, but will continue with this series.
A very interesting premise: a 20-year-old Princess who ultimately ends up with her head chopped off by a guillotine is given a second chance to fix her empire and stop plague, famine, and revolt by being reincarnated (time-traveled? teleported?) into her younger self.
I definitely enjoyed the whole "second chance" aspect, as I'm sure we'd all like to be able to go back and fix past mistakes. Even with a lot of seemingly adult topics though, this was still a bit childish. I think I just have to accept that light novels just aren't going to be that deep.
Not bad, not amazing, but will continue with this series.
May 13, 2020
When I initially read the premise of the story, I was instantly intrigued. It seemed like a typical isekai-type book where the heroine was once a villain but once reborn turns a new leaf to avoid a tragic end and it is almost exactly that (but not an isekai). I believe that Mia is based on Marie Antoinette and it takes place in a Fire Emblem: Three Houses type world. It is hilarious to read about Mia fixing her past to avoid getting killed by guillotine again and to see her ulterior motives taken as her being as a saint of a sort. The thing that sets this book slightly different from others is that it seems that Mia is often being misunderstood and it works in her favor.
Originally, I picked up the book since I started becoming obsessed with the "My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!" anime and wanted something to fill my time before the next episode. Unfortunately, I finished the book within a day. Now I can't wait for both the next volume of Tearmoon Empire and next episode of that one anime. All in all, very recommended book for a easy and fun read.
Originally, I picked up the book since I started becoming obsessed with the "My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!" anime and wanted something to fill my time before the next episode. Unfortunately, I finished the book within a day. Now I can't wait for both the next volume of Tearmoon Empire and next episode of that one anime. All in all, very recommended book for a easy and fun read.
February 25, 2020
Logic! Lacking any I mean
To start with there's some serious issues with the logic in this book, especially with a empire supposedly conquered by Hunter gatherers over agricultural farmers in the distant past looking down on food production. so they rarely c grow their own food. But does the author mention what they use the land for? Dairy farming? Sheep farming - wool was a good market in the supposed era this is sort of set, and what about the crops that are for clothing like linen? And the other uses of land? A nobel would use all the land for money. So the areas would all have used not just be 'dead land' doing nothing that must be turned into farmland cause oh no famine! Just yeah someone has no grasp of the logic of history. It alone the thing about horses....
Military or for looking pretty?! Yeah nobles used horses for racing, transport, farming, hunting, especially transport. It was big money in horse breeding. And they really think that no noble girl anywhere would ever go near a stable?? Have they met any 11-16 year old females? Cause in any country with that kind of land use in particular there will be recreational use and exercise and girls who would be involved in the romance of girls and horses, it's what any noble on any country would do..... Woo the sheer lack of common sense is as usual lacking as with any Japanese light novel in a fantasy medieval world that totally escapes all the complexities of world building with some random fudging and ignoring of key facts. And it's all like that.
Which is sad cause the story isn't horrible.
I hope she ends up with Abel but stories like this make me sad when they don't even bother researching properly. Yes again I know it's a light novel, but if you're going to tread on water about land use them learn some facts!
To start with there's some serious issues with the logic in this book, especially with a empire supposedly conquered by Hunter gatherers over agricultural farmers in the distant past looking down on food production. so they rarely c grow their own food. But does the author mention what they use the land for? Dairy farming? Sheep farming - wool was a good market in the supposed era this is sort of set, and what about the crops that are for clothing like linen? And the other uses of land? A nobel would use all the land for money. So the areas would all have used not just be 'dead land' doing nothing that must be turned into farmland cause oh no famine! Just yeah someone has no grasp of the logic of history. It alone the thing about horses....
Military or for looking pretty?! Yeah nobles used horses for racing, transport, farming, hunting, especially transport. It was big money in horse breeding. And they really think that no noble girl anywhere would ever go near a stable?? Have they met any 11-16 year old females? Cause in any country with that kind of land use in particular there will be recreational use and exercise and girls who would be involved in the romance of girls and horses, it's what any noble on any country would do..... Woo the sheer lack of common sense is as usual lacking as with any Japanese light novel in a fantasy medieval world that totally escapes all the complexities of world building with some random fudging and ignoring of key facts. And it's all like that.
Which is sad cause the story isn't horrible.
I hope she ends up with Abel but stories like this make me sad when they don't even bother researching properly. Yes again I know it's a light novel, but if you're going to tread on water about land use them learn some facts!
January 26, 2020
The writing was amazing and the occasional quip makes this a great read. I love how the story progresses and the glimpse of growth that we can see from our main character Mia, even though it's few and far between.
The translation was superb and I guess that is what really got me to understand her character. Be sympathetic towards her to the point where I find myself shedding tears reading the early chapters after she got her second chance.
It's weird. I guess the story and writing strike a chord within me. That, or somehow I caught a critical case of Mia-syndrome. Worst case, I got both. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to our next adventure with Mia.
Cheers to Her Sagely Majesty, the future Empress of Tearmoon.
The translation was superb and I guess that is what really got me to understand her character. Be sympathetic towards her to the point where I find myself shedding tears reading the early chapters after she got her second chance.
It's weird. I guess the story and writing strike a chord within me. That, or somehow I caught a critical case of Mia-syndrome. Worst case, I got both. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to our next adventure with Mia.
Cheers to Her Sagely Majesty, the future Empress of Tearmoon.
July 24, 2022
I felt like the author imagined Marie Antoinette before the guillotine and then, imagined being able to go back 6 years in time, added a fictional character, a 12 year old foolish and spoiled princess of the Tearmoon Empire, and voilá you have a very entertaining and interesting story that could have been titled alternatively "The Virtue of Keeping your Head: (Step by Step guide/journal to avoid the Guillotine)."
This isekai-fantasy (travelled back in time to save your own neck) novel series is well written, organized and thought out. Some of the anectdotes thought out by the author are cute, others are kind of funny, and yet others are shameful, but in general it is an enjoyable atypical light novel series.
With powerful ethical lessons to learn and to be learned like the Golden Rule, what you sow you reap (cause and effect) and having a terminal/final date with the guillotine, Mia, the main character, for the first time in her life, works super hard to make everyone around her better, kinder, and happier. If her ulterior motive is keeping her head, so be it, greed to live, makes her the ideal stateswoman in an isekai-fantasy novel series.
I am sure, that most politicians around the world, if were forced to work well, by threatening them with the guillotine at the end of their election period, would begin to work, for the first time in their lives, for the benefit of their territories and not self-benefit/corruption. What the world needs urgently today is compliance from the bureaucrats, from the public officials, but especially from the politicians elected to public office, everywhere. If they entered a contract to do a good job, keep their word/remain honest or die!
This isekai-fantasy (travelled back in time to save your own neck) novel series is well written, organized and thought out. Some of the anectdotes thought out by the author are cute, others are kind of funny, and yet others are shameful, but in general it is an enjoyable atypical light novel series.
With powerful ethical lessons to learn and to be learned like the Golden Rule, what you sow you reap (cause and effect) and having a terminal/final date with the guillotine, Mia, the main character, for the first time in her life, works super hard to make everyone around her better, kinder, and happier. If her ulterior motive is keeping her head, so be it, greed to live, makes her the ideal stateswoman in an isekai-fantasy novel series.
I am sure, that most politicians around the world, if were forced to work well, by threatening them with the guillotine at the end of their election period, would begin to work, for the first time in their lives, for the benefit of their territories and not self-benefit/corruption. What the world needs urgently today is compliance from the bureaucrats, from the public officials, but especially from the politicians elected to public office, everywhere. If they entered a contract to do a good job, keep their word/remain honest or die!
October 7, 2021
Among the better light novels I've read. The very naturalistic and witty wording and flow of the translated prose did much to make up for the usual hallmarks of a Japanese web-novel (extremely short chapters that often seem closer to a transcription of a manga or anime, narration or characters who bluntly state their life circumstances or situations instead of creatively depicting them, etc) while the essential humour and characteristics of the main cast shone through.
I still think it works better in manga form - the book is written extremely visually and certain things like jumping back and forth between inner thoughts, outer presentation, different points of view and different timelines entirely work a lot better in concert with the visual storytelling - but the story itself is fun, and just when you think it's entirely just subverting anime otome tropes it'll hit you around the head with some suprisingly profound insight about human nature or market economics or whatever. A good read.
I still think it works better in manga form - the book is written extremely visually and certain things like jumping back and forth between inner thoughts, outer presentation, different points of view and different timelines entirely work a lot better in concert with the visual storytelling - but the story itself is fun, and just when you think it's entirely just subverting anime otome tropes it'll hit you around the head with some suprisingly profound insight about human nature or market economics or whatever. A good read.
March 27, 2025
i've dipped my feet into light novels! and of course, it's a villainess regression story because quite frankly the webtoon/manga/manhwa ones just aren't hitting anymore.
like every villainess regression, Mia is trying to avoid the fate of her death at all costs, using what she knows about her past life/the future. what i find really fun is that her motivations are clearly still very selfish/all with the aim of avoiding the circumstances that lead to her death, BUT all the other characters make up their own delusions about how saintly she is which is actually ridiculous. The narrator also just poking fun at all the characters for being delulu is quite entertaining.
good read so far, I'm excited to see how things unfold and if she is able to change her fate! (there's also 14 volumes (all very short) and istg if it's not actually completed yet i'll perish)
also, homegirl is 11. ELEVEN!! IS EVERYONE ELSE THAT INCOMPETENT???
like every villainess regression, Mia is trying to avoid the fate of her death at all costs, using what she knows about her past life/the future. what i find really fun is that her motivations are clearly still very selfish/all with the aim of avoiding the circumstances that lead to her death, BUT all the other characters make up their own delusions about how saintly she is which is actually ridiculous. The narrator also just poking fun at all the characters for being delulu is quite entertaining.
good read so far, I'm excited to see how things unfold and if she is able to change her fate! (there's also 14 volumes (all very short) and istg if it's not actually completed yet i'll perish)
also, homegirl is 11. ELEVEN!! IS EVERYONE ELSE THAT INCOMPETENT???
July 18, 2021
Read on J-novel club and then bought because I loved it so much. 5 stars, 10 stars, all the stars! Literally my absolute favorite book this year. Mia is amazing, and so are all the other characters, like Anne, Ludwig, and Abel. Sion and Tiona are fun too. I love the premise, but the real key to the awesomeness of this story is the execution. It's hilarious! Seriously, I love it so much. It's a really entertaining, interesting story, and having read most of book two as well, I can tell you it only gets better as Mia grows more, the cast of characters gets wider, and the plot thickens. This has gone onto my top 10 books - ever. All the stars!
Reread in Japanese Jan 15-July 18, 2021
This took me about 44 hours in total, over about seven months, because it was my first book in Japanese, and I don't have all the common kanji under my belt. That said, it was absolutely worth it! I've read this book about three times in English, and am still reading J-Novel Club's weekly translations of later books in the series because a) the translations are excellent and b) I love Mia! I saw my reading comprehension improve by leaps and bounds through reading this, as well as my kanji retention. Mia's voice is more or less the same in either language, and my appreciation for the translations has increased. I'm planning on rereading book 2 in Japanese soon! 5 stars!
Reread in Japanese Jan 15-July 18, 2021
This took me about 44 hours in total, over about seven months, because it was my first book in Japanese, and I don't have all the common kanji under my belt. That said, it was absolutely worth it! I've read this book about three times in English, and am still reading J-Novel Club's weekly translations of later books in the series because a) the translations are excellent and b) I love Mia! I saw my reading comprehension improve by leaps and bounds through reading this, as well as my kanji retention. Mia's voice is more or less the same in either language, and my appreciation for the translations has increased. I'm planning on rereading book 2 in Japanese soon! 5 stars!
June 16, 2020
Misunderstandings used in stories is not my favourite trope, but the misunderstandings here MAKE the story. The fact that everyone, EVERYONE, continues to misunderstand each other's motives and desires leading to a better future than the first one Mia experienced is PRICELESS! It's so good and the writing elevates it to new levels. The witty remarks in the narration that acknowledges how everyone's thought process is making them all a little deluded is fantastic! And the characters, although greatly flawed, are so sweet that you want them all to succeed. Fantastic story and I can't wait to see how it progresses (especially Abel and Mia's relationship; they're so adorable together and I can see so many amazing ways their relationship could progress)! Looking forward to the release of volume 2!
February 10, 2021
This has got to be my most favorite reincarnation story as of yet. Imagine just wanting to survive in your second life after screwing over the first one and the next thing you know, you're being put on a pedestal and somehow keep winging it because you always choose the right things to say every single time.
POV: You are Mia, the unapologetically selfish princess. Chances are, you'd wound up saving a whole empire with a strong set of allies to help you on the way. But for now, your main priority is to get away from the guillotine route. God knows you can't fight to save yourself from fate, but maybe you just can out of sheer luck. And you have plenty of that.
POV: You are Mia, the unapologetically selfish princess. Chances are, you'd wound up saving a whole empire with a strong set of allies to help you on the way. But for now, your main priority is to get away from the guillotine route. God knows you can't fight to save yourself from fate, but maybe you just can out of sheer luck. And you have plenty of that.
July 29, 2024
I loved it. The juxtaposition of the other characters regarding the main character as a Saint then her own thoughts of not wanting to die was hilarious. I love a reincarnation story. I love that she is continually trying to prevent her execution.
I reread it in physical form. I love Able and Princess Mia's relationship. Loved the horse sandwich and the trials of Keithwood. Not to mention her relationship with Anne and Ludwig. I love her inadvertently making things better for herself without trying. Plus her becoming a better person to get praise and not let down Anne. All and all worth the reread. I loved how the author included Mia in the afterwords. Now on to the second installment.
I reread it in physical form. I love Able and Princess Mia's relationship. Loved the horse sandwich and the trials of Keithwood. Not to mention her relationship with Anne and Ludwig. I love her inadvertently making things better for herself without trying. Plus her becoming a better person to get praise and not let down Anne. All and all worth the reread. I loved how the author included Mia in the afterwords. Now on to the second installment.
January 9, 2022
Comedy of misunderstanding.
Fun as self centered Princess Mia must go against her own selfish personality to avoid the guillotine. Problem is, as her faux reputation as a saint grows all those she once hated and feared adore her. Can she maintain her charade? Hope so. Will she ever reform and become truly good? Hope not! A wonderful read!
Fun as self centered Princess Mia must go against her own selfish personality to avoid the guillotine. Problem is, as her faux reputation as a saint grows all those she once hated and feared adore her. Can she maintain her charade? Hope so. Will she ever reform and become truly good? Hope not! A wonderful read!
August 10, 2020
copy paste story with nothing noteworthy with shitty fan translation
July 24, 2023
4.5
i came into this with low expectations thinking that i’ll read the usual regression stories. but goddamn that snarky narrator was a nice surprise, definitely carried this whole ranobe
i came into this with low expectations thinking that i’ll read the usual regression stories. but goddamn that snarky narrator was a nice surprise, definitely carried this whole ranobe
June 24, 2024
I can't begin to explain how rare this is for me. This is a light novel yes, but it's about medieval politics with no magic, and I absolutely ADORE it. Normally i HATE medieval politics in books and i find it dull as dirt, (one of the reasons i will never read game of thrones) but this one just entranced me.
So this story is about a 20 year old selfish princess who gets imprisoned and then executed by guillotine since there was a revolution in her country. time resets back to her being 12 years old and she remembers everything and has a diary she wrote while in captivity. So she basically is trying to stop her death in the future and trying to make everyone like her so they don't revolt and she doesn't die. when she changes something, the diary changes too.
I think what makes this, is that it's able to intersperse comedy as well as when it knows to be serious. It plays both very well.
The main character Mia, is not a mary sue or even really that good of a person. She's actually still very spoiled, but she does all these kind and amazing things to save her own skin and people ALWAYS misinterpret her selfishness for kindness and it's hilarious. There's often times where she'll talk herself into a corner and someone will go "oh! you're saying that because THIS reason" and they'll come up with a reason that's far more kind and sagacious then she originally meant it and she'll just roll with it.
Mia is that perfect mix of annoying, but also funny. You know that deep down she's not a bad person, she just doesn't know any better and you DO feel bad for her at times and you don't want to see her die horribly. She's a very fun protagonist to follow and I am enjoying her story immensely.
I can't speak for what's going to happen in the future, if the story will go downhill or turn in a direction i REALLY don't want, but I can say that as of this moment, end of volume one, i absolutely adore this.
There are many side characters in this book, from the boy she's trying to gain the affection of, a self-deprocating prince named Abel to the perfect prince Sion, to her adorably peppy maid Anne. With the exception of Sion, i really like every single character in this story. (and sion is more of a mild disinterest than any sort of hostility) Everyone plays off of Mia amazingly and even makes the politics interesting.
Besides her initial execution, i have to say, there's really no violence in this story so far and i REALLY appreciate that. i've seen/read some other politics ones where there's violence and i have to say, this is a nice change. it somehow mixes comedy/slice of life/ and politics all in one, and by god it actually works.
If you told me one of my favorite new series was going to be about a young princess doing intercountry politics, i'd tell you that you were crazy. Still though, this first book is fantastic and i'm absolutely going to read the next one.
I read the entire first light novel in a day and i'm going to read the next one ASAP.
5/5. no complaints. Great job.
So this story is about a 20 year old selfish princess who gets imprisoned and then executed by guillotine since there was a revolution in her country. time resets back to her being 12 years old and she remembers everything and has a diary she wrote while in captivity. So she basically is trying to stop her death in the future and trying to make everyone like her so they don't revolt and she doesn't die. when she changes something, the diary changes too.
I think what makes this, is that it's able to intersperse comedy as well as when it knows to be serious. It plays both very well.
The main character Mia, is not a mary sue or even really that good of a person. She's actually still very spoiled, but she does all these kind and amazing things to save her own skin and people ALWAYS misinterpret her selfishness for kindness and it's hilarious. There's often times where she'll talk herself into a corner and someone will go "oh! you're saying that because THIS reason" and they'll come up with a reason that's far more kind and sagacious then she originally meant it and she'll just roll with it.
Mia is that perfect mix of annoying, but also funny. You know that deep down she's not a bad person, she just doesn't know any better and you DO feel bad for her at times and you don't want to see her die horribly. She's a very fun protagonist to follow and I am enjoying her story immensely.
I can't speak for what's going to happen in the future, if the story will go downhill or turn in a direction i REALLY don't want, but I can say that as of this moment, end of volume one, i absolutely adore this.
There are many side characters in this book, from the boy she's trying to gain the affection of, a self-deprocating prince named Abel to the perfect prince Sion, to her adorably peppy maid Anne. With the exception of Sion, i really like every single character in this story. (and sion is more of a mild disinterest than any sort of hostility) Everyone plays off of Mia amazingly and even makes the politics interesting.
Besides her initial execution, i have to say, there's really no violence in this story so far and i REALLY appreciate that. i've seen/read some other politics ones where there's violence and i have to say, this is a nice change. it somehow mixes comedy/slice of life/ and politics all in one, and by god it actually works.
If you told me one of my favorite new series was going to be about a young princess doing intercountry politics, i'd tell you that you were crazy. Still though, this first book is fantastic and i'm absolutely going to read the next one.
I read the entire first light novel in a day and i'm going to read the next one ASAP.
5/5. no complaints. Great job.
August 8, 2022
This was an adorable, tropey, easy read that scratched an itch to just read something fun. (And the cover/interior art is just gorgeous.) It's fun, it's lighthearted, the prison time and torture aren't intricately described, and the central character is actually an unlikeable villain who doesn't immediately change her ways. She's learning to be a good person...albeit slowly, and without the modern moral lens from an isekai style story.
My only disappointment was the setting. The vaguely historical alternate universe just doesn't make a lot of sense. Mochitsuki hints at economy and culture - but then there's a central school for the entire region's upper class? The world seems to be bend to whatever is needed at that moment for the plot, and doesn't have a central location to balance that vagueness.
What I'm enjoying as English reader finding more light novels is how meta they are. The narration often talks directly to the reader, filling them in on details about the world or character backstory the moment they appear instead of waiting for a moment that makes sense with the narrative. This story in particular tells you the original scope of the plot before Mia makes changes, and then keeps going to say how she's influenced them. Sure, it means there's not a lot of suspense of stakes going on in the scene, the style is just good fun. Mochitsuki does, however, always hint at future events as the story goes, which I think was supposed to entice the reader to keep going.
My only disappointment was the setting. The vaguely historical alternate universe just doesn't make a lot of sense. Mochitsuki hints at economy and culture - but then there's a central school for the entire region's upper class? The world seems to be bend to whatever is needed at that moment for the plot, and doesn't have a central location to balance that vagueness.
What I'm enjoying as English reader finding more light novels is how meta they are. The narration often talks directly to the reader, filling them in on details about the world or character backstory the moment they appear instead of waiting for a moment that makes sense with the narrative. This story in particular tells you the original scope of the plot before Mia makes changes, and then keeps going to say how she's influenced them. Sure, it means there's not a lot of suspense of stakes going on in the scene, the style is just good fun. Mochitsuki does, however, always hint at future events as the story goes, which I think was supposed to entice the reader to keep going.
November 7, 2020
Mia was a selfish, spoiled princess. And it got her beheaded. But a mysterious twist of fate sends her back into the past, with only her bloody diary to remind her of the consequences of failure. She's determined to avoid her upcoming execution, even though doing that means taking on the arduous role of fixing the whole country. She's useless, and knows it, so how can she avoid the guillotine?
This is decent for a light read, although you really have to suspend disbelief about the worldbuilding. No, not the time travel with conveniently-updating diary. It's more the part about Mia being a princess with no schedule, no supervision, and a supposedly-doting father who can't even keep track of his daughter. They're just so CARELESS with their princess (and sole heir) that once I noticed that I couldn't ever get it out of my head while reading.
Other than that, the story is decent, but the misunderstanding comedy is a bit light. Mia is acting for her own benefit, but other people don't really see that because they see her trying to prevent bad situations, so they misinterpret her as a saintly wise woman instead.
And Mia's success has more to do with the fact that she's picking good people to do the hard work, while she just points them in the right direction and uses her authority to clear any obstacles.
Overall I did enjoy this, although it doesn't quite sit right if I think about the actual setting for longer than a few seconds. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
This is decent for a light read, although you really have to suspend disbelief about the worldbuilding. No, not the time travel with conveniently-updating diary. It's more the part about Mia being a princess with no schedule, no supervision, and a supposedly-doting father who can't even keep track of his daughter. They're just so CARELESS with their princess (and sole heir) that once I noticed that I couldn't ever get it out of my head while reading.
Other than that, the story is decent, but the misunderstanding comedy is a bit light. Mia is acting for her own benefit, but other people don't really see that because they see her trying to prevent bad situations, so they misinterpret her as a saintly wise woman instead.
And Mia's success has more to do with the fact that she's picking good people to do the hard work, while she just points them in the right direction and uses her authority to clear any obstacles.
Overall I did enjoy this, although it doesn't quite sit right if I think about the actual setting for longer than a few seconds. I rate this book Recommended.
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October 7, 2022
A selfish, naïve and insensitive princess of the somewhat corrupt empire just got guillotined after spending years of sufferings as a prisoner. The corrupt empire is successfully toppled. The revolution is quite a success. Everyone is cheering and rejoicing, as the princess's head is falling to the ground, separated from her already weak and frail body that suffered the harsh treatment she got from the dungeon. Story over.
Or not? What if she's given a chance, one more chance, to fix all the mistakes that she had done in the past? Yes. She's given that chance. And that's the gist of the whole story.
The story is being presented in a two-timeline format : the current timeline and the guillotine timeline. Every small interaction and action that she made in the current timeline is contrasted to the guillotine timeline. Also, no matter how mundane and small the divergence is, it could led to a great impact to her final fate : whether she will be guillotined again or not.
Later, it turned out that the revolution it's not entirely her fault. The seed of future looming crisis is already planted from the very foundation of the empire. Can she, a little princess, could solve this magnificent problem alone?
Or not? What if she's given a chance, one more chance, to fix all the mistakes that she had done in the past? Yes. She's given that chance. And that's the gist of the whole story.
The story is being presented in a two-timeline format : the current timeline and the guillotine timeline. Every small interaction and action that she made in the current timeline is contrasted to the guillotine timeline. Also, no matter how mundane and small the divergence is, it could led to a great impact to her final fate : whether she will be guillotined again or not.
Later, it turned out that the revolution it's not entirely her fault. The seed of future looming crisis is already planted from the very foundation of the empire. Can she, a little princess, could solve this magnificent problem alone?
March 7, 2021
Phenomenal
Incredible read. Pulls you in with rich descriptions with zero purple prose. The author expertly uses Mia's experiences in the old timeline to set up and cash in on misconceptions that change the lives of the people around her for the better, but is always sure to remind you of her bratty self for a very down to earth, self-esteem read. Mia herself is incredibly charming for her faults and at times through the punishment she endured in the other timeline she's a genuinely compassionate, empathetic person. It's fun watching Mia set herself up for failure, panic, and somehow do some good anyway. Mr. Teng and Ms. Carter also put an abundance of love into the translation. I read a lot of light novels and generally associate J Novel Club/Seven Seas Entertainment with spelling errors, punctuation failures and overall inability to edit. But none of that is present here and combined with the beautiful illustrations the end result is one of the best light novels I've ever read. Purchase all the volumes and pre-order volume IV in April. If you're not scared of a little political stuff you will not go wrong with this series.
Incredible read. Pulls you in with rich descriptions with zero purple prose. The author expertly uses Mia's experiences in the old timeline to set up and cash in on misconceptions that change the lives of the people around her for the better, but is always sure to remind you of her bratty self for a very down to earth, self-esteem read. Mia herself is incredibly charming for her faults and at times through the punishment she endured in the other timeline she's a genuinely compassionate, empathetic person. It's fun watching Mia set herself up for failure, panic, and somehow do some good anyway. Mr. Teng and Ms. Carter also put an abundance of love into the translation. I read a lot of light novels and generally associate J Novel Club/Seven Seas Entertainment with spelling errors, punctuation failures and overall inability to edit. But none of that is present here and combined with the beautiful illustrations the end result is one of the best light novels I've ever read. Purchase all the volumes and pre-order volume IV in April. If you're not scared of a little political stuff you will not go wrong with this series.
February 1, 2022
The hook of this book is how Mia would try to avoid her eventual beheading in the future, so she tried everything she could to avoid it despite her not being so smart, her only weapon is the knowledge of what to come in the future. But fortunately for her, everyone else sees her as a saint every time she did something that was actually self-serving or selfish, to a comical degree. Mia was so pathetic in her previous life that it's simply hilarious when she recalls it. That's pretty much the whole book and I enjoyed it thoroughly, not so much into the romance stuff though, and I couldn't care less of the other side characters, and actually the ones I was intrigued about end up getting sidelined anyway (eg. Rafina). I've read the next volume too and it was less of the comedy and more plot stuff, but the story really isn't that interesting so I'd recommend to just treat this one as a one-shot.
August 23, 2022
I wouldn't encourage you to read that book if you do search for a deep rational decision of someone who got a second chance after a Guillotine... However, if you do wanna a care-free reading time with plenty funky and funny plotlines, then you did hit jackpot.
The major plotline is quite simple: A Selfish Princess - Miabel on Duty! - is arrested amidst a rebellion against it own country assoiled by famine and disgrace and its then sentenced to the major penalty: Death by Guillotine. "Well damn those brats, if they are so hungry of bread, why not eat cake?!"
Seeing its last moments in life, Miabel gets a life rewind, by reasons never explained, and can change the course of its country. Knowing her undeniably bad fate, the princess proceeds with a very complex plan: 'Its survival time!'
TL;DR: I did read that book in a single day, just because I did keep laughing about how misunderstandings can make some bad and selfish person an angel. Thumbs up!
The major plotline is quite simple: A Selfish Princess - Miabel on Duty! - is arrested amidst a rebellion against it own country assoiled by famine and disgrace and its then sentenced to the major penalty: Death by Guillotine. "Well damn those brats, if they are so hungry of bread, why not eat cake?!"
Seeing its last moments in life, Miabel gets a life rewind, by reasons never explained, and can change the course of its country. Knowing her undeniably bad fate, the princess proceeds with a very complex plan: 'Its survival time!'
TL;DR: I did read that book in a single day, just because I did keep laughing about how misunderstandings can make some bad and selfish person an angel. Thumbs up!
January 7, 2023
I REALLY wanted to like this book, which, I did!
BUUUUT
Mochitsuki feels like she force feeds you/spoon feeds you at the same time if that makes sense. None of the information we're given feels earned and everything is expositioned and hammered into your head until you're bleeding on the floor being force-fed even more until you understand that MIA HATES THE GUILLOTINE
I get it girl, but you don't need to repeat that over 10 other POVs
Also, the chapters were a bit too short, and didn't feel like a lot was happening to the point, that when I did finish a chapter, it didn't feel earned.
The pairing that is happening is something I'm rooting for though, so points for that. This series shines on several uses of clever writing, short chapters (for those that want it), and having everything explained with nothing left hanging (which again, can be seen as a highlight for some)
Read this if you haven't read in a long time and need the easiest read you can possibly imagine
BUUUUT
Mochitsuki feels like she force feeds you/spoon feeds you at the same time if that makes sense. None of the information we're given feels earned and everything is expositioned and hammered into your head until you're bleeding on the floor being force-fed even more until you understand that MIA HATES THE GUILLOTINE
I get it girl, but you don't need to repeat that over 10 other POVs
Also, the chapters were a bit too short, and didn't feel like a lot was happening to the point, that when I did finish a chapter, it didn't feel earned.
The pairing that is happening is something I'm rooting for though, so points for that. This series shines on several uses of clever writing, short chapters (for those that want it), and having everything explained with nothing left hanging (which again, can be seen as a highlight for some)
Read this if you haven't read in a long time and need the easiest read you can possibly imagine
November 26, 2023
Did I watch the anime? Yes
Did I immediately read the manga? Also yes
Did I run to get the light novels after that? Yup!
I know I'm rating 3 stars but please know that I enjoyed this as if it were 5. Because these are translations, the voice of the author is lost somewhat and it takes some wiggling to get into the rythym but it's still a very fun and enjoyable read.
I love seeing Mia gradually grow as a person and while I generally don't love the adult person reincarnated into a child aspect, it works really well here because while Mia still has her past life memories she is twelve, she reasons and sees her memories through the lens of a twelve year old. It's also really really funny!
Also, this goes kinda hard into world building the socioeconomic, cultural, historic and class aspects of the kingdom?? Who put all this amazing details in my shoujo light novel? You deserve an award.
Did I immediately read the manga? Also yes
Did I run to get the light novels after that? Yup!
I know I'm rating 3 stars but please know that I enjoyed this as if it were 5. Because these are translations, the voice of the author is lost somewhat and it takes some wiggling to get into the rythym but it's still a very fun and enjoyable read.
I love seeing Mia gradually grow as a person and while I generally don't love the adult person reincarnated into a child aspect, it works really well here because while Mia still has her past life memories she is twelve, she reasons and sees her memories through the lens of a twelve year old. It's also really really funny!
Also, this goes kinda hard into world building the socioeconomic, cultural, historic and class aspects of the kingdom?? Who put all this amazing details in my shoujo light novel? You deserve an award.
March 6, 2023
I am sincerely surprised. This is the first JP light novel that I felt very excited to read, started reading and worked my way to finish it asap.
I didn't even mind if I had to reread the same or similar scenes that were already covered in the manga-version.
Because I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anything before I moved on to Volume 2.
(This is a book that I may never touch or read but ever since I discovered its manga version, I felt inclined to know more so...)
Kudos to the author and bless to whomever who have helped with making this book, a reality. It is an utmost appreciation, pleasure, and awe, to have discovered this read.
P.S. Thank you for being the first that made me excited to read more light novels, in the future..
P.S.S. The bonus chapter was just delightful.
I didn't even mind if I had to reread the same or similar scenes that were already covered in the manga-version.
Because I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss anything before I moved on to Volume 2.
(This is a book that I may never touch or read but ever since I discovered its manga version, I felt inclined to know more so...)
Kudos to the author and bless to whomever who have helped with making this book, a reality. It is an utmost appreciation, pleasure, and awe, to have discovered this read.
P.S. Thank you for being the first that made me excited to read more light novels, in the future..
P.S.S. The bonus chapter was just delightful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
This is probably as good as a 'regression fantasy' can get and it does it via the simple trick of having the protagonist be pretty stupid.
The comedy comes from her using her past memories to desperately try and avoid her original fate and everyone else interpreting it as brilliant calculation when pretty much every long term consequence is entirely unintended.
It threatens to get a bit stale by the end of the first book but I think it ultimately keeps the reader onside by revealing that the protagonist has only dealt with the most immediate problems and that her long term fate is still unchanged.
Worth reading just because having a protagonist who is stupid and selfish without being an all calculating genius is refreshing for the genre and it's also nice to read something where the author at least gives us some problems on the horizon that aren't solved by the end of book 1.
The comedy comes from her using her past memories to desperately try and avoid her original fate and everyone else interpreting it as brilliant calculation when pretty much every long term consequence is entirely unintended.
It threatens to get a bit stale by the end of the first book but I think it ultimately keeps the reader onside by revealing that the protagonist has only dealt with the most immediate problems and that her long term fate is still unchanged.
Worth reading just because having a protagonist who is stupid and selfish without being an all calculating genius is refreshing for the genre and it's also nice to read something where the author at least gives us some problems on the horizon that aren't solved by the end of book 1.
December 1, 2024
Tearmoon Empire Light Novel: 1
Princess Mia Tearmoon is executed Marie Antoinnette style at the age of 20 and finds herself waking up back at the age of 12, at the height of the empire's prosperity. She finds that the diary she's written in since childhood has made the trip back with her, proving that it all wasn't just a dream. She sets out determined to change her ending and discovers that after making updates in her current diary, the future diary's recordings also change. This book is hilarious, filled with the best kind of misunderstandings (i.e. not the idiotic drama-laden angsty ones) where Mia is pretty much simple-minded in her motivations, but somehow manages to inspire awe and admiration. Engrossing read, sadly the book is on the short side, at almost 260 pages. Doesn't end on a cliffhanger, which is a plus. Looking forward to the sequel.
Princess Mia Tearmoon is executed Marie Antoinnette style at the age of 20 and finds herself waking up back at the age of 12, at the height of the empire's prosperity. She finds that the diary she's written in since childhood has made the trip back with her, proving that it all wasn't just a dream. She sets out determined to change her ending and discovers that after making updates in her current diary, the future diary's recordings also change. This book is hilarious, filled with the best kind of misunderstandings (i.e. not the idiotic drama-laden angsty ones) where Mia is pretty much simple-minded in her motivations, but somehow manages to inspire awe and admiration. Engrossing read, sadly the book is on the short side, at almost 260 pages. Doesn't end on a cliffhanger, which is a plus. Looking forward to the sequel.
February 1, 2025
Libro piacevole e di cui desidero conoscere il seguito.
Anche se la trama è piuttosto lenta ed episodica, lo stile di scrittura è bilanciato e confortevole. Molte volte mi sono trovata a "prevedere" la fine di una frase perché le espressioni usate sono spesso formulaiche, ma usate con sapienza per creare atmosfera.
L'unico fastidio che ho provato è relativo all'ascolto dell'audiobook, perché la protagonista ha un modo di parlare pieno di strilli e gridolini improvvisi che possono urtare le orecchie se si ascolta a volume troppo alto.
I personaggi sono spesso in dialogo e coltiviano complessi monologhi interiori. Mi è piaciuto in particolare leggere di Abel e delle sue interazioni con Miya.
Brava la narratrice che ha dovuto crearsi una decina di voci diverse e le ha sapute usare molto bene.
Anche se la trama è piuttosto lenta ed episodica, lo stile di scrittura è bilanciato e confortevole. Molte volte mi sono trovata a "prevedere" la fine di una frase perché le espressioni usate sono spesso formulaiche, ma usate con sapienza per creare atmosfera.
L'unico fastidio che ho provato è relativo all'ascolto dell'audiobook, perché la protagonista ha un modo di parlare pieno di strilli e gridolini improvvisi che possono urtare le orecchie se si ascolta a volume troppo alto.
I personaggi sono spesso in dialogo e coltiviano complessi monologhi interiori. Mi è piaciuto in particolare leggere di Abel e delle sue interazioni con Miya.
Brava la narratrice che ha dovuto crearsi una decina di voci diverse e le ha sapute usare molto bene.
March 14, 2020
Twelve-year-old princess Mia is petty, selfish, and oblivious. Five years later, the Empire having fallen to economic collapse, famine, and revolution, she is imprisoned by the revolutionaries. Three years after that, she is sent to the guillotine. She awakens as a twelve-year-old - with her memories of those years intact. The new twelve-year-old Mia is petty, selfish, and determined not to lose her head a second time.
An entertaining book. The running gag is that she keeps doing the right things, the second time round, for the shallowest of reasons, and people keep attributing her actions to noble motives and brilliant planning.
An entertaining book. The running gag is that she keeps doing the right things, the second time round, for the shallowest of reasons, and people keep attributing her actions to noble motives and brilliant planning.
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